Dependence of waterbirds and shorebirds on shallow-water habitats in the Mid-Atlantic coastal region: An ecological profile and management recommendations

Waterbirds (waterfowl, colonially nesting wading and seabirds, ospreys [Pandion haliaetus], and bald eagles [Haliaeetus leucocephalus]) and shorebirds (sandpipers, plovers, and relatives) may constitute a large fraction of the toplevel carnivore trophic component in many shallow-water areas of the mid-Atlantic region. The large biomass of many species (>1 kg body mass for the two raptors and some waterfowl) and enormous populations (e.g.,>1 million shorebirds in late May in parts of Delaware Bay) reveal the importance of waterbirds as consumers and as linkages in nutrient flux in many shallow-water habitats. Salt and brackish marsh shallow-water habitats, including marsh pannes and tidal pools and creeks as well as constructed impoundments, are used intensively during most months of the year; in fall and winter, mostly by dabbling ducks, in spring and summer by migrant shorebirds and breeding colonial wading birds and seabirds. In adjacent estuaries, the intertidal flats and littoral zones of shallow embayments are heavily used by shorebirds, raptors, and colonial waterbirds in the May to September periods, with use by duck and geese heaviest from October to March. With the regional degradation of estuarine habitats and population declines of many species of waterbirds in the past 20 yr, some management recommedations relevant to shallow waters include: better protection, enhancement, and creation of small bay islands (small and isolated to preclude most mammalian predators) for nesting and brooding birds, especially colonial species; establishment of sanctuaries from human disturbance (e.g., boating, hunting) both in open water (waterfowl) and on land; better allocation of sandy dredged materials to augment islands or stabilize eroding islands; improvement in water management of existing impoundments to ensure good feeding, resting, and nesting opportunities for all the waterbirds; support for policies to preclude point and nonpoint source runoff of chemicals and nutrients to enable submerged aquatic vegetation to recover in many coastal bays; and improvement in environmental education concerning disturbance to wildlife for boaters and recreationists using the coastal zone. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY074 00007     

Acoustic wave propagation in saturated porous media: reformulation of the Biot/Squirt flow theory

A model of wave propagation in fluid-saturated porous media is developed where the principal fluid/solid interaction mode affecting the propagation of the acoustic wave results from the conjunction of the Biot and the Squirt flow mechanism. The difference between the original Biot/Squirt (BISQ) flow theory and the new theory, which we call the reformulated BISQ, is that the average fluid pressure term appearing in the dynamic equation for a two component solid/fluid continuum is independent of squirt flow length. P-velocity and attenuation relate to measurable rock physical parameters: the Biot's poroelastic constants, porosity, permeability, pore fluid compressibility and viscosity. Modelling shows that velocity and attenuation dispersion obtained using the reformulated BISQ theory are of the same order of magnitude as those obtained using the original BISQ theory. Investigation on permeability effect on velocity and attenuation dispersion indicate that the transition zone in velocity and attenuation peak, occurring both at the relaxation frequency, shifts toward high frequency when permeability decreases. This behaviour agrees with Biot's theory prediction.     

Arbeit deutscher Geologen im Ausland seit Kriegsende

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

On the visualization of three-dimensional datasets

The effective visualization of three-dimensional (3D) datasets, both observationally and computationally sourced, is becoming common in solar physics. We present example plots of data from a 3D magnetohydrodynamical simulation, where depth perception is simulated using chromo-stereoscopy. The depth information is coded into the images using colours. When such images are viewed with double prism refraction ChromaDepthTM 3D glasses, a pronounced 3D effect is achieved. This visualization method is especially suited for working with and presenting computationally derived 3D datasets.     

Investigation of runoff generation in a pristine,poorly gauged catchment in the Chilean Andes I: A multi‐method experimental study

Catchment scale hydrological process studies in southern Chile are of special interest as little research at this scale has been carried out in this region. In particular, the young volcanic ash soils, which are typical for this area, are not well understood in their hydrological behaviour. In addition, extensive land use changes require detailed knowledge of hydrological processes in disturbed as well as undisturbed catchments in order to estimate resulting risks of erosion, eutrophication, floods and droughts. This study focuses on data collection and experimental determination of relevant processes in an undisturbed forested catchment in the Andes of southern Chile. The here gained understanding of runoff generation can serve as a reference for comparison with sites subject to human intervention, improving estimation of the effects of land use change. Owing to the lack of long‐term data for this catchment it was necessary to replace long time series by a multitude of experimental methods covering as many aspects of the runoff generation process as possible. The methods used in this investigation include: measurements of streamflow, rainfall, throughfall, water chemistry, soil water dynamics, groundwater dynamics, soil physics, soil mineralogy, geo‐electrical sounding, and tracer techniques. Methods and equipment used during field campaigns are described and evaluated for usefulness versus expenditure (labour and financial costs). Selected results and the hypotheses developed from these findings are presented. The results suggest the importance of fast processes for rainfall runoff response on the one hand as well as considerable dampening effects of a large subsurface storage on the other hand. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A meteorite impact crater field in eastern Bavaria? A preliminary report

Abstract— Numerous circular depressions north of Burghausen in eastern Bavaria, with diameters ranging from meters to tens of meters in size and dispersed over an area of at least 11 times 7 km, are suspected to have an extraterrestrial origin since they resemble other small meteorite impact craters. The depressions are bowl‐shaped, have high circularity and a characteristic rim. Most of them were formed in unconsolidated glacial gravels and pebbles intermixed with fine‐grained sand and clay. Magnetic investigations reveal weak anomalies with amplitudes of less than ±10 nano Tesla (nT). In some cases, the origins of the anomalies are suspected to be due to human activity within the structures. So far, no traces of meteoritic material have been detected. An evident archaeological or local geological explanation for the origin of the craters does not exist. A World War I and II explosive origin can be excluded since trees with ages exceeding 100 years can be found in some craters. One crater was described in 1909. Carbon‐14 dating of charcoal found in one crater yielded an age of 1790 ± 60 years. Hence, a formation by meteorite impacts that occurred in Celtic or early medieval times should be considered. A systematic archaeological excavation of some structures and an intensified search for traces of meteoritic material are planned.     

Chemometric study of functional groups in different layers of Trigonocarpus grandis ovules (Pennsylvanian seed fern, Canada)

We examined four dispersed, coalified ovules, Trigonocarpus grandis, of medullosalean seed-fern affinity from the Late Pennsylvanian age Sydney Coalfield, Canada, which represent the larger type of the 7–8 cm trigonocarpalean form species. At first glance it appears that the ovules are preserved like the usual Carboniferous foliar compressions, i.e. one coalified layer with one preserved anatomical tissue, the cuticle. However, careful sample preparation uncovered at least three coalified layers, and Schulze’s oxidative maceration process, which dissolves the coalified material, revealed several tissue layers. Altogether, eight sample forms were defined: (i) coalified layer, (ii) cuticle A, (iii) cupric + vitrain, (iv) vitrain, (v) cupric, (vi) cuticle B, (vii) alkaline solution and (viii) added coal seam material. The purpose of the study was twofold: first, to systematically analyze the forms by way of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry to fill a gap in chemical information that exits for coalified trigonocarpalean ovules of Carboniferous seed ferns; second, to use principal component analysis to focus on groupings as a function of chemical structure (functional groups) and to assess the different fossil forms in terms of FTIR chemical parameters, based on a 8 × 49 data matrix.Results include distinction among the three coaly sample forms, coalified layer (i), cupric + vitrain (iii) and cupric (v), based mainly, but not exclusively, on differences in carbonyl content, as well as length and branching of the polymethylenic chains. Important to note is the high aliphatic content of the cuticles as a signature of the biomacromolecules cutan/cutin. In particular, new insights into the structure of the original ovule are presented, and differences in chemistry are mainly a result of the complex structure of the precursor plant organ.