Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Global inventory of landscape patterns and latent variables of landscape spatial configuration
Published: 2018-02-15
Subjects: Biodiversity, Earth Sciences, Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment, Environmental Sciences, Geographic Information Sciences, Geography, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Spatial Science
We present a regionalization of the entire Earth’s landmass into land units of homogeneous landscape patterns. The input to the regionalization is a high resolution Global Land Cover (GLC) dataset. The GLC is first divided into local landscapes – small non-overlapping square blocks of GLC cells. These blocks are agglomerated into much larger land units using a pattern-based segmentation [...]
Outcrop-scale tomography: insights into the 3D structure of multiphase boudins
Published: 2018-02-15
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
We analyze the 3D geomorphology of a boudinaged amphibolite layer encased in marble using meter-scale tomography by serial sectioning, high resolution imaging and 3D reconstruction of a 2 m³ block from a quarry in the high-grade core of the Naxos core complex. Local uncertainties in the model are resolved by dissolution of marble in selected slabs, yielding a large, highly accurate 3D [...]
What is users next best alternative to the use of dynamical seasonal predictions?
Published: 2018-02-14
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The recent development of climate predictions has shown their potential in providing users with information that could be used to inform decision on a seasonal time-horizon. This in turns offers a way of developing resilience to climate change through adaptation to seasonal variability. An effective way to assess to value of this information is to compare the quality of the forecast (assessed by [...]
Application of discrete-element methods to approximate sea-ice dynamics
Published: 2018-02-14
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Glaciology, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Other Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Lagrangian models of sea-ice dynamics have several advantages over Eulerian continuum models. Spatial discretization on the ice-floe scale are natural for Lagrangian models and offer exact solutions for mechanical non-linearities with arbitrary sea-ice concentrations. This allows for improved model performance in ice-marginal zones. Furthermore, Lagrangian models can explicitly simulate jamming [...]
Erosion-initiated stromatolite formation in a recent hypersaline sabkha setting (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
Published: 2018-02-13
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Life Sciences, Life Sciences, Microbiology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology
Laminated microbial mats and microbialites are documented from a variety of coastal marine environments. These features form through: a) the combination of trapping and binding of allochthonous grains, and b) microbially-mediated or controlled precipitation of a variety of minerals, including high-magnesium calcite and dolomite. Intertidal pools and associated microbial features have been [...]
Selection of hydrological signatures for large-sample hydrology
Published: 2018-02-12
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Hydrology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Hydrological signatures are now used for a wide range of purposes, including catchment classification, process exploration and hydrological model calibration. The recent boost in the popularity and number of signatures has however not been accompanied by the development of clear guidance on signature selection, meaning that signature selection is often arbitrary. Here we use three complementary [...]
Plio-Quaternary extensional tectonics of the Central Anatolian Plateau: a case study from the Tuz Gölü Basin, Turkey
Published: 2018-02-08
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Tuz Gölü Basin is the largest sedimentary depression located at the center of the Central Anatolian Plateau, an extensive, low-relief region with elevations of ca. 1 km located between the Pontide and Tauride mountains. Presently, the basin morphology and sedimentation processes are mainly controlled by the extensional Tuz Gölü Fault Zone in the east and the transtensional İnönü–Eskişehir [...]
Overview to the Regional Thrust Wedge Tectonics in Indonesia: Similarities and Differences in Orogenic Belts
Published: 2018-02-06
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Geomorphology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
Overview to the regional thrust wedge tectonics in Indonesia attempts to compile and review geologic settings related to the development of compressive structures. Comprehensive overview will be represented in six orogenic belts of various geologic settings: Langsa Fold-Thrust Belt (North Sumatra Basin), Banyumas Fold-Thrust Belt (Western Central Java), Kutei Basin, West Sulawesi Fold-Thrust Belt [...]
Distributions of geohopanoids in peat: implications for the use of hopanoid-based proxies in natural archives
Published: 2018-02-04
Subjects: Biogeochemistry, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geochemistry, Other Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Hopanoids are pentacyclic triterpenoids produced by a wide range of bacteria. Within modern settings, hopanoids mostly occur in the biological 17β,21β(H) configuration. However, in some modern peatlands, the C31 hopane is present as the thermally-mature 17α,21β(H) stereoisomer. This has traditionally been ascribed to isomerisation at the C-17 position catalysed by the acidic environment. However, [...]
An estimate of equilibrium climate sensitivity from interannual variability
Published: 2018-02-03
Subjects: Climate, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Estimating the equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS; the equilibrium warming in response to a doubling of CO2) from observations is one of the big problems in climate science. Using observations of interannual climate variations covering the period 2000 to 2017 and a model-derived relationship between interannual variations and forced climate change, we estimate ECS is likely 2.4-4.6 K (17-83% [...]
Description of the COST - HOME monthly benchmark dataset and the submitted homogenized contributions
Published: 2018-02-02
Subjects: Climate, Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
As part of the COST Action HOME a dataset has been generated that will serve as a benchmark for homogenisation algorithms. Members of the Action and third parties have been invited and are still welcome to homogenise this dataset. The results of this exercise was analysed to obtain recommendations for a standard homogenisation procedure and are described in Venema et al. (Climate of the Past, [...]
Groundwater pumping impacts on real stream networks: testing the performance of simple management tools
Published: 2018-02-02
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Hydrology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Water Resource Management
Quantifying reductions in streamflow due to groundwater pumping (‘streamflow depletion’) is essential for conjunctive management of groundwater and surface water resources. Analytical models are widely used to estimate streamflow depletion but include potentially problematic assumptions such as simplified stream-aquifer geometry and rely on largely untested depletion apportionment equations to [...]
The stratigraphy and eruptive history of the Palaeogene Arran Volcanic Formation, western Scotland: a proximal record of caldera-forming eruptions
Published: 2018-02-01
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Volcanology
Caldera-forming volcanic eruptions are among the most dangerous, and can generate extensive pyroclastic deposits and deliver ash into global atmospheric circulation systems. As calderas collapse, the eruptions can deposit thick proximal ignimbrite sequences and thinner ignimbrites more distally. However, the proximal record of caldera collapse is often obscured by later intrusions, volcanism, [...]
Rift-related magmatism influences petroleum systems development in the NE Irish Rockall Basin, offshore Ireland
Published: 2018-01-29
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure, Volcanology
Large volumes of hydrocarbons reside in volcanically influenced sedimentary basins. Despite having a good conceptual understanding of how magmatism impacts the petroleum system of such basins, we still lack detailed case studies documenting precisely how intrusive magmatism influences, for example, trap development and reservoir quality. Here we combine 3D seismic reflection, borehole, [...]
Multi-scale segmentation algorithm for pattern-based partitioning of large categorical rasters
Published: 2018-01-28
Subjects: Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Geography, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing, Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Spatial Science
Analyzing large Earth Observation (EO) data on the broad spatial scales frequently involves regionalization of patterns. To automate this process we present a segmentation algorithm designed specifically to delineate segments containing quasi-stationary patterns. The algorithm is designed to work with patterns of a categorical variable. This makes it possible to analyze very large spatial [...]