Cladocerans and chironomids as indicators of lake level changes in north temperate lakes

Water level fluctuations affect the size of the pelagic zone relative to the size of littoral habitats, and thus may influence the relative abundance of remains from planktonic and littoral cladocerans in sediment. The application of this planktonic/littoral ratio for the reconstruction of past water level changes is discussed using examples of: (1) surficial profundal sediments from lakes of different water depths; (2) Holocene variation in a profundal sediment core; (3) horizontal variation in surficial sediments within a lake; and (4) long term variation in an inshore sediment core. The latter seemed to be the most promising application of this ratio. Maximum effects of water depth changes on the lake fauna are expected in the littoral zone. It is, however, difficult to read this effect directly from subfossil cladoceran and chironomid assemblages from inshore sediments as shown by a sediment profile from a site exposed to a long term decrease of water depth.     

Fidelity and time resolution of the magnetostratigraphic record in Siwalik sediments: high-resolution study of a complete polarity transition and evidence for cryptochrons in a Miocene fluviatile section

The Surai Khola section in southwest Nepal, a 5000 m continuously exposed record of fluvial sedimentation since Middle Miocene, was revisited for high-resolution magnetostratigraphy in sequences with expected cryptochrons and reversals of the geomagnetic field. Polarity intervals with durations of a few tens of thousands of years are recorded as zones of stable palaeomagnetic directions. Polarity transitions are recorded as zones with complex demagnetization behaviour of specimens in the sedimentary column. Almost antiparallel palaeoremanence directions, residing in different haematite phases in the same specimens, could generally not be separated properly by thermal demagnetization. Differing demagnetization paths for neighbouring specimens during a reversal suggest that measured transitional directions are not true geomagnetic field directions, but rather are generated by the superposition of variable amounts of at least two almost antiparallel components of magnetization. Accompanying studies of recent river sand deposits demonstrate that these sediments acquire a true depositional remanent magnetization (DRM) with considerable inclination errors and scattered directions for individual specimens.     

The exceptional Oder flood in summer 1997 — distribution patterns of the oder discharge in the Pomeranian Bight

The exceptional Oder flood in summer 1997 was a unique event in order to investigate the impacts on and the consequences for the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea of about 6.5 km³ additional water loaded with nutrients and contaminants and discharged within only 5 weeks. About 15 institutions participated in this investigation in both the Szczecin Lagoon and the Pomeranian Bight. The Baltic Sea Research Institute Warnemünde studied the water and nutrient inflow, the spreading of the Oder discharge, and the impact of the discharge on the ecosystem. The main topic of the presented investigations is a detailed study of the spatial and temporal spreading of the extreme river discharge in the Pomeranian Bight and the southern Baltic Sea by satellite data, ship observations and continuous buoy measurements as well as numerical modelling. The meteorological conditions were characterized by mainly easterly winds which guided the outflowing riverine water along the German coast into the Arkona Sea. The spatial and temporal development of the distribution patterns of the Oder discharge was monitored by about 80 Sea Surface Temperature (SST) images of NOAA satellites. Shipborne measurements showed that the vertical extent of the Oder plume ranged between 5 and 7 metres. The concentrations of inorganic nutrients, except higher silicate, were comparable to typical winter/early spring values (seasonal maximum) in this region. The high dilution effect of the flood water reduced the concentration of contaminants and thus, prevented a direct negative impact of trace metals and chlorinated organic compounds on the marine environment. Coupled physical-biochemical modelling in combination with SST-images demonstrated the temporal development and satellite data in the visible spectral range delivered the maximum extent of discharged river water into the southern Arkona Sea where a further western transport was limited by the upwelling region off Hiddensee. Thus, all detected effects of the Oder flood were confined to the Pomeranian Bight and the southern Arkona Sea, without long-term consequences for the ecosystem.     

Plate kinematics and the gravity field

Both the system of plate motions and the global gravity field or the geoid are now so precisely known that it seems worthwhile to look for quantitative relationships. Some aspects, such as the general occurrence of positive gravity and geoid anomalies in regions of plate convergence, have long been known. Our aim is to describe the gravitational field in terms of plate-kinematic parameters and we present a preliminary step in this direction: for four plates (Pacific, Nazca, Indian, American) we have computed the correlation of the Gem 8 geoid heights (with reference to an ellipsoid of 1/298.255 ellipticity) with distance from the poles of motion and distance from the axes in an “absolute” frame. The geoid tends first to drop from the ridge axes to at least 10° distance and then to rise toward the convergence zones. This trend is strongest for the Indian plate in collision with Eurasia, is smaller, but very clear for the oceanic Pacific and Nazca plates, and is not developed for the American plate which does not subduct. We did not find a consistent relationship for the geoid with distance from the pivots. A possible interpretation of the results is the return flow of the large-scale mantle circulation.     

On the relation between residual currents and the wind field in the German Bight

Summary The long-period part (T>25 h) of currents measured at close spacing in the German Bight in June 1968 is investigated. The north component of the bottom current is shown to be highly correlated with the east component of the wind in this area, the wind-generated changes of the mass-field giving rise to a quasi-geostrophic current near the bottom.This current responds without perceptible delay to the variations of wind fields with periods considerably longer than those of the seiches of the North Sea. The accelerations linked to such long periods are so small as to be negligable and the residual currents can be regarded as quasi-stationary.

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Über die Beziehung zwischen Reststrom und Windfeld in der Deutschen Bucht

Zusammenfassung Es werden engabständige Strommessungen in der Deutschen Bucht aus dem Juni 1968 in ihrem langperiodischen Teil (T>25 h) untersucht. Dabei ergibt sich, daß die Nordkomponente des Bodenstromes (v) stark korreliert mit der Ostkomponente des Windes (U) in diesem Gebiet. Die winderzeugten Veränderungen des Massenfeldes verursachen eine quasi-geostrophische Strömung am Boden.Diese Strömung reagiert ohne erkennbare Verzögerung auf solche Veränderungen des Windfeldes, die erheblich größere Perioden haben als die Eigenschwingungen der Nordsee. Die damit verbundenen Beschleunigungen sind sehr klein und so zu vernachlässigen; daher kann man die Restströmung auch als quasi-stationär ansehen.

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Sur la relation entre les courants résiduels et le champ du vent en baie Allemande

Résumé La partie à longue période (T>25 h) de courants measurés en des points rapprochés en baie Allemande en juin 1968 est étudiée. La composante Nord du courant de fond se révèle largement corrélée avec la composante Est du vent dans cette zone. Les modifications du champ de masse dues au vent donnent naissance à un courant quasi-géostrophique près du fond.Ce courant répond sans délai perceptible aux variations du champ du vent avec des périodes considérablement plus longues que celles des seiches de la mer du Nord. Les accélérations liées à de telles longues périodes sont si petites qu'elles peuvent être négligées et les courants peuvent être considérés comme quasi-stationnaires.

     

A Three-year Study of Nonmethane Hydrocarbons in Surface Air over Saxony (Germany)

Measurements of the nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC) mixing ratio over a period of 42 months were carried out for the first time in the air of a research station situated in the former East Germany during the SANA project. Apart from four species, all other species analysed showed a statistically significant downward trend at the 95% significance level. The decrease of the hydrocarbon concentrations was superimposed by seasonal variations. A drop of about 40% of the annual mean values from 1993 to 1995 was observed. This development reflects the dramatic changes in traffic, industry, power economy, and agriculture in Saxony after the reunification of Germany. The remove of two-stroke engined cars is reflected in NMHC mixing ratio changes, as is the removal of obsolete chemical plants. Generally it was not possible to relate causes and effects of a single event, but in some cases major changes in concentrations and NMHC ratios occurred coincidentally with the disappearance of a specific emission source.     

Atmospheric noble gases in volcanic glasses from the southern Lau Basin: origin from the subducting slab?

Noble gas concentrations and isotopic compositions have been determined for four submarine volcanic glasses from the Valu Fa Ridge (VFR) in the southern Lau Basin. The samples are the least differentiated ones from this area, and they display enrichments in fluid-mobile elements similar to the nearby island arc. ³He/⁴He ratios are slightly below average MORB (6.8–7.8 times atmospheric), whereas Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe have isotopic compositions very similar to air. Together with previously published data from the Valu Fa Ridge and other spreading segments in the Lau Basin, our data show a systematic latitudinal variation of increasing Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe abundances from north to south as well as Ne and Ar isotopic compositions changing from MORB-like to atmosphere-like in the same direction. Moreover, isotopic compositions and noble gas abundances of the lavas correlate strongly with Ba/Nb ratios and H₂O concentrations. Based on these observations and mass balance arguments, we propose that the atmospheric noble gases come from the subducting oceanic crust and are not due to shallow contamination with air dissolved in seawater or assimilation of old crust. Our data suggest that the noble gases released from the subducting slab are atmospheric and thus contain little or no solar He and Ne. In addition to the fact that ratios of He to heavy noble gases are small in aged ocean crust, He has possibly fractionated from the other noble gases due to its higher diffusivity, and thus He transport from the subducting slab into the mantle wedge is probably insignificant. We propose that the ³He/⁴He ratios lower than MORB observed in the VFR lavas result from radiogenic ingrowth of He in a highly depleted, and hence degassed, mantle wedge after the enrichment of U and Th released from the downgoing slab.