Preserving the Ocean Circulation: Implications for Climate Policy

Climate modelers have recognized the possibility of abrupt climate changes caused by a reorganization of the North Atlantic's current pattern (technically known as a thermohaline circulation collapse). This circulation system now warms north-western Europe and transports carbon dioxide to the deep oceans. The posited collapse of this system could produce severe cooling in northwestern Europe, even when general global warming is in progress. In this paper we use a simple integrated assessment model to investigate the optimal policy response to this risk. Adding the constraint of avoiding a thermohaline circulation collapse would significantly reduce the allowable greenhouse gas emissions in the long run along an optimal path. Our analysis implies that relatively small damages associated with a collapse (less than 1% of gross world product) would justify a considerable reduction of future carbon dioxide emissions.     

Globalized conflicts of discourse: the type of conflict of proxies*

The article describes a new form of transnational environmental conflict that developed in the wake of globalisation. Activist in this new type of conflict still act as proxies of groups under pressure but in contrast to transnational environmental conflicts hitherto the target of their protests is rather their own society at home than the location of the pressured group. Despite these conditions it is claimed that this type of metaphorical conflict is going to become more frequent as alliances are built along the oppostion to a dominant discourse. According to the model, conflicts of values are easier to transfer on stages abroad or across the Atlantic than conflicts of interests and motivation for activists is higher as the return is affecting their home society. Dynamic and features of this type of conflict are explained with help of discourse theory.     

中国日降雨量变化特征分析

将旋转主成分分析和复变量莫莱特小波分析应用于14a中国境内实测与ECMWF再分析日降雨量资料,研究其年际、季际与季节内变化的时空分布特征和再分析日降雨量资料的有效性。结果表明:从实测资料中分析的降水特征,都可以由再分析资料再现出来。除周内振荡大有出入外,其余频率的振荡二者大致相符或基本吻合。因此,周内振荡还不能被再分析数据较好地刻划,但是与旱涝灾害和季风爆发联系密切的周际以上振荡,在再分析日降雨量中基本上能被正确地表现出来。     

Tectonics of the Laptev Sea – Moma `Rift' Region: Investigation with Seismologic Broadband Data

Based on teleseismic broadband data, mainly recorded from stationsof the Incorporated Research Institute for Seismology (IRIS) and theGräfenberg (GRF) array in Germany, the focal mechanism and thefocal depth of the largest earthquakes in northeastern Siberia in thetime interval 1976–1996 were determined. For 9 events the relativeanelastic attenuation of the shear wave with respect to the compressionalwave along the travel paths could be calculated. Using the slip vectorsfrom the best constrained focal mechanisms and additional slip vectorsfrom Jemsek et al. (1986) and Parfenov et al. (1988), we obtained the North American–Eurasian pole of rotation west of the Cherskii mountainsat 67.1^° N, 132.3^° E.The investigation shows that the extension of the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridgeinto the continental shelf acts as a continental graben structure.Actually, the crustal extension is concentrated on the eastern LaptevSea area and the seismicity of the western part of the Laptev Sea canbe explained by the assumption of a separate microplate. In the continentsoutheast of the Laptev Sea a series of northwest trending depressions,known as the Moma `Rift', are observed. Although in this region elevatedheat flow, recent volcanism and a low crustal thickness were found (i.e.Duchkov and Sokolova, 1985; Devyatkin, 1985), there is only a poorcorrelation between the seismicity and the rift valleys. So the Momastructures seem to be related to an aborted rift structure.     

Evaluation of daily precipitation in China from ECMWF and NCEP reanalyses

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Sr-gorceixite,a weathering product in rich iron ores from the Córrego do Feijão Mine,Minas Gerais,Brazil

A sulfate-bearing Sr-Ba phosphate (Sr-gorceixite) formed by supergene alteration in rich iron ores from Minas Gerais, Brazil, has been studied by means of microprobe techniques. Analytical data and the structural formula are presented.     

Pre-Cenozoic intra-plate magmatism along the Central Andes (17–34°S): Composition of the mantle at an active margin

Sr–Nd–Pb isotope ratios of alkaline mafic intra-plate magmatism constrain the isotopic compositions of the lithospheric mantle along what is now the eastern foreland or back arc of the Cenozoic Central Andes (17–34°S). Most small-volume basanite volcanic rocks and alkaline intrusive rocks of Cretaceous (and rare Miocene) age were derived from a depleted lithospheric mantle source with rather uniform initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ( 0.5127–0.5128) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ( 0.7032–0.7040). The initial ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios are variable (18.5–19.7) at uniform ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios (15.60 ± 0.05). A variety of the Cretaceous depleted mantle source of the magmatic rocks shows elevated Sr isotope ratios up to 0.707 at constant high Nd isotope ratios. The variable Sr and Pb isotope ratios are probably due to radiogenic growth in a metasomatized lithospheric mantle, which represents the former sub-arc mantle beneath the early Palaeozoic active continental margin. Sr–Nd–Pb isotope signatures of a second mantle type reflected in the composition of Cretaceous (one late Palaeozoic age) intra-plate magmatic rocks (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd  0.5123, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr  0.704, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb  17.5–18.5, and ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb  15.45–15.50) are similar to the isotopic composition of old sub-continental lithospheric mantle of the Brazilian Shield.

Published Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of Mesozoic to Cenozoic arc-related magmatic rocks (18–40°S) represent the composition of the convective sub-arc mantle in the Central Andes and are similar to those of the Cretaceous (and rare Miocene) intra-plate magmatic rocks. The dominant convective and lithospheric mantle type beneath this old continental margin is depleted mantle, which is compositionally different from average MORB-type depleted mantle. The old sub-continental lithospheric mantle did not contribute to Mesozoic to Cenozoic arc magmatism.     

GGR Biennial Critical Review: Analytical Developments Since 2014

This GGR biennial critical review covers developments and innovations in key analytical methods published since January 2014, relevant to the chemical, isotopic and crystallographic characterisation of geological and environmental materials. In nine selected analytical fields, publications considered to be of wide significance are summarised, background information is provided and their importance evaluated. In addition to instrumental technologies, this review also presents a summary of new developments in the preparation and characterisation of rock, microanalytical and isotopic reference materials, including a précis of recent changes and revisions to ISO guidelines for reference material characterisation and reporting. Selected reports are provided of isotope ratio determinations by both solution nebulisation MC‐ICP‐MS and laser ablation‐ICP‐MS, as well as of radioactive isotope geochronology by LA‐ICP‐MS. Most of the analytical techniques elaborated continue to provide new applications for geochemical analysis; however, it is noted that instrumental neutron activation analysis has become less popular in recent years, mostly due to the reduced availability of nuclear reactors to act as a neutron source. Many of the newer applications reported here provide analysis at increasingly finer resolution. Examples include atom probe tomography, a very sensitive method providing atomic scale information, nanoscale SIMS, for isotopic imaging of geological and biological samples, and micro‐XRF, which has a spatial resolution many orders of magnitude smaller than conventional XRF.     

Rutile R632 – A New Natural Reference Material for U‐Pb and Zr Determination

A new natural rutile reference material is presented, suitable for U‐Pb dating and Zr‐in‐rutile thermometry by microbeam methods. U‐Pb dating of rutile R632 using laser ablation ICP‐MS with both magnetic sector field and quadrupole instruments as well as isotope dilution‐thermal ionisation mass spectrometry yielded a concordia age of 496 ± 2 Ma. The high U content (> 300 μg g^?1) enabled measurement of high‐precision U‐Pb ages despite its young age. The sample was found to have a Zr content of 4294 ± 196 μg g^?1, which makes it an excellent complementary reference material for Zr‐in‐rutile thermometry. Individual rutile grains have homogeneous compositions of a number of other trace elements including V, Cr, Fe, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta and W. This newly characterised material significantly expands the range of available rutile reference materials relevant for age and temperature determinations.