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The Earth’s shallow subsurface with sedimentary cover acts as a waveguide to any incoming wavefield. Within the framework of my thesis, I focused on the characterization of this shallow subsurface within tens to few hundreds of meters of sediment cover. I imaged the seismic 1D shear wave velocity (and possibly the 1D compressional wave velocity). This information is not only required for any seismic risk assessment, geotechnical engineering or microzonation activities, but also for exploration and global seismology where site effects are often neglected in seismic waveform modeling.
First, the conventional frequency-wavenumber (f - k) technique is used to derive the dispersion characteristic of the propagating surface waves recorded using distinct arrays of seismometers in 1D and 2D configurations. Further, the cross-correlation technique is applied to seismic array data to estimate the Green’s function between receivers pairs combination assuming one is the source and the other the receiver. With the consideration of a 1D media, the estimated cross-correlation Green’s functions are sorted with interstation distance in a virtual 1D active seismic experiment. The f - k technique is then used to estimate the dispersion curves. This integrated analysis is important for the interpretation of a large bandwidth of the phase velocity dispersion curves and therefore improving the resolution of the estimated 1D Vs profile.
Second, the new theoretical approach based on the Diffuse Field Assumption (DFA) is used for the interpretation of the observed microtremors H/V spectral ratio. The theory is further extended in this research work to include not only the interpretation of the H/V measured at the surface, but also the H/V measured at depths and in marine environments. A modeling and inversion of synthetic H/V spectral ratio curves on simple predefined geological structures shows an almost perfect recovery of the model parameters (mainly Vs and to a lesser extent Vp). These results are obtained after information from a receiver at depth has been considered in the inversion.
Finally, the Rayleigh wave phase velocity information, estimated from array data, and the H/V(z, f) spectral ratio, estimated from a single station data, are combined and inverted for the velocity profile information. Obtained results indicate an improved depth resolution in comparison to estimations using the phase velocity dispersion curves only. The overall estimated sediment thickness is comparable to estimations obtained by inverting the full micortremor H/V spectral ratio.
The study of outcrop modeling is located at the interface between two fields of expertise, Sedimentology and Computing Geoscience, which respectively investigates and simulates geological heterogeneity observed in the sedimentary record. During the last past years, modeling tools and techniques were constantly improved. In parallel, the study of Phanerozoic carbonate deposits emphasized the common occurrence of a random facies distribution along single depositional domain. Although both fields of expertise are intrinsically linked during outcrop simulation, their respective advances have not been combined in literature to enhance carbonate modeling studies. The present study re-examines the modeling strategy adapted to the simulation of shallow-water carbonate systems, based on a close relationship between field sedimentology and modeling capabilities. In the present study, the evaluation of three commonly used algorithms Truncated Gaussian Simulation (TGSim), Sequential Indicator Simulation (SISim), and Indicator Kriging (IK), were performed for the first time using visual and quantitative comparisons on an ideally suited carbonate outcrop. The results show that the heterogeneity of carbonate rocks cannot be fully simulated using one single algorithm. The operating mode of each algorithm involves capabilities as well as drawbacks that are not capable to match all field observations carried out across the modeling area. Two end members in the spectrum of carbonate depositional settings, a low-angle Jurassic ramp (High Atlas, Morocco) and a Triassic isolated platform (Dolomites, Italy), were investigated to obtain a complete overview of the geological heterogeneity in shallow-water carbonate systems. Field sedimentology and statistical analysis performed on the type, morphology, distribution, and association of carbonate bodies and combined with palaeodepositional reconstructions, emphasize similar results. At the basin scale (x 1 km), facies association, composed of facies recording similar depositional conditions, displays linear and ordered transitions between depositional domains. Contrarily, at the bedding scale (x 0.1 km), individual lithofacies type shows a mosaic-like distribution consisting of an arrangement of spatially independent lithofacies bodies along the depositional profile. The increase of spatial disorder from the basin to bedding scale results from the influence of autocyclic factors on the transport and deposition of carbonate sediments. Scale-dependent types of carbonate heterogeneity are linked with the evaluation of algorithms in order to establish a modeling strategy that considers both the sedimentary characteristics of the outcrop and the modeling capabilities. A surface-based modeling approach was used to model depositional sequences. Facies associations were populated using TGSim to preserve ordered trends between depositional domains. At the lithofacies scale, a fully stochastic approach with SISim was applied to simulate a mosaic-like lithofacies distribution. This new workflow is designed to improve the simulation of carbonate rocks, based on the modeling of each scale of heterogeneity individually. Contrarily to simulation methods applied in literature, the present study considers that the use of one single simulation technique is unlikely to correctly model the natural patterns and variability of carbonate rocks. The implementation of different techniques customized for each level of the stratigraphic hierarchy provides the essential computing flexibility to model carbonate systems. Closer feedback between advances carried out in the field of Sedimentology and Computing Geoscience should be promoted during future outcrop simulations for the enhancement of 3-D geological models.
The scientific drilling campaign PALEOVAN was conducted in the summer of 2010 and was part of the international continental drilling programme (ICDP). The main goal of the campaign was the recovery of a sensitive climate archive in the East of Anatolia. Lacustrine deposits underneath the lake floor of ‘Lake Van’ constitute this archive. The drilled core material was recovered from two locations: the Ahlat Ridge and the Northern Basin. A composite core was constructed from cored material of seven parallel boreholes at the Ahlat Ridge and covers an almost complete lacustrine history of Lake Van. The composite record offered sensitive climate proxies such as variations of total organic carbon, K/Ca ratios, or a relative abundance of arboreal pollen. These proxies revealed patterns that are similar to climate proxy variations from Greenland ice cores. Climate variations in Greenland ice cores have been dated by modelling the timing of orbital forces to affect the climate. Volatiles from melted ice aliquots are often taken as high-resolution proxies and provide a base for fitting the according temporal models.
The ICDP PALEOVAN scientific team fitted proxy data from the lacustrine drilling record to ice core data and constructed an age model. Embedded volcaniclastic layers had to be dated radiometrically in order to provide independent age constraints to the climate-stratigraphic age model. Solving this task by an application of the 40Ar/39Ar method was the main objective of this thesis. Earlier efforts to apply the 40Ar/39Ar dating resulted in inaccuracies that could not be explained satisfactorily.
The absence of K-rich feldspars in suitable tephra layers implied that feldspar crystals needed to be 500 μm in size minimum, in order to apply single-crystal 40Ar/39Ar dating. Some of the samples did not contain any of these grain sizes or only very few crystals of that size. In order to overcome this problem this study applied a combined single-crystal and multi-crystal approach with different crystal fractions from the same sample. The preferred method of a stepwise heating analysis of an aliquot of feldspar crystals has been applied to three samples. The Na-rich crystals and their young geological age required 20 mg of inclusion-free, non-corroded feldspars. Small sample volumes (usually 25 % aliquots of 5 cm3 of sample material – a spoon full of tephra) and the widespread presence of melt-inclusion led to the application of combined single- and multigrain total fusion analyses. 40Ar/39Ar analyses on single crystals have the advantage of being able to monitor the presence of excess 40Ar and detrital or xenocrystic contamination in the samples. Multigrain analyses may hide the effects from these obstacles. The results from the multigrain analyses are therefore discussed with respect to the findings from the respective cogenetic single crystal ages. Some of the samples in this study were dated by 40Ar/39Ar on feldspars on multigrain separates and (if available) in combination with only a few single crystals. 40Ar/39Ar ages from two of the samples deviated statistically from the age model. All other samples resulted in identical ages. The deviations displayed older ages than those obtained from the age model. t-Tests compared radiometric ages with available age control points from various proxies and from the relative paleointensity of the earth magnetic field within a stratigraphic range of ± 10 m. Concordant age control points from different relative chronometers indicated that deviations are a result of erroneous 40Ar/39Ar ages. The thesis argues two potential reasons for these ages: (1) the irregular appearance of 40Ar from rare melt- and fluid- inclusions and (2) the contamination of the samples with older crystals due to a rapid combination of assimilation and ejection.
Another aliquot of feldspar crystals that underwent separation for the application of 40Ar/39Ar dating was investigated for geochemical inhomogeneities. Magmatic zoning is ubiquitous in the volcaniclastic feldspar crystals. Four different types of magmatic zoning were detected. The zoning types are compositional zoning (C-type zoning), pseudo-oscillatory zoning of trace ele- ment concentrations (PO-type zoning), chaotic and patchy zoning of major and trace element concentrations (R-type zoning) and concentric zoning of trace elements (CC-type zoning). Sam- ples that deviated in 40Ar/39Ar ages showed C-type zoning, R-type zoning or a mix of different types of zoning (C-type and PO-type). Feldspars showing PO-type zoning typically represent the smallest grain size fractions in the samples. The constant major element compositions of these crystals are interpreted to represent the latest stages in the compositional evolution of feldspars in a peralkaline melt. PO-type crystals contain less melt- inclusions than other zoning types and are rarely corroded. This thesis concludes that feldspars that show PO-type zoning are most promising chronometers for the 40Ar/39Ar method, if samples provide mixed zoning types of Quaternary anorthoclase feldspars.
Five samples were dated by applying the 40Ar/39Ar method to volcanic glass. High fractions of atmospheric Ar (typically > 98%) significantly hampered the precision of the 40Ar/39Ar ages and resulted in rough age estimates that widely overlap the age model. Ar isotopes indicated that the glasses bore a chorine-rich Ar-end member. The chlorine-derived 38Ar indicated chlorine-rich fluid-inclusions or the hydration of the volcanic glass shards. This indication strengthened the evidence that irregularly distributed melt-inclusions and thus irregular distributed excess 40Ar influenced the problematic feldspar 40Ar/39Ar ages. Whether a connection between a corrected initial 40Ar/36Ar ratio from glasses to the 40Ar/36Ar ratios from pore waters exists remains unclear.
This thesis offers another age model, which is similarly based on the interpolation of the temporal tie points from geophysical and climate-stratigraphic data. The model used a PCHIP- interpolation (piecewise cubic hermite interpolating polynomial) whereas the older age model used a spline-interpolation. Samples that match in ages from 40Ar/39Ar dating of feldspars with the earlier published age model were additionally assigned with an age from the PCHIP- interpolation. These modelled ages allowed a recalculation of the Alder Creek sanidine mineral standard. The climate-stratigraphic calibration of an 40Ar/39Ar mineral standard proved that the age versus depth interpolations from PAELOVAN drilling cores were accurate, and that the applied chronometers recorded the temporal evolution of Lake Van synchronously.
Petrochemical discrimination of the sampled volcaniclastic material is also given in this thesis. 41 from 57 sampled volcaniclastic layers indicate Nemrut as their provenance. Criteria that served for the provenance assignment are provided and reviewed critically. Detailed correlations of selected PALEOVAN volcaniclastics to onshore samples that were described in detail by earlier studies are also discussed. The sampled volcaniclastics dominantly have a thickness of < 40 cm and have been ejected by small to medium sized eruptions. Onshore deposits from these types of eruptions are potentially eroded due to predominant strong winds on Nemrut and Süphan slopes. An exact correlation with the data presented here is therefore equivocal or not possible at all.
Deviating feldspar 40Ar/39Ar ages can possibly be explained by inherited 40Ar from feldspar xenocrysts contaminating the samples. In order to test this hypothesis diffusion couples of Ba were investigated in compositionally zoned feldspar crystals. The diffusive behaviour of Ba in feldspar is known, and gradients in the changing concentrations allowed for the calculation of the duration of the crystal’s magmatic development since the formation of the zoning interface. Durations were compared with degassing scenarios that model the Ar-loss during assimilation and subsequent ejection of the xenocrystals. Diffusive equilibration of the contrasting Ba concentrations is assumed to generate maximum durations as the gradient could have been developed in several growth and heating stages. The modelling does not show any indication of an involvement of inherited 40Ar in any of the deviating samples. However, the analytical set-up represents the lower limit of the required spatial resolution. Therefore, it cannot be excluded that the degassing modelling relies on a significant overestimation of the maximum duration of the magmatic history. Nevertheless, the modelling of xenocrystal degassing evidences that the irregular incorporation of excess 40Ar by melt- and fluid inclusions represents the most critical problem that needs to be overcome in dating volcaniclastic feldspars from the PALEOVAN drill cores. This thesis provides the complete background in generating and presenting 40Ar/39Ar ages that are compared to age data from a climate-stratigraphic model. Deviations are identified statistically and then discussed in order to find explanations from the age model and/or from 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. Most of the PALEOVAN stratigraphy provides several chronometers that have been proven for their synchronicity. Lacustrine deposits from Lake Van represent a key archive for reconstructing climate evolution in the eastern Mediterranean and in the Near East. The PALEOVAN record offers a climate-stratigraphic age model with a remarkable accuracy and resolution.
The potential increase in frequency and magnitude of extreme floods is currently discussed in terms of global warming and the intensification of the hydrological cycle. The profound knowledge of past natural variability of floods is of utmost importance in order to assess flood risk for the future. Since instrumental flood series cover only the last ~150 years, other approaches to reconstruct historical and pre-historical flood events are needed. Annually laminated (varved) lake sediments are meaningful natural geoarchives because they provide continuous records of environmental changes > 10000 years down to a seasonal resolution. Since lake basins additionally act as natural sediment traps, the riverine sediment supply, which is preserved as detrital event layers in the lake sediments, can be used as a proxy for extreme discharge events. Within my thesis I examined a ~ 8.50 m long sedimentary record from the pre-Alpine Lake Mondsee (Northeast European Alps), which covered the last 7000 years. This sediment record consists of calcite varves and intercalated detrital layers, which range in thickness from 0.05 to 32 mm. Detrital layer deposition was analysed by a combined method of microfacies analysis via thin sections, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), μX-ray fluorescence (μXRF) scanning and magnetic susceptibility. This approach allows characterizing individual detrital event layers and assigning a corresponding input mechanism and catchment. Based on varve counting and controlled by 14C age dates, the main goals of this thesis are (i) to identify seasonal runoff processes, which lead to significant sediment supply from the catchment into the lake basin and (ii) to investigate flood frequency under changing climate boundary conditions. This thesis follows a line of different time slices, presenting an integrative approach linking instrumental and historical flood data from Lake Mondsee in order to evaluate the flood record inferred from Lake Mondsee sediments. The investigation of eleven short cores covering the last 100 years reveals the abundance of 12 detrital layers. Therein, two types of detrital layers are distinguished by grain size, geochemical composition and distribution pattern within the lake basin. Detrital layers, which are enriched in siliciclastic and dolomitic material, reveal sediment supply from the Flysch sediments and Northern Calcareous Alps into the lake basin. These layers are thicker in the northern lake basin (0.1-3.9 mm) and thinner in the southern lake basin (0.05-1.6 mm). Detrital layers, which are enriched in dolomitic components forming graded detrital layers (turbidites), indicate the provenance from the Northern Calcareous Alps. These layers are generally thicker (0.65-32 mm) and are solely recorded within the southern lake basin. In comparison with instrumental data, thicker graded layers result from local debris flow events in summer, whereas thin layers are deposited during regional flood events in spring/summer. Extreme summer floods as reported from flood layer deposition are principally caused by cyclonic activity from the Mediterranean Sea, e.g. July 1954, July 1997 and August 2002. During the last two millennia, Lake Mondsee sediments reveal two significant flood intervals with decadal-scale flood episodes, during the Dark Ages Cold Period (DACP) and the transition from the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) into the Little Ice Age (LIA) suggesting a linkage of transition to climate cooling and summer flood recurrences in the Northeastern Alps. In contrast, intermediate or decreased flood episodes appeared during the MWP and the LIA. This indicates a non-straightforward relationship between temperature and flood recurrence, suggesting higher cyclonic activity during climate transition in the Northeast Alps. The 7000-year flood chronology reveals 47 debris flows and 269 floods, with increased flood activity shifting around 3500 and 1500 varve yr BP (varve yr BP = varve years before present, before present = AD 1950). This significant increase in flood activity shows a coincidence with millennial-scale climate cooling that is reported from main Alpine glacier advances and lower tree lines in the European Alps since about 3300 cal. yr BP (calibrated years before present). Despite relatively low flood occurrence prior to 1500 varve yr BP, floods at Lake Mondsee could have also influenced human life in early Neolithic lake dwellings (5750-4750 cal. yr BP). While the first lake dwellings were constructed on wetlands, the later lake dwellings were built on piles in the water suggesting an early flood risk adaptation of humans and/or a general change of the Late Neolithic Culture of lake-dwellers because of socio-economic reasons. However, a direct relationship between the final abandonment of the lake dwellings and higher flood frequencies is not evidenced.
Situated in an active tectonic region, Santiago de Chile, the country´s capital with more than six million inhabitants, faces tremendous earthquake hazard. Macroseismic data for the 1985 Valparaiso and the 2010 Maule events show large variations in the distribution of damage to buildings within short distances indicating strong influence of local sediments and the shape of the sediment-bedrock interface on ground motion. Therefore, a temporary seismic network was installed in the urban area for recording earthquake activity, and a study was carried out aiming to estimate site amplification derived from earthquake data and ambient noise. The analysis of earthquake data shows significant dependence on the local geological structure with regards to amplitude and duration. Moreover, the analysis of noise spectral ratios shows that they can provide a lower bound in amplitude for site amplification and, since no variability in terms of time and amplitude is observed, that it is possible to map the fundamental resonance frequency of the soil for a 26 km x 12 km area in the northern part of the Santiago de Chile basin. By inverting the noise spectral rations, local shear wave velocity profiles could be derived under the constraint of the thickness of the sedimentary cover which had previously been determined by gravimetric measurements. The resulting 3D model was derived by interpolation between the single shear wave velocity profiles and shows locally good agreement with the few existing velocity profile data, but allows the entire area, as well as deeper parts of the basin, to be represented in greater detail. The wealth of available data allowed further to check if any correlation between the shear wave velocity in the uppermost 30 m (vs30) and the slope of topography, a new technique recently proposed by Wald and Allen (2007), exists on a local scale. While one lithology might provide a greater scatter in the velocity values for the investigated area, almost no correlation between topographic gradient and calculated vs30 exists, whereas a better link is found between vs30 and the local geology. When comparing the vs30 distribution with the MSK intensities for the 1985 Valparaiso event it becomes clear that high intensities are found where the expected vs30 values are low and over a thick sedimentary cover. Although this evidence cannot be generalized for all possible earthquakes, it indicates the influence of site effects modifying the ground motion when earthquakes occur well outside of the Santiago basin. Using the attained knowledge on the basin characteristics, simulations of strong ground motion within the Santiago Metropolitan area were carried out by means of the spectral element technique. The simulation of a regional event, which has also been recorded by a dense network installed in the city of Santiago for recording aftershock activity following the 27 February 2010 Maule earthquake, shows that the model is capable to realistically calculate ground motion in terms of amplitude, duration, and frequency and, moreover, that the surface topography and the shape of the sediment bedrock interface strongly modify ground motion in the Santiago basin. An examination on the dependency of ground motion on the hypocenter location for a hypothetical event occurring along the active San Ramón fault, which is crossing the eastern outskirts of the city, shows that the unfavorable interaction between fault rupture, radiation mechanism, and complex geological conditions in the near-field may give rise to large values of peak ground velocity and therefore considerably increase the level of seismic risk for Santiago de Chile.
Indonesien zählt zu den weltweit führenden Ländern bei der Nutzung von geothermischer Energie. Die geothermischen Energiequellen sind im Wesentlichen an den aktiven Vulkanismus gebunden, der durch die Prozesse an der indonesischen Subduktionszone verursacht wird. Darüber hinaus sind geotektonische Strukturen wie beispielsweise die Sumatra-Störung als verstärkende Faktoren für das geothermische Potenzial von Bedeutung. Bei der geophysikalischen Erkundung der indonesischen Geothermie-Ressourcen konzentrierte man sich bisher vor allem auf die Magnetotellurik. Passive Seismologie wurde dahingegen ausschließlich für die Überwachung von im Betrieb befindlichen Geothermie-Anlagen verwendet. Jüngste Untersuchungungen z.B. in Island und in den USA haben jedoch gezeigt, dass seismologische Verfahren bereits in der Erkundungsphase wichtige Informationen zu den physikalischen Eigenschaften, zum Spannungsfeld und zu möglichen Fluid- und Wärmetransportwegen liefern können. In der vorgelegten Doktorarbeit werden verschiedene moderne Methoden der passiven Seismologie verwendet, um beispielhaft ein neues, von der indonesischen Regierung für zukünftige geothermische Energiegewinnung ausgewiesenes Gebiet im nördlichen Teil Sumatras (Indonesien) zu erkunden. Die konkreten Ziele der Untersuchungen umfassten (1) die Ableitung von 3D Strukturmodellen der P- und S-Wellen Geschwindigkeiten (Parameter Vp und Vs), (2) die Bestimmung der Absorptionseigenschaften (Parameter Qp), und (3) die Kartierung und Charakterisierung von Störungssystemen auf der Grundlage der Seismizitätsverteilung und der Herdflächenlösungen. Für diese Zwecke habe ich zusammen mit Kollegen ein seismologisches Netzwerk in Tarutung (Sumatra) aufgebaut und über einen Zeitraum von 10 Monaten (Mai 2011 – Februar 2012) betrieben. Insgesamt wurden hierbei 42 Stationen (jeweils ausgestattet mit EDL-Datenlogger, 3-Komponenten, 1 Hz Seismometer) über eine Fläche von etwa 35 x 35 km verteilt. Mit dem Netzwerk wurden im gesamten Zeitraum 2568 lokale Erdbeben registriert. Die integrierte Betrachtung der Ergebnisse aus den verschiedenen Teilstudien (Tomographie, Erdbebenverteilung) erlaubt neue Einblicke in die generelle geologische Stukturierung sowie eine Eingrenzung von Bereichen mit einem erhöhten geothermischen Potenzial. Das tomographische Vp-Modell ermöglicht eine Bestimmung der Geometrie von Sedimentbecken entlang der Sumatra-Störung. Für die Geothermie besonders interessant ist der Bereich nordwestlich des Tarutung-Beckens. Die dort abgebildeten Anomalien (erhöhtes Vp/Vs, geringes Qp) habe ich als mögliche Aufstiegswege von warmen Fluiden interpretiert. Die scheinbar asymetrische Verteilung der Anomalien wird hierbei im Zusammenhang mit der Seismizitätsverteilung, der Geometrie der Beben-Bruchflächen, sowie struktur-geologischen Modellvorstellungen diskutiert. Damit werden wesentliche Informationen für die Planung einer zukünftigen geothermischen Anlage bereitgestellt.
In the past, floods were basically managed by flood control mechanisms. The focus was set on the reduction of flood hazard. The potential consequences were of minor interest. Nowadays river flooding is increasingly seen from the risk perspective, including possible consequences. Moreover, the large-scale picture of flood risk became increasingly important for disaster management planning, national risk developments and the (re-) insurance industry. Therefore, it is widely accepted that risk-orientated flood management ap-proaches at the basin-scale are needed. However, large-scale flood risk assessment methods for areas of several 10,000 km² are still in early stages. Traditional flood risk assessments are performed reach wise, assuming constant probabilities for the entire reach or basin. This might be helpful on a local basis, but where large-scale patterns are important this approach is of limited use. Assuming a T-year flood (e.g. 100 years) for the entire river network is unrealistic and would lead to an overestimation of flood risk at the large scale. Due to the lack of damage data, additionally, the probability of peak discharge or rainfall is usually used as proxy for damage probability to derive flood risk. With a continuous and long term simulation of the entire flood risk chain, the spatial variability of probabilities could be consider and flood risk could be directly derived from damage data in a consistent way.
The objective of this study is the development and application of a full flood risk chain, appropriate for the large scale and based on long term and continuous simulation. The novel approach of ‘derived flood risk based on continuous simulations’ is introduced, where the synthetic discharge time series is used as input into flood impact models and flood risk is directly derived from the resulting synthetic damage time series.
The bottleneck at this scale is the hydrodynamic simu-lation. To find suitable hydrodynamic approaches for the large-scale a benchmark study with simplified 2D hydrodynamic models was performed. A raster-based approach with inertia formulation and a relatively high resolution of 100 m in combination with a fast 1D channel routing model was chosen.
To investigate the suitability of the continuous simulation of a full flood risk chain for the large scale, all model parts were integrated into a new framework, the Regional Flood Model (RFM). RFM consists of the hydrological model SWIM, a 1D hydrodynamic river network model, a 2D raster based inundation model and the flood loss model FELMOps+r. Subsequently, the model chain was applied to the Elbe catchment, one of the largest catchments in Germany. For the proof-of-concept, a continuous simulation was per-formed for the period of 1990-2003. Results were evaluated / validated as far as possible with available observed data in this period. Although each model part introduced its own uncertainties, results and runtime were generally found to be adequate for the purpose of continuous simulation at the large catchment scale.
Finally, RFM was applied to a meso-scale catchment in the east of Germany to firstly perform a flood risk assessment with the novel approach of ‘derived flood risk assessment based on continuous simulations’. Therefore, RFM was driven by long term synthetic meteorological input data generated by a weather generator. Thereby, a virtual time series of climate data of 100 x 100 years was generated and served as input to RFM providing subsequent 100 x 100 years of spatially consistent river discharge series, inundation patterns and damage values. On this basis, flood risk curves and expected annual damage could be derived directly from damage data, providing a large-scale picture of flood risk. In contrast to traditional flood risk analysis, where homogenous return periods are assumed for the entire basin, the presented approach provides a coherent large-scale picture of flood risk. The spatial variability of occurrence probability is respected. Additionally, data and methods are consistent. Catchment and floodplain processes are repre-sented in a holistic way. Antecedent catchment conditions are implicitly taken into account, as well as physical processes like storage effects, flood attenuation or channel–floodplain interactions and related damage influencing effects. Finally, the simulation of a virtual period of 100 x 100 years and consequently large data set on flood loss events enabled the calculation of flood risk directly from damage distributions. Problems associated with the transfer of probabilities in rainfall or peak runoff to probabilities in damage, as often used in traditional approaches, are bypassed.
RFM and the ‘derived flood risk approach based on continuous simulations’ has the potential to provide flood risk statements for national planning, re-insurance aspects or other questions where spatially consistent, large-scale assessments are required.
In soils and sediments there is a strong coupling between local biogeochemical processes and the distribution of water, electron acceptors, acids and nutrients. Both sides are closely related and affect each other from small scale to larger scales. Soil structures such as aggregates, roots, layers or macropores enhance the patchiness of these distributions. At the same time it is difficult to access the spatial distribution and temporal dynamics of these parameter. Noninvasive imaging techniques with high spatial and temporal resolution overcome these limitations. And new non-invasive techniques are needed to study the dynamic interaction of plant roots with the surrounding soil, but also the complex physical and chemical processes in structured soils. In this study we developed an efficient non-destructive in-situ method to determine biogeochemical parameters relevant to plant roots growing in soil. This is a quantitative fluorescence imaging method suitable for visualizing the spatial and temporal pH changes around roots. We adapted the fluorescence imaging set-up and coupled it with neutron radiography to study simultaneously root growth, oxygen depletion by respiration activity and root water uptake. The combined set up was subsequently applied to a structured soil system to map the patchy structure of oxic and anoxic zones induced by a chemical oxygen consumption reaction for spatially varying water contents. Moreover, results from a similar fluorescence imaging technique for nitrate detection were complemented by a numerical modeling study where we used imaging data, aiming to simulate biodegradation under anaerobic, nitrate reducing conditions.