Hydro-sedimentary parameters measurements within the proglacial area of the Bossons glacier (Mont-Blanc massif, France)

This dataset presents hydro-sedimentary data within the Bossons glacier proglacial area. Bossons glacier is rapidly retreating and its proglacial area is deglaciated for ~ 30 years. It is an intriguing location to study periglacial, proglacial and subglacial erosion processes which requires estimating Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) and Total Suspended Solid (TSS) concentrations, and discharge. Measurements were performed at three distinct locations within Bosson glacier watershed : Bossons downstream (BDS), Bossons upstream (BUS) and Crosette (CRO). The latter is located at the glacier termini whereas BDS and BUS stations are farther downstream from the glacier, at 1.5 and 1.15 km, respectively .

Global Ocean Colour for Carbon Cycle Research (full product set)

In 2005, the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG) convened a working group to examine the state of the art in ocean colour data merging, which showed that the research techniques had matured sufficiently for creating long multi-sensor datasets (IOCCG, 2007). As a result, ESA initiated and funded the DUE GlobColour project (http://www.globcolour.info/) to develop a satellite based ocean colour data set to support global carbon-cycle research. It aims to satisfy the scientific requirement for a long (10+ year) time-series of consistently calibrated global ocean colour information with the best possible spatial coverage. This has been achieved by merging data from the three most capable sensors: SeaWiFS on GeoEye's Orbview-2 mission, MODIS on NASA's Aqua mission and MERIS on ESA's ENVISAT mission. In setting up the GlobColour project, three user organisations were invited to help. Their roles are to specify the detailed user requirements, act as a channel to the broader end user community and to provide feedback and assessment of the results. The International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP) based at UNESCO in Paris provides direct access to the carbon cycle modelling community's requirements and to the modellers themselves who will use the final products. The UK Met Office's National Centre for Ocean Forecasting (NCOF) in Exeter, UK, provides an understanding of the requirements of oceanography users, and the IOCCG bring their understanding of the global user needs and valuable advice on best practice within the ocean colour science community. The three year project kicked-off in November 2005 under the leadership of ACRI-ST (France). The first year was a feasibility demonstration phase that was successfully concluded at a user consultation workshop organised by the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, France, in December 2006. Error statistics and inter-sensor biases were quantified by comparison with insitu measurements from moored optical buoys and ship based campaigns, and used as an input to the merging. The second year was dedicated to the production of the time series. In total, more than 25 Tb of input (level 2) data have been ingested and 14 Tb of intermediate and output products created, with 4 Tb of data distributed to the user community. Quality control (QC) is provided through the Diagnostic Data Sets (DDS), which are extracted sub-areas covering locations of in-situ data collection or interesting oceanographic phenomena. This Full Product Set (FPS) covers global daily merged ocean colour products in the time period 1997-2006 and is also freely available for use by the worldwide science community at http://www.globcolour.info/data_access_full_prod_set.html. The GlobColour service distributes global daily, 8-day and monthly data sets at 4.6 km resolution for, chlorophyll-a concentration, normalised water-leaving radiances (412, 443, 490, 510, 531, 555 and 620 nm, 670, 681 and 709 nm), diffuse attenuation coefficient, coloured dissolved and detrital organic materials, total suspended matter or particulate backscattering coefficient, turbidity index, cloud fraction and quality indicators. Error statistics from the initial sensor characterisation are used as an input to the merging methods and propagate through the merging process to provide error estimates for the output merged products. These error estimates are a key component of GlobColour as they are invaluable to the users; particularly the modellers who need them in order to assimilate the ocean colour data into ocean simulations. An intensive phase of validation has been undertaken to assess the quality of the data set. In addition, inter-comparisons between the different merged datasets will help in further refining the techniques used. Both the final products and the quality assessment were presented at a second user consultation in Oslo on 20-22 November 2007 organised by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA); presentations are available on the GlobColour WWW site. On request of the ESA Technical Officer for the GlobColour project, the FPS data set was mirrored in the PANGAEA data library.

Plattentektonik im Sandkasten

Der Prozess der Plattentektonik erklärt, wes­ halb die Oberfläche der Welt langsam, aber stetig in Bewegung ist. In Echtzeit lassen sich diese grossräumigen Veränderungen in der Erdkruste nicht untersuchen. Mithilfe eines Sandkastenmodells und eines Röntgentomographen ist es Geologen der Universität Bern jedoch gelungen, tekto­ nische Entwicklungen im Labor zu simulieren.

Ecological gradients and landscape structure affecting seasonal woodpigeon Columba palumbus densities in a coastal region (South-East Spain)

The aim of the present study is to identify and evaluate the relationship between Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus, Linnaeus, 1758) density and different environmental gradients (thermotype, ombrotype, continentality and latitudinal), land use and landscape structure, using geographic information systems and multivariate modelling. Transects (n = 396) were developed to estimate the density of Woodpigeon in the Marina Baja (Alicante, Spain) from 2006 to 2008. The highestdensity for Woodpigeon was in September-October (1.28birds/10ha) and the lowest inFebruary-March (0.34birds/10ha). Moreover, there were more Woodpigeons in areas with a mesomediterranean thermotypethan in thermomediterranean or supramediterranean ones. There was greater densityinthe intermediate zones compared to thecoast and interior. The natural or cultural landscape had the highest Woodpigeon density (1.53birds/10ha), with both denseand clear pine forest values standing out. Therefore, it is very important to conserve these traditional landscapes with adequate management strategies in order to maintain, resident and transient Woodpigeon populations. These natural areas are open places where the Woodpigeons find food and detect the presence ofpredators. Thus, this study will enable more precise knowledge of the ecological factors (habitat variables) that intervene in the distribution of Woodpigeon populations and their density.

World Map Showing Routes of Exploration and Discovery, 1853 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Planisphere : elémentaire et illustré indiquant la description géographique des parties connues de la terre, l'époque des grandes découvertes des navigateurs les colonies Européennes, les principaux parcours des paquebots, l'époque des départs, la durée du trajet, &c[a]., dreseé par Vuillemin, géographie ; gravé par Langevin. It was published by Fatout in 1853. Scale [ca. 1:50,000,000]. Map in French. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the the 'World Mercator' projection. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, territorial boundaries, shoreline features, and more. Shows voyage routes of exploration and discovery. Relief shown pictorially and by spot heights. Includes historical notes, explanations, and ill. of sea vessels and scenes of exploration. Includes insets at lower margin: Costumes des différentes races qui peuplent la terre -- [Chart of Mt. heights in Europe] -- Hauteur des principales montagnes du monde -- [Chart of Mt. heights in Asia] -- Tableau faisant voir que le Planisphère n'est que le développement figure du globe sur une surface plane -- Longueurs sources et embouchures des principaux fleuves du monde -- Costumes des différentes races qui peuplent la terre. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection and the Harvard University Library as part of the Open Collections Program at Harvard University project: Organizing Our World: Sponsored Exploration and Scientific Discovery in the Modern Age. Maps selected for the project correspond to various expeditions and represent a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences. Earth & planetary sciences

Mode of access: Internet.