Effective precipitation in southern Spain ( 266 to 46 ka) based on a speleothem stable carbon isotope record

We present the longest-duration directly dated terrestrial palaeoclimate record from the western Mediterranean region: a flowstone speleothem from Gitana Cave, southeast Spain. The main phase of growth was 274 to 58 ka, dated by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS) U-series methods. Effective precipitation, which we consider primarily responsible for flowstone calcite δ¹³C variations, measured at 300 μm resolution, was higher during interglacials associated with marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 7 and 5, and lower during glacial MIS 6. There is a close correspondence between speleothem δ¹³C and sea surface temperature (SST) estimates from adjacent Atlantic Ocean cores during MIS 6, which implies that oceanic conditions are critical in controlling the western Mediterranean terrestrial moisture balance during glacial periods. Other features of our record, such as the sequence of termination II warming/moistening between approximately 133 and 127 ka, including a “pause” around 130–128 ka, and the lagged termination of MIS 5 warm intervals (5e, 5c and 5a) are similar to other terrestrial records within the Mediterranean basin, indicating climate synchroneity along the northern Mediterranean coast. The Gitana cave region also may have been a refugium for temperate species during short-lived cold/arid periods during MIS 5.     

Numerical modelling of mechanical controls on coeval steep and shallow dipping auriferous quartz vein formation in a thrust zone,Macraes mine,New Zealand

The Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone (HMSZ) is a regionally continuous, low-angle, NE dipping (~15°) late-metamorphic thrust zone in the Mesozoic Otago Schist. The shear zone, which is host to large volumes of mineralised schist, consists of foliated fissile schist with some massive schist pods. Two sets of quartz veins are found within the HMSZ: thrust-related, shallowly dipping veins that were emplaced parallel or sub-parallel to the shears and swarms of steeply dipping extensional veins, which cut across the metamorphic foliation. The latter are restricted to the massive schist pods. Mutual cross-cutting relationships occur between steep extensional veins and shallow-dipping veins, suggesting that they formed contemporaneously. The co-existence of these two vein types locally implies local rotation of the principal stress axes to produce extensional veins within a regional thrust setting. The steep extensional veins are spatially related to lateral and oblique ramps within the HMSZ. Three-dimensional mechanical models show that these lateral or oblique ramps can produce favourable conditions for extensional vein formation when combined with a high fluid pressure and oblique convergence. Mechanical requirements include a reduced differential stress, a positive volumetric strain and an increase in the horizontal shear stress. Our models show that under certain conditions, it is possible for extension-related structures to form during shortening because of local changes in the stress state without the need for a regional scale switch in the imposed stress field. The convergence direction across the HMSZ during formation of the steep extensional veins was ~WNW.     

Extreme heat in New Zealand: a synthesis

Climatic Change - The usefulness of global integrated assessment model (IAM) results for policy recommendation in specific regions has not been fully assessed to date. This study presents the...     

Snow accumulation and ablation response to changes in forest structure and snow surface albedo after attack by mountain pine beetle

This study quantified changes in snow accumulation and ablation with forest defoliation in a young pine stand attacked by mountain pine beetle, a mature mixed species stand, and a clearcut in south‐central British Columbia. From 2006 to 2012, as trees in the pine stand turned from green to grey, average canopy transmittance increased from 27% to 49%. In the mixed stand, transmittance remained constant at 19%. In 2009, the year of greatest needle loss, average snow surface litter cover in the pine stand was 29% (range 4 – 61%), compared to ≤9% in other years and over double that in the mixed stand. By 2012, litter accumulation in the now‐grey pine stand was only a sixth of that in the mixed stand. Inter‐annual variability in the weather had the greatest effect on snow accumulation and ablation, with the greatest differences between both forested stands and the clearcut occurring in 2010, the year of lowest SWE. Differences in snow accumulation between the pine and mixed stand increased in 2010 as a result of decreased snow interception in the young stand after needlefall. Average ablation rates in the attacked stand were most different from the mixed stand in 2009 and 2012, the years with the largest and smallest over‐winter needle loss, respectively. This study shows that grey, non‐pine, and understory trees moderate snow response to changes in the main canopy. It also highlights the complex interrelationships between ecohydrological processes key to assessing watershed response to forest cover loss in snow dominated hydrologic regimes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Internal catchment process simulation in a snow‐dominated basin: performance evaluation with spatiotemporally variable runoff generation and groundwater dynamics

Hydrologic models have increasingly been used in forest hydrology to overcome the limitations of paired watershed experiments, where vegetative recovery and natural variability obscure the inferences and conclusions that can be drawn from such studies. Models are also plagued by uncertainty, however, and parameter equifinality is a common concern. Physically‐based, spatially‐distributed hydrologic models must therefore be tested with high‐quality experimental data describing a multitude of concurrent internal catchment processes under a range of hydrologic regimes. This study takes a novel approach by not only examining the ability of a pre‐calibrated model to realistically simulate watershed outlet flows over a four year period, but a multitude of spatially‐extensive, internal catchment process observations not previously evaluated, including: continuous groundwater dynamics, instantaneous stream and road network flows, and accumulation and melt period spatial snow distributions. Many hydrologic model evaluations are only on the comparison of predicted and observed discharge at a catchment outlet and remain in the ‘infant stage’ in terms of model testing. This study, on the other hand, tests the internal spatial predictions of a distributed model with a range of field observations over a wide range of hydroclimatic conditions. Nash‐Sutcliffe model efficiency was improved over prior evaluations due to continuing efforts in improving the quality of meteorological data collection. Road and stream network flows were generally well simulated for a range of hydrologic conditions, and snowpack spatial distributions were well simulated for one of two years examined. The spatial variability of groundwater dynamics was effectively simulated, except at locations where strong stream–groundwater interactions exist. Model simulations overall were quite successful in realistically simulating the spatiotemporal variability of internal catchment processes in the watershed, but the premature onset of simulated snowmelt for one of the simulation years has prompted further work in model development. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Compositional variability on the surface of 4 Vesta revealed through GRaND measurements of high‐energy gamma rays

Measurements of the high‐energy gamma‐ray flux emanating from asteroid 4 Vesta by the Dawn Gamma‐Ray and Neutron Detector (GRaND) have revealed variability in the near‐surface elemental composition of the Vestan surface. These observations are consistent with the presence of large (≥8 × 10⁴ km²) regions with distinct, HED‐like elemental compositions. The results agree broadly with other global measurements, such as the macroscopic neutron absorption cross section and spectral reflectance‐derived mineralogic maps. Two distinct regions with eucrite‐like elemental compositions have been identified, the first located primarily within the Lucaria and Marcia quadrangles and the second within Oppia quadrangle. The former region is collocated with some of the oldest, most heavily cratered terrain on Vesta. The interior of the 500 km diameter Rheasilvia impact basin is found to have a composition that is consistent with diogenite‐like material. Taken together, these observations support the hypothesis that Vesta's original crust was composed of basaltic outflows in the form of eucritic‐like material and that the Rheasilvia‐basin‐forming impact exposed lower‐crustal, diogenite‐like material. These measurements also constrain the maximum amount of mesosiderite‐like material to <10% for each 15 × 15° surface element.     

40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb dating in the eastern Pilbara,Australia; temporal constraints on structural and metamorphic events between 3.5 and 2.8 Ga (extended abstract)

Geologie en Mijnbouw -     

Opportunistic Feeding in Mediterranean Blennioid Fishes (Blenniidae and Tripterygion) as Revealed by Experimental Food Provisioning in the Field

Abstract. Consistent differences were found in trophic opportunism between species and between sexes by food provisioning experiments in an assemblage of 15 species of Mediterranean blennioid fishes. The degree of trophic opportunism in the different species was significantly and positively correlated with body size and two features indicative for intensity of male parental care. The degree of trophic opportunism correlated neither with trophic level, depth distribution, or relative abundance. Females of all species in which sex could be distinguished visited the feeding stations at higher frequencies than conspecific males.