bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An extremely rare intersection: Neurolymphomatosis in a patient with burkitt lymphoma detected by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography
Authors: Oner Ali , Okuyucu Kursat , Alagoz Engin , Battal Bilal , Arslan Nuri
Published: December 2015

Neurolymphomatosis (NL) is a rarely seen neurologic involvement of the systematic lymphoma. Its diagnosis is challenging, and requires biopsy. In cases where biopsy is not appropriate, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) may aid in diagnosis. Here, we present a 54-year old male patient diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma who underwent FDG-PET/CT in order to evaluate the treatment response after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. On viewing PET/CT images of the patient who complained of pain and weakness in his upper extremities after therapy, linear FDG uptake was observed in bilateral cervical 5 (C5), left cervical 6 (C6), bilateral cervical 7 (C7), and right lumbar 4 (L4) nerve roots. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed dilation and thickening of nerve roots consisted with FDG uptake observed on PET/CT images. Since biopsy was not performed, histopathological diagnosis could not be established. However, overlapping of clinical, PET/CT, and MRI findings strongly suggested the presence of NL. As is the case of this patient, in cases with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a combined evaluation of FDG-PET/CT and MRI modalities aid in the establishment of the diagnosis of NL.
Radiation-induced leiomyosarcoma of the oral cavity: A rare occurrence detected on 18F-FDG PET/CT
Authors: Siraj Fouzia , Dalal Varsha , Kaur Manveen , Suri Kapil
Published: December 2015

Radiation-induced sarcomas (RIS) or postirradiation sarcomas have been reported as a rare long-term complication of radiation therapy (RT). The survival benefit offered by radiotherapy has been masked by an increase in the incidence of these sarcomas, thus making radiotherapy a double-edged sword. RIS generally develop with a mean latency period of 10-15 years and encompass different histological types. We report a case of oral leiomyosarcoma with a rather short latency period of 4 years after the radiotherapy of the prior oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) detected on fluorine-18 (18F)-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). The rarity of occurrence of leiomyosarcoma in the oral cavity is also highlighted.
Unsteady MHD Non-Darcian Flow Over a Vertical Stretching Plate Embedded in a Porous Medium with Thermal Non-Equilibrium Model
Authors: Prakash D. , Muthtamilselvan M. , Niu Xiao-Dong
Published: December 2015

An analysis is performed to study the influence of local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) on unsteady MHD laminar boundary layer flow of viscous, incompressible fluid over a vertical stretching plate embedded in a sparsely packed porous medium in the presence of heat generation/absorption. The flow in the porous medium is governed by Brinkman-Forchheimer extended Darcy model. A uniform heat source or sink is presented in the solid phase. By applying similarity analysis, the governing partial differential equations are transformed into a set of time dependent non-linear coupled ordinary differential equations and they are solved numerically by Runge-Kutta Fehlberg method along with shooting technique. The obtained results are displayed graphically to illustrate the influence of different physical parameters on the velocity, temperature profile and heat transfer rate for both fluid and solid phases. Moreover, the numerical results obtained in this study are compared with the existing literature in the case of LTE and found that they are in good agreement.
Improving the Stability of the Multiple-Relaxation-Time Lattice Boltzmann Method by a Viscosity Counteracting Approach
Authors: Zhang Chunze , Cheng Yongguang , Huang Shan , Wu Jiayang
Published: December 2015

Numerical instability may occur when simulating high Reynolds number flows by the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) model of the LBM can improve the accuracy and stability, but is still subject to numerical instability when simulating flows with large single-grid Reynolds number (Reynolds number/grid number). The viscosity counteracting approach proposed recently is a method of enhancing the stability of the LBM. However, its effectiveness was only verified in the single-relaxation-time model of the LBM (SRT-LBM). This paper aims to propose the viscosity counteracting approach for the multiple-relaxation-time model (MRT-LBM) and analyze its numerical characteristics. The verification is conducted by simulating some benchmark cases: the two-dimensional (2D) lid-driven cavity flow, Poiseuille flow, Taylor-Green vortex flow and Couette flow, and three-dimensional (3D) rectangular jet. Qualitative and Quantitative comparisons show that the viscosity counteracting approach for the MRT-LBM has better accuracy and stability than that for the SRT-LBM.
First salt making in Europe: an overview from Neolithic times
Authors: Weller Olivier
Published: December 2015

This paper deals with the origin of salt production and discusses different approaches ranging from technology, ethnoarchaeology and paleoenvironmental studies to chemical analyses. Starting from the current research on the Neolithic exploitation of salt in Europe, we examine the types and nature of the salt resources (sea water, salt springs, soil or rock), the diversity of archaeological evidence of forms of salt working. We also scrutinize the types of production for these early forms of salt exploitation, with or without the use of crudely fired clay vessels (briquetage). Finally, we contextualise the socio-economic dimensions and highlight both the diversity of salt products and their characteristics, which go well beyond dietary roles.
The oldest pottery in hunter-gatherer communitiesand models of Neolithisation of Eastern Europe
Authors: Mazurkevich A. , Dolbunova Ekaterina
Published: December 2015

The characteristics of the oldest pottery in Eastern Europe, located in three main regions, the Lower Don and Lower and Middle Volga, and a description of different Early Neolithic types of pottery production are described in this article. We present ideas on how and when the oldest pottery traditions were distributed through Eastern Europe according to radiocarbon dates. Also, models of the Neolithisation of Eastern Europe are suggested based on archaeological evidence and absolute chronology.
Pottery from the Volga area in the Samara and South Urals region from Eneolithic to Early Bronze Age
Authors: Morgunova Nina L.
Published: December 2015

The paper studies the evolution of pottery from the early Eneolithic period to the Early Bronze Age in the Volga area near Samara and South Ural in accordance with the typological and technological features of the ceramics peculiar to the Samara culture and the early stage of the Yamnaya (Pit-Grave) culture. It is concluded that the Early Bronze Age ceramics represent different traditions practiced by both local and migrating groups of the population. The study of the materials across different methods allow to conclude that pottery, metallurgy and cattle-breeding developed in step with each other and progressed continually in the second half of the Eneolithic period and the early Bronze Age.
Fifth and fourth millennium BC in north-western Iran: Dalma and Pisdeli revisited
Authors: Abedi Akbar , Omrani Behrooz , Karimifar Azam
Published: December 2015

This paper discusses the nature of Dalma and Pisdeli cultures, their regional and interregional interactions and expansions in 5th millennium BC. It discusses old and new excavations and surveys as well. According to the importance of the material from these periods found at newly-excavated sites such as Kul Tepe Jolfa, Dava Göz Khoy, Lavin Tepe, and Qosha Tepe, we briefly describe the main stratigraphic and material data from these sites. Old and new data from excavations and surveys eventually lead us to a new chronological table for the 5th millennium BC in north/western (NW) Iran. The implications of the finds are discussed along with their limitations and future research directions.
Preceramic, Aceramic or Early Ceramic? The radiocarbon dated beginning of the Neolithic in the Aegean
Authors: Reingruber Agathe
Published: December 2015

The Pre-Pottery-Neolithic refers to a period in the Eastern Mediterranean when ceramic containers were not yet in use (although small objects made of clay were already being created). This concept, which reflects a specific and quite unique stage in the development of human history, was introduced to Aegean prehistory under the term of Preceramic during the 1950’s (e.g., in Argissa Magoula and Sesklo). Shortly thereafter, a different term, the Aceramic, was applied in the Aegean (e.g., in Knossos) for levels devoid of pottery, although ceramic products were supposedly used in the wider region. In some cases, the thin levels interpreted as Preceramic or as Aceramic contained sherds that were regarded as being intrusive from above (e.g., Argissa-Magoula, Franchthi Cave). The new sequences of radiocarbon dates allow a more precise description of this early period and thereby contribute, not least, also to the clarification of terminological issues.
On the emissions and transport of bromoform: sensitivity to model resolution and emission location
Authors: Russo M. R. , Ashfold M. J. , Harris N. R. P. , Pyle J. A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Bromoform (CHBr3) is a short-lived species with an important but poorly quantified ocean source. It can be transported to the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL), in part by rapid, deep convective lifting, from where it can influence the global stratospheric ozone budget. In a modelling study, we investigate the importance of the regional distribution of the emissions and of model resolution for the transport of bromoform to the TTL. We use two idealized CHBr3 emission fields (one coastal, one uniformly distributed across the oceans) implemented in high- and coarse-resolution (HR and CR) versions of the same global model and focus on February as the period of peak convection in the West Pacific. Using outgoing long-wave radiation and precipitation as metrics, the HR version of the model is found to represent convection better. In the more realistic HR model version, the coastal emission scenario leads to 15–20 % more CHBr3 in the global TTL, and up to three times more CHBr3 in the TTL over the Maritime Continent, than when uniform emissions of the same tropical magnitude are employed. Using the uniform emission scenario in both model versions, the distribution of CHBr3 at 15.7 km (approximately the level of zero net radiative heating) is qualitatively consistent with the differing geographic distributions of convection. However, averaged over the whole tropics, the amount of CHBr3 in the TTL in the two model versions is similar. Using the coastal scenario, in which emissions are particularly high in the Maritime Continent because of its long coastlines, the mixing ratio of CHBr3 in the TTL is enhanced over the Maritime Continent in both model versions. The enhancement is larger, and the peak in CHBr3 mixing ratio occurs at a higher altitude, in the HR model version. Our regional-scale results indicate that using aircraft measurements and coarse global models to infer CHBr3 emissions will be very difficult, particularly if (as is possible) emissions are distributed heterogeneously and in regions of strong convective activity. In contrast, the global-scale agreement between our CR and HR calculations suggests model resolution is less vital for studies focused on the transport of bromine into the global stratosphere.
The global tropospheric ammonia distribution as seen in the 13 year AIRS measurement record
Authors: Warner J. X. , Wei Z. , Strow L. L. , Dickerson R. R. , Nowak J. B.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Ammonia (NH3) plays an increasingly important role in the global biogeochemical cycle of reactive nitrogen as well as in aerosol formation and climate. We present extensive and nearly continuous global ammonia measurements made by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) from the Aqua satellite to identify and quantify major persistent and episodic sources as well as to characterize seasonality. We examine the 13 year period from September 2002 through August 2015 with a retrieval algorithm using an optimal estimation technique with a set of three, spatially and temporally uniform a priori profiles. Vertical profiles show good agreement (~5–15 %) between AIRS NH3 and the in situ profiles from the winter 2013 DISCOVER-AQ field campaign in central California, despite the likely biases due to spatial resolution differences between the two instruments. AIRS captures the strongest consistent NH3 emissions from the anthropogenic (agricultural) source regions, such as, South Asia (India/Pakistan), China, the US, parts of Europe, SE Asia (Thailand/Myanmar/Laos), the central portion of South America, as well as Western and Northern Africa. These correspond primarily to croplands with extensive animal feeding operations and fertilizer applications where a summer maximum and secondary spring maximum are reliably observable. In the Southern Hemisphere (SH) regular agricultural fires contribute to a spring maximum. Regions of strong episodic emissions include Russia and Alaska as well as parts of South America, Africa, and Indonesia. Biomass burning, especially wildfires, dominate these episodic NH3 emissions.
Mercury dynamics and mass balance in a subtropical forest, southwestern China
Authors: Ma M. , Wang D. , Du H. , Sun T. , Zhao Z. , Wang Y. , Wei S.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The mid-subtropical forest area in southwest China was affected by anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions over the past three decades. We quantified mercury dynamics on the forest field and measured fluxes and pools of Hg in litterfall, throughfall, stream water and forest soil in an evergreen broad-leaf forest field in southwestern China. Total Hg (THg) input by the throughfall and litterfall were assessed at 32.2 and 42.9 μg m−2 yr−1, respectively, which were obviously higher than those formerly observed from other forest fields in the background of North America and Europe. Hg fluxes across the soil/air interface (18.6 μg m−2 yr−1) and runoff/stream flow (7.2 μg m−2 yr−1) were regarded as the dominant ways for THg export from the forest field. The forest field hosts an enormous amount of atmospheric Hg, and its reserves were estimated to 25 341 μg m2. The ratio of output to input Hg fluxes (0.34) is higher comparing with other study sites. The higher output/input ratio may represent an important ecological risk for the downstream aquatic ecosystems, even if~the forest field could be an effective sink of Hg.
What controls the low ice number concentration in the upper troposphere?
Authors: Zhou C. , Penner J. E. , Lin G. , Liu X. , Wang M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Cirrus clouds in the tropical tropopause play a key role in regulating the moisture entering the stratosphere through their dehydrating effect. Low ice number concentrations (< 200 L-1) and high supersaturations (150–160 %) have been observed in these clouds. Different mechanisms have been proposed to explain these low ice number concentrations, including the inhibition of homogeneous freezing by the deposition of water vapour onto pre-existing ice crystals, heterogeneous ice formation on glassy organic aerosol ice nuclei (IN), and limiting the formation of ice number from high frequency gravity waves. In this study, we examined the effect from three different representations of updraft velocities, the effect from pre-existing ice crystals, the effect from different water vapour deposition coefficients (α = 0.1 or 1), and the effect of 0.1 % of the total secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles acting as IN. Model simulated ice crystal numbers are compared against an aircraft observational dataset. Including the effect from water vapour deposition on pre-existing ice particles can effectively reduce simulated in-cloud ice number concentrations for all model set-ups. A larger water vapour deposition coefficient (α = 1) can also efficiently reduce ice number concentrations at temperatures below 205 K but less so at higher temperatures. SOA acting as IN are most effective at reducing ice number concentrations when the effective updraft velocities are moderate (∼ 0.05–0.2 m s-1). However, the effects of including SOA as IN and using (α = 1) are diminished when the effect from pre-existing ice is included. When a grid resolved large-scale updraft velocity (< 0.1 m s-1) is used, the ice nucleation parameterization with homogeneous freezing only or with both homogeneous freezing and heterogeneous nucleation is able to generate low ice number concentrations in good agreement with observations for temperatures below 205 K as long as the pre-existing ice effect is included. For the moderate updraft velocity (∼ 0.05–0.2 m s-1) simulated ice number concentrations in good agreement with observations at temperatures below 205 K can be achieved if effects from pre-existing ice, a larger water vapour deposition coefficient (α = 1) and SOA IN are all included. Using the sub-grid scale turbulent kinetic energy based updraft velocity (∼ 0–2 m s-1) always overestimates the ice number concentrations at temperatures below 205 K but compares well with observations at temperatures above 205 K when the pre-existing ice effect is included.
Contribution of oil and natural gas production to renewed increase of atmospheric methane (2007–2014): top-down estimate from ethane and methane column observations
Authors: Hausmann P. , Sussmann R. , Smale D.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Harmonized time series of column-averaged mole fractions of atmospheric methane and ethane over the period 1999–2014 are derived from solar Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements at the Zugspitze summit (47° N, 2964 m a.s.l.) and at Lauder (45° S, 370 m a.s.l.). Long-term trend analysis reveals a consistent renewed methane increase since 2007 of 6.2 [5.6, 6.9] ppb yr−1 at the Zugspitze and 6.0 [5.3, 6.7] ppb yr−1 at Lauder (95 % confidence intervals). Several recent studies provide pieces of evidence that the renewed methane increase is most likely driven by two main factors: (i) increased methane emissions from tropical wetlands, followed by (ii) increased thermogenic methane emissions due to growing oil and natural gas production. Here, we quantify the magnitude of the second class of sources, using long-term measurements of atmospheric ethane as tracer for thermogenic methane emissions. In 2007, after years of weak decline, the Zugspitze ethane time series shows the sudden onset of a significant positive trend (2.3 [1.8, 2.8] × 10-2 ppb yr−1 for 2007–2014), while a negative trend persists at Lauder after 2007 (−0.4 [−0.6, −0.1] × 10-2 ppb yr−1). Zugspitze methane and ethane time series are significantly correlated for the period 2007–2014 and can be assigned to thermogenic methane emissions with an ethane-to-methane ratio of 10–21 %. We present optimized emission scenarios for 2007–2014 derived from an atmospheric two-box model. From our trend observations we infer a total ethane emission increase over the period 2007–2014 from oil and natural gas sources of 1–11 Tg yr−1 along with an overall methane emission increase of 24–45 Tg yr−1. Based on these results, the oil and natural gas emission contribution C to the renewed methane increase is deduced using three different emission scenarios with dedicated ranges of methane-to-ethane ratios (MER). Reference scenario 1 assumes an oil and gas emission combination with MER = 3.3–7.6, which results in a minimum contribution C > 28 % (given as lower bound of 99 % confidence interval). For the limiting cases of pure oil-related emissions with MER = 1.7–3.3 (scenario 2) and pure natural gas sources with MER = 7.6–12.1 (scenario 3) the results are C > 13 % and C > 53 %, respectively. Our results suggest that long-term observations of column-averaged ethane provide a valuable constraint on the source attribution of methane emission changes and provide basic knowledge for developing effective climate change mitigation strategies.
The airborne mass spectrometer AIMS – Part 2: Measurements of trace gases with stratospheric or tropospheric origin in the UTLS
Authors: Jurkat T. , Kaufmann S. , Voigt C. , Schäuble D. , Jeßberger P. , Ziereis H.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Understanding the role of climate-sensitive trace gas variabilities in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere region (UTLS) and their impact on its radiative budget requires accurate measurements. The composition of the UTLS is governed by transport and chemistry of stratospheric and tropospheric constituents, such as chlorine, nitrogen oxide and sulphur components. The Airborne chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer AIMS has been developed to accurately measure a set of these constituents on aircraft by means of chemical ionization. Here we present a setup using chemical ionization with SF5− reagent ions for the simultaneous measurement of trace gas concentrations in the pptv to ppmv (10−12 to 10−6 mol mol−1) range of HCl, HNO3 and SO2 with in-flight and online calibration called AIMS-TG. Part 1 of this paper (Kaufmann et al., 2015) reports on the UTLS water vapour measurements with the AIMS-H2O configuration. The instrument can be flexibly switched between two configurations depending on the scientific objective of the mission. For AIMS-TG, a custom-made gas discharge ion source has been developed generating a characteristic ionization scheme. HNO3 and HCl are routinely calibrated in-flight using permeation devices, SO2 is permanently calibrated during flight adding an isotopically labelled 34SO2 standard. In addition, we report on trace gas measurements of HONO which is sensitive to the reaction with SF5−. The detection limit for the various trace gases is in the low ten pptv range at a 1 s time resolution with an overall uncertainty of the measurement in the order of 20 %. AIMS has been integrated and successfully operated on the DLR research aircraft Falcon and HALO. Exemplarily, measurements conducted during the TACTS/ESMVal mission with HALO in 2012 are presented, focusing on a classification of tropospheric and stratospheric influences in the UTLS region. Comparison of AIMS measurements with other measurement techniques allow to draw a comprehensive picture of the sulphur, chlorine and reactive nitrogen oxide budget in the UTLS. The combination of the trace gases measured with AIMS exhibit the potential to gain a better understanding of the trace gas origin and variability at and near the tropopause.
Do land surface models need to include differential plant species responses to drought? Examining model predictions across a mesic-xeric gradient in Europe
Authors: De Kauwe M. G. , Zhou S.-X. , Medlyn B. E. , Pitman A. J. , Wang Y.-P. , Duursma R. A. , Prentice I. C.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Future climate change has the potential to increase drought in many regions of the globe, making it essential that land surface models (LSMs) used in coupled climate models realistically capture the drought responses of vegetation. Recent data syntheses show that drought sensitivity varies considerably among plants from different climate zones, but state-of-the-art LSMs currently assume the same drought sensitivity for all vegetation. We tested whether variable drought sensitivities are needed to explain the observed large-scale patterns of drought impact on the carbon, water and energy fluxes. We implemented data-driven drought sensitivities in the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) LSM and evaluated alternative sensitivities across a latitudinal gradient in Europe during the 2003 heatwave. The model predicted an overly abrupt onset of drought unless average soil water potential was calculated with dynamic weighting across soil layers. We found that high drought sensitivity at the most mesic sites, and low drought sensitivity at the most xeric sites, was necessary to accurately model responses during drought. Our results indicate that LSMs will over-estimate drought impacts in drier climates unless different sensitivity of vegetation to drought is taken into account.
Coastal upwelling off Peru and Mauritania inferred from helium isotope disequilibrium
Authors: Steinfeldt R. , Sültenfuß J. , Dengler M. , Fischer T. , Rhein M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Upwelling is an important process, bringing gases and nutrients into the ocean mixed layer. The upwelling velocities, however, are too small to be measured directly. Here we use the surface disequilibrium of the 3He / 4He ratio measured in two coastal upwelling regions off Peru in the Pacific ocean and off Mauritania in the Atlantic ocean to calculate the regional distribution of vertical velocities. To also account for the fluxes by diapycnal mixing, microstructure-based observations of the vertical diffusivity have been performed on all four cruises analysed in this study. The upwelling velocities in the coastal regions vary between 1.1 ± 0.3 × 10−5 and 2.8 ± 1.5 × 10−5 m s−1 for all cruises. Vertical velocities are also inferred from the divergence of the wind-driven Ekman transport. In the coastal regimes, both methods agree within the error range. Further offshore, the helium-derived vertical velocity still reaches 1 × 10−5 m s−1, whereas the wind-driven upwelling from Ekman suction is smaller by up to 1 order of magnitude. One reason for this difference is ascribed to eddy-induced upwelling. Both advective and diffusive nutrient fluxes into the mixed layer are calculated based on the helium-derived vertical velocities and the vertical diffusivities. The advective part of these fluxes makes up at about 50 % of the total. The nutrient flux into the mixed layer in the coastal upwelling regimes is equivalent to a net community production (NCP) of 1.3 ± 0.3 g C m2 d−1 off Peru and 1.6–2.1 ± 0.5 g C m2 d−1 off Mauritania.
Seasonal dynamics of carbon and nutrients from two contrasting tropical floodplain systems in the Zambezi River basin
Authors: Zuijdgeest A. L. , Zurbrügg R. , Blank N. , Fulcri R. , Senn D. B. , Wehrli B.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Floodplains are important biogeochemical reactors during fluvial transport of carbon and nutrient species towards the oceans. In the tropics and subtropics, pronounced rainfall seasonality results in highly dynamic floodplain biogeochemistry. The massive construction of dams, however, has significantly altered the hydrography and chemical characteristics of many (sub)tropical rivers. In this study, we compare organic-matter and nutrient biogeochemistry of two large, contrasting floodplains in the Zambezi River basin in southern Africa: the Barotse Plains and the Kafue Flats. Both systems are of comparable size but differ in anthropogenic influence: while the Barotse Plains are still in large parts pristine, the Kafue Flats are bordered by two hydropower dams. The two systems exhibit different flooding dynamics, with a larger contribution of floodplain-derived water in the Kafue Flats and a stronger peak flow in the Barotse Plains. Distinct seasonal differences have been observed in carbon and nutrient concentrations, loads, and export and retention behavior in both systems. The simultaneous retention of particulate carbon and nitrogen and the net export of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon and nitrogen suggested that degradation of particulate organic matter was the dominant process influencing the river biogeochemistry during the wet season in the Barotse Plains and during the dry season in the Kafue Flats. Reverse trends during the dry season indicated that primary production was important in the Barotse Plains, whereas the Kafue Flats seemed to have both primary production and respiration occurring during the wet season, potentially occurring spatially separated in the main channel and on the floodplain. Carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of particulate organic matter showed that soil-derived material was dominant year-round in the Barotse Plains, whereas the Kafue Flats transported particulate organic matter that had been produced in the upstream reservoir during the wet season. Stable carbon isotopes suggested that inputs from the inundated floodplain to the particulate organic-matter pool were important during the wet season, whereas permanent vegetation contributed to the material transported during the dry season. This study revealed effects of dam construction on organic-matter and nutrient dynamics on the downstream floodplain that only become visible after longer periods, and it highlights how floodplains act as large biogeochemical reactors that can behave distinctly differently from the entire catchment.
A probabilistic assessment of calcium carbonate export and dissolution in the modern ocean
Authors: Battaglia G. , Steinacher M. , Joos F.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The marine cycle of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is an important element of the carbon cycle and co-governs the distribution of carbon and alkalinity within the ocean. However, CaCO3 fluxes and mechanisms governing CaCO3 dissolution are highly uncertain. We present an observationally-constrained, probabilistic assessment of the global and regional CaCO3 budgets. Parameters governing pelagic CaCO3 export fluxes and dissolution rates are sampled using a Latin-Hypercube scheme to construct a 1000 member ensemble with the Bern3D ocean model. Ensemble results are constrained by comparing simulated and observation-based fields of excess dissolved calcium carbonate (TA*). The minerals calcite and aragonite are modelled explicitly and ocean–sediment fluxes are considered. For local dissolution rates either a strong, a weak or no dependency on CaCO3 saturation is assumed. Median (68 % confidence interval) global CaCO3 export is 0.82 (0.67–0.98) Gt PIC yr−1, within the lower half of previously published estimates (0.4–1.8 Gt PIC yr−1). The spatial pattern of CaCO3 export is broadly consistent with earlier assessments. Export is large in the Southern Ocean, the tropical Indo–Pacific, the northern Pacific and relatively small in the Atlantic. Dissolution within the 200 to 1500 m depth range (0.33; 0.26–0.40 Gt PIC yr−1) is substantially lower than inferred from the TA*-CFC age method (1 ± 0.5 Gt PIC yr−1). The latter estimate is likely biased high as the TA*-CFC method neglects transport. The constrained results are robust across a range of diapycnal mixing coefficients and, thus, ocean circulation strengths. Modelled ocean circulation and transport time scales for the different setups were further evaluated with CFC11 and radiocarbon observations. Parameters and mechanisms governing dissolution are hardly constrained by either the TA* data or the current compilation of CaCO3 flux measurements such that model realisations with and without saturation-dependent dissolution achieve skill. We suggest to apply saturation-independent dissolution rates in Earth System Models to minimise computational costs.
Evidence for methane production by marine algae (Emiliana huxleyi) and its implication for the methane paradox in oxic waters
Authors: Lenhart K. , Klintzsch T. , Langer G. , Nehrke G. , Bunge M. , Schnell S. , Keppler F.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Methane (CH4), an important greenhouse gas that affects radiation balance and consequently the earth's climate, still has uncertainties in its sinks and sources. The world's oceans are considered to be a source of CH4 to the atmosphere, although the biogeochemical processes involved in its formation are not fully understood. Several recent studies provided strong evidence of CH4 production in oxic marine and freshwaters but its source is still a topic of debate. Studies of CH4 dynamics in surface waters of oceans and large lakes have concluded that pelagic CH4 supersaturation cannot be sustained either by lateral inputs from littoral or benthic inputs alone. However, frequently regional and temporal oversaturation of surface waters occurs. This comprises the observation of a CH4 oversaturating state within the surface mixed layer, sometimes also termed the "oceanic methane paradox". In this study we considered marine algae as a possible direct source of CH4. Therefore, the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi was grown under controlled laboratory conditions and supplemented with two 13C-labelled carbon substrates, namely bicarbonate and a position-specific 13C-labelled methionine (R-S-13CH3). The CH4 production was 0.7 μg POC g−1 d−1, or 30 ng g−1 POC h−1. After supplementation of the cultures with the 13C labelled substrate, the isotope label was observed in headspace-CH4. Moreover, the absence of methanogenic archaea within the algal culture and the oxic conditions during CH4 formation suggest that marine algae such as Emiliania huxleyi contribute to the observed spatial and temporal restricted CH4 oversaturation in ocean surface waters.
Challenges associated with modeling low-oxygen waters in Chesapeake Bay: a multiple model comparison
Authors: Irby I. D. , Friedrichs M. A. M. , Friedrichs C. T. , Bever A. J. , Hood R. R. , Lanerolle L. W. J. , Scully M. E. , Sellner K. , Shen J. , Testa J. , Li M. , Wang H. , Wang P. , Linker L. , Xia M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. As three-dimensional (3-D) aquatic ecosystem models are becoming used more frequently for operational water quality forecasts and ecological management decisions, it is important to understand the relative strengths and limitations of existing 3-D models of varying spatial resolution and biogeochemical complexity. To this end, two-year simulations of the Chesapeake Bay from eight hydrodynamic-oxygen models have been statistically compared to each other and to historical monitoring data. Results show that although models have difficulty resolving the variables typically thought to be the main drivers of dissolved oxygen variability (stratification, nutrients, and chlorophyll), all eight models have significant skill in reproducing the mean and seasonal variability of dissolved oxygen. In addition, models with constant net respiration rates independent of nutrient supply and temperature reproduced observed dissolved oxygen concentrations about as well as much more complex, nutrient-dependent biogeochemical models. This finding has significant ramifications for short-term hypoxia forecasts in the Chesapeake Bay, which may be possible with very simple oxygen parameterizations, in contrast to the more complex full biogeochemical models required for scenario-based forecasting. However, models have difficulty simulating correct density and oxygen mixed layer depths, which are important ecologically in terms of habitat compression. Observations indicate a much stronger correlation between the depths of the top of the pycnocline and oxycline than between their maximum vertical gradients, highlighting the importance of the mixing depth in defining the region of aerobic habitat in the Chesapeake Bay when low-oxygen bottom waters are present. Improvement in hypoxia simulations will thus depend more on the ability of models to reproduce the correct mean and variability of the depth of the physically driven surface mixed layer than the precise magnitude of the vertical density gradient.
Late Holocene vegetation changes in relation with climate fluctuations and human activity in Languedoc (southern France)
Authors: Azuara J. , Combourieu-Nebout N. , Lebreton V. , Mazier F. , Müller S. D. , Dezileau L.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Holocene climate fluctuations and human activity since the Neolithic have shaped present-day Mediterranean environments. Separating anthropogenic effects from climatic impacts to better understand Mediterranean paleoenvironmental changes over the last millennia remains a challenging issue. High-resolution pollen analyses were undertaken on two cores from the Palavasian lagoon system (Hérault, southern France). These records allow reconstruction of vegetation dynamics over the last 4500 years. Results are compared with climatic, historical and archeological archives. A long-term aridification trend is highlighted during the late Holocene, and three superimposed arid events are recorded at 4600–4300, 2800–2400 and 1300–1100 cal BP. These periods of high-frequency climate variability coincide in time with the rapid climatic events observed in the Atlantic Ocean (Bond et al., 2001). From the Bronze Age (4000 cal BP) to the end of the Iron Age (around 2000 cal BP), the spread of sclerophyllous taxa and loss of forest cover result from anthropogenic impact. Classical Antiquity is characterized by a major reforestation event related to the concentration of rural activity and populations in coastal plains leading to forest recovery in the mountains. A major regional deforestation occurred at the beginning of the High Middle Ages. Around 1000 cal BP, forest cover is minimal while the cover of olive, chestnut and walnut expands in relation to increasing human influence. The present-day vegetation dominated by Mediterranean shrubland and pines has been in existence since the beginning of the 20th century.
Climate variability and long-term expansion of peat lands in Arctic Norway during the late Pliocene (ODP Site 642, Norwegian Sea)
Authors: Panitz S. , Salzmann U. , Risebrobakken B. , De Schepper S. , Pound M. J.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Little is known about the terrestrial response of high latitude Scandinavian vegetation to the warmer-than-present climate of the Late Pliocene (Piacenzian, 3.60–2.58 Ma). In order to assess Piacenzian terrestrial climate variability we present the first high resolution reconstruction of vegetation and climate change in northern Norway between 3.6–3.14 Ma. The reconstructions are derived from pollen assemblages in the marine sediments of ODP Hole 642B, Norwegian Sea (67° N). The palynological assemblages provide a unique record of latitudinal and altitudinal shifting of the forest boundaries, with vegetation alternating between cool temperate forest during warmer-than-present intervals, and boreal forest similar to today during cooler intervals. The northern boundary of the nemoral to boreonemoral forest zone was displaced at least 4–8° further north and warmest month temperatures were 6–14.5 °C higher than present during warm phases. Warm climatic conditions persisted during the earliest Piacenzian (ca. 3.6–3.47 Ma) with diverse cool temperate nemoral to boreonemoral forests growing in the lowlands of the Scandinavian mountains. A distinct cooling event at ca. 3.47 Ma resulted in a southward shift of vegetation boundaries, leading to the predominance of boreal forest and the development of open, low alpine environments. The cooling culminated around 3.3 Ma, coinciding with Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) M2. Warmer climate conditions returned after ca. 3.29 Ma with higher climate variability indicated by the repeated expansion of forests and peat lands during warmer and cooler periods, respectively. Climate progressively cooled after 3.18 Ma, resembling climatic conditions during MIS M2. A high variability of Norwegian vegetation and climate changes during the Piacenzian is superimposed on a long-term cooling trend. This cooling was accompanied by an expansion of Sphagnum peat lands that potentially contributed to the decline in atmospheric CO2-concentrations at the end of the Piacenzian warm period and facilitated ice growth through positive vegetation-snow albedo feedbacks. Correlations with other Northern Hemisphere vegetation records suggest hemisphere-wide effects of climate cooling.
Application of a fast and efficient algorithm to assess landslide-prone areas in sensitive clays in Sweden
Authors: Melchiorre C. , Tryggvason A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. We refine and test an algorithm for landslide susceptibility assessment in areas with sensitive clays. The algorithm uses soil data and digital elevation models to identify areas which may be prone to landslides and has been applied in Sweden for several years. The algorithm is very computationally efficient and includes an intelligent filtering procedure for identifying and removing small-scale artifacts in the hazard maps produced. Where information on bedrock depth is available, this can be included in the analysis, as can information on several soil-type-based cross-sectional angle thresholds for slip. We evaluate how processing choices such as of filtering parameters, local cross-sectional angle thresholds, and inclusion of bedrock depth information affect model performance. The specific cross-sectional angle thresholds used were derived by analyzing the relationship between landslide scarps and the quick-clay susceptibility index (QCSI). We tested the algorithm in the Göta River valley. Several different verification measures were used to compare results with observed landslides and thereby identify the optimal algorithm parameters. Our results show that even though a relationship between the cross-sectional angle threshold and the QCSI could be established, no significant improvement of the overall modeling performance could be achieved by using these geographically specific, soil-based thresholds. Our results indicate that lowering the cross-sectional angle threshold from 1 : 10 (the general value used in Sweden) to 1 : 13 improves results slightly. We also show that an application of the automatic filtering procedure that removes areas initially classified as prone to landslides not only removes artifacts and makes the maps visually more appealing, but it also improves the model performance.
Social media as an information source for rapid flood inundation mapping
Authors: Fohringer J. , Dransch D. , Kreibich H. , Schröter K.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. During and shortly after a disaster, data about the hazard and its consequences are scarce and not readily available. Information provided by eyewitnesses via social media is a valuable information source, which should be explored in a~more effective way. This research proposes a methodology that leverages social media content to support rapid inundation mapping, including inundation extent and water depth in the case of floods. The novelty of this approach is the utilization of quantitative data that are derived from photos from eyewitnesses extracted from social media posts and their integration with established data. Due to the rapid availability of these posts compared to traditional data sources such as remote sensing data, areas affected by a flood, for example, can be determined quickly. The challenge is to filter the large number of posts to a manageable amount of potentially useful inundation-related information, as well as to interpret and integrate the posts into mapping procedures in a timely manner. To support rapid inundation mapping we propose a methodology and develop "PostDistiller", a tool to filter geolocated posts from social media services which include links to photos. This spatial distributed contextualized in situ information is further explored manually. In an application case study during the June 2013 flood in central Europe we evaluate the utilization of this approach to infer spatial flood patterns and inundation depths in the city of Dresden.
Influence of meteorological factors on rockfall occurrence in a middle mountain limestone cliff
Authors: D'Amato J. , Hantz D. , Guerin A. , Jaboyedoff M. , Baillet L. , Mariscal A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The influence of meteorological conditions on rockfall occurrence has been often highlighted, but its knowledge is still not sufficient due to the lack of exhaustive and precise rockfall data bases. In this study, rockfalls have been detected in a limestone cliff by annual terrestrial laser scanning, and dated by photographic survey during 2.5 years. A near-continuous survey (1 photo each 10 mn) with a wide-angle lens have allowed dating 214 rockfalls larger than 0.1 m3, and a monthly survey with a telephoto lens, dating 854 rockfalls larger than 0.01 m3. The analysis of the two data bases shows that the rockfall frequency can be multiplied by a factor as high as 7 during freeze–thaw episodes and 26 when the mean rainfall intensity (since the beginning of the rainfall episode) is higher than 5 mm h−1. Based on these results, a 4-level scale has been proposed for predicting the temporal variations of hazard. The more precise data base and freeze–thaw episode definition make it possible to distinguish different phases in freeze–thaw episodes: negative temperature cooling periods, negative temperature warming periods and thawing periods. It appears that rockfalls occur more frequently during warming and thawing periods than during cooling periods. It can be inferred that rockfalls are caused by thermal ice dilatation rather than by dilatation due to the phase transition. But they may occur only when the ice melt, because the cohesion of the ice–rock interface can be sufficient to hold the rock compartment which has been cut.
Simulation of the mantle and crustal helium isotope signature in the Mediterranean Sea using a high-resolution regional circulation model
Authors: Ayache M. , Dutay J.-C. , Jean-Baptiste P. , Fourré E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Helium isotopes (3He, 4He) are useful tracers for investigating the deep ocean circulation and for evaluating ocean general circulation models, because helium is a stable and conservative nuclide that does not take part in any chemical or biological process. Helium in the ocean originates from three different sources, namely, (i) gas dissolution in equilibrium with atmospheric helium, (ii) helium-3 addition by radioactive decay of tritium (called tritiugenic helium), and (iii) injection of terrigenic helium-3 and helium-4 by the submarine volcanic activity which occurs mainly at plate boundaries, and also addition of (mainly) helium-4 from the crust and sedimentary cover by α-decay of uranium and thorium contained in various minerals. We present the first simulation of the terrigenic helium isotope distribution in the whole Mediterranean Sea using a high-resolution model (NEMO-MED12). For this simulation we build a simple source function for terrigenic helium isotopes based on published estimates of terrestrial helium fluxes. We estimate a hydrothermal flux of 3.5 mol3 He yr−1 and a lower limit for the crustal flux at 1.6 × 10−7 4He mol m−2 yr−1. In addition to providing constraints on helium isotope degassing fluxes in the Mediterranean, our simulations provide information on the ventilation of the deep Mediterranean waters which is useful for assessing NEMO-MED12 performance. This study is part of the work carried out to assess the robustness of the NEMO-MED12 model, which will be used to study the evolution of the climate and its effect on the biogeochemical cycles in the Mediterranean Sea, and to improve our ability to predict the future evolution of the Mediterranean Sea under the increasing anthropogenic pressure.