Modified physiologically equivalent temperature—basics and applications for western European climate

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - A new thermal index, the modified physiologically equivalent temperature (mPET) has been developed for universal application in different climate zones. The...     

Between carbonatite and lamproite—Diamondiferous Torngat ultramafic lamprophyres formed by carbonate-fluxed melting of cratonic MARID-type metasomes

New U-Pb perovskite ages reveal that diamondiferous ultramafic lamprophyre magmas erupted through the Archean crust of northern Labrador and Quebec (eastern Canada) between ca. 610 and 565 Ma, a period of strong rifting activity throughout contiguous Laurentia and Baltica. The observed Torngat carbonate-rich aillikite/carbonatite and carbonate-poor mela-aillikite dyke varieties show a large spread in Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotope ratios with pronounced correlations between isotope systems. An isotopically depleted component is identified solely within aillikites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i = 0.70323-0.70377; εNd_i = +1.2-+1.8; εHf_i = +1.4-+3.5; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_i = 18.2-18.5), whereas some aillikites and all mela-aillikites range to more enriched isotope signatures (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i = 0.70388-0.70523; εNd_i = −0.5 to −3.9; εHf_i = −0.6 to −6.0; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_i = 17.8-18.2). These contrasting isotopic characteristics of aillikites/carbonatites and mela-aillikites, along with subtle differences in their modal carbonate, SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Na₂O, Cs-Rb, and Zr-Hf contents, are consistent with two distinctive metasomatic assemblages of different age in the mantle magma source region.Integration of petrologic, geochemical, and isotopic information leads us to propose that the isotopically enriched component originated from a reduced phlogopite-richterite-Ti-oxide dominated source assemblage that is reminiscent of MARID suite xenoliths. In contrast, the isotopically depleted component was derived from a more oxidized phlogopite-carbonate dominated source assemblage. We argue that low-degree CO₂-rich potassic silicate melts from the convective upper mantle were preferentially channelled into an older, pre-existing MARID-type vein network at the base of the North Atlantic craton lithosphere, where they froze to form new phlogopite-carbonate dominated veins. Continued stretching and thinning of the cratonic lithosphere during the Late Neoproterozoic remobilized the carbonate-rich vein material and induced volatile-fluxed fusion of the MARID-type veins and the cold peridotite substrate. Isotopic modelling suggests that only 5-12% trace element contribution from such geochemically extreme MARID-type material is required to produce the observed compositional shift from the isotopically most depleted aillikites/carbonatites towards enriched mela-aillikites.We conclude that cold cratonic mantle lithosphere can host several generations of contrasting vein assemblages, and that each may have formed during past tectonic and magmatic events under distinctively different physicochemical conditions. Although cratonic MARID-type and carbonate-bearing veins in peridotite can be the respective sources for lamproite and carbonatite magmas when present as the sole metasome, their concomitant fusion in a complex source region may give rise to a whole new variety of deep volatile-rich magmas and we suggest that orangeites (formerly Group 2 kimberlites), kamafugites, and certain types of ultramafic lamprophyre are formed in this manner.     

Geological structure and kinematics of normal faults in the Otway Basin,Australia, based on quantitative analysis of 3‐D seismic reflection data

The Otway Basin in the south of Victoria, Australia underwent three phases of deformation during breakup of the southern Australian margin. We assess the geometry and kinematics of faulting in the basin by analysing a 3‐D reflection seismic volume. Eight stratigraphic horizons and 24 SW‐dipping normal faults as well as subordinate antithetic faults were interpreted. This resulted in a high‐resolution geological 3‐D model (ca. 8 km × 7 km × 4 km depth) that we present as a supplementary 3‐D PDF (Data S1). We identified hard‐ and soft‐linking fault connections over the entire area, such as antithetic faults and relay ramps, respectively. Most major faults were continuously active from Early to Late Cretaceous, with two faults in the northern part of the study area active until at least the Oligocene. Allan maps of faults show tectonic activity continuously waned over this time period. Isopach maps of stratigraphic volumes quantify the amount of syn‐sedimentary movement that is characteristic of passive margins, such as the Otway Basin. We show that the faults possess strong corrugations (with amplitudes above the seismic resolution), which we illustrated by novel techniques, such as cylindricity and curvature. We argue that the corrugations are produced by sutures between sub‐vertical fault segments and this morphology was maintained during fault growth. Thus, they can be used to indicate the kinematics vector of the fault movement. This evidences, together with left‐stepping relay ramps, that 40% of the faults had a small component (up to 25°) of dextral oblique slip as well as normal (dip‐slip) movement.     

Impact of Neutral Boundary-Layer Turbulence on Wind-Turbine Wakes: A Numerical Modelling Study

The wake characteristics of a wind turbine in a turbulent boundary layer under neutral stratification are investigated systematically by means of large-eddy simulations. A methodology to maintain the turbulence of the background flow for simulations with open horizontal boundaries, without the necessity of the permanent import of turbulence data from a precursor simulation, was implemented in the geophysical flow solver EULAG. These requirements are fulfilled by applying the spectral energy distribution of a neutral boundary layer in the wind-turbine simulations. A detailed analysis of the wake response towards different turbulence levels of the background flow results in a more rapid recovery of the wake for a higher level of turbulence. A modified version of the Rankine–Froude actuator disc model and the blade element momentum method are tested as wind-turbine parametrizations resulting in a strong dependence of the near-wake wind field on the parametrization, whereas the far-wake flow is fairly insensitive to it. The wake characteristics are influenced by the two considered airfoils in the blade element momentum method up to a streamwise distance of 14D (D = rotor diameter). In addition, the swirl induced by the rotation has an impact on the velocity field of the wind turbine even in the far wake. Further, a wake response study reveals a considerable effect of different subgrid-scale closure models on the streamwise turbulent intensity.     

Induced seismicity due to hydraulic fracturing near Blackpool,UK: source modeling and event detection

Journal of Seismology - Monitoring small magnitude induced seismicity requires a dense network of seismic stations and high-quality recordings in order to precisely determine events’...     

Long-term stable water isotope and runoff data for the investigation of deforestation effects on the hydrological system of the Wüstebach catchment,Germany

The Wüstebach catchment belongs to the German TERENO (Terrestrial Environmental Observatories) network and was partially deforested (~21%) by the Eifel National Park in 2013. In this data paper, we provide 11-year precipitation and stream water isotope data and the corresponding runoff discharge rates recorded in the Wüstebach catchment (from 2009 to 2019). In addition, we provide an overview of available datasets and access information for environmental data of the Wüstebach catchment that are discoverable with associated metadata at the Web-based TERENO data portal. We anticipate that this comprehensive data set will give new insights in how deforestation influences the hydrological system, for exampole, in terms of transit time distribution, fraction of young water and water flow paths at the catchment scale.     

From consumer to enterprise grade: How the choice of four UAS impacts point cloud quality

Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), combined with structure-from-motion photogrammetry, has already proven to be very powerful for a wide range of geoscience applications and different types of UAS are used for scientific and commercial purposes. However, the impact of the UAS used on the accuracy of the point clouds derived is not fully understood, especially for the quantitative analysis of geomorphic changes in complex terrain. Therefore, in this study, we aim to quantify the magnitude of systematic and random error in digital elevation models derived from four commonly used UAS (XR6/Sony α6000, Inspire 2/X4s, Phantom 4 Pro+, Mavic Pro) following different flight patterns. The vertical error of each elevation model is evaluated through comparison with 156 GNSS reference points and the normal distribution and spatial correlation of errors are analysed. Differences in mean errors (−0.4 to −1.8 cm) for the XR6, Inspire 2 and Phantom 4 Pro are significant but not relevant for most geomorphological applications. The Mavic Pro shows lower accuracies with mean errors up to 4.3 cm, thus showing a higher influence of random errors. QQ plots revealed a deviation of errors from a normal distribution in almost all data. All UAS data except Mavic Pro exhibit a pure nugget semivariogram, suggesting spatially uncorrelated errors. Compared to the other UAS, the Mavic Pro data show trends (i.e. differences increase with distance across the survey—doming) and the range of semivariances is 10 times greater. The lower accuracy of Mavic Pro can be attributed to the lower GSD at the same flight altitude and most likely, the rolling shutter sensor has an effect on the accuracy of the camera calibration. Overall, our study shows that accuracies depend highly on the chosen data sampling strategy and that the survey design used here is not suitable for calibrating all types of UAS camera equally.     

Integral risk management: steps on the way from theory to practice

The best strategy to cope with natural hazards is the integral risk management, which involves all participants, decides on the basis of risks and also accepts a residual risk. Therefore, a substantial risk dialogue is essential not only to encourage self-responsibility. Even if throughout the Alpine perimeter this is accepted by the administration and the experts, the difficulties lie in the detail on the way to a full implementation of the effective risk management into practice. Therefore, a series of expert hearings and workshops was carried out in Bavaria to highlight the status of risk dialogue and point out the need for further development. In the beginning, an expert hearing dealt with the status of torrential risk management and worked out recommendations, focusing on the phases of reconstruction, preparation and prevention. On this basis, a practitioner workshop developed solution concepts for two case studies regarding all elements of the integral risk management. One of these was further regarded in a final workshop together with the municipality to encourage risk awareness, risk dialogue and to estimate the benefit of the measures. The activities and the results are described and summarized in the following article.     

Aquifer heat storage: sulphate reduction with acetate at increased temperatures

Aquifer thermal energy storage in urban and industrial areas can lead to an increase in subsurface temperature to 70 °C and more. Besides its impacts on mineral and sorption equilibria and chemical reaction kinetics in an aquifer, temperature sensitively influences microbial activity and thus redox processes, such as sulphate reduction. Microorganism species can only operate within limited temperature ranges and their adaptability to temperature is a crucial point for the assessment of the environmental consequences of subsurface heat storage. Column experiments with aquifer sediment and tap water at 10, 25, 40, and 70 °C showed that under the constant addition of acetate sulphate reduction could be initiated after 26–63 pore volumes exchanged at all temperatures. Fastest initiation of sulphate reduction with the highest reduction rates was found at 40 °C. Maximum rate constants during experimental run-time were 0.56 h^?1 at 40 °C and 0.33, 0.36, and 0.25 h^?1 at 10 and, 25, and 70 °C, respectively. Hence, microbial activity was enhanced by a temperature increase to 40 °C but was significantly lowered at 70 °C. At 25 °C methane was found in solution, indicating the presence of fermenting organisms; at 10, 40, and 70 °C no methane production was observed. It could be shown that redox processes in an aquifer generally can adapt to temperatures significantly higher than in situ temperature and that the efficiency of the reduction process can be enhanced by temperature increase to a certain limit. Enhancement of sulphate reduction in an aquifer due to temperature increase could also allow enhanced degradation of organic ground water contaminants such as BTEX, where sulphate is an important electron acceptor.