Interactive learning and localised knowledge in globalising learning economies

This article analyses the role of interactive learning and localised knowledge in globalising learning economies. Some authors argue that as a result of globalisation and codification processes the importance of local, contextual knowledge and localised learning is decreasing, and, thus, the competitive advantage of high-cost regions (and nations) are steadily being undermined. Other authors maintain that much strategic knowledge, tacit as well as codified, is disembodied (i.e., knowledge which is the result of positive externalities of the innovation process), and, thus, remains `sticky'. Important parts of the learning process continue to be localised as a result of the enabling role of geographical and social proximity in stimulating interactive learning, which taken together represent strong `untraded interdependencies' constituting important context conditions for regions to remain innovative and competitive. The article argues that learning economies should be used to conceptualise a specific historical period of capitalism in which knowledge and learning has attained an increasing importance in the economy. This period of capitalist development is also referred to as post-Fordism.     

A conceptual approach for assessing the impact of climate change on groundwater and related surface waters in cold regions (Finland)

A literature review of the impacts of anticipated climate change on unconfined aquifers is presented, along with a conceptual framework for evaluating the complex responses of surface and subsurface hydrology to climate variables in cold regions. The framework offers a way to conceptualize how changes in one component of the system may impact another by delineating the relationships among climate drivers, hydrological responses, and groundwater responses in a straight-forward manner. The model is elaborated in the context of shallow unconfined aquifers in the boreal environment of Finland. In cold conditions, climate change is expected to reduce snow cover and soil frost and increase winter floods. The annual surface water level maximum will occur earlier in spring, and water levels will decrease in summer due to higher evapotranspiration rates. The maximum recharge and groundwater level are expected to occur earlier in the year. Lower groundwater levels are expected in summer due to higher evapotranspiration rates. The flow regimes between shallow unconfined aquifers and surface water may change, affecting water quantity and quality in the surface and groundwater systems.     

Reconstruction of the late Quaternary paleoenvironments of the Nussloch loess paleosol sequence,Germany, using n-alkane biomarkers

This study contributes to the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the loess–paleosol sequence of Nussloch, Germany, by using n-alkanes as plant leaf-wax-derived lipid biomarkers. We found that n-alkane patterns and concentrations in the Saalian loess and the last interglacial Eemian paleosol of Nussloch point to very strong degradation and prevailing deciduous vegetation. Degradation effects in the overlying paleosols and loess layers are less pronounced and allow for the application of an end-member mixing model to estimate vegetation changes semi-quantitatively. Our findings highlight the potential for the interpretation of degradation-corrected n-alkane ratios. n-Alkane modelling results for loess layers, paleosols and an in-filled paleochannel dated to ~ 60–32 ka suggest that up to ~ 50% of the n-alkanes were derived from deciduous trees or shrubs. This finding is in agreement with the abundant occurrence of wood fragments and indicates a highly variable and dynamic landscape dominated by tundra shrubland. On the other hand, deciduous trees or shrubs did not contribute significantly to the soil organic matter in the late Weichselian loess layers and the intercalated Gelic Gleysols (~ 32–18 ka).     

Setting sediment quality guidelines: a simple yet effective method

Deriving sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) for marine sediments is a difficult task. It will often be a trade off between reproducibility and relevance. One of the fundamental questions in ecotoxicology is to decide what one should measure to detect response in ecosystems exposed to human disturbance. In this paper we use field data to estimate threshold levels eliciting effects on soft bottom macrobenthos collected at different sediment types and depths on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and test these against natural levels occurring levels in reference conditions. SQGs are presented from multivariate analyses based on 121 gradients (represented with Ba, THC, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) incorporating more than 2000 species. Clear clusters with slightly disturbed communities related to contamination loadings were evident in 35% of the gradients. We found large variations in naturally occurring contamination concentrations and in the threshold levels electing effects on the fauna at different sediment types and depths. For example, an increase in depth of only 100 m can triple the Cu and Zn concentrations that elicit effects. Lowest background and threshold levels were found in shallow, sandy sediment. Our results suggest that current SQGs are too high. We hypothesised that setting a SQG of 4-times background concentrations will give sufficient protection for the fauna from metal contamination. The overall background concentration eliciting effects on metal was 3.6x.     

Effect of an oil spill in Spitzbergen in 1978

The oil content in the sediment and the marine life along the arctic shores of Van Mijenfjord, Spitzbergen, were investigated about two years after a spill from diesel storage tanks. High values of oil were recorded in the sediment along the shore near the tanks. The shore fauna is generally poor in these areas and the only biological effect detected was the disappearance of the amphipod Gammarus setosus from the surface layers.     

Diagenesis in Mesozoic sandstones from Spitsbergen and the North Sea — A comparison

Mesozoic and Tertiary sandstones on Spitsbergen are generally tight and well cemented while Mesozoic and Tertiary sandstones from the North Sea include highly porous reservoir rocks.It is concluded that one of the most important controlling mechanisms for preservation of porosity is the build up of high pore pressures which effectively reduce pressure solution at grain contacts and the incidence of quartz overgrowth.High pore pressures are most commonly developed in onlapping sedimentary sequences with an effective shale seal like in the North Sea.Extensive diagenetic growth of kaolinite at the expence of clastic feldspar, which is commonly observed, requires a large flux of low salinity water. The most probable mechanism is fresh ground water drive through sandstones which have served as aquifers. During the late stages of burial (1–3 kms) the diagenetic reactions must have taken place within an isochemical semi-closed system. Calculations show that porewater expelled from compacting shales is insufficient to cause significant changes in the bulk chemistry of thick sandstones. Microprobe analyses carried out on Jurassic sandstones from the Statfjord field show that there are a continuous series of transitions from clastic mica to illite and kaolinite as indicated by a gradual loss of potassium. Evidence is presented to show that silica cementation is retarded in the presence of clastic mica while carbonate and feldspar cementation is favoured in this local high pH environment between sheets of mica. Electron probe analyses show that diagenetic feldspar overgrowths are pure potassium feldspar with a composition significantly different from that of clastic feldspar. During late diagenesis the porewater was most probably near equilibrium with the reactive phases.

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Zusammenfassung Die mesozoischen und tertiären Sandsteine von Spitzbergen sind im allgemeinen gut zementiert, während die gleichalten Sandsteine aus der Nordsee hochporöse Speichergesteine umfassen.Man erkennt, daß die Erhaltung der Porosität auf einen hohen Porenwasserdruck zurückzuführen ist. Dadurch wird Drucklösung an Kornkontakten sowie Weiterwachsen von Quarz verhindert.Hoher Porendruck entsteht gewöhnlich da, wo überlappende Sedimentserien mit einer Abdichtung durch Schiefer vorliegen—wie in der Nordsee.Ausgedehntes diagenetisches Wachstum von Kaolinit auf Kosten klastischer Feldspäte erfordert einen hohen Durchfluß von niedrigsalinem Wasser. Der wahrscheinlichste Mechanismus ist in einem Grundwasserstrom zu suchen, der durch die Sandsteine fließt, die als Wasserleiter dienen. Während der späten Stadien der Absenkung (1–3 km) müssen diese diagenetischen Reaktionen in einem halbgeschlossenem isochemischen System abgelaufen sein. Berechnungen aus Porenwasser, das von Schiefern gewonnen wurde, zeigen, daß dieses nicht ausreicht, bedeutende änderungen in der Gesamtchemie mächtiger Sandsteine zu bewirken.Mikrosondenanalysen, die an jurassischen Sandsteinen aus dem Statfjord-Feld vorgenommen wurden, zeigen, daß hier eine kontinuierliche Serie von übergängen aus klastischem Glimmer nach Illit und Kaolinit vorliegt. Eine stufenweise Abnahme von Kalium deutet dies an. Quarz-Zementation tritt zurück bei Anwesenheit von klastischem Glimmer, während Karbonat- und Feldspat-Zementation unter den Bedingungen eines hohen pH-Wertes zwischen den Glimmer-Blättern bevorzugt erscheint. Mikrosondenanalysen zeigen, daß der diagenetisch aufgewachsene Feldspat ein reiner Kali-Feldspat ist, der sich beträchtlich von den klastischen Feldspäten unterscheidet. Während der späten Diagenese stand das Porenwasser nahezu im Gleichgewicht mit den reagierenden Phasen.

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Résumé Les grès mésozoÏques et tertiaires du Spitzberg sont en général bien cimentés, tandis que les grès de mÊme âge de la Mer du Nord comprennent des roches-réservoirs très poreuses. On en conclut que l'un des plus importants mécanismes régissant le maintien de la porosité est la mise en jeu de fortes pressions dans les pores de la roche, ce qui effectievement réduit la dissolution par la voie de la pression s'exerÇant au contact des grains et l'intervention de la croissance des grains de quartz.De fortes pressions dans les pores sont le plus couramment développées dans les séquences sédimentaires isolées par un recouvrement argileux, comme dans la Mer du Nord.La croissance diagénétique à grande échélle de la kaolinite aux dépens du feldspath détritique, communément observée, requiert une grande circulation d'eau à faible salinité. Le mécanisme le plus probable est celui de la circulation d'eau douce dans des grès aquifères. Durant les derniers stades de l'enfouissement (1–3 km) les réactions diagénétiques se sont produites dans un système isochimique à moitié fermé. Des calculs montrent que l'eau poreuse chassée des argilites à la suite de leur compaction est insuffisante pour causer des changements de quelqu'importance dans la composition chimique des grès en masses épaisses. Des analyses à la microsonde sur des grès jurassiques de la région du Statfjord montrent qu'il existe une gamme continue de transitions depuis le mica détritique jusqu'à l'illite et la kaolinite, ainsi qu'il ressort de la perte graduelle du potassium. La preuve est donnée que la cimentation par la silice est retardée par la présence de mica détritique, tandis que la cimentation par le carbonate et par le feldspath est favorisée dans ce milieu restreint à pH élevé entre lamelles de mica. Des analyses électroniques montrent que les accroissements diagénétiques de feldspath sont faits de feldspath potassique pur d'une composition notablement différente de celle del feldspath détritique. A la fin de la diagénèse l'eau intersticielle était très probablement proche de l'équilibre avec les phases réagissantes.

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The dynamics of H2O in minerals

The application of infrared, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, and dielectric spectroscopy and incoherent neutron scattering for the elucidation of the dynamics of H₂O incorporated into minerals is reviewed. The examples given include beryl, cordierite, gypsum, bassanite, layer silicates and zeolites. It is demonstrated that for such structures static models may be inappropriate, and dynamic models have to be used to describe the role and behavior of the H₂O molecules.