The Reliability of Global and Hemispheric Surface Temperature Records

The purpose of this review article is to discuss the development and associated estimation of uncertainties in the global and hemispheric surface temperature records. The review begins by detailing the groups that produce surface temperature datasets. After discussing the reasons for similarities and differences between the various products, the main issues that must be addressed when deriving accurate estimates, particularly for hemispheric and global averages, are then considered. These issues are discussed in the order of their importance for temperature records at these spatial scales: biases in SST data, particularly before the 1940s; the exposure of land-based thermometers before the development of louvred screens in the late 19th century; and urbanization effects in some regions in recent decades. The homogeneity of land-based records is also discussed; however, at these large scales it is relatively unimportant. The article concludes by illustrating hemispheric and global temperature records from the four groups that produce series in near-real time

Shallow Water Methane-derived Carbonates in Siliciclastic Settings: Cretaceous Tepee Buttes and Eocene Stone City Bluff

Methane-derived carbonates occur in siliciclastic settings globally and precipitate from bicarbonate derived from methane oxidation. Methane-derived carbonates, which occur from the Archean to the present, take diverse forms, and have developed in a variety of depositional settings. This dissertation explores methane-derived carbonates from the Late Cretaceous Tepee Buttes (western US) and the Eocene Stone City Bluff (TX). The Tepee Buttes are large carbonate mounds in the Pierre Shale. This study of 28 separate mounds from six different locations in southern Colorado identified six carbonate lithofacies comprised of the same common components in different proportions. Lithofacies have gradational boundaries and are randomly distributed on the mound surface, rather than concentrically zoned around a large, central vent. Horizontal beds visible on some mounds lie haphazardly on top of lower beds, which suggests formation as planar beds beneath the sediment-water interface, rather than as tall, elevated mounds with steeply dipping sides: the present-day configuration of the Tepee Buttes results from weathering and erosion. Mounds near Florence, CO, on the western side of the study area have a unique, lithofacies characterized by early diagenetic, ironrich micrite. Mound locations differed in degrees of matrix heterogeneity, but without a discernable pattern. Seep carbonate was formed from bacterial methane, likely sourced from the underlying Pierre Shale; there is no evidence for a change in the source of methane through time. A forebulge acted as a trap to accumulate migrating methane. The Stone City Bluff, TX, preserves barrel-shaped, vertically oriented septarian carbonate concretions associated with methane seeps. Barrel concretions preserve an internal micropipe, lined in pyrite, that preserves shell fragments and sedimentary features demonstrating fluid migration. The concretions have shrinkage cracks partly infilled with two generations of calcite. The δ13C values of barrel carbonates are associated with the oxidation of bacterial methane generated in shallow shelf sediments during the Middle Eocene Climate Optimum that was expelled by sediment compaction. The Tepee Buttes are the surface expression of a cold seep system; concretions from Stone City Bluffs preserve the subsurface plumbing. Together, these localities illustrate methane seeps from source, migration through the subsurface, to the surface expressions

Uncertainty in Climate Change

This Working Paper reviews the main reasons why definite and conclusive evidence in the field of climate change is almost an impossibility. It analyses the main elements that explain natural climatic change and reflects on the high level of uncertainty in the system, which in many ways is inherent to the system itself, and presents the latest evidence. The following section presents in a stylised fashion the key features of uncertainty and how it relates to climate change. Then, an analysis of how GHG have been measured is followed by a discussion of the different GHG, natural and human-induced events that have a significant bearing on climate change. The Working Paper concludes with an overview of past, present and future climate change and with a summary of the main ideas discussed throughout the text

More than a Roman Monument: A Place-centred Approach to the Long-term History and Archaeology of the Antonine Wall

This thesis offers a critique of currently dominant approaches to the history and archaeology of the Antonine Wall, and develops an expanded place-centred perspective in which this former Roman frontier is reinvested with wider significances that derive from both its Roman past as well as its post-Roman history and archaeology. Part 1 provides a general introduction to the Antonine Wall following the traditional perspective, and draws on interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological developments to outline how this traditional perspective will be challenged through reframing the Wall as a place rather than an artefact or monument. Part 2 offers a critical genealogy of Antonine Wall discourse from the earliest accounts until the present, tracing the development of current reductionist approaches and demonstrating that the Wall has been the focus of wider concerns in the past. Part 3 focuses on particular aspects of the Antonine Wall’s post-Roman archaeology and the Wall’s role in regional myths and legends to explore alternative themes for future research and wider significances that can be integrated into new understandings of the Antonine Wall’s meaning, significance, and value as a place of memory, meaning, and cultural heritage in the present

Universiti Teknologi Petronas Virtual FYP Communities An Online Knowledge Sharing and Resource Centre

The emergence of knowledge management (KM) has made individual and organization realized the importance of managing knowledge as it should be. It allows community to acquire tacit knowledge of human expert and transfer it into explicit knowledge before document it and share among community. Information and knowledge is crucial asset the organization strain to obtain particularly from other competitor. However they sometimes overlooked the important asset which is information and knowledge that lies inside the organization itself. The objective of the proposal projectis to provide a means of organization like Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) Computer and Information Science (CIS) department to manage their intellectual capital via KM approach. In addition this system focuses on developing KM application that aims to create a virtual workplace for their community, where they can manage (upload, delete, edit, download, view and comment) the content and discover information. The development project will provide a means of collecting, managing, sharing, locating information and discover of knowledge within community. Through the concept that people learn by asking and getting answer, announcement and latest news update, The "UTP Virtual FYP Community" is being developed as a remarkably easy to use, yet highly effective KM tools. Lacking of knowledge sharing might as well affect the community performance. "UTP Virtual FYP Community" will provide a way for information and knowledge can be spread widely among community including students and lecturers. By having such knowledge management system, there will be a systematic way in storing and managing knowledge. It is hopedthat this method ofKM created can be leveraged by community and others. By using information technology, this project helps create the opportunities to capture knowledge which may require collaborative environment

The Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall, the Roman frontier in Scotland, was the most northerly frontier of the Roman Empire for a generation from AD 142. It is a World Heritage Site and Scotland’s largest ancient monument. Today, it cuts across the densely populated central belt between Forth and Clyde. In this volume, nearly 40 archaeologists, historians and heritage managers present their researches on the Antonine Wall in recognition of the work of Lawrence Keppie, formerly Professor of Roman History and Archaeology at the Hunterian Museum, Glasgow University, who spent much of his academic career recording and studying the Wall. The 32 papers cover a wide variety of aspects, embracing the environmental and prehistoric background to the Wall, its structure, planning and construction, military deployment on its line, associated artefacts and inscriptions, the logistics of its supply, as well as new insights into the study of its history. Due attention is paid to the people of the Wall, not just the officers and soldiers, but their womenfolk and children. Important aspects of the book are new developments in the recording, interpretation and presentation of the Antonine Wall to today's visitors. Considerable use is also made of modern scientific techniques, from pollen, soil and spectrographic analysis to geophysical survey and airborne laser scanning. In short, the papers embody present-day cutting edge research on, and summarise the most up-to-date understanding of, Rome's shortest-lived frontier. The editors, Professors Bill Hanson and David Breeze, who themselves contribute several papers to the volume, have both excavated sites on, and written books about, the Antonine Wall