Historic Landscape Reconstruction and Visualisation, West Oxfordshire, England

As part of the Wychwood Project in West Oxfordshire, England, aerial photography and historic maps are being used to reconstruct landscape change in the former medieval Royal Hunting Forest of Wychwood. An important objective of the project is to stimulate local interest in Wychwood and promote understanding of its evolution, thereby encouraging the support of stakeholders in the design of future landscapes. The parish of Leafield was selected to develop and test a method for reconstructing and visualising past and present landscapes to present to the public for evaluation and comparison. Leafield contains fine examples of both early and late enclosure landscapes and underwent large-scale disafforestation following the Enclosure Act of 1856. Ordnance Survey (O.S.) 1:10000 Landform Panorama contour data were used to create a digital elevation model (DEM) of the parish using ArcView 3D Analyst, enabling the user to create perspective views of the landscape from any height and viewing angle. Contemporary aerial photography was scanned and geo-rectified to create an overlay for 'draping' onto the DEM. Historical maps provided the reference for modifying the aerial photography using the PaintShop Pro graphics package. This paper presents and reviews the results and compares the method with other techniques, including VRML.     

A model for Northern Hemisphere continental ice sheet variation

The marine record shows that over the last 350 ka Northern Hemisphere ice sheet volumes have fluctuated widely and only on rare short occasions have they been reduced to the present interglacial state. The fluctuations are well synchronized with hemispheric average summer insolation variations of 20 ka periodicity caused by changing orbital parameters. The development of a model which explains the varied amplitudes of the fluctuations and is consistent with the geological record embodies the following arguments: The transition from an interglacial state like today's to a glacial state is initiated when a summer insolation deficit causes a southerly extension of the North Atlantic-Arctic pack ice to 60°N latitude. The extension alters the subpolar low pressure patterns and thus causes a southward diversion of the European Gulf Stream flow. It also produces an enhanced warm West Greenland current. This current causes open seas as far north as Baffin Bay which provides moisture for rapid northern Laurentide ice sheet growth. After several glacial fluctuations driven by insolation variations, the southern Laurentide ice front may reach an extreme extension. This diverts the westerlies and the Gulf Stream thus weakening a dominant subpolar North Atlantic gyre and consequently producing a prolonged cutoff of the West Greenland current and a reduction of high latitude glacial precipitation. The subsequent high insolation can then melt back the eastern pack ice and restore the northern European Gulf Stream. This warms the high latitudes for a time sufficient to melt the continental ice, thus causing the transition back to the interglacial state.An analysis of the record in the context of model suggests that the threshold deficit in average summer insolation that is required to initiate major glacial growth is influenced by the cooling effect of the Greenland ice cap on the seas to the east. The threshold level under conditions like today's is found to lie between ?7 and ?17 ly/day relative to the present. This threshold will not be crossed for at least 54 millenia due to an interval of smaller orbital eccentricity. Probable melting of the Greenland ice cap about 30 ka AP would ensure the extension of the present interglacial beyond 120 ka AP.     

Distribution and relative density of cetaceans in the Hauraki Gulf,New Zealand

Understanding species distributions, and how they change in space and time, is vital when prioritising conservation or management initiatives. We assessed the distribution and density patterns of common dolphins (Delphinus sp.), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera edeni) in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. Dedicated boat-based surveys were conducted in the inner Hauraki Gulf (IHG) and off Great Barrier Island (GBI) during 2010–2012. Generalised linear models were used to investigate temporal changes in relative densities and kernel density estimation was implemented to examine spatial trends. Common dolphins were widely distributed during all seasons, with higher densities observed during winter and spring in the IHG but during autumn off GBI. There was inter-annual variation in Bryde’s whale distribution, with high densities recorded off GBI in 2011. Bottlenose dolphins were infrequently sighted in the IHG but regularly encountered off GBI, with the highest densities during spring and summer.     

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in seawater: Analytical method and levels in the northeastern Pacific

A method is described for analyzing nanogram quantities of chlorinated hydrocarbons from 1-1 samples of seawater. Seawater samples are pumped through a copper column containing a mixture by weight of 5% activated carbon powder, 10% MgO and 85% refined diatomaceous earth. The chlorinated hydrocarbons in the seawater are adsorbed or trapped on the column and subsequently eluted with 30% benzene in acetone (v/v) for analysis by gas-liquid chromatography.This procedure was used to analyze chlorinated hydrocarbon levels in samples collected off the southern California coast. We suggest that anthropogenic chlorinated hydrocarbons can be used for the investigation of large-scale ocean currents and mixing processes.     

The Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite fall: II. Determination of atmospheric trajectory and orbit

Abstract— The L6 ordinary chondrite Villalbeto de la Peña fall occurred on January 4, 2004, at 16: 46: 45 ± 2 s UTC. The related daylight fireball was witnessed by thousands of people from Spain, Portugal, and southern France, and was also photographed and videotaped from different locations of León and Palencia provinces in Spain. From accurate astrometric calibrations of these records, we have determined the atmospheric trajectory of the meteoroid. The initial fireball velocity, calculated from measurements of 86 video frames, was 16.9 ± 0.4 km/s. The slope of the trajectory was 29.0 ± 0.6° to the horizontal, the recorded velocity during the main fragmentation at a height of 27.9 ± 0.4 km was 14.2 ± 0.2 km/s, and the fireball terminal height was 22.2 ± 0.2 km. The heliocentric orbit of the meteoroid resided in the ecliptic plane (i = 0.0 ± 0.2°), having a perihelion distance of 0.860 ± 0.007 AU and a semimajor axis of 2.3 ± 0.2 AU. Therefore, the meteorite progenitor body came from the Main Belt, like all previous determined meteorite orbits. The Villalbeto de la Peña fireball analysis has provided the ninth known orbit of a meteorite in the solar system.     

Relationships between molecular bacterial diversity and chemistry of groundwater in the Wairarapa Valley,New Zealand

Groundwater plays an important role in New Zealand water supplies and hence monitoring activities are conducted regularly. Most monitoring programmes aim to evaluate groundwater chemistry and almost completely overlook the microbial component in this ecosystem. In our present study, the bacterial community structure of groundwater in the Wairarapa Valley was examined using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), and relationships between bacterial community structure and groundwater chemistry, aquifer confinement and groundwater usage were explored. In addition, the results from this study were compared with a previous T-RFLP survey of the same area in an attempt to detect changes in bacterial community structure over time. The data obtained suggested that bacterial community structure was related to groundwater chemistry, especially to redox conditions. Species composition showed minimal variation over time if groundwater chemistry remained unchanged. These findings reflect the potential of using bacterial communities as biological indicators to evaluate the health of groundwater ecosystems. We suggest that it is important to include this type of broad bacterial diversity assessment criteria into regular groundwater monitoring activities.     

反倾巨厚层状岩体地震滑坡特征分析

针对汶川大地震中产生的在反倾巨厚层状岩体中滑坡的特征,以甘肃武都寨子崖滑坡为实例,通过详细的野外地质调查,结合滑坡区的工程地质环境和面波测试成果,综合分析反倾巨厚层状岩质边坡中形成滑坡的条件,研究其特征和演化机制。不发育结构面、尤其不发育缓倾坡外结构面时此类边坡不具备产生重力滑坡的条件;此类斜坡在仅有水平地震力时同样不易形成滑坡,双向地震力共同作用时易产生地震滑坡。     

JOINT INVERSION OF SEISMIC AND GEOELECTRIC DATA RECORDED IN AN UNDERGROUND COAL MINE1

Until the present time the ‘ rock-coal-rock’ layer sequence and offsets in coal-seams in underground coal mines have been detected with the aid of seismic waves and geoelectric measurements. In order to determine the geometrical and petrophysical parameters of the coal-seam situation, the data recorded using seismic and geoelectric methods have been inverted independently. In consequence, the inversion of partially inaccurate data resulted in a certain degree of ambiguity. This paper presents the first results of a joint inversion scheme to process underground vertical seismic profiling data, geolectric resistivity and resistance data. The joint inversion algorithm makes use of the damped least-squares method and its weighted version to solve the linearized set of equations for the seismic and geolectric unknowns. In order to estimate the accuracy and reliability of the derived geometrical and petrophysical layer parameters, both a model covariance matrix and a correlation matrix are calculated. The weighted least-squares algorithm is based on the method of most frequent values (MFV). The weight factors depend on the difference between measured data and those calculated by an iteration process. The joint inversion algorithm is tested by means of synthetic data. Compared to the damped least-squares algorithm, the MFV inversion leads to smaller estimation errors as well as lower sensitivities due to the choice of the initial model. It is shown that, compared to an independent inversion, the correlation between the model parameters is definitely reduced, while the accuracy of the parameter estimation is appreciably increased by the joint inversion process. Thus the ambiguity is significantly reduced. Finally, the joint inversion algorithm using the MFV method is applied to underground field data. The model parameters can be derived with a sufficient degree of accuracy, even in the case of noisy data.     

Summary findings of the fourth international radiocarbon intercomparison (FIRI)(1998–2001)

Interlaboratory comparisons have been widely used in applied radiocarbon science. These are an important part of ongoing quality assurance (QA) programmes, which are vital to the appropriate interpretation of the evidence provided by the ¹⁴C record in Quaternary applications (including climate change and environmental reconstruction). International comparisons of laboratory performance are an essential component of the quality assurance process in radiocarbon dating. If the user community is to have confidence in radiocarbon results, it needs to be assured that laboratories world wide are producing measurements that are reliable and in accordance with ‘good practice’. The findings from the most recent (completed in 2001) and extensive (more than 90 participating laboratories) radiocarbon intercomparison (FIRI) are reported here. This study was designed (i) to assess comparability, or otherwise, of the results from different laboratories and (ii) to quantify the extent and possible causes of any interlaboratory variation. The results demonstrate that there are no significant differences amongst the main measurement techniques (gas proportional counting, liquid scintillation counting and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)) but there is evidence of small laboratory offsets relative to known age samples for some laboratories. There is also evidence in some cases of underestimation of measurement precision. Approximately 10% of all results were classified as extreme (outliers) and these results were generated by 14% of the laboratories. Overall, the evidence supports the fact that radiocarbon laboratories are generally accurate and precise but that, notwithstanding internal QA procedures, some problems still occur, which can best be detected by participation in independent intercomparisons such as FIRI, where the results allow individual laboratories to assess their performance and to take remedial measures where necessary. The results from FIRI are significant in that they show a broad measure of agreement between measurements made in different laboratories on a wide range of materials and they also demonstrate no statistically significant difference between measurements made by radiometric or AMS techniques. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate change, powerlessness and the commons dilemma: Assessing New Zealanders’ preparedness to act

Mitigating climate change is recognized as an increasingly urgent task that requires understanding a range of different strategies, including voluntary behavior change. Among the psychological barriers to behavior change are perceptions of powerlessness and the commons dilemma. This paper examines the association between these factors in a sample of New Zealand citizens and clarifies their importance in relation to other barriers to action to mitigate climate change, including uncertainty and perceived risk. Stronger perceptions of powerlessness and the commons dilemma were related to lower levels of action to mitigate climate change and lesser importance being placed upon climate change as an influence on individual actions. The perceived risk of climate change and the perception that humans influence climate change were the strongest predictors of mitigation action.