On the long-term context of the 1997–2009 ‘Big Dry’ in South-Eastern Australia: insights from a 206-year multi-proxy rainfall reconstruction

This study presents the first multi-proxy reconstruction of rainfall variability from the mid-latitude region of south-eastern Australia (SEA). A skilful rainfall reconstruction for the 1783–1988 period was possible using twelve annually-resolved palaeoclimate records from the Australasian region. An innovative Monte Carlo calibration and verification technique is introduced to provide the robust uncertainty estimates needed for reliable climate reconstructions. Our ensemble median reconstruction captures 33% of inter-annual and 72% of decadal variations in instrumental SEA rainfall observations. We investigate the stability of regional SEA rainfall with large-scale circulation associated with El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Inter-decadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) over the past 206 years. We find evidence for a robust relationship with high SEA rainfall, ENSO and the IPO over the 1840–1988 period. These relationships break down in the late 18th–early 19th century, coinciding with a known period of equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperature (SST) cooling during one of the most severe periods of the Little Ice Age. In comparison to a markedly wetter late 18th/early 19th century containing 75% of sustained wet years, 70% of all reconstructed sustained dry years in SEA occur during the 20th century. In the context of the rainfall estimates introduced here, there is a 97.1% probability that the decadal rainfall anomaly recorded during the 1998–2008 ‘Big Dry’ is the worst experienced since the first European settlement of Australia.     

Prediction Errors Associated with Sparse Grid Estimates of Flows over Hills

Numerical simulations of geophysical flows have to be done on very sparse grids. Nevertheless, flows over moderately sloped hills can be predicted quite accurately as long as the near ground vertical resolution is reasonably dense. Recirculation flows behind steeper hills are associated with slow convergence towards grid independent integrations, but even then moderately stratified flows of this type can be predicted usefully accurately. For better horizontal grids than about half the hill-height Δx ₁/H ≈ 0.5 or so, separation and recirculating domains are predicted with an error factor comparable to 0.3. The characteristic wavelength of lee waves is predicted more accurately while the lee wave amplitude and the maximum turbulence intensity in recirculating domains are underestimated by factors comparable to 0.3. Strongly stratified flows may be associated with hydraulic transitions and even this is predicted on quite coarse grids, up to say Δx ₁/H ≈ 0.5. However, the details of such flows turn out to be predicted with considerable errors also on high-resolution grids. Inaccurate modelling of stratified turbulence is a main contributor to this error.     

Storage-discharge characteristics of an active rock glacier catchment in the Innere Ölgrube,Austrian Alps

The active rock glacier “Innere Ölgrube” and its catchment area (Ötztal Alps, Austria) are assessed using various hydro(geo)logical tools to provide a thorough catchment characterization and to quantify temporal variations in recharge and discharge components. During the period from June 2014 to July 2018, an average contribution derived from snowmelt, ice melt and rainfall of 35.8%, 27.6% and 36.6%, respectively, is modelled for the catchment using a rainfall-runoff model. Discharge components of the rock glacier springs are distinguished using isotopic data as well as other natural and artificial tracer data, when considering the potential sources rainfall, snowmelt, ice melt and longer stored groundwater. Seasonal as well as diurnal variations in runoff are quantified and the importance of shallow groundwater within this rock glacier-influenced catchment is emphasized. Water derived from ice melt is suggested to be provided mainly by melting of two small cirque glaciers within the catchment and subordinately by melting of permafrost ice of the rock glacier. The active rock glacier is characterized by a layered internal structure with an unfrozen base layer responsible for groundwater storage and retarded runoff, a main permafrost body contributing little to the discharge (at the moment) by permafrost thaw and an active layer responsible for fast lateral flow on top of the permafrost body. Snowmelt contributes at least 1/3rd of the annual recharge. During droughts, meltwater derived from two cirque glaciers provides runoff with diurnal runoff variations; however, this discharge pattern will change as these cirque glaciers will ultimately disappear in the future. The storage-discharge characteristics of the investigated active rock glacier catchment are an example of a shallow groundwater aquifer in alpine catchments that ought to be considered when analysing (future) river runoff characteristics in alpine catchments as these provide retarded runoff during periods with little or no recharge.     

APEX and ATCA observations of the southern hot core G327.3-0.6 and its environs

There is no generally accepted evolutionary scheme for high mass star formation yet. A simple approach to address this problem is to cover several of the known stages during the formation of massive stars in the same cloud and then investigate their properties trying to construct an evolutionary sequence. Here we present such a project conducted with complementary APEX and ATCA observations. These observations show a compact and bright single hot core in the G327.3-0.6 region on a 0.03 pc scale with a mass of 500 M_⊙ and 0.5–1.5 10⁵ L_⊙. Additionally a clumpy filament is seen in N₂H⁺. Together with cm continuum observations, the data reveal like pearls on a string several stages of massive star formation, with likely the youngest stages hiding in the cold N₂H⁺ cores analysed with a multilevel study of the APEX and ATCA observations.     

Über die Phasen der Gebirgsbildung

Zusammenfassung Diskordanzen sind nicht die einzigen Anzeichen orogener Bewegungen; sie entstehen nur bei Sedimentationsunterbrechung und sind ceteris paribus um so grö\er, je länger die Unterbrechung dauerte. Eine Diskordanz ist kein Anzeichen für das Ende einer Bewegung; diese kann synsedimentär weitergehen. Bei synsedimentärer Bewegung konvergiert Dach und Sohle eines Schichtsto\es gegen das Hoch. Wenigstens in den Tiefs herrscht bei synsedimentärer Orogenese Konkordanz.über die Zurechnung einer Bewegung zur Orogenese oder Epirogenese entscheidet nicht die Dauer oder der Diskordanzwinkel, sondern das entstehende Gefüge. Die Wellenlänge der Faltung steht in umgekehrtem Verhältnis zur Intensität der gebirgsbildenden Kraft.Die Orogenese dauert oft durch geologische Stufen oder Formationen kontinuierlich an. Sie verläuft örtlich ruckweise — Spannungsausgleich in mechanisch inhomogenem Medium. Die Paroxysmen sind weder erdweit noch gleichzeitig.Als Phase möchten wir einen im gro\en einheitlichen orogenen Vorgang bezeichnen ohne Rücksicht auf die mechanisch bedingten zeitweiligen örtlichen Intensitätsunterschiede. Anfang und/oder Ende dieser Phasen ändern sich längs des Orogens.     

Über das blaue Steinsalz

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Betrachtungen über die Grundschicht

Zusammenfassung 1. Es werden die einzelnen Vorgänge besprochen, die das eigentümliche Verhalten der Veränderlichkeit von Druck und Temperatur in ihrer vertikalen Verteilung erklären sollen. Wenn ein unteres an der Erdoberfläche vorhandenes Druckausgleichsniveau vorhanden ist und ein weiteres in grösserer Höhe, so müssen Temperaturänderungen in dem einen Niveau durch solche eines anderen ausgeglichen, kompensiert werden. Es wird gezeigt, dass dem kompensierenden Einfluss der mittleren und oberen Troposphäre ein kompensierender Einfluss der Kälte- und Wärmewellen aus dem Bereiche der Grundschicht entgegenwirkt, sodass letzten Endes das Druckausgleichsniveau nicht mehr am Erdboden liegt, sondern in eine Höhe verschoben wird, die der ungefähren Höhe der Grundschicht entspricht. — 2. Der Einfluss von Reibung und Konvektion auf die Bildung der Grundschicht wird besprochen. Die Reibung wirkt langsam und immer schichtweise. Die Konvektion wirkt rascher, aber zunächst immer nur lokal. Im Verlaufe längerer Zeit kann aber auch die Konvektion eine Homogenisierung der unteren Luftschichten bewirken, also eine Luftschicht von einem einheitlichen Charakter schaffen. Dieser Prozess wird noch verstärkt, wenn die Konvektion mit Kondensation verbunden ist. Jetzt ist eine weitere Ueberhöhung der Grundschicht möglich. Da dieser Prozess aber über weite Räume nicht von gleicher Grösse ist, wird diese Ueberhöhung vielfach gebietsweise verschieden sein. Die Grundschicht vom Böenwettertyp hat daher gewöhnlich keine einheitliche Oberfläche über weite Gebiete hinweg. — 3. Ein weiterer Faktor, der für die Bildung der Grundschicht von Bedeutung ist, ist die Strahlung. Da der Beitrag, den jeder der drei Faktoren (Reibung, Konvektion, Strahlung) zur Bildung der Grundschicht beisteuert, nicht errechnet werden kann, muss man sich zunächst mit einer qualititativen Abschätzung der Einflüsse der einzelnen an der Bildung der Grundschicht beteiligten Faktoren begnügen. Ein entsprechendes Schema wird vorgelegt und besprochen.

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Summary 1. There are discussed individual proceedings which shall explain the characteristic behaviour of pressure, and temperature instability in their vertical distribution. When there exists equalization of pressure on a lower level near the ground, and again on a higher level, changes of temperature on one level will be compensated by such on another level. It is shown that the compensating influence of middle and upper troposphere is opposed by the compensating influence of cold, and heat waves from the ground layer, ultimately resulting in the removal of the level of pressure equalization from the ground to an altitude roughly corresponding to the height of ground layer. — 2. The influence of friction and convection on the formation of ground layer is discussed. While friction is acting slowly and by layers, convection is acting more rapidly, but only locally at first. In the long run however, also convection can produce homogeneity of the lower layers of the atmosphere, i. e. an atmospheric layer of uniform character. This process is being intensified when convection is associated with condensation. Then, another increase in height of the ground layer will be possible. However, as this process will not be of similar intensity over wide stages, the increase in height will vary locally. Therefore, generally the ground layer of the squally weather type will not possess a uniform surface extending over wide areas. — 3. Another important factor in the formation of ground layer is radiation. Since the share taken by each of the three factors (friction, convection, radiation) cannot be computed, one must be satisfied with qualitative valuation of the influence of the factors participating in the formation of ground layer. An appropriate scheme is submitted and discussed.