Short-term fluctuations in vegetation and phytoplankton during the Middle Eocene greenhouse climate: a 640-kyr record from the Messel oil shale (Germany)

The Palaeogene was the most recent greenhouse period on Earth. Especially for the Late Palaeocene and Early Eocene, several superimposed short-term hyperthermal events have been described, including extremes such as the Palaeocene?CEocene Thermal Maximum. Major faunal and floral turnovers in the marine and terrestrial realms were recorded in association with these events. High-resolution palynological analysis of the early Middle Eocene maar lake sediments at Messel, near Darmstadt, Germany, provides an insight into the dynamics of a climax vegetation during the Middle Eocene greenhouse climate in a time span without significant climatic excursions. Numerical techniques like detrended correspondence analysis and wavelet analysis have been applied to recognize cyclic fluctuations and long-term trends in the vegetation through a time interval of approximately 640?kyr. Based on the numerical zoning of the pollen diagram, three phases in the development of the vegetation may be distinguished. Throughout these phases, the climax vegetation did not change substantially in qualitative composition, but a trend towards noticeably less humid conditions probably in combination with a drop of the water level in the lake may be recognized. A shift in algal population from the freshwater dinoflagellate cyst Messelodinium thielepfeifferae to a dominance of Botryococcus in the uppermost part of the core is interpreted as a response to changes in acidity and nutrient availability within the lake. Time series analyses of pollen assemblages show that variations in the Milankovitch range of eccentricity, obliquity and precession can be distinguished. In addition, fluctuations in the sub-Milankovitch range are indicated. This demonstrates that floral changes during steady depositional conditions in the Middle Eocene of Messel were controlled by orbital forcing.     

Climate forcing due to the 8200 cal yr BP event observed at Early Neolithic sites in the eastern Mediterranean

We explore the hypothesis that the abrupt drainage of Laurentide lakes and associated rapid switch of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation 8200 yr ago had a catastrophic influence on Neolithic civilisation in large parts of southeastern Europe, Anatolia, Cyprus, and the Near East. The event at 8200 cal yr BP is observed in a large number of high-resolution climate proxies in the Northern Hemisphere, and in many cases corresponds to markedly cold and arid conditions. We identify the relevant archaeological levels of major Neolithic settlements in Central Anatolia, Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria, and examine published stratigraphic, architectural, cultural and geoarchaeological studies for these sites. The specific archaeological events and processes we observe at a number of these sites during the study interval 8400–8000 cal yr BP lead us to refine some previously established Neolithisation models. The introduction of farming to South-East Europe occurs in all study regions (Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Bulgaria) near 8200 cal yr BP. We observe major disruptions of Neolithic cultures in the Levant, North Syria, South-East Anatolia, Central Anatolia and Cyprus, at the same time. We conclude that the 8200 cal yr BP aridity event triggered the spread of early farmers, by different routes, out of West Asia and the Near East into Greece and Bulgaria.     

Analyzing bank filtration by deconvoluting time series of electric conductivity

Knowing the travel-time distributions from infiltrating rivers to pumping wells is important in the management of alluvial aquifers. Commonly, travel-time distributions are determined by releasing a tracer pulse into the river and measuring the breakthrough curve in the wells. As an alternative, one may measure signals of a time-varying natural tracer in the river and in adjacent wells and infer the travel-time distributions by deconvolution. Traditionally this is done by fitting a parametric function such as the solution of the one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation to the data. By choosing a certain parameterization, it is impossible to determine features of the travel-time distribution that do not follow the general shape of the parameterization, i.e., multiple peaks. We present a method to determine travel-time distributions by nonparametric deconvolution of electric-conductivity time series. Smoothness of the inferred transfer function is achieved by a geostatistical approach, in which the transfer function is assumed as a second-order intrinsic random time variable. Nonnegativity is enforced by the method of Lagrange multipliers. We present an approach to directly compute the best nonnegative estimate and to generate sets of plausible solutions. We show how the smoothness of the transfer function can be estimated from the data. The approach is applied to electric-conductivity measurements taken at River Thur, Switzerland, and five wells in the adjacent aquifer, but the method can also be applied to other time-varying natural tracers such as temperature. At our field site, electric-conductivity fluctuations appear to be an excellent natural tracer.     

Toward physical aspects affecting a possible leakage of geologically stored CO2 into the shallow subsurface

In geological formations, migration of CO₂ plume is very complex and irregular. To make CO₂ capture and storage technology feasible, it is important to quantify CO₂ amount associated with possible leakage through natural occurring faults and fractures in geologic medium. Present work examines the fracture aperture effect on CO₂ migration due to free convection. Numerical results reveal that fracture with larger-aperture intensify CO₂ leakage. Mathematical formulation and equations of state for the mixture are implemented within the object-oriented finite element code OpenGeoSys developed by the authors. The volume translated Peng–Robinson equation of state is used for material properties of CO₂ and water.     

Late Quaternary lake-level changes of Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Siberia

Lake El'gygytgyn is situated in a 3.6 Ma old impact crater in northeastern Siberia. Presented here is a reconstruction of the Quaternary lake-level history as derived from sediment cores from the southern lake shelf. There, a cliff-like bench 10 m below the modern water level has been investigated. Deep-water sediments on the shelf indicate high lake levels during a warm Mid-Pleistocene period. One period with low lake level prior to Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 has been identified, followed by a period of high lake level (10 m above present). In the course of MIS 2 the lake level dropped to − 10 m. At the end of MIS 2 the bench was formed and coarse beach sedimentation occurred. Subsequently, the lake level rose rapidly to the Holocene level. Changes in water level are likely linked to climate variability. During relatively temperate periods the lake becomes free of ice in summer. Strong wave actions transport sediment parallel to the coast and towards the outlet, where the material tends to accumulate, resulting in lake level rise. During cold periods the perennial lake ice cover hampers any wave activity and pebble-transport, keeping the outlet open and causing the lake level to drop.     

Gamma rays from colliding winds of massive stars

Colliding winds of massive binaries have long been considered as potential sites of non-thermal high-energy photon production. This is motivated by the detection of non-thermal spectra in the radio band, as well as by correlation studies of yet unidentified EGRET γ-ray sources with source populations appearing in star formation regions. This work re-considers the basic radiative processes and its properties that lead to high energy photon production in long-period massive star systems. We show that Klein–Nishina effects as well as the anisotropic nature of the inverse Compton scattering, the dominating leptonic emission process, likely yield spectral and variability signatures in the γ-ray domain at or above the sensitivity of current or upcoming gamma ray instruments like GLAST-LAT. In addition to all relevant radiative losses, we include propagation (such as convection in the stellar wind) as well as photon absorption effects, which a priori can not be neglected. The calculations are applied to WR 140 and WR 147, and predictions for their detectability in the γ-ray regime are provided. Physically similar specimen of their kind like WR 146, WR 137, WR 138, WR 112 and WR 125 may be regarded as candidate sources at GeV energies for near-future γ-ray experiments. Finally, we discuss several aspects relevant for eventually identifying this source class as a γ-ray emitting population. Thereby we utilize our findings on the expected radiative behavior of typical colliding wind binaries in the γ-ray regime as well as its expected spatial distribution on the γ-ray sky.     

Nachweis von Vulkanismus in Sedimenten der Unter- und Oberkreide in Norddeutschland

Zusammenfassung In Kreidesedimenten Norddeutschlands wird vom Apt an eine hohe Montmorillonitführung beobachtet. Während z. B. in der Fraktion < 0,63 des Barreme nur 5% Montmorillonit nachgewiesen wurden, steigt der Montmorillonitgehalt von 20% im Apt über 50% im Alb auf 70% im Santon an. Dieser Montmorillonit ist im wesentlichen ein Umwandlungsprodukt basischer, vulkanischer Tuffe, wie Reste vulkanischen Glases mit einer Lichtbrechung bis zu 1,6 beweisen. Dabei scheint die Tuffzufuhr im wesentlichen untermeerisch erfolgt zu sein. Der Vulkanismus selber tritt zum ersten Mal in Verbindung mit tektonischer Tätigkeit in der oberen Unterkreide auf. Er ist also eng mit der geologischen und tektonischen Entwicklung dieses Raumes verbunden.Bei chemischen Untersuchungen zeigte sich in Übereinstimmung mit dem tonmineralogischen Wechsel eine Veränderung in der Konzentration einiger Elemente. So nimmt z B. der Al₂O₃- und der K₂O-Gehalt ab, der MgO- und Fe₂O₃-Gehalt dagegen zu. Zum Beispiel beträgt die Fe₂O₃-Konzentration im Barreme 5,8%, im Alb aber 8,7%. Die Anreicherung des Eisens im Alb, möglicherweise eine Folge der vulkanischen Tätigkeit, könnte die Bildung von zahlreichen Fe-Geoden in diesen Sedimenten gefördert haben. Aus diesen Geoden sind dann während der senonen Transgression die Eisenerze der Oberkreide bei Peine entstanden.

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High montmorillonite contents have been observed at the beginning of the Aptian age (lower cretaceous) in cretaceous sediments from Northern Germany. In the < 0.63 fraction the montmorillonite content is 5% in the Barremian, which is under the Aptian, and increases from 20% in the Aptian to over 50% in the Albian to 70% in the Santonian (upper cretaceous). These montmorillonite rich sediments contain fragments of volcanic glass with a refractive index of up to 1.6, indicating that they were partly derived from alteration of intermediate to basic volcanic material. The volcanism is thought to be of submarine origin and the first volcanic activity seems to be contemporaneous with the beginning of the tectonic deformation of lower cretaceous sediments.In addition to the marked changes in clay mineralogy, the Al₂O₃ and K₂O contents decrease whereas the MgO and Fe₂O₃ contents increase. For example the Barremian has 5.8% Fe₂O₃ whereas the Albian has 8.7% Fe₂O₃. This high Fe concentration, perhaps from volcanic activity, may have influenced the formation of the large number of Fe-geodes in the Albian. These geodes were eroded and redeposited during the Senonian transgression and formed the Fe ore deposit of the upper cretaceous near the town of Peine.

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Résumé Les sédiments crétaciques de l'Allemagne septentrionale ont un contenu élevé en montmorillonite à partir de l'Aptien. Tandis que dans le Barrémien, par exemple, la fraction inférieure à 0,63 ne continent que 5% de montmorillonite, sa teneure monte de 20% dans l'Aptien à plus de 50% dans l'Albien, et jusqu'à 70% dans le Santonien. Cette montmorillonite est essentiellement un produit de la transformation de tufs volcaniques basiques, ainsi que le montrent des résidus de verre volcaniques d'indice de réfraction allant jusque 1,6. Il semble donc que l'apport tuffique se soit produit essentiellement en milieu marin. Le volcanisme lui-même s'est produit pour la première fois en relation avec une activité tectonique à la fin du Crétacique inférieur. Il est donc ainsi en étroite relation avec le développement géologique et tectonique de cette région. - Les recherches chimiques montrent la concordance entre le changement dans la minéralogie argileuse et la modification dans la concentration de quelques éléments. C'est ainsi que par ex. la diminution de la teneur en Al₂O₃ s'accompagne de l'augmentation de la teneur en MgO et Fe₂O₃. Sie par ex., la concentration en Fe₂O₃ dans le Barrémien est de 5,8%, elle est dans l'Albien de 8,7%. L'enrichissement du fer dans l'Albien, conséquence possible de l'activité volcanique, pourrait avoir conduit à la formation de nombreuses géodes à base de fer dans ces sédiments. C'est à partir de ces géodes que se seraient formés au cours de la transgression sénonienne les minerais de fer du Crétacique supérieur près de Peine.

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. .: < 0,63 5 % , 20 % , 50 % 70 % . . . , 1,6. , . . . . .: l₂₃ K₂ , MgO Fe₂O₃ . .: Fe₂O₃ 5,8»/ 8,7 %. , , , , . .

     

Geometric modelling and object-oriented software concepts applied to a heterogeneous fractured network from the Grimsel rock laboratory

Discrete fracture network simulations are computationally intensive and usually time-consuming to construct and configure. This paper presents a case study with techniques for building a 3D finite element model of an inhomogeneous fracture network for modelling flow and tracer transport, combining deterministic and stochastic information on fracture aperture distributions. The complex intersected fractures represent a challenge for geometrical model design, mesh quality requirements and property allocations. For the integrated and holistic modelling approach, including the application of numerical and analytical simulation techniques, new object-oriented concepts in software engineering are implemented to ensure a resourceful and practicable software environment.