Joint inversion of temperature,vitrinite reflectance and fission tracks in apatite with examples from the eastern North Sea area

As sediment accumulation indicates basin subsidence, erosion often is understood as tectonic uplift, but the amplitude and timing may be difficult to determine because the sedimentary record is missing. Quantification of erosion therefore requires indirect evidence, for example thermal indicators such as temperature, vitrinite reflectance and fission tracks in apatite. However, as always, the types and quality of data and the choice of models are important to the results. For example, considering only the thermal evolution of the sedimentary section discards the thermal time constant of the lithosphere and essentially ignores the temporal continuity of the thermal structure. Furthermore, the types and density of thermal indicators determine the solution space of deposition and erosion, the quantification of which calls for the use of inverse methods, which can only be successful when all models are mutually consistent. Here, we use integrated basin modelling and Markov Chain Monte Carlo inversion of four deep boreholes to show that the erosional pattern along the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone (STZ) in the eastern North Sea is consistent with a tectonic model of tectonic inversion based on compression and relaxation of an elastic plate. Three wells in close proximity SW of the STZ have different data and exhibit characteristic differences in erosion estimates but are consistent with the formation of a thick chalk sequence, followed by minor Cenozoic erosion during relaxation inversion. The well on the inversion ridge requires ca. 1.7 km Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sedimentation followed by Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene erosion during inversion. No well demands thick Cenozoic sedimentation followed by equivalent significant Neogene exhumation. When data are of high quality and models are consistent, the thermal indicator method yields significant results with important tectonic and geodynamic implications.     

Protracted Active Surge Phase in the High Arctic (Svalbard): Dynamic Development and Morphological Impact

Glacial surges in Svalbard are protracted and characterized by individual dynamic evolution, in contrast to many other areas, which calls for a subdivision of the classic two‐phased surge cycle. A dominating part of the ice masses seem to have a surge potential and this represents a considerable challenge for palaeoclimatic studies. Glaciological and geological models therefore need to be coupled. The issue is discussed with Fridtjovbreen glacier as an example. This ice mass is one of few glaciers studied throughout a surge cycle. It was active for 12 years (1991–2002) and represents the most protracted surge documented. The maximum advance rate was 4.2 m day^?1, its maximum extent was reached after seven years, its run‐out distance was 4 km, and the relocated ice filled 5 km² of the fjord. Intense subglacial thrusting occurred during various stages, including part of the ice‐front retreat, as shown by sub‐bottom profiling data from 2002. A six‐stage model is presented and processes are discussed with emphasis on the ice‐front retreat with transition to the quiescent phase. Although the surge mechanism itself is unrelated to climate, climatic conditions obviously play a major role in the course of a surge. During the surge, the ice mass made a dramatic impression in the landscape, but 10 years after the maximum extent, there is little onshore evidence of the event.     

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Limnobium laevigatum</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ludwigia peploides</Emphasis>: their phytoremediation potential in water contaminated with heavy metals

Contamination with heavy metals in surface and groundwater is a threat to human health and ecosystems. Due to this, the need arises to remediate water polluted through ecological and profitable technologies, such as phytoremediation. The objective of the work was to evaluate the concentration of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in the floating macrophytes Limnobium laevigatum and Ludwigia peploides, after being exposed to contaminated water experimentally. In this way to be able to determine if these plants have mechanisms that allow them to accumulate the metals in the roots and to perform the translocation of these to different vegetative organs, L. laevigatum and L. peploides were placed in solutions contaminated with Pb ([Pb]?=?5 mg/l) and Zn ([Zn]?=?20 mg/l). The concentrations of metals in water, root and leaf samples were evaluated as a function of time (0, 1, 2 and 4 days). The determination of the metals was performed by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry technique. After 4 days of exposure to Pb and Zn, the plants showed high metal removal efficiencies of water, more to 70% in all cases. Pb was accumulated fundamentally by roots, while Zn was accumulated more in the leaves. In addition, the bioconcentration and translocation factors for each metal were calculated.     

On characterizing the temporal dominance patterns of model parameters and processes

Diagnostic analyses of hydrological models intend to improve the understanding of how processes and their dynamics are represented in models. Temporal patterns of parameter dominance could be precisely characterized with a temporally resolved parameter sensitivity analysis. In this way, the discharge conditions are characterized, that lead to a parameter dominance in the model. To achieve this, the analysis of temporal dynamics in parameter sensitivity is enhanced by including additional information in a three‐tiered framework on different aggregation levels. Firstly, temporal dynamics of parameter sensitivity provide daily time series of their sensitivities to detect variations in the dominance of model parameters. Secondly, the daily sensitivities are related to the flow duration curve (FDC) to emphasize high sensitivities of model parameters in relation to specific discharge magnitudes. Thirdly, parameter sensitivities are monthly averaged separately for five segments of the FDC to detect typical patterns of parameter dominances for different discharge magnitudes. The three methodical steps are applied on two contrasting catchments (upland and lowland catchment) to demonstrate how the temporal patterns of parameter dynamics represent different hydrological regimes. The discharge dynamic in the lowland catchment is controlled by groundwater parameters for all discharge magnitudes. In contrast, different processes are relevant in the upland catchment, because the dominances of parameters from fast and slow runoff components in the upland catchment are changing over the year for the different discharge magnitudes. The joined interpretation of these three diagnostic steps provides deeper insights of how model parameters represent hydrological dynamics in models for different discharge magnitudes. Thus, this diagnostic framework leads to a better characterization of model parameters and their temporal dynamics and helps to understand the process behaviour in hydrological models. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracer experiments with turbulently dispersed air ions

Unipolar air ions released into the wind constitute a tracer which can be measured with high resolution. An ion source produces a cloud with homogeneous charge density, insensitive to source strength, dependent on time since formation only. It is well suited for tracing concentration changes due to turbulence, less suited for cloud size tracing. A tight array of 8 sensors has been used to examine turbulently dispersed ions. High-resolution records are presented and discussed. The highest concentrations measured could be undiluted source material. The frequency distribution within a plume did not differ from that in a multitude of puffs. The distribution seems to be log-normal with a geometric standard deviation of about 2.45. The time resolution used corresponds to volume resolutions of 40, 225, and 650 cm³. Sample size had no apparent effect.     

X-ray,Hα, and radio observations of the two-ribbon flare of 16 May, 1981

The paper is a contribution to the study of two-ribbon flares. A variety of observational material, i.e. Hα pictures, radio spectrum in the frequency band of 150–1000 MHz, radio map at 6 cm, fluxes at other frequencies, magnetograms and X-ray flux in a broad energy interval, enabled us to study the development of the 16 May, 1981 flare. The onset of the flare could be described by the model of Van Tend and Kuperus. A diminishing of the magnetic shear during the activation of the filament was observed. From radio and X-ray data it was found that pulsed acceleration took place in the region under the rising filament, the electrons propagating in a limited region both upwards to greater heights and downwards into the footpoints. Internal oscillations of the filament were observed. A manifestation of the primary process of interplanetary shock-wave generation was found. The 6 cm radio sources could be localized in the footpoints of magnetic loops.     

The fall and rise of metropolitan government in Copenhagen

In this paper it is argued that the re-establishment of a metropolitan government in the Greater Copenhagen Area in 2000 (Greater Copenhagen Authority) is not to be seen as a return to the kind of regional, coordinative authority (Greater Copenhagen Council) that was abolished in the Thatcherite climate of the 1980s. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s new forms of urban governance, entrepreneurialism and a higher national priority to the capital region were introduced, which changed the conditions under which the new metropolitan government is operating. This `contextualization' of the analysis of the two generations of metropolitan government points to the fact that typologies of metropolitan government, such as the one put forward by Sharpe (1995), often lacks analytical cogency. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rocket-borne and groundbased observations of coincident field-aligned currents,electron beams,and plasma density enhancements in the afternoon auroral oval

Results are reported from a rocket experiment conducted at Søndre Strømfjord, Greenland, on 22 August 1976, at 16.00 M.L.T. A series of plasma, particles, and fields and wave experiments were carried on board the payload, and the venture was supported by data from the AE-C satellite and by groundbased ionosondes and magnetometers at the launch site and at Godhavn. Two regions of field-aligned electron precipitation, electron density and temperature enhancements, and field-aligned upflowing current sheets were intercepted by the rocket. The density enhancements were also observed by groundbased ionosondes. Significant discrepancies were found between the currents carried by the streaming electrons in the 0.15–10 keV range and the upflowing currents seen by the on board magnetometer, suggesting that the upflowing current could not be the primary driver of the electron acceleration mechanism. The E-region was unstable to the combined Gradient-Drift and Farley-Buneman instability, and plasma turbulence was observed in situ, but the absolute density fluctuations were too small to return detectable HF-radar power to the ground.     

Meltwater production in Antarctic blue-ice areas: sensitivity to changes in atmospheric forcing

In the near coastal regions of Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, below-surface ice-melt in blue-ice areas has been observed. The low scattering coefficients of the large-grained blue-ice allow penetration of solar radiation, thus providing an energy source below the ice surface. The sub-surface meltwater is significant enough to show up on remote-sensing imagery in the form of ice-covered lakes. Adjacent snow-accumulation areas have much higher scattering coefficients and consequently limit solar radiation penetration in these regions. These snow and ice surfaces are generally below freezing, and little surface melting occurs. To assess the response of these melt features to changes in atmospheric forcings such as cloudiness, air temperature, and snow accumulation, a physically-based model of the coupled atmosphere, radiation, snow, and blue-ice system has been developed. The model consists of a heat transfer equation with a spectrally-dependent solar-radiation source term. The penetration of radiation into the snow and blue-ice depends on the surface albedo, and the snow and blue-ice grain size and density. Model simulations show that ice melt occurring in this area is sensitive to potential variations in atmospheric forcing. Under certain conditions more traditional surface melting occurs and, under other conditions, the existing melt processes can be shut down completely. In light of the sensitivity of this system to variations in atmospheric forcing, and the ability to view melt-related features using remote sensing, a tool exists to efficiently monitor variations in Antarctic coastal climate.