Polychaete/amphipod ratio as an indicator of environmental impact related to offshore oil and gas production along the Norwegian continental shelf

Benthic faunal data is regularly collected worldwide to assess the ecological quality of marine environments. Recently, there has been renewed interest in developing biological indices able to identify environmental status and potential anthropogenic impacts. In this paper we evaluate the performance of a general polychaete/amphipod ratio along the Norwegian continental shelf as an environmental indicator for offshore oil and gas impacts. Two main trends are apparent: first, a contamination gradient is discernible from where production takes place compared to stations 10,000 m away. Second, the quality of the marine environment has improved over time. These results are consistent with monitoring reports employing a combination of uni- and multi-variate statistics. Thus, we consider this ratio as a relatively simple, useful and potentially cost-effective complement to other more demanding assessment techniques. Because of its strong theoretical basis, it may also be useful for detecting ecological change as a result of other activities.     

Education challenges in the North Sea area

This paper introduces the North Sea as a fast evolving coastal ecosystem. The variability of natural conditions relates to the global climatic change and to human disturbances, which originate regionally. Education is an integral part of the strategy to improve environmental awareness. Considering contemporary challenges for educating the wider public about the main issues of environmental concern, attention is paid to various plans, which are being developed in North-Western Europe from primary schools to universities. "Learning for life" relies on an opening of the vocation of traditional universities and on the creation of a European university. Sharing resources in a competitive environment is one response given by British universities in the framework of a Discipline Network in Coastal Sciences and Management in 1996-2000. Networking is truly the key to a fast evolving teaching and learning context, notably in relation to ever developing information and communication technologies. The dissemination of scientific information is primordial in this context; a case study relating to the European project "Marine biodiversity in Europe" (BIOMARE) demonstrates the need for an elaborated strategy leading to socio-economic considerations. Empowering communities and governance are the main possible outcomes of such an enlarged approach to education, involving teachers, students, researchers, professionals, and volunteers. Proposals are made for amplifying the involvement of non-scientists into scientific research and its applications to management. Finally, a case is made for facilitating the mobility of all concerned, with a view to annihilate language and cultural barriers.     

Effect of surface wave propagation in a four-layered oceanic crust model

Dispersion of Rayleigh type surface wave propagation has been discussed in four-layered oceanic crust. It includes a sandy layer over a crystalline elastic half-space and over it there are two more layers—on the top inhomogeneous liquid layer and under it a liquid-saturated porous layer. Frequency equation is obtained in the form of determinant. The effects of the width of different layers as well as the inhomogeneity of liquid layer, sandiness of sandy layer on surface waves are depicted and shown graphically by considering all possible case of the particular model. Some special cases have been deduced, few special cases give the dispersion equation of Scholte wave and Stoneley wave, some of which have already been discussed elsewhere.     

Impacts of droughts on low flows and water quality near power stations

ABSTRACT

Power plants often use river waters for cooling purposes and can be sensitive to droughts and low flows. Water quality is also a concern, due to algal blooms and sediment loads that might clog filters. We assessed the impacts of droughts on river flow and water quality from the point of view of power plant operation. The INCA (INtegrated CAtchment) water quality model was coupled with a climate model to create a dataset of flow and water quality time series, using the River Trent (UK) as a case study. The result hints to a significant decrease in flows and an increase in phosphorus concentrations, potentially enhancing algal production. Power plants should expect more stress in the future based on the results of this study, due to reduced cooling water availability and decreasing upstream water quality. This issue might have serious consequences also on the whole national power network.     

Extension of Penman's formulae to multi-layer models

In this paper, the well-established multi-layer model originally devised by Waggoner and Reifsnyder (1968) is used. This steady-state model based on an electrical analogue simulates the energy exchange between the vegetation and the atmosphere. A purely mathematical development of the basic equations of this model yields explicit expressions of the total fluxes of sensible and latent heat at the top of the canopy as a function of the net radiation absorbed in each layer, the soil heat flux, the water vapour pressure deficit at a reference height and the whole set of elementary conductances (stomatal, boundary-layer and aerodynamic). These new equations can be considered as a generalization of the familiar Penman's formulae to a multi-layer model.     

Macroseepage of methane and light alkanes at the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles

Geologic seepage of methane and light (C₂-C₅) alkanes was measured at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Samples were collected using flux chambers with stainless steel canisters and analyzed using gas chromatography. Average seepage rates from individual seepage sites were 970 ± 330 mg/h of methane, 14.0 ± 5.5 mg/h of ethane, 9.1 ± 3.7 mg/h of propane, 3.7 ± 1.6 mg/h of i-butane, 0.33 ± 0.16 mg/h of n-butane, 260 ± 120 μg/h of i-pentane, and 5.3 ± 1.9 μg/h of n-pentane, while maximum seepage rates exceeded 17 g/h of methane, 270 mg/h of ethane, 190 mg/h of propane, 95 mg/h of i-butane, 10 mg/h of n-butane, 7 mg/h of i-pentane, and 0.1 mg/h of n-pentane. These absolute fluxes have an additional unknown amount of error associated with them due to sampling methodology, and should be taken as the lower limit of emissions. Samples collected revealed generally dry gas, with high methane emissions relative to the light alkanes. Overall emissions from the tar pits were found to come not only from the active geologic seepage, but also from the outgassing of the standing asphalt at the site. Using the gas ratios, which are negligibly affected by errors introduced by sampling methodology, observed in this study, daily emissions of C₂ – C₅ alkanes from the La Brea area were estimated to be 4.7 ± 1.6 Mg, which represents 2–3 % of total emissions in the entire Los Angeles region.     

Enhancing the relevance of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways for climate change impacts,adaptation and vulnerability research

This paper discusses the role and relevance of the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and the new scenarios that combine SSPs with representative concentration pathways (RCPs) for climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability (IAV) research. It first provides an overview of uses of social–environmental scenarios in IAV studies and identifies the main shortcomings of earlier such scenarios. Second, the paper elaborates on two aspects of the SSPs and new scenarios that would improve their usefulness for IAV studies compared to earlier scenario sets: (i) enhancing their applicability while retaining coherence across spatial scales, and (ii) adding indicators of importance for projecting vulnerability. The paper therefore presents an agenda for future research, recommending that SSPs incorporate not only the standard variables of population and gross domestic product, but also indicators such as income distribution, spatial population, human health and governance.     

Evolution of sedimentary environments of the middle Jiangsu coast, South Yellow Sea since late MIS 3

An evolutionary model of sedimentary environments since late Marine Isotope Stage 3 （late MIS 3, i.e., ca. 39 cal ka BP） along the middle Jiangsu coast is presented based upon a reinterpretation of core 07SR01, new correlations between adjacent published cores, and shallow seismic profiles recovered in the Xiyang tidal channel and adjacent northern sea areas. Geomorphology, sedimentology, radiocarbon dating and seismic and sequence stratigraphy are combined to confirm that environmental changes since late MIS 3 in the study area were controlled primarily by sea-level fluctuations, sediment discharge of paleo-rivers into the South Yellow Sea （SYS）, and minor tectonic subsidence, all of which impacted the progression of regional geomorphic and sedimentary environments （Le., coastal barrier island freshwater lacustrine swamp, river floodplain, coastal marsh, tidal sand ridge, and tidal channel）. This resulted in the formation of a fifth-order sequence stratigraphy, comprised of the parasequence of the late stage of the last interstadial （Para-Sq2）, including the highstand and forced regressive wedge system tracts （HST and FRWST）, and the parasequence of the postglacial period （Para-Sql）, including the transgressive and highstand system tracts （TST and HST）. The tidal sand ridges likely began to develop during the postglacial transgression as sea-level rise covered the middle Jiangsu coast at ca. 9.0 cal ka BP. These initially submerged tidal sand ridges were constantly migrating until the southward migration of the Yellow River mouth to the northern Jiangsu coast during AD 1128 to 1855. The paleo-Xiyang tidal channel that was determined by the paleo-tidal current field and significantly different from the modern one, was in existence during the Holocene transgressive maxima and lasted until AD 1128. Following the capture of the Huaihe River in AD 1128 by the Yellow River, the paleo-Xiyang tidal channel was infilled with a large amount of river-derived sediments from AD 1128 to 1855, causing the emergence of some of the previously submerged tidal sand ridges. From AD 1855 to the present, the infilled paleo-Xiyang tidal channel has undergone scouring, resulting in its modern form. The modern Xiyang tidal channel continues to widen and deepen, due both to strong tidal current scouring and anthropogenic activities.     

Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological Studies at Mira,an Early Upper Paleolithic Site in the Lower Dnepr Valley,Ukraine

New geoarchaeological and bioarcheological research was undertaken at the open‐air site of Mira, which is buried in deposits of the Second Terrace of the Dnepr River, roughly 15 km downstream from the city of Zaporozhye in Ukraine. Previous excavation of the site revealed two occupation layers dating to ∼32,000 cal BP. The lower layer (II/2) yielded bladelets similar to those of the early Gravettian, while the upper layer (I) contained traces of an artificial shelter and hundreds of bones and teeth of horse (Equus latipes). Mira represents the only firmly dated early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) site in the Dnepr Basin, and occupies a unique topographic setting for the EUP near the center of the broad floodplain of the Dnepr River. The site was visited during a period of floodplain stability, characterized by overbank deposition and weak soil formation under cool climate conditions. Mira was used as a long‐term camp, but also was the locus of large‐mammal carcass processing associated with a nearby kill of a group of horses (Layer I).