Seismic analyses of Cenozoic contourite drift development in the Northern Norwegian Sea

Four drift accumulations have been identified on the continental margin of northern Norway; the Lofoten Drift, the Vesterålen Drift, the Nyk Drift and the Sklinnadjupet Drift. Based on seismic character these drifts were found to belong to two main groups; (1) mounded, elongated, upslope accretion drifts (Lofoten Drift, Vesterålen Drift and Nyk Drift), and (2) infilling drifts (Sklinnadjupet Drift). The drifts are located on the continental slope. Mainly surface and intermediate water circulation, contrary to many North Atlantic and Antarctic drifts that are related to bottom water circulation, and sediment availability have controlled their growth. Sediments were derived both from winnowing of the shelf and upper slope and from ice sheets when present on the shelf. The main source area was the Vøring margin. This explains the high maximum average sedimentation rate of the nearby Nyk (1.2 m/ka) and Sklinnadjupet (0.5 m/ka) Drifts compared with the distal Lofoten (0.036 m/ka) and Vesterålen (0.060 m/ka) Drifts. The high sedimentation rate of the Nyk Drift, deposited during the period between the late Saalian and the late Weichselian is of the same order of magnitude as previously reported for glacigenic slope sediments deposited during glacial maximum periods only. The Sklinnadjupet Drift is infilling a paleo-slide scar. The development of the infilling drift was possible due to the available accommodation space, a slide scar acting as a sediment trap. Based on the formation of diapirs originating from the Sklinnadjupet Drift sediments we infer these sediments to have a muddy composition with relatively high water content and low density, more easily liquefied and mobilised compared with the glacigenic diamictons.     

Circulation and Brackish Water Dispersal in a Coastal Lagoon of Southwest Taiwan

Modest observations and numerical experiments were conducted to investigate circulation and brackish water dispersal in a coastal lagoon southwest of Taiwan. The Chi-Ku Lagoon, partially shielded from the sea by a string of sandbar barriers with two entrances among them, receives modest and episodic runoff from Chi-Ku Stream. Flood and ebb tidal streams entering and leaving the two entrances are found to converge and diverge in a flow stagnation area inside the lagoon. Under weak wind conditions, brackish water is preferentially retained in the flow stagnation area. Besides the observations, scenario runs using a three-dimensional numerical model also indicate strong modulation by monsoon winds. Both summer southwest monsoon and winter northeast monsoon reduce brackish water retention; the latter is found to be more effective. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Trends and evolution of contamination in a well-dated water reservoir sedimentary archive: the Brno Dam, Moravia, Czech Republic

The sedimentary record from dams can provide important information about stratigraphy and pollution history of densely populated river basins. The Brno Dam is a small reservoir within the Morava River catchment (Czech Republic) accumulating lacustrine sediments since 1940 (dam filling). The stratigraphy of the dam sediments was studied using multiproxy stratigraphic analysis (X-ray densitometry, bulk magnetic susceptibility, diffuse spectral reflectance and cation-exchange capacity) of five sediment cores supported by ground-penetration radar sections. Concentrations of heavy metals were studied by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The thickness of the dam sediments decreases from 220 cm in the proximal part, near the feeder, to only 10 cm in the distal part, near the dyke. Sediments consist predominantly of finely-laminated silty sands, silts and clays. The sedimentation rate for the last ~22 years, inferred from ¹³⁷Cs dating, decreases from 4.2 cm per year in the proximal part of the dam to 0.29 cm per year in its distal part. Distinct long-term trends were found in the depth profiles of heavy metal concentrations. The heavy metal contents increase significantly after 1940 in all cores, with peak concentrations confined to layers deposited in the 1960s and 1980s. A decreasing trend occurred after 1989 (the decline in Czech heavy industry). The results also show that heavy metal contamination is dependent on lithology (hyperpycnal flow layers related to floods). Increased concentrations of phosphorus in the sediments indicate long-term eutrophication of the dam. Despite the recent decreasing trends in heavy metal concentrations the phosphorus contents remain high in recent years and have caused persisting problems with algal growth in the dam mentioned by previous authors.     

Temperature-time dependence of the electrical conductivity of garnets

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Persistent halogenated compounds in black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) from Greenland--levels, compound patterns and spatial trends

Twenty-seven black guillemot eggs and 39 livers were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides including chlordane-related compounds and toxaphene, and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs). The samples were collected at Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn, West Greenland) and Ittoqqortoormiit (Scoresbysund, East Greenland). The concentrations of halogenated organic compounds in samples from East Greenland were somewhat higher than the corresponding concentrations from West Greenland. Differences in compound patterns were found between West and East Greenland, with higher percentages of the heavier PCB molecules, p,p(')-DDE and alpha-HCH in the samples from Ittoqqortoormiit. Similarly, different levels and different compositions were observed for eggs and livers. The eggs had generally higher concentrations of all compounds as well as higher percentages of CHB-50, CHB-62 and alpha-HCH than liver samples from the same area. Dividing the liver samples into age groups revealed increasing concentrations with age.     

Application of wavelet-artificial intelligence hybrid models for water quality prediction: a case study in Aji-Chay River,Iran

The accuracy of Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), wavelet-ANN and wavelet-ANFIS in predicting monthly water salinity levels of northwest Iran’s Aji-Chay River was assessed. The models were calibrated, validated and tested using different subsets of monthly records (October 1983 to September 2011) of individual solute (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, SO₄ ^2? and Cl^?) concentrations (input parameters, meq L^?1), and electrical conductivity-based salinity levels (output parameter, µS cm^?1), collected by the East Azarbaijan regional water authority. Based on the statistical criteria of coefficient of determination (R²), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSC) and threshold statistics (TS) the ANFIS model was found to outperform the ANN model. To develop coupled wavelet-AI models, the original observed data series was decomposed into sub-time series using Daubechies, Symlet or Haar mother wavelets of different lengths (order), each implemented at three levels. To predict salinity input parameter series were used as input variables in different wavelet order/level-AI model combinations. Hybrid wavelet-ANFIS (R² = 0.9967, NRMSE = 2.9 × 10^?5 and NSC = 0.9951) and wavelet-ANN (R² = 0.996, NRMSE = 3.77 × 10^?5 and NSC = 0.9946) models implementing the db4 mother wavelet decomposition outperformed the ANFIS (R² = 0.9954, NRMSE = 3.77 × 10^?5 and NSC = 0.9914) and ANN (R² = 0.9936, NRMSE = 3.99 × 10^?5 and NSC = 0.9903) models.     

The economics of decarbonizing the energy system—results and insights from the RECIPE model intercomparison

This paper synthesizes the results from the model intercomparison exercise among regionalized global energy-economy models conducted in the context of the RECIPE project. The economic adjustment effects of long-term climate policy are investigated based on the cross-comparison of the intertemporal optimization models ReMIND-R and WITCH as well as the recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model IMACLIM-R. A number of robust findings emerge. If the international community takes immediate action to mitigate climate change, the costs of stabilizing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations at 450?ppm (roughly 530?C550?ppm-e) discounted at 3% are estimated to be 1.4% or lower of global consumption over the twenty-first century. Second best settings with either a delay in climate policy or restrictions to the deployment of low-carbon technologies can result in substantial increases of mitigation costs. A delay of global climate policy until 2030 would render the 450?ppm target unachievable. Renewables and CCS are found to be the most critical mitigation technologies, and all models project a rapid switch of investments away from freely emitting energy conversion technologies towards renewables, CCS and nuclear. Concerning end use sectors, the models consistently show an almost full scale decarbonization of the electricity sector by the middle of the twenty-first century, while the decarbonization of non-electric energy demand, in particular in the transport sector remains incomplete in all mitigation scenarios. The results suggest that assumptions about low-carbon alternatives for non-electric energy demand are of key importance for the costs and achievability of very low stabilization scenarios.     

Impact of soil and water conservation measures on catchment hydrological response—a case in north Ethiopia

Impact studies of catchment management in the developing world rarely include detailed hydrological components. Here, changes in the hydrological response of a 200‐ha catchment in north Ethiopia are investigated. The management included various soil and water conservation measures such as the construction of dry masonry stone bunds and check dams, the abandonment of post‐harvest grazing, and the establishment of woody vegetation. Measurements at the catchment outlet indicated a runoff depth of 5 mm or a runoff coefficient (RC) of 1·6% in the rainy season of 2006. Combined with runoff measurements at plot scale, this allowed calculating the runoff curve number (CN) for various land uses and land management techniques. The pre‐implementation runoff depth was then predicted using the CN values and a ponding adjustment factor, representing the abstraction of runoff induced by the 242 check dams in gullies. Using the 2006 rainfall depths, the runoff depth for the 2000 land management situation was predicted to be 26·5 mm (RC = 8%), in line with current RCs of nearby catchments. Monitoring of the ground water level indicated a rise after catchment management. The yearly rise in water table after the onset of the rains (ΔT) relative to the water surplus (WS) over the same period increased between 2002–2003 (ΔT/WS = 3·4) and 2006 (ΔT/WS >11·1). Emerging wells and irrigation are other indicators for improved water supply in the managed catchment. Cropped fields in the gullies indicate that farmers are less frightened for the destructive effects of flash floods. Due to increased soil water content, the crop growing period is prolonged. It can be concluded that this catchment management has resulted in a higher infiltration rate and a reduction of direct runoff volume by 81% which has had a positive influence on the catchment water balance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetic susceptibility anisotropy of deformed rocks

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