Structural features of Panarea volcano in the frame of the Aeolian Arc (Italy): Implications for the 2002–2003 unrest

Panarea, characterized by gas unrest in 2002–2003, is the volcanic island with the least constrained structure in the eastern-central Aeolian Arc (Italy). Based on structural measurements, we define here its deformation pattern relative to the Arc. The main deformations are subvertical extension fractures (63% of data), normal faults (25%) and dikes (12%). The mean orientation of the extension fractures and faults is N38°E, with a mean opening direction of N135° ± 8°, implying extension with a moderate component of dextral shear. These data, matched with those available for Stromboli volcano (pure opening) and Vulcano, Lipari and Salina volcanoes (predominant dextral motions) along the eastern-central Arc, suggest a progressive westward rotation of the extension direction and an increase in the dextral shear. The dextral shear turns into compression in the western arc. The recent unrest at Panarea, coeval to that of nearby Stromboli, may also be explained by the structural context, as both volcanoes lie along the portion of the Arc subject to extension.     

Coordinate mapping of analytical contaminant transport solutions to non-uniform flow fields

Existing analytical solutions to 2D and 3D contaminant transport problems are limited by the mathematically convenient assumption of uniform flow. An approximate method is developed herein for coordinate mapping of 2D (vertically-averaged) transport solutions to non-uniform steady-state irrotational and divergence-free flow fields in single-layer aquifers. The method enables existing analytical transport solutions to be applied to aquifer systems with wells, non-uniform saturated thickness, surface water features, and (to a limited degree) heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and recharge. This mass-conservative coordinate mapping approach is inexact in its approximation of the dispersion process but is still sufficiently accurate for many simple flow systems. The degree of model error is directly proportional to the variation of velocity magnitude within the domain. These mapped analytical solutions are compared to numerical simulation results and the coordinate mapping errors are investigated. The methods described herein may be used in the traditional capacity of analytical transport models, i.e., screening and preliminary site assessment, without sacrificing accuracy by assuming locally uniform flow conditions or applying an ad-hoc coordinate transformation. The solutions benefit from the traditional advantages of analytical methods, particularly the removal of artifacts due to spatial and temporal discretization: no time-stepping or numerical discretization is required.     

Modelling blue and green water resources availability in Iran

Knowledge of the internal renewable water resources of a country is strategic information which is needed for long‐term planning of a nation's water and food security, among many other needs. New modelling tools allow this quantification with high spatial and temporal resolution. In this study we used the program Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in combination with the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting program (SUFI‐2) to calibrate and validate a hydrologic model of Iran based on river discharges and wheat yield, taking into consideration dam operations and irrigation practices. Uncertainty analyses were also performed to assess the model performance. The results were quite satisfactory for most of the rivers across the country. We quantified all components of the water balance including blue water flow (water yield plus deep aquifer recharge), green water flow (actual and potential evapotranspiration) and green water storage (soil moisture) at sub‐basin level with monthly time‐steps. The spatially aggregated water resources and simulated yield compared well with the existing data. The study period was 1990–2002 for calibration and 1980–1989 for validation. The results show that irrigation practices have a significant impact on the water balances of the provinces with irrigated agriculture. Concerning the staple food crop in the country, 55% of irrigated wheat and 57% of rain‐fed wheat are produced every year in water‐scarce regions. The vulnerable situation of water resources availability has serious implications for the country's food security, and the looming impact of climate change could only worsen the situation. This study provides a strong basis for further studies concerning the water and food security and the water resources management strategies in the country and a unified approach for the analysis of blue and green water in other arid and semi‐arid countries. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of polar mesospheric cloud measurements from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size experiment and the solar backscatter ultraviolet instrument in 2007

We compare measurements from the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) experiment to the NOAA-17 solar backscatter ultraviolet (SBUV/2) instrument during the 2007 Northern Hemisphere polar mesospheric cloud (PMC) season. Daily average Rayleigh scattering albedos determined from identical footprints from the CIPS nadir camera and SBUV/2 agree to better than ～5% throughout the season. Average PMC brightness values derived from the two instruments agree to within ±10%. PMC occurrence frequencies are on average ～5% to nearly a factor of two higher in CIPS, depending on latitude. Agreement is best at high latitudes where clouds are brighter and more frequent. The comparisons indicate that AIM CIPS data are valid for scientific analyses. They also show that CIPS measurements can be linked to the long time series of SBUV/2 data to investigate long-term variability in PMCs.     

Sensitivity of climate response to variations in freshwater hosing location

In a recent intercomparison of the response of general circulation models (GCMs) to high-latitude freshwater forcing (Stouffer et al., J Climate 19(8):1365–1387, 2006), a number of the GCMs investigated showed a localised warming response in the high-latitude North Atlantic, as opposed to the cooling that the other models showed. We investigated the causes for this warming by testing the sensitivity of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) to variations in freshwater forcing location, and then analysing in detail the causes of the warming. By analysing results from experiments with HadCM3, we are able to show that the high-latitude warming is independent of the exact location of the additional freshwater in the North Atlantic or Arctic Ocean basin. Instead, the addition of freshwater changes the circulation in the sub-polar gyre, which leads to enhanced advection of warm, saline, sub-surface water into the Greenland–Iceland–Norwegian Sea despite the overall slowdown of the MOC. This sub-surface water is brought to the surface by convection, where it leads to a strong warming of the surface waters and the overlying atmosphere.     

Towards continuous long-term measurements of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in turbid coastal waters

The dynamics of sediment transport in the East Frisian Wadden Sea are important for the coastal zone and for ecosystem functioning. The tidal inlets between the East Frisian islands connect the back-barrier intertidal flats to the North Sea. Here, concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the water column are highly variable, depending on weather conditions and tides. In order to estimate the nature and quantity of sediment transport, in situ measurements were carried out at a Time Series Station in the tidal inlet between the islands of Spiekeroog and Langeoog. This study shows the suitability of multispectral transmissometry (MST) for obtaining long-term SPM measurements with high resolution. The comparability of this technique to the standard filter method and the laser diffraction method [laser in situ scattering and transmissometry (LISST)] is demonstrated. In addition, the Junge coefficients derived from both MST and LISST measurements are compared. A time series of SPM data covering nearly 4 months is presented. As a major result, the data reveal that a single storm surge can have less impact on SPM dynamics than longer-lasting gales. This high-resolution long-term data set is very valuable for modelling suspended matter flux. It also provides background information for studying the influence of SPM dynamics on coastal sediments.     

Short contribution: Buried Canopic channel identified near Egypt's Nile delta coast with radar (SRTM) imagery

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, with ground‐based geologic investigations, define the geographic position of the relict Canopic channel in Egypt's NW Nile delta. Two sinuous channel segments south of Abu Qir Bay are observed on a radar image: a more sinuous trace (36 km in length) west of Idku lagoon, and an eastern one (˜20 km), reaching the lagoon's southeast corner. Sediment cores recovered along channel traces show sand‐rich deposits (to > 4 m thick) beneath the surface, in contrast with silty muds in areas away from channels. Historic and archaeological findings indicate that the Ptolemaic Roman city of Schedia once lay directly along the Canopic that channeled water from the 3rd to 2nd centuries B.C. until ˜5th century A.D., after which Nile water was displaced to the east via Bolbitic and, later, Rosetta branches. Identification of buried, but well‐defined, Canopic channels provides baselines for renewed archaeological exploration in this delta sector. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Integration of GIS and Spatio-temporal Simulation Models: Interoperable Components for Different Simulation Strategies

New technologies for distributed object computing (DOC) challenge new approaches to integrate Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and simulation tools for spatio-temporal modeling. Several standardization initiatives work on specifying interfaces and defining service architectures for appropriate components. Currently, the most promising attempts are represented by the OpenGIS and the High Level Architecture. This paper gives a brief survey of the current state of the emerging standards, highlights the advantages and shortcomings of these attempts, and defines a possible framework for GIS-integrated simulation of spatio-temporal processes. Two abstraction layers provide interfaces for different GIS kernels and allow the integration of different simulation models. A prototype implementation of the specified interfaces shows the integration of analysis tools and two different simulation strategies: a mesoscale boundary layer model based on the Navier-Stokes equation and a cellular automata to simulate air pollutant dispersion.