Origin, evolution and dynamic context of a Neoglacial lateral-frontal moraine at Austre Lovénbreen, Svalbard

Moraines marking the Neoglacial limits in Svalbard are commonly ice cored. Investigating the nature of this relict ice is important because it can aid our understanding of former glacier dynamics. This paper examines the composition of the lateral–frontal moraine associated with the Neoglacial limit at Austre Lovénbreen and assesses the likely geomorphological evolution. The moraine was investigated using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), with context being provided by structural mapping of the glacier based on an oblique aerial image from 1936 and vertical aerial imagery from 2003. Multiple up-glacier dipping reflectors and syncline structures are found in the GPR surveys. The reflectors are most clearly defined in lateral positions, where the moraine is substantially composed of ice. The frontal area of the moraine is dominantly composed of debris. The core of the lateral part of the moraine is likely to consist of stacked sequences of basal ice that have been deformed by strong longitudinal compression. The long term preservation potential of the ice-dominated lateral moraine is negligible, whereas the preservation of the debris-dominated frontal moraine is high. A glacier surface bulge, identified on the 1936 aerial imagery, provides evidence that Austre Lovénbreen has previously displayed surge activity, although it is highly unlikely to do so in the near future in its current state. This research shows the value of relict buried ice that is preserved in landforms to aiding our understanding of former glacier characteristics

Evolution of high-Arctic glacial landforms during deglaciation

Glacial landsystems in the high-Arctic have been reported to undergo geomorphological transformation during deglaciation. This research evaluates moraine evolution over a decadal timescale at Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard. This work is of interest because glacial landforms developed in Svalbard have been used as an analogue for landforms developed during Pleistocene mid-latitude glaciation. Ground penetrating radar was used to investigate the subsurface characteristics of moraines. To determine surface change, a LiDAR topographic data set (obtained 2003) and a UAV-derived (obtained 2014) digital surface model processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) are also compared. Evaluation of these data sets together enables subsurface character and landform response to climatic amelioration to be linked. Ground penetrating radar evidence shows that the moraine substrate at Midtre Lovénbreen includes ice-rich (radar velocities of 0.17 m ns−1) and debris-rich (radar velocities of 0.1–0.13 m ns−1) zones. The ice-rich zones are demonstrated to exhibit relatively high rates of surface change (mean thresholded rate of −4.39 m over the 11-year observation period). However, the debris-rich zones show a relatively low rate of surface change (mean thresholded rate of −0.98 m over the 11-year observation period), and the morphology of the debris-rich landforms appear stable over the observation period. A complex response of proglacial landforms to climatic warming is shown to occur within and between glacier forelands as indicated by spatially variable surface lowering rates. Landform response is controlled by the ice-debris balance of the moraine substrate, along with the topographic context (such as the influence of meltwater). Site-specific characteristics such as surface debris thickness and glaciofluvial drainage are, therefore, argued to be a highly important control on surface evolution in ice-cored terrain, resulting in a diverse response of high-Arctic glacial landsystems to climatic amelioration. These results highlight that care is needed when assessing the long-term preservation potential of contemporary landforms at high-Arctic glaciers. A better understanding of ice-cored terrain facilitates the development of appropriate age and climatic interpretations that can be obtained from palaeo ice-marginal landsystems

On the nature of the omega tri-layer periodicity in rapidly cooled Ti-15Mo

High angle annular dark field (HAADF) images of the omega phase in metastable beta titanium alloys exhibit tri-layered periodicity. However, it is unclear if this indicates preferential site occupation, or is related to the structural modification of omega formation. Here, the periodicity was studied using a combination of HAADF imaging and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The results show that there is no preferential site occupancy or ordering and that the observed intensity variations are related to the imaging conditions.This work was supported by the Rolls-Royce/EPSRC Strategic Partnership (EP/H022309/1, EP/H500375/1 & EP/M005607/1).This is the final version. It was first published by Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359646215002213

Application of terrestrial laser scanning to quantify surface changes in restored and degraded blanket bogs

Many recognised areas of blanket bog are degraded, but the inventory and rate of loss of blanket bog globally is not fully known. Rapid identification of the rate and drivers of erosion and peat loss in blanket bogs more widely could inform localised approaches to protection and restoration of these important ecosystems. This study developed the application of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) to quantify the rate of surface change in restored and degraded blanket bogs by adopting a single scan strategy with fixed ground markers for repeat scanner location and fixed reference markers for scan alignment. Three recently mapped and remote areas of blanket bog in the Cantabrian Mountains (northern Spain) were scanned in May 2017 and July 2017 with a portable TLS (FARO X330) and 3D change in exposed peat surfaces was determined using a mesh to cloud (M2C) algorithm. The mean resolution of scan data across the sites was <3 mm, and where reference markers remained visible the maximum error of scan alignment was <1 mm, increasing to 6.5 mm where markers were obscured or lost. The rate of erosion determined over two months at Zalama (a protected blanket bog where reference markers were not disturbed) was -5.9 ± 4.6 mm (mean ± SD), but significantly higher (p < 0.001) rates of erosion and peat loss were determined for two unprotected blanket bogs under grazing regimes at Ilsos de Zalama (-22.9 ± 20.5 mm) and Collado de Hornaza (-35.7 ± 37 mm). This rate of change is already equal to the mean annual rate of erosion reported for bare peat in England and Wales (22.4–23.1 mm yr-1) and for Scotland (36.3 mm yr-1). This study demonstrates that portable TLS units can be used to make rapid assessment of surface change (erosion and peat loss) in blanket bog and indicates that trampling by cattle and horses is significantly increasing the rate of peat surface change in unprotected blanket bog in north Spain. This technique has direct application for peatlands under grazing regimes globally, and further installation of fences around blanket bog in northern Spain may be required imminently to reduce the loss of peat, the associated carbon store and priority habitat

Analysis of 'hummocky moraine' using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry

This study presents results of a high-resolution topographic survey of the proglacial area of Austre Lovénbreen, Svalbard. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) was used to generate a digital elevation model (DEM) of the proglacial zone from aerial imagery. This DEM is used to explore the topography of a zone of hummocky moraine within the glacier’s Neoglacial limit. The origin of hummocky moraine has proven controversial, but detailed morphological studies can contribute to a better understanding of how these features form, and the extent to which they may be preserved in the palaeo-glaciological record, including within northwest Britain. In cross-profile, hummocky moraine is characterised by a sequence of asymmetrical ridges, with longer, low angle up-glacier faces, and shorter, steeper down-glacier faces. This profile is interpreted to represent a sequence of ridges stacked-up against a bedrock riegel and reverse bedslope. Whilst the origin of these features is uncertain, the enhanced compression associated with glacier flow against a bedrock riegel, possibly during a glacier surge, may have been sufficient to have generated debris-rich englacial thrusts that subsequently melted-out to form the observed hummocky moraine. The significance of this research highlights ongoing studies aimed at understanding the origin and palaeo-glaciological significance of hummocky moraine in northwest Britain

Chinese Singaporean attitudes towards poverty and inequality: A comparative analysis

10.1111/j.1468-2397.2011.00785.xInternational Journal of Social Welfare212149-15

Engaging service users and carers in health and social care education: : challenges and opportunities in the Chinese Community

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Social Work Education on 25 June 2010, available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2010.491542.Service users' and carers' involvement in health and social care education has become a mainstream activity in Britain. However, members from black and minority ethnic communities (BME) remain under-represented in this area of participation. In this article, we will take the readers across the globe to explore the difficulties and opportunities of engaging such an under-represented group, the Chinese community. The journey will begin in Britain where barriers to engagement of service users and carers from the Chinese community will be discussed. We will then travel to Hong Kong, a cosmopolitan city, where successful engagement in work with Chinese service users and carers will be explored. Throughout the journey, we will highlight the importance of the consideration of cultural factors, particularly Confucian beliefs such as social harmony and collectivism, when working with Chinese people. We will also fully explore the issue of ‘trust’ as a culturally laden concept in Chinese societies and its significance for successful engagement in work with Chinese service users and carers in different parts of the world.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

A review of the academic and psychological impact of the transition to secondary education

The transition from primary to secondary education is one of the most stressful events in a young person’s life (Zeedyk et al., 2003) and can have a negative impact on psychological wellbeing and academic achievement. One explanation for these negative impacts is that the transition coincides with early adolescence, a period during which certain psychological disorders (i.e., anxiety disorders) become more salient (Kessler et al., 2005) and marked social, biological, and psychological development occurs (Anderson, Jacobs, Schramm, & Splittgerber, 2000). This review evaluates the existing literature on the psychological and academic impacts of the transition to secondary education on young adolescents. We examine the factors that plausibly increase or mitigate the risk of developing mental health issues and/or a decline in academic performance during the transition to secondary education. We also review the interplay between psychological health and academic achievement across and beyond the transition. We conclude with a summary of what schools and parents can learn from these findings to support children in a successful transition into secondary education

Achievement goals in adult learners: evidence from distance education

Background: There is evidence that learners may adopt different kinds of achievement goals: mastery approach, mastery avoidance, performance approach, and performance avoidance. In higher education, this evidence has mainly come from young people who have recently gone straight from secondary education to higher education. However, higher education is increasingly populated by older students, and it has been theorised that the relationship between goals and achievement might be very different for adult learners. Aims: The aim of the present study was to examine whether the relationships between achievement, drop‐out rate, and goal orientation observed for non‐adult populations are mirrored in adult learners. Method: The Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) was administered to adult learners taking courses by distance learning. Sample: Respondents were 195 men and 586 women between the ages of 19 and 87. Results: The results confirmed the reliability of the 2 × 2 version of the AGQ for this distinctive population. As in previous studies of younger students, mastery‐approach goals were unrelated to attainment, performance‐approach goals tended to facilitate attainment, and performance‐avoidance goals tended to impair attainment. In addition, mastery‐avoidance goals tended to impair students' attainment and also increased the likelihood that they would drop out of their course altogether. Conclusion: The achievement‐goal framework is as appropriate for understanding influences on attainment in adult learners as it is in younger students. Adult learners may be more sensitive to the deleterious effects of adopting mastery‐avoidance achievement goals