Preferences for Nuclear Power in Post-Fukushima Japan: Evidence from a Large Nationwide Household Survey

Utilizing the data of a large nationwide household survey conducted in 2014, we investigate public preferences on nuclear power in Japan after the Fukushima nuclear accident and the role of four sets of factors: (1) household/individual socioeconomic characteristics, (2) psychological status, (3) geographical aspects, and (4) Fukushima accident-related experiences. The preferred energy mix, according to the averaged responses from the survey, includes 0.59 for renewables, 0.29 for fossil fuels, and 0.12 for nuclear—much more skewed towards the renewables than the actual national share of renewables of less than 0.2. Male, older, unmarried, less educated, high-income people, and government party supporters have a preference towards a higher share of nuclear power, except if they live near nuclear power plants. The experience of blackout and aversion to nuclear power during the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 lowers the share of nuclear power in the preferred mix

Declining winter heat loss threatens continuing ocean convection at a Mediterranean dense water formation site

A major change in winter sea surface heat loss between two key Mediterranean dense water formation sites, the North-west Mediterranean (NWMed) and the Aegean Sea, since 1950 is revealed using atmospheric reanalyses. The NWMed heat loss has weakened considerably (from -154 Wm-2 in 1951-1985 to -137 Wm-2 in 1986-2020) primarily because of reduced latent heat flux. This long-term weakening threatens continued dense water formation, and we show by evaluation of historical observations that winter-time ocean convection in the NWMed has declined by 40% from 1969 to 2018. Extension of the heat flux analysis reveals changes at other key dense water formation sites that favour an eastward shift in the locus of Mediterranean convection towards the Aegean Sea (where heat loss has remained unchanged at -172 Wm-2). The contrasting behaviour is due to differing time evolution of sea-air humidity and temperature gradients. These gradients have weakened in the NWMed due to more rapid warming of the air than the sea surface but remain near-constant in the Aegean. The different time evolution reflects the combined effects of global heating and atmospheric circulation changes which tend to offset heating in the Aegean but not the NWMed. The shift in heat loss has potentially significant consequences for dense water formation at these two sites and outflow to the Atlantic. Our observation of differential changes in heat loss has implications for temporal variations in the balance of convection elsewhere e.g., the Labrador-Irminger-Nordic Seas nexus of high latitude Atlantic dense water formation sites

Schüler:innenfragen als Reflexionsstelle für fachliches Lernen im Sachunterricht?

Reflexion gilt in sachunterrichtsdidaktischen Kontexten als eine Kernkompetenz fachlichen Lernens (GDSU 2013). Dabei kann die Schüler:innenfrage im Sinne Deweys (1910 & 2018) als Umschlagstelle im Denkprozess und Reflexionsstelle fachlichen Lernens verstanden werden. Das Potenzial der Reflexion in der Fragenbearbeitung wird im Beitrag anhand einer Beobachtungsprotokollsequenz exemplarisch analysiert, die im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts FriSa (Fragen im inklusionsorientierten Sachunterricht) entstanden ist. Hierzu werden aus bestehenden Kriterienkatalogen abgeleitete Indikatoren hinzugezogen, die auf Reflexivität in der Fragenbearbeitung hinweisen. (DIPF/Orig.

Study of the origin and correction of compass measurement errors in Doppler current meters

Surface and subsurface currents are two of the Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) defined by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). In situ current measurements can be made by Eulerian methods with instruments on moorings fixed in space. These methods require the determination of two metrological quantities: the speed and the direction of the motion. Their measurement and calibration require the determination of reference velocities and the measure of the angular movement of seawater in relation to the measuring device, as well as of the measuring device in relation to a reference direction given by the magnetic North. This reference direction is determined by electronic compasses integrated into current meters and current profilers. Compasses are sensitive to their magnetic environment, and, therefore, to the objects and instruments that surround them. This publication describes experiments conducted with current meters and current profilers to measure the influence of different devices on the accuracy of their compass measurements. It gives some explanations about the origin of measurement errors and proposes solutions to correct or attenuate the defaults in direction measurements and the measured deviations. Correction formulas are given that can be applied to measured data. They allow the reduction of errors of several tens of degrees for data to be within the instrument’s specifications

Seismic Oceanography in the Tyrrhenian Sea – Thermohaline Staircases, Eddies and Internal Waves

We use seismic oceanography to document and analyze oceanic thermohaline finestructure across the Tyrrhenian Sea. Multichannel seismic (MCS) reflection data were acquired during the MEDiterranean OCcidental survey in April-May 2010. We deployed along-track expendable bathythermograph probes simultaneous with MCS acquisition. At nearby locations we gathered conductivity-temperature-depth data. An autonomous glider survey added in-situ measurements of oceanic properties. The seismic reflectivity clearly delineates thermohaline finestructure in the upper 2,000 m of the water column, indicating the interfaces between Atlantic Water/Winter Intermediate Water, Levantine Intermediate Water, and Tyrrhenian Deep Water. We observe the Northern Tyrrhenian Anticyclone, a near-surface meso-scale eddy, plus laterally and vertically extensive thermohaline staircases. Using MCS we are able to fully image the anticyclone to a depth of 800 m and to confirm the horizontal continuity of the thermohaline staircases of more than 200 km. The staircases show the clearest step-like gradients in the center of the basin while they become more diffuse towards the periphery and bottom, where impedance gradients become too small to be detected by MCS. We quantify the internal wave field and find it to be weak in the region of the eddy and in the center of the staircases, while it is stronger near the coastlines. Our results indicate this is because of the influence of the boundary currents, which disrupt the formation of staircases by preventing diffusive convection. In the interior of the basin the staircases are clearer and the internal wave field weaker, suggesting that other mixing processes such as double-diffusion prevail. Synopsis We studied the internal temperature and salinity structure of the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mediterranean) using the multichannel seismic reflection method (the same used in the hydrocarbon industry). Low frequency sound (seismic) waves are produced at the surface with an explosive air source and recorded by a towed cable containing hydrophones (underwater microphones). The data are processed to reveal 'stratigraphy' that result from contrasts in density that are themselves caused by changes in temperature and salinity. In this way we can map ocean circulation in two-dimensions. We also deployed in situ oceanographic probes to measure temperature and salinity in order to corroborate and optimize the processing of the seismic data. We then quantified the internal gravity wave field by tracking the peaks of seismic trace wavelets. Our results show that the interior of the Tyrrhenian Sea is largely isolated from internal waves that are generated by a large cyclonic boundary current that contains waters from the Atlantic ocean and other parts of the Mediterranean. This isolation allows the thermohaline finestructure to form, where small scale vertical mixing processes are at play. Understanding these mixing processes will aid researchers study global ocean circulation and to add constraints that can help improve climate models

Along-Path Evolution of Biogeochemical and Carbonate System Properties in the Intermediate Water of the Western Mediterranean

A basin-scale oceanographic cruise (OCEANCERTAIN2015) was carried out in the Western Mediterranean (WMED) in summer 2015 to study the evolution of hydrological and biogeochemical properties of the most ubiquitous water mass of the Mediterranean Sea, the Intermediate Water (IW). IW is a relatively warm water mass, formed in the Eastern Mediterranean (EMED) and identified by a salinity maximum all over the basin. While it flows westward, toward and across the WMED, it gradually loses its characteristics. This study describes the along-path changes of thermohaline and biogeochemical properties of the IW in the WMED, trying to discriminate changes induced by mixing and changes induced by interior biogeochemical processes. In the first part of the path (from the Sicily Channel to the Tyrrhenian Sea), respiration in the IW interior was found to have a dominant role in determining its biogeochemical evolution. Afterward, when IW crosses regions of enhanced vertical dynamics (Ligurian Sea, Gulf of Lion and Catalan Sea), mixing with surrounding water masses becomes the primary process. In the final part of the investigated IW path (the Menorca-Mallorca region), the role of respiration is further masked by the effects of a complex circulation of IW, indicating that short-term sub-regional hydrological processes are important to define IW characteristics in the westernmost part of the investigated area. A pronounced along-path acidification was detected in IW, mainly due to remineralization of organic matter. This induced a shift of the carbonate equilibrium toward more acidic species and makes this water mass increasingly less adequate for an optimal growth of calcifying organisms. The carbonate buffering capacity also decreases as IW flows through the WMED, making it more exposed to the adverse effects of a decreasing pH. The present analysis indicates that IW evolution in the sub-basins of the WMED is currently driven by complex hydrological and biogeochemical processes, which could be differently impacted by coming climate changes, in particular considering expected increases of extreme meteorological events, mainly due to the warming of the Mediterranean basin

Posttraumatische Störungen bei Patienten mit Erkrankungen aus dem schizophrenen Formenkreis

Background. The findings of internation- al studies suggest high rates of interperson- al violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Only few studies, how- ever, have so far been conducted in the Ger- man-speaking countries. Objectives. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of lifetime experi- ences of interpersonal violence and comor- bid PTSD among inpatients in a German uni- versity hospital. Method. In N=145 consecutively admitted patients with schizophrenia spectrum disor- ders (67% male) the structured trauma in- terview (STI) was used to assess experiences of interpersonal violence and the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID) to assess comorbid PTSD. Results. Sexual violence under the age of 16 years was reported by 17% of the patients (women 27%, men 12%). Approximately one third (32%) reported physical violence by pa- rental figures (women 38%, men 29%). At least one form of early violence (sexual or physical) was reported by half of the women (48%) and one third of the men (34%). Neg- ative sexual experiences later in life were re- ported by 17%, physical violence by 38% and at least one of these forms by 48% of the pa- tients. In total two thirds of all patients (66%) reported experiences of violence during their lifetime. The prevalence of acute PTSD was 12%. Another 9% of patients had a subsyn- dromal PTSD. Conclusion. The present study confirmed the high rates of experiences of interperson- al violence and comorbid PTSD in a German sample of patients with schizophrenia spec- trum disorders. Violence and it's consequenc- es should therefore be routinely assessed and the full spectrum of trauma-specific therapies should be integrated into the treatment of this group of patients