@article{WalterHamannLuecketal.2016, author = {Walter, J. and Hamann, G{\"o}ran and L{\"u}ck, Erika and Klingenfuss, C. and Zeitz, Jutta}, title = {Stratigraphy and soil properties of fens: Geophysical case studies from northeastern Germany}, series = {Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution}, volume = {142}, journal = {Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0341-8162}, doi = {10.1016/j.catena.2016.02.028}, pages = {112 -- 125}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The determination of the total carbon storage of peatlands is of high relevance in the context of climate-change mitigation efforts. This determination relies on data about stratigraphy and peat properties, which are conventionally collected by coring. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) can support these point data by providing subsoil information in two-dimensional cross-sections. In this study, GPR and ERI were conducted at two groundwater-fed fen sites located in the temperate zone in north-east Germany. The fens of this region are embedded in low conductive glacial sand and are characterised by thick layers of gyttja, which can be either mineral or organic. The two study sites are representative of this region with respect to stratigraphy (total thickness, peat and gyttja types) and ecological conditions (pH-value, trophic condition). The aim of this study is to assess the suitability of GPR and ERI to detect stratigraphy and peat properties under these characteristic site conditions. Results show that GPR clearly detects the interfaces between (i) Carex and brown-moss peat, (ii) brown-moss peat and organic gyttja, (iii) organic- and mineral gyttja, and (iv) mineral gyttja and the parent material (glacial sand). These layers differ in bulk density and the related organic matter content. ERI, however, does not delineate these layers; rather it delineates regions of varying properties. At our base-rich site, pore fluid conductivity and cation.exchange capacity are the main factors that determine peat electrical conductivity (reverse of resistivity), whereas organic matter and water content are most influential at the more acidic site. Thus the correlation between peat properties and electrical conductivity are driven by site-specific conditions, which are mainly determined by the solute load in the groundwater at fens. When the total organic deposits exceed a thickness of 5 m, the depth of investigation by GPR is limited due to increasing attenuation. This is not a limiting factor for ERI, where the transition from organic deposits to glacial sand is visible at both sites. Due to these specific sensitivities, a combined application of GPR and ERI meets the demand for up-to-date information on carbon storage of peatlands, which is, moreover, very site-specific because of the inherent variety of ecological conditions and stratigraphy between peatlands in general and between fens and bogs in particular. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{SalamatZareHolschneideretal.2016, author = {Salamat, Mona and Zare, Mehdi and Holschneider, Matthias and Z{\"o}ller, Gert}, title = {Calculation of Confidence Intervals for the Maximum Magnitude of Earthquakes in Different Seismotectonic Zones of Iran}, series = {Pure and applied geophysics}, volume = {174}, journal = {Pure and applied geophysics}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Basel}, issn = {0033-4553}, doi = {10.1007/s00024-016-1418-5}, pages = {763 -- 777}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The problem of estimating the maximum possible earthquake magnitude m(max) has attracted growing attention in recent years. Due to sparse data, the role of uncertainties becomes crucial. In this work, we determine the uncertainties related to the maximum magnitude in terms of confidence intervals. Using an earthquake catalog of Iran, m(max) is estimated for different predefined levels of confidence in six seismotectonic zones. Assuming the doubly truncated Gutenberg-Richter distribution as a statistical model for earthquake magnitudes, confidence intervals for the maximum possible magnitude of earthquakes are calculated in each zone. While the lower limit of the confidence interval is the magnitude of the maximum observed event, the upper limit is calculated from the catalog and the statistical model. For this aim, we use the original catalog which no declustering methods applied on as well as a declustered version of the catalog. Based on the study by Holschneider et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 101(4): 1649-1659, 2011), the confidence interval for m(max) is frequently unbounded, especially if high levels of confidence are required. In this case, no information is gained from the data. Therefore, we elaborate for which settings finite confidence levels are obtained. In this work, Iran is divided into six seismotectonic zones, namely Alborz, Azerbaijan, Zagros, Makran, Kopet Dagh, Central Iran. Although calculations of the confidence interval in Central Iran and Zagros seismotectonic zones are relatively acceptable for meaningful levels of confidence, results in Kopet Dagh, Alborz, Azerbaijan and Makran are not that much promising. The results indicate that estimating mmax from an earthquake catalog for reasonable levels of confidence alone is almost impossible.}, language = {en} } @article{BudkeKuckuckWienecke2016, author = {Budke, Alexandra and Kuckuck, Miriam and Wienecke, Maik}, title = {Realisierungen der Politischen Bildung im Geographieunterricht}, series = {Politische Bildung im Geographieunterricht}, journal = {Politische Bildung im Geographieunterricht}, editor = {Budke, Alexandra and Kuckuck, Miriam}, publisher = {Steiner}, address = {Stuttgart}, isbn = {978-3-515-11325-0}, pages = {155 -- 165}, year = {2016}, language = {de} } @article{HundechaSunyerLawrenceetal.2016, author = {Hundecha, Yeshewatesfa and Sunyer, Maria A. and Lawrence, Deborah and Madsen, Henrik and Willems, Patrick and B{\"u}rger, Gerd and Kriauciuniene, Jurate and Loukas, Athanasios and Martinkova, Marta and Osuch, Marzena and Vasiliades, Lampros and von Christierson, Birgitte and Vormoor, Klaus Josef and Yuecel, Ismail}, title = {Inter-comparison of statistical downscaling methods for projection of extreme flow indices across Europe}, series = {Journal of hydrology}, volume = {541}, journal = {Journal of hydrology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0022-1694}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.08.033}, pages = {1273 -- 1286}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The effect of methods of statistical downscaling of daily precipitation on changes in extreme flow indices under a plausible future climate change scenario was investigated in 11 catchments selected from 9 countries in different parts of Europe. The catchments vary from 67 to 6171 km(2) in size and cover different climate zones. 15 regional climate model outputs and 8 different statistical downscaling methods, which are broadly categorized as change factor and bias correction based methods, were used for the comparative analyses. Different hydrological models were implemented in different catchments to simulate daily runoff. A set of flood indices were derived from daily flows and their changes have been evaluated by comparing their values derived from simulations corresponding to the current and future climate. Most of the implemented downscaling methods project an increase in the extreme flow indices in most of the catchments. The catchments where the extremes are expected to increase have a rainfall dominated flood regime. In these catchments, the downscaling methods also project an increase in the extreme precipitation in the seasons when the extreme flows occur. In catchments where the flooding is mainly caused by spring/summer snowmelt, the downscaling methods project a decrease in the extreme flows in three of the four catchments considered. A major portion of the variability in the projected changes in the extreme flow indices is attributable to the variability of the climate model ensemble, although the statistical downscaling methods contribute 35-60\% of the total variance. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{VormoorLawrenceSchlichtingetal.2016, author = {Vormoor, Klaus Josef and Lawrence, Deborah and Schlichting, Lena and Wilson, Donna and Wong, Wai Kwok}, title = {Evidence for changes in the magnitude and frequency of observed rainfall vs. snowmelt driven floods in Norway}, series = {Journal of hydrology}, volume = {538}, journal = {Journal of hydrology}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0022-1694}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.03.066}, pages = {33 -- 48}, year = {2016}, abstract = {There is increasing evidence for recent changes in the intensity and frequency of heavy precipitation and in the number of days with snow cover in many parts of Norway. The question arises as to whether these changes are also discernable with respect to their impacts on the magnitude and frequency of flooding and on the processes producing high flows. In this study, we tested up to 211 catchments for trends in peak flow discharge series by applying the Mann-Kendall test and Poisson regression for three different time periods (1962-2012, 1972-2012, 1982-2012). Field-significance was tested using a bootstrap approach. Over threshold discharge events were classified into rainfall vs. snowmelt dominated floods, based on a simple water balance approach utilizing a nationwide 1 x 1 km(2) gridded data set with daily observed rainfall and simulated snowmelt data. Results suggest that trends in flood frequency are more pronounced than trends in flood magnitude and are more spatially consistent with observed changes in the hydrometeorological drivers. Increasing flood frequencies in southern and western Norway are mainly due to positive trends in the frequency of rainfall dominated events, while decreasing flood frequencies in northern Norway are mainly the result of negative trends in the frequency of snowmelt dominated floods. Negative trends in flood magnitude are found more often than positive trends, and the regional patterns of significant trends reflect differences in the flood generating processes (FGPs). The results illustrate the benefit of distinguishing FGPs rather than simply applying seasonal analyses. The results further suggest that rainfall has generally gained an increasing importance for the generation of floods in Norway, while the role of snowmelt has been decreasing and the timing of snowmelt dominated floods has become earlier. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{AbdrakhmatovWalkerCampbelletal.2016, author = {Abdrakhmatov, Kanatbek E. and Walker, R. T. and Campbell, G. E. and Carr, A. S. and Elliott, A. and Hillemann, Christian and Hollingsworth, J. and Landgraf, Angela and Mackenzie, D. and Mukambayev, A. and Rizza, M. and Sloan, R. A.}, title = {Multisegment rupture in the 11 July 1889 Chilik earthquake (M-w 8.0-8.3), Kazakh Tien Shan, interpreted from remote sensing, field survey, and paleoseismic trenching}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, volume = {121}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9313}, doi = {10.1002/2015JB012763}, pages = {4615 -- 4640}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The 11 July 1889 Chilik earthquake (M-w 8.0-8.3) forms part of a remarkable sequence of large earthquakes in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the northern Tien Shan. Despite its importance, the source of the 1889 earthquake remains unknown, though the macroseismic epicenter is sited in the Chilik valley, similar to 100 km southeast of Almaty, Kazakhstan (similar to 2 million population). Several short fault segments that have been inferred to have ruptured in 1889 are too short on their own to account for the estimated magnitude. In this paper we perform detailed surveying and trenching of the similar to 30 km long Saty fault, one of the previously inferred sources, and find that it was formed in a single earthquake within the last 700 years, involving surface slip of up to 10 m. The scarp-forming event, likely to be the 1889 earthquake, was the only surface-rupturing event for at least 5000 years and potentially for much longer. From satellite imagery we extend the mapped length of fresh scarps within the 1889 epicentral zone to a total of similar to 175 km, which we also suggest as candidate ruptures from the 1889 earthquake. The 175 km of rupture involves conjugate oblique left-lateral and right-lateral slip on three separate faults, with step overs of several kilometers between them. All three faults were essentially invisible in the Holocene geomorphology prior to the last slip. The recurrence interval between large earthquakes on any of these faults, and presumably on other faults of the Tien Shan, may be longer than the timescale over which the landscape is reset, providing a challenge for delineating sources of future hazard.}, language = {en} } @article{KuehnAltmannsbergerHens2016, author = {K{\"u}hn, Michael and Altmannsberger, Charlotte and Hens, Carmen}, title = {Waiweras WarmwasserreservoirWelche Aussagekraft haben Modelle?}, series = {Grundwasser : Zeitschrift der Fachsektion Hydrogeologie in der Deutschen Gesellschaft f{\~A}¼r Geowissenschaften (FH-DGG)}, volume = {21}, journal = {Grundwasser : Zeitschrift der Fachsektion Hydrogeologie in der Deutschen Gesellschaft f{\~A}¼r Geowissenschaften (FH-DGG)}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1430-483X}, doi = {10.1007/s00767-016-0323-2}, pages = {107 -- 117}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The warm water geothermal reservoir below the village of Waiwera in New Zealand has been known by the native Maori for centuries. Development by the European immigrants began in 1863. Until the year 1969, the warm water flowing from all drilled wells was artesian. Due to overproduction, water up to 50 A degrees C now needs to be pumped to surface. Further, between 1975 and 1976, all warm water seeps on the beach of Waiwera ran dry. Within the context of sustainable water management, hydrogeological models must be developed as part of a management plan. Approaches of varying complexity have been set-up and applied since the 1980s. However, none of the models directly provide all results required for optimal water management. Answers are given simply to parts of the questions, nonetheless improving resource management of the geothermal reservoir.}, language = {de} } @article{TillnerLangerKempkaetal.2016, author = {Tillner, Elena and Langer, Maria and Kempka, Thomas and K{\"u}hn, Michael}, title = {Fault damage zone volume and initial salinity distribution determine intensity of shallow aquifer salinisation in subsurface storage}, series = {Hydrology and earth system sciences : HESS}, volume = {20}, journal = {Hydrology and earth system sciences : HESS}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {1027-5606}, doi = {10.5194/hess-20-1049-2016}, pages = {1049 -- 1067}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Injection of fluids into deep saline aquifers causes a pore pressure increase in the storage formation, and thus displacement of resident brine. Via hydraulically conductive faults, brine may migrate upwards into shallower aquifers and lead to unwanted salinisation of potable groundwater resources. In the present study, we investigated different scenarios for a potential storage site in the Northeast German Basin using a three-dimensional (3-D) regional-scale model that includes four major fault zones. The focus was on assessing the impact of fault length and the effect of a secondary reservoir above the storage formation, as well as model boundary conditions and initial salinity distribution on the potential salinisation of shallow groundwater resources. We employed numerical simulations of brine injection as a representative fluid. Our simulation results demonstrate that the lateral model boundary settings and the effective fault damage zone volume have the greatest influence on pressure build-up and development within the reservoir, and thus intensity and duration of fluid flow through the faults. Higher vertical pressure gradients for short fault segments or a small effective fault damage zone volume result in the highest salinisation potential due to a larger vertical fault height affected by fluid displacement. Consequently, it has a strong impact on the degree of shallow aquifer salinisation, whether a gradient in salinity exists or the saltwater-freshwater interface lies below the fluid displacement depth in the faults. A small effective fault damage zone volume or low fault permeability further extend the duration of fluid flow, which can persist for several tens to hundreds of years, if the reservoir is laterally confined. Laterally open reservoir boundaries, large effective fault damage zone volumes and intermediate reservoirs significantly reduce vertical brine migration and the potential of freshwater salinisation because the origin depth of displaced brine is located only a few decametres below the shallow aquifer in maximum. The present study demonstrates that the existence of hydraulically conductive faults is not necessarily an exclusion criterion for potential injection sites, because salinisation of shallower aquifers strongly depends on initial salinity distribution, location of hydraulically conductive faults and their effective damage zone volumes as well as geological boundary conditions.}, language = {en} } @article{BaesGeryaSobolev2016, author = {Baes, Marzieh and Gerya, Taras V. and Sobolev, Stephan Vladimir}, title = {3-D thermo-mechanical modeling of plume-induced subduction initiation}, series = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, volume = {453}, journal = {Earth \& planetary science letters}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0012-821X}, doi = {10.1016/j.epsl.2016.08.023}, pages = {193 -- 203}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Here, we study the 3-D subduction initiation process induced by the interaction between a hot thermochemical mantle plume and oceanic lithosphere using thermo-mechanical viscoplastic finite difference marker-in-cell models. Our numerical modeling results show that self-sustaining subduction is induced by plume-lithosphere interaction when the plume is sufficiently buoyant, the oceanic lithosphere is sufficiently old and the plate is weak enough to allow the buoyant plume to. pass through it. Subduction initiation occurs following penetration of the lithosphere by the hot plume and the downward displacement of broken, nearly circular segments of lithosphere (proto-slabs) as a result of partially molten plume rocks overriding the proto-slabs. Our experiments show four different deformation regimes in response to plume-lithosphere interaction: a) self-sustaining subduction initiation, in which subduction becomes self-sustaining; b) frozen subduction initiation, in which subduction stops at shallow depths; c) slab break-off, in which the subducting circular slab breaks off soon after formation; and d) plume underplating, in which the plume does not pass through the lithosphere and instead spreads beneath it (i.e., failed subduction initiation). These regimes depend on several parameters, such as the size, composition, and temperature of the plume, the brittle/plastic strength and age of the oceanic lithosphere, and the presence/absence of lithospheric heterogeneities. The results show that subduction initiates and becomes self-sustaining when the lithosphere is older than 10 Myr and the non dimensional ratio of the plume buoyancy force and lithospheric strength above the plume is higher than approximately 2. The outcomes of our numerical experiments are applicable for subduction initiation in the modern and Precambrian Earth and for the origin of plume-related corona structures on Venus. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{ObuLantuitFritzetal.2016, author = {Obu, Jaroslav and Lantuit, Hugues and Fritz, Michael and Pollard, Wayne H. and Sachs, Torsten and Guenther, Frank}, title = {Relation between planimetric and volumetric measurements of permafrost coast erosion: a case study from Herschel Island, western Canadian Arctic}, series = {Polar research : a Norwegian journal of Polar research}, volume = {35}, journal = {Polar research : a Norwegian journal of Polar research}, publisher = {Co-Action Publ.}, address = {Jarfalla}, issn = {0800-0395}, doi = {10.3402/polar.v35.30313}, pages = {57 -- 99}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Ice-rich permafrost coasts often undergo rapid erosion, which results in land loss and release of considerable amounts of sediment, organic carbon and nutrients, impacting the near-shore ecosystems. Because of the lack of volumetric erosion data, Arctic coastal erosion studies typically report on planimetric erosion. Our aim is to explore the relationship between planimetric and volumetric coastal erosion measurements and to update the coastal erosion rates on Herschel Island in the Canadian Arctic. We used high-resolution digital elevation models to compute sediment release and compare volumetric data to planimetric estimations of coastline movements digitized from satellite imagery. Our results show that volumetric erosion is locally less variable and likely corresponds better with environmental forcing than planimetric erosion. Average sediment release volumes are in the same range as sediment release volumes calculated from coastline movements combined with cliff height. However, the differences between these estimates are significant for small coastal sections. We attribute the differences between planimetric and volumetric coastal erosion measurements to mass wasting, which is abundant along the coasts of Herschel Island. The average recorded coastline retreat on Herschel Island was 0.68m a(-1) for the period 2000-2011. Erosion rates increased by more than 50\% in comparison with the period 1970-2000, which is in accordance with a recently observed increase along the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. The estimated annual sediment release was 28.2 m(3) m(-1) with resulting fluxes of 590 kg C m(-1) and 104 kg N m(-1).}, language = {en} } @article{Rolfes2016, author = {Rolfes, Manfred}, title = {Sicherheit, Kriminalit{\"a}t und Raum}, series = {Politische Bildung im Geographieunterricht}, journal = {Politische Bildung im Geographieunterricht}, editor = {Budke, Alexandra and Kuckuck, Miriam}, publisher = {Steiner}, address = {Stuttgart}, isbn = {978-3-515-11321-2}, pages = {129 -- 140}, year = {2016}, language = {de} } @article{MartinezGarzonKwiatekBohnhoffetal.2016, author = {Martinez-Garzon, Patricia and Kwiatek, Grzegorz and Bohnhoff, Marco and Dresen, Georg}, title = {Impact of fluid injection on fracture reactivation at The Geysers geothermal field}, series = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, volume = {121}, journal = {Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {2169-9313}, doi = {10.1002/2016JB013137}, pages = {7432 -- 7449}, year = {2016}, abstract = {We analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of fault geometries from seismicity induced by fluid injection at The Geysers geothermal field. The consistency of these faults with the local stress field is investigated using (1) the fault instability coefficient I comparing the orientation of a fault with the optimal orientation for failure in the assumed stress field and (2) the misfit angle beta between slip vectors observed from focal mechanisms and predicted from stress tensor. A statistical approach is applied to calculate the most likely fault instabilities considering the uncertainties from focal mechanisms and stress inversion. We find that faults activated by fluid injection may display a broad range in orientations. About 72\% of the analyzed seismicity occurs on faults with favorable orientation for failure with respect to the stress field. However, a number of events are observed either to occur on severely misoriented faults or to slip in a different orientation than predicted from stress field. These events mostly occur during periods of high injection rates and are located in proximity to the injection wells. From the stress inversion, the friction coefficient providing the largest overall instability is mu = 0.5. About 91\% of the events are activated with an estimated excess pore pressure <10 MPa, in agreement with previous models considering the combined effect of thermal and poroelastic stress changes from fluid injection. Furthermore, high seismic activity and largest magnitudes occur on favorably oriented faults with large instability coefficients and low slip misfit angles.}, language = {en} } @article{MunackBloetheFueloepetal.2016, author = {Munack, Henry and Bl{\"o}the, Jan Henrik and F{\"u}l{\"o}p, R. H. and Codilean, Alexandru T. and Fink, D. and Korup, Oliver}, title = {Recycling of Pleistocene valley fills dominates 135 ka of sediment flux, upper Indus River}, series = {Quaternary science reviews : the international multidisciplinary research and review journal}, volume = {149}, journal = {Quaternary science reviews : the international multidisciplinary research and review journal}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0277-3791}, doi = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.07.030}, pages = {122 -- 134}, year = {2016}, language = {en} } @article{PanekKorupMinaretal.2016, author = {Panek, Tomas and Korup, Oliver and Minar, Jozef and Hradecky, Jan}, title = {Giant landslides and highstands of the Caspian Sea}, series = {Geology}, volume = {44}, journal = {Geology}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G38259.1}, pages = {939 -- 942}, year = {2016}, language = {en} } @article{SchwanghartWorniHuggeletal.2016, author = {Schwanghart, Wolfgang and Worni, Raphael and Huggel, Christian and Stoffel, Markus and Korup, Oliver}, title = {Uncertainty in the Himalayan energy-water nexus: estimating regional exposure to glacial lake outburst floods}, series = {Environmental research letters}, volume = {11}, journal = {Environmental research letters}, publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {1748-9326}, doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074005}, pages = {9}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Himalayan water resources attract a rapidly growing number of hydroelectric power projects (HPP) to satisfy Asia's soaring energy demands. Yet HPP operating or planned in steep, glacier-fed mountain rivers face hazards of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that can damage hydropower infrastructure, alter water and sediment yields, and compromise livelihoods downstream. Detailed appraisals of such GLOF hazards are limited to case studies, however, and a more comprehensive, systematic analysis remains elusive. To this end we estimate the regional exposure of 257 Himalayan HPP to GLOFs, using a flood-wave propagation model fed by Monte Carlo-derived outburst volumes of >2300 glacial lakes. We interpret the spread of thus modeled peak discharges as a predictive uncertainty that arises mainly from outburst volumes and dam-breach rates that are difficult to assess before dams fail. With 66\% of sampled HPP are on potential GLOF tracks, up to one third of these HPP could experience GLOF discharges well above local design floods, as hydropower development continues to seek higher sites closer to glacial lakes. We compute that this systematic push of HPP into headwaters effectively doubles the uncertainty about GLOF peak discharge in these locations. Peak discharges farther downstream, in contrast, are easier to predict because GLOF waves attenuate rapidly. Considering this systematic pattern of regional GLOF exposure might aid the site selection of future Himalayan HPP. Our method can augment, and help to regularly update, current hazard assessments, given that global warming is likely changing the number and size of Himalayan meltwater lakes.}, language = {en} } @article{SchwanghartBernhardtStolleetal.2016, author = {Schwanghart, Wolfgang and Bernhardt, Anne and Stolle, Amelie and Hoelzmann, Philipp and Adhikari, Basanta R. and Andermann, Christoff and Tofelde, Stefanie and Merchel, Silke and Rugel, Georg and Fort, Monique and Korup, Oliver}, title = {Repeated catastrophic valley infill following medieval earthquakes in the Nepal Himalaya}, series = {Science}, volume = {351}, journal = {Science}, publisher = {American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.aac9865}, pages = {147 -- 150}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Geomorphic footprints of past large Himalayan earthquakes are elusive, although they are urgently needed for gauging and predicting recovery times of seismically perturbed mountain landscapes. We present evidence of catastrophic valley infill following at least three medieval earthquakes in the Nepal Himalaya. Radiocarbon dates from peat beds, plant macrofossils, and humic silts in fine-grained tributary sediments near Pokhara, Nepal's second-largest city, match the timing of nearby M > 8 earthquakes in ~1100, 1255, and 1344 C.E. The upstream dip of tributary valley fills and x-ray fluorescence spectrometry of their provenance rule out local sources. Instead, geomorphic and sedimentary evidence is consistent with catastrophic fluvial aggradation and debris flows that had plugged several tributaries with tens of meters of calcareous sediment from a Higher Himalayan source >60 kilometers away.}, language = {en} } @article{DoThiChinhBubeckNguyenVietDungetal.2016, author = {Do Thi Chinh, and Bubeck, Philip and Nguyen Viet Dung, and Kreibich, Heidi}, title = {The 2011 flood event in the Mekong Delta: preparedness, response, damage and recovery of private households and small businesses}, series = {Disasters : the journal of disaster studies, policy and management}, volume = {40}, journal = {Disasters : the journal of disaster studies, policy and management}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0361-3666}, doi = {10.1111/disa.12171}, pages = {753 -- 778}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Floods frequently cause substantial economic and human losses, particularly in developing countries. For the development of sound flood risk management schemes that reduce flood consequences, detailed insights into the different components of the flood risk management cycle, such as preparedness, response, flood impact analyses and recovery, are needed. However, such detailed insights are often lacking: commonly, only (aggregated) data on direct flood damage are available. Other damage categories such as losses owing to the disruption of production processes are usually not considered, resulting in incomplete risk assessments and possibly inappropriate recommendations for risk management. In this paper, data from 858 face-to-face interviews among flood-prone households and small businesses in Can Tho city in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta are presented to gain better insights into the damage caused by the 2011 flood event and its management by households and businesses.}, language = {en} } @article{MeereMulchroneMcCarthyetal.2016, author = {Meere, Patrick A. and Mulchrone, Kieran F. and McCarthy, Dave J. and Timmerman, Martin Jan and Dewey, John F.}, title = {Prelithification and synlithification tectonic foliation development in a clastic sedimentary sequence}, series = {Geology}, volume = {44}, journal = {Geology}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {0091-7613}, doi = {10.1130/G37587.1}, pages = {291 -- 294}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The current view regarding the timing of regionally developed penetrative tectonic fabrics in sedimentary rocks is that their development postdates lithification of those rocks. In this case, fabric development is achieved by a number of deformation mechanisms, including grain rigid body rotation, crystal-plastic deformation, and pressure solution. The latter is believed to be the primary mechanism responsible for the domainal structure of cleavage in low-grade metamorphic rocks. In this study we combine field observations with strain studies to characterize considerable (>50\%) Acadian crustal shortening in a Devonian clastic sedimentary sequence from southwest Ireland. Despite these high levels of shortening there is a marked absence of the domainal cleavage structure and intraclast deformation that are expected with this level of deformation. Fabrics in these rocks are predominantly a product of rigid body rotation and repacking of extraformational clasts during deformation of a clastic sedimentary sequence before lithification was complete.}, language = {en} } @article{FritzWolterRudayaetal.2016, author = {Fritz, Michael and Wolter, Juliane and Rudaya, Natalia and Palagushkina, Olga and Nazarova, Larisa B. and Obu, Jaroslav and Rethemeyer, Janet and Lantuit, Hugues and Wetterich, Sebastian}, title = {Holocene ice-wedge polygon development in northern Yukon permafrost peatlands (Canada)}, series = {Quaternary science reviews : the international multidisciplinary research and review journal}, volume = {147}, journal = {Quaternary science reviews : the international multidisciplinary research and review journal}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0277-3791}, doi = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.02.008}, pages = {279 -- 297}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Ice-wedge polygon (IWP) peatlands in the Arctic and Subarctic are extremely vulnerable to climatic and environmental change. We present the results of a multidisciplinary paleoenvironmental study on IWPs in the northern Yukon, Canada. High-resolution laboratory analyses were carried out on a permafrost core and the overlying seasonally thawed (active) layer, from an IWP located in a drained lake basin on Herschel Island. In relation to 14 Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates spanning the last 5000 years, we report sedimentary data including grain size distribution and biogeochemical parameters (organic carbon, nitrogen, C/N ratio, delta C-13), stable water isotopes (delta O-18, delta D), as well as fossil pollen, plant macrofossil and diatom assemblages. Three sediment units (SUS) correspond to the main stages of deposition (1) in a thermokarst lake (SW : 4950 to 3950 cal yrs BP), (2) during transition from lacustrine to palustrine conditions after lake drainage (SU2: 3950 to 3120 cal yrs BP), and (3) in palustrine conditions of the IWP field that developed after drainage (SU3: 3120 cal yrs BP to 2012 CE). The lacustrine phase (pre 3950 cal yrs BP) is characterized by planktonic-benthic and pioneer diatom species indicating circumneutral waters, and very few plant macrofossils. The pollen record has captured a regional signal of relatively stable vegetation composition and climate for the lacustrine stage of the record until 3950 cal yrs BP. Palustrine conditions with benthic and acidophilic diatom species characterize the peaty shallow-water environments of the low-centered IWP. The transition from lacustrine to palustrine conditions was accompanied by acidification and rapid revegetation of the lake bottom within about 100 years. Since the palustrine phase we consider the pollen record as a local vegetation proxy dominated by the plant communities growing in the IWP. Ice-wedge cracking in water-saturated sediments started immediately after lake drainage at about 3950 cal yrs BP and led to the formation of an IWP mire. Permafrost aggradation through downward closed-system freezing of the lake talik is indicated by the stable water isotope record. The originally submerged IWP center underwent gradual drying during the past 2000 years. This study highlights the sensitivity of permafrost landscapes to climate and environmental change throughout the Holocene. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{RadosavljevicLantuitPollardetal.2016, author = {Radosavljevic, Boris and Lantuit, Hugues and Pollard, Wayne and Overduin, Pier Paul and Couture, Nicole and Sachs, Torsten and Helm, Veit and Fritz, Michael}, title = {Erosion and Flooding-Threats to Coastal Infrastructure in the Arctic: A Case Study from Herschel Island, Yukon Territory, Canada}, series = {Estuaries and coasts : journal of the Estuarine Research Federation}, volume = {39}, journal = {Estuaries and coasts : journal of the Estuarine Research Federation}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1559-2723}, doi = {10.1007/s12237-015-0046-0}, pages = {900 -- 915}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Arctic coastal infrastructure and cultural and archeological sites are increasingly vulnerable to erosion and flooding due to amplified warming of the Arctic, sea level rise, lengthening of open water periods, and a predicted increase in frequency of major storms. Mitigating these hazards necessitates decision-making tools at an appropriate scale. The objectives of this paper are to provide such a tool by assessing potential erosion and flood hazards at Herschel Island, a UNESCO World Heritage candidate site. This study focused on Simpson Point and the adjacent coastal sections because of their archeological, historical, and cultural significance. Shoreline movement was analyzed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) after digitizing shorelines from 1952, 1970, 2000, and 2011. For purposes of this analysis, the coast was divided in seven coastal reaches (CRs) reflecting different morphologies and/or exposures. Using linear regression rates obtained from these data, projections of shoreline position were made for 20 and 50 years into the future. Flood hazard was assessed using a least cost path analysis based on a high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) dataset and current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sea level estimates. Widespread erosion characterizes the study area. The rate of shoreline movement in different periods of the study ranges from -5.5 to 2.7 mI double dagger a(-1) (mean -0.6 mI double dagger a(-1)). Mean coastal retreat decreased from -0.6 mI double dagger a(-1) to -0.5 mI double dagger a(-1), for 1952-1970 and 1970-2000, respectively, and increased to -1.3 mI double dagger a(-1) in the period 2000-2011. Ice-rich coastal sections most exposed to wave attack exhibited the highest rates of coastal retreat. The geohazard map combines shoreline projections and flood hazard analyses to show that most of the spit area has extreme or very high flood hazard potential, and some buildings are vulnerable to coastal erosion. This study demonstrates that transgressive forcing may provide ample sediment for the expansion of depositional landforms, while growing more susceptible to overwash and flooding.}, language = {en} } @article{SchwanghartWorniHuggeletal.2016, author = {Schwanghart, Wolfgang and Worni, Raphael and Huggel, Christian and Stoffel, Markus and Korup, Oliver}, title = {Uncertainty in the Himalayan energy-water nexus}, series = {Environmental research letters : ERL}, volume = {11}, journal = {Environmental research letters : ERL}, publisher = {IOP Publ.}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {1748-9326}, doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/11/7/074005}, pages = {9}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Himalayan water resources attract a rapidly growing number of hydroelectric power projects (HPP) to satisfy Asia's soaring energy demands. Yet HPP operating or planned in steep, glacier-fed mountain rivers face hazards of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that can damage hydropower infrastructure, alter water and sediment yields, and compromise livelihoods downstream. Detailed appraisals of such GLOF hazards are limited to case studies, however, and a more comprehensive, systematic analysis remains elusive. To this end we estimate the regional exposure of 257 Himalayan HPP to GLOFs, using a flood-wave propagation model fed by Monte Carlo-derived outburst volumes of >2300 glacial lakes. We interpret the spread of thus modeled peak discharges as a predictive uncertainty that arises mainly from outburst volumes and dam-breach rates that are difficult to assess before dams fail. With 66\% of sampled HPP are on potential GLOF tracks, up to one third of these HPP could experience GLOF discharges well above local design floods, as hydropower development continues to seek higher sites closer to glacial lakes. We compute that this systematic push of HPP into headwaters effectively doubles the uncertainty about GLOF peak discharge in these locations. Peak discharges farther downstream, in contrast, are easier to predict because GLOF waves attenuate rapidly. Considering this systematic pattern of regional GLOF exposure might aid the site selection of future Himalayan HPP. Our method can augment, and help to regularly update, current hazard assessments, given that global warming is likely changing the number and size of Himalayan meltwater lakes.}, language = {en} } @article{EllingSpiegelEstradaetal.2016, author = {Elling, Felix J. and Spiegel, Cornelia and Estrada, Solveig and Davis, Donald W. and Reinhardt, Lutz and Henjes-Kunst, Friedhelm and Allroggen, Niklas and Dohrmann, Reiner and Piepjohn, Karsten and Lisker, Frank}, title = {Origin of Bentonites and Detrital Zircons of the Paleocene Basilika Formation, Svalbard}, series = {Frontiers in Earth Science}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Earth Science}, publisher = {Frontiers Research Foundation}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {2296-6463}, doi = {10.3389/feart.2016.00073}, pages = {23}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The Paleocene was a time of transition for the Arctic, with magmatic activity of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) giving way to magmatism of the North Atlantic Large Igneous Province in connection to plate tectonic changes in the Arctic and North Atlantic. In this study we investigate the Paleocene magmatic record and sediment pathways of the Basilika Formation exposed in the Central Tertiary Basin of Svalbard. By means of geochemistry, SmNd isotopic signatures, and zircon UPb geochronology we investigate the characteristics of several bentonite layers contained in the Basilika Formation, as well as the provenance of the intercalated clastic sediments. Our data show that the volcanic ash layers of the Basilika Formation, which were diagenetically altered to bentonites, originate from alkaline continental-rift magmatism such as the last, explosive stages of the HALIP in North Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. The volcanic ash layers were deposited on Svalbard in a flat shelf environment with dominant sediment supply from the east. Dating of detrital zircons suggests that the detritus was derived from Siberian sources, primarily from the Verkhoyansk Fold-and-Thrust Belt, which would require transport over similar to 3000 km across the Arctic.}, language = {en} } @article{ToetzkeGaiselmannOsenbergetal.2016, author = {T{\"o}tzke, Christian and Gaiselmann, G. and Osenberg, M. and Arlt, T. and Mark{\"o}tter, H. and Hilger, A. and Kupsch, Andreas and M{\"u}ller, B. R. and Schmidt, V. and Lehnert, W. and Manke, Ingo}, title = {Influence of hydrophobic treatment on the structure of compressed gas diffusion layers}, series = {Journal of power sources : the international journal on the science and technology of electrochemical energy systems}, volume = {324}, journal = {Journal of power sources : the international journal on the science and technology of electrochemical energy systems}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-7753}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.05.118}, pages = {625 -- 636}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Carbon fiber based felt materials are widely used as gas diffusion layer (GDL) in fuel cells. Their transport properties can be adjusted by adding hydrophobic agents such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). We present a synchrotron X-ray tomographic study on the felt material Freudenberg H2315 with different PIPE finishing. In this study, we analyze changes in microstructure and shape of GDLs at increasing degree of compression which are related to their specific PTFE load. A dedicated compression device mimicking the channel-land pattern of the flowfield is used to reproduce the inhomogeneous compression found in a fuel cell. Transport relevant geometrical parameters such as porosity, pore size distribution and geometric tortuosity are calculated and consequences for media transport discussed. PTFE finishing results in a marked change of shape of compressed GDLs: surface is smoothed and the invasion of GDL fibers into the flow field channel strongly mitigated. Furthermore, the PTFE impacts the microstructure of the compressed GDL. The number of available wide transport paths is significantly increased as compared to the untreated material. These changes improve the transport capacity liquid water through the GDL and promote the discharge of liquid water droplets from the cell. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{UlloaIroumePiccoetal.2016, author = {Ulloa, H. and Iroume, A. and Picco, L. and Mohr, Christian Heinrich and Mazzorana, B. and Lenzi, Mario Aristide and Mao, L.}, title = {Spatial analysis of the impacts of the Chaiten volcano eruption (Chile) in three fluvial systems}, series = {Journal of South American earth sciences}, volume = {69}, journal = {Journal of South American earth sciences}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0895-9811}, doi = {10.1016/j.jsames.2016.04.008}, pages = {213 -- 225}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The eruption of the Chaiten volcano in May 2008 generated morphological and ecological disturbances in adjacent river basins, and the magnitude of these disturbances depended on the type of dominant volcanic process affecting each of them. The aim of this study is to analyse the morphological changes in different periods in river segments of the Blanco, El Amarillo and Rayas river basins located near the Chaiten volcano. These basins suffered disturbances of different intensity and spatial distribution caused by tephra fall, dome collapses and pyroclastic density currents that damaged hillslope forests, widened channels and destroyed island and floodplain vegetation. Changes continued to occur in the fluvial systems in the years following the eruption, as a consequence of the geomorphic processes indirectly induced by the eruption. Channel changes were analyzed by comparing remote images of pre and post eruption conditions. Two periods were considered: the first from 2008 to 2009-2010 associated with the explosive and effusive phases of the eruption and the second that correspond to the post-eruption stage from 2009-2010 to 2013. Following the first phases channel segments widened 91\% (38 m/yr), 6\% (7 m/yr) and 7\% (22 m/yr) for Blanco, Rayas and El Amarillo Rivers, respectively, compared to pre-eruption condition. In the second period, channel segments additionally widened 42\% (8 m/yr), 2\% (2 m/yr) and 5\% (4 m/yr) for Blanco, Rayas and El Amarillo Rivers, respectively. In the Blanco River 62 and 82\% of the islands disappeared in the first and second period, respectively, which is 6-8 times higher than in the El Amarillo approximately twice the Rayas. Sinuosity increased after the eruption only in the Blanco River but the three study channels showed a high braiding intensity mainly during the first post-eruption period. The major disturbances occurred during the eruptive and effusive phases of Chaiten volcano, and the intensity of these disturbances reflects the magnitude of the dominant volcanic processes affecting each basin. Inputs of sediment from dome collapses and pyroclastic density currents and not ash fall seem to explain morphologic channel change magnitudes in the study segments. The resulting knowledge can facilitate land use planning and design of river restoration projects in areas affected by volcanic eruptions disturbances. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{LozanoParravanSchaikSchnabeletal.2016, author = {Lozano-Parra, Javier and van Schaik, N. Loes M. B. and Schnabel, Susanne and Gomez-Gutierrez, Alvaro}, title = {Soil moisture dynamics at high temporal resolution in a semiarid Mediterranean watershed with scattered tree cover}, series = {Hydrological processes}, volume = {30}, journal = {Hydrological processes}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0885-6087}, doi = {10.1002/hyp.10694}, pages = {1155 -- 1170}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Subsurface water flows play a key role in the distribution of water and solutes and thereby in the water availability for plants. However, the characterization of different flow processes (i.e.matrix and preferential flow), the frequency and factors that cause them, is relatively rare. This characterization enables a better understanding of spatio-temporal variability of water resources and allows for the design of models to be improved. Using a method based on the time derivative of soil moisture variation known as maximum wetting slope, types of soil wetting processes were classified and quantified. For this, capacitance sensors, which registered the volumetric water content at high temporal resolution (30min) for more than two hydrological years, were installed at different depths and placed in soil moisture stations with different vegetation covers, lithology and topographic position. Results indicated that there is a general behaviour or pattern of soil moisture dynamics in the catchment with a dominant occurrence of slower soil wetting processes (>50\%), caused by matrix flows, and a low occurrence of those faster processes (<30\%), originated by preferential flows. Nevertheless, when the total volume of water is considered, preferential flow becomes the dominant process, so that the ecological role of both flow types becomes prominent in water-limited environments. Statistical multivariate analyses based on data-mining techniques proved that although both flow types depend on variables associated with precipitation and antecedent soil moisture conditions, faster soil wetting processes are mainly related to variables such as rainfall intensity and topography, while slower soil wetting processes are related to flow velocity, soils or vegetation. Copyright (c) 2015 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.}, language = {en} } @article{KruegerMaynardCarretal.2016, author = {Krueger, Tobias and Maynard, Carly and Carr, Gemma and Bruns, Antje and M{\"u}ller, Eva Nora and Lane, Stuart}, title = {A transdisciplinary account of water research}, series = {Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews : Water}, volume = {3}, journal = {Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews : Water}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2049-1948}, doi = {10.1002/wat2.1132}, pages = {369 -- 389}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Water research is introduced from the combined perspectives of natural and social science and cases of citizen and stakeholder coproduction of knowledge. Using the overarching notion of transdisciplinarity, we examine how interdisciplinary and participatory water research has taken place and could be developed further. It becomes apparent that water knowledge is produced widely within society, across certified disciplinary experts and noncertified expert stakeholders and citizens. However, understanding and management interventions may remain partial, or even conflicting, as much research across and between traditional disciplines has failed to integrate disciplinary paradigms due to philosophical, methodological, and communication barriers. We argue for more agonistic relationships that challenge both certified and noncertified knowledge productively. These should include examination of how water research itself embeds and is embedded in social context and performs political work. While case studies of the cultural and political economy of water knowledge exist, we need more empirical evidence on how exactly culture, politics, and economics have shaped this knowledge and how and at what junctures this could have turned out differently. We may thus channel the coproductionist critique productively to bring perspectives, alternative knowledges, and implications into water politics where they were not previously considered; in an attempt to counter potential lock-in to particular water policies and technologies that may be inequitable, unsustainable, or unacceptable. While engaging explicitly with politics, transdisciplinary water research should remain attentive to closing down moments in the research process, such as framings, path-dependencies, vested interests, researchers' positionalities, power, and scale.}, language = {en} } @article{WahaZipfKurukulasuriyaetal.2016, author = {Waha, Katharina and Zipf, Birgit and Kurukulasuriya, Pradeep and Hassan, Rashid M.}, title = {An agricultural survey for more than 9,500 African households}, series = {Scientific Data}, volume = {3}, journal = {Scientific Data}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2052-4463}, doi = {10.1038/sdata.2016.20}, pages = {8}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Surveys for more than 9,500 households were conducted in the growing seasons 2002/2003 or 2003/2004 in eleven African countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Niger and Senegal in western Africa; Egypt in northern Africa; Ethiopia and Kenya in eastern Africa; South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa. Households were chosen randomly in districts that are representative for key agro-climatic zones and farming systems. The data set specifies farming systems characteristics that can help inform about the importance of each system for a country's agricultural production and its ability to cope with short- and long-term climate changes or extreme weather events. Further it informs about the location of smallholders and vulnerable systems and permits benchmarking agricultural systems characteristics.}, language = {en} } @article{SchulzVoigtBeuschetal.2016, author = {Schulz, Katharina and Voigt, Karsten and Beusch, Christine and Almeida-Cortez, Jarcilene S. and Kowarik, Ingo and Walz, Ariane and Cierjacks, Arne}, title = {Grazing deteriorates the soil carbon stocks of Caatinga forest ecosystems in Brazil}, series = {Forest ecology and management}, volume = {367}, journal = {Forest ecology and management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-1127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2016.02.011}, pages = {62 -- 70}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Grazing by domestic ungulates can have substantial impacts on forests in arid and semi-arid regions, possibly including severe loss of carbon from the soil. Predicting net livestock impacts on soil organic carbon stocks remains challenging, however, due to the dependence on animal loads and on soil and environmental parameters. The objective of this study was to better understand grazing effects on soil organic carbon in seasonal tropical dry forests of north-eastern Brazil (Caatinga) by quantifying carbon stocks of the upper soil profile (0-5 cm depth) and greater soil depths (>5 cm depth down to bedrock) along a gradient of grazing intensity while accounting for other influencing factors such as soil texture, vegetation, landscape topography, and water availability. We analysed soil organic carbon, soil clay content, altitude above sea level, soil depth to bedrock, distance to the nearest permanent water body, species diversity of perennial plants and aboveground biomass on 45 study plots located in the vicinity of the Itaparica Reservoir, Pernambuco, Brazil. Livestock (mainly goats and cattle) are unevenly distributed in the studied ecosystem, thus grazing intensity was accounted for based on the weight of livestock droppings per square metre and classified as no or light, intermediate, or heavy grazing. The mean soil organic carbon in the area was 16.86 ± 1.28 Mg ha\&\#8722;1 C with approximately one-quarter found in the upper 5 cm of the soil profile (4.14 ± 0.43 Mg ha\&\#8722;1 C) and the remainder (12.57 ± 0.97 Mg ha\&\#8722;1 C) in greater soil depths (>5 cm). Heavy grazing led to significantly lower soil organic carbon stocks in the upper 5 cm, whereas no effect on soil organic carbon of the soil overall or in greater soil depths was detectable. The soil's clay content and the altitude proved to be the most relevant factors influencing overall soil organic carbon stocks and those in greater soil depths (>5 cm). Our findings suggest that grazing causes substantial release of carbon from Brazilian dry forest soils, which should be addressed through improved grazing management via a legally compulsory rotation system. This would ultimately contribute to the conservation of a unique forest system and associated ecosystem services.}, language = {en} } @article{Melnick2016, author = {Melnick, Daniel}, title = {Rise of the central Andean coast by earthquakes straddling the Moho}, series = {Nature geoscience}, volume = {9}, journal = {Nature geoscience}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {New York}, issn = {1752-0894}, doi = {10.1038/NGEO2683}, pages = {401 -- +}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Surface movements during the largest subduction zone earthquakes commonly drown coastlines. Yet, on geological timescales, coastlines above subduction zones uplift. Here I use a morphometric analysis combined with a numerical model of landscape evolution to estimate uplift rates along the central Andean rasa-a low-relief coastal surface bounded by a steep cliff formed by wave erosion. I find that the rasa has experienced steady uplift of 0.13 +/- 0.04 mm per year along a stretch of more than 2,000 km in length, during the Quaternary. These long-term uplift rates do not correlate with Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of interseismic movements over the decadal scale, which implies that permanent uplift is not predominantly accumulated during the interseismic period. Instead, the rate of rasa uplift correlates with slip during earthquakes straddling the crust-mantle transition, the Moho. Such deeper earthquakes with magnitude 7 to 8 that occurred between 1995 and 2012 resulted in decimetres of coastal uplift. Slip during these earthquakes is located below the locked portion of the plate interface, and therefore may translate into permanent deformation of the overlying plate, where it causes uplift of the coastline. Thus, lower parts of the plate boundary are stably segmented over hundreds to millions of years. I suggest the coastline marks the surface expression of the transition between the shallow, locked seismogenic domain and the deeper, conditionally stable domain where modest earthquakes build up topography.}, language = {en} } @article{KawashimaItoNagashimaetal.2016, author = {Kawashima, Chiho and Ito, Nozomi and Nagashima, Shuntarou and Matsui, Motozumi and Sawada, Kumiko and Schweigert, Florian J. and Miyamoto, Akio and Kida, Katsuya}, title = {Influence of hepatic load from far-off dry period to early postpartum period on the first postpartum ovulation and accompanying subsequent fertility in dairy cows}, series = {The journal of reproduction and development : official journal of the Japanese Society of Animal Reproduction}, volume = {62}, journal = {The journal of reproduction and development : official journal of the Japanese Society of Animal Reproduction}, publisher = {Utha State University}, address = {Tsukuba}, issn = {0916-8818}, pages = {289 -- 295}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The aim of the present study was to investigate nutritional and metabolic parameters during the dry and early postpartum periods of ovulatory and anovulatory cows, as well as their postpartum reproductive performance. Blood samples from 20 multiparous Holstein cows were collected once a week from the far-off dry period to 3 weeks postpartum. Early postpartum (0-3 weeks) ovulation was confirmed using plasma progesterone concentration profiles, and cows were considered ovulatory if they had resumed luteal activity by this point (n = 9), whereas cows that had not were considered anovulatory (n = 11). Data from the ovulatory and anovulatory cows were analyzed separately for the far-off dry period (7-4 weeks prepartum), the close-up dry period (3-1 weeks prepartum), and the early postpartum period (0-3 weeks). Serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activity (far-off, P = 0.065; close-up, P = 0.051; and early postpartum, P = 0.030) and aspartate aminotransferase (close-up, P = 0.050 and early postpartum, P = 0.087) activities were higher in anovulatory than in ovulatory cows. The days open period was longer (P = 0.019) in anovulatory than in ovulatory cows, and the number of artificial inseminations per conception (P = 0.025) was greater. In conclusion, we found that continuously high gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities in serum, which may be induced by liver disorders, prevent subsequent ovulation and affect subsequent fertility, even if cows obtain sufficient ovulation-related energy and beta-carotene.}, language = {en} } @article{McGeeWincklerBorundaetal.2016, author = {McGee, David and Winckler, Gisela and Borunda, Alejandra and Serno, Sascha and Anderson, Robert F. and Recasens, Cristina and Bory, Aloys and Gaiero, Diego and Jaccard, Samuel L. and Kaplan, Michael and McManus, Jerry F. and Revel, Marie and Sun, Youbin}, title = {Tracking eolian dust with helium and thorium: Impacts of grain size and provenance}, series = {Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society}, volume = {175}, journal = {Geochimica et cosmochimica acta : journal of the Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0016-7037}, doi = {10.1016/j.gca.2015.11.023}, pages = {47 -- 67}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Reconstructions of the deposition rate of windblown mineral dust in ocean sediments offer an important means of tracking past climate changes and of assessing the radiative and biogeochemical impacts of dust in past climates. Dust flux estimates in ocean sediments have commonly been based on the operationally defined lithogenic fraction of sediment samples. More recently, dust fluxes have been estimated from measurements of helium and thorium, as rare isotopes of these elements (He-3 and Th-230) allow estimates of sediment flux, and the dominant isotopes (He-4 and Th-232) are uniquely associated with the lithogenic fraction of marine sediments. In order to improve the fidelity of dust flux reconstructions based on He and Th, we present a survey of He and Th concentrations in sediments from dust source areas in East Asia, Australia and South America. Our data show systematic relationships between He and Th concentrations and grain size, with He concentrations decreasing and Th concentrations increasing with decreasing grain size. We find consistent He and Th concentrations in the fine fraction (<5 mu m) of samples from East Asia, Australia and Central South America (Puna-Central West Argentina), with Th concentrations averaging 14 mu g/g and He concentrations averaging 2 mu cc STP/g. We recommend use of these values for estimating dust fluxes in sediments where dust is dominantly fine-grained, and suggest that previous studies may have systematically overestimated Th-based dust fluxes by 30\%. Source areas in Patagonia appear to have lower He and Th contents than other regions, as fine fraction concentrations average 0.8 mu cc STP/g and 9 mu g/g for He-4 and Th-232, respectively. The impact of grain size on lithogenic He and Th concentrations should be taken into account in sediments proximal to dust sources where dust grain size may vary considerably. Our data also have important implications for the hosts of He in long-traveled dust and for the He-3/He-4 ratio used for terrigenous He in studies of extraterrestrial He in sediments and ice. We also investigate the use of He/Th ratios as a provenance tracer. Our results suggest differences in fine fraction He/Th ratios between East Asia, Australia, central South America and Patagonia, with ratios showing a positive relationship with the geological age of source rocks. He/Th ratios may thus provide useful provenance information, for example allowing separation of Patagonian sources from Puna-Central West Argentina or Australian dust sources. He/Th ratios in open-ocean marine sediments are similar to ratios in the fine fraction of upwind dust source areas. He/Th ratios in mid-latitude South Atlantic sediments suggest that dust in this region primarily derives from the Puna-Central West Argentina region (23-32 degrees S) rather than Patagonia (>38 degrees S). In the equatorial Pacific, He/Th ratios are much lower than in extratropical Pacific sediments or potential source areas measured as a part of this study (East Asia, South America, Australia) for reasons that are at present unclear, complicating their use as provenance tracers in this region. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{GliegeThomasSteidletal.2016, author = {Gliege, Steffen and Thomas, Bjoern D. and Steidl, J{\"o}rg and Hohenbrink, Tobias Ludwig and Dietrich, Ottfried}, title = {Modeling the Impact of Ditch Water Level Management on Stream-Aquifer Interactions}, series = {Water}, volume = {8}, journal = {Water}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-4441}, doi = {10.3390/w8030102}, pages = {17}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Decreasing groundwater levels in many parts of Germany and decreasing low flows in Central Europe have created a need for adaptation measures to stabilize the water balance and to increase low flows. The objective of our study was to estimate the impact of ditch water level management on stream-aquifer interactions in small lowland catchments of the mid-latitudes. The water balance of a ditch-irrigated area and fluxes between the subsurface and the adjacent stream were modeled for three runoff recession periods using the Hydrus-2D software package. The results showed that the subsurface flow to the stream was closely related to the difference between the water level in the ditch system and the stream. Evapotranspiration during the growing season additionally reduced base flow. It was crucial to stop irrigation during a recession period to decrease water withdrawal from the stream and enhance the base flow by draining the irrigated area. Mean fluxes to the stream were between 0.04 and 0.64 ls(-1) for the first 20 days of the low-flow periods. This only slightly increased the flow in the stream, whose mean was 57 ls(-1) during the period with the lowest flows. Larger areas would be necessary to effectively increase flows in mesoscale catchments.}, language = {en} } @article{VogelMaerkerEspositoetal.2016, author = {Vogel, Sebastian and Maerker, Michael and Esposito, Domenico and Seiler, Florian}, title = {The Ancient Rural Settlement Structure in the Hinterland of Pompeii Inferred from Spatial Analysis and Predictive Modeling of Villae Rusticae}, series = {Geoarchaeology : an international journal}, volume = {31}, journal = {Geoarchaeology : an international journal}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0883-6353}, doi = {10.1002/gea.21560}, pages = {121 -- 139}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Pompeii, buried by the explosive A. D. 79 eruption of Somma-Vesuvius, is one of the most studied ancient cities in the Roman world. However, until very recently, the rural settlement in its hinterland had been largely ignored by systematic archaeological research. The ancient landscape around Pompeii consisted of a dense network of Roman farms (villae rusticae). They are believed to have played a vital role in ancient rural life and economy and thus represented the interactive rural-urban relationship in the Sarno River plain. The systematic investigation of published work combined with new fieldwork has yielded a data set of 140 villae rusticae in the Sarno River plain. Geographic information system based spatial statistics as well as predictive modeling were applied to gain a more detailed understanding of the ancient rural settlement structure in relation to the underlying paleoenvironmental and socioeconomic conditions. A high-resolution pre-A. D. 79 paleolandscape model of the Sarno River plain was utilized. The aim of this paper is to address theoretical considerations, the methodological implementation, and the archaeological discussion of the analysis of the ancient rural settlements and agriculture around Pompeii. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.}, language = {en} } @article{GarofaloFotiHollenderetal.2016, author = {Garofalo, F. and Foti, S. and Hollender, F. and Bard, Pierre-Yves and Cornou, C. and Cox, B. R. and Ohrnberger, Matthias and Sicilia, D. and Asten, M. and Di Giulio, G. and Forbriger, T. and Guillier, B. and Hayashi, K. and Martin, A. and Matsushima, Satoru and Mercerat, D. and Poggi, V. and Yamanaka, H.}, title = {InterPACIFIC project: Comparison of invasive and non-invasive methods for seismic site characterization. Part I: Intra-comparison of surface wave methods}, series = {Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering}, volume = {82}, journal = {Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0267-7261}, doi = {10.1016/j.soildyn.2015.12.010}, pages = {222 -- 240}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The main scope of the InterPACIFIC (Intercomparison of methods for site parameter and velocity profile characterization) project is to assess the reliability of in-hole and surface-wave methods, used for estimating shear wave velocity. Three test-sites with different subsurface conditions were chosen: a soft soil, a stiff soil and a rock outcrop. This paper reports the surface-wave methods results. Specifically 14 teams of expert users analysed the same experimental surface-wave datasets, consisting of both passive and active data. Each team adopted their own strategy to retrieve the dispersion curve and the shear-wave velocity profile at each site. Despite different approaches, the dispersion curves are quite in agreement with each other. Conversely, the shear-wave velocity profiles show a certain variability that increases in correspondence of major stratigraphic interfaces. This larger variability is mainly due to non-uniqueness of the solution and lateral variability. As expected, the observed variability in V-s,V-30 estimatesis small, as solution non-uniqueness plays a limited role. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{GerkeRieckhSommer2016, author = {Gerke, Horst H. and Rieckh, Helene and Sommer, Michael}, title = {Interactions between crop, water, and dissolved organic and inorganic carbon in a hummocky landscape with erosion-affected pedogenesis}, series = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, volume = {156}, journal = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0167-1987}, doi = {10.1016/j.still.2015.09.003}, pages = {230 -- 244}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Hummocky soil landscapes are characterized by 3D spatial patterns of soil types that result from erosion-affected pedogenesis. Due to tillage and water erosion, truncated profiles have been formed at steep and mid slopes and colluvial soils at hollows, while intact profiles remained at plateau positions. Pedogenetic variations in soil horizons lead to spatial differences in the soil water balance at hillslope positions. Here, possible interactions between erosion affected soil properties, the water balances, and the crop growth and feedback effects of erosion on the leaching rates were assumed. The hypothesis was tested by water balance simulations comparing uniform with hillslope position-specific crop and root growths for soils at plateau, flat mid slope, steep slope, and hollow using the Hydrus-1D program. The boundary condition data were monitored at the CarboZALF-D experimental field site, which was cropped with perennial lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) in 2013 and 2014. Crop and root growth at the four hillslope positions was assumed proportional to observed leaf area index (LAI). Fluxes of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC, DIC) were obtained from simulated water fluxes and measured DOC and DIC concentrations. For the colluvic soil at hollow, the crop growth was initially highest and later limited by an increasing water table; here the predominately upward flow led to a net input in DIC and DOC. For the truncated soils at steep slopes, simulations support the hypothesis that reduced crop growth caused an increase in percolation and DIC leaching from the subsoil horizons, which in turn led to accelerated soil development and more soil variations along eroding hillslopes in arable soil landscapes. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{CarusPaulSchroeder2016, author = {Carus, Jana and Paul, Maike and Schroeder, Boris}, title = {Vegetation as self-adaptive coastal protection: Reduction of current velocity and morphologic plasticity of a brackish marsh pioneer}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {6}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.1904}, pages = {1579 -- 1589}, year = {2016}, abstract = {By reducing current velocity, tidal marsh vegetation can diminish storm surges and storm waves. Conversely, currents often exert high mechanical stresses onto the plants and hence affect vegetation structure and plant characteristics. In our study, we aim at analysing this interaction from both angles. On the one hand, we quantify the reduction of current velocity by Bolboschoenus maritimus, and on the other hand, we identify functional traits of B. maritimus' ramets along environmental gradients. Our results show that tidal marsh vegetation is able to buffer a large proportion of the flow velocity at currents under normal conditions. Cross-shore current velocity decreased with distance from the marsh edge and was reduced by more than 50\% after 15 m of vegetation. We were furthermore able to show that plants growing at the marsh edge had a significantly larger diameter than plants from inside the vegetation. We found a positive correlation between plant thickness and cross-shore current which could provide an adaptive value in habitats with high mechanical stress. With the adapted morphology of plants growing at the highly exposed marsh edge, the entire vegetation belt is able to better resist the mechanical stress of high current velocities. This self-adaptive effect thus increases the ability of B. maritimus to grow and persist in the pioneer zone and may hence better contribute to ecosystem-based coastal protection by reducing current velocity.}, language = {en} } @article{TuWangLiu2016, author = {Tu, Rui and Wang, L. and Liu, Z.}, title = {Real time monitoring ground motion using GPS with real time corrections}, series = {Survey Review}, volume = {48}, journal = {Survey Review}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {0039-6265}, doi = {10.1179/1752270614Y.0000000141}, pages = {79 -- 85}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The high rate GPS velocity determination technology which is based on the broadcast ephemeris and epoch differenced model can retrieve displacement of ground motion with the precision of a few centimetres to decimetres in real time. Moreover, the precision of the recovered displacement can be improved if the un-modelled errors such as broadcast ephemeris residuals, atmospheric residuals, multipath effects and high frequency noise are tackled more accurately. In this paper, we propose a method to improve the precision of the recovered displacement by appropriately making use of reference station corrections. For the reference stations, the coordinates are highly constrained to extract the error corrections that are to be broadcast via a communication link to the rover. After correcting the rover's observations, some errors such as ephemeris residuals and atmospheric residuals are effectively eliminated or at least reduced. This improves the accuracy of the observations and thus enhances the reliability of the velocity estimation. The displacement can be recovered by integrating the estimated velocity after de-trending using a linear trend that is caused by the un-corrected residuals. The series of validation results in the experiment have shown that the displacement of the simulated motion can be real time recovered with a precision of 1-2 cm, and is thus applicable for real time monitoring of the ground motion.}, language = {en} } @article{MielkeRogassBoescheetal.2016, author = {Mielke, Christian and Rogass, Christian and B{\"o}sche, Nina Kristine and Segl, Karl and Altenberger, Uwe}, title = {EnGeoMAP 2.0-Automated Hyperspectral Mineral Identification for the German EnMAP Space Mission}, series = {Remote sensing}, volume = {8}, journal = {Remote sensing}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2072-4292}, doi = {10.3390/rs8020127}, pages = {392 -- 414}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Algorithms for a rapid analysis of hyperspectral data are becoming more and more important with planned next generation spaceborne hyperspectral missions such as the Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) and the Japanese Hyperspectral Imager Suite (HISUI), together with an ever growing pool of hyperspectral airborne data. The here presented EnGeoMAP 2.0 algorithm is an automated system for material characterization from imaging spectroscopy data, which builds on the theoretical framework of the Tetracorder and MICA (Material Identification and Characterization Algorithm) of the United States Geological Survey and of EnGeoMAP 1.0 from 2013. EnGeoMAP 2.0 includes automated absorption feature extraction, spatio-spectral gradient calculation and mineral anomaly detection. The usage of EnGeoMAP 2.0 is demonstrated at the mineral deposit sites of Rodalquilar (SE-Spain) and Haib River (S-Namibia) using HyMAP and simulated EnMAP data. Results from Hyperion data are presented as supplementary information.}, language = {en} } @article{Wickert2016, author = {Wickert, Andrew D.}, title = {Open-source modular solutions for flexural isostasy: gFlex v1.0}, series = {Geoscientific model development : an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union}, volume = {9}, journal = {Geoscientific model development : an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {1991-959X}, doi = {10.5194/gmd-9-997-2016}, pages = {997 -- 1017}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Isostasy is one of the oldest and most widely applied concepts in the geosciences, but the geoscientific community lacks a coherent, easy-to-use tool to simulate flexure of a realistic (i.e., laterally heterogeneous) lithosphere under an arbitrary set of surface loads. Such a model is needed for studies of mountain building, sedimentary basin formation, glaciation, sea-level change, and other tectonic, geodynamic, and surface processes. Here I present gFlex (for GNU flexure), an open-source model that can produce analytical and finite difference solutions for lithospheric flexure in one (profile) and two (map view) dimensions. To simulate the flexural isostatic response to an imposed load, it can be used by itself or within GRASS GIS for better integration with field data. gFlex is also a component with the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS) and Landlab modeling frameworks for coupling with a wide range of Earth-surface-related models, and can be coupled to additional models within Python scripts. As an example of this in-script coupling, I simulate the effects of spatially variable lithospheric thickness on a modeled Iceland ice cap. Finite difference solutions in gFlex can use any of five types of boundary conditions: 0-displacement, 0-slope (i.e., clamped); 0-slope, 0-shear; 0-moment, 0-shear (i.e., broken plate); mirror symmetry; and periodic. Typical calculations with gFlex require << 1 s to similar to 1 min on a personal laptop computer. These characteristics - multiple ways to run the model, multiple solution methods, multiple boundary conditions, and short compute time - make gFlex an effective tool for flexural isostatic modeling across the geosciences.}, language = {en} } @article{JacobiHeistermann2016, author = {Jacobi, Stephan and Heistermann, Maik}, title = {Benchmarking attenuation correction procedures for six years of single-polarized C-band weather radar observations in South-West Germany}, series = {The quarterly journal of experimental psychology}, volume = {7}, journal = {The quarterly journal of experimental psychology}, publisher = {Routledge, Taylor \& Francis Group}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {1947-5705}, doi = {10.1080/19475705.2016.1155080}, pages = {1785 -- 1799}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Rainfall-induced attenuation is a major source of underestimation for radar-based precipitation estimation at C-band. Unconstrained gate-by-gate correction procedures are known to be inherently unstable and thus not suited for unsupervised attenuation correction. In this study, we evaluate three different procedures to constrain gate-by-gate attenuation correction using reflectivity as the only input. These procedures are benchmarked against rainfall estimates from uncorrected radar data, using six years of radar observations from the single-polarized C-band radar in South-West Germany. The precipitation estimation error is obtained by comparing the radar-based estimates to rain gauge observations. All attenuation correction procedures benchmarked in this study lead to an effective improvement of precipitation estimation. The first method caps the corrections if the rain intensity increase exceeds a factor of two. The second method decreases the parameters of the attenuation correction iteratively for every radar beam calculation until attaining a stability criterion. The second method outperforms the first method and leads to a consistent distribution of path-integrated attenuation along the radar beam. As a third method, we propose a slight modification of Kraemer's approach which allows users to exert better control over attenuation correction by introducing an additional constraint that prevents unplausible corrections in cases of dramatic signal losses.}, language = {en} } @article{MuellerHeinickeJuschusetal.2016, author = {Mueller, R. and Heinicke, T. and Juschus, O. and Zeitz, Jutta}, title = {Genesis and abiotic characteristics of three high-altitude peatlands in the Tien Shan Mountains (Kyrgyzstan), with focus on silty peatland substrates}, series = {Mires and peat}, volume = {18}, journal = {Mires and peat}, publisher = {International Peat Society}, address = {Dundee}, issn = {1819-754X}, doi = {10.19189/MaP.2015.OMB.217}, pages = {19}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Peatlands are scarce and threatened ecosystems in the semiarid region of Kyrgyzstan. Knowledge about the Kyrgyz peatlands is still poor and, especially, their genesis has hardly been investigated so far. Typically, the peatland substrates are characterised by the admixture of silt-sized particles in various quantities. In this work we report the abiotic properties and genesis of three peatlands within different altitudinal zones in southern Kyrgyzstan. We surveyed the stratification of the peatlands and their water chemistry. In addition, we investigated whether the silt found in the peatland substrates was deposited by wind, rivers or springs. The mineral constituents of the peatland substrates were analysed for particle size distribution and their elemental composition was compared with that of nearby loess, river and spring sediments using the immobile trace element titanium. One peatland shows a high abundance of different peatland substrates, indicating a frequent change of ecological conditions in the past. All three peatlands are fed by groundwater. Overgrazing and trampling by cattle has led to recent degradation of the upper peat layer. The resulting compaction of the peats prevents water from seeping into the substrates of the peatlands and subsequently changes their hydrology. Our results indicate that both wind and rivers have deposited silt in the peatlands, depending on their positions in the relief. Silts may also have been relocated by springs within the peatlands.}, language = {en} } @article{LangerwischWalzRammigetal.2016, author = {Langerwisch, F. and Walz, Ariane and Rammig, A. and Tietjen, B. and Thonicke, K. and Cramer, W.}, title = {Climate change increases riverine carbon outgassing, while export to the ocean remains uncertain}, series = {Earth system dynamics}, volume = {7}, journal = {Earth system dynamics}, publisher = {Copernicus}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {2190-4979}, doi = {10.5194/esd-7-559-2016}, pages = {559 -- 582}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Any regular interaction of land and river during flooding affects carbon pools within the terrestrial system, riverine carbon and carbon exported from the system. In the Amazon basin carbon fluxes are considerably influenced by annual flooding, during which terrigenous organic material is imported to the river. The Amazon basin therefore represents an excellent example of a tightly coupled terrestrial-riverine system. The processes of generation, conversion and transport of organic carbon in such a coupled terrigenous-riverine system strongly interact and are climate-sensitive, yet their functioning is rarely considered in Earth system models and their response to climate change is still largely unknown. To quantify regional and global carbon budgets and climate change effects on carbon pools and carbon fluxes, it is important to account for the coupling between the land, the river, the ocean and the atmosphere. We developed the RIVerine Carbon Model (RivCM), which is directly coupled to the well-established dynamic vegetation and hydrology model LPJmL, in order to account for this large-scale coupling. We evaluate RivCM with observational data and show that some of the values are reproduced quite well by the model, while we see large deviations for other variables. This is mainly caused by some simplifications we assumed. Our evaluation shows that it is possible to reproduce large-scale carbon transport across a river system but that this involves large uncertainties. Acknowledging these uncertainties, we estimate the potential changes in riverine carbon by applying RivCM for climate forcing from five climate models and three CO2 emission scenarios (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios, SRES). We find that climate change causes a doubling of riverine organic carbon in the southern and western basin while reducing it by 20\% in the eastern and northern parts. In contrast, the amount of riverine inorganic carbon shows a 2- to 3-fold increase in the entire basin, independent of the SRES scenario. The export of carbon to the atmosphere increases as well, with an average of about 30 \%. In contrast, changes in future export of organic carbon to the Atlantic Ocean depend on the SRES scenario and are projected to either decrease by about 8.9\% (SRES A1B) or increase by about 9.1\% (SRES A2). Such changes in the terrigenous-riverine system could have local and regional impacts on the carbon budget of the whole Amazon basin and parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Changes in riverine carbon could lead to a shift in the riverine nutrient supply and pH, while changes in the exported carbon to the ocean lead to changes in the supply of organic material that acts as a food source in the Atlantic. On larger scales the increased outgassing of CO2 could turn the Amazon basin from a sink of carbon to a considerable source. Therefore, we propose that the coupling of terrestrial and riverine carbon budgets should be included in subsequent analysis of the future regional carbon budget.}, language = {en} } @article{LoberaBatallaVillanuevaVericatetal.2016, author = {Lobera, G. and Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J. and Vericat, D. and L{\´o}pez-Taraz{\´o}n, Jos{\´e} Andr{\´e}s and Tena, A.}, title = {Sediment transport in two mediterranean regulated rivers}, series = {The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man}, volume = {540}, journal = {The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0048-9697}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.018}, pages = {101 -- 113}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Mediterranean climate is characterized by highly irregular rainfall patterns with marked differences between wet and dry seasons which lead to highly variable hydrological fluvial regimes. As a result, and in order to ensure water availability and reduce its temporal variability, a high number of large dams were built during the 20th century (more than 3500 located in Mediterranean rivers). Dams modify the flow regime but also interrupt the continuity of sediment transfer along the river network, thereby changing its functioning as an ecosystem. Within this context, the present paper aims to assess the suspended sediment loads and dynamics of two climatically contrasting Mediterranean regulated rivers (i.e. the Esera and Siurana) during a 2-yr period. Key findings indicate that floods were responsible for 92\% of the total suspended sediment load in the River Siurana, while this percentage falls to 70\% for the Esera, indicating the importance of baseflows on sediment transport in this river. This fact is related to the high sediment availability, with the Esera acting as a non-supply-limited catchment due to the high productivity of the sources (i.e. badlands). In contrast, the Siurana can be considered a supply-limited system due to its low geomorphic activity and reduced sediment availability, with suspended sediment concentration remaining low even for high magnitude flood events. Reservoirs in both rivers reduce sediment load up to 90\%, although total runoff is only reduced in the case of the River Esera. A remarkable fact is the change of the hydrological character of the River Lem downstream for the dam, shifting from a humid mountainous river regime to a quasi-invariable pattern, whereas the Siurana experiences the opposite effect, changing from a flashy Mediterranean river to a more constant flow regime below the dam. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{LopezTarazonLopezLoberaetal.2016, author = {L{\´o}pez-Taraz{\´o}n, Jos{\´e} Andr{\´e}s and Lopez, Pilar and Lobera, Gemma and Batalla Villanueva, Ramon J.}, title = {Suspended sediment, carbon and nitrogen transport in a regulated Pyrenean river}, series = {The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man}, volume = {540}, journal = {The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0048-9697}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.132}, pages = {133 -- 143}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Regulation alters the characteristics of riversty transforming parts of them into lakes, affecting their hydrology and also the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics and dynamics. Reservoirs have proven to be very effective retaining particulate materials, thereby avoiding the downstream transport of suspended sediment and the chemical substances associated with it (e.g. Carbon, C or Nitrogen, N). The study of fluvial transport of C and N is of great interest since river load represents a major link to the global C and N cycles. Moreover, reservoirs are the most important sinks for organic carbon among inland waters and have a potential significance as nitrogen sinks. In this respect, this paper investigates the effects of a Pyrenean reservoir on the runoff, suspended sediment, C and N derived from the highly active Esera and Isabena rivets. Key findings indicate that the reservoir causes a considerable impact on the Esera-Isabena river fluxes, reducing them dramatically as almost all the inputs are retained within the reservoir. Despite the very dry study year (2011-2012), it can be calculated that almost 300,000 t of suspended sediment were deposited into the Barasona Reservoir, from which more than 16,000 were C (i.e. 2200 t as organic C) and 222 t were N. These values may not be seen as remarkable in a wider global context but, assuming that around 30 hm(3) of sediment are currently stored in the reservoir, figures would increase up to ca. 2.6 x 10(6) t of C (i.e. 360,000 t of organic C) and 35,000 t of N. Nevertheless, these values are indicative and should be treated with caution as there is incomplete understanding of all the processes which affect C and N. Further investigation to establish a more complete picture of C and N yields and budgets by monitoring the different processes involved is essential. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{LopezLopezTarazonCasasRuizetal.2016, author = {Lopez, Pilar and L{\´o}pez-Taraz{\´o}n, Jos{\´e} Andr{\´e}s and Casas-Ruiz, Joan P. and Pompeo, Marcelo and Ordonez, Jaime and Munoz, Isabel}, title = {Sediment size distribution and composition in a reservoir affected by severe water level fluctuations}, series = {The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man}, volume = {540}, journal = {The science of the total environment : an international journal for scientific research into the environment and its relationship with man}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0048-9697}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.033}, pages = {158 -- 167}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The reservoir sediments are important sinks for organic carbon (OC), the OC burial being dependent on two opposite processes, deposition and mineralization. Hence factors such as severe water level fluctuations are expected to influence the rate of OC accumulation as they may affect both deposition and mineralization. The Barasona Reservoir has been historically threatened by siltation, whilst the use of water for irrigation involves a drastic decrease of the water level. In this context, we have studied the physical and chemical characteristics (grain size, major and minor elemental compositions, organic and inorganic carbon, and nitrogen) of the recent sediments of the Barasona Reservoir and the relationships among them in order to: a) elucidate the main processes governing OC accumulation, b) evaluate the rate of OC mineralization and c) approach the effect of drought on the sediment characteristics in this system. Our results indicated that Barasona sediments were dominated by fine silts (>60\%) and clays (>20\%), the mean particle size decreasing from tail to dam. Desiccation increased particle sorting and size distribution became bimodal, but no effect on average size was observed. Attending to the composition, Barasona sediments were very homogeneous with low concentrations of nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (<12 g kg(-1) dw and <0.6 g kg(-1) dw, respectively) and high concentration of OC (approximate to 36 kg(-1) dw). TN was negatively related to dry weight Sediment mixing due to drastic changes in water level may have favoured the observed homogeneity of Barasona sediments affecting carbon, major ions and grain size. The high amount of OC deposited in Barasona sediment suggested that the adsorption of OC onto fine particles was more important than in boreal lakes. The rate of oxygen consumption by wet sediment ranged from 2.26 to 3.15 mg O-2 m(-2) day(-1), values close to those compiled for Mediterranean running waters. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{FlorianLopezLuqueOspinaAlvarezetal.2016, author = {Florian, Norbert and Lopez-Luque, Raquel and Ospina-Alvarez, Natalia and Hufnagel, Levente and Green, Andy J.}, title = {Influence of a carp invasion on the zooplankton community in Laguna Medina, a Mediterranean shallow lake}, series = {Limnetica}, volume = {35}, journal = {Limnetica}, publisher = {Asociaci{\~A}³n Espan{\~A}µla de Limnolog{\~A}­a}, address = {Mislata (Valencia)}, issn = {0213-8409}, pages = {397 -- 411}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a highly invasive species and an ecological engineer. It has been repeatedly shown to increase nutrient concentrations and phytoplankton biomass while destroying submerged macrophytes, although there are few studies from the Mediterranean region. We studied its impact on the zooplankton community in Laguna de Medina lake, a shallow lake in Jerez de la Frontera, south-west Spain. Carp were removed with rotenone in 2007 but returned in 2010-2011. We compared zooplankton sampled monthly from 8 points from May to December in 2008 (without carp) and 2012 (with carp). Extensive macrophyte beds present in 2008 were absent in 2012. As expected, chlorophyll-a concentrations, turbidity, total suspended solids and total phosphorus were much higher in 2012. Zooplankton richness decreased from 21 taxa in 2008 to 8 taxa in 2012, accompanied by a decrease in Shannon-Wiener diversity, an increase in Evenness and a change in size distribution with loss of larger taxa. In 2008, the crustaceans were dominated by the macrocladocerans Daphnia magna and Moina brachiata and the large calanoid copepod Arctodiaptomus salinus. In 2012, these three taxa were completely absent and the zooplankton was dominated by the alien cyclopoid Acanthocyclops americanus and the rotifers Brachionus plicatilis and Keratella quadrata. Our results confirm the disappearance of macrocladocera reported by others in mesocosm experiments with carp, and suggest that alien carp facilitate the spread of the alien copepod A. americanus.}, language = {en} } @article{FazeliHinebaughFishmanetal.2016, author = {Fazeli, Mohammadreza and Hinebaugh, James and Fishman, Zachary and T{\"o}tzke, Christian and Lehnert, Werner and Manke, Ingo and Bazylak, Aimy}, title = {Pore network modeling to explore the effects of compression on multiphase transport in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layers}, series = {Journal of power sources : the international journal on the science and technology of electrochemical energy systems}, volume = {335}, journal = {Journal of power sources : the international journal on the science and technology of electrochemical energy systems}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-7753}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2016.10.039}, pages = {162 -- 171}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Understanding how compression affects the distribution of liquid water and gaseous oxygen in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell gas diffusion layer (GDL) is vital for informing the design of improved porous materials for effective water management strategies. Pore networks extracted from synchrotron-based micro-computed tomography images of compressed GDLs were employed to simulate liquid water transport in GDL materials over a range of compression pressures. The oxygen transport resistance was predicted for each sample under dry and partially saturated conditions. A favorable GDL compression value for a preferred liquid water distribution and oxygen diffusion was found for Toray TGP-H-090 (10\%), yet an optimum compression value was not recognized for SGL Sigracet 25BC. SGL Sigracet 25BC exhibited lower transport resistance values compared to Toray TGP-H-090, and this is attributed to the additional diffusion pathways provided by the microporous layer (MPL), an effect that is particularly significant under partially saturated conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{CristianoMeierKruegeretal.2016, author = {Cristiano, L. and Meier, T. and Kr{\"u}ger, F. and Keers, H. and Weidle, C.}, title = {Teleseismic P-wave polarization analysis at the Grafenberg array}, series = {Geophysical journal international}, volume = {207}, journal = {Geophysical journal international}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0956-540X}, doi = {10.1093/gji/ggw339}, pages = {1456 -- 1471}, year = {2016}, abstract = {P-wave polarization at the Grafenberg array (GRF) in southern Germany is analysed in terms of azimuthal deviations and deviations in the vertical polarization using 20 yr of broad-band recordings. An automated procedure for estimating P-wave polarization parameters is suggested, based on the definition of a characteristic function, which evaluates the polarization angles and their time variability as well as the amplitude, linearity and the signal-to-noise ratio of the P wave. P-wave polarization at the GRF array is shown to depend mainly on frequency and backazimuth and only slightly on epicentral distance indicating depth-dependent local anisotropy and lateral heterogeneity. A harmonic analysis is applied to the azimuthal anomalies to analyse their periodicity as a function of backazimuth. The dominant periods are 180A degrees A and 360A degrees. At low frequencies, between 0.03 and 0.1 Hz, the observed fast directions of azimuthal anisotropy inferred from the 180A degrees A periodicity are similar across the array. The average fast direction of azimuthal anisotropy at these frequencies is N20A degrees E with an uncertainty of about 8A degrees A and is consistent with fast directions of Pn-wave propagation. Lateral velocity gradients determined for the low-frequency band are compatible with the Moho topography of the area. A more complex pattern in the horizontal fast axis orientation beneath the GRF array is observed in the high-frequency band between 0.1 and 0.5 Hz, and is attributed to anisotropy in the upper crust. A remarkable rotation of the horizontal fast axis orientation across the suture between the geological units Moldanubicum and Saxothuringicum is observed. In contrast, the 360A degrees A periodicity at high frequencies is rather consistent across the array and may either point to lower velocities in the upper crust towards the Bohemian Massif and/or to anisotropy dipping predominantly in the NE-SW direction. Altogether, P-wave polarization analysis indicates the presence of layered lithospheric anisotropy in the area of the GRF array. Seismic anisotropy is more variable in the brittle upper crust compared to lower crustal and subcrustal depths.}, language = {en} } @article{KeyserTsaiIizukaetal.2016, author = {Keyser, William and Tsai, Chin-Ho and Iizuka, Yoshiyuki and Oberh{\"a}nsli, Roland and Ernst, W. G.}, title = {High-pressure metamorphism in the Chinshuichi area, Yuli belt, eastern Taiwan}, series = {Tectonophysics : international journal of geotectonics and the geology and physics of the interior of the earth}, volume = {692}, journal = {Tectonophysics : international journal of geotectonics and the geology and physics of the interior of the earth}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0040-1951}, doi = {10.1016/j.tecto.2015.09.012}, pages = {191 -- 202}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Tectonic blocks and slabs of mafic-ultramafic rocks are distributed discontinuously in the Yuli metamorphic belt of Taiwan. The blocks include rare omphacite metagabbros and gamet-epidote blueschists in the Wanjung and Juisui (Tamayen) areas, respectively. Such high-pressure (HP) mineral assemblages have been attributed to a mid-Miocene subduction event. However, the surrounding psammitic, pelitic and chloritic schists are the dominant greenschist-facies lithologies of the Yuli belt. In the Chinshuichi area, tectonic blocks are enclosed in garnet-bearing metapelites, suggesting elevated pressures. In this area, we recently discovered meta-plagiogranite containing the assemblage glaucophane + omphacite (X-Jd up to 039) + rutile + quartz, indicating P-T conditions near 13 kbar/550 degrees C. New equilibrium phase modeling of a garnet-paragonite mica schist and compositional isopleths for peak assemblage minerals garnet and phengite (Si = 3.33-3.37 pfu) indicate metamorphic conditions of 15.5-17 kbar/530-550 degrees C. These P-T estimates are higher than previously reported in the Yuli belt and suggest that both tectonic blocks and host metapelites underwent HP metamorphism. The juxtaposition of tectonic blocks and metapelites apparently occurred during the formation of a subduction-accretionary complex, followed by exhumation facilitated by a collisional event. These new findings imply that HP metamorphism was not limited to tectonic blocks, and instead played a significant role attending orogenesis in eastern Taiwan. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{FritzTagleAshworthetal.2016, author = {Fritz, Joerg and Tagle, Roald and Ashworth, Luisa and Schmitt, Ralf Thomas and Hofmann, Axel and Luais, Beatrice and Harris, Phillip D. and Hoehnel, Desiree and {\"O}zdemir, Seda and Mohr-Westheide, Tanja and Koeberl, Christian}, title = {Nondestructive spectroscopic and petrochemical investigations of Paleoarchean spherule layers from the ICDP drill core BARB5, Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa}, series = {Quaestiones geographicae}, volume = {51}, journal = {Quaestiones geographicae}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1086-9379}, doi = {10.1111/maps.12736}, pages = {2441 -- 2458}, year = {2016}, abstract = {A Paleoarchean impact spherule-bearing interval of the 763 m long International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drill core BARB5 from the lower Mapepe Formation of the Fig Tree Group, Barberton Mountain Land (South Africa) was investigated using nondestructive analytical techniques. The results of visual observation, infrared (IR) spectroscopic imaging, and micro-X-ray fluorescence (lXRF) of drill cores are presented. Petrographic and sedimentary features, as well as major and trace element compositions of lithologies from the micrometer to kilometer-scale, assisted in the localization and characterization of eight spherule-bearing intervals between 512.6 and 510.5 m depth. The spherule layers occur in a strongly deformed section between 517 and 503 m, and the rocks in the core above and below are clearly less disturbed. The lXRF element maps show that spherule layers have similar petrographic and geochemical characteristics but differences in (1) sorting of two types of spherules and (2) occurrence of primary minerals (Ni-Cr spinel and zircon). We favor a single impact scenario followed by postimpact reworking, and subsequent alteration. The spherule layers are Al2O3-rich and can be distinguished from the Al2O3-poor marine sediments by distinct Al-OH absorption features in the short wave infrared (SWIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared images can cover tens to hundreds of square meters of lithologies and, thus, may be used to search for Al-OH-rich spherule layers in Al2O3-poor sediments, such as Eoarchean metasediments, where the textural characteristics of the spherule layers are obscured by metamorphism.}, language = {en} }