Animals and humans in the European Russian Arctic towards the end of the last Ice Age and during the mid‐Holocene time

Here, we present and discuss results from geo‐archaeological and palaeo‐zoological investigations at the Palaeolithic site Pymva Shor, in the Russian Arctic. As many as 3324 vertebrate fauna remains were recovered during two excavations. This includes bones of mammals, birds and fish. Radiocarbon dates were obtained from 26 specimens. The results show ages in the range 30–3 cal. ka BP. Hare and reindeer are the best represented amongst the identified mammalian species, whilst ptarmigan and various wader species dominate the avian bones. The Pleistocene assemblage includes herbivorous herd animals such as horse, bison and musk ox. These species are typical of the treeless tundra‐steppe landscape that existed during the Lateglacial. Of particular interest is a cave lion specimen that has been radiocarbon dated to approximately 15.5 cal. ka BP. According to our knowledge, this is one of the latest dated examples of this species in Eurasia. The faunal composition in the Holocene assemblage is strikingly different and includes distinct forest taxa such as beaver and pine marten. The avifauna also supports a forested environment with the presence of black grouse. A few stone artefacts were found within the strata, and have been radiocarbon dated to 16–15 cal. ka BP, suggesting that there were humans in the Pymva Shore area at that time. We identified impact notches and cut marks on some radiocarbon‐dated reindeer and bison bones, showing that humans were present twice during the Younger Dryas period. A fourth occupation phase is identified during the mid‐Holocene (6–5 cal. ka BP). We also investigated river terraces and obtained a series of luminescence dates. These have been used to reconstruct the geological history and the relationship to the find‐bearing strata.     

Evidence for a nitrogen flux directly derived from the European subcontinental mantle in the Western Eger Rift, Central Europe

In the Czech-German border region of the Vogtland and NW Bohemia (western Eger rift, Central Europe), chemical and isotopic compositions (C, N, He, Ar) of free gas from a thermal water escape (fluorite mine, Schönbrunn), two mineral springs (“Eisenquelle,” Bad Brambach; “Sprudel III,” Bad Elster) and a mofette (Bublak) located along an ∼40-km long traverse are reported. The gases of Bublak and Bad Brambach are CO₂-rich (>99 vol.%) and have δ¹³C values of −1.95 and −4.29‰, respectively. With distance from the center of CO₂ degassing (Bublak) the δ¹³C values decrease, most likely due to physico-chemical fractionation of CO₂ between gaseous and aqueous phases rather than to admixture of organic/biogenic CO₂. The δ¹⁵N values range between −3.2 and −0.6‰, compared to an upper mantle value of −4.0 ± 1.0‰. The four locations are characterized by ³He/⁴He ratios decreasing from 5.9 R_a in the center (Bublak) to 0.8 R_a in the periphery (Schönbrunn) and give evidence for mixing of He from a deep-seated magmatic source with a crustal source. The location with the highest ³He/⁴He ratio (5.9 R_a) is accompanied by the highest ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar (550). We argue that the nitrogen of the Bublak mofette gas is a mixture of predominantly atmospheric and mantle-derived components, whereas at the other three locations crustal nitrogen may also be present. The Bublak δ¹⁵N value of ≈−4.5 ± 1.0‰ represents the first free gas δ¹⁵N reference from the European subcontinental mantle (ESCM) and indicates that, in contrast to the ³He/⁴He ratios, the δ¹⁵N values are equal for ESCM and MORB, respectively.     

Seismic architecture and sedimentology of a major grounding zone system deposited by the Bjørnøyrenna Ice Stream during Late Weichselian deglaciation

A 280 km wide sediment wedge in outer Bjørnøyrenna (Bear Island Trough), south-western Barents Sea, has been investigated using 2D and 3D seismic data, sediment gravity cores, as well as regional swath and large scale bathymetry data. The bathymetry data indicate a division into an up to 35 m high frontal wedge with large depressions, and an upstream part characterized by mega scale glacial lineations (MSGL). From seismic sections increasing erosion is demonstrated for the upstream part, coinciding with the location of MSGL. Whether the latter are depositional features postdating an extensive erosional event or formed by erosion remains inconclusive. Based on the distinct morphology and internal structures, we infer that the system was deposited during a rapid readvance whereby the ice front pushed and bulldozed predominantly soft, diluted proglacial sediments. Analyses in the eastern part of the sediment system reveal the existence of imbricated thrust sheets in the frontal part of the wedge. This is suggested to imply upstream erosion of sedimentary rock and incorporation of thrusted blocks into the moraine, forming a composite ridge locally. We argue that observed large scale depressions are dead-ice features in the marine environment. It is envisioned that intense englacial thrusting may have developed into a decollement as the cold glacier snout got overrun by ice masses from the interior, thereby enabling the inclusion of slabs of ice in the push moraine mass. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the sediment wedge was deposited around 17,090 cal yrs BP (14,530 ¹⁴C yrs BP) and that the ice front probably remained stable until 16,580 cal yrs BP (13,835 ¹⁴C yrs BP).     

The links between entrance geometry,hypsometry and hydrodynamics in shallow tidally dominated basins

Geomorphological characteristics of tidal basins control hydrodynamics and sediment transport potential within such basins, for example, by adjusting the balance in tidal asymmetry. In this study we examine the effects of entrance geometry on tidal velocity asymmetry, slack water asymmetry, bed shear stress patterns and hypsometric profile shapes by comparison of six shallow meso-tidal basins of Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. Numerical model results show how tidal distortion increases with distance from a basin entrance. A simple ratio between basin width and entrance width defines levels of basin dilation. Sub-basins with a constricted geometry and deep entrance channels are associated with small bed shear stress values and high rates of flood-directed tidal velocity asymmetry in the sheltered basin centres, indicating a large potential for sediment deposition of larger particles. Moreover, slack water asymmetry within these basins is weakly ebb-directed, indicating a small potential for transport of fine sediments out of the basins. The constricted depositional basins are characterized by convex hypsometric profiles with elevated intertidal regions. Unconstricted geometries are associated with larger bed shear stress values and more ebb-directed tidal velocity asymmetry within basin centres, suggesting limited potential for overall sediment deposition. The slack tide duration asymmetry is weakly flood-dominant indicating that limited input of fine sediment into the basins is possible. The comparatively high-energy conditions within these exposed basins are associated with a less convex hypsometric intertidal profile. The ability to estimate tidal asymmetries is advantageous when developing management strategies related to ecosystem functioning, navigability or coastal protection in specific geomorphic settings. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wave energy transmission system concepts for linear generator arrays

Wave energy is a renewable source, which has so far not been exploited widely. Many of the various schemes in the past consist of large mechanical structures, often located near the sea surface. This article presents a range of systems with point absorbers on the surface and linear generators placed on the seabed, converting the wave motion into electrical power. Electrical power components are combined in different ways to obtain solutions suitable for various conditions. Different topologies for the electrical system transmitting power to the grid are discussed. Qualitative case studies are used to exemplify system options and connection schemes.     

Holocene temperatures in Bohuslän, southwest Sweden: a quantitative reconstruction from fossil pollen data

Inferred mean annual temperatures (Tann) from a radiocarbon-dated fossil pollen stratigraphy obtained from Lake Trehörningen, southwest Sweden, provide evidence of climate variability during the Holocene in the boreal-nemoral zone of Sweden. The record indicates low early Holocene temperatures, followed by a rising trend and maximum temperature values from about 7000 to 4000 cal. yr BP. During the later part of the Holocene until present day, a cooling trend is reflected in the temperature record. At about 8200 cal. yr BP, temperatures temporarily drop, and at 8000 cal. yr BP the rising temperature trend is recovered. Inferred mid-Holocene temperatures are about 2.5-3°C higher than at present, and also higher than other pollen-inferred mid-Holocene temperatures of 1.5-2.5°C further to the north and east in Scandinavia. The reconstructed long-term climate pattern in Trehörningen has an overall consistency with temperature reconstructions from Scandinavia, suggesting a regional climate link for the Holocene variability in Sweden. Holocene climate trends in Trehörningen also show a remarkably similar pattern with the classic work on postglacial climate change by Sernander (1893, Sernander 1909), Andersson (1909) and von Post (1924).     

Early Weichselian interstadial (MIS 5c) summer temperatures were higher than today in northern Fennoscandia

Only fragmentary biostratigraphical interstadial data exist from northern European high latitudes. The palaeoenvironmental interpretations for the early part of the Last Glaciation in northern Fennoscandia are mainly based on palynological evidence that suggests open birch woodland and a sub-arctic climate. Plant macrofossils from the Sokli sediment sequence in Finnish Lapland provide different evidence of interstadial climate conditions. The assemblage includes several species that currently have considerably more southern distribution ranges. This indicates that ca 100,000 years ago summer temperatures were warmer than today. The mean minimum July temperature may have been as high as 16 °C and the effective temperature sum may have been 1000 in day-degree units (d.d.), the modern values being 13 °C and 650 d.d., respectively. The contemporary astronomical forcing mechanisms may have resulted in a weaker north–south temperature gradient and a longer growing period, creating more favourable climate conditions compared with today.     

Limnological conditions in a subarctic lake (northern Québec, Canada) during the late Holocene: analyses based on fossil diatoms

A fossil diatom record covering the past 3000 cal. years BP wasanalyzed from a small lake in northwestern Québec near the northernlimit of present-day tree-line. Fragilaria virescens var.exigua Grunow in Van Heurck was the dominant speciesthroughout the core with abundances ranging between 13–35% of thetotal valve count. There was a replacement of alkaliphilous taxa byacidophilous taxa beginning ca. 1300 cal. yr ago, probably reflectinglong-term, natural acidification processes. A diatom-based transfer functionwas used to provide quantitative estimates of variations in lakewater dissolvedorganic carbon (DOC). These inferred values showed that DOC concentrations haveremained stable over the past 3000 years (mean ± S.D. = 5 ± 0.43 mg C l^–1), suggesting relatively constant allochthonouscarbon inputs and underwater light conditions during the late Holocene. Thereconstructed DOC data were compared to the palynological record from the samelake. Our study indicates that, in contrast to paleolimnological records fromlakes in central and western Canada, climatic variations and associatedvegetational shifts have been too subtle to cause pronounced variations in DOCin this northern Québec site.     

Depoliticizing water conflict: functional peacebuilding in the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance project

ABSTRACT

This article analyses the nexus of technocracy–peacebuilding and its implications on water conflicts and hydropolitics. It is a conceptual exploration which advances an interdisciplinary approach by combining theories from two distinct research fields: peacebuilding and transboundary water management. It probes the argument that synergies between water management, development and peacebuilding frequently lead to technocratic and functional solutions. As empirical case illustration, the transboundary project, the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance (RSDSWC) is analysed regarding its peacebuilding and peace promoting potential. Three concluding remarks are drawn from the conceptual and empirical analysis. First, strong emphasis on technocratic solutions is inclined to favour supply-oriented options rather than solutions based on ethics of sustainable development and rights-based distribution. Second, functional solutions to water conflicts downplay at times complex hydro-political and asymmetrical relations between adversaries. Third, wider trends of privatization in the water sector coincide with similar developments in the field of peacebuilding, where new transnational actors are gaining influence as “new peacemakers”, which are likely to have long-term consequences on power relations and the resolution of water conflict.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR not assigned     

Identification of groundwater exfiltration,interflow discharge,and hyporheic exchange flows by fibre optic distributed temperature sensing supported by electromagnetic induction geophysics

Water exchange across the sediment–water interface of streams impresses a characteristic thermal pattern at the interface. The use of fibre optic distributed temperature sensing at the sediment–water interface in a small sand‐bed stream identifies such temperature patterns. Groundwater and interflow can be differentiated based on the temporal evolution of temperature patterns. Additionally, sudden temperature changes at the sediment–water interface observed during the transit of floods enable spatial identification of local up and downwelling. Electromagnetic induction geophysics can detect subsurface texture structures that support groundwater–surface water exchange. Our results show that areas of permanent temperature anomalies observed with fibre optic distributed temperature sensing match areas of comparatively homogeneous electrical conductivity. This indicates groundwater discharge and enables differentiating groundwater discharge from interflow and local downwelling.