An Approach to Variable Aggregation in Efficiency Analysis

In the nonparametric framework of Data Envelopment Analysis the statistical properties of its estimators have been investigated and only asymptotic results are available. For DEA estimators results of practical use have been proved only for the case of one input and one output. However, in the real world problems the production process is usually well described by many variables. In this paper a machine learning approach to variable aggregation based on Canonical Correlation Analysis is presented. This approach is applied for efficiency estimation of all the farms in Terceira Island of the Azorean archipelago.

The 2008 Terrestrial Vegetation of Biscayne National Parko FL, USA Derived From Aerial Photography, NDVI, and LiDAR

Established as a National Park in 1980, Biscayne National Park (BISC) comprises an area of nearly 700 km2 , of which most is under water. The terrestrial portions of BISC include a coastal strip on the south Florida mainland and a set of Key Largo limestone barrier islands which parallel the mainland several kilometers offshore and define the eastern rim of Biscayne Bay. The upland vegetation component of BISC is embedded within an extensive coastal wetland network, including an archipelago of 42 mangrove-dominated islands with extensive areas of tropical hardwood forests or hammocks. Several databases and vegetation maps describe these terrestrial communities. However, these sources are, for the most part, outdated, incomplete, incompatible, or/and inaccurate. For example, the current, Welch et al. (1999), vegetation map of BISC is nearly 10 years old and represents the conditions of Biscayne National Park shortly after Hurricane Andrew (August 24, 1992). As a result, a new terrestrial vegetation map was commissioned by The National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program South Florida / Caribbean Network.

A Body Outside the Kremlin

A BODY OUTSIDE THE KREMLIN is a historical mystery novel set in the Northern Camps of Special Significance, a Soviet Russian penal institution based in the Solovetsky Archipelago during the 1920s. The protagonist, working first with the camp authorities, then in spite of their disapproval, solves the murder of a fellow prisoner. In the process he improves his position within the camp, while also becoming hardened to the brutal necessities of camp life. Prior to the establishment of the penal camp, the Solovetsky Archipelago was the site of an important Russian Orthodox monastery, and the mystery proves to involve valuables, particularly icons, seized from the monks by the Soviet secret police. Thus the novel treats themes not only of statist repression, but also religious epiphany and the problems of true perception in a world of symbols.

GIS layers of seafloor characteristics in the Azores region (North Atlantic), links to files in ArcGIS format

Inventory of some important datasets related to the physical characteristics of the seafloor surrounding the Azores Archipelago. The objective is to ensure that our compilation is readily available for any researchers interested in this type information but also to support institutions responsible for the management and conservation of local resources.

Radiocarbon dates of peatland initiation across the northern high latitudes

A compilation of basal dates of peatland initiation across the northern high latitudes, associated metadata including location, age, raw and calibrated radiocarbon ages, and associated references. Includes previously published datasets from sources below as well as 365 new data points.

Análise dos microssismos registrados no arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo (ASPSP) e suas relações com variáveis oceanográficas

Microseisms are continuous vibrations pervasively recorded in the mili Hertz to 1 Hz frequency range. These vibrations are mostly composed of Rayleigh waves and are strongest in the 0.04 to 1 Hz frequency band. Their precise source mechanisms are still a matter of debate but it is agreed that they are related to atmospheric perturbations and ocean gravity waves. The Saint Peter Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA) is located in the equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean about 1,100 km distant from the Brazilian northeastern coast. The SPSPA is composed by a set of several small rocky formations with a total area of approximately 17,000 m². Due to its remote distance from the continent and the lack of cultural noise, this location is a unique location for measuring microseismic noise and to investigate its relation with some climate and oceanographic variables. In the SPSPA we have recorded both primary microseisms (PM) at 0.04 – 0.12 Hz and the secondary microseisms (SM) at 0.12 – 0.4 Hz during 10 months in 2012 and 2013. Our analysis indicates a good correlation between the microseismic noise in the region and a seasonal dependency. In particular, the winter in the northern hemisphere. We have also shown that most of the PM is generated in the SPSPA itself. The SM source location depends with the seasonal climatic and oceanographic variables in the northern hemisphere

Environmental controls on bioturbation processes in marine benthic habits

Through bioturbation, the macrofauna mediate chemical, physical and biological processes in marine benthic ecosystems. Because of the importance of bioturbation as ecosystem mediator, various studies have been conducted on bioturbation intensity and depth, and the relation of bioturbation processes to environmental condition and ecosystem state. This thesis builds on those previous studies, using a standard field and analytical protocol and by expanding the geographical scale to three climatic regions along Canada’s East Coast and Arctic margins, the Arctic Archipelago, the coastal Subarctic (Labrador Fjords), and the temperate continental climate zone (Gulf of Maine and adjacent Scotian shelf/slope). This Ph.D. study provides a comprehensive assessment of environmental influences on bioturbation along gradients in latitude and ocean depth. Bioturbation intensity, mixing depth, and bioturbation structures were studied in relation to the quantity and quality of potential food sources (organic matter) and substrate characteristics to gain an understanding of the environmental controls on bioturbation in these regions. The three main research chapters of this thesis are divided based on the contrasting climatic and geographical regions studied. The analytical approach included seabed sampling with a boxcorer, describing the sedimentary fabric and bioturbation structures by X-radiography, estimating bioturbation intensity and depth applying a biodiffusion model to particle tracer profiles of ²¹⁰Pbₓs, ²²⁸Thₓs, ²³⁴Thₓs, and chlorophyll-a, and analyzing benthic organic matter and substrate characteristics. Strong regional and cross-climatic relations of bioturbation processes with combinations of environmental factors were observed. In particular, bioturbation depth and the vertical extent of bioturbation structures responded to the environmental patterns observed and, therefore, represented potentially applicable predictors of environmental conditions and ecosystem state. The results of this Ph.D. study may be further extended to other geographical regions with similar environmental characteristics to predict the effects of benthic habitat alterations through environmental stresses on a global scale. Integrated with biological data produced by fellow CHONe scientists the presented data may provide valuable information about functional roles of macrofaunal species and community traits in marine benthic ecosystems along Canada’s extensive East Coast and Arctic margins.

Heavy mineral investigations from surface sediments of the East Greenland continental margin

During the expeditions ARK-VII/1, ARK-VII/3 and ARK-Xl2 sediment cores were taken by "RV Polarstern" from the shelf and the fjords of East Greenland and the Greenland Sea. The magnetic susceptibility and heavy mineral were determined at 48 surface sediment samples from undisturbed box cores. The main objective of this study was the identification of source areas and transport processes of terrigenous sediments at the East Greenland continental margin. The results can be summarized as lollows: 1a) Magnetic susceptibility in the North Atlantic is useful to detect delivery regions of the material transported by currents. b) The magnetic susceptibility is controlled by the ferromagnetic particles of the silt fraction. c) There are four important source areas: . The ferromagnetic particles of the box core PS2644-2 are transported from the Iceland Archipelago. . The material from the Geiki-Plateau effects the magnetic susceptibility in the Scoresby Sund Basin. . The magnetic susceptibility in the shelf regions in the North are produced by material from the fjords. . The ferromagnetic particles in the Greenland Sea are derived from the Mid Atlantic Ridges in the east. d) It is possible to determine the rock type, which delivers the ferromagnetic material because of differences in magnetic susceptibility of different intensity. . The erosion of the basalts of the Geiki-Plateau and the basalts of the Mid Atlantic ridges produce the high magnetic susceptibility in the south. . The magnetic susceptibility on the shelf in the north are probably produced by erosionproducts of the gneises of East Greenland. (2a) Heavy mineral assemblages show a significant difference between material transported by the Transpolar Drift from the Eurasian shelf regions (amphiboles, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene) and material derived from East Greenland (garnets and opaque minerals). Transport via ice is dominant. b) lt is also possible to show different petrographic provenances (volcanic and metamorphic provenances). These associations verify the source areas. c) The information of heavy mineral composition gives no more detailed hint on the rock type or rock formation in the source area, due to mixing processes, large area of investigation and the sample quantity.

Weathering characteristics and lithology of samples from the Rauer Group, Antarctica, obtained in February/March 2007, and conducted with field support of POLARSTERN cruise ANT-XXIII/9

The presence of glacial sediments across the Rauer Group indicates that the East Antarctic ice sheet formerly covered the entire archipelago and has since retreated at least 15 km from its maximum extent. The degree of weathering of these glacial sediments suggests that ice retreat from this maximum position occurred sometime during the latter half of the last glacial cycle. Following this phase of retreat, the ice sheet margin has not expanded more than ~1 km seaward of its present position. This pattern of ice sheet change matches that recorded in Vestfold Hills, providing further evidence that the diminutive Marine Isotope Stage 2 ice sheet advance in the nearby Larsemann Hills may have been influenced by local factors rather than a regional ice-sheet response to climate and sea-level change.

(Table 2) Radiocarbon dates from lakes on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island

Precise relative sea level (RSL) data are important for inferring regional ice sheet histories, as well as helping to validate numerical models of ice sheet evolution and glacial isostatic adjustment. Here we develop a new RSL curve for Fildes Peninsula, South Shetland Islands (SSIs), a sub-Antarctic archipelago peripheral to the northern Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet, by integrating sedimentary evidence from isolation basins with geomorphological evidence from raised beaches. This combined approach yields not only a Holocene RSL curve, but also the spatial pattern of how RSL change varied across the archipelago. The curve shows a mid-Holocene RSL highstand on Fildes Peninsula at 15.5 m above mean sea level between 8000 and 7000 cal a BP. Subsequently RSL gradually fell as a consequence of isostatic uplift in response to regional deglaciation. We propose that isostatic uplift occurred at a non-steady rate, with a temporary pause in ice retreat ca. 7200 cal a BP, leading to a short-lived RSL rise of ~1 m and forming a second peak to the mid-Holocene highstand. Two independent approaches were taken to constrain the long-term tectonic uplift rate of the SSIs at 0.22-0.48 m/ka, placing the tectonic contribution to the reconstructed RSL highstand between 1.4 and 2.9 m. Finally, we make comparisons to predictions from three global sea level models.

Georeferenced standardized apparent wave power along the coastline of Cabrera National Park for analysis of essential habitats of littoral species

Wind- induced exposure is one of the major forces shaping the geomorphology and biota in coastal areas. The effect of wave exposure on littoral biota is well known in marine environments (Ekebon et al., 2003; Burrows et al., 2008). In the Cabrera Archipelago National Park wave exposure has demostrated to have an effect on the spatial distribution of different stages of E.marginatus (Alvarez et al., 2010). Standarized average wave exposures during 2008 along the Cabrera Archipelago National park coast line were calculated to be applied in studies of littoral species distribution within the archipelago. Average wave exposure (or apparent wave power) was calculated for points located 50 m equidistant on the coastline following the EXA methodology (EXposure estimates for fragmented Archipelagos) (Ekebon et al., 2003). The average wave exposures were standardized from 1 to 100 (minimum and maximum in the area), showing coastal areas with different levels of mea wave exposure during the year. Input wind data (direction and intensity) from 2008 was registered at the Cabrera mooring located north of Cabrera Archipelago. Data were provided by IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB, TMMOS http://www.imedea.uib-csic.es/tmoos/boyas/). This cartography has been developed under the framework of the project EPIMHAR, funded by the National Park's Network (Spanish Ministry of Environment, Maritime and Rural Affairs, reference: 012/2007 ). Part of this work has been developed under the research programs funded by "Fons de Garantia Agrària i Pesquera de les Illes Balears (FOGAIBA)".

Investigations on sediment core Co1010 from Rauer Group, Antarctica

The Rauer Group is an archipelago in Prydz Bay, East Antarctica. The ice-free islands and the surrounding shallow marine areas provide valuable archives for the reconstruction of the late Pleistocene and Holocene environmental and climatic history of the region. Two sediment records from two marine inlets of Rauer Group have been studied for their sedimentological, geochemical, and biological characteristics. Radiocarbon ages from one of the inlets indicate ice-free conditions within the last glacial cycle, probably during the second half of Marine Isotope Stage 3. Subsequent ice sheet coverage of Rauer Group during the Last Glacial Maxiumum (LGM) can be inferred from a till layer recovered in one of the basins. The inlets became ice-free prior to 11,200 cal yr BP, when biogenic sedimentation started. Deglacial processes in the catchments, however, influenced the inlets until ~9200 cal. yr BP as evidenced by the input of minerogenic material. Marine productivity under relatively open water conditions indicates an early Holocene climate optimum until 8200 cal. yr BP, which is followed by a cooler period with increased sea ice. Warmer conditions are inferred for the mid Holocene, when both basins experienced an input of freshwater between ~5700-3500 cal. yr BP, probably due to ice-sheet melting and increased precipitation on the islands. Neoglacial cooling in the late Holocene since c. 3500 cal yr BP is reflected by an increase in sea ice in both inlets.

Annotated record of the detailed examination of Mn deposits from ANTIPODE Expedition stations

Deep-sea sediment cores from Scripps Institution of Oceanography's ANTIPODE Expedition were described to identify visually distinct units based on color, texture, or other feature, sedimentary structures, lithology and abundance of component grains, and paleontology. Sixty-eight cores were examined, of which 34 are large diameter piston cores. Photographs and graphic lithology legs are included as PLATES 1-48. ANTIPODE Expedition recovered cores from: the Monterey-Ascension Fan, the Northeast Pacific, the Aleutians, the Northwest Pacific, the Philippine Sea, Indonesia, the Tonga Ridge, the Seychelles, Chagos Archipelago, the Mid-Indian Ridge, the Bay of Bengal, near Sumatra, and near the Cocos Island in the Indian Ocean. The purpose of this report is to present sufficient basic data on ANTIPODE cores for invesiigators to choose samples for their own research.

Total mercury and total methylmercury during the POLARSTERN cruise ARK-XXVI/3 (TransArc)

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that threatens wildlife and human health across the Arctic region. Though much is known about the source and dynamics of its inorganic mercury (Hg) precursor, the exact origin of the high MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota remains uncertain. Arctic coastal sediments, coastal marine waters and surface snow are known sites for MeHg production. Observations on marine Hg dynamics, however, have been restricted to the Canadian Archipelago and the Beaufort Sea (<79°N). Here we present the first central Arctic Ocean (79-90°N) profiles for total mercury (tHg) and MeHg. We find elevated tHg and MeHg concentrations in the marginal sea ice zone (81-85°N). Similar to other open ocean basins, Arctic MeHg concentration maxima also occur in the pycnocline waters, but at much shallower depths (150-200 m). The shallow MeHg maxima just below the productive surface layer possibly result in enhanced biological uptake at the base of the Arctic marine food web and may explain the elevated MeHg concentrations in Arctic biota. We suggest that Arctic warming, through thinning sea ice, extension of the seasonal sea ice zone, intensified surface ocean stratification and shifts in plankton ecodynamics, will likely lead to higher marine MeHg production.

Non-indigenous species in the North and Baltic Seas and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region

List of non-indigenous species (NIS) established in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River region and the North and Baltic Seas region, their geographic origin, and taxonomic assignment. Asterisks mark the NIS that occur in both the North and Baltic Seas and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River regions. GL, SL, NW, NE, SW and SE denote the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River, north-west, north-east, south-west, and south-east, respectively. Eurasia represents inland freshwaters except Yangtze River, Indo-Pacific represents Indian Ocean and the archipelago of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pilipinas, North America (N America) represents inland freshwaters except the Laurentian Great Lakes, St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers, while Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America (S America) cover all inland freshwaters in these areas.