The Faraday filter-based spectrometer for observing sodium nightglow and studying atomic and molecular oxygen associated with the sodium chemistry in the mesopause region

This paper describes the operational principles, design and field testing of a new, compact, Faraday filter-based spectrometer to measure the D₂ (589.158 nm) to D₁ (589.756 nm) intensity ratio of the sodium nightglow. This work was motivated by the observations of Slanger et al. (2005) who reported an annual variation in D₂/D₁ with values ranging from 1.2 to 1.8. Their proposed explanation, a modified Chapman mechanism, requires that the intensity ratio is related to the concentration ratio of atomic oxygen [O] to molecular oxygen [O₂]. Our method of measuring D₂/D₁ utilizes narrowband Na vapor Faraday filters, which can yield observations on the fractional contributions of the two chemical pathways of the modified Chapman mechanism. Since delineation of the two chemical pathways requires a spectral resolution of 0.0002 nm, this is not possible with any other existing instrument.     

The 2008 West Bohemia earthquake swarm in the light of the WEBNET network

A swarm of earthquakes of magnitudes up to M _L = 3.8 stroke the region of West Bohemia/Vogtland (border area between Czechia and Germany) in October 2008. It occurred in the Novy Kostel focal zone, where also all recent earthquake swarms (1985/1986, 1997, and 2000) took place, and was striking by a fast sequence of macroseismically observed earthquakes. We present the basic characteristics of this swarm based on the observations of a local network WEBNET (West Bohemia seismic network), which has been operated in the epicentral area, on the Czech territory. The swarm was recorded by 13 to 23 permanent and mobile WEBNET stations surrounding the swarm epicenters. In addition, a part of the swarm was also recorded by strong-motion accelerometers, which represent the first true accelerograms of the swarm earthquakes in the region. The peak ground acceleration reached 0.65 m/s². A comparison with previous earthquake swarms indicates that the total seismic moments released during the 1985/1986 and 2008 swarms are similar, of about 4E16 Nm, and that they represent the two largest swarms that occurred in the West Bohemia/ Vogtland region since the M _L = 5.0 swarm of 1908. Characteristic features of the 2008 swarm are its short duration (4 weeks) and rapidity and, consequently, the fastest seismic moment release compared to previous swarms. Up to 25,000 events in the magnitude range of 0.5 < M _L < 3.8 were detected using an automatic picker. A total of nine swarm phases can be distinguished in the swarm, five of them exceeding the magnitude level of 2.5. The magnitude–frequency distribution of the complete 2008 swarm activity shows a b value close to 1. The swarm hypocenters fall precisely on the same fault portion of the Novy Kostel focal zone that was activated by the 2000 swarm (M _L ≤ 3.2) in a depth interval from 6 to 11 km and also by the 1985/1986 swarm (M _L ≤ 4.6). The steeply dipping fault planes of the 2000 and 2008 swarms seem to be identical considering the location error of about 100 m. Furthermore, focal mechanisms of the 2008 swarm are identical with those of the 2000 swarm, both matching an average strike of 170° and dip of 80° of the activated fault segment. An overall upward migration of activity is observed with first events at the bottom and last events at the top of the of the activated fault patch. Similarities in the activated fault area and in the seismic moments released during the three largest recent swarms enable to estimate the seismic potential of the focal zone. If the whole segment of the fault plane was activated simultaneously, it would represent an earthquake of M _L ~5. This is in good agreement with the estimates of the maximum magnitudes of earthquakes that occurred in the West Bohemia/Vogtland region in the past.     

Assessment of an ASTER-generated DEM for 2D hydrodynamic flood modeling

Flood modeling often provides inputs to flood hazard management. In the present work we studied the flooding characteristics in the data scarce region of the Lake Tana basin at the source of the Blue Nile River. The study required to integrate remote sensing, GIS with a two-dimensional (2D) module of the SOBEK flood model. The resolution of the topographic data in many areas, such as the Lake Tana region, is commonly too poor to support detailed 2D hydrodynamic modeling. To overcome such limitations, we used a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) which was generated from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image. A GIS procedure is developed to reconstruct the river terrain and channel bathymetry. The results revealed that a representation of the river terrain largely affects the simulated flood characteristics. Simulations indicate that effects of Lake Tana water levels propagate up to 13 km along the Ribb River. We conclude that a 15 m resolution ASTER DEM can serve as an input to detailed 2D hydrodynamic modeling in data scarce regions. However, for this purpose it is necessary to accurately reconstruct the river terrain geometry and flood plain topography based on ground observations by means of a river terrain model.     

Reconciling customary and constitutional law: managing marine resources in Palau, Micronesia

As in much of Oceania, Palauan society of the pre-European contact era practiced sophisticated systems of tenure and management that extended to the fish and other resources of the surrounding coral reefs and lagoons. With its colonial experiences, the opening up of economic and social links with the outside world, and the introduction of highly efficient fishing technologies, Palau’s customary marine resource management systems have eroded.Like most Pacific Island countries, the Republic of Palau only recently gained independence from a western administrating nation. Its constitution, being based on western models, emphasizes democratic and egalitarian ideals. At the same time, it seeks to preserve and revitalize many aspects of customary Palauan society, particularly its institutions and processes of chiefly authority. These customs, however, are based on titled elitism and other principles contrary to those emphasized in the constitution. Through a combination of a series of court decisions that illustrate the incompatibility of the two bodies of law and a lack of any legislative initiative that could reconcile them, the exercise of purely customary authority has been relegated to matters of only minor importance. Thus, as in many Pacific Island nations, independence has contributed to the erosion of traditional tenure and management systems.Some recent village-level initiatives, however, may portend an important shift back toward decentralized, if not exactly traditional, control over the use of Palau’s inshore resources. The constitution’s critical provision that inshore resources are owned by the 16 states has allowed these relatively new village-level political and social units, with their mix of titled and elected leaders, to exert increasing control over inshore resources. They have done so in response to increasing resource scarcity owing to increasing fishing pressure, increasing demand by the booming marine-based tourism sector, and impending resource degradation from physical development. The effectiveness of these emerging local-level management regimes will be determined largely by the degree of support offered by the national government. Little has been forthcoming. The executive branch has been hesitant to support the marine property rights of the states, the judiciary has interpreted the constitution in a manner that has limited the authority of traditional leaders, and the legislature has not enacted laws that might guide the other two branches in interpreting and implementing the constitution with regard to either customary law or state ownership of marine resources.     

Are strandline meiofaunal assemblages affected by a once-only mechanical beach cleaning? Experimental findings

The increasing usage of sandy beaches as recreational resources has forced regional authorities of many tourist countries to remove all litter of fabricated origin and natural wrack from the beach. Consequently, a variety of heavy equipment has been developed during the last decades and is now used almost daily at many beaches. A field experiment, following a 'before-after-control-impact' (BACI) design, was conducted at the strandline of De Panne (Belgium) to investigate the impacts of mechanical beach cleaning on the strandline-associated meiofaunal assemblages, focussing on the free-living nematodes. Natural strandline assemblages were exposed to a one-off 5 cm deep mechanical beach cleaning and observed for 24 h. Differences between cleaned plots and those from control plots in terms of decreased percentage of organic matter, decreased total abundance and changed community structure were noticed from immediately after the experimental cleaning onwards and recovered to initial values after the following high water. Any impacts due to cleaning on species richness, Pielou's evenness and taxonomic diversity were shown to be minor in relation to the daily changes. Recolonization in the cleaned sediments is assumed to occur from the underlying sediments initiated by the elevated water table during the rising tide.     

A 450-ka long record of glaciation in Northern Mongolia based on studies at Lake Khubsugul: high-resolution reflection seismic data and grain-size variations in cored sediments

We use high-resolution reflection seismic data and detailed grain-size analysis of a drill core (KDP-01) from Lake Khubsugul (northern Mongolia) to provide an improved reconstruction of the glacial history of the area for the last 450 ka. Grain-size analysis of suspended sediment load in modern rivers draining into the lake and of moraine material from the northern part of the catchment shows that the silt fraction is transported to the central part of the lake mainly by river suspension, whereas the clay fraction is mainly transported by glacial meltwater during deglaciation. The changes in of the clay/silt ratio in Lake Khubsugul sediments correlates well with the standard global paleoclimate records: low clay/silt ratios indicate warm climates, while a high clay/silt ratio reflects glacial erosion and cold climates. Pulses of clay input into the lake occur at the final stages of glacial periods (i.e., glacial maxima and subsequent onsets of deglaciation). The periodicity in glacial clay input in Lake Khubsugul is in tune with global periods of deglaciation, but there are differences in the intensity of the deglacial events for MIS-12 and MIS-2. These differences are attributed to specific conditions in regional distribution of moisture during glaciation, glacial ice volumes, and solar insolation intensity at the onset of deglaciation. Deglaciation of the Khubsugul glaciers occurred in response to an increase in summer solar insolation above a threshold value of 490 W/m². Two types of deglaciation can be distinguished: (1) slow melting during several tens of 1,000 years during weak increases in summer insolation, and (2) short and fast melting during several thousands of years in response to strong increases in summer insolation. The maximum ice volume in the area of Lake Khubsugul during the past 450 ka occurred during the period of 373–350 ka BP (MIS 11a-10) and was caused by high levels of moisture in the region, whereas the MIS-2 and MIS-12 glacial periods were characterized by minima in ice volume, due to the strong aridity in the region.     

Estimating the maximum possible earthquake magnitude using extreme value methodology: the Groningen case

Natural Hazards - Both the river network and the regions outside the estuary mouths in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China experienced significant changes from 1999 to 2014. A validated...     

Evaluation of Zerovalent Zinc for Treatment of 1,2,3‐Trichloropropane‐Contaminated Groundwater: Laboratory and Field Assessment

The efficacy and feasibility of using zerovalent zinc (ZVZ) to treat 1,2,3‐trichloropropane (TCP)‐contaminated groundwater was assessed in laboratory and field experiments. In the first portion of the study, the reactivity of commercially available granular ZVZ toward TCP was measured in bench‐scale batch‐reactor and column experiments. These results were used to design columns for on‐site pilot‐scale treatment of contaminated groundwater at a site in Southern California. Two of the ZVZ materials tested were found to produce relatively high rates of TCP degradation as well as predictable behavior when scaling from bench‐scale to field testing. In addition, there was little decrease in the rates of TCP degradation over the duration of field testing. Finally, no secondary impacts to water quality were identified. The results suggest that ZVZ may be an effective and feasible material for use in engineered treatment systems, perhaps including permeable reactive barriers.     

Potential Contaminant Pathways from Hydraulically Fractured Shale to Aquifers

Hydraulic fracturing of deep shale beds to develop natural gas has caused concern regarding the potential for various forms of water pollution. Two potential pathways—advective transport through bulk media and preferential flow through fractures—could allow the transport of contaminants from the fractured shale to aquifers. There is substantial geologic evidence that natural vertical flow drives contaminants, mostly brine, to near the surface from deep evaporite sources. Interpretative modeling shows that advective transport could require up to tens of thousands of years to move contaminants to the surface, but also that fracking the shale could reduce that transport time to tens or hundreds of years. Conductive faults or fracture zones, as found throughout the Marcellus shale region, could reduce the travel time further. Injection of up to 15,000,000 L of fluid into the shale generates high pressure at the well, which decreases with distance from the well and with time after injection as the fluid advects through the shale. The advection displaces native fluids, mostly brine, and fractures the bulk media widening existing fractures. Simulated pressure returns to pre‐injection levels in about 300 d. The overall system requires from 3 to 6 years to reach a new equilibrium reflecting the significant changes caused by fracking the shale, which could allow advective transport to aquifers in less than 10 years. The rapid expansion of hydraulic fracturing requires that monitoring systems be employed to track the movement of contaminants and that gas wells have a reasonable offset from faults.