First lacustrine varve chronologies from Mexico: impact of droughts,ENSO and human activity since AD 1840 as recorded in maar sediments from Valle de Santiago

We present varve chronologies for sediments from two maar lakes in the Valle de Santiago region (Central Mexico): Hoya La Alberca (AD 1852–1973) and Hoya Rincón de Parangueo (AD 1839–1943). These are the first varve chronologies for Mexican lakes. The varved sections were anchored with tephras from Colima (1913) and Paricutín (1943/1944) and ²¹⁰Pb ages. We compare the sequences using the thickness of seasonal laminae and element counts (Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ti, Mn, Fe, and Sr) determined by micro X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The formation of the varve sublaminae is attributed to the strongly seasonal climate regime. Limited rainfall and high evaporation rates in winter and spring induce precipitation of carbonates (high Ca, Sr) enriched in ¹³C and ¹⁸O, whereas rainfall in summer increases organic and clastic input (plagioclase, quartz) with high counts of lithogenic elements (K, Al, Ti, and Si). Eolian input of Ti occurs also in the dry season. Moving correlations (5-yr windows) of the Ca and Ti counts show similar development in both sequences until the 1930s. Positive correlations indicate mixing of allochthonous Ti and autochthonous Ca, while negative correlations indicate their separation in sublaminae. Negative excursions in the correlations correspond with historic and reconstructed droughts, El Niño events, and positive SST anomalies. Based on our data, droughts (3–7 year duration) were severe and centred around the following years: the early 1850s, 1865, 1880, 1895, 1905, 1915 and the late 1920s with continuation into the 1930s. The latter dry period brought both lake systems into a critical state making them susceptible to further drying. Groundwater overexploitation due to the expansion of irrigation agriculture in the region after 1940 induced the transition from calcite to aragonite precipitation in Alberca and halite infiltration in Rincón. The proxy data indicate a faster response to increased evaporation for Rincón, the lake with the larger maar dimensions, solar radiation receipt and higher conductivity, whereas the smaller, steeper Alberca maar responded rapidly to increased precipitation.     

Halogens in water from the crystalline basement of the Gotthard rail base tunnel (central Alps)

Drilling of the new Gotthard rail base tunnel (central Alps) opened a large number of water-conducting fractures in granite and gneiss of the crystalline basement. The overburden reaches locally more than 2000 m and water and rock temperature is up to 45 °C. The tunnel crosses a series of steeply dipping fractured rock units that also crop out at the surface above the tunnel. Recharge water enters the fractured rocks in the high mountainous area, migrates gravity driven to the sampling locality in the tunnel. Along its flow path it reacts with rocks exposed on the fractures where it dissolves the principal granite minerals, resulting in high-pH Na₂CO₃ waters.The tunnel waters contain unusually high concentrations of fluoride ranging from 5 to 29 mg/L. Alteration of F-bearing biotite to F-free chlorite is one of the sources of fluorine. The highest F-concentrations result from the equilibration of low-Ca waters with fluorite. Fluoride concentration is strongly lithology-dependent and sharp discontinuities in both, concentration and saturation state with respect to fluorite occur at the contacts of the different gneiss and granite slabs.Chloride concentrations vary between 1 and 1300 mg/L. In contrast, the Cl/Br mass ratio exhibits small variations and centers around 110 suggesting a common source for the Cl and Br, which is independent of the lithology. In the northern part of the tunnel, Cl and Br are chiefly derived from saline pore fluids of one lithology which is then mixed with low-salinity water along flow paths. Cl/Br ratios of the waters in the southern part of the tunnel section are similar to those measured in experimental leachates from different tunnel rocks, suggesting that leaching of metamorphic fluids in the pore space is the main source of both Cl and Br.     

Cyclone life cycle characteristics over the Northern Hemisphere in coupled GCMs

Cyclone activity and life cycle are analysed in the coupled GCMs ECHAM5/OM and ECHAM4/OPYC3. First, the results for the present climate (1978–1999) are compared with ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalyses, showing a drastic improvement in the representation of cyclone activity in ECHAM5/OM compared to ECHAM4/OPYC3. The total number of cyclones, cyclone intensity, propagation velocity and deepening rates are found to be much more realistic in ECHAM5/OM relative to ECHAM4/OPYC3. Then, changes in extra tropical cyclone characteristics are compared between present day climate and future climate under the emission-scenario A1B using ECHAM5/OM. This comparison is performed using the 20-year time slices 1978–1999, 2070–2090 and 2170–2190, which were considered to be representative for the various climate conditions. The total number of cyclones does not undergo significant changes in a warmer climate. However, regional changes in cyclone numbers and frequencies are evident. One example is the Mediterranean region where the number of cyclones in summer increases almost by factor 2. Some noticeable changes are also found in cyclone life cycle characteristics (deepening rate and propagation velocity). Cyclones in the future climate scenario tend to move slower and their deepening rate becomes stronger, while cyclone intensity does not undergo significant change in a warmer climate. Generally, our results do not support the hypothesis of enhanced storminess under future climate conditions.     

Digital mapping in structural geology — Examples from Namibia and Greece

Many problems in geology, especially structural geology, can only be solved by detailed mapping. Presently, mapping is still mainly carried out on paper using techniques from the 19^th Century. However, tools are now available to carry out most mapping tasks on microcomputers in the field without any need of paper. This speeds up geological mapping and reduces the errors involved in the mapping process. Digital mapping also allows work in featureless areas and areas of great structural complexity that would not be possible using paper maps. We present two practical examples of the new technology of digital mapping using microcomputers, from Namibia and Greece.     

Late Holocene diatom assemblages in a lake-sediment core from Central Kamchatka,Russia

Fossil diatom assemblages in a sediment core from a small lake in Central Kamchatka (Russia) were used to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions of the late Holocene. The waterbody may be a kettle lake that formed on a moraine of the Two-Yurts Lake Valley, located on the eastern slope of the Central Kamchatka Mountain Chain. At present, it is a seepage lake with no surficial outflow. Fossil diatom assemblages show an almost constant ratio between planktonic and periphytic forms throughout the record. Downcore variations in the relative abundances of diatom species enabled division of the core into four diatom assemblage zones, mainly related to changes in abundances of Aulacoseira subarctica, Stephanodiscus minutulus, and Discostella pseudostelligera and several benthic species. Associated variations in the composition and content of organic matter are consistent with the diatom stratigraphy. The oldest recovered sediments date to about 3220 BC. They lie below a sedimentation hiatus and likely include reworked deposits from nearby Two-Yurts Lake. The initial lake stage between 870 and 400 BC was characterized by acidic shallow-water conditions. Between 400 BC and AD 1400, lacustrine conditions were established, with highest contributions from planktonic diatoms. The interval between AD 1400 and 1900 might reflect summer cooling during the Little Ice Age, indicated by diatoms that prefer strong turbulence, nutrient recycling and cooler summer conditions. The timing of palaeolimnological changes generally fits the pattern of neoglacial cooling during the late Holocene on Kamchatka and in the neighbouring Sea of Okhotsk, mainly driven by the prevailing modes of regional atmospheric circulation.     

Physico-chemical and biological sediment properties determining erosion resistance of contaminated riverine sediments – Temporal and vertical pattern at the Lauffen reservoir/River Neckar, Germany

In order to contribute to a reliable, easy-to-handle and economically viable erosion risk assessment of contaminated riverine sites, the present study aims to implement master-variables best characterising the sediment stability. Thus, a wide range of sediment properties was related to the critical shear stress for mass erosion, determined in the SETEG (Stroemungskanal zur Ermittlung der tiefenabhaengigen Erosionsstabilitaet von Gewaessersedimenten) pressurised channel, with special emphasis on vertical and temporal gradients in the Lauffen reservoir on the River Neckar. Over the course of 1 year, positive impacts of some macrofauna species and benthic diatoms on the sediment stability were detected for the sediment surface (0.5 cm). However, a high seasonal variability of biological parameters caused varying relations with erosion resistance in the upper sediment layers as shown for the colloidal carbohydrates. Considering only deeper sediment layers (5–35 cm), a more general pattern could be revealed with correlations between the critical shear stress and single sediment properties such as depth, grain size, total organic carbon (TOC), cation exchange coefficient (CEC), carbohydrates and proteins. Firstly, the influence of physico-chemical and biological properties on erosion resistance became evident, even over depths at 0–35 cm. Secondly, inter-particle forces are most important for erosion resistance. These are enhanced in fine-grained sediment layers, offering high binding capacities but also strengthened by polymeric substances permeating the void space and coating particles. These covariance patterns of sedimentological and biological parameters are addressed by multivariate statistical tests (principal component analysis), resulting in a higher magnitude of the correlation coefficient between critical shear stress and the master-variables in main component II (polymeric substances, grain size, TOC, CEC; R=0.77) compared to single correlations.     

Thermodynamic properties and stability of AlF-bearing titanite CaTiOSiO4–CaAlFSiO4

Calorimetric and experimental data on AlF-bearing titanite are presented that yield thermodynamic properties of CaAlFSiO₄, as well as activity-composition relations of binary titanite CaTiOSiO₄-CaAlFSiO₄. The heat capacity of synthetic CaAlFSiO₄ was measured with differential scanning calorimetry between 170 and 850 K: C_P=689.96-0.38647T+2911300T^-2-8356.1T^-0.5+0.00016179T² Based on low-temperature heat capacity calculations with lattice vibrational theory (Debye model), the calorimetric entropy of CaAlFSiO₄ can be expected to lie between 104.7 and 118.1 J mol^-1 K^-1. The temperature of the P2₁/a to A2/a phase change was determined calorimetrically for a titanite with X_Al=0.09 (T_transition=390 K). The decrease of the transition temperature at a rate of about 11 K per mol% CaAlFSiO₄ is in good agreement with previous TEM investigations. The displacement of the reaction anorthite + fluorite = CaAlFSiO₄ in the presence of CaTiOSiO₄ was studied with high P-T experiments. Titanite behaves as a non-ideal, symmetrical solid-solution. The thermodynamic properties of CaAlFSiO₄ consistent with a multi-site mixing model are: % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+- % feaaeaart1ev0aaatCvAUfKttLearuavTnhis1MBaeXatLxBI9gBam % XvP5wqSXMqHnxAJn0BKvguHDwzZbqegm0B1jxALjhiov2Daebbnrfi % fHhDYfgasaacH8srps0lbbf9q8WrFfeuY-Hhbbf9v8qqaqFr0xc9pk % 0xbba9q8WqFfea0-yr0RYxir-Jbba9q8aq0-yq-He9q8qqQ8frFve9 % Fve9Ff0dmeaabaqaciaacaGaaeqabaWaaeaaeaaakeaafaqaaiWaca % aabaGaeeyrauKaeeOBa4MaeeiDaqNaeeiAaGMaeeyyaeMaeeiBaWMa % eeiCaaNaeeyEaKNaeeiiaaIaee4Ba8MaeeOzayMaeeiiaaIaeeOzay % Maee4Ba8MaeeOCaiNaeeyBa0MaeeyyaeMaeeiDaqNaeeyAaKMaee4B % a8MaeeOBa4MaeeiiaaIaeeikaGIaeeyzauMaeeiBaWMaeeyzauMaee % yBa0MaeeyzauMaeeOBa4MaeeiDaqNaee4CamNaeeykaKIaeeiiaaIa % emizaq2aaSbaaSqaaiabdAgaMbqabaGccqWGibasdaahaaWcbeqaai % abicdaWaaaaOqaaiabg2da9iabgkHiTiabikdaYiabiEda3iabisda % 0iabicdaWiabc6caUiabiIda4iabgglaXkabiodaZiabc6caUiabic % daWiabbccaGiabbUgaRjabbQeakjabb2gaTjabb+gaVjabbYgaSnaa % CaaaleqabaGaeyOeI0IaeGymaedaaaGcbaGaee4uamLaeeiDaqNaee % yyaeMaeeOBa4MaeeizaqMaeeyyaeMaeeOCaiNaeeizaqMaeeiiaaIa % ee4CamNaeeiDaqNaeeyyaeMaeeiDaqNaeeyzauMaeeiiaaIaeeyzau % MaeeOBa4MaeeiDaqNaeeOCaiNaee4Ba8MaeeiCaaNaeeyEaKNaeeii % aaIaee4uam1aaWbaaSqabeaacqqGWaamaaaakeaacqqG9aqpcqqGXa % qmcqqGWaamcqqG0aancqqGUaGlcqqG5aqocqGHXcqScqqGXaqmcqqG % UaGlcqqGXaqmcqqGGaaicqqGkbGscqqGTbqBcqqGVbWBcqqGSbaBda % ahaaWcbeqaaiabgkHiTiabigdaXaaakiabbUealnaaCaaaleqabaGa % eyOeI0IaeGymaedaaaGcbaGaeeyta0KaeeyyaeMaeeOCaiNaee4zaC % MaeeyDauNaeeiBaWMaeeyzauMaee4CamNaeeiiaaIaeeiCaaNaeeyy % aeMaeeOCaiNaeeyyaeMaeeyBa0MaeeyzauMaeeiDaqNaeeyzauMaee % OCaiNaeeiiaaYaamWaaeaacqWGxbWvdaWgaaWcbaGaemisaG0aaWba % aWqabeaacqGHsislaaaaleqaaOGaeeivaqLaem4vaC1aaSbaaSqaai % abdohaZbqabaaakiaawUfacaGLDbaaaeaacqGH9aqpcqaIXaqmcqaI % ZaWmcqGGUaGlcqaI2aGncqGHXcqScqaIWaamcqGGUaGlcqaI0aanca % aMe8UaeeOsaOKaeeyBa0Maee4Ba8MaeeiBaW2aaWbaaSqabeaacqGH % sislcqaIXaqmaaaaaaaa!E403!

Ar/Ar geochronology of Neogene phreatomagmatic volcanism in the western Pannonian Basin,Hungary

Neogene alkaline basaltic volcanic fields in the western Pannonian Basin, Hungary, including the Bakony–Balaton Highland and the Little Hungarian Plain volcanic fields are the erosional remnants of clusters of small-volume, possibly monogenetic volcanoes. Moderately to strongly eroded maars, tuff rings, scoria cones, and associated lava flows span an age range of ca. 6 Myr as previously determined by the K/Ar method. High resolution ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages on 18 samples have been obtained to determine the age range for the western Pannonian Basin Neogene intracontinental volcanic province. The new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations confirm the previously obtained K/Ar ages in the sense that no systematic biases were found between the two data sets. However, our study also serves to illustrate the inherent advantages of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar technique: greater analytical precision, and internal tests for reliability of the obtained results provide more stringent constraints on reconstructions of the magmatic evolution of the volcanic field. Periods of increased activity with multiple eruptions occurred at ca. 7.95 Ma, 4.10 Ma, 3.80 Ma and 3.00 Ma.