Using a regional frequency analysis approach for calculating the Standardized Precipitation Index: an operational approach based on the two-parameter gamma distribution

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is a worldwide used probability-based drought index. Considering that the two-parameter gamma distribution (gam) is...     

Geophysical investigation of buried Pleistocene subglacial valleys in Northern Germany

Buried Pleistocene subglacial valleys are extensively used as groundwater reservoirs by waterworks in northern Germany, although little is known about the locations and size of these valleys and the internal structure of the sediment fill. This lack of knowledge about important groundwater reservoirs is a challenge for geophysics.This paper summarizes the geophysical investigation of two buried Pleistocene subglacial valleys in northern Germany—the Ellerbeker Rinne and the Bremerhaven–Cuxhavener Rinne—including seismic, gravity, and airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys. Seismic sections show the detailed structure of the paleovalleys. The reliability of interpretation is enhanced by vertical seismic profiles in wells. The maximum depths of the Ellerbeker Rinne and the Bremerhaven–Cuxhavener Rinne were found to be 360 and about 400 m, respectively. Gravity survey revealed Bouguer anomalies above the sediment fill of both buried valleys. The Ellerbeker Rinne produces a negative residual anomaly of −0.5 mGal, whereas the sediments of the Bremerhaven–Cuxhavener Rinne produce a positive anomaly. The latter one is superimposed by negative gravity anomalies due to near-surface structures. The Bremerhaven–Cuxhavener Rinne can be mapped by airborne electromagnetics at locations without saltwater intrusion, which would affect the measurements. The electrical conductivity of the clay layer at the top of the valley fill differs significantly from that of the surrounding sand. The combined use of these three geophysical methods, which measure different physical parameters, leads to a better understanding of the subsurface geology and the hydrogeology of the Pleistocene subglacial valleys.     

Acoustic reflectivity and shallow sedimentary structure in the Sea of Galilee, Jordan Valley

Mapping the floor of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) with a shallow seismic system of 3.5 kHz resulted in interesting data that were not obtained previously with standard single-channel seismic systems. Over most of the lake acoustic penetration is not possible, probably because of the high gas content in the top sedimentary sequence. However, in a few areas, excellent penetration of about 20 m was achieved. One area is a terrace in the southern part of the lake, south of a small bathymetric escarpment at depths of 13–21 m along Israel latitudinal Grid 238. It is unclear whether the existence of gas in the sediment or other parameters are responsible for the marked difference in acoustic penetration on both sides of the scarp.Another area with acoustic penetration is in the vicinity of hot and salty submarine springs. Although there is no difference in the composition of the upper sedimentary layers between these areas and neighbouring areas, there is a marked difference in the acoustic penetration. The contact between areas with acoustic penetration to areas without acoustic penetration is very sharp. The craters of the submarine springs are usually located on the borders of the areas with acoustic penetration or even at some distance away from them. It is possible that the activity of the hot and salty submarine springs controls the acoustic penetration. However, determination of the exact mechanism for the existence of the zones of acoustic penetration must await further studies of the sediments, especially for measurements of various parameters that control the seismic response of the rock.Another discovery made with the shallow seismic profiles is the existence of some bathymetric irregularities on the floor of the Sea of Galilee. In view of the high sedimentation rate in the lake, which tends to smooth the floor, a bathymetric irregularity such as a linear bathymetric step could be a surface expression of an active fault.     

Assessing landslide volume using two generic models: application to landslides in Whatcom County,Washington, USA

Landslides - Geomorphological analysis of landslide processes in mountainous terrains with difficult access has benefited from virtual representation of topography through the use of...     

Hydro-geomechanical characterisation of a coastal urban aquifer using multiscalar time and frequency domain groundwater-level responses

Hydraulic properties of coastal, urban aquifers vary spatially and temporally with the complex dynamics of their hydrogeology and the heterogeneity of ocean-influenced hydraulic processes. Traditional aquifer characterisation methods are expensive, time-consuming and represent a snapshot in time. Tidal subsurface analysis (TSA) can passively characterise subsurface processes and establish hydro-geomechanical properties from groundwater head time-series but is typically applied to individual wells inland. Presented here, TSA is applied to a network of 116 groundwater boreholes to spatially characterise confinement and specific storage across a coastal aquifer at city-scale in Cardiff (UK) using a 23-year high-frequency time-series dataset. The dataset comprises Earth, atmospheric and oceanic signals, with the analysis conducted in the time domain, by calculating barometric response functions (BRFs), and in the frequency domain (TSA). By examining the damping and attenuation of groundwater response to ocean tides (OT) with distance from the coast/rivers, a multi-borehole comparison of TSA with BRF shows this combination of analyses facilitates disentangling the influence of tidal signals and estimation of spatially distributed aquifer properties for non-OT-influenced boreholes. The time-series analysed covers a period pre- and post-impoundment of Cardiff’s rivers by a barrage, revealing the consequent reduction in subsurface OT signal propagation post-construction. The results indicate that a much higher degree of confined conditions exist across the aquifer than previously thought (specific storage?=?2.3 × 10^?6 to 7.9 × 10^?5 m^?1), with implications for understanding aquifer recharge, and informing the best strategies for utilising groundwater and shallow geothermal resources.

     

An eclipse of the X-ray flux from the dwarf nova OY Carinae in quiescence

We present a phase-resolved ROSAT HRI X-ray light curve of the dwarf nova OY Car in quiescence. The X-ray flux is eclipsed at the same time as the optical eclipse of the primary, and the region of X-ray emission is comparable in size to the white dwarf. We use subsequent optical observations to update the orbital ephemeris of the system.     

Micro- and macro-dispersive fluxes in canopy flows

Resolving every detail of the three-dimensional canopy morphology and its underlying topography remains untenable when modeling high Reynolds number geophysical flows. How to represent the effects of such a complex morphological variability and any concomittant topographic variability into one-dimensional bulk flow representation remains a fundamental challenge to be confronted in canopy turbulence research. Theoretically, planar averaging to the scale of interest should be applied to the time-averaged mean momentum balance; however, such averaging gives rise to covariance or dispersive terms produced by spatial correlations of time-averaged quantities that remain ‘unclosed’ or require parameterization. When the averaging scale is commensurate with few canopy heights, these covariances can be labeled as ‘micro-dispersive’ stresses. When averaging is intended to eliminate low-wavenumber topographic variations, we refer to these covariances as ‘macro-dispersive’ terms. Two flume experiments were used to explore the magnitude and sign of both micro- and macro-dispersive fluxes relative to their conventional Reynolds stresses counterparts: a rod-canopy with variable roughness density and a dense rod canopy situated on gentle hilly terrain. When compared to the conventional momentum flux, the micro-dispersive fluxes in the lowest layers of sparse canopies can be significant (∼50%). For dense canopies, the dispersive terms remain negligible when compared to the conventional momentum fluxes throughout. For the macro-dispersive fluxes, model calculations suggest that these terms can be neglected relative to the Reynolds stresses for a deep canopy situated on a narrow hill. For the region in which topographic variations can interact with the pressure, both model calculations and flume experiments suggest that the macro-dispersive fluxes cannot be neglected, and their value can be 20% of the typical Reynolds stresses.