The Multiscale TROPIcal CatchmentS critical zone observatory M-TROPICS dataset II: Land use,hydrology and sediment production monitoring in Houay Pano,northern Lao PDR

Mountain regions of the humid tropics are characterized by steep slopes and heavy rains. These regions are thus prone to both high surface runoff and soil erosion. In Southeast Asia, uplands are also subject to rapid land-use change, predominantly as a result of increased population pressure and market forces. Since 1998, the Houay Pano site, located in northern Lao PDR (19.85°N 102.17°E) within the Mekong basin, aims at assessing the long-term impact of the conversion of traditional slash-and-burn cultivation systems to commercial perennial monocultures such as teak tree plantations, on the catchment hydrological response and sediment yield. The instrumented site monitors hydro-meteorological and soil loss parameters at both microplot (1 m²) and small catchment (0.6 km²) scales. The monitored catchment is part of the network of critical zone observatories named Multiscale TROPIcal CatchmentS (M-TROPICS). The data shared by M-TROPICS in Houay Pano are (1) rainfall, (2) air temperature, air relative humidity, wind speed, and global radiation, (3) catchment land use, (4) stream water level, suspended particulate matter, bed particulate matter and stones, (5) soil surface features, and (6) soil surface runoff and soil detachment. The dataset has already been used to interpret suspended particulate matter and bed particulate matter sources and dynamics, to assess the impact of land-use change on catchment hydrology, soil erosion, and sediment yields, to understand bacteria fate and weed seed transport across the catchment, and to build catchment-scale models focused on hydrology and water quality issues. The dataset may be further used to, for example, assess the role of headwater catchments in large tropical river basin hydrology, support the interpretation of new variables measured in the catchment (e.g., contaminants other than faecal bacteria), and assess the relative impacts of both climate and land-use change on the catchment.     

H2O Content Measurement in Phengite by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: A New Set of Reference Materials

Five new natural white mica reference materials (RMs) were developed for in situ H₂O content analyses by secondary ion mass spectrometry at the SwissSIMS laboratory of Lausanne University, Switzerland. The white mica reference materials cover a large part of the natural muscovite–phengite compositional range and are therefore suitable as reference materials for the analysis of natural rocks as well as individual minerals. The independent H₂O content of the reference materials UNIL_WM1 to UNIL_WM5 was obtained by thermal conversion elemental analyser and corresponds to 4.35 ± 0.02, 4.33 ± 0.03, 4.30 ± 0.07, 4.50 ± 0.02 and 4.42 ± 0.11 (% m/m, ± 1s), respectively. SIMS determinations of H₂O content revealed a matrix effect correlated to the FeO content of white mica. The compositional range in FeO of the reference materials that were calibrated for H₂O determination is from 1.13% to 3.67% m/m. No crystallographic orientation dependency was observed at the level of homogeneity of these reference materials. An analytical precision of 0.02% to 0.08% m/m (1SE) is expected for the final uncertainty on measurements of unknown white micas in natural samples.     

Finding Science with Science: Evaluating a Domain and Scientific Ontology User Interface for the Discovery of Scientific Resources

Current approaches to the discovery of scientific resources (publications, data sets and web services) are dominated by keyword search. These approaches do not allow scientists to search on the deeper semantics of scientific resources, or to discover resources on the basis of the scientific approaches taken. This article evaluates a user interface that allows users to discover scientific resources through structured knowledge in the form of ontologies describing the domain and the scientific knowledge inherent within the scientific resource, and also through informal user tags. These combined capabilities provide scientists with new and powerful options for resource discovery. A qualitative user evaluation explored how scientists felt about the approach for resource discovery in the context of their scientific work. The study showed that marine scientists were enthusiastic about the capabilities of such an approach and appreciated the ability to browse the visual structure of the knowledge and query on scientific method but, overall, preferred the use of tags over ontologies. The exploratory nature of the user study was used to identify future directions for such improvements.     

Virtual organisation in the SIMDAT meteorological activity: a decentralised access control mechanism for distributed data

The EU funded SIMDAT project is aimed at applying generic grid technology for the solution of complex application problems in several representative fields including automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and meteorology. To satisfy the requirements of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the WMO Information Systems (WIS), the partners in the meteorology activity within SIMDAT (ECMWF, Deutscher Wetterdienst, the UK Met office, EUMETSAT and Météo-France), have developed grid-enabled software that provides generic distributed access to distributed meteorological data repositories via web-based portals, through a series of nodes organized in a mesh network. However, granting access to such an infrastructure, especially considering its fully distributed nature, is a serious challenge and a risk to the security of the overall grid infrastructure. SIMDAT solves this problem by implementing a security model based on a decentralized fine-grained access control mechanism that federates data providers and security issues using the notion of “trust domains”. In this paper we highlight the main features of the SIMDAT grid application and describe its security model in detail.     

Conceptualization and Calibration of Anisotropic Alluvial Systems: Pitfalls and Biases

Physical properties of alluvial environments typically feature a high degree of anisotropy and are characterized by dynamic interactions between the surface and the subsurface. Hydrogeological models are often calibrated under the assumptions of isotropic hydraulic conductivity fields and steady-state conditions. We aim at understanding how these simplifications affect predictions of the water table using physically based models and advanced calibration and uncertainty analysis approaches based on singular value decomposition and Bayesian analysis. Specifically, we present an analysis of the information content provided by steady-state hydraulic data compared to transient data with respect to the estimation of aquifer and riverbed hydraulic properties. We show that assuming isotropy or fixed anisotropy may generate biases both in the estimation of aquifer and riverbed parameters as well as in the predictive uncertainty of the water table. We further demonstrate that the information content provided by steady-state hydraulic heads is insufficient to jointly estimate the aquifer anisotropy together with the aquifer and riverbed hydraulic conductivities and that transient data can help to reduce the predictive uncertainty to a greater extent. The outcomes of the synthetic analysis are applied to the calibration of a dynamic and anisotropic alluvial aquifer in Switzerland (The Rhône River). The results of the synthetic and real world modeling and calibration exercises documented herein provide insight on future data acquisition as well as modeling and calibration strategies for these environments. They also provide an incentive for evaluation and estimation of commonly made simplifying assumptions in order to prevent underestimation of the predictive uncertainty.     

Fostering assumption-based stress-test thinking in managing groundwater systems: learning to avoid failures due to basic dynamics

Sustainable groundwater resource management can only be achieved if planning processes address the basic dynamics of the groundwater system. Conceptual and distributed groundwater models do not necessarily translate into an understanding of how a plan might operate in reality. Prompted by Australian experiences, ‘iterative closed-question modelling’ has been used to develop a process of iterative dialogue about management options, objectives and knowledge. Simple hypothetical models of basic system dynamics that satisfy agreed assumptions are used to stress-test the ability of a proposed management plan to achieve desired future conditions. Participants learn from models in which a plan succeeds and fails, updating their assumptions, expectations or plan. Their new understanding is tested against further hypothetical models. The models act as intellectual devices that confront users with new scenarios to discuss. This theoretical approach is illustrated using simple one and two-cell groundwater models that convey basic notions of capture and spatial impacts of pumping. Simple extensions can address uncertain climate, managed-aquifer recharge and alternate water sources. Having learnt to address the dynamics captured by these models, participants may be better placed to address local conditions and develop more effective arrangements to achieve management outcomes.     

The Corossol structure: A possible impact crater on the seafloor of the northwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence,Eastern Canada

We report on a 4.1 (±0.2) km diameter and 185 m deep circular submarine structure exposed on the seabed in >40 m water depths in the northwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence (Eastern Canada) from the analysis of high‐resolution multibeam bathymetric and seismic data. The presence of a circular form characterized by a central uplift and concentric rings resembles the morphology and geometry of complex meteorite impact structures. Also, other origins, such as kimberlites, intrusions, karsts, or diapirs, can be eliminated on geological criteria. A single 4 cm long breccia fragment recovered from the central uplift has numerous glassy droplets of fluorapatite composition, assumed to be impact melts, and a single quartz grain with planar intersection features thought to be shock‐induced planar deformation features (PDFs). The absolute age of this possible impact structure is unknown, but its geological setting indicates that it was formed long after the Mid‐Ordovician and before regional pre‐Quaternary sea‐level lowstands. Present results outline the need for further examination to confirm an impact origin and to precisely date the formation of the structure.     

Gamma-ray binaries and related systems

After initial claims and a long hiatus, it is now established that several binary stars emit high- (0.1–100 GeV) and very high-energy (>100 GeV) gamma rays. A new class has emerged called “gamma-ray binaries”, since most of their radiated power is emitted beyond 1 MeV. Accreting X-ray binaries, novae and a colliding wind binary (η Car) have also been detected—“related systems” that confirm the ubiquity of particle acceleration in astrophysical sources. Do these systems have anything in common? What drives their high-energy emission? How do the processes involved compare to those in other sources of gamma rays: pulsars, active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants? I review the wealth of observational and theoretical work that have followed these detections, with an emphasis on gamma-ray binaries. I present the current evidence that gamma-ray binaries are driven by rotation-powered pulsars. Binaries are laboratories giving access to different vantage points or physical conditions on a regular timescale as the components revolve on their orbit. I explain the basic ingredients that models of gamma-ray binaries use, the challenges that they currently face, and how they can bring insights into the physics of pulsars. I discuss how gamma-ray emission from microquasars provides a window into the connection between accretion–ejection and acceleration, while η Car and novae raise new questions on the physics of these objects—or on the theory of diffusive shock acceleration. Indeed, explaining the gamma-ray emission from binaries strains our theories of high-energy astrophysical processes, by testing them on scales and in environments that were generally not foreseen, and this is how these detections are most valuable.