A Numerical Framework for Modeling Folds in Structural Geology

A numerical framework for modeling folds in structural geology is presented. This framework is based on a novel and recently published Hamilton–Jacobi formulation by which a continuum of layer boundaries of a fold is modeled as a propagating front. All the fold classes from the classical literature (parallel folds, similar folds, and other fold types with convergent and divergent dip isogons) are modeled in two and three dimensions as continua defined on a finite difference grid. The propagating front describing the fold geometry is governed by a static Hamilton–Jacobi equation, which is discretized by upwind finite differences and a dynamic stencil construction. This forms the basis of numerical solution by finite difference solvers such as fast marching and fast sweeping methods. A new robust and accurate scheme for initialization of finite difference solvers for the static Hamilton–Jacobi equation is also derived. The framework has been integrated in simulation software, and a numerical example is presented based on seismic data collected from the Karama Block in the North Makassar Strait outside Sulawesi.     

A New Video and Digital Camera System for Studies of the Dynamics of Microtopographic Features on Tidal Flats

A newly developed video and camera system for tidal flat microtopographic studies is presented. It consists of a SONY handy cam placed in an underwater housing mounted on a frame about 70?cm above the sediment surface. A rectangular surface area of 30?×40?cm is imaged by the camera. The camera records video sequences and/or digital images at predetermined time lapses. The total number of images is about 540, and a similar number of 10-second long video sequences can be recorded. The camera is programmed with a PC before deployment, and the total deployment time depends on the time lapse between recordings. The camera is connected to an external power supply (12?volt), and a halogen projector pointing towards the sediment surface ensures that the system is operable on a 24-hours scale. The system has been tested in the Danish Wadden Sea. It has proved to be a very useful tool in studies of topographic effects of erosion and deposition sequences, and for studies of benthic organisms-sediment interactions. The test site was further equipped with sensors for water and seabed measurements, which proved to be indispensable regarding the interpretation of recorded image time-series.     

Geological modeling and simulation of CO2 injection in the Johansen formation

The Johansen formation is a candidate site for large-scale CO₂ storage offshore of the south-western coast of Norway. An overview of the geology for the Johansen formation and neighboring geological formations is given, together with a discussion of issues for geological and geophysical modelling and integrated fluid flow modelling. We further describe corresponding simulation models. Major issues to consider are capacity estimation and processes that could potentially cause CO₂ to leak out of the Johansen formation and into the formations above. Currently, these issues can only be investigated through numerical simulation. We consider the effect of different boundary conditions, sensitivity with respect to vertical grid refinement and permeability/transmisibility data, and the effect of residual gas saturations, since these strongly affect the CO₂-plume distribution. The geological study of the Johansen formation is performed based on available seismic and well data. Fluid simulations are performed using a commercial simulator capable of modelling CO₂ flow and transport by simple manipulation of input files and data. We provide details for the data and the model, with a particular focus on geology and geometry for the Johansen formation. The data set is made available for download online.     

Using species distribution modelling to predict future distributions of phytoplankton: Case study using species important for the biological pump

Some phytoplankton species have been predicted to contribute more to the biological pump than others. In this study, we examine the potential of species distribution modelling (SDM) for describing current and predicting future global distributions of two phytoplankton species: the diatom Chaetoceros diadema and the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Species distribution models (SDMs) were constructed using species data from the Ocean Biogeographic Information System and environmental layers from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5. The resulting distributions were evaluated by comparing predicted distributions with those found via a literature survey. The developed SDMs were then applied to predict future changes in the distributions of these species using environmental conditions based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Representative Concentration Pathways scenario 8.5 climate scenario, predicted for the year 2100. The model predicts that the total ocean area covered by C. diadema and E. huxleyi will decline under the examined climate scenario by 8% and 16%, respectively. Furthermore, the future ranges above depths >1,000 m are predicted to decline by 28% for C. diadema. As the biological pump is most active in deep ocean waters, this projected decrease in range in the deeper regions of the ocean may have implications for carbon sequestration, particularly for the diatom species. We conclude that SDM appears to be a robust tool for examining phytoplankton distributions. If the predicted changes in ranges of these two species under future ocean conditions are realised, this may result in a reduced contribution of these two phytoplankton species to carbon sequestration via the biological pump.     

Cultural barriers to climate change adaptation: A case study from Northern Burkina Faso

Human adaptation to climate change is a heterogeneous process influenced by more than economic and technological development. It is increasingly acknowledged in the adaptation to climate change literature that factors such as class, gender and culture play a large role when adaptation strategies are either chosen or rejected at the local scale. This paper explores adaptation strategies by focusing on livelihood diversification in the face of the most recent of recurrent droughts in the Sahel. It is shown that for Fulbe, one of the two main ethnic groups in the small village in Northern Burkina Faso studied, culture acts as a major barrier to embracing four of the most successful livelihood strategies: labour migration, working for development projects, gardening, and the engagement of women in economic activities.     

Groundwater study of a volcanic area near Bandung,Java, Indonesia

A hydrogeological investigation of the Bandung area, Java, Indonesia, is described. The investigation was carried out as part of a feasibility study directed towards improvement and development of the city's water supply.The area is situated in a tropic mountainous region, dominated by pyroclastic volcanic deposits and with abundant rainfall. The main activities of the investigation were compilation and evaluation of existing climatological and hydrogeological data, testing of four existing wells, a geo-electrical survey, drilling and testing of a new test well, study of water quality by analysis of samples from both springs and wells, and measurements of spring yields.The results of the investigation indicated presence of large groundwater resources within a distance of 15–20 km from the city. The feasibility study recommended that Bandung's water supply be based on these groundwater resources and this recommendation is being implemented.During the investigation some results concerning rainfall, infiltration, aquifers, geoelectrical surveying, and groundwater quality were obtained, which may be of general interest for hydrologists and geologists working in tropical volcanic and mountainous regions. These results are summarized in the conclusion of this paper.     

Modelling of the long-range transport of peroxyacetylnitrate to Scandinavia

Model calculations and field measurements have shown that when air masses accumulate emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from sources in continental Europe and then move towards Scandinavia without any synoptic scale break-up of the atmospheric boundary layer (e.g. frontal passages), elevated PAN concentrations in southern Norway or Sweden in the range 1–5 ppb may be caused by long-range transport. The model calculations showed that over sea, the persistence of PAN was comparable to that of ozone in an ageing air mass when the temperatures were fairly low (5–10°C). At higher temperatures the thermal decomposition of PAN made the compound less persistent than ozone. Over land, the situation may be different since the ground removal is typically three times more efficient for ozone than for PAN.According to the model, the concentration of PAN did not change very much when an ageing air mass was exposed to moderate emissions of hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, or both. The concentration of PAN decreased less than the concentration of ozone when an ageing air mass was exposed to high emissions of nitrogen oxides.     

Survival of crucian carp,Carassius carassius,exposed to a high low-molecular weight inorganic aluminium challenge

Crucian carp were exposed to three combinations of pH and inorganic aluminium concentrations for 25 days. Mortality, plasma chloride and haematocrit, and gill aluminium content were investigated. No mortality was observed in any of the three exposures. Crucian carp survived acidic Al-rich water (pH 5.17) with a high concentration of low-molecular weight inorganic Al species (242 µgl^–1) for 25 days. These fish had lowered plasma chloride levels and high amounts of aluminium on their gills compared to fish exposed to acidic Al-poor water (pH 5.16 and 12 µgl^–1 Al_i) and control water (pH 6.29 and 4 µgl^–1 Al_i). Haematocrit was the same in all three exposures. Because aluminium was not acutely toxic to the anoxia tolerant crucian carp, the present results give support to the hypothesis that Al polymerization with subsequent hypoxia is of high importance for the mechanism of acute Al toxicity to fish.     

Co-evolutionary dynamics and institutions: Innovation in a guild community in Norway

ABSTRACT

The video game industry is often portrayed as a ‘footloose industry’ in which electronic goods can be produced and distributed from any location without positive or negative effects from factors such as resources or proximity to market. Hence, a conventional assumption is that the role of place is greatly diminished in the case of such industries. The author tests this assumption by analysing firms’ practice in a game developer community in Bergen, Norway, and the spatiality of linkages between the community and the environment. He proposes an alternative analytical framework for understanding practice in the industry, one that recognizes that a firm's practice is either embedded within or related to networks and institutional structures. The question of how contextual conditions, embeddedness and networks are treated in the literature on innovation is discussed, and the concept of community as an analytical concept is introduced and applied. After showing how practice in the case community has evolved within the cultural, social and territorial context, the author concludes that a portrayal of the game industry as a ‘footloose industry’ disembedded from its surroundings should be avoided, and instead the dynamic relationship between actors, context and practice should be heeded.