Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Earth Sciences
Fracture patterns associated with the evolution of the Teton anticline, Sawtooth Range, Montana, USA
Published: 2018-02-17
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
The Teton anticline and adjacent structures at the deformation front of the Sawtooth Range fold-thrust belt in Montana are fractured in such a way that some have used these as a model for the fractures that propagate during buckle folding. However, advances in understanding both the process of folding in forelands and the evolution of fracture patterns found within these folds suggests that it [...]
Aggradational lobe fringes: the influence of subtle intrabasinal seabed topography on sediment gravity flow processes and lobe stacking patterns
Published: 2018-02-16
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology
Seabed topography is ubiquitous across basin-floor environments, and influences sediment gravity flows and sediment dispersal patterns. The impact of steep (several degrees) confining slopes on sedimentary facies and depositional architecture has been widely documented. However, the influence of gentle (fraction of a degree) confining slopes is less well-documented, largely due to outcrop [...]
Global assessment and mapping of changes in mesoscale landscapes: 1992–2015
Published: 2018-02-15
Subjects: Categorical Data Analysis, Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographic Information Sciences, Geography, Longitudinal Data Analysis and Time Series, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Spatial Science, Statistics and Probability
Monitoring global land cover changes is important because of concerns about their impact on environment and climate. The release by the European Space Agency (ESA) of a set of worldwide annual land cover maps covering the 1992–2015 period makes possible a quantitative assessment of land change on the global scale. While ESA land cover mapping effort was motivated by the need to better [...]
Towards machine ecoregionalization of Earth’s landmass using pattern segmentation method
Published: 2018-02-15
Subjects: Categorical Data Analysis, Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geographic Information Sciences, Geography, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Spatial Science, Statistics and Probability
We present and evaluate a quantitative method for delineation of ecophysigraphic regions throughout the entire terrestrial landmass. The method uses the new pattern-based segmentation technique which attempts to emulate the qualitative, weight-of-evidence approach to a delineation of ecoregions in a computer code. An ecophysiographic region is characterized by homogeneous physiography defined by [...]
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, [...]
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, [...]