Systematic analyses of radiocarbon ages of coexisting planktonic foraminifera

We compare radiocarbon (14C) ages of coexisting planktonic foraminifera species from sediment cores VM12-107 and KNR166-2-26JPC from the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean for three time periods (Holocene, Heinrich Stadial 1, last glacial maximum). We find a maximum inter-species difference of 1200 14C yr. On average, the 14C ages deviate by ∼300 yr between Globigerinoides ruber and other species. In most cases, this exceeds the analytical uncertainty range of the measurements and thus renders the choice of species for generating age models as important as sample weight. While modern stratified water-column profiles imply an increase in 14C ages with water depth, we observe an expected parallel increase of 14C ages and δ18O only at VM12-107. The mismatch between 14C ages and δ18O at KNR166-2-26JPC likely results from the effects of bioturbation and the hydrographic setting. The largest difference in 14C ages between mixed-layer versus thermocline-calcifying planktonic foraminifera are observed during Heinrich Stadial 1 despite a decrease in upper-ocean stratification at that time. This difference is likely the result of inconsistent increases in 14C reservoir ages during times of reduced overturning circulation masking the potential of 14C ages of coexisting planktonic foraminifera to reflect the density stratification of the water column

Graphene-based thermopneumatic generator for on-board pressure supply of soft robots

Various fields, including medical and human interaction robots, gain advantages from the development of bioinspired soft actuators. Many recently developed grippers are pneumatics that require external pressure supply systems, thereby limiting the autonomy of these robots. This necessitates the development of scalable and efficient on-board pressure generation systems. While conventional air compression systems are hard to miniaturize, thermopneumatic systems that joule-heat a transducer material to generate pressure present a promising alternative. However, the transducer materials of previously reported thermopneumatic systems demonstrate high heat capacities and limited surface area resulting in long response times and low operation frequencies. This study presents a thermopneumatic pressure generator using aerographene, a highly porous (>99.99 %) network of interconnected graphene microtubes, as lightweight and low heat capacity transducer material. An aerographene pressurizer module (AGPM) can pressurize a reservoir of 4.2 cm3 to about ~140 mbar in 50 ms. Periodic operation of the AGPM for 10 s at 0.66 Hz can further increase the pressure in the reservoir to ~360 mbar. It is demonstrated that multiple AGPMs can be operated parallelly or in series for improved performance. For example, three parallelly operated AGPMs can generate pressure pulses of ~215 mbar. Connecting AGPMs in series increases the maximum pressure achievable by the system. It is shown that three AGPMs working in series can pressurize the reservoir to ~2000 mbar in about 2.5 min. The AGPM's minimalistic design can be easily adapted to circuit boards, making the concept a promising fit for the on-board pressure supply of soft robots.Comment: Author Affiliation: Functional Nanomaterials, Department of Materials Science, Kiel University, Germany; Corresponding Authors: Dr.-Ing. Fabian Sch\"utt ([email protected]), Prof. Dr. Rainer Adelung ([email protected]

Faszinierende Physik: ein bebilderter Streifzug vom Universum bis in die Welt der Elementarteilchen

Von den Rätseln der Quantenwelt bis zum Polarlicht - von Schwarzen Löchern bis zum GPS-System -von Teilchenbeschleunigern, dem Higgs und der Supersymmetrie bis zum Foucaultschen Pendel – dieses Buch bietet einen packenden Streifzug durch die spannendsten und aktuellsten Themen der modernen Physik! Auf jeweils einer Doppelseite wird dem Leser dabei mit vielen Bildern ein kompakter und klar verständlicher Einstieg in jeweils ein Thema und den Stand der Forschung geboten – und so insgesamt etwa 140 verschiedene Themen beleuchtet und jedes treffend erläutert. Dabei liegt die besondere Stärke des Buches in der klaren Sprache und den Erklärungen, die nahezu ganz ohne Formeln auskommen – begleitet von atemberaubenden und weltweit eingeholten Bildern renommierter Forscher und Institute, die uns die Schönheit unserer Welt vor Augen führen

Mega-monsoon variability during the late Triassic: Re-assessing the role of orbital forcing in the deposition of playa sediments in the Germanic Basin

The formation of the supercontinent Pangaea during the Permo–Triassic gave rise to an extreme monsoonal climate (often termed ‘mega-monsoon’) that has been documented by numerous palaeo-records. However, considerable debate exists about the role of orbital forcing in causing humid intervals in an otherwise arid climate. To shed new light on the forcing of monsoonal variability in subtropical Pangaea, this study focuses on sediment facies and colour variability of playa and alluvial fan deposits in an outcrop from the late Carnian (ca 225 Ma) in the southern Germanic Basin, south-western Germany. The sediments were deposited against a background of increasingly arid conditions following the humid Carnian Pluvial Event (ca 234 to 232 Ma). The ca 2·4 Myr long sedimentary succession studied shows a tripartite long-term evolution, starting with a distal mud-flat facies deposited under arid conditions. This phase was followed by a highly variable playa-lake environment that documents more humid conditions and finally a regression of the playa-lake due to a return of arid conditions. The red–green (a*) and lightness (L*) records show that this long-term variability was overprinted by alternating wet/dry cycles driven by orbital precession and ca 405 kyr eccentricity, without significant influence of obliquity. The absence of obliquity in this record indicates that high-latitude forcing played only a minor role in the southern Germanic Basin during the late Carnian. This is different from the subsequent Norian when high-latitude signals became more pronounced, potentially related to the northward drift of the Germanic Basin. The recurring pattern of pluvial events during the late Triassic demonstrates that orbital forcing, in particular eccentricity, stimulated the occurrence and intensity of wet phases. It also highlights the possibility that the Carnian Pluvial Event, although most likely triggered by enhanced volcanic activity, may also have been modified by an orbital stimulus

Age and sediment reflectance of sediment core M78/1_235-1

This dataset provides depth, age, and sediment reflectance data of piston core M78/1-235-1, which was recovered from Tobago Basin (11°36.53'N 60°57.86'W) from 852 m water depth. A MINOLTA CM-508d hand-held spectrophotometer was used during R/V Meteor Cruise 78/1 to measure the light reflectance (L*) of the sediment. The spectral reflectance is measured over a wavelength spectrum from 400 to 700 nm at a 10 nm pitch. Routine measurements were made at 1 cm intervals and automatically recorded using the SPECTRAMAGIC® v.2.11 software. The L*- dataset without age information is archived at doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.788740 (Bahr et al., 2012). The L* data provide stratigraphical information, and information on fluvial supply of terrigenous matter to the core location