Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Draebing, Till Mayer
Summary: The study investigated rockwall erosion in Alpine environments by using temperature loggers and different frost cracking models in the Swiss Alps, finding that different parameters have a significant impact on crack size, but the peak location and affected rock mass remain consistent across varying parameters in crack patterns. Thermo-mechanical models incorporating rock strength and hydraulic properties showed better reflection of measured fracture spacing at the rockwall scale and increasing frost cracking with altitude at the mountain scale, contradicting purely thermal models but matching existing rockfall studies.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-EARTH SURFACE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
T. Mayer, M. Eppes, D. Draebing
Summary: Rockwall erosion caused by rockfall in high alpine environments is mainly controlled by frost weathering. We conducted laboratory experiments on Wetterstein limestone samples and found that initial full saturation is not a prerequisite for frost cracking. Additionally, less-fractured rock showed higher cracking rates. The temperature threshold for frost cracking in alpine rocks was found to be below -7°C.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Xiaobai Ruan, Albert Galy
Summary: Chemical weathering plays a crucial role in the long-term carbon cycle, with different environments such as alpine periglacial and monsoonal climates having significant impacts on water chemistry. The presence of mass wasting deposits, such as landslides, talus, and rock glaciers, can influence water chemistry by contributing to the dissolved load of water samples. The periglacial critical zone in the alpine environment enhances chemical weathering by providing fresh mineral surfaces for water-rock interaction, leading to characteristic water chemistry in these regions.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Zhengliang Yu, Guangjian Wu, Fei Li, Mengke Chen, Tuong Vi Tran, Xiaoming Liu, Shaopeng Gao
Summary: The study monitored the hydrochemistry of river water in two catchments in the cold glacial region of the central Tibetan Plateau and found that glaciers have a significant impact on chemical weathering, with sulfide oxidation and carbonate dissolution being the main sources of solutes. Compared with non-glacierized areas, the silicate weathering rate and carbonate weathering rate are higher in glacierized regions.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fei Yang, Gan-Lin Zhang, Volker Karius, Daniela Sauer
Summary: Research in central Germany suggests that detailed particle-size data can be used to quantify the proportions of loess in Pleistocene periglacial slope deposits (PPSD). By analyzing variations in particle-size distribution curves vertically and spatially, insights into the mixing processes of loess in PPSD and Holocene colluvium can be gained. The study also indicates the impact of different earth-surface processes on the distribution patterns of loess.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Maciej Dabski, Ireneusz Badura, Marlena Kycko, Anna Grabarczyk, Renata Matlakowska, Jan-Christoph Otto
Summary: This study focuses on the development of glacial forelands as a result of the contemporary retreat of glaciers, providing excellent areas for studying the initial stages of weathering. The research examines weathering rinds on glacially abraded Dachstein limestone surfaces in the Eastern Alps. Results show a time-dependent increase in micro-roughness, decrease in rock strength, and decrease in spectral reflectivity within visual light. Older sites reflect infrared radiation significantly better than younger ones. The study also suggests the potential role of microorganisms in limestone dissolution and the formation of secondary porous limestone layers.
Article
Geography, Physical
Michael Styllas, Christos Pennos, Aurel Persoiu, Athanasios Godelitsas, Lambrini Papadopoulou, Elina Aidona, Nikolaos Kantiranis, Mihai N. N. Ducea, Matthieu Ghilardi, Francois Demory
Summary: This study investigates the balance between erosion and aeolian dust accretion in the formation of an alpine soil profile in the periglacial zone of Mount Olympus in Greece. The findings reveal that aeolian dust contributes between 50% and 65% to the development of the soil profile. Cryoturbation, weak pedogenesis, and clay mineral alteration also occur within the Mediterranean periglacial zone of Mount Olympus.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Miguel Bartolome, Gerard Cazenave, Marc Luetscher, Christoph Spoetl, Fernando Gazquez, Anchel Belmonte, Alexandra V. Turchyn, Juan Ignacio Lopez-Moreno, Ana Moreno
Summary: Ice caves, especially those in inaccessible permafrost areas at high altitudes or high latitudes, are one of the least studied parts of the cryosphere. The Devaux cave, located on the French-Spanish border, was characterized in terms of climate dynamics and geomorphological features. The cave consists of two distinct sectors with different air temperature and geomorphological characteristics. The formation of the cave permafrost is attributed to a combination of undercooling by ventilation and diffusive heat transfer from the surrounding permafrost.
Article
Geography, Physical
Spruce W. Schoenemann, Mana M. Bryant, Will B. Larson, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman
Summary: The study suggests that alpine glaciers in the Pioneer Mountains of Montana had similar initial deglaciation timing as the northwestern Yellowstone glacial system and the northern Montana ice cap, indicating a stronger ability to maintain full ice extent closer to the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) margin.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Aaron E. Putnam, George H. Denton, Joerg M. Schaefer
Summary: This study, based on 10Be surface-exposure dating, reveals that classic late-glacial moraines in southwestern Norway and the Southern Alps of New Zealand were formed simultaneously within dating uncertainties. This finding suggests a global millennial-scale climate reversal during the last deglaciation, which implies a change in the energy budget of the earth's climate system.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gregoire Guillet, Susanne Preunkert, Ludovic Ravanel, Maurine Montagnat, Ronny Friedrich
Summary: This study focuses on the dynamics and age of the Triangle du Tacul (TDT) ice apron in the Mont-Blanc massif, France. Ice cores were drilled and analyzed for microstructure and lattice-preferred orientation, revealing that the TDT ice deforms under a low strain-rate simple shear regime with dynamic recrystallization as the major mechanism for grain growth. Micro-radiocarbon dating shows that the ice becomes older with depth perpendicular to the ice surface, with ice ages older than 600 years BP and even older than 3000 years at the base of the lowest 30 cm.
JOURNAL OF GLACIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Benjamin D. Boatwright, James W. Head
Summary: This study identified unusually well preserved inverted fluvial channel networks and lacustrine deposits inside a 54 km diameter crater on Mars, suggesting a possible source of water from top-down melting of a cold-based glacier. These features represent the first examples of proglacial fluvial channels and lakes found on Noachian Mars.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Zhaopeng Wu, Mark Richardson, Xi Zhang, Jun Cui, Nicholas G. Heavens, Christopher Lee, Tao Li, Yuan Lian, Claire E. Newman, Alejandro Soto, Orkun Temel, Anthony D. Toigo, Marcin Witek
Summary: The Large Eddy Simulation of the Martian convective boundary layer using a Mars-adapted version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model reveals the significant impact of aerosol dust radiative-dynamical feedbacks on turbulent mixing. The study shows that while fixed dust distribution weakens convection, freely transported dust in updrafts can enhance convection and increase boundary layer depth.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2021)
Correction
Geology
Katie J. Pevehouse, Dustin E. Sweet, Branimir Segvic, Charles C. Monson, Giovanni Zanoni, Stephen Marshak, Melanie A. Barnes
JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Daniel M. Sturmer, Tandis S. Bidgoli, Dustin E. Sweet
Summary: This special issue investigates the interactions among tectonism, climate, and sedimentation during the late Paleozoic era, using various techniques to explore their influences and relationships. The findings enhance our understanding of North America's geological history and have significant implications for the development of on-shore hydrocarbon systems.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Giovanni Zanoni, Branimir Segvic, Dustin E. Sweet
Summary: This study investigates closely interbedded mudstone and sandstone samples from the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma. Petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical analyses show that these different rock types have very similar clay mineral assemblages during diagenesis. The study suggests that mudclasts incorporated through bioturbation explain the relatively uniform composition of clay minerals in the sandstone. The research provides valuable insights into the clay mineral distribution and properties of the Pennsylvanian strata in the Anadarko Basin.
GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Oladipupo Babarinde, Sergey Stanchits, Robert Bauer, Scott Frailey, Volker Oye, Dustin Sweet
Summary: In this study, a large-scale triaxial block experiment was conducted on Castlegate Sandstone to investigate the mechanisms causing microseismicity at a CO2 injection site. The experiment revealed that the crushing and flattening of fault surfaces were correlated with the spatiotemporal distribution of microseismic events near the fault. The presence of thicker fault gouge and smaller grain size in areas with wider aperture suggests a link between fault characteristics and microseismic activity.
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geology
Austin J. McGlannan, Alicia Bonar, Lily Pfeifer, Sebastian Steinig, Paul Valdes, Steven Adams, David Duarte, Benmadi Milad, Andrew Cullen, Gerilyn S. Soreghan
Summary: The fine-grained and silt-rich strata of the Upper Devonian and Lower-Middle Mississippian in the North American midcontinent were most likely transported by wind from the delta plains of the Appalachian orogen, suggesting wind as the main mode of transportation for the siliciclastic fraction in these units.
JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mahmoud Leila, Andrea Moscariello, Dustin Sweet, Branimir Segvic
Summary: The current study utilizes diagenetic fingerprints to differentiate between sandstone facies before and during the Messinian salinity crisis in the Nile Delta. The study highlights the complex interplay between rocks' compositional, depositional, and burial attributes, ultimately serving as a basis for high-resolution stratigraphic correlation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SEDIMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Sylvain Piqueux, Paul O. Hayne, Armin Kleinbohl, David M. Kass, Mathias Schreier, Daniel J. McCleese, Mark I. Richardson, John T. Schofield, Nicholas Heavens, James H. Shirley
Summary: The kinetic temperature of the Martian seasonal caps is controlled by the partial pressure of atmospheric CO2 at the surface. The condensation of CO2 leads to a decrease in its partial pressure, resulting in a decrease in the local frost point temperature. Observations show differences in atmospheric CO2 gas depletion between the North and South poles, indicating differences in the efficiency of vertical mixing within the polar vortices.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
J. Michael Battalio, Nicholas Heavens, Alexey Pankine, Corwin Wright, Aster Cowart
Summary: In this study, gravity waves in the Martian atmosphere were analyzed using THEMIS data. It was found that the activity of gravity waves is concentrated in the region south of 60 degrees latitude, while it is low in the northern hemisphere. The gravity wave lengths can be categorized into short, medium, and long, and the direction at an altitude of 25 km is isotropic.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nicholas G. Heavens, Alexey Pankine, J. Michael Battalio, Corwin Wright, David M. Kass, Armin Kleinbohl
Summary: Gravity waves transfer energy and momentum from the lower to the upper atmospheres of Earth and Mars. Convective instability in Mars atmosphere shows seasonal, interannual, and dust event-driven variability, with higher probabilities of convective instability in specific regions during dust events. This increased convective instability can significantly increase the drag on the equatorial easterly jet and winter westerly jet, as long as there is no compensating reduction of drag due to changes in gravity wave properties and local winds.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nicholas G. Heavens, Alexey Pankine, J. Michael Battalio, Corwin Wright, David M. Kass, Armin Kleinbohl, Sylvain Piqueux, John T. Schofield
Summary: Gravity waves are a way for the weather in Mars's lower atmosphere to affect the circulation and composition of its middle and upper atmosphere. Observations using the Mars Climate Sounder on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have shown that these gravity waves can be sensed by looking at small-scale radiance variability. This approach has been extended to other areas in Mars's lower atmosphere, demonstrating that the activity of these gravity waves is dominated by orographic sources.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Nicholas G. G. Heavens, Alexey Pankine, J. Michael Battalio, Corwin Wright
Summary: This study investigates the climatology and horizontal wavelength spectrum of lower-atmospheric gravity waves (GW) on Mars using observations from the Mars Climate Sounder (MCS) and the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES). The results show that lower-atmospheric GW activity is strongest at wavelengths <200 km and exhibits interannual variability.
PLANETARY SCIENCE JOURNAL
(2022)