First Data on the Isotopic Age of Zircons from Rocks of the Roseta Ultramafic Massif,Southern Margin of the São Francisco Craton (Brazil)

Doklady Earth Sciences - The results of isotope U–Pb dating of zircons from lherzolite and vein olivine orthopyroxenite composing the Roseta ultramafic massif are presented. The zircons...     

The role of prior model calibration on predictions with ensemble Kalman filter

This paper, based on a real world case study (Limmat aquifer, Switzerland), compares inverse groundwater flow models calibrated with specified numbers of monitoring head locations. These models are updated in real time with the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and the prediction improvement is assessed in relation to the amount of monitoring locations used for calibration and updating. The prediction errors of the models calibrated in transient state are smaller if the amount of monitoring locations used for the calibration is larger. For highly dynamic groundwater flow systems a transient calibration is recommended as a model calibrated in steady state can lead to worse results than a noncalibrated model with a well-chosen uniform conductivity. The model predictions can be improved further with the assimilation of new measurement data from on-line sensors with the EnKF. Within all the studied models the reduction of 1-day hydraulic head prediction error (in terms of mean absolute error [MAE]) with EnKF lies between 31% (assimilation of head data from 5 locations) and 72% (assimilation of head data from 85 locations). The largest prediction improvements are expected for models that were calibrated with only a limited amount of historical information. It is worthwhile to update the model even with few monitoring locations as it seems that the error reduction with EnKF decreases exponentially with the amount of monitoring locations used. These results prove the feasibility of data assimilation with EnKF also for a real world case and show that improved predictions of groundwater levels can be obtained.     

A regional model for studies of atmosphere-ice-ocean interaction in the western Arctic

Summary Asa step in the development of a fully coupled regional model of the atmosphere-ice-ocean system, atmospheric and sea ice models have been adapted to a western Arctic domain centered on the Bering Strait. Lateral boundary conditions derived from operational analyses drive the models through simulations on grids having horizontal resolutions of 21 km and 7 km. Sensitivities to the presence of sea ice are large after only 48 hours, by which time the surface temperatures in the Bering and Chukchi Seas are 10–15°C higher without sea ice than with sea ice. The temperatures, in turn, modify the fields of sea level pressure, surface wind and precipitation. By influencing the surface wind stress through the static static stability, the surface state feeds back to the surface momentum exchange, ice/ocean transport, and the rate of formation of new ice. The results also show a resolution-dependence of the surface winds, precipitation rates and new ice formation rates, particularly in areas in which the coastal configuration and topography are spatially complex. The experiments will be augmented by the implementation of an ocean model on the same grids.With 12 Figures     

Decorrelated GRACE time-variable gravity solutions by GFZ,and their validation using a hydrological model

We have analyzed recent gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE) RL04 monthly gravity solutions, using a new decorrelating post-processing approach. We find very good agreement with mass anomalies derived from a global hydrological model. The post-processed GRACE solutions exhibit only little amplitude damping and an almost negligible phase shift and period distortion for relevant hydrological basins. Furthermore, these post-processed GRACE solutions have been inspected in terms of data fit with respect to the original inter-satellite ranging and to SLR and GPS observations. This kind of comparison is new. We find variations of the data fit due to solution post-processing only within very narrow limits. This confirms our suspicion that GRACE data do not firmly ‘pinpoint’ the standard unconstrained solutions. Regarding the original Kusche (J Geod 81:733–749, 2007) decorrelation and smoothing method, a simplified (order-convolution) approach has been developed. This simplified approach allows to realize a higher resolution—as necessary, e.g., for generating computed GRACE observations—and needs far less coefficients to be stored.     

Proglacial Sediment—Landform Associations of a Polythermal Glacier: Storglaciären, Northern Sweden

Mapping and laboratory analysis of the sediment—landform associations in the proglacial area of polythermal Storglaciären, Tarfala, northern Sweden, reveal six distinct lithofacies. Sandy gravel, silty gravel, massive sand and silty sand are interpreted as glaciofluvial in origin. A variable, pervasively deformed to massive clast‐rich sandy diamicton is interpreted as the product of an actively deforming subglacial till layer. Massive block gravels, comprising two distinctive moraine ridges, reflect supraglacial sedimentation and ice‐marginal and subglacial reworking of heterogeneous proglacial sediments during the Little Ice Age and an earlier more extensive advance. Visual estimation of the relative abundance of these lithofacies suggests that the sandy gravel lithofacies is of the most volumetric importance, followed by the diamicton and block gravels. Sedimentological analysis suggests that the role of a deforming basal till layer has been the dominant factor controlling glacier flow throughout the Little Ice Age, punctuated by shorter (warmer and wetter climatic) periods where high water pressures may have played a more important role. These results contribute to the database that facilitates discrimination of past glacier thermal regimes and dynamics in areas that are no longer glacierized, as well as older glaciations in the geological record.     

Spectroscopic binaries near the North Galactic Pole paper 6: BD 33° 2206

Photoelectric radial-velocity measurements have confirmed O. C. Wilson’s finding that BD 33° 2206, the secondary star in the wide visual binary ADS 8470, is a spectroscopic binary. It has an eccentric orbit with a period of 100 days. Its γ-velocity is close to the constant radial velocity of the visual primary, confirming the physical association of the stars.     

Molecular abundances and nucleation in protostellar envelopes

This work is basically concerned with grain nucleation occurring in protostellar envelopes. On the basis of the dissociation equilibrium theory, molecular and atomic abundances are obtained for massive protostar envelopes. Application of time-independent homogeneous nucleation theory results in the possibility of atomic Fe condensation.     

GEOCHRONOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS FOR INTERPRETING THE PALEOCLIMATIC HISTORY OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU

在当前全球变化背景下,青藏高原冰川急剧退缩严重影响着东亚地区水资源.为了有效地规划水资源,需要对高原气候变化及其机制有深入的理解.尽管在青藏高原及周边地区有大量的古气候记录,但是目前对高原气候的时空变化及其机制仍缺乏深入一致的认识.青藏高原冰川、树轮和石笋记录可以提供过去气候变化的框架,但是这些记录的分布局限于一些特定的地理区域.青藏高原上广泛分布的湖泊沉积物是研究高原气候的时空变化及其机制的优良介质.湖泊沉积物岩芯的年龄控制主要依赖于放射性碳同位素定年,但大多数高原湖泊具有碳库效应,为建立沉积岩芯年代控制需要进行碳库年龄校正所带来的年龄误差目前未有深入研究,这在某种程度上制约了利用湖泊沉积物记录研究高原气候时空变化及其机制.本文比较了目前确定高原湖泊碳库年龄的方法并提出建议采用的方法,汇总目前己发表的高原湖泊碳库年龄,讨论湖泊现代碳库年龄的空间分布及其影响因素,讨论湖泊碳库过去变化及其可能造成的岩芯年代控制误差;以青海湖和班公错两个高原湖泊已发表的记录为例讨论过去碳库年龄变化可能造成对记录完全不同的解释;还讨论了由碳库效应校正而带来的湖泊沉积物岩芯年龄控制误差对青藏高原湖泊记录的末次盛冰期终止年代的空间分布及其对变化机制解释的影响.如果考虑碳库效应的过去变化,目前所观测到的高原气候时空变化及其机制需要重新解释.因此,为了更好地理解青藏高原气候时空变化及其机制,我们需要更多有良好定年、高分辨率和定量化的湖泊记录,本文也建议在解释目前湖泊记录时需要应对年龄控制极大重视.     

Optical Fiber Interferometers for Referencing Surface Benchmarks to Depth

—We have developed and operated optical fiber interferometers for monitoring displace ments within boreholes, as part of a program of crustal deformation measurement. These optical fiber strainmeters—a total of twelve instruments at two sites in southern California—were installed to sense the motion of the end-monuments of much longer baseline strainmeters and tiltmeters, allowing correction for any near-surface ground movement. One of the installations was specifically designed to investigate the distribution of deformation with depth, measuring over several borehole length-intervals from 5 m to 50 m. The displacements recorded over year-long time scales along these length intervals range up to 6 mm and show internal consistency and stability at the 50 μ m level. The use of these interferometers to provide correction signals for kilometer-scale crustal strain measurements has resulted in greatly improved records.