The Importance of Desert Margins as Indicators for Global Climatic Fluctuations (Introduction)

Author(s):  
W. Smykatz-Kloss ◽  
P. Felix-Henningsen
1918 ◽  
Vol 85 (2196supp) ◽  
pp. 66-67
Author(s):  
Henryk Arctowski

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-61
Author(s):  
Abner Monteiro Nunes Cordeiro ◽  
Rayane Barroso Araújo ◽  
Frederico De Holanda Bastos ◽  
Augusto César Praciano Sampaio

A exumação de rochas graníticas do Complexo Tamboril-Santa Quitéria, especificamente, na superfície de aplainamento do município de Irauçuba, Ceará, tem revelado uma grande variedade de feições geomorfológicas que se justificam por fatores litológicos e evidentes flutuações climáticas cenozoicas, comandadas, sobretudo, por morfogênese mecânica, associada a climas secos. São relevos residuais como, maciços, cristas, inselbergs, inselguebergs, lajedos e blocos saprolitizados (boulders) em diferentes graus de desenvolvimento que se sobressaem em meio à superfície erosiva rebaixada, regionalmente conhecida como depressão sertaneja. Nesse trabalho, foram identificadas diferentes formas de relevo granítico condicionadas, sobretudo por intempéries de subsuperfície, controladas por falhas e fraturas, e por remoção do regolito através da erosão superficial, além de eventos de esfoliação. Essas formas graníticas constituem peças fundamentais na compreensão da evolução paleoclimática do município de Irauçuba. Para a realização do presente trabalho foram usadas as seguintes metodologias: revisão bibliográfica, levantamento cartográfico e trabalho de campo.Palavras-chave: Feições graníticas; Superfícies de aplainamento; Erosão diferencial. ABSTRACTThe granitic rocks exhumation of Complexo Tamboril-Santa Quitéria, specifically, on the planing surface of Irauçuba county, Ceará, has revealed a great variety of geomorphological features that are justified by lithologic factors and evident Cenozoic climatic fluctuations, mainly, headed by mechanical morphogenesis, associated with dry climates. Residual reliefs like rocky massives, residual ridges, inselbergs and inselguebergs, slab stones and boulders in different degrees of development stand out in the middle of the lowered erosive surface, regionally known by “depressão sertaneja”. In this study, different forms of granite relief were identified, specially conditioned by subsurface erosion, controlled by geological faults and fractures, but also by regolith removal through surface erosion, plus exfoliation spheroidal events. These granitic features are fundamental in paleoclimatic evolution understanding of Irauçuba municipality. For the accomplishment of the present work the following methodology was used: bibliographical revision, cartographic survey and field work. For the accomplishment of the present work the following methodology was used: bibliographical revision, cartographic survey and field work.Keywords: Granitic features; Planing surface; Differential erosion.RESUMENLa exhumación de rocas graníticas del Complejo tamboril-Santa Quitéria, específicamente en la superficie de aplanado del municipio de Irauçuba, Ceará, ha revelado una gran variedad de rasgos geomorfológicos que se justifican por factores litológicos y evidentes fluctuaciones climáticas cenozoicas, comandadas principalmente por morfogénesis mecánica, asociada a climas secos. Son relieves residuales como, macizos, crestas, Inselbergs, inselguebergs, losas y bloques saprolitizados (Boulders) en diferentes grados de desarrollo que sobresalen en medio de la superficie erosiva rebajada, regionalmente conocida como depresión sertaneja. En este trabajo, se identificaron diferentes formas de relieve granítico condicionadas, principalmente por intemperies de subsuperficie, controladas por fallas y fracturas, y por eliminación del regolito a través de la erosión superficial, además de eventos de exfoliación. Estas formas graníticas constituyen piezas fundamentales en la comprensión de la evolución paleoclimática del municipio de Irauçuba. Para la realización del presente trabajo se utilizaron las siguientes metodologías: revisión bibliográfica, levantamiento cartográfico y trabajo de campo.Palabras clave: Facciones graníticas; Superficies de aplanado; Erosión diferencial.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Jiménez-Guerrero ◽  
Nuno Ratola

AbstractThe atmospheric concentration of persistent organic pollutants (and of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, in particular) is closely related to climate change and climatic fluctuations, which are likely to influence contaminant’s transport pathways and transfer processes. Predicting how climate variability alters PAHs concentrations in the atmosphere still poses an exceptional challenge. In this sense, the main objective of this contribution is to assess the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and the mean concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, the most studied PAH congener) in a domain covering Europe, with an emphasis on the effect of regional-scale processes. A numerical simulation for a present climate period of 30 years was performed using a regional chemistry transport model with a 25 km spatial resolution (horizontal), higher than those commonly applied. The results show an important seasonal behaviour, with a remarkable spatial pattern of difference between the north and the south of the domain. In winter, higher BaP ground levels are found during the NAO+ phase for the Mediterranean basin, while the spatial pattern of this feature (higher BaP levels during NAO+ phases) moves northwards in summer. These results show deviations up to and sometimes over 100% in the BaP mean concentrations, but statistically significant signals (p<0.1) of lower changes (20–40% variations in the signal) are found for the north of the domain in winter and for the south in summer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Wang ◽  
Caihong Zhong ◽  
Dawei Li ◽  
Chunlin Yan ◽  
Xiaohong Yao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Plant phylogeographic studies of species in subtropical China have mainly focused on rare and endangered species, whereas few studies have been conducted on taxa with relatively wide distribution, especially polyploid species. We investigated the cytotype and haplotype distribution pattern of the Actinidia chinensis complex, a widespread geographically woody liana with variable ploidy in subtropical China comprising two varieties, with three chloroplast fragments DNA (ndhF-rpl132, rps16-trnQ and trnE-trnT). Macroevolutionary, microevolutionary and niche modeling tools were also combined to disentangle the origin and the demographic history of the species or cytotypes. Results The ploidy levels of 3338 individuals from 128 populations sampled throughout the species distribution range were estimated with flow cytometry. The widespread cytotypes were diploids followed by tetraploids and hexaploids, whereas triploids and octoploids occurred in a few populations. Thirty-one chloroplast haplotypes were detected. The genetic diversity and genetic structure were found to be high between varieties (or ploidy races) chinensis and deliciosa. Our results revealed that these two varieties inhabit significantly different climatic niche spaces. Ecological niche models (ENMs) indicate that all varieties’ ranges contracted during the Last Inter Glacial (LIG), and expanded eastward or northward during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Conclusions Pliocene and Plio-Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and vicariance appear to have played key roles in shaping current population structure and historical demography in the A. chinensis complex. The polyploidization process also appears to have played an important role in the historical demography of the complex through improving their adaptability to environmental changes.


The Holocene ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 095968362110190
Author(s):  
Kury Milena Souza ◽  
Moreira Luciane Silva ◽  
Cordeiro Renato Campello ◽  
Sifeddine Abdelfettah ◽  
Turcq Bruno ◽  
...  

As an ecotone, the region between the Amazon Rainforest and Tropical Savanna (Cerrado) biomes is, by definition, more susceptible to climate change. Therefore, understanding palaeoenvironmental dynamics is essential to address the future responses of such transition areas to climatic fluctuations. In this context, we present a new sediment record for the Late-Holocene retrieved from Barro-Preto, currently an oxbow lake located in an ecotone at the southern Brazilian Amazon border. Our multi-proxy data include carbon and nitrogen isotopes, as well as bulk TOC, chlorophyll derivatives, grain-size and microcharcoal analyses, all anchored on a radiocarbon-dated chronology. The sedimentary process recorded at the Barro-Preto Lake responded to both local and regional climate dynamics. It was influenced by river excursions associated to local responses to precipitation changes by the activation of the palaeochannel connecting the main-stem river and the Barro-Preto lake. This activation was evidenced by the presence of different colour lithology laminations accompanied by coarser sediments and also by climate conditions known to influence the Amazon region. Depositional processes linked to lake dynamics and different oxbow lake cycle stages were also important to explain the changes verified in the Barro-Preto record, endorsing the use of this lake formation for palaeoclimatic reconstructions. The record indicated a rising humidity trend, reflected by a progressive increase in lacustrine productivity, in accordance to other studies carried out in the Amazon region concerning the Late-Holocene, associated with a more southward displacement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Despite this rising humidity trend, dry episodic events during the Late-Holocene were evidenced by charcoal data, also coherent with regional Amazon studies, albeit exhibiting increased intensity, suggesting that the transitional nature of the environment might have influenced susceptibility to fires.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana I. García-Cervigón ◽  
Pedro F. Quintana-Ascencio ◽  
Adrián Escudero ◽  
Merari E. Ferrer-Cervantes ◽  
Ana M. Sánchez ◽  
...  

AbstractPopulation persistence is strongly determined by climatic variability. Changes in the patterns of climatic events linked to global warming may alter population dynamics, but their effects may be strongly modulated by biotic interactions. Plant populations interact with each other in such a way that responses to climate of a single population may impact the dynamics of the whole community. In this study, we assess how climate variability affects persistence and coexistence of two dominant plant species in a semiarid shrub community on gypsum soils. We use 9 years of demographic data to parameterize demographic models and to simulate population dynamics under different climatic and ecological scenarios. We observe that populations of both coexisting species may respond to common climatic fluctuations both similarly and in idiosyncratic ways, depending on the yearly combination of climatic factors. Biotic interactions (both within and among species) modulate some of their vital rates, but their effects on population dynamics highly depend on climatic fluctuations. Our results indicate that increased levels of climatic variability may alter interspecific relationships. These alterations might potentially affect species coexistence, disrupting competitive hierarchies and ultimately leading to abrupt changes in community composition.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 655-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Érica Mangaravite ◽  
Thamyres C. Silveira ◽  
Alexander Huamán‐Mera ◽  
Luiz O. Oliveira ◽  
Alexandra N. Muellner‐Riehl ◽  
...  

1963 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 789-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. McK. Bary

Monthly temperature-salinity diagrams for 1957 have demonstrated that three surface oceanic "water bodies" were consistently present in the eastern North Atlantic; two are regarded as modified North Atlantic Central water which give rise to the third by mixing. As well in the oceanic areas, large and small, high or low salinity patches of water were common. Effects of seasonal climatic fluctuations differed in the several oceanic water bodies. In coastal waters, differences in properties and in seasonal and annual cycles of the properties distinguish the waters from the North Sea, English Channel and the western entrance to the Channel.The geographic distributions of the oceanic waters are consistent with "northern" and "southern" water bodies mixing to form a "transitional" water. Within this distribution there are short-term changes in boundaries and long-term (seasonal) changes in size of the water bodies.Water in the western approaches to the English Channel appeared to be influenced chiefly by the mixed, oceanic transitional water; oceanic influences in the North Sea appear to have been from northern and transitional waters.


2003 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 722-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. P. Jarvie ◽  
C. Neal ◽  
P. J. A. Withers ◽  
A. Robinson ◽  
N. Salter

Abstract. Water quality data, collected by the Environment Agency in England and Wales over 10 years (1991 – 2000) were used to examine the spatial distribution of nutrient pollution risk and for assessing broad-scale spatial and temporal variability in nutrient fluxes across the Wye catchment. Nutrient water quality across the upper and middle Wye catchment, and along the main River Wye, is generally very good. However, the main areas of concern lie in the small tributaries in the south and east of the catchment, which have lower dilution capacity and high agricultural and effluent inputs, and where mean Total Reactive Phosphorus (TRP) in some cases exceed 1 mg-P l-1. Indeed, mass load calculations have demonstrated that the lowland south and east portion of the catchment contributes more than 85% of the whole-catchment TRP and more than 78% of nitrate (NO3‾) loads. Ratios of NO3‾:Ca were used to fingerprint different water-types across the catchment, linked to weathering and agricultural activity. The Wye catchment has been subject to two major sets of perturbations during the study period: (i) climatic fluctuations, with a drought during 1995-6, followed by a subsequent drought-break in 1997/8, and extreme high river flows in the autumn/winter of 2000/2001, and (ii) introduction of tertiary P-treatment at major sewage treatment works in the catchment. The implications of these perturbations for the nutrient water quality of the Wye catchment are discussed. Recommendations are made for more targeted monitoring to directly assess diffuse source nutrient contributions. Keywords: nutrients, phosphate, phosphorus, nitrate, nitrogen, river, Wye, PSYCHIC, Defra


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