Diel variation of benthic respiration in a coral reef sediment (Reunion Island,Indian Ocean)

Oxygen and total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes at the water–sediment interface were measured using benthic chambers to assess the short-term variations of community respiration (CR) in the back reef sediments of Reunion Island (Indian Ocean). Benthic CR had a daily cycle of minimal (6:00 AM) and maximal values (6:00 PM), showing increases of oxygen and DIC fluxes of 2.8- and 3.8-fold, respectively. Average CR values were observed at midday and midnight. The evolution of fluxes was positively related to oxygen concentration in ambient water, but not to temperature changes. In the study area, high daytime primary production augments the amount of energy available for community metabolism and increases benthic respiration. The benthic communities are therefore subjected to short-term variable environmental conditions with oxygen supersaturation during the day, and moderately hypoxic conditions at the end of the night.     

Fraile Detection of Solar $$-Modes by Fossat et al.

The internal gravity modes of the Sun are notoriously difficult to detect, and the claimed detection of gravity modes presented by Fossat et al. (Astron. Astrophys.604, A40, 2017) is thus very exciting. Given the importance of these modes for understanding solar structure and dynamics, the results must be robust. While Fossat et al. described their method and parameter choices in detail, the sensitivity of their results to several parameters was not presented. Therefore, we test the sensitivity of the results to a selection of the parameters. The most concerning result is that the detection vanishes when we adjust the start time of the 16.5-year velocity time-series by a few hours. We conclude that this reported detection of gravity modes is extremely fragile and should be treated with utmost caution.     

Collapsing supra-massive magnetars: FRBs,the repeating FRB121102 and GRBs

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) last for \(\sim \) few milli-seconds and, hence, are likely to arise from the gravitational collapse of supra-massive, spinning neutron stars after they lose the centrifugal support (Falcke & Rezzolla 2014). In this paper, we provide arguments to show that the repeating burst, FRB 121102, can also be modeled in the collapse framework provided the supra-massive object implodes either into a Kerr black hole surrounded by highly magnetized plasma or into a strange quark star. Since the estimated rates of FRBs and SN Ib/c are comparable, we put forward a common progenitor scenario for FRBs and long GRBs in which only those compact remnants entail prompt \(\gamma \)-emission whose kick velocities are almost aligned or anti-aligned with the stellar spin axes. In such a scenario, emission of detectable gravitational radiation and, possibly, of neutrinos are expected to occur during the SN Ib/c explosion as well as, later, at the time of magnetar implosion.     

The effects of trophic interactions and spatial competition on algal community composition on Hawaiian coral reefs

Much of coral reef ecology has focused on how human impacts change coral reefs to macroalgal reefs. However, macroalgae may not always be a good indicator of reef decline, especially on reefs with significant sea urchin populations, as found in Kenya and Hawaii. This study tests the effects of trophic interactions (i.e. herbivory by fishes and sea urchins) and spatial competition (between algae and coral) on algal community structure of reefs surrounding two Hawaiian Islands that vary in their level of human impacts. Reef‐building organisms (corals and crustose coralline algae) were less abundant and turf algae were more abundant on Maui as compared to Lanai, where human impacts are lower. In contrast to previous studies, we found no evidence that macroalgae increased with human impacts. Instead, low turf and macroalgal abundance were best explained by the interactive effects of coral cover and sea urchin abundance. Fishing sea urchin predators appeared to have cascading effects on the benthic community. The absence of sea urchin predators and high sea urchin densities correspond to a disproportionately high abundance of turf and crustose coralline algae. We propose that high turf algal abundance is a better indicator of reef decline in Hawaii than high macroalgal abundance because turf abundance was highest on reefs with low coral cover and few fish. The results of this study emphasize that understanding changes in community composition are context‐dependent and that not all degraded reefs look the same.     

Better air for better health: Forging synergies in policies for energy access,climate change and air pollution

Air pollution and its related health impacts are a global concern. This paper addresses how current policies on air pollution, climate change and access to clean cooking fuels can effectively reduce both outdoor and household air pollution and improve human health. A state of the art modeling framework is used that combines an integrated assessment model and an atmospheric model to estimate the spatial extent and distribution of outdoor air pollution exposures. Estimates of household energy access and use are modeled by accounting for heterogeneous household energy choices and affordability constraints for rural and urban populations spanning the entire income distribution. Results are presented for 2030 for a set of policy scenarios on air pollution, climate change and energy access and include spatially explicit emissions of air pollutants; ambient concentrations of PM2.5; and health impacts in terms of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) from both ambient and household air pollution. The results stress the importance of enforcing current worldwide air quality legislation in addressing the impacts of outdoor air pollution. A combination of stringent policies on outdoor air pollution, climate change and access to clean cooking fuels is found to be effective in achieving reductions in average ambient PM2.5 exposures to below World Health Organization recommended levels for a majority of the world's population and results in a significant decline in the global burden of disease from both outdoor and household air pollution.     

Seismic stability analysis of piled embankments: A multiphase approach

The seismic stability analysis of an embankment lying over a soft foundation soil reinforced by a group of vertical piles is performed within the framework of the upper bound kinematic approach of yield design. The analysis is based on a previously developed ‘multiphase’ model of the reinforced ground, which explicitly accounts for the shear and bending resistances of the piles. Making use of appropriate failure mechanisms involving shear zones across which the reinforcements are continuously deforming, along with ‘plastic hinge’ surfaces, upper bound estimates to the critical seismic coefficient of the structure are derived. The results, which are confirmed by the simulations obtained from a finite element elastoplastic code, give clear evidence of the key role played by the bending strength capacities of the piles in ensuring the stability of the pile reinforced embankment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calderas,landslides and paleo-canyons on Piton de la Fournaise volcano (La Réunion Island,Indian Ocean)

Based upon a re-interpretation of previous data and a new field campaign, a structural evolution is proposed for the early history of Piton de la Fournaise volcano from 500,000 to 50,000 years. Conceptually, it is shown that the formation of a caldera in which lava flows are contained inside the caldera depression, gives time for erosion to excavate deep canyons on the external slopes of the volcano, for example, the Rivière des Remparts, the Rivière Langevin and the Rivière de l'Est canyons on Piton de la Fournaise volcano. These canyons are infilled when lavas, filling the caldera and overflowing its rim, are able again to flow on the external slopes of the volcano. In the past, this excavating/infilling process has occurred twice following the formation of the Rivière des Remparts and Morne Langevin calderas. The formation of the third caldera, the Plaine des Sables caldera, was followed by the excavation of the current canyons. In addition to this process, two large landslides have been documented in the field. The first, which happened about 300,000 years ago, is apparently the first episode of the break up of Piton de la Fournaise volcano, predating the formation of the four large calderas. The second landslide, which occurred 150,000 years ago and is considered to be less extensive, has carried away the entire southern flank of the Rivière des Remparts caldera.     

Fram Strait ice flux calculations and associated Arctic ice conditions

The areal outflow of ice through Fram Strait during the period 1953–1984 is estimated on a monthly basis from the geostrophic wind and the ice concentration. Summer ice coverage in various sectors of the Arctic is then compared with the computed outflow through Fram Strait in various antecedent periods. Lag correlations indicate that interannual variations of summer ice severity in the Pacific side of the Arctic Basin are consistent with fluctuations of Fram Strait outflow during the previous 3–9 months. The findlings suggest that above-normal outflow of multiyear ice during the winter/spring months may precondition the large-scale pack ice to respond more directly to offshore flow events during the ensuing months.The areas of highest correlation with Fram Strait outflow undergo a pronounced shift in the early 1970's. Coincident changes in the large-scale circulation pattern imply that the source region of the Transpolar Drift Stream shifted westward from the Alaskan to the Siberian waters during this period.     

The December 4, 1983 to February 18, 1984 eruption of Piton de la Fournaise (La Reunion, Indian Ocean): Description and interpretation

On December 4, 1983 an eruption started at vents located 1.5 km southwest of the summit of Piton de la Fournaise at the base of the central cone. After 31 months of quiescence this was one of the longest repose period in the last fifty years. The eruption had two phases: December 4 to January 18 and January 18 to February 18. Phase 1 produced about 8 × 10⁶ m³ of lava and Phase II about 9 × 10⁶ m³. The erupted lava is an aphyric basalt whose mineralogical and geochemical composition is close to that of other lavas emitted since 1977.The precursors of the December 4 outbreak were limited to two-week shallow (1.5–3 km) seismic crisis of fewer than 50 events. No long-term increase was noted in the local seismicity which is very quiet during repose periods and no long-term ground inflation preceded the eruption. Outbreaks of Phases I and II were preceded by short (2.5 hours and 1.5 hours) seismic swarms corresponding to the rise of magma toward the surface from a shallow reservoir. Large ground deformation explained by the emplacement of the shallow intrusions, was recorded during the seismic swarms. A summit inflation was observed in early January, before the phase II outbreak, while the phase I eruption was still continuing.Piton de la Fournaise volcanological observatory was installed in 1980. Seismic and ground deformation data now available for a period of 4 years including the 1981 and the 1983–1984 eruptions, allow us to describe the physical behavior of the volcano during this period. These observations lead us to propose that the magma transfer from deep levels to the shallow magma reservoir is not a continuous process but a periodic one and that the shallow magma reservoir was not resupplied before the 1981 and 1983–1984 eruptions. Considerations on the eruptive history and the composition of recent lavas indicate that the reservoir was refilled in 1977.     

Penetration of bomb radiocarbon in the tropical Indian Ocean measured by means of accelerator mass spectrometry

Radiocarbon measurements performed on seawater samples by means of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) enable to reduce by a factor of 2000 the water sample size needed for the¹⁴C measurements. Therefore no chemical treatment on board the oceanographic vessel is required. Seventy-four AMS¹⁴C determinations on samples collected in the tropical-equatorial Indian Ocean during the second leg of the INDIGO program (1986) are presented and compared with the β-counting results obtained during the same campaign and the GEOSECS program (1978). A pronounced reduction of the equatorial¹⁴C deficit suggests that substantial amounts of bomb-¹⁴C are associated with the westward flowing Pacific water which enters the Indian Ocean via passages through the Indonesia archipelago and/or to meridional mixing with¹⁴C-rich water of the southern subtropical gyre.