The late Quaternary sedimentary infill of Lake Annecy (northwestern Alps): an overview from two seismic-reflection surveys

The sedimentary fill of Lake Annecy (northwestern Alps) - related to the last glacial/post-glacial episode - was investigated through high resolution (sparker) and very high resolution (2.5 kHz) seismic-reflection surveys. A seismostratigraphic approach led to subdivision of a 150 m-thick pile (maximum thickness in axial part) into five units. Basal units (1 and 2) represent an imbrication of subglacial and glacio-lacustrine deposits, close to the grounding line of the glaciers' fronts (respectively at the northern and southern terminations of the lake). The first acoustically well-stratified unit (3) developed during a fast retreat of the glaciers fronts far from the lake basin, and a progradational alluvial regime, with abundant underflows, in a lake larger than the present one. Unit 4 represents the progressive decrease of this clastic input mixed with the progressive development of in situ bio-induced production. As in many other alpine lakes, a topmost unit (5), relatively thin (about 8-10 m) and with a conspicuous drape configuration, is the signature of the Holocene interglacial climatic conditions with a sedimentation rate of about 1 mm/yr. On the lacustrine basin slopes, slumps and debris flow occurred mainly within Unit 3; they may be due to, either climate-induced high rate terrigenous sedimentation, or/and to a period of increased seismo-tectonic activity.     

Post-injection trapping of mobile CO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">2</Emphasis></Subscript> in deep aquifers: Assessing the importance of model and parameter uncertainties

Predicting the fate of the injected CO₂ is crucial for the safety of carbon storage operations in deep saline aquifers: especially the evolution of the position, the spreading and the quantity of the mobile CO₂ plume during and after the injection has to be understood to prevent any loss of containment. Fluid flow modelling is challenging not only given the uncertainties on subsurface formation intrinsic properties (parameter uncertainty) but also on the modelling choices/assumptions for representing and numerically implementing the processes occurring when CO₂ displaces the native brine (model uncertainty). Sensitivity analysis is needed to identify the group of factors which contributes the most to the uncertainties in the predictions. In this paper, we present an approach for assessing the importance of model and parameter uncertainties regarding post-injection trapping of mobile CO₂. This approach includes the representation of input parameters, the choice of relevant simulation outputs, the assessment of the mobile plume evolution with a flow simulator and the importance ranking for input parameters. A variance-based sensitivity analysis is proposed, associated with the ACOSSO-like meta-modelling technique to tackle the issues linked with the computational burden posed by the use of long-running simulations and with the different types of uncertainties to be accounted for (model and parameter). The approach is tested on a potential site for CO₂ storage in the Paris basin (France) representative of a project in preliminary stage of development. The approach provides physically sound outcomes despite the challenging context of the case study. In addition, these outcomes appear very helpful for prioritizing the future characterisation efforts and monitoring requirements, and for simplifying the modelling exercise.     

The dust distribution within the inner coma of comet P/Halley 1982i: encounter by Giotto's impact detectors

Analysis of the data from Giotto's Dust Impact Detection System experiment (DIDSY) is presented. These data represent measurement of the size of dust grains incident on the Giotto dust shield along its trajectory through the coma of comet P/Halley on 1986 March 13/14. First detection occurred at some 287000 km distance from the nucleus on the inbound leg; the majority of the DIDSY subsystems remained operational after closest approach (604 km) yielding the last detection at about 202000 km from the nucleus. In order to improve the data coverage (and especially for the smallest grains, to approximately 10(-19) kg particle mass), data from the PIA instrument has been combined with DIDSY data. Flux profiles are presented for the various mass channels showing, to a first approximation, a 1/R2 flux dependence, where R is the distance of the detection point from the cometary nucleus, although significant differences are noted. Deviations from this dependence are observed, particularly close to the nucleus. From the flux profiles, mass and geometrical area distributions for the dust grains are derived for the trajectory through the coma. Groundbased CCD imaging of the dust continuum in the inner coma at the time of encounter is also used to derive the area of grains intercepted by Giotto. The results are consistent with the area functions derived by Giotto data and the low albedo of the grains deduced from infrared emission. For the close encounter period (-5 min to +5 min), the cumulative mass distribution function has been investigated, initially in 20 second periods; there is strong evidence from the data for a steepening of the index of the mass distribution for masses greater than 10(-13) kg during passage through dust jets which is not within the error limits of statistical uncertainty. The fluences for dust grains along the entire trajectory is calculated; it is found that extrapolation of the spectrum determined at intermediate masses (cumulative mass index alpha = 0.85) is not able to account for the spacecraft deceleration as observed by the Giotto Radio Science Experiment and by ESOC tracking operations. Data at large masses (>10(-8) kg) recently analysed from the DIDSY data set show clear evidence of a decrease in the mass distribution index at these masses within the coma, and it is shown that such a value of the mass index can provide sufficient mass for consistency with the observed deceleration. The total particulate mass output from the nucleus of comet P/Halley at the time of encounter would be dependent on the maximum mass emitted if this change in slope observed in the coma were also applicable to the emission from the nucleus; this matter is discussed in the text. The flux time profiles have been converted through a simple approach to modeling of the particle trajectories to yield an indication of nucleus surface activity. There is indication of an enhancement in flux at t approximately -29 s corresponding to crossing of the dawn terminator, but the flux detected prior to crossing of the dawn terminator is shown to be higher than predicted by simple modelling. Further enhancements corresponding to jet activity are detected around +190 s and +270 s.     

Global action networks: Agents for collective action

Global action networks (GANs) are civil society initiated multi-stakeholder arrangements that aim to fulfill a leadership role for systemic change in global governance for sustainable development. The paper develops a network approach to study some of these GANs as motivators of global collective action and investigates how in their interaction processes the actors involved create the organizational capacity for collective change. Based on a variety of case studies, the paper highlights crucial factors determining the performance of GANs; among them the characteristics of the issue field and the development stage of the GAN. The analysis also shows how GANs play two crucial roles, sometimes in combination, sometimes successively. These are labelled as the broker and entrepreneur role. The paper concludes with some conditions for collective action that are underexposed in collective action theory.     

The Taylor Dome Antarctic O Record and Globally Synchronous Changes in Climate

The ¹⁸O/¹⁶O profile of a 554-m long ice core through Taylor Dome, Antarctica, shows the climate variability of the last glacial–interglacial cycle in detail and extends at least another full cycle. Taylor Dome shares the main features of the Vostok record, including the early climatic optimum with later cool phase of the last interglacial period in Antarctica. Taylor Dome δ¹⁸O fluctuations are more abrupt and larger than those at Vostok and Byrd Station, although still less pronounced than those of the Greenland GISP2 and GRIP records. The influence of the Atlantic thermohaline circulation on regional ocean heat transport explains the partly “North Atlantic” character of this Antarctic record. Under full glacial climate (marine isotope stage 4, late stage 3, and stage 2), this marine influence diminished and Taylor Dome became more like Vostok. Varying degrees of marine influence produce climate heterogeneity within Antarctica, which may account for conflicting evidence regarding the relative phasing of Northern and Southern Hemisphere climate change.     

The GISP2 δO Climate Record of the Past 16,500 Years and the Role of the Sun, Ocean, and Volcanoes

Measured ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios from the Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) ice core extending back to 16,500 cal yr B.P. provide a continuous record of climate change since the last glaciation. High-resolution annual ¹⁸O/¹⁶O results were obtained for most of the current millennium (A.D. 818-1985) and record the Medieval Warm Period, the Little Ice Age, and a distinct 11-yr ¹⁸O/¹⁶O cycle. Volcanic aerosols depress central Greenland annual temperature (1.5°C maximally) and annual ¹⁸O/¹⁶O for about 4 yr after each major eruptive event. On a bidecadal to millennial time scale, the contribution of solar variability to Holocene Greenlandic temperature change is 0.4°C. The role of thermohaline circulation change on climate, problematic during the Holocene, is more distinct for the 16,500-10,000 cal yr B.P. interval. (Analogous to ¹⁴C age calibration terminology, we express time in calibrated (cal) yr B.P. (A.D. 1950 = 0 cal yr B.P.)). The Oldest Dryas/Bølling/Older Dryas/Allerød/Younger Dryas sequence appears in great detail. Bidecadal variance in ¹⁸O/¹⁶O, but not necessarily in temperature, is enhanced during the last phase of lateglacial time and the Younger Dryas interval, suggesting switches of air mass transport between jet stream branches. The branched system is nearly instantaneously replaced at the beginning of the Bølling and Holocene (at 14,670 and 11,650 cal yr B.P., respectively) by an atmospheric circulation system in which ¹⁸O/¹⁶O and annual accumulation initially track each other closely. Thermodynamic considerations of the accumulation rate-temperature relationship can be used to evaluate the ¹⁸ O/¹⁶O-temperature relationship. The GISP2 ice-layer-count years of major GISP2 climate transitions also support the use of coral ¹⁴C ages for age calibration.     

Precise GRACE baseline determination using GPS

Precision relative navigation is an essential aspect of spacecraft formation flying missions, both from an operational and a scientific point of view. When using GPS as a relative distance sensor, dual-frequency receivers are required for high accuracy at large inter-satellite separations. This allows for a correction of the relative ionospheric path delay and enables double difference integer ambiguity resolution. Although kinematic relative positioning techniques demonstrate promising results for hardware-in-the-loop simulations, they were found to lack an adequate robustness in real-world applications. To overcome this limitation, an extended Kalman Filter modeling the relative spacecraft dynamics has been developed. The filter processes single difference GPS pseudorange and carrier phase observations to estimate the relative position and velocity along with empirical accelerations and carrier phase ambiguities. In parallel, double difference carrier phase ambiguities are resolved on both frequencies using the least square ambiguity decorrelation adjustment (LAMBDA) method in order to fully exploit the inherent measurement accuracy. The combination of reduced dynamic filtering with the LAMBDA method results in smooth relative position estimates as well as fast and reliable ambiguity resolution. The proposed method has been validated with data from the gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE) mission. For an 11-day data arc, the resulting solution matches the GRACE K-Band Ranging System measurements with an accuracy of 1 mm, whereby 83% of the double difference ambiguities are resolved.     

A new laboratory set-up for measurements of electrical, hydraulic, and osmotic fluxes in clays

If clays are subjected to flows of fluid, electrical charge, chemicals, or heat, in most cases, flows of different types occur simultaneously, even if only one driving force is acting. These are so-called coupled flows. Examples of coupling phenomena are streaming potential and electroosmosis, induced by the flows of fluid and electrical charge, respectively.

Since the 1960s, laboratory devices have been constructed to measure streaming potentials and/or electroosmosis in clays or clayey soils. Due to their mechanical and hydraulic properties, clays are not easy to work with. Consequently, laboratory devices have to deal with various complications. A new design for an experimental set-up is proposed. Contrary to earlier devices, the clay sample is mounted in a flexible wall permeameter, which avoids sidewall leakage caused by the possible swell or shrink of the clay. Gold-coated gauze electrodes completely cover the surfaces of the sample, which are in contact with the solution reservoirs that ensure one-dimensional flow. In addition, the thickness of the sample is monitored during the experiment. The chemical composition of the reservoir fluids is controlled during the experiment. The device is flexible with respect to changing the solutions of both reservoirs independently, applying different hydraulic gradients, and measuring or applying electrical potentials. Finally, it is possible to mount undisturbed clay samples in the set-up, keeping them in situ during the whole experiment.

With this set-up, an extensive program of measurements of coupling phenomena like streaming potentials, electroosmosis, and membrane potentials in a sodium montmorillonite is started. Preliminary results of streaming potential measurements are presented and demonstrate that the build-up of a streaming potential due to a hydraulic gradient is a reproducible process that influences the water flow through the clay, and that the extent of the streaming potential depends on the salt concentration of the permeating solution.     

Sr and Pb isotopic composition of five USGS glasses (BHVO-2G, BIR-1G, BCR-2G, TB-1G, NKT-1G)

Sr isotopic compositions and Rb / Sr ratios of three USGS glasses (BHVO-2G, BIR-1G, BCR-2G) are identical to those of the original USGS reference materials. NKT-1G and TB-1G give values of 0.70351 and 0.70558, respectively. Pb isotopic ratios were measured by the standard-sample bracketing technique on an MC-ICP-MS, which give results that are comparable in accuracy and reproducibility to double spike analyses. However, assessment of the reproducibility of the technique is hampered by inhomogeneous contamination of all USGS reference materials analysed. This contamination is likely to be the reason why the USGS glasses do not all have the same Pb isotopic composition as their unfused originals. Powdered glasses, distributed for characterisation of the glasses by bulk analytical techniques, do not all have the same Pb isotopic compositions as the solid glass material, and can therefore not be used for this purpose.