Analysing Pairwise Logratios Revisited

Mathematical Geosciences - Even though the logratio methodology provides a range of both generic, mostly exploratory, and purpose-built coordinate representations of compositional data, simple...     

Sustainable groundwater resources exploration and management in a complex geological setting as part of a humanitarian project (Mahafaly Plateau,Madagascar)

Southwestern Madagascar is a semi-arid region and a hot-spot of global change. On the Mahafaly plateau, people live with quasi-permanent water stress and groundwater, the only available resource, is difficult to exploit due to a complex hydrogeological environment. A methodology (suitable for humanitarian projects; <?40 k€) was developed in four phases to assess the sustainable exploitation of the water resource: (A) regional scale exploration, (B) village scale exploration, (C) drilling campaign, and (D) hydro-climatic monitoring. This integrated hydrogeophysical approach involves geophysical measurements (262 TEM-fast soundings, 2588 Slingram measurements, 35 electrical soundings), hydrochemical analyses (112 samples), and a piezometric survey (127 measurements). Two groundwater resources were identified, one deep (below 150 m) and one shallow (<?20 m). Hydrochemical results highlighted the vulnerability of both resources: anthropic contamination for the shallower and seawater intrusion for the deeper. Therefore, subsequent geophysical surveys supported the siting of six boreholes and three wells in the shallow aquifer. This methodological approach was successful in this complex geological setting and requires testing at other sites in and outside Madagascar. The study demonstrates that geophysical results should be used in addition to drilling campaigns and to help monitor the water resource. In fact, to prevent over-exploitation, piezometric and meteorological sensors were installed to monitor the water resource. This unique hydro-climatic observatory may help (1) non-governmental organization and local institutions prevent future water shortages and (2) scientists to understand better how global change will affect this region of the world.     

Characterization of flow and transport dynamics in karst aquifers by analyzing tracer test results in conduits and recharge areas (the Egino Massif,Basque Country,Spain): environmental and management implications

Karst aquifers contribute to supplying drinking water to almost a quarter of the world´s population. Their complex dynamics requires specific approaches aimed at recognizing their singularities, analyzing its vulnerability, and ensuring water resources quality. In this paper, the results of processing and modeling five breakthrough tracer curves obtained under different hydrodynamic conditions in the main conduit of Egino karst aquifer (Basque Country, Spain) are analyzed together with those involving pressure injections of the tracer in the saturated zone of the karst massif recharge area. In the conduit, transport is immediate and highly efficient (recovery rates above 84% and dispersion coefficients from 15.04 to 84.35 m²/min); tracer retentions increase as flow rates decrease and no significant contributions to its surroundings are observed. In contrast, tracer transport from the massif recharge area is more complex: after injection at a pressure of 1 MPa, most tracer remains in the surrounding of the injection borehole, retained in a saturated medium of low effective fracture porosity (? _f ?=?1.02?×?10^?4, assuming a radial divergent flow model); subsequently, the main tracer mobilization to the spring was registered with the first rains, with 0.088 m/min mean velocity and high concentrations per unit mass being injected (C _p /M₀?=?0.03 mg/L/kg), which is evidence that the tracer reaches soon the karst conduit network. In any case, a decreasing tracer presence is registered at the injection zone during a hydrological cycle. In both cases, the observed non-linearity of transport processes should be considered in the development of vulnerability approaches, modeling efforts, and mapping. Furthermore, in the case of karst massif recharge areas, as the presence of pollutants may have a significant impact on the springs and persist over time, their management and protection needs must be revised in each specific site. Simultaneously, quality-monitoring programs at the springs must be adapted to the aquifers recognized dynamics.     

A new scenario framework for climate change research: the concept of shared climate policy assumptions

The new scenario framework facilitates the coupling of multiple socioeconomic reference pathways with climate model products using the representative concentration pathways. This will allow for improved assessment of climate impacts, adaptation and mitigation. Assumptions about climate policy play a major role in linking socioeconomic futures with forcing and climate outcomes. The paper presents the concept of shared climate policy assumptions as an important element of the new scenario framework. Shared climate policy assumptions capture key policy attributes such as the goals, instruments and obstacles of mitigation and adaptation measures, and introduce an important additional dimension to the scenario matrix architecture. They can be used to improve the comparability of scenarios in the scenario matrix. Shared climate policy assumptions should be designed to be policy relevant, and as a set to be broad enough to allow a comprehensive exploration of the climate change scenario space.     

A 520 year record of summer sunshine for the eastern European Alps based on stable carbon isotopes in larch tree rings

A 520-year stable carbon isotope chronology from tree ring cellulose in high altitude larch trees (Larix decidua Mill.), from the eastern European Alps, correlates more strongly with summer temperature than with summer sunshine hours. However, when instrumental records of temperature and sunshine diverge after AD1980, the tree ring time series does not follow warming summer temperatures but more closely tracks summer sunshine trends. When the tree ring stable carbon isotope record is used to reconstruct summer temperature the reconstruction is not robust. Reconstructed temperatures prior to the twentieth century are higher than regional instrumental records, and the evolution of temperature conflicts with other regional temperature reconstructions. It is concluded that sunshine is the dominant control on carbon isotope fractionation in these trees, via the influence of photosynthetic rate on the internal partial pressure of CO₂, and that high summer (July–August) sunshine hours is a suitable target for climate reconstruction. We thus present the first reconstruction of summer sunshine for the eastern Alps and compare it with the regional temperature evolution.     

Influence of tidal regime,diurnal phase,habitat and season on feeding of an intertidal crab

The relationship between diet and feeding activity of intertidal crabs, and environmental cycles (tidal, daily and seasonal), habitat and level of the intertidal zone (high/low) was studied using Neohelice granulata (Brachyura, Varunidae) as a model. This is a semi‐terrestrial burrowing crab occupying different habitats in the Southwestern Atlantic coasts and estuaries from bare low intertidal mudflats to high intertidal salt marshes, and from fine, organic matter rich sediment to very coarse sediment with low content of organic matter. The study was carried out in two contrasting habitats of three sites with diverse sets of physical and biological conditions. Diet and feeding of adult N. granulata were indirectly studied through the proportion of food items and the presence/absence of food in crab stomachs, respectively. This species has a dual mode of feeding: predominantly herbivorous (live plants or plant litter in salt marshes) or deposit feeder (superficial sediment and detritus in mudflats), but the quantity and quality of ingested food varies among habitats and sites. A trend to omnivory (including algae and conspecifics) was detected in relation to low quality of resources. Feeding activity modulated by a complex interaction of factors varied according to spatial and/or temporal changes in some natural cycles. Males and non‐ovigerous females fed preferably after dark and during submersion periods, but also after emersion periods if mudflat sediment remained wet; salt marsh crab feeding is somewhat independent of light and tidal cycles. Ovigerous females almost never fed. Both diet and feeding activity of this crab seem to be flexible traits adapted to different combinations of physical and biological factors.     

Evaluation of Methane Sources in Groundwater in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Testing of 1701 water wells in northeastern Pennsylvania shows that methane is ubiquitous in groundwater, with higher concentrations observed in valleys vs. upland areas and in association with calcium‐sodium‐bicarbonate, sodium‐bicarbonate, and sodium‐chloride rich waters—indicating that, on a regional scale, methane concentrations are best correlated to topographic and hydrogeologic features, rather than shale‐gas extraction. In addition, our assessment of isotopic and molecular analyses of hydrocarbon gases in the Dimock Township suggest that gases present in local water wells are most consistent with Middle and Upper Devonian gases sampled in the annular spaces of local gas wells, as opposed to Marcellus Production gas. Combined, these findings suggest that the methane concentrations in Susquehanna County water wells can be explained without the migration of Marcellus shale gas through fractures, an observation that has important implications for understanding the nature of risks associated with shale‐gas extraction.     

Local quasigeoid model creation from astrogeodetic measurements

This article describes the process of creation and testing of a local quasigeoid model using the astrogeodetic method known as astronomical levelling. The process used here was based on astronomical levelling principles combined with the least square adjustment in a triangular network and a common method of surface generation. Using this method, the authors have created a quasigeoid model of a small portion of the city of Brno. This model covers an area of approximately 1 × 2 km and is based on the astronomically determined vertical deflection at 11 stations. The average distance between the astrogeodetic stations was 500 m, which is an unusually high density (5.5 stations per km²). This high geo-spatial data density input made it possible to generate a quasigeoid model of height difference precision at mm-level over few km. Tests described in this article document the suitability of our methods for creating local quasigeoid models of high precision and resolution. Employing the least square adjustment in a planar network offers the possibility to easily compute standard deviations of both input and result values. This is a great advantage in comparison with more common astrogeodetic quasigeoid profiles, which are not suitable for simple adjustment and require more complex methods to be used for evaluation of their precision. The model described here serves the authors as a technological example, from which they learn more about the potential of the astrogeodetic method. Astrogeodetic models of a much greater extent are planned to be used for validation purposes of models generated by other independent methods (gravimetric, satellite, combined, etc.).     

The largest floods in the High Rhine basin since 1268 assessed from documentary and instrumental evidence

Abstract

The magnitudes of the largest known floods of the River Rhine in Basel since 1268 were assessed using a hydraulic model drawing on a set of pre-instrumental evidence and daily hydrological measurements from 1808. The pre-instrumental evidence, consisting of flood marks and documentary data describing extreme events with the customary reference to specific landmarks, was “calibrated” by comparing it with the instrumental series for the overlapping period between the two categories of evidence (1808–1900). Summer (JJA) floods were particularly frequent in the century between 1651–1750, when precipitation was also high. Severe winter (DJF) floods have not occurred since the late 19th century despite a significant increase in winter precipitation. Six catastrophic events involving a runoff greater than 6000 m ³ s^‐1 are documented prior to 1700. They were initiated by spells of torrential rainfall of up to 72 h (1480 event) and preceded by long periods of substantial precipitation that saturated the soils, and/or by abundant snowmelt. All except two (1999 and 2007) of the 43 identified severe events (SEs: defined as having runoff > 5000 and < 6000 m ³ s ^‐1) occurred prior to 1877. Not a single SE is documented from 1877 to 1998. The intermediate 121-year-long “flood disaster gap” is unique over the period since 1268. The effect of river regulations (1714 for the River Kander; 1877 for the River Aare) and the building of reservoirs in the 20th century upon peak runoff were investigated using a one-dimensional hydraulic flood-routing model. Results show that anthropogenic effects only partially account for the “flood disaster gap” suggesting that variations in climate should also be taken into account in explaining these features.

Citation Wetter, O., Pfister, C., Weingartner, R., Luterbacher, J., Reist, T., & Trösch, J. (2011) The largest floods in the High Rhine basin since 1268 assessed from documentary and instrumental evidence. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(5), 733–758.