Quaoar and the Edgeworth–Kuiper belt

Is it a planet? Is it a comet? David W Hughes takes a look at the wilder reaches of the solar system, beyond Neptune, and finds that we know just a little about an awful lot.     

The European Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer Satellite Mission Its Impact on Geophysics

Current knowledge of the Earth's gravity field and its geoid, as derived from various observing techniques and sources, is incomplete. Within a reasonable time, substantial improvement will come by exploiting new approaches based on spaceborne gravity observation. Among these, the European Space Agency (ESA) Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission concept has been conceived and designed taking into account multi-disciplinary research objectives in solid Earth physics, oceanography and geodesy. Based on the unique capability of a gravity gradiometer combined with satellite-to-satellite high-low tracking techniques, an accurate and detailed global model of the Earth's gravity field and its corresponding geoid will be recovered. The importance of this is demonstrated by a series of realistic simulation experiments. In particular, the quantitative impact of the new and accurate gravity field and geoid is examined in studies of tectonic composition and motion, Glaciological Isostatic Adjustment, ocean mesoscale variability, water mass transport, and unification of height systems. Improved knowledge in each of these fields will also ensure the accumulation of new understanding of past and present sea-level changes.     

Deadly oasis:Recurrent annihilation of Cretaceous desert bryophyte colonies;the role of solar,climate and lithospheric forcing

Many oases(wet interdunes)are sedimentary systems characterized by high-frequency water-level oscillations,marked changes in salinity and intense biological activity at their margins.They are considered to be one of the most challenging environments on Earth for ecosystem development.These dynamic,depositional settings are usually unfavourable for fossilization and subsequent preservation of vegetal remains.This paper describes bryophyte(liverwort)assemblages occurring in three successive horizons interpreted to represent(i)recurrent early successional phases of biological soil crust colonization of wet interdune margins or(ii)exceptional preservation of floating or riparian liverworts in oasis pond waters associated with a progressive fall of the interdune water level.The record of in situ colonization surfaces characterized by delicate(e.g.lignin-free)three-dimensional structures represents an exceptional type of preservation herein associated with a rapid variation in phreatic interdune water level and the subsequent establishment of anoxic and reducing conditions.The occurrence of exceptionally preserved liverwort colonies coincides with the sedimentary record of,at least,three seismite levels in the oasis.Data gathered from the site suggests that the water table of the oasis was controlled by a combination of(i)a positive creation of accommodation space due to subsidence associated with movement on syn-sedimentary extensional faults,and(ii)the rise and fall of the oasis water table controlled by the oscillations of the groundwater system due to orbital changes which appear to drive the variability of the climate system.Rising groundwater levels flooded the oasis soil crusts and lead to the exceptional recurrent preservation of liverwort colonies at the oasis margins.Alternatively,considering the hypothesis of floating or riparian liverworts in the oasis pond waters,the fall in the level of the oasis water table placed the floating liverworts in contact with the oasis bottom sediments.This fall in the level of the oasis water table could indicate a cessation of accommodation space by syn-sedimentary extensional faults and/or a regional lowering of the groundwater system level associated with drought periods.Preliminary results indicate that oasis lamination between liverwort colonies records decadal and sub-decadal cyclicity,related with 11-year Schwabe sunspot and sub-decadal NAO cyclicities,conferring for every sedimentary cycle between liverwort colonies a duration of approximately 200 years,that otherwise matches the expected recurrence period for the De Vries cycle of solar activity.     

Swash saturation: an assessment of available models

An extensive previously published (Hughes et al. Mar Geol 355, 88–97, 2014) field data set representing the full range of micro-tidal beach states (reflective, intermediate and dissipative) is used to investigate swash saturation. Two models that predict the behavior of saturated swash are tested: one driven by standing waves and the other driven by bores. Despite being based on entirely different premises, they predict similar trends in the limiting (saturated) swash height with respect to dependency on frequency and beach gradient. For a given frequency and beach gradient, however, the bore-driven model predicts a larger saturated swash height by a factor 2.5. Both models broadly predict the general behavior of swash saturation evident in the data, but neither model is accurate in detail. While swash saturation in the short-wave frequency band is common on some beach types, it does not always occur across all beach types. Further work is required on wave reflection/breaking and the role of wave-wave and wave-swash interactions to determine limiting swash heights on natural beaches.     

Using the size and position of drumlins to understand how they grow,interact and evolve

Drumlins are subglacial bedforms streamlined in the direction of ice flow. Common in deglaciated landscapes, they have been widely studied providing rich information on their internal geology, size, shape, and spacing. In contrast with bedform investigations elsewhere in geomorphology (aeolian and fluvial dunes and ripples for example) most drumlin studies derive observations from relict, and thus static features. This has made it difficult to gain information and insights about their evolution over time, which likely hampers our understanding of the process(es) of drumlin formation. Here we take a morphological approach, studying drumlin size and spacing metrics. Unlike previous studies which have focussed on databases derived from entire ice sheet beds, we adopt a space‐for‐time substitution approach using individual drumlin flow‐sets distributed in space as proxies for different development times/periods. Framed and assisted by insights from aeolian and fluvial geomorphology, we use our metric data to explore possible scenarios of drumlin growth, evolution and interaction. We study the metrics of the size and spacing of 36 222 drumlins, distributed amongst 71 flow‐sets, left behind by the former British‐Irish Ice Sheet, and ask whether behaviour common to other bedform phenomena can be derived through statistical analysis. Through characterizing and analysing the shape of the probability distribution functions of size and spacing metrics for each flow‐set we argue that drumlins grow, and potentially migrate, as they evolve leading to pattern coarsening. Furthermore, our findings add support to the notion that no upper limit to drumlin size exists, and to the idea that perpetual coarsening could occur if given sufficient time. We propose that the framework of process and patterning commonly applied to non‐glacial bedforms is potentially powerful for understanding drumlin formation and for deciphering glacial landscapes. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Loch Lomond Stadial glaciers in the Aran and Arenig Mountains,North Wales,Great Britain

Geomorphological evidence for four former local glaciers has been mapped in the Aran and Arenig Mountains, North Wales. Former glacial extent was deduced from the distribution and assemblage of end and lateral moraines, hummocky moraine, boulder limits, drift limits and periglacial trimlines. Comparison of infilled lake sediment stratigraphies inside and outside of the former glacier limits suggests a Loch Lomond Stadial (Late Devensian) age of the former glaciers (c. 12.9–11.5 cal. ka BP ). This finding is also supported by periglacial–landform contrasts between the land inside and outside of the glacier limits. Reconstruction of the four glaciers illustrates a mean equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of c. 504 m. From the reconstructed ELAs and the combination of precipitation and snowblow input for total accumulation, by analogy with Norwegian glaciers, a mean sea‐level July temperature is calculated at 8.4°C. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Correcting bias in rainfall inputs to a semi-distributed hydrological model using downstream flow simulation errors

The focus of this study is on bias correcting semi-distributed rainfall inputs into a hydrological model applied in the Okavango River basin in southern Africa, where there are very few local observations and heavy reliance is placed on global rainfall datasets. While the hydrological model, before rainfall bias correction, is able to represent the broad characteristics of the sub-basin streamflow responses, as demonstrated by good agreement between observed and simulated flow duration curves, there are many years where the annual volumes are over- or underestimated. The long records of observed flow at downstream stations are successfully used to bias correct the rainfall inputs to the upstream sub-basins using an analysis of their individual contributions to downstream flow and their annual rainfall–runoff response ratios. The results show improved simulations for the relatively shorter observation periods at the upstream gauging stations.     

Evaluating the performance of a deterministic daily rainfall–runoff model in a low-flow context

The characterization of a stream's low-flow regime is required for ecological purposes, water quality studies and various other water projects. If observed stream flow records are insufficient, low-flow characteristics may need to be estimated from simulated daily stream flow time-series. The model employed should conceptualize low-flow generation mechanisms and surface–subsurface interactions adequately. The ability of the model to simulate low-flow regimes may be assessed by means of various low-flow analysis techniques. This paper illustrates the approach using the example of the physically based, semi-distributed VTI daily rainfall–runoff model. The model has been applied to five perennial headwater catchments in South Africa, which are located in different parts of the country, represent different physiographical environments and are characterized by different baseflow responses. The model simulations are evaluated in terms of both conventional goodness-of-fit criteria and several low-flow measures such as recession characteristics, baseflow volumes, flow duration curves and continuous low-flow events below specified threshold discharges. For all the catchments considered the model has been found to perform successfully in terms of conventional fit statistics and flow duration curves. However, its ability to reproduce recession characteristics and continuous low-flow spells appears to be less satisfactory. This suggests that daily model simulations should be evaluated by low-flow criteria, which are frequently ignored in water resource assessment practices. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Laboratory study of combined wave overtopping and storm surge overflow of a levee

Combined wave overtopping and storm surge overflow of a levee with a trapezoidal cross section was studied in a two-dimensional laboratory wave/flow flume at a nominal prototype-to-model length scale of 25-to-1. The goal of this study was to develop design guidance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Time series of water depth at two locations on the levee crown and flow thickness at five locations on the landward-side slope were measured along with horizontal velocity near the landward edge of the crown. New equations are presented for average overtopping discharge, distribution of instantaneous discharge, and distribution of individual wave volumes. Equations are also given for mean flow thickness, RMS wave height, mean velocity, and velocity of the wave front down the landward-side slope.     

The Coso volcanic field reexamined: Implications for obsidian sourcing and hydration dating research

Obsidian from the Coso locality, Inyo County, California, has long been regarded by archaeologists as a single “source.” However, studies by the U.S. Geological Survey have provided evidence of geochemical variability among flows within the volcanic field. to determine whether these geochemical distinctions could be applied productively to archaeological research, nondestructive x-ray fluorescence analyses were conducted on samples recently collected from 15 obsidian-bearing loci. the results of this research show that geochemically distinct varieties of artifact-quality obsidian can be recognized within the Coso volcanic field, and subsequent nondestructive x-ray fluorescence analyses of artifacts from two nearby archaeological sites document that different geochemical varieties of obsidian were used prehistorically to manufacture tools. Implications of these results for studies of prehistoric exchange and obsidian hydration dating are discussed.