The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005, 15–42 ka. Part 1: constructing the time scale

The Greenland Ice Core Chronology 2005, GICC05, is extended back to 42 ka b2k (before 2000 AD), i.e. to the end of Greenland Stadial 11. The chronology is based on independent multi-parameter counting of annual layers using comprehensive high-resolution measurements available from the North Greenland Ice Core Project, NGRIP. These are measurements of visual stratigraphy, conductivity of the solid ice, electrolytical melt water conductivity and the concentration of Na⁺, Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, NH₄⁺. An uncertainty estimate of the time scale is obtained from identification of ‘uncertain’ annual layers, which are counted as 0.5±0.5 years. The sum of the uncertain annual layers, the so-called maximum counting error of the presented chronology ranges from 4% in the warm interstadial periods to 7% in the cold stadials. The annual accumulation rates of the stadials and interstadials are on average one-third and half of the present day values, respectively, and the onset of the Greenland Interstadials 2, 3, and 8, based on 20 year averaged δ¹⁸O values, are determined as 23,340, 27,780, and 38,220 yr b2k in GICC05.     

Modern chemometric data analysis – methods for the objective evaluation of load in river systems

Environmental data are highly variable. They also include uncertainties resulting from all steps of the analytical process e. g. sampling, or sampling pre‐treatment. However, a lot of information is unfortunately often lost because only univariate statistical methods are used for data evaluation and interpretation. This neglects correlation between different pollutants and relationships among various sampling points. It is therefore necessary to apply additional methods of analysis that can accommodate such relationships. This ability is provided by the established, and by the more modern, multivariate statistical methods because they can analyze complex sets of multidimensional data. These methods are used to visualize large amounts of data and to extract latent information (e. g. differently polluted areas, dischargers, or interactions between different environmental compartments). The goal of this paper is to present the use of established statistical techniques, like cluster or factor analysis, and the progress made in basic modern techniques (e. g. cluster imaging, multiway‐partial least squares regression, projection pursuit, or information theory) and to demonstrate each with examples and illustrations.     

Stochastic modelling and risk analysis of groundwater pollution using FORM coupled with automatic differentiation

The first order reliability method (FORM) has been widely used in probabilistic modelling of groundwater problems. The FORM approach requires an iterative optimization procedure to find out the system failure point (the most probable point).The advantages of this approach are that it does not require many computations in comparison with other methods when applied to simple problems, and it produces reasonably accurate results. However, it has been found that the computations of FORM can equal or exceed that of other methods in case of large number of variables.In this paper, a new implementation of FORM was proposed with more efficiency and accuracy than the traditional FORM method. In the proposed approach, automatic differentiation is used to obtain the gradient vector of the limit state function, which is required by FORM, instead of using finite difference estimation. This way, the first order derivative was obtained with a very good accuracy, and with less computational effort. Based on the obtained results, it is found that the proposed implementation of FORM is a very good tool for probabilistic risk assessment and uncertainty analysis in groundwater problems.     

Multicollinearity in cross-sectional regressions

The paper examines robustness of results from cross-sectional regression paying attention to the impact of multicollinearity. It is well known that the reliability of estimators (least-squares or maximum-likelihood) gets worse as the linear relationships between the regressors become more acute. We resolve the discussion in a spatial context, looking closely into the behaviour shown, under several unfavourable conditions, by the most outstanding misspecification tests when collinear variables are added to the regression. A Monte Carlo simulation is performed. The conclusions point to the fact that these statistics react in different ways to the problems posed.     

Performance of the In Situ Microcosm Technique for Measuring the Degradation of Organic Chemicals in Aquifers

An in situ microcosm (ISM) consists of a stainless steel cylinder isolating about 2 L of the aquifer and is equipped with valves allowing for loading and sampling from the ground surface. During the last five years, this technique has been used frequently to study the degradation of organic chemicals in polluted and pristine aquifers representing different redox environments. The ISM technique has great potential for providing field-relevant degradation potentials and rate constants, but care must be taken in using the equipment and interpreting the results. This paper provides details concerning the installation and operation of an ISM and presents experiences concerning data interpretation and monitoring of redox conditions.     

Paleoceanographic changes at the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary in the Western Tethys, northeastern Mexico

Mexico is usually considered to have formed the western end of the Tethys during Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times. The circumstances of the opening of the Gulf of Mexico Basin towards the Tethys and the exact stratigraphic timing, however, are not clear. Four sections covering this time interval, located in northeastern Mexico, have been measured and sampled in detail, in order to clarify their stratigraphic position during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time interval and the paleogeographic and oceanographic changes that accompanied this opening. Our studies include microfacies, micro- and macropaleontology, whole rock and clay-mineral x-ray diffraction and stable isotopes analyses. Our data indicate that the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, as defined by the Lyon-Neuchâtel Colloquium of 1973, cannot be determined precisely in northeastern Mexico due to the near-absence of calpionellids and endemism of ammonite taxa. In the lower and upper Berriasian sediments, we detected Mediterranean ammonite taxa so far unknown from Mexico, corresponding to the appearance of typical calpionellid-rich facies. These faunas allow direct biostratigraphic correlation with European ammonite and calpionellid zones.We propose that a major oceanographic change occurred in the upper part of calpionellid Zone B of the Early Berriasian. At this time, sediments in northeastern Mexico present increasingly pelagic facies, a dramatic appearance of Tethyan microfossils (calpionellids) and ammonites, changes in stable isotopic values, whole rock and clay-mineral mineralogy. We suggest that these changes are due to a global sea-level rise that connected directly northeastern Mexico to the European Tethys and ended the endemic, semi-restricted and anoxic environment of the Late Jurassic La Casita and equivalent La Caja and La Pimienta Formations.     

The geological treatment of relevellings

The geological and non-geological influences on the velocity of vertical movements of benchmarks along lines of relevelling have been examined and determined. Those parts of anthropogenic, technogenic, subrosive, halokinetic, and faulting-tectonic origin have been eliminated. The remaining part of endogenic recent vertical movements has been used in calculating and drawing the isobases of a new map of recent vertical crustal movements.     

11-year cycle of spawning time and growth of the whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) of Lake Constance

Over 90 years the beginning of spawning time of the whitefishCoregonus lavaretus of Lake Constance fluctuated in a wide range. A cycle of about 11 years is observed. Correlations of spawning time with sunspot activity (R), temperature, and age of spawners are found. Growth of the fishes in the first year of life correlates positively with R and year-class strength; growth in the second year correlates negatively with year-class strength and standing stock. It is assumed that the later the growing season ends the later the spawning season sets in.     

Assessing streams in Germany with benthic invertebrates: Development of a multimetric invertebrate based assessment system

The main aim of the study was to develop a multimetric assessment system for macroinvertebrate communities of small and mid-sized streams in Germany in accordance with the Water Framework Directive of the European Union. The system should be applicable by water authorities, capable of distinguishing between different impacts, and specifically adapted to all types of small and mid-sized rivers in Germany. An assessment system has been developed consisting of two modules based on the established indices for saprobic degradation and acidity, and a third module covering general degradation. For the third module a new multimetric index (MMI) was developed and tested using preclassifications for stream hydromorphological degradation, land use and general impairment as impact measures. More information on sampling method, season and the type of dominating human impairment allowed to further analyse the index' capabilities and sensitivity. It performed well in all seasons and detected all types of impairment except acidity. The usefulness of the impact measures used in this study is discussed with regard to the development of a multimetric index. The comparison of the new index with other indices showed that it is especially sensitive in detecting macroinvertebrate community responses to hydromorphological degradation and pollution such as the German AQEM index, while IBI 12 and Renkonen's similarity more reflect general community shifts caused by any type of disturbance. The new assessment system will be proposed for future use by state agencies for nationwide monitoring in the context of the Water Framework Directive implementation.     

Stellar 5 min oscillations

Estimates are given for the amplitudes of stochastically excited oscillations in Main Sequence stars and cool giants; these were obtained using the equipartition between convective and pulsational energy which was originally proposed by Goldreich and Keeley. The amplitudes of both velocity and luminosity perturbation generally increase with increasing mass along the Main Sequence as long as convection transports a major fraction of the total flux, and the amplitudes also increase with the age of the model. The 1.5 M _⊙ ZAMS model, of spectral type F0, has velocity amplitudes ten times larger than those found in the Sun. For very luminous red supergiants luminosity amplitudes of up to about 0 ^m .1 are predicted, in rough agreement with observations presented by Maeder.