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In Belize, which is well known for the Belize Barrier Reef and its offshore atolls, coastal lagoons are frequent morphological features along the coast. They represent transitional environments between siliciclastic and carbonate settings. In order to shed light into the Holocene evolution of coastal lagoon environments, five localities along the central coast of Belize were selected as coring sites. These include four coastal lagoons and one marsh area, namely Mantatee Lagoon, Mullins River Beach, Colson Point Lagoon, Commerce Bight Lagoon and Sapodilla Lagoon. A total of 26 sediment cores with core lengths ranging from 109 cm to 500 cm, were drilled using a Lanesky-vibracorer. Overall, 73 m of Holocene sediments and Pleistocene soil were recovered. Together with 58 radiocarbon dates the sediments reveal details on the sediment architecture and depositional features of the localities.
Marine inundation of the mainland and coastal lagoon formation started around 6 kyrs cal BP.
As a response to sea-level rise during the Holocene transgression, facies retrograded towards the coast, as seen in marginal marine overlying brackish mollusk faunas. Evidence for late Holocene progradation of facies due to sea-level stagnation is largely lacking. The occurrence of landward thinning sand beds, hiatuses and marine fauna in lagoonal successions are indications of event (overwash) sedimentation. Sediments recovered are largely of Holocene age (<7980 cal BP), overlying Pleistocene sections. Analyses of sediment composition and texture, radiocarbon dating and mollusk shell identification were used to describe and correlate sedimentary facies.
XRD analyses have identified quartz as the dominant mineral, with the Maya Mountains as main source of coastal lagoon sediments. The most common sedimentary facies include peat and peaty sediment, mud, sand, and poorly sorted sediments. Pleistocene soil forms the basement of Holocene sediments. Holocene mud represents lagoon background permanent sedimentation.
Peats and peat-rich sequences were deposited in mangrove swamp environments, whereas sandy facies mainly occur in the shoreface, beach, barriers, bars, barrier spits and overwash deposits. Facies successions could be identified for each locality, but it has proven difficult to correlate the stratigraphic sequences, especially among localities. These differences among the five locations studied suggest that apart from regional influence such as sea-level rise, local environmental factors such as small-scale variation in geomorphology and resulting facies heterogeneity, connectivity of the lagoon with the sea, antecedent topography and river discharge, were responsible for coastal sedimentation and lagoon development in the Holocene of Belize.
Faunal composition and distribution patterns of mollusk assemblages from 20 shell concentrations in cores collected in coastal lagoons, a mangrove-fringed tidal inlet and the marginal marine area (shallow subtidal) show considerable variation due to environmental heterogeneity and the interplay of several environmental factors in the course of the mid-late Holocene (ca. 6000 cal BP to modern). The investigated fauna ≥2 mm comprises 2246 bivalve, gastropod and 11 scaphopod specimens. Fifty-three mollusk species, belonging to 42 families, were identified. The bivalve Anomalocardia cuneimeris and cerithid gastropods are the dominant species and account for 78% of the total fauna. Diversity indices are low in concentrations from lagoons and relatively high in the marginal marine and tidal inlet areas.
Based on cluster analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), seven lagoonal assemblages and three marginal marine/tidal inlet assemblages were defined. A separation between lagoonal and marginal marine/tidal inlet assemblages seen in ordination indicates a lagoon-onshore gradient. The statistical separation among lagoonal assemblages demonstrates environmental changes during the Holocene evolution of the coastal lagoons, which is probably related to the formation of barriers and spits. The controlling factors of species distribution patterns are difficult to figure out, probably due to the heterogeneity of the barrier-lagoon systems and the interaction of paleoecological and paleoenvironmental factors. In addition to the taxonomic analysis, a taphonomic analysis of 1827 valves of A. cuneimeris from coastal lagoons was carried out. There is no relationship between depth and age of shells and their taphonomic condition. Size-frequency distributions and right-left valve ratios of A. cuneimeris suggest that valves were not transported over long distances but were deposited parautochthonously in their original habitat. Shells from tidal inlet and marginal marine environments were also predominantly deposited in their original habitats.
Since the Belize coast was repeatedly affected by hurricanes and the paleohurricane record for this region is poor, the sediment cores have been examined in order to identify storm deposits.
The paleohurricane record presented in this study spans the past 8000 years and exhibits three periods with increased evidences of hurricane strikes occurring at 6000-4900 cal yr BP, 4200-3600 cal yr BP and 2200-1500 cal yr BP. Two earlier events around 7100 and 7900 cal yr BP and more recent events around 180 cal yr BP and during modern times have been detected. Sand layers, redeposited corals and lagoon shell concentrations have been used as proxies for storm deposition. Additionally, hiatuses and reversed ages may indicate storm influence. While sand layers and corals represent overwash deposits, the lagoon shell concentrations, which mainly comprise the bivalve Anomalocardia cuneimeris and cerithid gastropods, have been deposited due to changes in lagoon salinity during and after storm landfalls. Comparison with other studies reveals similarities with one record from Belize, but hardly any matches with other published records. The potential for paleotempestology reconstructions of the barrier-lagoon complexes along the central Belize coast differs depending on geomorphology, and deposition of washovers in the lagoon basins is limited, probably due to the interplay of biological, geological and geomorphological processes.
The Late Cretaceous is known to be mostly affected by warm periods interrupted temporarily by a number of cooling events. The reconstruction of the paleoclimatic conditions during a period of high concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is of great importance for the creation of future climate models. We applied the recently developed method reconstructing the SST from the TEX86 (TetraEther indeX of tetraethers consisting of 86 carbon atoms).
The sample material used for the present study was obtained from the tropical Late Cretaceous southern Tethys upwelling system (Negev/Israel), lasting from the Late Santonian to the Early Maastrichtian (~ 85 to 68 Ma). On the core samples from the Shefela basin, representing the outer belt of the upwelling system and the outcrop profile from the open mine Mishor Rotem (Efe Syncline), representing the inner belt, various bulk geochemical and biomarker studies were performed in this thesis.
Derived from TEX86 data, a significant long-term SST cooling trend from 36.0 to 29.3 °C is recognized during the Late Santonian and the Early Campanian in the southern Tethys margin. This is consistent with the opening and deepening of the Equatorial Atlantic Gateway (EAG) and the intrusion of cooler deep water from the southern Atlantic Ocean influencing the global SSTs and also the Tethys Ocean. Furthermore, the cooler near shore SST usually found in modern upwelling systems could be verified in case of the ancient upwelling system investigated in the present study. The calculated mean SST in the inner belt (27.7 °C) represented in the Efe Syncline was 1.5 °C cooler in comparison to the more seaward located outer belt (Shefela basin).
Moreover, geochemical and biomarker analyses were used to identify both the accumulation of high amounts of phosphate in the PM and good preservation of organic matter (OM) in the lower part of the OSM section. Total organic carbon (TOC) contents are highly variable over the whole profile reaching from 0.6 % in the MM, to 24.5 % in the OSM. Total iron (TFe) varies from 0.1 % in the PM to 3.3 % in the OSM and total sulfur (TS) varies between 0.1 % in the MM and 3.4 % in the OSM. Different correlations of TS, TOC and TFe were used to identify the conditions during the deposition of the different facies types. Natural sulfurization was found to play a key role in the preservation of the OM particularly in the lower part of the OSM. Samples from the OSM and the PM were deposited under dysoxic to anoxic conditions and iron limitation lasted during the deposition of the OSM and the PM, which effected the incorporation of sulfur into OM.
Phosphorus is highly accumulated in the sediments of the PM with a mean proportion of 11.5 % total phosphorus (TP), which is drastically reduced to a mean value of 0.9 % in the OSM and the MM. From the correlation of the bulk geochemical parameters TOC/TOCOR ratio and TP a major contribution of sulfate reducing bacteria to the phosphate deposition is concluded. This interrelation has previously been investigated in recent coastal upwelling systems off Peru, Chile, California and Namibia. This was further supported by the analysis of branched and monounsaturated fatty acids indicating the occurrence of sulfate reducing and sulfide oxidizing bacteria during the deposition.
According to the results from the analysis of n-alkanes and C27- to C29-steranes up to 95 % of the OM was of marine origin.
Organic sulfur compounds (OSC) were a major compound class in the aromatic hydrocarbon fraction and n-Alkyl and isoprenoid thiophenes were the most abundant, with highest amounts found for 2-methyl-5-tridecyl-thiophene (28 µg/g TOC). The relatively high abundance of ββ-C35 hopanoid thiophenes and epithiosteranes is equivalent to an incorporation of sulfur during the early stages of diagenesis.
Moreover, the geochemical parameters δ13Corg, δ15Norg, C/N and the pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) ratio, were studied for reconstruction of seafloor and water column depositional environments. The high C/N ratio along with relatively low values of δ15Norg (4 ‰ to 6 ‰) and δ13Corg (-29 ‰ to -28 ‰) are consistent with a significant preferential loss of nitrogen-rich organic compounds during diagenesis. Oxygen-depleted conditions lasted during the deposition of the PM and the bottom of the OSM, reflected by the low Pr/Ph ratio of 0.11–0.7. In the upper part of the OSM and the MM the conditions changed from anoxic to dysoxic or oxic conditions. This environmental trend is consistent with co-occurring foraminiferal assemblages in the studied succession and implies that the benthic species in the Negev sequence were adapted to persistent minimum oxygen conditions by performing complete denitrification as recently found in many modern benthic foraminifera.
Furthermore, the anammox process could have influenced the nitrogen composition of the sediments. In this anaerobically process nitrite and ammonia are converted to molecular nitrogen.
This thesis aims to analyse in a first step the physical and chemical properties of soil profiles along pedomorphological transects in different land used conditions (protected, partly protected as well as cultivated and pastured areas) in North West Benin and in South East Burkina Faso. The information about soils, which are carried out in consideration of the pedogenesis processes like weathering types, saprolitisation, formation of laterite crusts and denudation within the planation surfaces are therefore correlated in a second step with the structure and dynamic of woody plant around individual soil profiles. The relationship soil properties and woody plant is investigated in order to assess the reciprocal influence between the diversity of woody plants and soil characteristics within a small scale study and under different land use conditions.
A common vertical and lateral differentiation of physical and chemical properties regardless of the partly protected, protected and cultivated status of the sites can be noticed. Thus, in the cultivated site of Kikideni and in the partly protected zone of Natiabouani (South East Burkina Faso) sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil surfaces are widespread because of the occurrence of similar erosion processes like sheet wash, rill and gully erosion while in the central part of the Pendjari National Park loamy soil textures are prevailing. In fact, the steepness of the relief and the length of the slopes in the Pendjari Park seem to limit the development of some erosion forms as gully. Furthermore, the classification of soils reflects the variation of pedological processes along the transects and thus the occurrence of different soil types. The status of the sites may play an insignificant role in the differentiation of soil properties within the scale of small pedomorphological transects. A direct comparison of the vegetation type in the land use respectively partly protected and in the total protected sites (National Park of Pendjari) reveals a transition from the shrub savanna to the tree savanna. In conclusion it is important to insist on the fact that the variations of soil parameters within small slopes and the different sites are more conditioned by varying erosion processes and drainage conditions than the status protected or land use sites while the composition and diversity of plants is influenced by the status of the sites, the prevailing management tools, the pedogenetic conditions as well as the presence of wild animals like elephants. The ordination diagram shows that the organic matter is better correlated to the subgroup representing principally the sites of the hunting zone of the Pendjari Park and might be an explaining factor to the distribution of these sample sites groups. CEC ratios in the partly protected site of Natiabouani represent the highest measured in all sites. Nevertheless, statistical analysis of the CCA (canonical correspondence analysis) indicates generally a low correlation. This tendency is consolidated by the Monte Carlo test (p=0.14) which is a good indicator of species and environmental conditions. The detailed analysis of soil properties and the vegetation dynamic as well as their relationship within small pedomorphological transects represent an important pedological and botanical data collection involving different compartments. This thesis contributes to the better understanding of the savanna landscapes of West Africa and may provide essential scientific background for each development project directed towards interdisciplinary and integrative researches.
The Alborz Mountains are forming a ~100 km wide, E-W trending mountain chain where individual summits are up to 5000 m in elevation. The Alborz Mountains range are part of the Alpine orogen and are straddling a 2000 km wide area S of the Caspian Sea. The rocks of the Alborz Mountains consist of Neogen sediments, which are affected by folding and faulting. In the western part of the Alborz Mountains the folds and faults are trending NW-SE, whereas in the eastern part they are trending NE-SW. GPS data confirm N-S shortening including dextral strike-slip along ESE-WNW trending faults, and sinistral strike-slip along ENE-WSW trending faults. The present thesis is focusing on the active Garmsar salt nappe, the fragmented roof of which is pierced by rock salt which extruded near the front of the Alborz Mountains Range. During the past 5 m.y. the front of the Alborz chain migrated towards SSW on top of the salt of the Garmsar basin. The salt was squeezed towards SSW and took place at the Great Kavir. The extruded salt is forming the Eyvanekey plateau between the cities of Eyvanekey and Garmsar. Both the Garmsar salt nappe and the Eyvanekey plateau are dextrally displaced for ca. 9 km along the Zirab-Garmsar fault. Structural analyses of the Garmsar salt nappe indicate three different groups of joints which are trending perpendicular and parallel to the local mechanical anisotropy. The folds of the study area are congruent (type 2 and 3 after Ramsay) resulting from viscose inhomogeneous flow. InSAR-Investigations suggest the Alborz Mountains to be lifted up by ca. 1 cm/a, while horizontal shortening is active at a rate of 8 ±2 mm/a. These values are consistent with GPS data. Based on nine „Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar“ (ASAR) scenarios, produced by the ENVISAT satellite of the European space agency between 2003 and 2006, we used interferograms to map the displacement via 22 increments during 2 – 18 months. The results suggest that the topographic height of the surface of the salt is changing at a rate which is controlled by the season. The displacement ranges from subsidence at -40 to -50 mm/a to uplift of 20 mm/a. In order to investigate the time-dependent deformation with high spatial resolution, we used algorithms which are based on data of small base lines (SBAS). The resulting interferometric SAR time series analyses also suggest that the study area is largely subsiding at a rate that is controlled by the seasons. The map with the averaged LOS deformation velocities, on the other hand, suggests the subsidence to increase from the upper part of the salt nappe towards deeper topographic 5 levels of the agricultural lowlands. The major part of subsidence is probably caused by the annual rainfall which results in subrosion of salt. The spatial changes in the subsidence rate are probably controlled by the distribution of fountains, mining activity at the margin of the salt glacier, and faults and fractures inside the salt. Striking seasonal imprints are obvious along the agricultural areas which are surrounding the Garmsar salt nappe. These areas are rapidly subsiding in summer and spring when groundwater is used for irrigations. The maximum rate of subsidence (40-50 mm/a) is located E and W of the Eyvanekey plateau, where large areas are irrigated. The maximum displacement is 20 mm/a in the farmland and 5 mm/a in the center of the salt nappe. Depth estimates using Euler deconvolution method for gravimetric and magnetic data suggest the salt to extrude from a depth less than ca. 2000 m. The gravity field of the study area is characterized by strong anomalies in the SW and weak anomalies in the NE. A considerable negative anomaly in the N indicates that the northern part subsided, whereas the southern part was lifted up. The seismic data show three major horizons inside the Miocene sediments: the Lower Red Formation, the Qom Formation, and the Upper Red Formation. The western part of the study area seems to be free from salt domes. The layers of the upper part of the Qom Formation show thinning along the NE and NW trending faults. In some areas the seismic reflectors indicate steep faults close the saddle of the folds. NE-SW-, NW-SE and E-Wtrending faults prevail. Analogue experiments have been carried out to extend our knowledge about the evolution of the Garmsar salt dome. We used a scaled model (34 cm * 25 cm * 2.5 cm) that was shortened perpendicular to its long side. The wedge shape of the Alborz Mountains was simulated by a wedge consisting of Styrofoam. Rock salt was simulated using Polydimethylsiloxan (PDMS), a linear viscous material with a viscosity of 2.3*104 Pa s and a density of 0.96 g/cm3 at room temperature. Other sediments were modeled using dry quartz sand. The experimental results can be used to simulate the structural evolution of the study area: The Alborz deformation front was emplaced on top of the salt rocks in the Garmsar area while migrating towards SSW. A salt basin and a salt extrusion have also been produced in the model. Cross sections through the wedge shaped analogue model indicate N- and S-dipping reverse faults, which are in line with the wedge shape of the Alborz chain. Moreover, ENE-WSW trending sinistral and ESE-WNW trending dextral strike-slip faults led to N-S shortening during the Miocene. Structural marker horizons, 6 which have been turned into Z-folds on the western fold limbs and to S-folds on the eastern fold limbs, are comparable with the folds of the study area. Solving the problem of waste is one of the central tasks of environmental protection. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitable sites that are acceptable to the public. Salt and salt formations have relevant properties to be utilizing as a repository for each kind of waste. The favorable properties make rock salt highly suitable as a host rock, in particular for nonradioactive and radioactive wastes. The Qom and Garmsar basins are the nearest salt diapirs to the Tehran province, and there are suitable repositories for waste disposal. Based on surface and subsurface data, the Garmsar salt diapir has been investigated as a case example for its suitability as a host and repository for various types of waste. The data used are based on field studies, interferometry, and geophysical investigations. The results of this study suggest the deep bedded salt of the Garmsar Salt Basin to be an appropriate host for the deposition of industrial waste. Rock salt of surficial layers or domes, on the other hand, is not regarded as an appropriate candidate for waste disposal.
This research was conducted in the Rwenzori Region of the Western Branch, East African Rift System (EARS). The EARS is a tectonic structure extending over a length of more than 3000 km from the Afar Triple Junction, in Ethiopia, to Lake Malawi in the south. The Western Rift System is a roughly NE to ENE trending sector of the EARS, which runs along the western boundary of Uganda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C). It stretches 2100 km from Nimule, NW on Uganda-Sudan border, extending to Lake Malawi in the SE of Africa. The unusual uplift of the Rwenzori Mountains within an extensional regime and the mechanisms associated with the high frequency of seismic activity in the region was hardly understood and therefore, had remained a subject of contention that needed to be critically addressed in detail. To my knowledge, this was probably the first study to be performed and documented in great depth within the domains of seismic noise variation, seismic anisotropy and b value analyses beneath the Rwenzori Region. After about six years of operation (2006-2012), the seismology group of the RIFTLINK Research Project (www.riftlink.org) acquired a vast amount of high-quality, digital data that were collected using a seismic network of well calibrated seismic equipment. The project was divided into two phases. Phase I, that operated between February 2006 - September 2007, consisted of thirty-two temporary seismic stations, which were selectively spread out in the Rwenzori Region on the Ugandan side, to detect and record extremely weak as well as strong naturally occurring earthquakes. The seismic equipment used included EDL and REFTEK digitizers, which were coupled with Güralp and MARK sensors respectively (REFTEKS: only short-period MARK sensors, EDLs: short-period MARK plus few broadband Güralp Sensors). Exactly 22375 earthquakes were recorded. The data were processed using the SEISAN software package. About 14413 earthquakes were carefully localized using the velocity model of Bram (1975) that implements a Vp=Vs ratio fixed at 1.74. Phase II, that extended between 2009-2012 consisted of thirty-two seismic stations, which were spread out around the Rwenzori Mountains, both on the Ugandan side and the neighboring D.R.C. Only Taurus digitizers that were coupled with Trillium sensors were used in the D.R.C. On the Ugandan side however, both EDL and Taurus digitizers, which were coupled with Trillium and Güralp sensors were used. ...
The focus of this study were Celtic gold coins excavated from the Martberg, a Celtic oppidium and sanctuary, occupied in the first century B.C. by a Celtic tribe known as the Treveri. These coins and a number of associated coinages, were characterised in terms of their alloy compositions and their geochemical and isotopic signatures so as to answer archaeological and numismatic questions of coinage development and metal sources. This required the development of analytical methods involving; Electron Microprobe (EPMA), Laser Ablation-ICP-MS, solution Multicollector-ICPMS and LA-MC-ICP-MS. The alloy compositions (Au-Ag-Cu-Sn) were determined by EPMA on a small polished area on the edge of the coins. A large beam size, 50µm (diameter), was used to overcome the extreme heterogeneity of these alloys. These analyses were shown to be representative of the bulk composition of the coins. The metallurgical development of the coinages was defined and showed that the earlier coinages followed a debasement trend, which was superceded by a trend of increasing copper at the expense of sliver while gold compositions remained stable. This change occurred with the appearance of the inscribed "POTTINA" coinage, Scheers 30/V. Two typologically different coinages, Scheers 16 and 18 ("Armorican Types") were found to have markedly different compositions which do not fit into the trends described above. A Flan for a gold coin, which may indicate the presence of a mint at the Martberg, was found to have an identicle weight and composition as the Scheers 30/I coins, which preceeded the majority of the coins found at the Martberg in the coin development chronology. The trace element anaylses were made by Laser Ablation-ICPMS using an AridusTM desolvating nebuliser to introduce matrix matched solution standards to calibrate the measurements, which were then normalised to 100%. Quantitative results were obtained for the following elements: Sc, Ti, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Sb, Te, W, Ir, Pt, Pb, Bi. The remaining elements remain problematic as they produced incorrect standardisations mainly due to chemical effects in solution such as adsorption onto the beaker walls or oxidation : V, Fe, Ga, Ge, As, Mo, Sn, Re, Os, Hg. Changes in the sources of Au, Ag and Cu were observed during the development of the coinages through the variation of trace elements, which correlate positively with the major components of the coin alloys. Changes in the Pt/Au ratios show that the Scheers 23 coins contain distinctly different gold from the later coinages and that the Scheers 18 gold source was also different. Te/Ag was used to show that the Sch.23 coins also contained different silver and some subgroups were observed in the Sch. 30/V coins. A major change in copper source is indicated by the sudden increase of Sb and Ni with the introduction of the Sch. 30/V coins (POTTINA), which can be linked to a similar change in copper observed in the contemporary silver coinage, Sch. 55 (with a ring). Lead isotopic analyses were made by solution- and Laser Ablation - MC-ICP-MS, The laser technique proved to be in good agreement with the solution analyses with precisions between 1 and 0.1%o (per mil). The development of the laser method opens the way for easy and virtually non-destructive Pb isotopic determinations of ancient gold coins. The results showed that Sch. 23 is very different from the following coinages, Sch. 16 and 18 are also different, forming their own group, and all the later "Eye" staters (Sch. 30/I-VI) lie on a mixing line controlled by the addition of copper from a Mediterranean source, probably Sardinia or Spain. An indication of gold and silver sources should be possible with further analyses of the Sch. 23 and Rainbow Cup gold coins and the Sch. 54 and 55 silver coinages. Copper Isotopic analyses were made by solution- and Laser Ablation - MC-ICP-MS. Both techniques require further development to produce more reproducible results. The results show that there appears to be a trend to more positive d Cu65 values for the later coinages and that the link between the copper used in the Sch. 30/V (POTTINA) coins and the silver Sch. 55 (with a ring) coins is also shown by similarly postive d Cu65 values. The full suite of analyses were also made on samples of gold from the region. They were mostly composed of "placer gold", alluvial gold found in rivers. It was found that when a study is restricted to a limited number of deposits or areas then it is possible to distinguish between deposits based on the concentration of those elements which are least affected by transport related alteration processes. These elements include; the PGE's, due to their refractory nature, and those elements which are usually present in high enough concentrations to remain relatively unaffected, eg: Cu, Pb and Sb. Due to the nature of the coin alloy it is not possible to link the gold used in the coins studied here with gold deposits, as the large amounts of Ag and Cu, added to the coin alloys, have masked the Au signature. However, further Pb isotopic analyses of gold deposits should prove useful in determining from which regions Celtic gold was derived.
The timing and duration of leaf deployment strongly regulate earth-atmosphere interactions and biotic processes. Leaf dynamics therefore have major implications for life on earth, including the global energy balance, carbon and water cycles, feedbacks to climate, species extinction risk and agriculture. Evidence of shifts in the timing of leaf deployment and senescence (leaf phenology) as a result of climate change has been accumulating over the past decades, particularly in relation to spring phenology in the northern hemisphere. However, leaf phenological change in other parts of the world has received less attention. This thesis quantifies global phenological change over the past three decades using remotely sensed data. Phenological change was found to be widespread and severe, also in the southern hemisphere. While the detected change testifies of the phenological plasticity of many plant species, it is not clear if the duration of leaf deployment (leaf habit) is equally sensitive to environmental change. Since evergreen and deciduous leaf habits are often distinctly sorted along environmental gradients, ecologists have hypothesised that these patterns result from natural selection for an optimal leaf habit, under a given environmental regime. Such evolutionary convergence can be examined by testing if the physiological niche that is occupied by a particular leaf habit (evergreen or deciduous) is similar among regions with distinct evolutionary histories. Using a process-based model of plant growth and a constructed map of evergreen and deciduous vegetation, the physiological niche of leaf habits was quantified in four global biogeographic realms. Substantial niche overlap was found between the same leaf habit in different realms, suggesting evolutionary convergence of the physiological niche. This implies a sensitivity of leaf habit to environmental change, as environmental variables determine the geographic space where the physiological niche allows a positive carbon balance, and therefore occurrence of the leaf habit. Since the physiological niche consists of the integrated effects of physiological traits and trade-offs, environmental dependencies and leaf habit and phenology, an understanding of the carbon economy of individual plants requires decomposing the physiological niche into its components. Using empirical data on leaf phenology, leaf habit and physiological processes from woody species in a seasonally dry African savanna, a simple carbon balance model was parametrised. Carbon gain varied considerably between species as a result of substantial variation in leaf habit, leaf phenology and physiological traits. The multiple lines of evidence in this thesis therefore suggest that, while convergent selective forces may determine the dominant leaf habit in a particular environment, inter-specific variation is substantial, potentially as a consequence of historical contingencies or competitive interactions.
Terrestrial climate and ecosystem evolution during ‘Greenhouse Earth’ phases of the early Paleogene remain incompletely known. Particularly, paleobotanical records from high southern latitudes are giving only limited insights into the Paleocene and early Eocene vegetation of the region. Hence, data from continuous well-calibrated sequences are required to make progress with the reconstruction of terrestrial climate and ecosystem dynamics from the southern latitudes during the early Paleogene.
In order to elucidate the terrestrial conditions from the high southern latitudes during the early Paleogene, terrestrial palynology was applied in the present study to two well-dated deep-marine sediment cores located at the Australo-Antarctic region: (i) IODP Site U1356 (Wilkes Land margin, East Antarctica) and (ii) ODP Site 1172 (East Tasman Plateau, southwest Pacific Ocean). The studied sequence from IODP Site U1356 comprises mid-shelfal sediments from the early to middle Eocene (53.9 – 46 million years ago [Ma]). For the ODP Site 1172, the studied succession is characterized by sediments deposited in shallow marine environments of the middle Paleocene to the early Eocene (60.7 – 54.2 Ma).
Based on the obtained pollen and spores (sporomorphs) results from the studied sequences of Site U1356 and Site 1172, this study aims to: (1) decipher the terrestrial climate conditions along the Australo-Antarctic region from the middle Paleocene to the middle Eocene; (2) evaluate the structure, diversity and compositional patterns of forests that throve in the Australo-Antarctic region during the early Paleogene; (3) understand the response of forests from the high southern latitudes to the climate dynamics from the early Paleogene; (4) establish a connection between the generated terrestrial palynomorph data and published Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) from the same cores.
To decipher the terrestrial climatic conditions on the Australo-Antarctic region, this study relies on the nearest living relative (NLR) concept that assumes that fossil taxa have similar climate requirements as their modern counterparts. This approach was applied to the sporomorph results of Site U1356 and Site 1172, following mainly the bioclimatic analysis. With regard to the structure and diversity patterns of the vegetation from the same region, the present study presents combined qualitative (i.e., reconstruction of the vegetation based mainly on the habitats of the known living relatives) and quantitative (i.e., application of ordination techniques, rarefaction and diversity indices) analyses of the fossil sporomorphs results.
The overall results from the paleoclimatic and vegetation reconstruction approaches applied in the present study, indicate that temperate and paratropical forests during the early Paleogene throve under different climatic conditions on the Wilkes Land margin and on Tasmania, at paleolatitudes of ∼70°S and ∼65°S, respectively.
Specifically, the sporomorph results from Site U1356, suggest that a highly diverse forest similar to present-day forests from New Caledonia was thriving on Antarctica during the early Eocene (53.9 – 51.9 Ma). These forests were characterized by the presence of termophilous taxa that are restricted today to tropical and subtropical settings, notably Bombacoideae, Strasburgeria, Beauprea, Spathiphyllum, Anacolosa and Lygodium. In combination with MBT/CBT paleotemperature results, they provide strong evidence for near-tropical warmth at least in the coastal lowlands along the Wilkes Land margin. The coeval presence of frost tolerant taxa such as Nothofagus, Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae during the early Eocene on the same record suggests that paratropical forests were thriving along the Wilkes Land margin. Due to the presence of this kind of vegetation, it is possible to suggest that forests in this region were subject to a climatic gradient related to differences in elevation and/or the proximity to the coastline.
By the middle Eocene, the paratropical forests that characterized the vegetation of the early Eocene on the Wilkes Land margin were replaced by low diversity temperate forests dominated by Nothofagus, and similar to present-day cool-temperate forests from New Zealand. The dominance of these forests and the absence of thermophilous elements together with the lower temperatures suggested by the MBT/CBT and the sporomorph-based temperatures indicate consistently cooler conditions during this time interval.
With regard to the sporomorph results of Site 1172, this study suggests that three vegetation types were thriving on Tasmania from the middle Paleocene to the early Eocene under different climatic conditions. During the middle to late Paleocene, warm-temperate forests dominated by Podocarpaceae and Araucariaceae were the prevailing vegetation on Tasmania. The dominance of these forests was interrupted by the transient predominance of cool-temperate forests dominated by Nothofagus and Araucariaceae across the middle/late Paleocene transition interval (~59.5 to ~59.0 Ma). This cool-temperate forest was characterized by a lack of frost-sensitive elements (i.e., palms and cycads) indicating cooler conditions with harsher winters on Tasmania during this time interval. By the early Eocene, and linked with the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), Paleocene temperate forests dominated by gymnosperms were replaced by paratropical rainforests with the remarkable presence of the tropical mangrove palm Nypa during the PETM and the earliest Eocene. The overall results from Site U1356 and Site 1172, provide a new assessment of the terrestrial climatic conditions in the Australo-Antarctic region for validating climate models and understanding the response of high-latitude terrestrial ecosystems to the climate dynamics of the early Paleogene on southern latitudes.
The climatic conditions in the higher latitudes during the early Paleogene were further unravelled by comparing the obtained terrestrial and marine results. The integration of the obtained sporomorph data with previously published TEX86-based SSTs from Site 1172 documents that the vegetation dynamics were closely linked with the temperature evolution from the Australo-Antarctic region. Moreover, the comparison of TEX86-based SSTs and sporomorph-based climatic estimations from Site 1172 suggests a warm-season bias of both calibrations of TEX86 (i.e., TEX86Hand TEX86H), when this proxy is applied to high southern latitudes records of the early Paleogene.
Climatology of morphology and cloud-radiative properties of marine low-level mixed-phase clouds
(2023)
Marine stratocumuli cover about 40 - 60% of the ocean surface. They self-organize into different morphological regimes. The two organized cellular regimes are called open and closed mesoscale-cellular convective (MCC) clouds. In mid-to-high latitudes, open and closed cells are the two most frequent types of MCC clouds. In particular, many MCC clouds consist of a mixture of vapor, liquid droplets, and ice particles, referred to as mixed-phase clouds (MPCs). Even for the same cloud fraction, the albedo of open cells is, on average, lower than that of closed MCC clouds. Cloud phase and morphology individually influence the cloud radiative effect. Thus, this thesis investigates the relationships between the cloud phase, MCC organization, cell size, and differences regarding the cloud-radiative effect.
This thesis focuses on space-borne retrievals to achieve extensive temporal and spatial coverage. The liDAR-raDAR (DARDAR) version 2 product collocates two active and one passive satellite: CloudSat, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The cloud phase of DARDAR is vertically integrated to establish a single cloud phase at each data point. The MCC classification data set based on the liquid water path (LWP) of MODIS scenes is collocated with the DARDAR product to determine the MCC organization. Cell-size statistics of both MCC clouds are obtained using a marker-based image segmentation method on MODIS reflectance scenes. In addition, based on MODIS reflectance scenes, a convolutional neural network (CNN) is developed to classify open and closed MCC scenes to avoid missing mature MPCs with a low LWP.
The first part of this thesis explores the relationships between cloud phase, morphology, and cloud albedo in the Southern Ocean (SO). At a given cloud-top temperature (CTT), seasonal changes in the mixed-phase fraction, defined as the number of MPCs divided by the sum of MPC and supercooled liquid cloud (SLC) pixels, are stronger than the morphological changes. Therefore, external factors seem to influence these changes instead of morphology. The dependence of cloud phase on cloud-top height (CTH) is more substantial than on CTT in clouds with CTHs below 2.5 km. The previously observed acceleration of closed-to-open transition in MPCs, known as preconditioning, is not the primary driver of climatological cloud morphology statistics in the SO. The morphological differences in cloud albedo are more pronounced in SLCs than in MPCs. This change in albedo alters the cloud radiative effect in the SO by 21Wm−2 to 39Wm−2 depending onseason and cloud phase.
Open and closed MCC clouds exhibit larger equivalent cell diameters in the MPCs than in SLCs in austral summer, whereas, in austral winter, the SLCs are larger. The cell’s aspect ratio accounts for varying CTHs. Closed cells have smaller aspect ratios than open cells, so their cell diameter is smaller, independent of CTH. While the seasonal differences in closed cells are due to changes in CTH, the seasonal aspect ratio differences in open cells are mainly caused by MPCs. With increasing aspect ratios, the cloud albedo decreases in both open and closed MCC clouds, with the most substantial decrease in open MPCs clouds. This leads to cloud-radiative changes of 60 - 75Wm−2 in the SO, depending on cloud phase and aspect ratio.
The established CNN exhibits a good accuracy of 80.6%, with even higher accuracies in the Open (85.5%) and Closed (87.3%) categories. The global MCC climatology based on the CNN generally agrees well with previous MCC distributions. The most notable difference occurs in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) in boreal winter, with a higher occurrence frequency of closed and open MCC clouds. This might indicate missing MPCs in previous studies based on the LWP and some restricted to warm cloud scenes. Thus, the developed CNN seems to better represent the different morphologies in MPCs than in previous classifications.
In conclusion, this thesis shows that understanding the dependencies of cloud phase, cloud morphology, and cell size is important to enhance predictions of the cloud-radiative effect and thus, it is important to evaluate how cloud phase, cloud morphology, and cellsize change in a warming climate.
The objective of the present doctoral thesis was to investigate the occurrence, distribution, and behaviour of six hydrophilic ethers: ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), 1,4-dioxane, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (monoglyme), diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (diglyme), triethylene glycol dimethyl ether (triglyme), and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (tetraglyme) in surface-, waste-, ground- and drinking water samples. Solid phase extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry were used to analyze the six hydrophilic ethers. Altogether more than 150 surface water samples, almost 100 of each groundwater and wastewater samples, and 10 raw and drinking water samples were analyzed during the research project.
Initially, the method was validated in order to simultaneously determine the analytes of interest in various aquatic environments. A solid phase extraction method that uses coconut charcoal (Resprep® activated coconut charcoal, Restek) or carbon molecular sieve material (SupelcleanTM Envi-CarbTM Plus, Supelco) for analyte absorption were found suitable for determination of ETBE, 1,4-dioxane, and glymes in surface-, drinking-, ground- and wastewater samples. Precision and accuracy of both methods was demonstrated for all analytes of interest. The recovery of target compounds from the ultrapure water spiked at 1.0 µg L−1 was between 86.8 % and 98.2 %, with relative standard deviation below 6 %. The samples spiked at 10.0 µg L−1 gave slightly higher recovery of 90.6 % to 112.2 % with a relative standard deviation below 3.4 % for each analyte. Detection and quantification limits in ultrapure water and surface waters were furthermore established. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) in ultrapure water ranged between 0.024 µg L−1 to 0.057 µg L−1 using Restek cartridges, and 0.030 µg L−1 to 0.069 µg L−1 using Supelco cartridges. In the surface water samples the calculated LOQ was 0.032 µg L−1 to 0.067µg L−1 using coconut charcoal material and 0.032 µg L−1 to 0.052 µg L−1 using the carbon molecular sieve material. Moreover, stability of the unpreserved and preserved water samples as well as the extracts was determined. Preservation of samples with sodium bisulfate (at 1 gram per Liter) resulted in much better stability of the ethers in water samples. Subsequently, 27 samples obtained from seven surface water bodies in Germany (Rivers Rhine, Lippe, Main, Oder, Rur, Schwarzbach and Wesel-Datteln Canal) were analyzed for the six hydrophilic ethers. ETBE was present in only two surface waters (Rhine River and Wesel-Datteln Canal) with concentrations close to the LOQ (up to 0.065 µg L−1). 1,4-Dioxane was detected in all of the water samples at concentrations reaching 1.93 µg L–1. Monoglyme was identified only in the Main and Rhine Rivers at the maximum concentration of 0.114 µg L–1 and 0.427 µg L–1, respectively. Very high concentrations (up to 1.73 µg L−1) of diglyme, triglyme, and tetraglyme were detected in the samples from the Oder River. These glymes were also detected in the Rhine River; however the concentrations did not exceed 0.200 µg L–1. Furthermore, tetraglyme was detected in the Main River at an average concentration of 0.409 µg L–1 (n = 6) and in one sample from the Rur River at 0.192 µg L–1.
Four sampling campaigns were conducted at the Oderbruch polder between October 2009 and May 2012, in order to study the behavior of the hydrophilic ethers and organophosphates during riverbank filtration and in the anoxic aquifer. Moreover the suitability of these target compounds was assessed for their use as groundwater organic tracers. At the time of each sampling campaign, concentrations of triglyme and tetraglyme in the Oder River were between 20–185 ng L–1 (n = 4) and 273¬–1576 ng L–1 (n = 4). Monoglyme, diglyme, and 1,4-dioxane were analyzed only during the two last sampling campaigns. At that time, the concentration of diglyme in Oder River was 65¬–94 ng L-1 (n = 2) and 1,4-dioxane 1610¬–3290 ng L–1 (n = 2). In the drainage ditch, following bank filtration, concentrations of ethers ranged between 1090 ng L–1 and 1467 ng L–1 for 1,4-dioxane, 23¬ng L–1 and 41 ng L–1 for diglyme, 37 ng L–1 and 149 ng L–1 for triglyme, and 496 ng L–1 and 1403 ng L–1 for tetraglyme. In the anoxic aquifer, 1,4-dioxane showed the greatest persistence during the groundwater passage. At the distance of 1150 m from the river and an estimated groundwater age of 41.9 years, a concentration above 200 ng L−1 was detected. A positive correlation was found for the inorganic tracer chloride (Cl−) with 1,4-dioxane and tetraglyme. Similarities in the behavior of Cl− and the organic compound suggested that 1,4-dioxane and tetraglyme are controlled by the same hydraulic process and therefore can be used as additional tracers to study the dynamics of the groundwater system. These results show that high concentrations of ethers are present in the surface water and are not removed during bank filtration processes. Moreover, the hydrophilic ethers persist in the anoxic aquifer and little or no degradation is expected, supporting, their possible application as organic tracers.
A separate sampling project was conducted for 1,4-dioxane that focused primarily on its fate in the aquatic environment. This study provided missing information on the extent of water pollution with 1,4-dioxane is Germany. Numerous waste-, surface-, ground- and drinking water samples were collected in order to determine the persistence of 1,4-dioxane in the aquatic environment. The occurrence of 1,4-dioxane was determined in wastewater samples from four municipal sewage treatment plants (STP). The influent and effluent samples were collected during weekly campaigns. The average influent concentrations in all four plants ranged from 262 ± 32 ng L−1 to 834 ± 480 ng L−1, whereas the average effluents concentrations were between 267 ± 35 ng L−1 and 62,260 ± 36,000 ng L−1. The source of increased 1,4-dioxane concentrations in one of the effluents was identified to originate from impurities in the methanol used in the postanoxic denitrification process. Spatial and temporal distribution of 1,4-dioxane in the river Main, Rhine, and Oder was also examined. Concentrations reaching 2,200 ng L−1 in the Oder River, and 860 ng L−1 in both Main and Rhine River were detected. The average load during the sampling was estimated to be 6.5 kg d−1 in the Main, 34.1 kg d−1 in the Oder, and 134.5 kg d−1 in the Rhine River. In all of the sampled rivers, concentrations of 1,4-dioxane increased with distance from the mouth of the river and were found to negatively correlate with the discharge of the river. In order to determine if 1,4-dioxane can reach drinking water supplies, samples from a Rhine River bank filtration site and potable water from two drinking water production facilities were analyzed for the presence of 1,4-dioxane in the raw water and finished potable water. The raw water (following bank filtration) contained 650 ng L−1 to 670 ng L−1 of 1,4-dioxane, whereas the concentration in the finished drinking water fell only to 600 ng L−1 and 490 ng L−1, respectively.
During the final project, investigations of the source identification of high glyme concentrations in the Oder River were carried out. During four sampling campaigns between January, 2012 and April, 2013, 50 samples from the Oder River in the Oderbruch region and Poland were collected. During the first two samplings in the Oderbruch polder, glymes were detected at concentration reaching 0.07 µg L-1 (diglyme), 0.54 µg L−1 (triglyme) and 1.73 µg L−1 (tetraglyme) in the Oder River. The extensive sampling campaign of the Oder River (about 500 km) in Poland helped to identify the area of possible glyme entry into the river. During that sampling the maximum concentrations of triglyme and tetraglyme were 0.46 µg L−1 and 2.21 µg L−1, respectively. A closer investigation of the identified area of pollution, helped to determine the possible sources of glymes in the Oder River. Hence, the final sampling focused on the Kaczawa River, a left tributary of the Oder River and Czarna Woda, a left tributary of Kaczawa River. Moreover, samples from an industrial wastewater treatment plant were collected. Samples from Czarna Woda stream and Kaczawa River contained even higher concentrations of diglyme, triglyme, and tetraglyme, reaching 5.18 µg L−1, 12.87 µg L−1 and 80.81 µg L−1, respectively. Finally, three water samples from a wastewater treatment plant receiving influents from a copper smelter were analyzed. Diglyme, triglyme, and tetraglyme were present at an average concentration of 569 µg L−1, 4300 µg L−1, and 65900 µg L−1, respectively in the wastewater. Further research helped to identify the source of the glymes in the wastewater. The gas desulfurization process – Solinox implemented in the nearby copper smelter uses glymes as physical absorption medium for sulfur dioxide.
Results of this doctoral research provide important information about the occurrence, distribution, and behavior of hydrophilic ethers: 1,4-dioxane, monoglyme, diglyme, triglyme, and tetraglyme in the aquatic environment. A method capable of analyzing a wide range of ether compounds: from a volatile ETBE to a high molecular weight tetraglyme was validated. 1,4-Dioxane and tetraglyme were found to be applicable as organic tracers, since they are not easily attenuated during bank filtration and the anoxic groundwater passage. The extent of water pollution with 1,4-dioxane was shown in waste-, surface-, ground-, and drinking waters. One source of extremely high concentrations of 1,4-dioxane in a municipal sewage treatment plant applying postanoxic denitrification was identified, however more information is needed on the entry of 1,4-dioxane into surface waters. Moreover, 1,4-dioxane was present in drinking water samples from river bank filtration, which demonstrates its persistence in the aquatic environment and its low degradation potential during bank filtration and subsequent water treatment. Furthermore, this was the first study that focused primarily on identifying sources of glymes in surface waters. Glymes find a widespread use in industrial sectors, hence establishing their origin in the surface water is difficult (as with 1,4-dioxane). In this work, a gas desulphurization process was identified to be a dominating source of glyme pollution in the Oder River.
The present work was devised to address the systematic analysis of samples from a range of Roman non-ferrous metal artefacts from different archaeological contexts and sites in the Roman provinces of Germania Superior. One of the focal points of this study is the provenancing of different lead objects from five important Roman settlements between 15 BC and the beginning of fourth century AD. For this purpose, measurements were made on lead and copper ore samples from the Siegerland, Eifel, Hunsrück and Lahn-Dill area in Germany and supplemented with data from the literature to create a data bank of lead isotope ratios of European deposits. Compositional analysis of lead objects by Electron Microprobe analysis showed that Romans were able to purify lead from ore up to 99%. Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry was used to determine the source of lead, which played an important role in nearly all aspects of Roman life. Lead isotope ratios were measured for ore samples from German deposits from the eastern side of the Rhine (Siegerland, Lahn-Dill, Ems) and the western side of the Rhine (Eifel, Hunsrück), which contained enough ore reserves to answer the increasing local demand and are believed to have been mined during the Roman period. This data together with those from Mediterranean ore deposits from the literature was used to establish a data bank. The Mediterranean ore deposits range from Cambrian (high 207Pb/206Pb) to tertiary (lower 207Pb/206Pb) values. In particular, the Cypriot deposits are younger, while the Spanish deposits fall either with the younger Sardic ores or close to the older Cypriot ores. The lead isotope ratios of most German ore deposits fall in between the 208Pb/206Pb vs. 207Pb/206Pb ratios of Sardinia and Cyprus, where the lead isotope signature of ore deposits from France and Britain are also found. Over 240 lead objects were measured from Wallendorf (second century BC to first century AD) Dangstetten (15-8 BC), Waldgirmes (AD 1-10), Mainz (AD 1-300), Martberg (first to fourth centuries AD) & Trier (third to fourth centuries AD). Comparing the lead isotope ratios of lead objects and those from German ores shows that the source of over 85 percent of objects are Eifel ore deposits, but the Roman’s had also imported lead from the Southern Massif Central and from Great Britain. A further topic of this work was the systematic study of the variation of copper isotope ratios in different copper minerals and the mechanisms, which controls copper isotope fractionation in ores deposits. For this purpose, copper isotope analyses were made by Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass-Spectrometry from a series of hydrothermal copper sulphides and their alteration products. Copper and lead isotope ratios were measured in coexisting phases of chalcopyrite and malachite and also coexisting malachite and azurite. No significant fractionation was observed in malachite-azurite phases, but in chalcopyrite-malachite coexisting phases, malachite always shows a positive fractionation to heavier isotope values. Zhu et al. and Larson et al. showed that isotopic variations in copper principally reflect mass fractionation in response to low temperature processes rather than source heterogeneity. The low temperature ore formation processes are mostly represented by weathering of primary sulphide ores to produce secondary carbonate phases and therefore are usually observed on the surface of ore deposits, which were probably removed during the early Bronze Age. Using this concept, copper isotope ratios were measured in some Early Bronze Age copper alloys and Roman copper alloys. However, no large copper isotope fractionation has been observed. Lead and copper isotope ratios were measured on samples from the Kupferschiefer. Two profiles were investigated; 1) Sangerhausen, which was not directly influenced by the oxidizing brines of Rote Fäule and 2) Oberkatz, where both Rote Fäule-controlled and structure-controlled mineralization were observed. Results from maturation studies of organic matter suggest the maximum temperature affecting the Kupferschiefer did not exceed 130°C. delta-65-Cu ranges between -0.78-+0.58‰, shows a positive correlation with copper concentration. Maximum temperature in the Kupferschiefer profile from Oberkatz is supposed to be around 150°C. delta-65Cu in this profile ranges between -0.71-+0.68‰. The pattern of copper isotope fractionation and copper concentration is same as the for profile of Sangerhausen. Origina lead isotope ratios are strongly overprinted by high concentrations of uranium in bottom of both profiles causing more radiogenic lead.
One possible approach to study systematically the influence of the deformation regime on the geometry of geological structures like folds and boudins is analogue modelling. For a complete understanding of the resulting structures, consideration of the third dimension is required. This PhD study deals with scaled analogue modelling under constriction and plane-strain conditions to improve our knowledge of folding and boudinage of lower crustal rocks in space and time. Plasticine is an appropriate analogue material for rocks in the lower crust. Therefore, this material was used for the experiments. The macroscopic behaviour of most types of plasticine is quite similar to rocks undergoing strain-rate softening and strain hardening regardless of the different microscopic aspects of deformation. Therefore, if one is aware that the stress exponent and viscosity increase with increasing strain, the original plasticine types used with stress exponents ranging from 5.8 to 8.0 are adequate for modelling geologic structures. The same holds for plasticine/oil mixtures. Thus, plasticine and plasticine/oil mixtures can be used to model the viscous flow of different rock types in the lower crust. If climb-accommodated dislocation creep and associated steady-state flow is assumed for the natural rocks, the plasticine/oil mixtures should be used, which flow under steady-state conditions. Three different experimental studies of plane-strain coaxial deformation of stiff layers, with viscosity η2 and stress exponent n2, embedded in a weak matrix, with viscosity η1 and stress exponent n1, have been carried out. The undeformed samples (matrix plus layer) were cubes with an edge length of 12 cm. All experimental runs have been carried out at T = 25 ± 1°C and varying strain rates ė, ranging from 7.9 x 10 high -6 s high -1 to 1.7 x 10 high -2 s high -1, until a finite longitudinal strain of 30% – 40% was achieved. The first experimental study improved the understanding about the evolution of folds and boudins when the layer is oriented perpendicular to the Y-axis of the finite strain ellipsoid. The rock analogues used were Beck’s green plasticine (matrix) and Beck’s black plasticine (competent layer), both of which are strain-rate softening modelling materials with stress exponent n = ca. 8. The effective viscosity η of the matrix plasticine was changed by adding different amounts of oil to the original plasticine. At a strain rate ė of 10 high -3 s high -1 and a finite strain e of 10%, the effective viscosity of the matrix ranges from 1.2 x 10 high 6 to 7.2 x 10 high 6 Pa s. The effective viscosity of the competent layer has been determined as 4.2 x 10 high 7 Pa s. If the viscosity ratio is large (> ca. 20) and the initial thickness of the competent layer is small, both folds and boudins develop simultaneously. Although the growth rate of the folds seems to be higher than the growth rate of the boudins, the wavelength of both structures is approximately the same as is suggested by analytical solutions. A further unexpected, but characteristic, aspect of the deformed competent layer is a significant increase in thickness, which can be used to distinguish plane-strain folds and boudins from constrictional folds and boudins. In the second experimental study, the impact of varying strain rates on growing folds and boudins under plane strain have been investigated. The strain rates used range from 7.9 x 10 high -6 s high -1 to 1.7 x 10 high -2 s high -1. The stiff layer and matrix consist of non-linear viscous Kolb grey and Beck’s green plasticine, respectively, both of which are strain-rate softening modelling materials with power law exponents (n) and apparent viscosities (η) ranging from 6.5 to 7.9 and 8.5 x 10 high 6 to 7.2 x 10 high 6 Pa s, respectively. The effective viscosity (η) of the matrix plasticine was partly modified by adding oil to the original plasticine. At the strain rates used in the experiments the viscosity ratio between layer and matrix ranges between 3 and 10. Different runs have been carried out where the layer was oriented perpendicular to the principal strain axes (X>Y>Z). The results suggest a considerable influence of the strain rate on the geometry of the deformed stiff layer including its thickness. This holds for every type of layer orientation (S ┴ X, S ┴ Y, S ┴ Z). If the stiff layer is oriented perpendicular to the short axis Z of the finite strain ellipsoid, the number of the resulting boudins and the thickness of the stiff layer increase, whereas the length of boudins decreases with increasing strain rate. If the stiff layer is oriented perpendicular to the long axis, X, of the finite strain ellipsoid, enlargement of the strain rate results in increasing wavelength of folds, whereas the number of folds and the degree of thickening of the stiff layer decreased. If the stiff layer is oriented perpendicular to the intermediate Y-axis of the finite strain ellipsoid enlargement of the strain rate results in a decreasing number of boudins and folds associated with increasing wavelengths of both structures. The wavelength of folds is approximately half of the boudins wavelength. This is true for the case where folds and boudins develop simultaneously (S ┴ Y) and for cases where both structures develop independently (folds at S ┴ X and boudins at S ┴ Z). In the third experimental study, scaled analogue experiments have been carried out to demonstrate the growth of plane-strain folds and boudins through space and time. Previous 3D-studies are based only on finite deformation structures. Their results can therefore not be used to prove if both structures grew simultaneously or in sequence. Plane strain acted on a single stiff layer that was embedded in a weak matrix, with the layer oriented perpendicular to the intermediate Y-axis of the finite strain ellipsoid. Two different experimental runs have been carried out using computer tomography (CT) to analyse the results. The first run was carried out without interruption. During the second run, the deformation was stopped in each case at longitudinal strain increments of 10%. Every experiment was carried out at a temperature T of 25°C and a strain rate, ė, of ca. 4 x 10 high -3 s high -1 until a finite longitudinal strain of 40% was achieved with a viscosity contrast m of 18.6 between the non-linear viscous layer (Kolb brown plasticine) and the matrix (Beck’s green plasticine with 150 ml oil kg high -1). The apparent viscosity, η, and the stress exponent, n, for the layer at a strain rate ė = ca. 10 high -3 s high -1 and a finite strain e = 10% are 2.23 x 10 high 7 Pa s and n = 5.8 and for the matrix 1.2 x 10 high 6 Pa s and 10.5. These new data that result from incremental analogue modelling corroborate previous suggestions that folds and boudins are coeval structures in cases of plane-strain coaxial deformation with the stiff layer oriented perpendicular to the intermediate Y-axis of the finite strain ellipsoid. They will be of interest for all workers who are dealing with plane-strain boudins and folds, where the fold axes are parallel to the major axis (X) of the finite strain ellipsoid. As has been demonstrated by the first experimental study, coeval folding and boudinage under plane strain, with S ┴ Y, are associated with a significant increase in the thickness of the competent layer. The latter phenomenon does not occur in other cases of simultaneous folding and boudinage, such as bulk pure constriction. To study the impact of layer thickness on the geometry of folds and boudins under pure constriction, we carried out additional experiments using different types of plasticine for a stiff layer and a weaker matrix to model folding and boudinaging under pure constriction, with the initially planar layer oriented parallel to the Xaxis of the finite strain ellipsoid. The stiff layer and matrix consist of non-linear viscous Kolb brown and Beck’s green plasticine, respectively, both of which are strain-rate softening modelling materials. Six runs have been carried out using thicknesses of the stiff layer of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 ± 0.2 mm. All experimental runs were carried out at a temperature T of 30 ± 2°C and a strain rate, ė, of ca. 1.1 x 10 high -4 s high -1 until a finite longitudinal strain of 40% was achieved with a viscosity contrast m of 3.1 between the stiff layer (Kolb brown plasticine) and the matrix (Beck’s green plasticine). The apparent viscosity, η, and the stress exponent, n, for the layer at a strain rate ė = ca. 10 high -3 s high -1 and a finite strain e = 10% are 2.23 x 10 high 7 Pa s and n = 5.8 and for the matrix 7.2 x 10 high 6 Pa s and 7.9. Our results suggest a considerable influence of the initial thickness of the stiff layer on the geometry of the deformed stiff layer. There is no evidence for folding in XY=XZ-sections if the initial thickness of the competent layer is larger than ca. 8 mm. If the initial thickness of the competent layer is set at ca. 10 ± 0.2 mm, both folds and boudins develop simultaneously. However, the growth rate of the boudins seems to be higher than the growth rate of the folds. A further expected, but characteristic, aspect of the deformed competent layer is no change in thickness of the competent layer, which can be used to distinguish plane-strain folds and boudins from constrictional folds and boudins. The model results are important for the analysis and interpretation of deformation structures in rheologically stratified rocks undergoing dislocation creep under bulk constriction. Tectonic settings where constrictional folds and boudins may develop simultaneously are stems of salt diapirs, subduction zones or thermal plumes. To make (paleo) viscosimetric statements possible, the rheological data of the different plasticine types were related to the geometrical data. When comparing the normalized dominant wavelength Wd obtained from the deformed layer of the models with the theoretical dominant wavelength (Ld) calculated using the Smith equation (1977, 1979), the latter probably also holds when folding and boudinage develop simultaneously (S ┴ Y) and when boudins develop independently (S ┴ Z), but can obviously not be applied at very low viscosity ratios as is indicated by the low-strain-rate experiments.
In this thesis, laboratory investigations have been conducted to investigate several processes occurring during the melt segregation (crystal settling and compaction processes), as well as during emplacement of plutons. With the help of three different sets of centrifuge experiments rates of these three magmatic processes have been evaluated. In the first series of the centrifuge experiments, the diapiric ascent of buoyant material from two source layers at different depths was studied. Through five models, the hypothesis of ascending diapirs was tested and it was demonstrated whether a rising diapir ascends straight upward or if its ascent might be deviated by another buoyant, softer – and consequently easier to travel through – layer which is located within the overburden strata. We were interested under which conditions they can be formed. For this purpose we placed perturbations on top of both the buoyant layers; either with a set-off of both the protrusions (for three of these experiments), or with both protrusion sitting directly on top of each other (for one of the experiments). In the first experiment, we omitted the perturbations, to test which pathways diapirs take which grow from natural Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. Three others experiments differed in the viscosity contrast between the overburden and the buoyant material. Through the experimental runs, the effects of different overburden viscosities and perturbation positions on the number of the diapirs were observed. The modeling results show that two diapirs rising from the offset perturbations do not take the same pathway through the overburden layer. Rather, each diapir takes a different pathway, with the deeper diapir piercing through its overburden while rising, regardless if it was a buoyant layer or denser overburden layers. However, when the two perturbations were situated directly above each other in the different PDMS layers, this resulted in the formation of one big diapir rather than several smaller ones, and the overburden layer was less deformed than with offset perturbations. Diapiric structures as those derived from the models without perturbation and where the perturbation are offset occur within Great Kavir Basin (Iran), where numerous salt diapirs grew from several salt horizons, which show a similar spatial distribution. The resulting structure observed in the model where the two perturbations situated directly above each other, is close to what is observed in composite batholiths such as the Flasergranitoid Zone within the Bergsträßer Odenwald Crystalline Complex (Germany). The second series of models were aimed to study crystal settling within a magma. For this purpose experiments with an artificial magma of 30 vol% olivine in 70 vol% basaltic melt were conducted to elucidate the formation mechanisms and time scales of gravitational cumulates. Through the experiments, two physical processes have been observed: (i) purely mechanical compaction, and (ii) chemical compaction induced by dissolution and re-precipitation of settled crystals. The results reveals that the mechanical settling of the dense olivine suspension occurs at about 1/6 the speed of simple Stokes settling, and a sedimentation exponent n of 4.1 is found. Evidences of chemical compaction induced by dissolution and re-precipitation of settled crystals have been highlighted by a detailed analysis of the fine structure of olivine grain boundaries. This last has revealed (1) the presence of Ca, which is characteristic only for MORB-melt, at the interface of two adjacent Ol-grains even when no melt is present; (2) a not fully crystallized boundary layer between two adjacent olivine grains. The crystal size distribution curves and the grain size growth exponent n ~3.6 indicate that diffusion controlled Ostwald ripening is the dominant crystal growth mechanism in concentrated magmatic suspensions. Finally, the formation times in natural olivine adcumulates have been calculated. The last series of centrifuge experiments deals with the crystal-melt settling-floating mechanism in a system composed of natural two pyroxene gabbro. The results have revealed a vertical evolution of the major and trace elements in the melt phase. Then, a numerical modelling of the sedimentation process of the crystals has been made in order to describe the compaction evolution with time. In comparing the numerical simulation with the centrifuge modelling, the stratification of the compacted layer in the runs is reproduced in numerical models. Moreover, on the base of the numerical and centrifuge modelling, a sedimentation exponent describing a deviation of settling in concentrated suspensions from Stokes sedimentation has been evaluated. Finally, the numerical simulation is applied to the Muskox intrusion to estimate the formation time and the melt fraction evolution in using the hindered sedimentation model calculations.
Bayesian Networks are computer-based environmental models that are frequently used to support decision-making under uncertainty. Under data scarce conditions, Bayesian Networks can be developed, parameterized, and run based on expert knowledge only. However, the efficiency of expert-based Bayesian Network modeling is limited by the difficulty in deriving model inputs in the time available during expert workshops. This thesis therefore aimed at developing a simple and robust method for deriving conditional probability tables from expert estimates in a time-efficient way. The design and application of this new elicitation and conversion method is demonstrated using a case study in Xinjiang, Northwest China. The key characteristics of this method are its time-efficiency and the approach to use different conversion tables based on varying levels of confidence. Although the method has its limitations, e.g. it can only be applied for variables with one conditioning variable; it provides the opportunity to support the parameterization of Bayesian Networks which would otherwise remain half-finished due to time constraints. In addition, a case study in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia, is used to compare Bayesian Network types and software to improve the presentation clarity of large Bayesian Networks. Both case studies aimed at gaining insights on how to improve the applicability of Bayesian Networks to support environmental management.
The crude oil constituents benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the three xylene isomers (BTEX) are the dominating groundwater contaminants originating from surface spill accidents by oil production facilities and with gasoline and jet fuel. Thereby BTEX posing a threat to the world´s scarce drinking water resources due to their water solubility and toxicity. An active remediation cleanup involving a BTEX event proves not only to be very expensive but almost impossible when it comes to the complete removal of contaminants from the subsurface. A favoured and common practice is combining an active remediation process focussing on the source of contamination coupled together with the monitoring of the residual contamination in the subsurface (monitored natural attenuation; MNA). MNA include all naturally occuring biological, chemical and physical processes in the subsurface. The general goal of this work was to improve the knowledge of biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons under anaerobic conditions in groundwater. For this groundwater and soil at the former military underground storage tank (UST) site Schäferhof – Süd near Nienburg/Weser (Niedersachsen, Germany) were sampled and analysed. The investigations were done in collaboration of the Umweltbundesamt, the universitys of Frankfurt and Bremen and the alphacon GmbH Ganderkesee. To investigate the extent of groundwater contamination, the terminal electron acceptor processes (TEAPs) and the metabolites of BTEX degradation in groundwater, six observation wells were sampled at regular intervals between January 2002 and September 2004. The wells were positioned in order to cover the upstream, the source area and the downstream of the presumed contamination source. Additionally, vertical sediment profiles were sampled and investigated with respect to spreading and concentration of BTEX in the subsurface. A large residual contamination involving BTEX is present in soil and groundwater at the studied locality. Maximum BTEX concentration values of 17 mg/kg were recorded in analysing sediment in the unsaturated zone. In the capillary fringe, values of 450 mg/kg were recorded (October 2004) and in the saturated zone maximum values of 6.7 mg/kg BTEX were detected. The groundwater samples indicate increasing BTEX concentrations in the groundwater flow direction (from 532 µg/l up to 3300 µg/l (mean values)). Biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons under anaerobic conditions in the sub surface at contaminated sites is characterised by generation of metabolites. From the monoaromatic hydrocarbons BTEX metabolites such as benzoic acid (BA) and the methylated homologs and C1-and C2-benzyl-succinic acids (BSA) are generated as intermediates. A solid-phase extraction method based on octadecyl-bonded silica sorbent has been developed to concentrate such metabolite compounds from water samples followed by derivatization and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of the extracts. The recovery rate range between 75 and 97%. The method detection limit was 0.8 µg/l. Organic acids were identified as metabolic by-products of biodegradation. Benzoic acid, C1-, C2- and C3-benzoic acid were determined in all contaminated wells with considerable concentrations. Furthermore, the depletion of the dominant terminal electron acceptors (TEAs) oxygen, nitrate, and sulphate and the production of dissolved ferrous iron and methane in groundwater indicate biological mediated processes in the plume evidently proving the occurrence of NA. A large overlap of different redox zones at the studied part of the plume has been observed. A important finding in this study is the strong influence of groundwater level fluctuations on the BTEX concentration in groundwater. A very dry summer in 2003 was recorded during the monitoring period, resulting on site in a drop of the groundwater level to 1.7 m and a concomitant increase of BTEX concentrations from 240 µg/l to 1300 µg/l. The groundwater level fluctuations, natural degradation and retention processes essentially influence BTEX concentrations in the groundwater. Groundwater level fluctuations have by far a stronger influence than the influence of biological degradation. Increasing BTEX concentrations are hence not a consequence of limited biological degradation. Another part of the study was to observe the isotopic fractionation of the electron acceptor Fe(III), due to biologically mediated reduction of Fe(III) to the watersoluble Fe(II) at the site and first field data are presented. Both groundwater and sediment samples were analysed with respect to their Fe isotopic compositions using high mass resolution Multi Collector-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS). The delta56Fe -values of groundwater samples taken from observation wells located downstream of the source area were isotopically lighter than delta56Fe -values obtained from groundwater in the uncontaminated well. The Fe isotopic composition of most parts of the sediment profile was similar to the Fe isotopic composition of uncontaminated groundwater. Thus, a significant iron isotope fractionation can be observed between sediment and groundwater downstream of the BTEX contamination.
This work analyses several granitic bodies of the Variscan Orogen of Central and Western Europe in order to improve our knowledge about different aspects of their evolution, regarding their ascent and emplacement mechanisms, as well as their deformation history. In the Iberian Massif two granitoid bodies, namely the La Bazana pluton and the Nisa-Alburquerque batholith, were studied in order to decipher their ascent and emplacement history. The La Bazana pluton is a small, sub-circular body in map view that intruded into rocks of the Ossa-Morena Zone in the core of a late upright antiform. Its three-dimensional drop-pipe shape, its internal dome foliation pattern and the structure of the host rock suggest that the magma ascended and emplaced diapirically. The Nisa-Alburquerque batholith is a large body that intruded into rocks of the Central Iberian Zone, the Central Unit, and the Ossa-Morena Zone. Its cartographic shape is elongate and parallel to the NW—SE to WNW—ESE Variscan structures. In the light of the available structural data and the gravimetric models, the intrusion is viewed as a continuous lateral magma flow from the eastern root guided towards the west through the southern limb of a kilometre-scale antiform. As mass-transfer mechanisms, a combination of rigid translation of the country rocks, stoping, and possibly ballooning is proposed. In the Bohemian Massif several small granitoid bodies showing a strong solid-state deformation were studied in order to integrate their tectonometamorphic history in the geotectonic framework of the south-western Bohemian Massif, focusing principally on the deformation phase referred to as D3. Four ductile deformation phases are proposed for the study area. D1 produced high-temperature fabrics under upper amphibolite to granulite facies conditions. Its kinematics is unknown. D2 occurred under amphibolite to upper greenschist facies conditions under N—S to NNW—SSE compression. It is responsible for a subvertical NW—SE striking foliation in migmatites developed under dextral simple shear and for the deformation at the Bayerischer Pfahl shear-zone system at its earlier stages. Many granitoid dykes and stocks were found to be affected by sinistral shear along subvertical planes trending ENE to ESE. Since this deformation, which is called D3 in the present work, is not compatible with a N—S to NNW—SSE compression, it is proposed that these sinistral shear zones in granites do not belong to the Bayerischer Pfahl shear-zone system and constitute themselves a separated one, which is called “D3 shear-zone system”. D3 took place under upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies conditions (~480-550°C). Both the intrusion and the deformation of the granites affected by D3 occurred at deep to intermediate levels of the crust, whereas the deformation took place under NE—SW compression. Datings on two of the deformed granites yielded 324.4 ± 0.8 Ma and 315.0 ± 1.0 Ma: Thus, the age of D3 is most probably ~315 Ma. The intrusion of most of the sheared granitoids was pre-kinematic with respect to D3. After D3 the N—S to NNW—SSE compression which governed D2 was restored, giving way to the next deformation phase D4, which was linked to further deformation at and next to the principal shears of the Bayerischer Pfahl shear-zone system under greenschist facies conditions. The causes for the change of the stress field leading to a NE—SW compression during D3 might be related to (1) global changes in the dynamics of the tectonic plates in late Variscan times, (2) orogenic collapse leading to the sinking of the Teplá-Barrandian and lateral extrusion of the surrounding Moldanubian rocks, (3) distortion of the regional stress field by local intrusion of large stocks, such as the Saldenburg granite of the Fürstenstein Massif, or (4) distortion of the regional stress field due to the existence of ephemeral releasing bends in the Bayerischer Pfahl shear zone during its early evolution.
Occurrence and sources of 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (TMDD) in the aquatic environment
(2011)
The aim of the present study was to identify the sources of 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (TMDD) into the aquatic environment and to investigate its occurrence in rivers and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Therefore, TMDD was analyzed in 441 wastewater samples from influents and effluents of 27 municipal WWTPs, in 6 sludge samples, in 52 wastewater samples from 3 sewage systems of municipal WWTPs, in 489 surface samples from 24 rivers, in 9 wastewater samples of 3 paper-recycling industries and in 65 groundwater samples. TMDD was also analyzed in household paper products, in 23 samples of toilet
papers, in 5 types of paper towels and in 12 types of paper tissues. The samples were collected between 2007 and 2011. The water samples were extracted with solid phase extraction (SPE) and the household paper samples with Soxhlet extraction. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for quantification purposes. Between November 2007 and January 2008, TMDD was detected in the river Rhine at Worms with permanent high concentrations (up to 1330 ng/L). The results showed that TMDD is uniformly distributed across the river at Worms. An increase of the mean TMDD concentration from approximately 500 ng/L to 1000 ng/L was registered in January 2008. Due to the minor fluctuations of the TMDD concentration during the sampling period it is expected that the input of TMDD into the river is continuous. Therefore, TMDD might rather originate from effluents of municipal WWTPs than from temporal sources. The mean TMDD load based on the analysis of 147 water samples collected in the River Rhine was 62.8 kg/d which is equivalent to 23 t/a suggesting that TMDD must be used and/or produced in high quantities in order to be found in those high concentrations. To determine if TMDD is discharged by effluents of municipal WWTPs into the rivers, 24 hours influent and effluent samples of four municipal WWTPs in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main metropolitan region were collected during November 2008 and February 2010 and analyzed for TMDD. The TMDD influent concentrations varied between 134 ng/L and 5846 ng/L and the effluent concentrations between <LOQ (limit of quantitation) and 3539 ng/L. The TMDD elimination rates in the four WWTPs varied between 33% and 68%. The results showed that effluents of municipal WWTPs are an important source of TMDD in the aquatic environment because TMDD is not completely removed from the sewage during the wastewater treatment. Weekly and daily variations of the TMDD concentration in the influents of two municipal WWTPs indicated that both private households and indirect industrial dischargers contribute to the introduction of TMDD into the municipal sewage systems. A more detailed study of the TMDD elimination rate in the different wastewater treatment stages was carried out in the WWTP Niederrad/Griesheim in Frankfurt am Main. The results showed that the removal of TMDD is mainly carried out during the aerobic biological treatments, where the elimination rate was 46%. In contrast, during the anoxic treatment the removal efficiency was only 1.4% and during the mechanical treatment the elimination rate was 19%. To determine the sources of TMDD in the sewage, household paper products (paper tissues, toilet papers and paper towels) were analyzed for TMDD using Soxhlet extraction. TMDD was detected in 83% of the samples (n=40). The highest mean TMDD concentrations were found in recycled toilet paper (0.20 μg/g) and in paper towels (0.11 μg/g). In paper tissues and non-recycled toilet paper the mean TMDD concentrations were lower 0.080 μg/g and 0.025 μg/g respectively. According to these results the high TMDD influent concentrations found previously in municipal WWTPs (mean 1.20 μg/L) cannot be explained due to migration of TMDD from the household paper products into the sewage. Thus indirect industrial dischargers are the cause of the high influent TMDD concentrations. Effluents of municipal WWTPs with different indirect industrial dischargers (textile-, metal processing-, food processing-, electroplating-, paper-recycling- and printing ink factories) were analyzed. The highest mean TMDD concentrations were found in the effluents of municipal WWTPs that have paper-recycling (71.3 μg/L) and printing ink factories (138 μg/L) as indirect industrial dischargers. These results were confirmed by analyzing process wastewater of three paper-recycling factories located in Germany. High TMDD concentrations were detected and fluctuated between 1.83 μg/L and 113 μg/L. TMDD was also analyzed in the wastewater of a non-recycling-paper factory but its concentration was much lower (0.066 μg/L) indicating that TMDD is introduced into the processing water during the papermaking process due to the use of waste paper. Analyses of wastewater samples from different parts of the sewage pipes of a municipal WWTP in Hesse, which receives the wastewater from a printing ink factory, were carried out. The TMDD concentration in the wastewater sample from the sewage pipe of the printing ink factory was much higher (3,300 μg/L) than the TMDD concentration detected in the other wastewater samples from the sewage system (0.030 μg/L – 0.89 g/L). These results confirm the printing ink production as one of the principal sources of TMDD in the sewage. Analysis of surface water samples of the River Modau downstream from the effluent of the WWTP Nieder-Ramstadt showed TMDD concentrations of up to 28.0 μg/L. These high TMDD concentrations might be caused by the indirect wastewater discharges of a paint factory connected to the municipal sewage system. These results indicate that TMDD is introduced into the municipal WWTPs principally by indirect industrial dischargers and they are mainly paint and printing ink factories. The paper-recycling factories also represent an important source of TMDD in municipal WWTPs but indirectly. According to statements given by the representatives of two paper recycling factories neither TMDD or any other TMDD containing product is used or added during the papermaking process. Therefore, TMDD is washed out from the printing inks of the coloured waste paper and concentrated in the process wastewater in the closed water circuits of paper-recycling factories reaching rivers and municipal WWTPs. The occurrence and distribution of TMDD in surface waters in Germany was also studied. The results showed that TMDD is widely distributed across different rivers systems in the federal states of Hesse, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. In Hesse, TMDD was detected in the some of main rivers with mean concentrations of 812 ng/L (Schwarzbach, Hessian Ried), 374 ng/L (Kinzig), 393 ng/L (Main, at Frankfurt), 539 ng/L (Werra), 326 ng/L (Fulda), 151 ng/L (Emsbach) and 161 ng/L (Nidda). In small rivers (creeks) the mean TMDD concentrations varied between <LOQ (Diemel, Urselbach) and 1890 ng/L (Darmbach). The results showed that the TMDD concentrations in creeks are highly influenced by both effluents of WWTPs and by the distance between the sampling point and the nearest WWTP. Surface samples from sampling locations downstream from WWTPs dischargers showed higher TMDD concentrations (mean 518 ng/L) than sampling locations upstream from WWTPs dischargers (mean 35.1 ng/L). The behavior of TMDD during bank filtration was investigated at two locations, at a water utility company at the Lower River Rhine (urban area) and at the Oderbruch polder (rural area). The results indicated that TMDD is removed from the surface water by bank filtration at both sampling locations. The removal process is probably carried out in the first meters of the aquifer (hyporheic zone) by biodegradation processes, since TMDD does not tend to be absorbed by sediments and it was not found in the groundwater of monitoring wells. In groundwater samples from the Hessian Ried (n=23) TMDD was found only in five samples and the highest TMDD concentration was 135 ng/L. According to these results, TMDD does not represent a concern for drinking water in Germany, since it does not reach the groundwater with high concentrations and it has a low toxicity potential. The input of TMDD into the North Sea was estimated to be 60.7 t/a by considering the mean transported loads of TMDD by the River Rhine at Wesel (58.3 t/a) and Meuse in the Netherlands (2.40 t/a). The estimated discharge of TMDD by German municipal WWTPs (8.19 t/a) and paper-recycling factories (9.24 t/a) into rivers seems to be too low considering that the mean TMDD load in the River Rhine downstream from Wesel is 58.3 t/a. However, due to the high density of population and industries at the Lower Rhine it is expected that more relevant sources of TMDD are located along the Rhine River increasing the transported load. According to the results of this PhD project TMDD is a non-ionic surfactant contained in products, which are applied on surfaces (printing inks and paints) and has the potential to reach the aquatic environment. Therefore, TMDD should fulfill the requirement of a biodegradability of 80% established by the “Law on the Environmental Impact of Detergents and Cleaning Products” in Germany. However, due to the partial elimination rates of TMDD obtained in municipal WWTPs (between 33% and 68%) and to the absence of information about the execution of the biodegradation test on TMDD, it is unknown if TMDD is in accordance with this law. Otherwise, its use as surfactant in such products is questionable.
The East African Rift System (EARS) was initiated in the Eocene epoch between 50 and 21 Ma probably due to the influence of mantle plumes that caused volcanism, flood basalts and rifting extensions in Ethiopa and the Afar region. As a result of magmatic intrusions and adiabatic decompression melting within the lithosphere caused by the impact of the Kenya plume, there was a southward propagation of the EARS of about 30 – 15 Ma from Ethiopia to Kenya, which coincide with the occurrence of volcanism. The EARS developed towards the south along the margins of the Tanzania Craton between 15 and 8 Ma. Previous findings of low-velocity anomalies within the upper mantle and the mantle transition zone indicate an upwelling of hot mantle material in the vicinity of the Afar region and the East African Rift. This study includes the analysis of P- and S-receiver functions in order to determine further impacts on the lithosphere from below. The aim was to determine the topographic undulations of further boundary layers and to identify their variability owing to the rifting processes and the formation of the EARS. The study area included the Tanzania Craton and the surrounding rift branches of the East African Rift System.
The region of the Rwenzori Mountains can be analysed in detail because of the large dataset of the RiftLink project. The use of the P-receiver function technique and the H-K stacking method enabled to determine different vP /vS ratios depending on the tectonic setting in the Rwenzori region: Rift shoulders (vP /vS =1.74), Albert Rift segment (vP /vS =1.80), Edward Rift segment (vP /vS =1.87) and Rwenzori Mountains (vP /vS =1.86). To determine the topography of the Moho, it is necessary to take into account the thickness of the sedimentary layer, the surface topography, the azimuthal variations in crustal thickness and the impact of local anomalies. After correcting these effects on the Moho depths, significant variations in Moho topography could be determined. The Moho depths range from 29 to 39 km beneath the rift shoulders of the Albertine Rift. Within the rift valley, the crustal thickness varies between 25 – 31 km in the Edward Rift segment and 22 – 30 km in the Albert Rift segment. An averaged crustal thickness of about 26 km within the rift valley indicates the lack of the crustal root beneath the Rwenzoris. Similar variations in crustal thickness were determined by using an automatic procedure for analysing S-receiver functions that was developed in this study.
The S-receiver functions are created by applying a rotation criterion in order to rotate the Z, N and E components into the L, Q and T components. It is necessary to perform trial rotations using different incident and azimuth angles to determine the correct rotation angles. The latter are identified by the use of the rotation criterion, including the amplitude ratio of the converted Moho signal to the direct S/SKS-wave signal. The L component is rotated correctly in the direction of the incident shear wave in the case of the maximum amplitude ratio. After analysing the frequency content of the receiver functions in order to sort out harmonic and long-periodic traces, the individual Moho signals are checked for consistency in order to remove atypic signals. To increase the signal-to-noise ratios on the traces, the S-receiver functions are stacked. For this purpose, the signals of the direct shear waves must originate from similar epicenters. On the basis of similar ray paths, the receiver functions show comparable waveforms and converted signals. To perform the stacking procedure, it is necessary to merge the datasets of the adjacent stations in order to obtain a sufficient number of receiver functions. This analysis is based on the assumption that the incident seismic waves arriving at the adjacent stations penetrate to some extent the same underground structures in the case of similar wave propagation paths. This approach accounts for the fact that the converted signals do not result exclusively from the piercing points at the boundary layers. Further signals originate from the conversions at the boundary layer within the Fresnel Zone. The piercing points are derived from the significant signals in the receiver functions. Depending on the order of arrival of the converted phases on the traces, the signals are attributed to the theoretical discontinuities DIS1, DIS2, DIS3 and DIS4. However, partly due to the low signal-to-noise ratios on the traces, it is difficult to identify the real conversions on the traces and to ensure that the converted signals are attributed to the correct boundary layers. For this reason, it is necessary to check the consistency of the conversion depths among each other. In the case of inconsistent conversion depths, the corresponding signals are either adjusted to another seismic boundary layer or removed from the dataset. To verify the functionality of the automatic procedure and to determine the resolvability with respect to two boundary layers, several models are tested including horizontal and dipping discontinuities. To resolve distinct discontinuities, their depths must differ by at least 60 km, otherwise, due to similar depth ranges of the different boundary layers, the converted signals cannot be separated from each other. As a consequence, the converted signals that originate from different discontinuities are attributed to a single one. Further tests including break-off edges of seismic discontinuities are performed to check the attributions of the converted signals to the discontinuities. Owing to the varying number of boundary layers, the converted signals cannot be attributed to the discontinuities according to the order of their arrivals on the traces. It is necessary to correct their attributions to the seismic discontinuities in order to resolve the boundary layers.
The crust-mantle boundary and further discontinuities within the lithospheric mantle are investigated by applying this automatic procedure. Depending on the tectonic setting, the conversion depths of the Moho range from about 30 – 45 km beneath the western rift shoulder to 20 – 35 km within the rift valley up to 30 – 40 km beneath the eastern rift shoulder. The long wavelengths of the shear waves hamper the correct identification of the converted phases in the S-receiver functions. With respect to the relative differences in conversion depth, the topographic undulations of the crust-mantle boundary are consistent with the Moho depths derived from P-receiver functions. In contrast to the Rwenzori region, it is difficult to resolve completely the trend of the Moho in the remaining area of the East African Rift due to the small dataset provided by IRIS. The results exibit an increase in crustal thickness to up to 45 km in the region of the Cenozoic volcanics such as Virunga, Kivu, Rungwe and Kenya. The greatest Moho depths of more than 50 km are located near Mount Kilimanjaro. In addition to the Moho, the analysis of the S-receiver functions revealed two further boundary layers at depths of 60 – 140 km and 110 – 260 km, which are associated with a mid-lithospheric discontinuity and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, respectively. The shallowest conversion depths of the LAB are focussed to small-scale regions within the rift branches, namely the northern Albertine Rift, the Chyulu Hills and the Mozambique Belt, which are located around the Tanzania Craton. The larger thickness of the lithosphere beneath the cratonic terrain indicates that the Tanzania Craton is not significantly eroded. However, there are indications that the lithosphere beneath the craton and the rift branches is penetrated by ascending asthenospheric melts to depths of up to 140 and 60 km, respectively. The top of the ascending melts is associated with the occurrence of the mid-lithospheric discontinuity. The shallowest conversion depths of this boundary layer (60 – 90 km) are related to the rifted areas of the EARS and the Cenozoic volcanic provinces, which are located along the Albertine Rift, the Kenya Rift and the Rukwa-Malawi rift zones. The deepest conversion depths of up to 140 km are related to the Rwenzori Belt, the Ugandan Basement Complex and the interior of the Tanzania Craton.
Die vorliegende Arbeit liefert einen Beitrag zum Verständnis der Rolle des RO x bei der troposphärischen Ozonbildung. Troposphärisches Ozon (O 3 ) spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Selbstreinigung der Atmosphäre. Andererseits führen erhöhte Ozonkonzentrationen zu gesundheitlichen Beeinträchtigungen beim Menschen und Schäden an Pflanzen und Umwelt. Die Anwesenheit von flüchtigen organischen Verbindungen (VOCs) führt zur Bildung von Peroxyradikalen (RO x ), die das normale photochemische Gleichgewicht zwischen Ozon und Stickoxiden zu Gunsten erhöhter OzonKonzentrationen verschieben. Im Rahmen der Arbeit wurde ein chemischer Verstärker zur Messung der GesamtPeroxyradikalkonzentration gebaut. RO x reagiert im Einlass des Gerätes mit hinzugefügtem NO und CO in einer Kettenreaktion und bildet dabei NO 2 . Dieses wird mit einem Luminoldetektor nachgewiesen. Der Detektor wird alle 2 Stunden kalibriert. Die Kettenlänge wird durch eine Kalibrierung des Gerätes mit HO 2 Radikalen bestimmt, die durch die Photolyse von H 2 O gebildet werden. Der Verstärkungsfaktor wurde in Bezug auf eine Querempfindlichkeit gegen Wasserdampf korrigiert. Die Messgenauigkeit ist etwa 70% bei 60% relativer Feuchte. Messungen am Taunus Observatorium auf dem Kleinen Feldberg in den Sommermonaten der beiden Jahre 1998 und 1999 werden vorgestellt. Die Ozon und RO x Konzentrationen sind gut miteinander korreliert. Allerdings ist die Tagestemperatur die für die Ozon und RO x Konzentrationen bei weitem wichtigste Einflussgröße und ist daher der beste Parameter zur statistischen Beschreibung von photochemischen Vorgängen. Auf der Grundlage der Messungen am Kleinen Feldberg wurde ein einfaches statistisches Modell zur Vorhersage des Ozonmaximums erstellt. Mit den Parametern Temperatur und Ozonkonzentration am Vortag konnte das statistische Modell bereits 80% der Variation der Ozonkonzentration erklären. Durch die Berücksichtigung der RO x Messungen am Vormittag konnte lediglich eine Verbesserung der erklärten Varianz um 0.5% erzielt werden. Um einen Hinweis auf den Einfluss anthropogener Emissionen zu bekommen, wurde der Wochengang von Ozon, RO x und NO x ebenfalls untersucht. Die Zunahme des Ozonmischungsverhältnisses am Wochenende bei gleichzeitigem Rückgang des Mischungsverhältnisses der Stickoxide wird damit erklärt, dass am Kleinen Feldberg eine VOClimitierte Situation vorgefunden wurde. Die Ozonbildungsrate auf Basis der Reaktion zwischen RO x und NO wurde für Tage mit einem Maximum der Globalstrahlung über 600 W m tdatensatz niedrig (r = 0,46). Die beobachtete Änderung des Ozonmischungsverhältnisses wurde mit dem berechneten mittleren Tagesgang der Ozonbildungsrate verglichen. Die Ozonbildungsrate lag um die Mittagszeit bei etwa 5 ppbv h Verlustprozesse zu erklären. Am Abend werden etwa 2 ppbv O 3 pro Stunde abgebaut. Im Rahmen einer Messkampagne im Juni/Juli 2000 am Meteorologischen Observatorium Hohenpeißenberg fanden Messungen der Konzentrationen von RO x , OH, einer Reihe von VOCs, und anderen relevanten Spurengasen statt. Die Messdaten werden mit Hilfe eines auf der Annahme des lokalen photostationären Gleichgewichts der Radikale basierenden Modells interpretiert. Die Modellergebnisse stimmten sehr gut mit den Messungen überein. Die Überschätzung der Konzentration an 2 Tagen wurde durch den Einfluss sauerstoffhaltiger VOCs erklärt. Das '' Recycling" der HO 2 Radikale (die Reaktion zwischen HO 2 und NO) ist die wichtigste Quelle für OH und die wichtigste Senke für RO x . Durch die erhöhte NOKonzentration am Vormittag wird HO 2 sehr schnell in OH umgewandelt, das wiederum für die VOCOxidation und RO x Bildung verantwortlich ist. Die wichtigste OHSenke und RO x Quelle ist die Oxidation von Isopren und den Terpenen. Um die Rolle der photochemischen Ozonbildung auf regionaler Skala zu untersuchen, wurden Ozonmessungen aus ganz Deutschland auf unterschiedlichen zeitlichen und räumlichen Skalen statistisch untersucht. Die Netto Änderungsrate der Ozonkonzentration war tagsüber an 3 nahe zusammenliegenden Stationen sehr ähnlich. Die OzonMessdaten von 277 deutschen Messstationen wurden mit den an einer Waldmessstelle nahe Königstein gemessenen Ozonwerten korreliert. Die Ozonmessungen in Königstein erklären 50% der Varianz der sommerlichen Ozonmessungen zwischen 11:00 und 16:00 MEZ an Stationen, die in einem Umkreis von etwa 250 km von Königstein liegen. Auf das ganze Jahr bezogen, liegt diese ''charakteristische Entfernung" bei etwa 350 km. Diese Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Prozesse, die einen wichtigen Einfluss auf die Ozonkonzentration ausüben, auf regionalen Skalen von einigen hundert Kilometern aktiv sind. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die gemessenen RO x Konzentrationen mit den aufgrund der Oxidation der VOCs durch OH berechneten Konzentrationen konsistent sind. Obwohl die RO x Konzentationen für die chemische Modellierung von Bedeutung sind, tragen RO x Messungen nur wenig zu einer Verbesserung der Qualität von kurzfristigen statistischen Ozonprognosen bei. Keywords: Ozone, Troposphere, Peroxy Radicals, Free Radicals, Photochemistry, Chemical Amplifier