Correlation of the Quaternary terrace sequence in the Lower Rhine valley and northern Alpine foothills of central Europe

Thirteen glacial terraces are known from the western part of the northern Alpine foothills between the Lech and Iller Rivers. In the Lower Rhine region of West Germany, a similar number of terraces are capped by interglacial floodloams and soils. Whereas the environment during individual interglaciations did not differ substantially, the glaciations were progressively more severe. The Main Terrace system of the Rhine may be an exception. The duration of the Quaternary, starting at the base of Praetiglian, is estimated at approximately 2 million yr by paleomagnetic dating. The major cold-warm climatic cycles of the earliest Pleistocene lasted approximately 100,000 yr, the same as those of the Brunhes Chron. The intervening Main Terrace system has not yet been climatically subdivided. Correlation with the Netherlands is possible because of an abundance of paleobotanic and paleomagnetic evidence. In the Alpine foothills, stratigraphically useful indicators of warm climates are missing, but analogies in terrace development permit comparison with the Lower Rhine and Danube. The terrace sequence in the Alpine foothills is incomplete, as are those along most of the other rivers in Europe. Some of the older terraces may have been eroded.     

A friction damped base isolation system with fail-safe characteristics

An experimental study of a Coulomb friction damped aseismic base isolation system with fail-safe characteristics is described in this paper. The base isolation system utilized commercially made natural rubber bearings and a skid system which comes into operation at preset-levels of relative horizontal displacement between the structure and the foundation. The fail-safe skid provides hysteretic damping and prevents failure of the isolation system in the event of displacements larger than those assumed in the original design. The isolation system can be designed for an earthquake which can be reasonably expected within the lifetime of the structure; in the event of an earthquake of unanticipated intensity the failsafe system will prevent collapse of the structure. The testing of the system involved an 80,000lb model, approximately 1/3 scale to a real structure mounted on the 20′ × 20′ shaking table at EERC and subject to a variety of earthquake inputs. The results show that the hysteretic effect of the fail-safe system does not greatly increase the accelerations experienced by the structure but considerably reduces the relative displacements at the isolation bearings. The action of the fail-safe system was tested by using an earthquake input that produced a resonant response in the isolated mode of the model. The stability limit of the isolation system was exceeded and the bearings failed but complete failure of the isolation system and thus collapse of the model was prevented by the fail-safe system. The implementation of the system in full scale structures poses no technical or construction problems. An equivalent linearization technique was developed for this system for design purposes using response spectra. The accuracy of this approach was verified by comparison with the experimental results.     

Human response to environmental change in the perspective of future, global climate

Human response to severe environmental stress is conceived and implemented by individuals, but must be approved by the group. These decisions are made with respect to perceived circumstances. Societies are enmeshed within adaptive systems that provide a matrix of opportunities and constraints for a wide range of potential behavioral variability. Such systems repeatedly readjust to short-term crises, e.g., droughts, but persistent and severe environmental stress may require substantial revision of adaptive strategies. The Sahel drought of 1968–1973 is an example of a brief but severe crisis, recurring along the Saharan margins perhaps once every 30 years. Closer inspection shows links between intensified intertribal warfare and ecological stress in the lower Omo Valley. The decline of the Egyptian New Kingdom during the 12th century B.C., in response to economic stagnation, sociopolitical instability, dynastic weakness, foreign pressures, and poor Nile floods over 50–70 years, represents a more complex and fundamental modification, with systemic simplification lasting 450 years. Such insights can be applied to future, global climatic change due to increasing atmospheric CO₂. Simulation and paleoclimatic experience suggest a drier climate for the North American and Soviet breadbaskets, to threaten world food supplies at a time of maximum demographic pressures and declining resources. Public perception and remedial planning should receive the attention of Quaternary scientists, in order to preempt an involuntary, global, systemic simplification.     

Spatial variability of water vapor turbulent transfer within the boundary layer

Although the physics of evaporation within the inner region of the boundary layer is believed to be well understood, observations of mass-energy exchange processes have been hindered by the limitations of point sensors. A combination of point sensors and active remote sensing, namely, water-Raman Lidar measurements, offers new opportunities to study relatively large areas at temporal and spatial scales previously unattainable. Results from experiments over uniform canopies both confirm some traditional theories and challenge some of the underlying assumptions concerning the homogeneity of the surface-atmosphere interface and the use of point sensors to characterize large areas.This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy. The authors would like to thank F. Archuleta, J. Archuleta, F. Barnes, W. Clements, K. Muller and W. Porch of LANL, R. Whitis of USDA, R. Jackson and P. Pinter of USDA-WCL, and L. Balick of EG&G for their invaluable time and support.     

Glycol Ethers As Groundwater Contaminants

Ether derivatives of dihydroxy alcohols, which are formed from ethylene or propylene, comprise an important group of groundwater contaminants known as glycol ethers. Compounds in this group are used as solvents, cleaning agents, and emulsifiers in many chemical products and manufacturing operations. Glycol ethers have been associated with a variety of toxic effects, and some compounds in the group are relatively potent teratogens. The limited information available suggests that glycol ethers are contaminants in groundwater, especially in anaerobic plumes emanating from disposal of mixed industrial and household waste. Most methods used to analyze groundwater samples cannot adequately detect 7g/’ (ppb) concentrations of glycol ethers, and the existing methods perform worst for the most widely used and toxic species. A new method capable of analyzing 7g/’ concentrations of glycol ethers was recently developed, and its use is recommended for groundwater samples where glycol ethers are likely to be present. Résumé. Les éthers glycol, polluants des eaux souterraines. Les dérivés d'éther de dihydroxy-alcool, formés à partir de l'éthylène ou du propylène, constituent un important groupe de polluants des eaux souterraines connus sous le nom d'éthers glycol. Les composés de ce groupe sont utilisés comme solvants, comme agents de nettoyage et comme émulsifiants dans de nombreux produits chimiques et dans de nombreux processus de fabrication. Des effets toxiques variés ont été attribués aux éthers glycol et certains des composés sont des agents tératogènes relativement puissants. Les données disponibles, qui sont limitées, indiquent que les éthers glycol sont des polluants communs dans les eaux souterraines, particulièrement dans les panaches anaéorobies émis par les décharges mixtes de déchets industriels et domestiques. La plupart des méthodes d'analyse d'échantillons d'eau souterraine ne sont pas capables de détecter convenablement des concentrations en éthers glycol de l'ordre du 7g/l (ppb); les méthodes actuelles sont médiocres pour doser les espèces toxiques les plus courantes. Une nouvelle méthode permettant de doser des concentrations en éthers glycol de l'ordre du 7 g/l a été récemment mise au point; son utilisation est préconisée pour les échantillons d'eau souterraine contenant des éthers glycol.     

The role of wind direction in eolian transport on a narrow sandy beach

Comparison of eolian transport during five high-velocity wind events over a 29 day period on a narrow estuarine beach in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA, reveals the temporal variability of transport, due to changes in direction of wind approach. Mean wind speed measured 6 m above the dune crest for the five events ranged from 8·5 to 15·9 ms^?1. Mean wind direction was oblique to the shoreline (63° from shore-normal) during one event but was within 14° of shore-normal during the other events. Eolian transport is greatest during low tide and rising tide, when the beach source area is widest and when drying of surface sediments occurs. The quantity of sediment caught in a vertical trap for the five events varied from a total of 0·07 to 113·73 kgm^?1. Differences in temperature, relative humidity and moisture and salt content of surficial sediments were slight. Mean grain sizes ranged from 0·33 to 0·58 mm, causing slight differences in threshold shear velocity, but shear velocities exceeded the threshold required for transport during all events. Beach width, measured normal to the shoreline, varied from 15·5 to 18·0 m; beach slope differed by 0·5°. The oblique wind during one event created a source width nearly double the width during other days. Beach slope, measured in the direction of the wind, was less than half as steep as the slope measured normal to the shoreline. The amount of sand trapped during the oblique wind was over 20 times greater than any other event, even those with higher shear velocities. The ability of the beach surface to supply grains to the air stream is limited on narrow beaches, but increased source width, due to oblique wind approach, can partially overcome limitations of surface conditions on the beach.     

Rezente und fossile Flachmeer-absätze petrologisch betrachtet und gedeutet

Zusammenfassung Bei der Sedimentbildung im Flachmeer wird zwischen Kurzschweb (KS) im oberen durchbewegten Teil des Meeres und Langschweb (LS) des ruhigen Wassers unterschieden. Deren Grenze liegt je nach der Windwirkung zwischen 2,5 und 250 m Tiefe. Wechsel in der Größe klastischer Körner weist auf Änderung der Wasserbewegung, solcher des Kalkgehalts auf Klimaänderung hin.Bei sinkendem Meeresboden gibt es im KS-Bereich stets eine Zone, in der kontinuierlich so viel Sediment angehäuft wird, wie die Senkung beträgt. Da ohne Senkung der Absatz weiter verfrachtet würde, verdankt dies Sediment seine Entstehung der Senkung. Solch desidiertes Sediment wächst, bei gleichbleibender Tiefe des Wassers, nach unten, im Gegensatz zum ascendenten Sediment.Wo im KS-Bereich das Ausmaß von Senkung und Anhäufung gleich ist, entstehen erdgeschichtlich volldokumentäre Sedimente. Je schneller die Senkung, desto reicher und lesbarer der Inhalt. Im übrigen Teil des KS-Bereichs bedingen zahlreiche Unterbrechungen des Absatzes ein teildokumentäres Sediment. Im LS-Niederschlag fallen jene erdgeschichtlichen Ereignisse aus, die durch Wasserbewegung erkennbar werden. Da Bodenbewohner und Verdichtung die primäre Schichtung zerstören, bleibt ein erdgeschichtlich grobdokumentäres Sediment.Cyklische Sedimente entsprechen den volldokumentären.Aus den Sedimentations-Bedingungen in Ostsee, Nordsee, Mittelmeer und Golf de Gascogne werden zunächst Gesetzmäßigkeiten der Sediment-Bildung in der Flachsee abgeleitet. Daran anschließend soll versucht werden, fossile Flachsee-Ablagerungen zu deuten.Das Schrifttum, soweit nicht im Geologischen Institut Kiel vorhanden, durfte ich dankenswerterweise einsehen in den Büchereien des Instituts für Meereskunde Kiel und des Deutschen Hydrographischen Instituts Hamburg. Herrn Dr.Jarke vom letztgenannten Institut bin ich für Gedanken-Austausch und Hinweise zu besonderem Dank verpflichtet.