Storm climate on the Danube delta coast: evidence of recent storminess change and links with large-scale teleconnection patterns

This paper presents an overview of storminess along the Danube delta coast since 1949 by analysing wind and wave data and discusses the influences of teleconnections on climate variability. To this end, a five-category storm classification is proposed based on wind speed intensity and storm duration. On average, this coast experiences 30 storms/year occurring predominantly in winter, three of them considered severe (categories III–IV). The extreme storms (cat. V) endanger most the coastal settlements and the back-beach ecosystems (sand dunes, wetlands, lagoons) and have a mean recurrence rate of 7 years, but occur with a large inter-annual variability more frequent during the late 1960s, the 1970s and the 1990s. The prevalence of northern storms, in particular for the severe ones (>90% frequency for wind speeds >20 m/s) is responsible for the vigorous southward longshore sediment transport, which shaped the Danube delta physiognomy over the last millennia. The application of the newly developed energetic (Storm Severity Index—SSI) and morphologic (Storm Impact Potential—SIP) proxies allowed the better assessment of both the storm strength and the temporal variation in storm energy. It appears that storm climate follows a cyclic pattern with successive periods of 7–9 years of high, moderate and low storminess in accordance with the main teleconnections patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation—NAO, East Atlantic oscillation—EA, East Atlantic/Western Russia—EAWR, Scandinavian oscillation—SCAND). If NAO succeeded to explain best most of the storminess evolution (r = ?0.76 for 1962–2005), it failed during the latest decade (since 2006) when an unprecedented low in storminess occurred. There is also evidence of increased southern circulation during the latter period, associated with a reversal of correlation with NAO (from negative to positive). Significant correlations were also found for the EA, EAWR and SCAND (r = ?0.55, 0.56, 0.55, respectively, significant at p < 0.01) for all the study period suggesting that besides NAO, the north-western Black Sea coast storminess is considerably influenced by several modes of climate variability, most notable the EA and the EAWR, which succeed to address the recent decrease in storminess.     

Erratische Blöcke—erratische Folgerungen: ein unbekannter Brief von Leopold von Buch von 1818

At the beginning of the 19th century it was still not understood how erratic blocs were transported. Leopold von Buch's answer echoed Horace Bénedict de Saussure's flood theory from 1780. Von Buch's letter of 1818, published here, shows that he tried to support Saussure's theory to which he adhered to throughout his life with quantitative arguments. Even close contacts and several visits to Jean de Charpentier, the then director of the salt mines at Bex, who could demonstrate that the Rhône Glacier had once reached the Swiss Jura, and field trips with Louis Agassiz in the Neuchâtel area in 1837, failed to change von Buch's flood theory. His authority was one of the reasons why the Skandinavian iceshield was not generally thought to have extended into Northern Germany until 1875, when Otto Martin Torell located surfaces polished by ice near Berlin—an observation that provoked a sudden surge of affirmative publications. Erratic blocks were not the only topic on which von Buch was mistaken, but because of his many important contributions in other areas, including his shift from neptunism to plutonism or his observations concerning the uplift of Scandinavia, Alexander von Humboldt characterized him as "the greatest geognosist of our time".     

Studies concerning the empirical relationship of cloud shade to point cloudiness (Romania)

Summary This paper analyses the accuracy of three simple relationships of cloud shade (CS) to point cloudiness (PC). 1740 pairs of monthly average values (CS, PC) from twenty-nine weather stations of Romania were used. The following statistical indicators of accuracy were used: the mean bias error, the mean absolute error and the root mean square error. Also, a bootstraping technique provided a general way to evaluate the confidence and significance associated with each of the statistical indicators of accuracy. The paper deals with the accuracy of the empirical relationships when applied in other areas and time intervals than the ones where the relations were determined.With 10 Figures     

Some results from phytoplankton counting intercalibrations

Phytoplankton samples from 7 different lakes were processed in 2 intercalibration series using Utermöhl's sedimentation method. Total biomass volumes obtained by most of the investigators give reliable results in respect to the mean. Numbers of individuals and mean volumes of selected species obtained by the different participants were compared and show larger variations than the overall results. Therefore a certain delimitation of particular sources of errors was tried in the 2nd intercalibration series by giving recommendations for the different steps of the whole procedure.     

Mineral-chemical and isotopic studies of Namaqualand granulites,South Africa: A grenville analogue

The northwestern part of South Africa and southern South-West Africa/Namibia is amongst the most extensive granulite terranes in Africa. This work reports the results of electron microprobe studies of minerals from two-pyroxene, cordieriteorthopyroxene (-gedrite) (-sapphirine) and garnet and/or cordierite parageneses from Namaqualand, in the N.W. Cape Province of South Africa. Determined PT conditions of prograde metamorphism based on thermodynamic calculations are 800°–900° C and ca. 6–7 Kb; and it is argued that rocks of unusual composition, notably cordierite-orthopyroxene rocks, are restites after the extraction of granitic liquid from former argillites. This interpretation is consistent with previously published data on similar rocks, and with McCarthy's (1976) suggestion of extensive partial melting in the quartzofeldspathic rocks in the area. U-Pb isotopic studies of some 50 zircon fractions have been carried out and confirm an age of 1,200 m.y. for the high-grade regional metamorphism; but certain zircon populations record inherited ages greater than 1,700 m.y. Garnet-sillimanite rocks that contain retrograde kyanite reflect PT conditions of 550°–650° C and ca. 7–8 Kb; and constituent biotite has yielded a K-Ar age of ca. 950 m.y. These data, the regional stratigraphy and structure, and the mineralisation are compared with data from the Grenville Province of Canada. Notable similarities are the possible basement-cover relationships, and the calendar of tectonothermal events, while differences include the important stratiform base-metal mineralisation in the supracrustal sequence in Namaqualand, and the Cu-mineralisation in hypersthenebearing intrusives, emplaced some 1,100 m.y. ago, that are areally, and believed to be genetically, related to the granulite facies metamorphic regime.     

Problèmes tectoniques dans le Bassin de Transylvanie

Zusammenfassung Das Siebenbürgische Becken verdankt seine Entstehung der Schollen-Struktur der Karpaten. Es besteht aus einer relativ wenig erhöhten Scholle, die von sehr hohen Schollen umringt ist. Dieser Zustand besteht erst seit dem Mittel-Miozän. Vorher war ein großer Teil des Beckens Festland. Im Neogen breitete es sich über das Maramure-Becken aus, das erst zum Ende des Pliozäns selbständig wurde. Von den vier tektonischen Einheiten, die sich ringsum befinden: Südkarpaten, Ostkarpaten, Apuseni-Gebirge und Verborgenes Apuseni-Gebirge, ist das Becken durch mehr oder minder wichtige Krustalbrüche begrenzt. Die Begrenzung des Beckens im NW ist weniger deutlich. Hier erhebt sich das Grundgebirge fortschreitend, bis es in Form von kleinen kristallinen Inseln: Mese-Preluca, Prisaca-Gebirge u. a. an der Oberfläche erscheint. Obwohl das Becken einheitlich erscheint, besteht es dennoch aus zwei großen, einem Nord- und einem Südbezirk. Die Grenze dazwischen wird im Westen durch die Richtung der kristallin-mesozoischen Falten des Apuseni-Gebirges und im Osten durch die Verschiebung der Krustalbrüche in der Gegend von Sovata-Gheorghieni, welche das Erscheinen des Neoeruptivs bedingte, angegeben. Der südliche Bezirk wird durch eine schwache Erhebung charakterisiert, die die Erhaltung von mächtigen pliozänen Ablagerungen bedingt hat. Hier wurden 14 tektonische Elemente — Blöcke und Brüche — festgestellt, welche dem Becken das Aussehen eines Amphitheaters verleihen. Der nördliche Bezirk zeichnet sich durch die schon während des Oberpliozäns bestende Erhebung des Grundgebirges in nordwestlicher Richtung aus. Diese Erhebung hat das Paläogen auf großen Oberflächen zutage gebracht, während das Pliozän vollständig abgetragen wurde. Das vorneozoische Grundgebirge besteht aus zahlreichen Blöcken, deren Bewegungen Brüche in der relativ dünnen Decke bedingt haben. Die Kreuzung der radiären mit den longitudinalen Tiefbrüchen ist oftmals durch Salzstöcke und Horizontalflexur gekennzeichnet. Bisher wurde den Faltenvorgängen große Wichtigkeit beigemessen. Heute ist die wichtige Rolle der Brüche bekannt, die das Erscheinen des neogenen Eruptivs auch im Innern des Beckens bedingt hat.

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The Transylvanian basin owes its existence to the block-faulted structure of the Carpathian regions. It represents a relatively slightly uplifted block surrounded by strongly uplifted ones. This situation only dates from the Middle Miocene, until which date a great part of the basin represented dry land for a long period. During the Neogene it also included the Maramure basin which only became independent at the end of the Pliocene time. The basin is separated from the four surrounding units, namely the South Carpathians, the East Carpathians, the Apuseni Mountains and the hidden Apuseni Mountains by fractures which are sometimes very important. Crustal fractures delimit the basin from the first three units. The border of the basin is less clear in the NW, where it comes in touch with the hidden Apuseni Mountains. Above the latter the basin marks a gradual upheaval, up to the crystalline islands in Mese, Prisaca and Preluca. Though of apparently unitary character, the basin consists of two large sectors: one to the south and the other one to the north. The separation line between them is indicated by the trend of the crystalline-Mesozoic folds west of Turda, as well as by the displacement that affected, at Sovata-Gheorgheni level, the zone where the new volcanic formations occured. The southern sector is characterized by moderate uplifting; that allowed the preserving of a large quantity of pliocene sediments. A number of fourteen tectonic elements represented by blocks and faults conferring upon the basin the aspect of an amphitheatre, have been distinguished in the above sediments. The northern sector is characterized by a gradual uplifting in the northwestern direction which started in the Upper Pliocene. Due to this uplift the Paleogene formations have been exposed on large areas. The most important consequence was, however, an almost total erosion of the Pliocene deposits. Since the pre-Neozoic basement was built up of numerous blocks, their movements have determined a great number of fractures in the relatively thin cover of Paleogene-Miocene age. On the basin borders, one may notice the presence of numerous faults showing a radial arrangement. These faults disappear towards the inner part of the basin. The intersections between the crustal faults and the radial faults are frequently marked by the presence of salt massifs and by displacements. Great significance was assigned in the past to the folded structures: anticlines and domes. Nowadays, we consider the faults as more important than the folds. The appearance of volcanic Neogene rocks, even in the inner part of the basin, justifies this idea.

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Résumé L'auteur décrit la construction tectonique du bassin de Transylvanie, qui est situé entre quatre unités structurales: Les Carpates méridionales, les Carpates orientales, les Monts Apuseni et les îles cristallines du NW. Le bassin de Transylvanie se détache de ces unités structurales par des fractures. De nos jours, ces déformations par fractures prennent de plus en plus d'importance, tandisque jusqu'alors on attachait plus de significance aux phénomènes de plissement.

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Spatial distribution,variation and trend of five-day antecedent rainfall in Singapore

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the spatial distribution, variation and trend of 5-day antecedent rainfall in Singapore based on rainfall data from 22 meteorological stations. The effect of climate was analyzed by dividing the study period into three decades i.e. Decade 1: 1982–1991, Decade 2: 1992–2001 and Decade 3: 2002–2011. Kriging interpolation was used for rainfall mapping. The results show that spatial distribution of 5-day antecedent rainfall does not coincide with that of the annual rainfall. The maximum annual rainfall occurred in the northwestern side of Singapore. On the other hand, the maximum 5-day antecedent rainfall occurred in the north and northeastern sides. The results of this study suggest that the climate change has increased the amount of 5-day antecedent rainfall quite significantly, i.e. from 420.5 (1987) to 592.9 mm (2006), thus affecting the vulnerability of the area with respect to rainfall-induced slope failure. The analyses also showed that most of slope failures were located in the north and northeast of Singapore between December and earlier March. More slope failures were observed in Decade 3 as compared to Decades 1 and 2. In other words, the analysis confirmed that 5-day antecedent rainfall had affected the slope stability in Singapore.     

Neues aus dem Geologen-Archiv (1988)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Alternative valorization of red mud waste as functional materials with catalytic activity for sulfide oxidation in wastewater

This work investigates the catalytic properties toward sulfide oxidation in wastewater for three composites which are functional materials obtained from red mud waste following its neutralization, chemical activation and functionalization of the iron by treatment with disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, trisodium citrate or a combination of these two organic ligands. X-ray diffraction and diffuse reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy characterizations indicated the coexistence of the corresponding iron chelates phases along with hematite the main crystallographic phase from red mud. The most active catalyst was the red mud-derived material obtained by functionalization with the mixture of ethylenediaminetetraacetate and citrate ligands. The results obtained after its testing in multiple reaction cycles showed that the decrease in conversion after 10 reaction cycles was less than 5%. Considering the results of diffuse reflectance ultraviolet visible narrow infrared spectroscopical analysis which revealed that this solid contains species with lower bond strength, it has been inferred that both the higher catalytic activity, as well as the enhanced stability, is directly related to the versatility of the active species.