Arctic Report Card 2007: Tracking Recent Environmental Changes

Collectively, the observations indicate that the overall warming of the Arctic system continued in 2007. There are some elements that are stabilizing or returning to climatological norms. These mixed tendencies illustrate the sensitivity and complexity of the Arctic System. Atmosphere: Hot spot shifts toward Europe Ocean: North Pole Temperatures at depth returning to 1990s values Sea Ice: Summer extent at record minimum Greenland: Recent warm temperatures associated with net ice loss Biology: increasing tundra shrub cover and variable treeline advance; up to 80% declines in some caribou herds while goose populations double Land: Increase in permafrost temperatures The Arctic Report Card 2007 is introduced as a means of presenting clear, reliable and concise information on recent observations of environmental conditions in the Arctic, relative to historical time series records. It provides a method of updating and expanding the content of the State of the Arctic Report, published in fall 2006, to reflect current conditions. Material presented in the Report Card is prepared by an international team of scientists and is peer-reviewed by topical experts nominated by the US Polar Research Board. The audience for the Arctic Report Card is wide, including scientists, students, teachers, decision makers and the general public interested in Arctic environment and science. The web-based format will facilitate future timely updates of the content.

Einfluss der Landnutzungsänderung auf die Variabilität von Grundwasserneubildungs- und Sickerwasserrate - Qualitative Grundwassergefährdungsabschätzung mit einem GIS -

Ziel der Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines allgemeingültigen, im mittleren Maßstabsbereich durchgeführten, GIS-Bewertungsverfahrens zur Ermittlung der Grundwasserneubildungsrate unter Berücksichtigung einer langzeitlichen Landnutzungsänderung sowie die Darstellung eines Szenarios zur Grundwassergefährdungsabschätzung für ausgewählte rüstungsspezifi-sche organische Verbindungen. Das Untersuchungsgebiet befindet sich in einem während der beiden Weltkriege stark militär- und rüstungstechnisch genutzten Raum. Die Beurtei-lungsszenarien der Grundwassergefährdung erfolgen rein qualitativ.Die Abhängigkeit der Grundwasserneubildungsrate von der Landnutzungsänderung ist deut-lich zu erkennen. Mit zunehmender Flächenversiegelung, einher gehend mit veränderten Sickerwasserraten und des oberflächennahen Abflusses, reduziert sich die Grundwasser-neubildungsrate deutlich. Die Abschätzung der Grundwassergefährdung für die sprengstofftypischen Verbindungen erfolgt im ersten Schritt emissionsbezogen für die ungesättigte Zone unter Berücksichtigung der Standort- und Bodeneigenschaften und der physikalisch-chemischen Stoffeigenschaften. Im zweiten Schritt erfolgt eine immissionsbezogene Betrachtung der potenziellen Belastun-gen von Trinkwasserbrunnen.Trotz starker Generalisierungseffekte bietet dieser stoffspezifische Bewertungsansatz in Verbindung mit physikalischen Methoden für organische Verbindungen einen guten ersten Überblick über eine potenzielle Gefährdungen des Grundwassers. Die Datenbestände der entwickelten GIS-Anwendung sind leicht erweiterbar, so dass eine Abschätzung der potenzi-ellen Gefährdung auch für andere organische Stoffgruppen sowie auch eine Übertragung auf andere Untersuchungsgebiete möglich ist.

Frequency of and harm associated with primary care safety incidents

To assess frequency and severity of patient safety incidents in primary care. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey of health-care professionals in Swiss primary care offices.

High exchangeable calcium concentrations in soils on Barro Colorado Island, Panama

The soils on four lithologies (basaltic conglomerates, Bohio; Andesite; volcanoclastic sediments with basaltic agglomerates, Caimito volcanic; foraminiferal limestone, Caimito marine) on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) have high exchangeable Ca concentrations and cation-exchange capacities (CEC) compared to other tropical soils on similar parent material. In the 0–10 cm layer of 24 mineral soils, pH values ranged from 5.7 (Caimito volcanic and Andesite) to 6.5 (Caimito marine), concentrations of exchangeable Ca from 134 mmolc kg− 1 (Caimito volcanic) to 585 mmolc kg− 1 (Caimito marine), and cation exchange capacities from 317 mmolc kg− 1 (Caimito volcanic) to 933 mmolc kg− 1 (Caimito marine). X-ray diffractometry of the fraction < 2 μm revealed that smectites dominated the clay mineral assemblage in soil except on Caimito volcanic, where kaolinite was the dominant clay mineral. Exchangeable Ca concentrations decreased with increasing soil depth except on Caimito marine. The weathering indices Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA) and Weathering Index of Parker (WIP) determined for five soils on all geological formations, suggested that in contrast to expectation the topsoil (0–10 cm) appeared to be the least and the subsoil (50–70 cm) and saprolite (isomorphically weathered rock in the soil matrix) the most weathered. Additionally, the weathering indices indicated depletion of base cations and enrichment of Al-(hydr)oxides throughout the soil profile. Tree species did not have an effect on soil properties. Impeded leaching and the related occurrence of overland flow seem to be important in determining clay mineralogy. Our results suggest that (i) edaphic conditions favor the formation of smectites on most lithologies resulting in high CEC and thus high retention capacity for Ca and (ii) that there is an external source such as dust or sea spray deposition supplying Ca to the soils.

Tracking water pathways in steep hillslopes by d18O depth profiles of soil water

Assessing temporal variations in soil water flow is important, especially at the hillslope scale, to identify mechanisms of runoff and flood generation and pathways for nutrients and pollutants in soils. While surface processes are well considered and parameterized, the assessment of subsurface processes at the hillslope scale is still challenging since measurement of hydrological pathways is connected to high efforts in time, money and personnel work. The latter might not even be possible in alpine environments with harsh winter processes. Soil water stable isotope profiles may offer a time-integrating fingerprint of subsurface water pathways. In this study, we investigated the suitability of soil water stable isotope (d18O) depth profiles to identify water flow paths along two transects of steep subalpine hillslopes in the Swiss Alps. We applied a one-dimensional advection–dispersion model using d18O values of precipitation (ranging from _24.7 to _2.9‰) as input data to simulate the d18O profiles of soil water. The variability of d18O values with depth within each soil profile and a comparison of the simulated and measured d18O profiles were used to infer information about subsurface hydrological pathways. The temporal pattern of d18O in precipitation was found in several profiles, ranging from _14.5 to _4.0‰. This suggests that vertical percolation plays an important role even at slope angles of up to 46_. Lateral subsurface flow and/or mixing of soil water at lower slope angles might occur in deeper soil layers and at sites near a small stream. The difference between several observed and simulated d18O profiles revealed spatially highly variable infiltration patterns during the snowmelt periods: The d18O value of snow (_17.7 ± 1.9‰) was absent in several measured d18O profiles but present in the respective simulated d18O profiles. This indicated overland flow and/or preferential flow through the soil profile during the melt period. The applied methods proved to be a fast and promising tool to obtain time-integrated information on soil water flow paths at the hillslope scale in steep subalpine slopes.

Barium in seawater and sediments from the Artic Ocean

As part of ongoing circulation studies in the Arctic, seawater samples for dissolved Ba concentrations were obtained during Sep.-Oct., 1992 at several locations in the Bering Strait, Eastern Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Seas. The results reveal a dynamic rang (10 to 150 nmol/kg) for this element in the Arctic equal to or greater than that in combined Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Lowest levels are observed in surface waters, with values tending to decrease northwards in the direction of currents generally flowing frorn the Bering Strait along the Alaskan coast. Low surfacc concentrations tend to be accompanied by relatively enriched near bottom levels. On the basis of these spatial distributions, hydrographic observations and a knowledge of its behavior in other marine settings, it appears that Ba can be significantly depleted from surface waters as a result of the highly seasonal biological aclivities over Arctic marginal shelves. Removal at the surface is counteracted to some extent by regeneration at depth or in the sediments and by riverine inputs. The biologically related drawdown is likely to enhance the contrast between 'background' surface Ba levels in the Arctic and waters imprinted by regeneration and/or rivers, These preliminary findings suggest that Ba holds particular promise for tracing river waters and the ventilation of halodine waters hy laterally sinking brines produced during ice formation over the shelves.

‘The oil friendship’: the state of and prospects for Russian-Chinese energy cooperation. OSW Commentary NUMBER 197|17.02.2016

The oil sector has been the major element of Russian-Chinese energy cooperation. The years 2013–2015 saw a significant increase in the volume of crude oil exported by Russia. In 2015, China became the main importer of Russian oil; Russia became the second largest supplier of oil to the Chinese market, after Saudi Arabia. From Beijing’s perspective, supplies of Russian oil are of strategic importance because the main supply routes are overland routes. Russia, for its part, is interested in boosting its export because of its deteriorating position on the European market, which hitherto has been considered a strategic market.

Catchment characteristics and soil and water chemistry of the San Francisco basin and subbasins, Ecuador

In this study, the Mean Transit Time and Mixing Model Analysis methods are combined to unravel the runoff generation process of the San Francisco River basin (73.5 km**2) situated on the Amazonian side of the Cordillera Real in the southernmost Andes of Ecuador. The montane basin is covered with cloud forest, sub-páramo, pasture and ferns. Nested sampling was applied for the collection of streamwater samples and discharge measurements in the main tributaries and outlet of the basin, and for the collection of soil and rock water samples. Weekly to biweekly water grab samples were taken at all stations in the period April 2007-November 2008. Hydrometric data, Mean Transit Time and Mixing Model Analysis allowed preliminary evaluation of the processes controlling the runoff in the San Francisco River basin. Results suggest that flow during dry conditions mainly consists of lateral flow through the C-horizon and cracks in the top weathered bedrock layer, and that all subcatchments have an important contribution of this deep water to runoff, no matter whether pristine or deforested. During normal to low precipitation intensities, when antecedent soil moisture conditions favour water infiltration, vertical flow paths to deeper soil horizons with subsequent lateral subsurface flow contribute most to streamflow. Under wet conditions in forested catchments, streamflow is controlled by near surface lateral flow through the organic horizon. Exceptionally, saturation excess overland flow occurs. By absence of the litter layer in pasture, streamflow under wet conditions originates from the A horizon, and overland flow.

A manual of statutory corporation law : classified corporation laws of all the states, containing a digest of the business corporation laws of every state and territory of the United States, arranged uniformly, with the enactments of 1906 interleaved /

Includes bibliographical references and index.

John Udell Journal, kept during a trip across the plains,

Mode of access: Internet.