Held

Closed chambers are the most common method to determine methane (CH4) fluxes in peatlands. The concentration change over time is monitored, and the flux is usually calculated by the slope of a linear regression function. However, chambers tend to slow down the gas diffusion by changing the concentration gradient between soil and atmosphere. Theoretically, this would result in a near-exponential concentration change in the chamber headspace. Here, we present data from a laboratory experiment and from two field campaigns on the basis of which we evaluate flux calculation approaches based either on linear or exponential regression models. To compare the fit performances of the two models, we used the Akaike Information Criterion with small sample second order bias correction (AICc). For checking the quality of flux data, we used the standard deviation of residuals. The calibration system in the laboratory experiment used during the chamber calibration campaign at Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in August 2008 has been described by Pumpanen et al. (2004). Five different flux levels on two different soil porosities where tested. Preliminary results show that most concentration-over-time datasets were best described by the exponential model as evaluated by the AICc. It appeared that the flux calculation using the exponential model was better suited to determine the preset fluxes than that using the linear model. In the dataset of the first field campaign (April to October 2007) from Salmisuo (Finland, 62.46˚ N, 30.58˚ E), however, the majority of fluxes was best fitted with a linear regression on all microsite types. Those fluxes which are best fitted exponentially are most probable due to chamber artefacts. They occurred mostly during a drought period in August 2007, which seemed to increase the artificial impact of the chamber. However, these results might be site-specific: In Ust-Pojeg (Russia, 61.56˚ N, 50.13˚ E), where CH4 emissions are supposed to be higher than in Salmisuo, more fluxes (ca. 30% during April to June 2008) were selected to be best fitted with an exponential regression. References: Pumpanen, J., Kolari, P., Ilvesniemi, H., Minkkinen, K., Vesala, T., Niinistö, S., Lohila, A., Larmola, T., Morero, M., Pihlatie, M., Janssens, I., Curiel Yuste, J., Grünzweig, J. M., Reth, S., Subke, J.-A., Savage, K., Kutsch, W., Østreng, G., Ziegler, W., Anthoni, P., Lindroth, A. & Hari, P. 2004. Comparison of different chamber techniques for measuring soil CO2 efflux. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 123, 159-176.

The purpose of this study is to describe the Miocene-Pliocene microfaunal development, and to discuss its palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical significance. The studied section (Kalamaki section) is located in the eastern part of Zakynthos Island (western Greece). Details on lithology and stratigraphy of the section are given in Dermitzakis (1978) and Nikolaou (1986). Planktonic species indicate that sediments span the interval

In the frame of the CALIOPE project (Baldasano et al., 2008), the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS) currently operates a high-resolution air quality forecasting system based on daily photochemical forecasts in Europe (12km x 12km resolution) with the WRF-ARW/HERMES/CMAQ modelling system (http://www.bsc.es/caliope) and desert dust forecasts over Southern Europe with BSC-DREAM8b (Pérez et al., 2006; http://www.bsc.es/projects/earthscience/DREAM). High resolution simulations and forecasts are possible through their implementation on MareNostrum supercomputer at BSC-CNS. As shown in previous air quality studies (e.g. Rodríguez et al., 2001; Jiménez-Guerrero et al., 2008), the contribution of desert dust on particulate matter levels in Southern Europe is remarkable due to its proximity to African desert dust sources. When considering only anthropogenic emissions (Baldasano et al., 2008) and the current knowledge about aerosol physics and chemistry, chemistry-transport model simulations underestimate the PM10 concentrations by 30-50%. As a first approach, the natural dust contribution from BSC-DREAM8b is on-line added to the anthropogenic aerosol output of CMAQ. The aim of the present work is the quantitative evaluation of the WRF-ARW/HERMES/ CMAQ/BSC-DREAM8b forecast system to simulate the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) over Europe. The performance of the modelled AOD has been quantitatively evaluated with discrete and categorical (skill scores) statistics by a comparison to direct-sun AERONET observations for 2004. The contribution of different types of aerosols will be analyzed by means of the O'Neill fine mode AOD products (O'Neill et al., 2001). A previous aerosol characterization of AERONET data was performed (Basart et al., 2009) in order to discriminate the different aerosol source contributions within the study region. The results indicate a remarkable improvement in the discrete and skill-scores evaluation (accuracy, critical success index and probability of detection) of AOD when using CMAQ+DREAM8b compared to CMAQ-alone simulations. An accurate analysis of the relative contributions of anthropogenic aerosols and desert dust to AOD over Europe and their seasonality will be also presented. References: Baldasano J.M, P. Jiménez-Guerrero, O. Jorba, C. Pérez, E. López, P. Güereca, F. Martin, M. García-Vivanco, I. Palomino, X. Querol, M. Pandolfi, M.J. Sanz and J.J. Diéguez: "CALIOPE: An operational air quality forecasting system for the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands- First annual evaluation and ongoing developments", Adv. Sci. and Res., 2: 89-98, 2008. Baldasano J.M., L. P. Güereca, E. López, S. Gassó, P. Jimenez-Guerrero. "Development of a high resolution (1 km x 1 km, 1 h) emission model for Spain: the High-Elective Resolution Modelling Emission System (HERMES)". Atmospheric Environment, 42: 7215-7233 doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.07.026, 2008. Basart, S., Pérez, C., Cuevas, E., Baldasano, J. M. and Gobbi, G. P. "Aerosol characterization in Northern Africa, Northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean Basin and Middle East from direct-sun AERONET observations", Atmos. Chem. Phys.., 9, 7707-7745, 2009. Jiménez-Guerrero, P., Pérez, C., Jorba, O. and Baldasano, J. M. "Contribution of Saharan dust in an integrated air quality system and its on-line assessment", Geophys. Res. Lett., 35(3), 2008. O'Neill, N. T., Dubovik, O., and Eck, T. F.: A modified Angstrom coefficient for the characterization of sub-micron aerosols, App. Opt., 40(14), 2368-2375, 2001. Pérez, C., Nickovic, S., Pejanovic, G., Baldasano, J. M. and Ozsoy, E. "Interactive dust-radiation modeling: A step to improve weather forecasts", Geophys. Res., 11(D16206),doi:10.1029/2005JD006717, 2006. Rodríguez, S., Querol, X., Alastuey, A., Kallos, G. and Kakaliagou, O. "Saharan dust contributions to PM10 and TSP levels in Southern and Eastern Spain", Atmos. Environ., 35, 2433-2447, 2001.

Earthquake Environmental Effects (EEE), including all phenomena generated by a seismic event in the natural environment, have been included in the macroseismic intensity assessment since the very beginning, in order to define the highest degrees of the intensity scales (eg, Ferrari Postpischl, 1979; Sieberg, 1912; 1932). They can be categorized in primary effects, ie the surface expression of the seismogenic source, and secondary effects, mostly induced by the vibratory ground motion. Their use for intensity assessment has ...

This paper presents a novel numerical technique for large-scale groundwater flow simulations, in the frame of artificial recharge planning. The implementation is demonstrated using two test-sites from the EU funded GABARDINE project (FP6): The Sindos test site, near Thessaloniki, Greece, examines the infiltration of water towards the water table, through several unsaturated soil layers. The test site at Campina de Faro, Portugal, investigates phreatic surface movement around a large-diameter well. For both test cases a numerical simulation is constructed, and the local subsurface flow regime is investigated.

Earthquake Environmental Effects (EEE), including all phenomena generated by a seismic event in the natural environment, have been included in the macroseismic intensity assessment since the very beginning, in order to define the highest degrees of the intensity scales (eg, Ferrari Postpischl, 1979; Sieberg, 1912; 1932). They can be categorized in primary effects, ie the surface expression of the seismogenic source, and secondary effects, mostly induced by the vibratory ground motion. Their use for intensity assessment has ...

Die Moderne hat ein neues Symbol kollektiver Identität hervorgebracht: den Kulturheros. Dichter, Künstler und Gelehrte traten teils neben sakrale oder politische Herrscher, teils lösten sie diese als nationale Autoritätsfigur ab. Anhand von Konstellationen, in denen Einzelne als Religionsstifter, Stadtgründer oder Nationaldichter Kultstatus erlangt haben, untersuchen die Autoren dieses Bandes Heroen wie Luther, Voltaire, Schiller, Wagner, Puškin oder Gagarin. Dabei interessieren sie sich nicht nur für die Genese des Kulturheros, sondern auch für dessen Nachleben. Ein besonderes Augenmerk gilt medialen Techniken und kulturellen Praktiken (wie Totenmasken, Bildnissen, Filmen oder Jubiläen), die die Figur des Kulturheros erst im Spannungsfeld von Kult, Kultur und Politik konstituieren

The analysis of natural hazards involved by landslides requires the revealing of both depth and relief of the slipping surface, and also to show the extension of the dislocated material areas. A particular aspect in Romania is related to the frequent occurrence of salt. It is to be mentioned that Romania contains the largest salt resources/reserves throughout Europe. This potential of about three billion tons could supply salt for the whole world population for over four hundred years. Telega village, separated by Campina town through Doftana River, is situated at 5 km from it, in the west part of Prahova County. The village covers a medium altitude relief (550m), characterized by irregularities of ground, many valleys and swales crossed by streams. On the left bank of Telega valley, the landslides’ effects have a large extension, in some places being catastrophic. Among these, the one called at “Butoi” area presents a huge interest according of their produced destructions and becau...

Lithium isotopes can significantly fractionate during water-rock interactions, resulting in natural waters highly enriched in 7Li while residual solids and sediments display isotope composition often close or lighter than the fresh rock one1. Recent studies have shown ...

In the northwestern part of Anatolia along the Izmir-Ankara Suture Zone, the Kazdağ and Uludağ metamorphic massifs form an E-W trending belt between the Sakarya Continent in the north and the Menderes Massif in the south. Internal succession of these two massifs have been described as metamorphic complexes consisting of various kinds of micaschists, quartz mica schist, gneisses, amphibolites and marbles. In the Kazdağ metamorphics, metaophiolites have been described additionally (Okay et al., 1991; Yaltırak and Okay, 1994; Okay et al., 1996; Duru et al., 2004). These metamorphic complexes were considered to form the basement of the Sakarya Continent tectonically overlain by the Early Permian (Topuz et al., 2004) to Late Triassic (Okay and Monie, 1997; Okay et al., 2002) Karakaya Complex. This old basement and the Karakaya Complex were suggested to be unconformably overlain by Liassic and younger platform limestones and detritals (Altıner et al., 1991). In the literature, it has also...

In order to test whether or not methane producing archaea may survive solely on the products forming through the hydration of olivine, we have analyzed the products formed from the low temperature incubation of natural forsterite sand in buffered water. Already after one month of incubation, the molecular hydrogen concentration was high enough to theoretically sustain the survival of methanogenic archaea at temperatures above 30° C. Also, many important trace elements were present as well as a low enough redox potential. Introduction Hydrocarbons are known to be formed through the reduction of CO2 by H2 in the so called Fischer-Tropsch Type or Sabatier reaction in hydrothermal systems (Charlou 2002; Holm 1998; Rushdi A. 2001), but the temperatures used are often higher than at least 100° C. (McCollom 2009). Hydrocarbon and/or hydrogen formation in lower temperature environments would expand the plausible sites for the existence and growth of microbial communities and possibly also t...

In case of emergency disaster managers worldwide require immediate information on affected areas and estimations of the number of affected people. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, wind and ice storms often involve failures in the electrical power generation system and grid. Near real time identification of power blackouts gives a first impression of the area affected by the event (Elvidge et al. 2007), which can subsequently be linked to population estimations. Power blackouts ...

The time-frame for the development of the Ibero-Armorican Arc (IAA)(West European Variscan Belt), as a bend of a previously more linear orogenic belt, has recently been constrained paleomagnetically as an orocline in the Cantabrian Zone, northern Iberia (the core of the arc)(Weil et al, 2001, 2010). According to the known evidence, oroclinal generation took place in the uppermost Carboniferous-lowermost Permian, between about 310 and 295 Ma, and it is interpreted to have been ultimately caused by the self- ...

The solution of the fully compressible Euler equations of stratified flows is approached from the point of view of Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques. Specifically, the main aim of this contribution is the introduction of a Variational Multiscale Finite Element (CVMS-FE) approach to solve ...

"English abstract (main article in Danish)
"
Out of pocket payments, waiting lists and taxes: personal responsibility in health?
The idea of personal responsibility is a prominent feature of political and ethical debate over health and healthcare. When peoples choices and behaviour influences their health it seems initially plausible to suggests that such choices comes with a responsibility. Though intuitively appealing the idea of personal responsibility in health has been met with strong opposition. It is often suggested that it overlooks social determinants in health, would leave the imprudent to a harsh fate or introduce intrusive measures to access and determine the extent of people’s contribution to their own bad health. A natural entry point to this discussion is the choice sensitive theory of luck egalitarianism. When applied to health some versions of this approach seems in principle able to avoid such criticism and in practice minimise their relevance.

Plant species to be used in phytoremediation (either for extraction or for immobilisation of the pollutants) must be adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the area to be recovered. In addition, those species have to show tolerance to the contaminants to overcome soil toxicity. Seven different species were examined to determine their tolerance and their ability to accumulate metals, in a range of polluted soils from the “Sierra Minera of Cartagena-La Union” mining site (SE Spain). The response of the plants to the addition of soil amendments was also studied for phytoremediation purpouses. The growth and metal (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) accumulation of crop (Beta vulgaris,L., Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., Lupinus albus, L. and Raphanus sativus, L.) and native species (Beta maritima L., Atriplex halimus L., and Moricandia arvensis (L.) D.C.) were studied in field and pot experiments. Different soil organic (cow manure and solid olive mill waste) and inorganic (EDTA) amendment...

This paper is seeking to launch and to integrate data acquiring and processing technologies, technologies that are subordinated to geological and geophysical techniques, for the evaluation of land properties and of the state of land degradation in areas where natural and antropical hazards related to shallow layers’ dynamics are probable. Since evaluating and diminishing land degradation process due to landslides ( took as in its extensive meaning) demand data regarding physical and geological characteristics of the lithologic complexes implied, the project has as a main objective to increase the possibility for the principal geophysical methods of shallow land layers’ resolute investigation ( seismometry, electrometry). In Romania, in 2001, law 575 was adopted: “Law regarding the approval of the Plan for the national territory fitting outSection VNatural risk areas”. It mentions that a Romania “Landslides Risk Map” should be edited. In these circumstances, in order to establish the...

... Authors: Ramier, D.; Guichard, F.; Cappelaere, B.; Kergoat, L.; Galle, S.; Timouk, F.; Boulain, N.; Boucher, M.; Taylor, C.; Boone, A. ... Cedex 5, France (ramier@msem.univ-montp2.fr / (33) 467 144 774)), AD(CESBIO (CNES, CNRS, IRD, UPS), 18 avenue Edouard Belin, bpi 2801 ...

The Eocene-Oligocene transition represents the biggest biotic turnover in the Cenozoic, involving both terrestrial and marine realms. In this study we present the results obtained by a quantitative analysis of late Eocene-early Oligocene (35.5-33.1 Ma) calcareous ...

... Authors: Alencoao, A.; Reis, A.; Pereira, MG; Liberato, MLR; Caramelo, L.; Amraoui, M.; Amorim, V. ... On the other hand, teaching in Geosciences is more and more based on practical methodologies which use didactic material, sustaining teachers' pedagogical practices and ...

In view of the recent and serious flood events occurred in latest years in Italy, the interest towards accurate methodology for the evaluation of flood prone areas is continually increasing. In particular, this issue is related to urbanization planning activities, civil protection actions (e.g. hydraulic risk warning systems), and the assessment of hydraulic engineering structures behaviour during severe hydrometeorological conditions. In Italy, following the publishing in the late 90's of many laws and regulations concerning hydraulic risk assessment matters, a widespread flooding areas mapping have been carried out (Italian Basin Authorities "PAI" plans). In case of limited availability of historical peak flow data, the flood prone areas estimation was based on the application of hydrologic and hydraulic modelling separately. Moreover, the recent directive 2007/60/EC on the assessment and management of flood risks requires from each member state: preliminary flood risk assessment (within December 2011), flood hazard maps and flood risk maps (within December 2013), flood risk management plans (within December 2015). In order to prevent and control flood events in medium-small river basins (e.g. Upper Tiber River basin, Central Italy), the use of hydrologic models coupled with hydraulic ones can be a valuable tool also for real time applications, such as flood risk mitigation and warning activities of the Italian National Warning System Network (composed by regional "Functional Centres" coordinated by the National Civil Protection Department). In this context, two significant flood events occurred in November 2005 and December 2008 in the Umbria Region territory were considered. In this area a hydrometeorological network, characterized by a high temporal and spatial resolution, is operating in real time. Different coupled models were considered to reproduce the selected events, in order to test and compare their reliability and efficiency. Specifically, two semi-distributed models (MISD model and HEC-HMS model) and two hydraulic models (DHI-MIKE11 and HEC-RAS) were chosen and applied in the Tiber River at Monte Molino section (5270 km2). After the calibrating procedure, the models were used to produce floodplain maps and then for the delineation of dynamic flood hazard and risk scenarios, useful for real-time risk management. The proposed calibration procedure was found to be characterized by a strong reliability due to the fact that a lot of information are available for the two chosen events. In particular, there were detailed hydrometeorological data, such as rainfall records in most of the pluviometric stations located in the basin and hydrometric levels collected in more than one point along the main channel reach. Moreover, from the local "territorial presidium" it was possible to collect non-instrumental information, such as the number and location of embankment failures and other direct observations. Lastly, for these events remote sensing observations of actual flooded areas were also available. Together with hydrometric recorded levels and computed discharges (disposing of reliable rating curves yearly controlled), these last information were extremely useful during the calibration process. Final results showed how useful this tool is for reliable flood risk mitigation activities (mapping and risk assessment as well as real time applications) especially when inundations occur.

Analytical and numerical modeling techniques are jointly applied to simulate geophysical processes in the Earth's crust. The methods are of a complementary nature. Analytical models have been used traditionally due to the lightness of the request computational resources but they are ...

Topographic data acquisition with LiDAR technology, airborne or terrestrial, has become the state-of-the-art procedure for Earth surface surveying. For glacier monitoring different remote sensing technologies are used for many years. With the advent of airborne LiDAR a paradigm shift in glacier monitoring has taken place. Eight years ago pioneer work within glacier surface surveying and monitoring has been carried out

The Eocene-Oligocene transition represents the biggest biotic turnover in the Cenozoic, involving both terrestrial and marine realms. In this study we present the results obtained by a quantitative analysis of late Eocene-early Oligocene (35.533.1 Ma) calcareous nannofossil assemblages from ODP Site 1090 Hole B (Leg 177). This Hole is located on the southern flank of the Agulhas Ridge on the Subantarctic sector of the Atlantic Ocean (42°54′S), and lies along the boundary between the North Atlantic Deep Water and the Circumpolar Deep Water. Thanks to its position above the Carbonate Compensation Depth (3702 m), the nannofossil assemblage preservation is from poor to good in most of the section, even thought some intervals are barren. A well-preserved magnetostratigraphic signal along all of the section and nannofossil biostratigraphy provided the time framework essential for interpreting the assemblage variations. Within a high resolution biostratigraphic framework and through the co...