Crete fault scarp point cloud data

This paper assesses the along strike variation of active bedrock fault scarps using long range terrestrial laser scanning (t-LiDAR) data in order to determine the distribution behaviour of scarp height and the subsequently calculate long term throw-rates. Five faults on Cretewhich display spectacular limestone fault scarps have been studied using high resolution digital elevation model (HRDEM) data. We scanned several hundred square metres of the fault system including the footwall, fault scarp and hanging wall of the investigated fault segment. The vertical displacement and the dip of the scarp were extracted every metre along the strike of the detected fault segment based on the processed HRDEM. The scarp variability was analysed by using statistical and morphological methods. The analysis was done in a geographical information system (GIS) environment. Results show a normal distribution for the scanned fault scarp's vertical displacement. Based on these facts, the mean value of height was chosen to define the authentic vertical displacement. Consequently the scarp can be divided into above, below and within the range of mean (within one standard deviation) and quantify the modifications of vertical displacement. Therefore, the fault segment can be subdivided into areas which are influenced by external modification like erosion and sedimentation processes. Moreover, to describe and measure the variability of vertical displacement along strike the fault, the semi-variance was calculated with the variogram method. This method is used to determine how much influence the external processes have had on the vertical displacement. By combining of morphological and statistical results, the fault can be subdivided into areas with high external influences and areas with authentic fault scarps, which have little or no external influences. This subdivision is necessary for long term throw-rate calculations, because without this differentiation the calculated rates would be misleading and the activity of a fault would be incorrectly assessed with significant implications for seismic hazard assessment since fault slip rate data govern the earthquake recurrence. Furthermore, by using this workflow areas with minimal external influences can be determined, not only for throw-rate calculations, but also for determining samples sites for absolute dating techniques such as cosmogenic nuclide dating. The main outcomes of this study include: i) there is no direct correlation between the fault's mean vertical displacement and dip (R² less than 0.31); ii) without subdividing the scanned scarp into areas with differing amounts of external influences, the along strike variability of vertical displacement is ±35%; iii) when the scanned scarp is subdivided the variation of the vertical displacement of the authentic scarp (exposed by earthquakes only) is in a range of ±6% (the varies depending on the fault from 7 to 12%); iv) the calculation of the long term throw-rate (since 13 ka) for four scarps in Crete using the authentic vertical displacement is 0.35 ± 0.04 mm/yr at Kastelli 1, 0.31 ± 0.01 mm/yr at Kastelli 2, 0.85 ± 0.06 mm/yr at the Asomatos fault (Sellia) and 0.55 ± 0.05 mm/yr at the Lastros fault.

Digital surface model, hillshade and orthophoto of the world's largest fossil oyster reef, links to GeoTIFFs

The world's largest fossil oyster reef, formed by the giant oyster Crassostrea gryphoides and located in Stetten (north of Vienna, Austria) is studied by Harzhauser et al., 2015, 2016; Djuricic et al., 2016. Digital documentation of the unique geological site is provided by terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) at the millimeter scale. Obtaining meaningful results is not merely a matter of data acquisition with a suitable device; it requires proper planning, data management, and postprocessing. Terrestrial laser scanning technology has a high potential for providing precise 3D mapping that serves as the basis for automatic object detection in different scenarios; however, it faces challenges in the presence of large amounts of data and the irregular geometry of an oyster reef. We provide a detailed description of the techniques and strategy used for data collection and processing in Djuricic et al., 2016. The use of laser scanning provided the ability to measure surface points of 46,840 (estimated) shells. They are up to 60-cm-long oyster specimens, and their surfaces are modeled with a high accuracy of 1 mm. In addition to laser scanning measurements, more than 300 photographs were captured, and an orthophoto mosaic was generated with a ground sampling distance (GSD) of 0.5 mm. This high-resolution 3D information and the photographic texture serve as the basis for ongoing and future geological and paleontological analyses. Moreover, they provide unprecedented documentation for conservation issues at a unique natural heritage site.

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.

Point clouds of measurements in the Dechen Cave near Iserlohn, Germany

Modeling natural phenomena from 3D information enhances our understanding of the environment. Dense 3D point clouds are increasingly used as highly detailed input datasets. In addition to the capturing techniques of point clouds with LiDAR, low-cost sensors have been released in the last few years providing access to new research fields and facilitating 3D data acquisition for a broader range of applications. This letter presents an analysis of different speleothem features using 3D point clouds acquired with the gaming device Microsoft® Kinect. We compare the Kinect sensor with terrestrial LiDAR reference measurements using the KinFu pipeline for capturing complete 3D objects (< 4m**3). The results demonstrate the suitability of the Kinect to capture flowstone walls and to derive morphometric parameters of cave features. Although the chosen capturing strategy (KinFu) reveals a high correlation (R2=0.92) of stalagmite morphometry along the vertical object axis, a systematic overestimation (22% for radii and 44% for volume) is found. The comparison of flowstone wall datasets predominantly shows low differences (mean of 1 mm with 7 mm standard deviation) of the order of the Kinect depth precision. For both objects the major differences occur at strongly varying and curved surface structures (e.g. with fine concave parts).

Supplementary material: XRF core scanning data, CaCO3 values, foraminiferal carbon and oxygen isotope data, Mg/Ca data, clay mineralogy and helium isotope results

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; ~56 Ma) is associated with abrupt climate change, carbon cycle perturbation, ocean acidification, as well as biogeographic shifts in marine and terrestrial biota that were largely reversed as the climatic transient waned. We report a clear exception to the behavior of the PETM as a reversing climatic transient in the eastern North Atlantic (Deep-Sea Drilling Project Site 401, Bay of Biscay) where the PETM initiates a greatly prolonged environmental change compared to other places on Earth where records exist. The observed environmental perturbation extended well past the d13C recovery phase and up to 650 kyr after the PETM onset according to our extraterrestrial 3He-based age-model. We observe a strong decoupling of planktic foraminiferal d18O and Mg/Ca values during the PETM d13C recovery phase, which in combination with results from helium isotopes and clay mineralogy, suggests that the PETM triggered a hydrologic change in western Europe that increased freshwater flux and the delivery of weathering products to the eastern North Atlantic. This state change persisted long after the carbon-cycle perturbation had stopped. We hypothesize that either long-lived continental drainage patterns were altered by enhanced hydrological cycling induced by the PETM, or alternatively that the climate system in the hinterland area of Site 401 was forced into a new climate state that was not easily reversed in the aftermath of the PETM.