Glacial stratigraphy of East and Central Jutland

Glaciostratigraphic investigations at one key locality (Haldum), 9 major and about 160 minor localities in East and Central Jutland, Denmark, together with laboratory work, have led to the establishment of a stratigraphy consisting of 10 till units, usually separated by meltwater deposits. The stratigraphy is in some degree supported by thermoluminescence datings. The complete sequence includes one till unit with associated meltwater deposits of Menapian age, three till units with intercalated meltwater deposits of Elsterian age, marine sediments deposited during the Holsteininan, and three till units with intercalated of Elsterian age, marine sediments deposited during the Holsteinian, and three till units with intercalated glaciofluvial sedimants of Saalian age. Eemian deposits are present above this level, and the whole sequence is capped by till and meltwater deposits related to three glacial advances during the Weichselian.     

Vegetation history and environmental development since ca 6000 cal yr BP in and around Ispani 2 (Kolkheti lowlands,Georgia)

The Kolkheti lowlands of western Georgia have a unique vegetation and a rich cultural history. Palynological and macrofossil analysis accompanied by AMS ¹⁴C-dates of the deposits of the Ispani 2 mire near Kobuleti allow the reconstruction of regional vegetation, environmental history and local peatland development within the context of Black Sea level and cultural changes. Comparison of two adjacent peatland cores confirms spatial differences in wetland development. Prior to 5400 cal yr BP, the Ispani basin was a floodplain of an active river system where overbank deposits with fluvially transported Castanea pollen were deposited. Subsequently, a lake or lagoon developed in which reeds expanded. These were succeeded by herb-rich open alder carrs. After 1900 cal yr BP, Carpinus and Fagus expanded on the dry grounds, where formerly Quercus was more abundant. Also Castanea declined. Local reedbeds, that burned regularly, succeeded the alder carr. After 1000 cal yr BP, a percolation bog developed resulting in the formation of 4 m of loose, porous, and largely undecomposed Sphagnum austinii peat with Molinia roots. The upper 50 cm of the analysed section show extensive human impact on the landscape during the 20th century.     

Influence of cluster environments on X-ray cluster morphology

We investigated the influence of environment on cluster morphology by examining the alignment of the cluster position angle with respect to the nearest neighbour cluster. The cluster position angle and ellipticity were measured using high spatial resolution X-ray data taken from the Chandra archive, while the nearest neighbour sample was extracted from the Abell cluster catalogue. We found high confidence for an alignment when neighbour distance (Dn) was less than  70  h ⁻¹  Mpc, while we found no significant variations of the confidence level at various values of Dn less than  70  h ⁻¹  Mpc.     

Coupled HM analysis using zero‐thickness interface elements with double nodes—Part II: Verification and application

In a companion Part I of this paper (Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech. 2008; DOI: 10.1002/nag.735 ), a coupled hydro‐mechanical (HM) formulation for geomaterials with discontinuities based on the finite element method (FEM) with double‐node, zero‐thickness interface elements was developed and presented. This Part II paper includes the numerical solution of basic practical problems using both the staggered and the fully coupled approaches. A first group of simulations, based on the classical consolidation problem with an added vertical discontinuity, is used to compare both the approaches in terms of accuracy and convergence. The monolithic or fully coupled scheme is also used in an application example studying the influence of a horizontal joint in the performance of a reservoir subject to fluid extraction. Results include a comparison with other numerical solutions from the literature and a sensitivity analysis of the mechanical parameters of the discontinuity. Some simulations are also run using both a full non‐symmetric and a simplified symmetric Jacobian matrix. On top of verifying the model developed and its capability to reflect the conductivity changes of the interface with aperture changes, the results presented also lead to interesting observations of the numerical performance of the methods implemented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water source characterization through spatiotemporal patterns of major,minor and trace element stream concentrations in a complex,mesoscale German catchment

The link between spatiotemporal patterns of stream water chemistry and catchment characteristics for the mesoscale Dill catchment (692 km²) in Germany is explored to assess the catchment scale controls on water quality and to characterize water sources. In order to record the spatiotemporal pattern, ‘snapshot sampling’ was applied during low, mean and high flow, including 73 nested sites throughout the catchment. Water samples were analysed for the elements Li, B, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba, Pb and U using inductively‐coupled‐plasma mass spectrometry, and for electric conductivity and pH. Principle component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to find typical element associations and to group water samples according to their hydrochemical fingerprints. This revealed regional hydrochemical patterns of water quality which were subsequently related to catchment attributes to draw conclusions about the controls on stream chemistry. It was found that various lithologic signals and anthropogenic point source inputs controlled the base flow hydrochemistry. During increased flows, stream waters were diluted causing additional hydrochemical variability in response to heterogeneous precipitation inputs and differences in aquifer storage capacities. The hydrochemical patterns further displayed in‐stream mixing of waters. This implied, that stream waters could be apportioned to the identified water sources throughout the catchment. The basin‐wide hydrochemical variability has the potential to outrange the tracer signatures typically inferred in studies at the hillslope scale and is able to strongly influence the complexity of the catchment output. Both have to be considered for further catchment scale tracer and modelling work. Despite the likelihood of non‐conservative behaviour, the minor and trace elements enhanced the rather qualitative discrimination of the various groundwater types, as the major cations were strongly masked by point source inputs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

δ13C signature of early graphite and subsequently formed microdiamond from the Saxonian Erzgebirge,Germany

Microdiamond and graphite occur in quartzofeldspathic rocks (saidenbachites) of the central Erzgebirge in Saxony. Zircon from such rocks contains not only relatively high but also variable amounts of early formed graphite and later crystallized diamond, however no carbonate. Six purified zircon concentrates were analysed by mass spectrometry for δ₁₃C(PDB) values which were between −24 and −33‰. The carbon inclusions resulted in C contents of the concentrates as high as 0.5 wt%. It is hypothesized that the observed δ₁₃C signature results from organic material in the sedimentary protoliths of the saidenbachites probably deposited not earlier than Mid‐Devonian. This material was transformed to graphite during early metamorphism and subsequently to diamond after an anatectic event at great depths (>150 km). During these processes, the δ₁₃C signature of the carbon did not (significantly) change.     

Detecting infiltration and impacts of introduced water using strontium isotopes

Water introduced to surface drainages, such as agricultural and roadway runoff, mine drainage, or coalbed natural gas (CBNG)-produced water, potentially can be of environmental concern. In order to mitigate potential environmental effects, it may be important to be able to trace water discharged to the surface as it infiltrates and interacts with near-surface aquifers. We have chosen to study water withdrawn during CBNG production for isotope tracing in the hyporheic zone because it poses a variety of economic, environmental, and policy issues in the Rocky Mountain states. Ground water quality must be protected as CBNG water is added to semiarid ecosystems. Strontium (Sr) isotopes are effective fingerprints of the aquifer from which water originates. In this study, CBNG water was found to have a higher (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratio than the local alluvial aquifer water. This measurable difference allows the strontium isotope ratio and concentration to be used as tracers of CBNG water following its discharge to the surface. The dissolution and mobilization of salts from soil are an important contributor to ground water quality degradation. In the Powder River basin of Wyoming, the soils are calcium carbonate-buffered systems. The chemical similarity of strontium to calcium allows it to substitute into calcium minerals and enabled us to use strontium isotopes to identify calcium salts mobilized from the soil. Strontium isotopes are an effective monitor of the source of ions and the volume and direction of introduced water flow in the hyporheic zone.     

Temperature induced decoupling of enzymatic hydrolysis and carbon remineralization in long-term incubations of Arctic and temperate sediments

Extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis of high-molecular weight organic matter is the initial step in sedimentary organic carbon degradation and is often regarded as the rate-limiting step. Temperature effects on enzyme activities may therefore exert an indirect control on carbon mineralization. We explored the temperature sensitivity of enzymatic hydrolysis and its connection to subsequent steps in anoxic organic carbon degradation in long-term incubations of sediments from the Arctic and the North Sea. These sediments were incubated under anaerobic conditions for 24 months at temperatures of 0, 10, and 20 °C. The short-term temperature response of the active microbial community was tested in temperature gradient block incubations. The temperature optimum of extracellular enzymatic hydrolysis, as measured with a polysaccharide (chondroitin sulfate), differed between Arctic and temperate habitats by about 8-13 °C in fresh sediments and in sediments incubated for 24 months. In both Arctic and temperate sediments, the temperature response of chondroitin sulfate hydrolysis was initially similar to that of sulfate reduction. After 24 months, however, hydrolysis outpaced sulfate reduction rates, as demonstrated by increased concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total dissolved carbohydrates. This effect was stronger at higher incubation temperatures, particularly in the Arctic sediments. In all experiments, concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) were low, indicating tight coupling between VFA production and consumption. Together, these data indicate that long-term incubation at elevated temperatures led to increased decoupling of hydrolytic DOC production relative to fermentation. Temperature increases in marine sedimentary environments may thus significantly affect the downstream carbon mineralization and lead to the increased formation of refractory DOC.