Radiocarbon Concentration in Annual Tree Rings from the Salamanca Region, Western Spain

Radiocarbon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1533-1540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Z Rakowski ◽  
Toshio Nakamura ◽  
Anna Pazdur ◽  
John Meadows

Tree-ring samples were taken from a from a pine tree (Pinus pinea) growing in Villar de Peralonso, a rural area 50 km west of the city of Salamanca, Spain. All samples were processed to extract α-cellulose and the radiocarbon concentration in each annual ring was measured using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) at the University of Nagoya, Japan. The data set covers a growth period between 1979 and 2006, and represents the concentrations of 14C in a “clean area.” The average difference between 14C concentrations in Villar de Peralonso and NH zone 1 for the period 1979–1999 is 4.1 ± 1.3%. A sample was taken to obtain the reference level of 14C for the Iberian Peninsula, for a study of anthropogenic emission of CO2 in urban areas. As part of the initial study, 14C concentration data in tree rings from the city of Valladolid were used to recalculate the fossil fuel component (cfoss) using reference data from Villar de Peralonso.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
CharLotte Krawczyk ◽  
Christopher Wollin ◽  
Stefan Lüth ◽  
Martin Lipus ◽  
Christian Cunow ◽  
...  

<p>The de-carbonization strategy of the city of Potsdam, Germany, incorporates the utilization of its geothermal potential.  As a first step of developing a deep geothermal project for district heating, an urban seismic exploration campaign of the Stadtwerke Potsdam took place in December 2020 in the city centre of Potsdam.  Since urban measurements are often difficult to setup and a low-footprint alternative is sought for, we supplemented the contractor-performed Vibroseis survey along three profiles by distributed acoustic sensing (DAS).  In close cooperation with the municipal utilities, we interrogated a 21 km-long dark telecommunication fibre whose trajectory followed the seismic lines as close as possible.  This was accompanied by a network of 15 three-component geophones for further control and research.</p><p>In this contribution we present the data set, the approach for geo-referencing the fibre, and first results regarding DAS recording capabilities of vibroseismic signals in an urban environment.  Following the paradigm that the high density of telecommunication networks in urban areas may facilitate the exploration of the often insufficiently known local geology, we strive to further shed light on the possibilities of their employment for urban exploration.  In this respect we aim at tackling the question of the accuracy of fibre localization, recording sensitivity and range of active stimulation.</p>


Radiocarbon ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laia Andreu-Hayles ◽  
Guaciara M Santos ◽  
David A Herrera-Ramírez ◽  
Javier Martin-Fernández ◽  
Daniel Ruiz-Carrascal ◽  
...  

This study used high-precision radiocarbon bomb-pulse dating of selected wood rings to provide an independent validation of the tree growth periodicity of Pseudolmedia rigida (Klotzsch & H. Karst) Cuatrec. from the Moraceae family, collected in the Madidi National Park in Bolivia. 14C content was measured by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in 10 samples from a single tree covering over 70 yr from 1939 to 2011. These preliminary calendar dates were determined by dendrochronological techniques and were also used to select the samples for 14C AMS. In order to validate these preliminary dates using the established Southern Hemisphere (SH) 14C atmospheric concentration data set, the targeted rings were selected to be formed during periods before and after the 14C bomb spike nuclear tests (i.e. 1950s–1960s). The excellent agreement of the dendrochronological dates and the 14C signatures in tree rings associated with the same dates provided by the bomb-pulse 14C atmospheric values for the SH (SHCal zone 1–2) confirms the annual periodicity of the observed growth layers, and thus the high potential of this species for tree-ring analysis. The lack of discrepancies between both data sets also suggests that there are no significant latitudinal differences between the 14C SHCal zone 1–2 curve and the 14C values obtained from the selected tree rings at this geographic location (14°33′S, 68°49′W) in South America. The annual resolution of P. rigida tree rings opens the possibility of broader applications of dendrochronological analysis for ecological and paleoclimatic studies in the Bolivian tropics, as well as the possibility of using wood samples from some tree species from this region to improve the quality of the bomb-pulse 14C SHCal curve at this latitude.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Merkenschlager ◽  
Christoph Beck ◽  
Elke Hertig

<p>Under enhanced anthropogenic greenhouse gas forcing heat waves are only one example of climatic risks mankind has to deal with. Especially in urban areas where most of the people will live until the end of the 21<sup>st</sup> century heat waves are a serious risk factor since the urban heat island will reinforce such events. For the city of Augsburg, new analog methods are utilized for assessing the development and impacts of heat waves taking into account the varying urban structure.</p><p>For model calibration the temperature data from the Augsburg-Mühlhausen weather station operated by the German Weather Service (DWD) and atmospheric circulation variables of the ERA5 reanalysis data set were used to analyze the recent temperature development. For this purpose, the least deviation of the normal vector was used to determine a subsample of analogs corresponding to the day of interest. The normal vector was derived from the regression plane of the prevailing circulation on the respective day. Subsequently, the temperature patterns were used to define the analog day from the subsample. For future periods, the same method was applied to model data for two representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5, RCP8.5) of different general circulation models (GCM: ACCESS1-0, CNRM-CM5, MPI-ESM-LR). Thus, we derive future time series of analogs corresponding to events prevailing in the observational period. To account for projected trends of the GCMs, the trends of all time-series were first removed and, after the analog selection process, added again according to the trends of the GCMs.</p><p>Temperature extremes are defined as days with temperatures exceeding the 90<sup>th</sup> quantile (Q90) and heat days are defined as days where at least two temperature indices (TMIN, TMEAN, TMAX) exceed Q90. When at least three consecutive days are defined as heat day a heat wave is proclaimed. Analysis have shown that under consideration of RCP8.5 (RCP4.5) and all model runs the number of heat days in the end of the 21<sup>st</sup> century will be nine (five) times higher than within the reference period 1970-2000. Furthermore, the mean duration of heatwaves will extend by factor four (two), whereby heat waves of more than 30 (15) consecutive days are possible.</p>


Symmetry ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taras Agryzkov ◽  
José Luis Oliver ◽  
Leandro Tortosa ◽  
José F. Vicent

Cities can be represented by spatial networks, and the mathematical structure that defines a spatial network is a graph. Taking into account this premise, this paper is focused on analysing information on an urban scale by combining a new ray-casting visibility index with a data set of the urban street network. The visibility index provides information about the most visible buildings or areas. We relate this index with other data extracted from the city, with the aim of generating and analysing information about urban elements. To corroborate this idea, real data are analysed. The dataset is related to the heritage conservation of the buildings of the Villaflora suburb, located in the city of Quito (Ecuador). This information is processed, together with the visibility index, with the aim of determining the conservation degree of the urban areas most visually exposed to pedestrians or visitors. The combination of both values—heritage conservation and visibility index—is carried out by means of two new indices, I P and I N , which are defined using two-variable exponential functions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 116-123
Author(s):  
A. P. Korzh ◽  
T. V. Zahovalko

Recently, the number of published works devoted to the processes of synanthropization of fauna, is growing like an avalanche, which indicates the extreme urgency of this theme. In our view, the process of forming devices to coexist with human and the results of his life reflects the general tandency of the modern nature evolution. Urbanization is characteristic for such a specific group of animals like amphibians, the evidence of which are numerous literature data. Many researchers use this group to assess the bioindicative quality of the environment. For this aim a variety of indicators are used: from the cellular level of life of organization up to the species composition of the group in different territories. At the same time, the interpretation of the results is not always comparable for different areas and often have significantly different interpretations by experts. Urban environment, primarily due to the contamination is extremely aggressive to amphibians. As a consequence, the urban populations of amphibians may be a change in the demographic structure, affecting the reproductive ability of the population, the disappearance of the most sensitive species or individuals, resizing animals, the appearance of abnormalities in the development, etc. At the same time play an important amphibians in the ecosystems of cities, and some species in these conditions even feel relatively comfortable. Therefore, it is interesting to understand the mechanisms of self-sustaining populations of amphibians in urban environments. To assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the development of amphibian populations were used cognitive modeling using the program Vensim PLE. Cognitive map of the model for urban and suburban habitat conditions were the same. The differences concerned the strength of connections between individual factors (migration, fertility, pollution) and their orientation. In general, factors like pollution, parasites, predators had negative impact on the population, reducing its number. The birth rate, food and migration contributed to raising number of individuals. Some of the factors affected on the strength to of each other as well: the majority of the factors affected the structure of the population, had an influence on the fertility. Thanks to it the model reflects the additive effect of complex of factors on the subsequent status of the population. Proposed and analyzed four scenarios differing strength and duration of exposure. In the first scenario, a one-time contamination occurs and not subsequently repeated. The second and third scenario assumes half board contamination, 1 year (2 scenario) and two years (scenario 3). In the fourth scenario, the pollution affected the population of amphibians constantly. In accordance with the results of simulation, much weaker than the natural populations respond to pollution - have them as an intensive population growth and its disappearance at constant pollution is slow. Changes to other parameters of the model showed that this pollution is the decisive factor -only the constant action leads to a lethal outcome for the populations. All other components of the model have a corrective effect on the population dynamics, without changing its underlying trand. In urban areas due to the heavy impact of pollution maintaining the population is only possible thanks to the migration process – the constant replenishment of diminishing micropopulations of natural reserves. This confirms the assumption that the form of existence metapopulations lake frog in the city. In order to maintain the number of amphibians in urban areas at a high level it is necessary to maintain existing migration routes and the creation of new ones. Insular nature of the placement of suitable habitats in urban areas causes the metapopulation structure of the types of urbanists. Therefore, the process of urbanization is much easier for those species whicht are capable of migration in conditions of city. In the initial stages of settling the city micropopulationis formed by selective mortality of the most susceptible individuals to adverse effects. In future, maintaining the categories of individuals is provided mainly due to migration processes metapopulisation form of the species of existence is supported). It should be noted that the changes in the previous levels are always saved in future. In the case of reorganizations of individuals we of morphology can assume the existence of extremely adverse environmental conditions that threaten the extinction of the micropopulations. 


Широкое распространение безнадзорных животных на территории городов несет за собой потенциальную угрозу распространения зооантропонозных заболеваний, одним из которых является демодекоз. Невозможно разработать мероприятия, направленные на борьбу с заболеванием и его профилактику, без анализа данных особенностей возникновения и распространения инвазии среди всей популяции восприимчивых животных. Поэтому целью нашей работы явилось изучение распространения демодекоза среди безнадзорных собак и кошек в городе Тюмени. В задачи исследования входило изучение распространения демодекоза и его клинического проявления среди бездомных собак и кошек в условиях города Тюмени и определение сезонной динамики заболевания. Работу выполняли в 2016-2018 гг. на базе кафедры анатомии и физиологии ФГБОУ ВО ГАУ Северного Зауралья, в лаборатории акарологии ВНИИВЭА – филиала ТюмНЦ СО РАН, а также в производственных условиях на базе пункта временного содержания безнадзорных домашних животных МКУ «ЛесПаркХоз». Демодекозная инвазия распространена среди бездомных кошек и собак. Наиболее часто демодекоз встречается у собак, экстенсивность инвазии от 0,65 до 0,72%. Заболевание демодекозом у бездомных собак регистрировали на протяжении всего года, но 54,6% больных собак поступали в апреле и мае. Большинство больных демодекозом – это молодые собаки в возрасте от 1,5 месяцев до 2-х лет – 75,76%, животные старше двух лет гораздо реже страдали от демодекоза – 24,24%. Генерализацию демодекоза регистрировали у 21 собаки (63,64%), а локализованные очаги – у 12 собак (36,36%). Наиболее распространенной формой проявления демодекоза у бездомных собак является пустулезная, или пиодемодекоз. Данная форма заболевания была отмечена у 16 собак (48,49%), чешуйчатая форма отмечалась у 10 собак (30,30%), а смешанная – у 7 собак (21,21%). The widespread use of stray animals in urban areas carries with it the potential threat of the spread of zooanthroponotic diseases, one of which is demodicosis. It is impossible to develop measures aimed at combating the disease and its prevention without analyzing the data on the characteristics of the occurrence and spread of invasion among the entire population of susceptible animals. Therefore, the purpose of our work was to study the distribution of demodicosis among street dogs and cats in the city of Tyumen. The objectives of the study included the study of the spread of demodicosis and its clinical manifestation among stray dogs and cats in the conditions of the city of Tyumen and the determination of the seasonal dynamics of the disease. Demodectic invasion is common among stray cats and dogs. Most often, demodicosis occurs in dogs, with extensive invasion from 0.65 to 0.72%. Demodecosis in stray dogs was recorded throughout the year, but 54.6% of sick dogs were reported in April and May. The majority of patients with demodicosis are young dogs between the ages of 1.5 months and 2 years old - 75.76%, animals older than two years suffer less from demodicosis, only 24.24%. Generalization of demodicosis was recorded in 21 dogs (63.64%), and localized foci in 12 dogs (36.36%). The most common form of demodicosis in stray dogs is pustular or pyodemodecosis. This form of the disease was observed in 16 dogs (48.49%), scaly form, was observed in 10 dogs (30.30%), and mixed in 7 dogs (21.21%).


Author(s):  
Irina Glinyanova ◽  
Valery Azarov ◽  
Valery Fomichev

Fine dust: (PM2.5, PM10) is a priority pollutant that contributes to the development of numerous dis-eases in urban areas. The purpose of this scientific work is to study the dispersed composition of dust parti-cles on the leaves of apricot trees (Prúnus armeníaca) in the residential zone of Volgograd. The novelty of the work lies in the study of the dispersed composition of dust particles on the leaves of apricot trees (Prúnus armeníaca) in the residential zone in the city of Volgograd near the construction industry enterprise, me-chanical engineering, leather production and railway transport line in comparison with the conditionally clean (control) zone of the SNT “Orocenets” ”(Sovetsky District, Volgograd) from the standpoint of random functions expressed by integral distribution curves of the mass of particles over their equivalent diameters. As a result of the research, the dispersed composition of dust on the leaves of apricot trees (Prúnus ar-meníaca) in the residential area of Volgograd was revealed. Fine particles were found: PM2.5, PM10 in each of the studied points, which by their values, both in their number and mass fraction, significantly exceed the data on fine dust in a conditionally clean area (control) in the SNT “Oroshanets” (Sovetsky district Volgo-grad), which creates certain environmental risks for local residents. The dispersed analysis of particles from the standpoint of random functions in the future will allow with a sufficiently high degree of accuracy to pre-dict the dust content of urban atmospheric air in the range of monthly and / or seasonal average values compared to the traditional measurement of fine dust concentration in atmospheric air of the urban environ-ment as the maximum single or daily average. At the same time, further studies of dust on the leaves of plants in an urban environment, namely, the study of the density of its sedimentation, will also reveal a group of ur-ban plants that are best suited to retain PM2.5 and PM10 on leaf plates in this region, which can significantly increase the quality of the atmospheric air of the urban environment and be of a recommendatory nature for the state-owned landscaping services of the city of Volgograd when improving the green areas of a megacity.


Urban Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Valdemir Antoneli ◽  
Manuel Pulido-Fernández ◽  
João Anésio Bednarz ◽  
Leonardo Brandes ◽  
Michael Vrahnakis ◽  
...  

The catchment area of River das Antas (Irati, Paraná, Brazil) is of high importance both for human consumption and irrigation. Within Irati, this river passes through a rural area and through the city of Irati, crossing both poor and rich neighbourhoods. We selected three study areas downstream (a rural area, poor community, and rich neighbourhood) in which we measured turbidity, the concentration of sediments and pH during rainy days. Our results showed downstream trends of increasing turbidity and concentrations of sediments with decreasing pH. The values of turbidity and of concentration of sediments were significantly different in the rural area, while the pH values were significantly different between the three study areas. These findings highlight the effect of agricultural activities in the generation of sediments and turbidity. The—presumably expected—effects of organic urban waste from the poor neighbourhood were also detected in the pH values. We conclude that efforts should be made to ensure that land planning and training/education programmes on sustainable farming practices are undertaken by the authorities to reduce water pollution and its effects on water bodies during rainfall events, since paving streets is not a feasible option in the short term due to the high costs associated with this measure.


Urban Studies ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 004209802098100
Author(s):  
Mark Ellison ◽  
Jon Bannister ◽  
Won Do Lee ◽  
Muhammad Salman Haleem

The effective, efficient and equitable policing of urban areas rests on an appreciation of the qualities and scale of, as well as the factors shaping, demand. It also requires an appreciation of the factors shaping the resources deployed in their address. To this end, this article probes the extent to which policing demand (crime, anti-social behaviour, public safety and welfare) and deployment (front-line resource) are similarly conditioned by the social and physical urban environment, and by incident complexity. The prospect of exploring policing demand, deployment and their interplay is opened through the utilisation of big data and artificial intelligence and their integration with administrative and open data sources in a generalised method of moments (GMM) multilevel model. The research finds that policing demand and deployment hold varying and time-sensitive association with features of the urban environment. Moreover, we find that the complexities embedded in policing demands serve to shape both the cumulative and marginal resources expended in their address. Beyond their substantive policy relevance, these findings serve to open new avenues for urban criminological research centred on the consideration of the interplay between policing demand and deployment.


Noise Mapping ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-161
Author(s):  
Jerónimo Vida Manzano ◽  
José Antonio Almagro Pastor ◽  
Rafael García Quesada

Abstract The city of Granada is experimenting a big urban transformation, attending national and international commitments on clean air, energy efficiency and savings linked to greenhouse gases reduction strategies and sustainable development action plans. This situation constitutes a good scenario for new noise control approaches that take into account the sound variable and citizens empowering in urban design, such as the soundscape assessment of urban territory. In this way, soundscape tools have been used in Granada as a complementary method for environmental noise characterisation where traditional noise control techniques are difficult to be carried out or give limited results. After 2016 strategic noise map and in the preparation of the new noise action plan, the city came across a great acoustic challenge in a new area located outskirts characterised by growing urbanisation, still under development, the greatest legal protection because of sensitive teaching and hospital buildings and the greatest noise exposure from nearby ring-way supporting heavy traffic flow. As quiet urban areas are not characterised by the absence of noise but for the presence of the right noise, this research intended to provide the local administration with results and proposals to transform this conflict area in a pleasant or quiet urban place. Main results came from important and significative differences in morning and evening characterisation, as great differences appear in soundscape assessment over the day and along the soundwalk path, indicating the importance of time and local issues to adequately characterised citizens perception to be considered by administration in the development of strategies and effective noise control actions.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document