Geological map of HANSSONHORNA, Heimefrontfjella, Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica, 2nd revised Edition (Scale 1:25,000)

The geological map shows the border area between the polyphase (late Mesoproterozoic and Cambrian) deformed Sivorg Terrane and the Kottas Terrane where a pervasive Cambrian tectonometamorphic overprints is lacking. Geological revision mapping was carried out during the Antarctic Expedition 2000/01 of the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. Topographic data were obtained through stereoscopic aerial photo interpretation. The photogrammetric photo flights were undertaken in 1986 by the Institut für Angewandte Geodäsie, Frankfurt. Horizontal ground control points required for aerial photo interpretation were determined by means of Doppler satellite observation during the 2nd German Neuschwabenland Expedition 1985/86. Vertical ground control points were taken from unpublished map drafts at 1:100 000 scale by Norsk Polarinstitutt, Oslo. The elevation above mean sea level was transferred to Heimefrontfjella barometrically. For this reason assertions concerning the absolute elevation (referred to sea level) are uncertain. Contours and spot heights presented on the map were obtained from the photogrammetric evaluation of the photography taken in 1986; relative elevation data (height differences) are accurate to approximately ±10 m. Published by Geologisches Institut der RWTH Aachen & Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Bremen.

Spatially explicit methane inventory for Switzerland with 500 m x 500 m resolution for 2011 (NetCDF 25 MB)

We present the first high-resolution (500 m × 500 m) gridded methane (CH4) emission inventory for Switzerland, which integrates the national emission totals reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and recent CH4 flux studies conducted by research groups across Switzerland. In addition to anthropogenic emissions, we also include natural and semi-natural CH4 fluxes, i.e., emissions from lakes and reservoirs, wetlands, wild animals as well as uptake by forest soils. National CH4 emissions were disaggregated using detailed geostatistical information on source locations and their spatial extent and process- or area-specific emission factors. In Switzerland, the highest CH4 emissions in 2011 originated from the agricultural sector (150 Gg CH4/yr), mainly produced by ruminants and manure management, followed by emissions from waste management (15 Gg CH4/yr) mainly from landfills and the energy sector (12 Gg CH4/yr), which was dominated by emissions from natural gas distribution. Compared to the anthropogenic sources, emissions from natural and semi-natural sources were relatively small (6 Gg CH4/yr), making up only 3 % of the total emissions in Switzerland. CH4 fluxes from agricultural soils were estimated to be not significantly different from zero (between -1.5 and 0 Gg CH4/yr), while forest soils are a CH4 sink (approx. -2.8 Gg CH4/yr), partially offsetting other natural emissions. Estimates of uncertainties are provided for the different sources, including an estimate of spatial disaggregation errors deduced from a comparison with a global (EDGAR v4.2) and a European CH4 inventory (TNO/MACC). This new spatially-explicit emission inventory for Switzerland will provide valuable input for regional scale atmospheric modeling and inverse source estimation.

The third glacier inventory of North Tyrol, Austria, for 2006

A new, third, glacier inventory (GI3) is presented for North Tyrol, which is based on Airborne Laser Scanning for the year 2006. 447 glaciers covering 235 km**2 are included. 4 small, formerly neglected glaciers have been added. Basic quantities such as size, maximum, minimum and median elevation show large variances. Very recent glacier changes between the former inventory (GI2: 1998) and GI3 show a strong reduction in area (-8%) and mean thickness (-7 m). An asymmetry of mean maximum, minimum and median elevation is quantified with approximately 200 m higher values for south-exposed glaciers. Rates of changes are around 1% per year and 1 m per year between GI2 and GI3. The strongest volume losses occurred for glaciers between 5 and 10 km**2.

The Global Plankton Database: an inventory and data from the Former Soviet Union expeditions

At present time, there is a lack of knowledge on the interannual climate-related variability of zooplankton communities of the tropical Atlantic, central Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea, and Aral Sea, due to the absence of appropriate databases. In the mid latitudes, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant mode of atmospheric fluctuations over eastern North America, the northern Atlantic Ocean and Europe. Therefore, one of the issues that need to be addressed through data synthesis is the evaluation of interannual patterns in species abundance and species diversity over these regions in regard to the NAO. The database has been used to investigate the ecological role of the NAO in interannual variations of mesozooplankton abundance and biomass along the zonal array of the NAO influence. Basic approach to the proposed research involved: (1) development of co-operation between experts and data holders in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UK, and USA to rescue and compile the oceanographic data sets and release them on CD-ROM, (2) organization and compilation of a database based on FSU cruises to the above regions, (3) analysis of the basin-scale interannual variability of the zooplankton species abundance, biomass, and species diversity.