QUEST on DASI: a South Pole CMB polarization experiment

QUEST on DASI is a ground-based, high-sensitivity, high-resolution (ℓ_max2500) experiment designed to map CMB polarization at 100 and 150 GHz and to measure the power spectra from E-modes, B-modes from lensing of the CMB, and B-modes from primordial gravitational waves. The experiment comprises a 2.6 m Cassegrain optical system, equipped with an array of 62 polarization-sensitive bolometers (PSBs), located at the South Pole. The instrument is designed to minimize systematic effects; features include differencing of pairs of orthogonal PSBs within a single feed, a rotatable achromatic waveplate, and axisymmetric rotatable optics. In addition the South Pole location allows both repeatable and highly controlled observations. QUEST on DASI will commence operation in early 2005.     

Cycling of trace metals (Mn, Fe, Mo, U, V, Cr) in deep pore waters of intertidal flat sediments

Trace metals (Mn, Fe, Mo, U, Cr, V) were studied in pore waters of an intertidal flat located in the German Wadden Sea. The study system is an example of a permeable tidal flat system where pore water exchange is affected by tidal driven pressure gradients besides diffusion. Permanently installed in situ samplers were used to extract pore waters down to 5 m depth throughout one year. The samplers were either located close to the tidal flat margin or in central parts of the tidal flat. Despite dynamic sedimentological and hydrological conditions, the general trends with depth in deep tidal flat pore waters are remarkably similar to those observed in deep sea environments. Rates of trace metal cycling must be comparably large in order to maintain the observed pore water profiles. Trace metals further show similar general trends with depth close to the margin and in central parts of the tidal flat. Seasonal sampling revealed that V and Cr vary concurrent with seasonal changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration. This effect is most notable close to the tidal flat margin where sulphate, DOC, and nutrients vary with season down to some metres depth. Seasonal variations of Mn, Fe, Mo, and U are by contrast limited to the upper decimetres of the sediment. Their seasonal patterns depend on organic matter supply, redox stratification, and particulate matter deposited on sediment surfaces. Pore water sampling within one tidal cycle provides evidence for pore water advection in margin sediments. During low tide pore water flow towards the creekbank is generated by a hydraulic gradient suggesting that deep pore waters may be seeping out of creekbank sediments. Owing to the enrichment of specific elements like Mn in pore water compared to sea water, seeping pore waters may have an impact on the chemistry of the open water column. Mass balance calculations reveal that the impact of deep pore waters on the Mn budget in the open water column is below 4%. Mn deep pore water discharge of the whole Wadden Sea is estimated to be about 9% of the total dissolved riverine Mn input into the Southern North Sea.     

Variability of organic δC and C/N in the Mersey Estuary, U.K. and its implications for sea-level reconstruction studies

Microfossil analysis (e.g. diatoms, foraminifera and pollen) represents the cornerstone of Holocene relative sea-level (RSL) reconstruction because their distribution in the contemporary inter-tidal zone is principally controlled by ground elevation within the tidal frame. A combination of poor microfossil preservation and a limited range in the sediment record may severely restrict the accuracy of resulting RSL reconstructions. Organic δ¹³C and C/N analysis of inter-tidal sediments have shown some potential as coastal palaeoenvironmental proxies. Here we assess their viability for reconstructing RSL change by examining patterns of organic δ¹³C and C/N values in a modern estuarine environment. δ¹³C and C/N analysis of bulk organic inter-tidal sediments and vegetation, as well as suspended and bedload organic sediments of the Mersey Estuary, U.K., demonstrate that the two main sources of organic carbon to surface saltmarsh sediments (terrestrial vegetation and tidal-derived particulate organic matter) have distinctive δ¹³C and C/N signatures. The resulting relationship between ground elevation within the tidal frame and surface sediment δ¹³C and C/N is unaffected by decompositional changes. The potential of this technique for RSL reconstruction is demonstrated by the analysis of part of an early Holocene sediment core from the Mersey Estuary. Organic δ¹³C and C/N analysis is less time consuming than microfossil analysis and is likely to provide continuous records of RSL change.     

DNAPL Characterization Methods and Approaches, Part 2: Cost Comparisons

Contamination from the use of chlorinated solvents, often classified as dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) when in an undissolved state, pose environmental threats to ground water resources worldwide. DNAPL site characterization method performance comparisons are presented in a companion paper (Kram et al. 2001). This study compares the costs for implementing various characterization approaches using synthetic unit model scenarios (UMSs), each with particular physical characteristics. Unit costs and assumptions related to labor, equipment, and consumables are applied to determine costs associated with each approach for various UMSs. In general, the direct-push sensor systems provide cost-effective characterization information in soils that are penetrable with relatively shallow (less than 10 to 15 m) water tables. For sites with impenetrable lithology using direct-push techniques, the Ribbon NAPL Sampler Flexible Liner Underground Technologies Everting (FLUTe) membrane appears to be the most cost-effective approach. For all scenarios studied, partitioning interwell tracer tests (PITTs) are the most expensive approach due to the extensive pre-and post-PITT requirements. However, the PITT is capable of providing useful additional information, such as approximate DNAPL saturation, which is not generally available from any of the other approaches included in this comparison.     

Geo–ecology and management of sensitive montane landscapes

Montane (alpine) areas are generally of high value for nature conservation. Such environments and the habitats they support are dynamic and often fragile. They are vulnerable to disturbance from a range of human activities and are responsive to climate changes over short and long timescales. Biodiversity and conservation values are closely linked to geological history, geomorphological processes and soils, and it is crucial that management systems are based on understanding these links.
There are many similarities between the Cairngorm Mountains (Scotland), the Giant Mountains (Czech Republic) and Abisko Mountains (Sweden) in terms of geology, geomorphology, ecology, links with biodiversity and high conservation importance. Comparable pressures and management issues involve, to varying degrees, a history of human use and impacts from deforestation, pasturing, grazing, recreation and atmospheric pollution. Landscape change therefore involves a complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors. Managing such change requires better understanding of the geo–ecological processes involved and the factors that determine landscape sensitivity. This is illustrated through a simple framework and examples from the three areas. Comparison of landscape sensitivity between similar montane areas, but in different geographic locations and climatic environments, should allow more informed management planning and a precautionary approach in advance of further changes in human activity and from predicted global warming scenarios.     

探测冰盖和多年冻土层的融冰探头研发

The exploration of ice sheets by melting vertical holes into the ground has some tradition in terrestrial glaciology. Such probes have been used since the 1960's to investigate the vertical structure of the ice in Greenland and Antarctica and in alpine glaciers. In this paper we look into the possibility to develop similar devices for use on extraterrestrial icy bodies, like e.g. the polar areas on Mars or the icy satellites of the outer solar system. We report on some basic experiments performed in the cryo-vacuum laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz. In these experiments the penetration of a simple melting probe into compact and porous water ice (with a snow-like texture) was monitored, both under vacuum conditions and under air pressure. The observed penetration speeds for a given power supply are compared with a simple mathematical model. We conclude that a miniature melting probe with small overall dimensions and a reasonable power demand could well be part of the payload of a future planetary mission, for example to the poles of Mars. Such missions are currently under discussion in several space agencies. Moreover such probes could also e? ectively be used in terrestrial environments. A possible design is presented at the end of the paper.     

Diatom-inferred depth models in 8 Canadian boreal lakes: inferred changes in the benthic:planktonic depth boundary and implications for assessment of past droughts

Assessment of past drought in boreal regions, a region predicted to be strongly affected by climate warming, can provide insights into future availability of water. However, limited instrumental data and paleoclimatic data are available for this assessment. To address this lack of data in the boreal region of northwest Ontario, a regional study of lakes in the Winnipeg River Drainage Basin was initiated. Diatom-inferred (D-I) depth models were developed based on surface samples collected along a depth gradient within 8 small boreal lakes. Weighted-averaging and modern analog approaches provided robust within-lake depth models for each of the study lakes, with bootstrapped r² values ranging from 0.90 to 0.98, and root-mean-squared-errors of prediction (RMSEP) between 1.1 and 2.5 m. Large differences in the estimated depth optima for three representative, but common diatom species across our 8 study lakes suggested that within-lake calibration datasets are more appropriate for inferring past drought based in depth models than a regional multi-lake calibration dataset, and that light and related variables are controlling factors governing the maximum depth of benthic taxa. A down-core application of the D-I depth models on a near-shore core from Meekin Lake, retrieved near the present-day ecotone between the benthic and planktonic diatom assemblages indicated highly similar trends in inferred depth (r = 0.96). The models have significant correlations with other metrics of changes in depth including diatom species richness (r = 0.74–0.78) and evenness (r = 0.76–0.8), thereby allowing a check on the strength and direction of the depth inferences down-core. Near-shore cores located near the benthic:planktonic transition is a sensitive region that can provide estimates of past droughts in lakes where such inferences have been difficult to estimate.