Biomarker and stable carbon isotope analyses of sedimentary organic matter from Lake Tswaing: evidence for deglacial wetness and early Holocene drought from South Africa     

I. Kristen  H. Wilkes  A. Vieth  K.-G. Zink  B. Plessen  J. Thorpe  T. C. Partridge  H. Oberhänsli 《Journal of Paleolimnology》2010,44(1):143-160

Comparing the organic matter (OM) composition of modern and past lake sediments contributes to the understanding of changes in lacustrine environments over time. We investigate modern plant and lake-water samples as well as modern and ancient sediment samples from the Tswaing Crater in South Africa using biomarker and stable carbon isotope analyses on bulk OM and specific biomarker compounds. The characteristic molecular markers for higher land plants (predominantly C3-type deciduous angiosperms) in Lake Tswaing are long-chain n-alkanes (n-C₂₇₋₃₃), n-alkanols (n-C₂₈₊₃₀), stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, β-amyrin, α-amyrin and lupeol. The C₁₇ n-alkane, tetrahymanol, gammaceran-3-one and C₂₉ sterols dominate the lipid fraction of autochthonously produced OM. By comparing stable carbon isotope analyses on bulk OM and the characteristic biomarkers, we follow the modern carbon cycle in the crater environment and find indications for methanotrophic activity in the lake from isotopically depleted moretene. A comparative study of core sediments reveals changes in the terrestrial (C3 versus C4) and aquatic bioproductivity and allows insights into the variability of the carbon cycle under the influence of changing climatic conditions for the time from the end of the last glacial (Termination I) to the late Holocene, ca. 14,000–2,000 calibrated years before present (years BP). The most pronounced changes occur in the aquatic realm after ca. 10,000 years BP when our results imply climate swings from more humid to more arid and after 7,500 years BP to gradually more humid conditions again, which can be related to a shift in the position of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone or to changes in the tropical atmosphere–ocean interaction. Long-chain alkenones (LCAs) have been identified in ancient lake sediments from Africa for the first time. They occur in samples older than 7,500 years BP and their distribution (dominance of C₃₈ and of tri- over tetra-unsaturated LCAs) is distinctly different from other published records suggesting a to date unknown source organism.  相似文献   

Automated derivation and spatio-temporal analysis of landslide properties in southern Kyrgyzstan   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Darya Golovko  Sigrid Roessner  Robert Behling  Birgit Kleinschmit 《Natural Hazards》2017,85(3):1461-1488

The study area located in southern Kyrgyzstan is affected by high and ongoing landslide activity. To characterize this activity, a multi-temporal landslide inventory containing over 2800 landslide polygons was generated from multiple data sources. The latter include the results of automated landslide detection from multi-temporal satellite imagery. The polygonal representation of the landslides allows for characterization of the landslide geometry and determination of further landslide attributes in a way that accounts for the diversity of conditions within the landslide, e.g., at the landslide main scarp opposed to its toe. To perform such analyses, a methodology for efficient geographic information system (GIS)-based attribute derivation was developed, which includes both standard and customized GIS tools. We derived a number of landslide attributes, including area, length, compactness, slope, aspect, distance to stream and geology. The distributions of these attributes were analyzed to obtain a better understanding of landslide properties in the study area as a preliminary step for probabilistic landslide hazard assessment. The obtained spatial and temporal attribute variations were linked to differences in the environmental characteristics within the study area, in which the geological setting proved to be the most important differentiating factor. Moreover, a significant influence of the different data sources on the distribution of the landslide attribute values was found, indicating the importance of a critical evaluation of the landslide data to be used in landslide hazard assessments.  相似文献   

Antarctic Ecosystems. An Extreme Environment in a Changing World A.D. Rogers,N.M. Johnston,E.J. Murphy,A. Clarke (Eds) Chichester,UK; Hoboken,NJ, USA: Wiley‐Blackwell, 2012. 756 pp. ISBN: 978‐1‐4051‐9840‐0. Hardback; GBP 85.     

Birgit Sattler 《Marine Ecology》2013,34(4):503-505

  相似文献   

基于变化轨迹探测的植被景观格局动态分析——以塔里木河下游生态输水区域为例   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

刘桂林  艾里西尔·库尔班  玉米提·哈力克  段含明  Philipp Gartner  阿布都米吉提·阿布利克木  牛婷 《中国沙漠》2012,32(5):1472-1478

 在遥感与GIS技术支持下,以2006、2007、2009、2010年Landsat-5/TM影像与2008年的CBERS/CCD影像为主要数据源,获得5 a的植被/非植被类型图。在此基础上,提取并归纳5 a间的植被变化轨迹:恒定植被、恒定非植被、转变为植被、转变为非植被、非稳定变化。利用景观格局分析软件FRAGSTATS 3.3计算了变化轨迹景观格局的3种景观指标。结果表明,2006—2010年植被面积减小,主要因为生态输水量减小、输水间隔较大,导致草本植被、乔灌木幼苗死亡;恒定非植被的比重最大,表明非植被类型是研究区的基质,其次是转变为非植被的比重,说明5 a间植被的衰退程度要强于恢复程度;转变为植被与非稳定变化两种类型属于过渡性植被变化类型,受生态输水量、分布的制约严重;各种变化轨迹类型的形状规则较为稳定,其中以恒定非植被类型最稳定而非稳定变化类型最不稳定。  相似文献   

North Atlantic control on precipitation pattern in the eastern Mediterranean/Black Sea region during the last glacial   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Olga Kwiecien  Helge W. Arz  Frank Lamy  Birgit Plessen  Andr Bahr  Gerald H. Haug 《Quaternary Research》2009,71(3):375-384

Based on proxy records from western Black Sea cores, we provide a comprehensive study of climate change during the last glacial maximum and late-glacial period in the Black Sea region. For the first time we present a record of relative changes in precipitation for NW Anatolia based on variations in the terrigenous supply expressed as detrital carbonate concentration. The good correspondence between reconstructed rainfall intensity in NW Anatolia and past western Mediterranean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) implies that during the glacial period the precipitation variability was controlled, like today, by Mediterranean cyclonic disturbances. Periods of reduced precipitation correlate well with low SSTs in the Mediterranean related to Heinrich events H1 and H2. Stable oxygen isotopes and lithological and mineralogical data point to a significant modification in the dominant freshwater/sediment source concomitant to the meltwater inflow after 16.4 cal ka BP. This change implies intensification of the northern sediment source and, with other records from the Mediterranean region, consistently suggests a reorganization of the atmospheric circulation pattern affecting the hydrology of the European continent. The early deglacial northward retreat of both atmospheric and oceanic polar fronts was responsible for the warming in the Mediterranean region, leading simultaneously to more humid conditions in central and northern Europe.  相似文献   

Implications of tree species–environment relationships for the responsiveness of Himalayan krummholz treelines to climate change     

Niels Schwab  Udo Schickhoff  Birgit Bürzle  Michael Müller  Jürgen Böhner  Ram Prasad Chaudhary  Thomas Scholten  Jens Oldeland 《山地科学学报》2017,14(3):453-473

Climate warming is expected to advance treelines to higher elevations. However, empirical studies in diverse mountain ranges give evidence of both advancing alpine treelines as well as rather insignificant responses. In this context, we aim at investigating the sensitivity and responsiveness of the near-natural treeline ecotone in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal, to climate warming. We analysed population densities of tree species along the treeline ecotone from closed forest stands via the krummholz belt to alpine dwarf shrub heaths (3700-4200 m) at 50 plots in 2013 and 2014. We quantified species - environment relationships, i.e. the change of environmental conditions (e.g., nutrient and thermal deficits, plant interactions) across the ecotone by means of redundancy analyses, variation partitioning and distance-based Moran's eigenvector maps. In particular, we focus on explaining the high competitiveness of Rhododendron campanulatum forming a dense krummholz belt and on the implications for the responsiveness of Himalayan krummholz treelines to climate change. Results indicate that treeline trees in the ecotone show species-specific responses to the influence of environmental parameters, and that juvenile and adult tree responses are modulated by environmental constraints in differing intensity. Moreover, the species - environment relationships suggest that the investigated krummholz belt will largely prevent the upward migration of other tree species and thus constrain the future response of Himalayan krummholz treelines to climate warming.  相似文献   

A cold air outbreak near Spitsbergen in springtime — Boundary-layer modification and cloud development     

Burghard Brümmer  Birgit Rump  Gottfried Kruspe 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》1992,61(1-2):13-46

A moderate cold air outbreak from the Arctic ice over the warm West-Spitsbergen current on 15 and 16 May 1988 during the field experiment ARKTIS '88 is analysed using data from four aircraft and one research vessel.The downstream development of cloud coverage appears to depend sensitively on the moisture content above the inversion. The cloud amount determines the energy balance at the sea surface. Under daytime conditions and little cloud cover, energy is added to the ocean in spite of sensible and latent heat losses.The downstream temperature increase in the boundary layer is controlled by sensible heat flux and by longwave radiation cooling. The entrainment sensible heat flux is the dominating term in the region near the ice edge. The downstream moisture increase is controlled by surface evaporation. Condensation processes play no significant role.On 16 May 1988 cloud streets near the ice edge changed to closed cloud meanders in the downstream direction. The aspect ratio increased from 3 to around 10 over a distance of 200 km. In the cloud street region, the dynamical generation of turbulent kinetic energy due to wind shear at the tilted inversion was larger than the thermal generation.Cloud droplet concentration, mean droplet radius and liquid water content increased linearly with height. The maximum liquid water content was only 0.1 g/kg near the top of a 400 m thick closed cloud and clearly below the adiabatic value. The net longwave radiation flux decreased by 50 W/m² at cloud top and increased by 13 W/m² at cloud base.  相似文献   

Field Studies on the Fate and Transport of Pharmaceutical Residues in Bank Filtration   总被引：5，自引：0，他引：5  

Thomas Heberer  y Mechlinski  Britta Fanck  rea Knappe  Gudrun Massmann  Asaf Pekdeger  Birgit Fritz 《Ground Water Monitoring & Remediation》2004,24(2):70-77

Bank filtration and artificial ground water recharge are important, effective, and cheap techniques for surface water treatment and removal of microbes, as well as inorganic, and some organic, contaminants. Nevertheless, physical, chemical, and biological processes of the removal of impurities are not understood sufficiently. A research project titled Natural and Artificial Systems for Recharge and Infiltration attempts to provide more clarity in the processes affecting the removal of these contaminants. The project focuses on the fate and transport of selected emerging contaminants during bank filtration at two transects in Berlin, Germany. Several detections of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in ground water samples from bank filtration sites in Germany led to furthering research on the removal of these compounds during bank filtration. In this study, six PhACs including the analgesic drugs diclofenac and propyphenazone, the antiepileptic drugs carbamazepine and primidone, and the drug metabolites clofibric acid and 1-acetyl-1-methyl-2-dimethyl-oxamoyl-2-phenylhydrazide were found to leach from the contaminated streams and lakes into the ground water. These compounds were also detected at low concentrations in receiving public supply wells. Bank filtration either decreased the concentrations by dilution (e.g., for carbamazepine and primidone) and partial removal (e.g., for diclofenac), or totally removed PhACs (e.g., bezafibrate, indomethacine, antibiotics, and estrogens). Several PhACs, such as carbamazepine and especially primidone, were readily transported during bank filtration. They are thought to be good indicators for evaluating whether surface water is impacted by contamination from municipal sewage effluent or whether contamination associated with sewage effluent can be transported into ground water at ground water recharge sites.  相似文献   

The significance of fixed ammonium in Palaeozoic sediments for the generation of nitrogen-rich natural gases in the North German Basin     

Birgit Mingram  Peer Hoth  Volker Lüders  Daniel Harlov 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》2005,94(5-6):1010-1022

In contrast to predominantly hydrocarbon-rich natural gases in the western part of the Central European Basin (CEB), accumulations of natural gases from the eastern part of the North German Basin (NGB) are nitrogen-rich with up to 90% N₂. This study is focused on the behaviour of fixed ammonium in clay minerals of organic-rich Palaeozoic sediments in the eastern part of the NGB as a major source of nitrogen-rich natural gases. Carboniferous shales have been investigated for a better understanding of nitrogen fixing during diagenesis, storage during burial and release during devolatilization processes or fluid–rock interactions. The total nitrogen contents in the studied Carboniferous shales of the NGB reach up to 2700 ppm with an inorganic fixed portion (in the form of NH₄ ⁺–N) of more than 60%. The results of this study indicate an increasing proportion of the mineralogically fixed ammonium with increasing thermal maturity and storage up to catagenetic conditions. The isotopic composition of fixed-NH₄ is relatively homogeneous in the majority of the shales and ranges from +1 to +3.5‰. In contrast, samples from the basin centre show a significant decrease in ammonium contents down to 460 ppm coupled with a shift in δ¹⁵N up to +5.6‰ suggesting a release of nitrogen on a large scale. Calculation of nitrogen loss and isotopic fractionation indicate that more than 30% of nitrogen was released as ammonium probably as a consequence of fluid-rock interaction with highly saline brines.  相似文献   

Nitrate temporal and spatial patterns in 12 water-supply wells, Yucatan, Mexico     

J. Pacheco  Luis Marín  Armando Cabrera  Birgit Steinich  Oscar Escolero 《Environmental Geology》2001,40(6):708-715

 The nitrate concentration in 12 water-supply wells were monitored for the period April 1992 to March 1993. Each water-supply well was sampled once a month. The nitrate concentrations in the 12 wells ranged from 7 to 156 mg/l. Two water-supply wells (Chacsinkin and Peto) showed concentrations that reached 3.5 times the maximum permissible limit for the Drinking Water Standard (45 mg/l). A third water-supply well (Akil) exceeds the norm for 7 out of 12 months. The use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers are responsible for high nitrate concentrations in groundwater in the southern part of Yucatan, Mexico where intensive agricultural practices exist. Received: 14 December 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000  相似文献