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The conventional package paper was coated with biodegradable montmorillonite/chitosan nanocomposite, in order to extend the application scope of paper. The effect of coating weight, montmorillonite dispersion rate, montmorillonite and dispersant content on the surface and penetration properties of montmorillonite/chitosan nanocomposite coated paper were being investigated. The surface properties of the coated paper were observed by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The water permeation and water vapor barrier properties were confirmed through penetration dynamics analyzer (PDA) and water vapor permeability tester (WVP), respectively. The results indicated that montmorillonite/chitosan nanocomposite had a poorer formation than pure chitosan, but it had better water vapor barrier properties. The paper coated with lower content of montmorillonite, or with higher dispersion speed and dispersant content, had better smoothness and elongation. Additionally, the coated paper had excellent barrier properties under the conditions of high montmorillonite and dispersant content, dispersion rate and coating weight.

This paper introduces physical models of drill string whirling and torsional vibrations and analyses the physical models in V.I. Gulyayev's three papers on drill string whirling and torsional vibrations: “V.I. Gulyayev, L.V. Shevchuk, Drill string bit whirl simulation with the use of frictional and nonholonomic models, Journal of Vibration and Acoustics 138(1) (2016) 011021”, “V.I. Gulyayev, L.V. Shevchuk, Nonholonomic dynamics of drill string bit whirling in a deep bore-hole, J Multi-body Dynamics 227(3) (2013) 234–244” and “V.I. Gulyayev, SN Hudoliy, O.V. Glushakova, Simulation of torsion relaxation auto-oscillations of drill string bit with viscous and coulombic friction moment models, J Multi-body Dynamics 225 (2011) 139–152”. This work finds that the physical models described in these three papers are clearly incorrect. Keywords: Drill string, Vibration, Lateral, Torsion, Whirl

Recently, it was indicated that a feasible industrial alternative to valorize the sludge obtained from the treatment of waste water effluent of paper fabrication in Europe is its use as raw material in the production of clay bricks. The present technical note is an open report, probably first in Americas, on a Brazilian industrial-scaled solution for this kind of sludge. As a novelty, the sludge was added to a mixture of clays for improved technical properties of construction bricks. Both bricks, added with 10 wt% of sludge and conventional pure clay bricks for comparison, were simultaneously fired at a relatively low temperature of 750 °C according to the ceramic fabrication procedure. The technical characterization was performed by linear shrinkage, water absorption and mechanical compression tests as per Brazilian standards. The brick consolidated structure was analyzed by optical microscopy. Environmental impact was evaluated by solution test and atmospheric emission by monitoring the release of SO2, NOx, TOC, CO and particulate material, according to Brazilian standards. The results showed that, owing to its composition and firing temperature, the addition of paper sludge into clay bricks contributes to a substantial reduction in price associated with a saving of 3% of fuel similar to that reported for Spanish kilns, during the industrial firing stage. The paper sludge added clay bricks attended the technical and environmental standards.

The large amounts of sewage sludge (11 million tonnes in Europe in 2005) produced in paper manufacturing plants require the introduction of recycling and/or alternative recovery solutions to minimize the amounts of generated waste, such as its use in soil remediation or in the cement industry. A feasible alternative to valorize that waste is the use of paper sludge as raw material in the production of structural ceramic or clay bricks. Previous studies tried to incorporate sewage sludge from different sources into ceramic matrices, unfortunately with little success in the final result for most types of sludge. However, those experiments carried out using as additive sludge from the paper industry succeeded in producing a material suitable for the red ceramic industry. In this paper, binary mixtures of clay and paper sludge under different formulations were produced and their physico-chemical properties were studied. Increasing the paper sludge content in the clay mixture provides the material with improved properties regarding its thermal and acoustic insulation, but in turn it decreases its mechanical strength. However, this fragility of the material is compensated by an increased ductility. Regarding metal leaching, the studied ceramics have no environmental restrictions as far as their use as building material is concerned, as the obtained results were virtually identical to those for the blank samples (100% clay). Results showed that the presence of dichloromethane (373.2 μg m − 3 ) and propanone (61.2 μg m − 3 ) in the samples with added sludge was relatively relevant with respect to concentrations in samples made of 100% clay. All monocyclic aromatics detected showed a concentration level far below their odor threshold. In general, thus, it can be concluded that volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during firing of the new ceramic material do not involve any particular problem. Finally, the experience obtained after more than 10 years of industrial production of this new mixed ceramic product was also analyzed. This analysis allowed confirmation that clay brick production with incorporation of paper sludge waste is a feasible solution from a technical point of view. As a key outcome, this fact has helped the reduction in a large proportion the amount of sludge produced by the Spanish paper industry ending up in landfills.

Objective The effect of organic modified bentonite on rheological behavior of paper coating was studied to extend the use of bentonite in the paper industry. Background In the coating process, the paper coating was performed in various shear forces. Therefore, the rheological properties of the coating had profound effects on the quality of coated paper. In order to achieve the good rheology, paper coating required the addition of thickener or rheology modifiers. Organic bentonite was a kind of thixotropic ge1, which was extensively used in a number of applications as rheology modifier to modify the rheology and control the stability of systems. Method Na+-bentonite was modified with diallyl dimethylammonium chloride and dodecyl trimethylammonium chloride, respectively. The organic bentonite was characterized by XRD and TGA and the rheological properties of paper coating containing organic bentonite were measured by rheometer. Results The XRD spectra showed that the 001 reflection of bentonite was shifted to a lower 2θ after the modification. Moreover, the modification with DTAC had more pronounced effect than with DADMAC. The TGA curve showed that one dehydration stage in the range of 30–155 °C was observed. For organic bentonite, thermal degradation took place in two stages. The first step was obtained in the temperature range of 250–600 °C and the second step took place between 600 and 900 °C. The addition of modified organic bentonite resulted in the increases of yield stress and viscosity of coating, and they increased when the amount of organic bentonite was increased. The flow characteristics fitted well with the Herschel–Bulkley model, and the rheological properties of paper coatings exhibited typical pseudoplastic behavior. Conclusion (1) The organic modifying agents were successfully inserted into the interlayer space of bentonite, the bonded amount of DADMAC and DTAC was 0.107 g/1 g Bent-DADMAC and 0.124 g/1 g Bent-DTAC, respectively; (2) organic bentonites had the thickening and promoting rheological function for paper coating; and (3) the paper coating containing organic bentonite exhibits the pseudoplastic fluid.

(IF 3.82; Q1); International audience; The response by Van Vliet-Lanoë et al. to our paper on potential thermokarst features in Pleistocene alluvial deposits from the Paris Basin (France) presents inconsistencies that we consider here successively. These are (1) the map of the maximum extent of Pleistocene permafrost in France, (2) the genesis of liquefaction and fluidization structures in periglacial environments, (3) the origin of thermokarst lakes and recumbent folds, (4) the depositional context of sandy units, and (5) the age of the studied deposits. All structures result from the interplay between (1) the growth and degradation of ice wedges, which are responsible for the development of a mound-like topography (badland thermokarst reliefs) on the edge of the alluvial terrace and from the initiation of ponding elsewhere on the terrace, (2) the degradation of lithalsa that developed later in the lacustrine deposits. The sequence was dated confidently to the Late Weichselian.

The present study was conducted to modify kaolin clay by coating cationic starches, maize and tapioca, aimed at effective incorporation into recycled pulp fibers. The modification process was examined by using zeta potential, filler size, filler retention, and scanning electron micrograph (SEM) observations. In addition, paper sheets (65 ± 5 g/m2 basis weight) filled with unmodified kaolin or kaolin–starch filler followed by an internal sizing were fabricated and analyzed. Based on the results of zeta potential, the charge reversal of kaolin–starch particles substantiated the coating of kaolin fillers by cationic starches. Additionally, the kaolin–starch filler revealed a higher tendency to form clusters 3.5–7.5 times larger than the unmodified kaolin filler. Consistently, SEM images showed well–distributed kaolin–starch fillers, aggregated together and jointed to the fibers. Consequently, the paper filled with kaolin–starch fillers exhibited higher brightness and mechanical strengths indices compared to the unfilled papers, as well as the papers filled with unmodified kaolin. Interestingly, the results of water resistance and dynamic contact angle (DCA) indicated stable hydrophobic performance of kaolin–starch filled papers.

This paper examines the water absorption-desorption behavior of geosynthetics clay liners (GCLs) using vapor equilibrium method (VEM) as well as the water retention behavior of partially saturated GCLs using the filter paper (FP) method. An overburden pressure equivalent to that of landfill cover soil was applied onto the GCLs to understand the stress- and time-dependent water absorption and desorption behavior of GCLs. The influence of calibration curves for obtaining total and matric suction from FP method on water retention behavior of GCLs was examined. The experimentally obtained discrete suction-gravimetric water content data were fitted with recently developed water retention curve (WRC) models to obtain WRC key parameters which may be used for modeling purposes. This study provides a systematic evaluation of the method of testing, the effect of calibration curves and WRC models on the WRC key parameters. Results show that the relative humidity (RH) and the overburden pressure have a significant influence on the water absorption and desorption behavior of GCLs. In addition, the equilibration time of both absorption and desorption behavior depends on the RH. The WRC (matric or total suction) of GCLs at higher suction obtained using few calibration curves from the FP method is in agreement with VEM. Results also conclude that data obtained using various calibration curves have a significant influence on the WRC key parameters.

Accurate evaluations of beta dose rates are crucial in luminescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) thermochronology. Most igneous rocks are heterogeneous and have complex mineralogical structures that render them unsuitable for the conventional methods of beta dose rate calculations based on infinite matrix assumptions. The recently developed software DosiVox-2D provides a Monte-Carlo approach for calculating beta dose rates in realistic heterogeneous geometries. In this paper, we present 2D simulations of uniform and layered igneous rocks. For the modelling, mineral distribution maps were obtained by QEM-EDS (quantitative evaluation of minerals using energy dispersive spectroscopy) and radionuclide concentrations in minerals were determined by laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS. The results show that the skewness of beta dose rate distributions in quartz reduces as the K concentration in a rock increases, and the estimation of the beta dose rate can be critically influenced by the U and Th concentrations and distributions.

Large variations in ti and tf of cement-based materials exist if materials of different nature were considered altogether, which yields inaccurate predictions. Hence, the authors propose that wave velocity-based methods should be calibrated for each group of materials of the same hydration processes in nature. Exciting frequency close to the natural frequency and long travel distance are recommended. Time domain methods are still often used and reliable in first arrival time determination. A comparison between the authors' and the system used by Carette and Staquet is provided along with recommendations for future studies.

In their discussion paper, Sumegi & Gulyas (2021) expressed their concerns about our remarks regarding the reliability of malacothermometer-based July paleotemperature reconstructions for the Carpathian Basin as published in Obreht et al. (2019). We are content to see that our paper inspired the continuation of the discussion, however, we have some concerns about the criticism expressed by Sumegi and Gulyas (2021), which we in this reply address.

The geological model of large hydrothermal salt accumulations linked to "Wilson cycles" as reviewed by Hovland and Coworkers, un-adequately addressed: (1) the lack of well exposed submarine volcanogenic hydrothermal feeder zone, (2) the sequential precipitation of different hydrothermal evaporite minerals and (3) the absence of hydrothermal alteration mineralogy around the major evaporites. These aforementioned points are the main classical features to be linked to the hydrothermal model of evaporites. Experimentally, heating seawater during submarine volcanism firstly results in precipitation of anhydrite followed by halite, other evaporite minerals, serpentine, brucite, talc, metallic sulfides-oxides and related hydrothermal alterations. In this regard, Mg/Ca – Cl, Mg/Ca – SO4, Mg/Ca – Na/Cl and Mg/Ca - TDS biplots show that hydrothermal brines of riftogenic and subduction zone settings plot in a separate field than the subduction-related Andean Salars as well as seawater. This indicates that the hydrothermal serpentinization of basaltic oceanic crust and mantle peridotites removes magnesium from seawater and incorporates the Mg into serpentine, brucite and other hydrous Mg-silicates rather than the hydrothermal brines. Finally, our comment arose from a recent global classification of the most distinguished marine, non-marine and exhalative hydrothermal evaporites.

Ritter et al. (2018) analyzed the Quaternary history of a purported paleo-lake in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. They provide a much more thorough analysis than previous publications of the field relationships where there are landform benches surrounding a bedrock knob, Cerro Soledad. They conclude that the benches formed due to shoreline erosion by a paleo-lake while Cerro Soledad rose in elevation due to tectonic activity. Ritter et al. (2018) also used terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (Neon, Beryllium, and Aluminum) data to determine a history of the landforms, and thus what they conclude is a history of former lake levels and uplift rate. This Comment examines the distribution of mapped geological units, especially Pliocene lake deposits, relative to the locations sampled and described by Ritter et al. (2018). We find that some of the benches sampled for cosmogenic nuclide dating occur on Miocene and Pliocene lacustrine strata, which opens the possibility that clasts were recycled from Miocene-Pliocene lake deposits into the Pleistocene bench clast population. We reach the alternative interpretation that differential resistance to erosion by hillslope processes created most benched forms on the flanks of Cerro Soledad, rather than generation of the benches by shoreline processes. An alternative exhumation scenario which utilizes the cosmogenic exposure ages better explains many of the landforms. In this scenario, the cosmogenic nuclide exposure dates reveal valley-scale denudation in response to tectonic uplift of Cerro Soledad, reduction of valley floor elevation by dissolution of evaporite units, and capture of the valley by the Loa River, rather than shoreline erosion. Irrespective of the alternative interpretation, the exposure history chronological information provided by Ritter et al. (2018) provides new opportunities to examine environmental fluctuations in the central Atacama Desert.

The paper by Schito et al. (2017) contains many misquotations of the regional literature on the Holy Cross Mountains, that may confuse the reader. Present comment suggests more appropriate references related to the stratigraphic, tectonic and palaeothermal aspects of the commented paper. The burial-thermal history as interpreted by Schito et al. is based on doubtful, poorly documented or even unsubstantiated thermal maturity and stratigraphical data, ignoring important regional evidence, such as Caledonian (sub-Devonian) unconformity and Permian thermal anomaly. The 1-D modeling study performed by Schito et al. (2017) did not consider published alternative concepts of the temporal and spatial heat flow patterns. The resulting models, assuming uniformly low heat flow between the Ordovician and the earliest Cretaceous, are inconsistent with independent regional data pointing to a hotter Variscan (Carboniferous-Permian) thermal regime.

From the viewpoint of origins of soft-sediment deformation structures (SSDS), 7 papers (Ito et al., 2016; Jiang et al., 2016; Lunina and Gladkov, 2016; Moretti et al., 2016; Rana et al., 2016; Rodriguez-Pascua et al., 2016; Wheatley et al., 2016) selected from the special issue of “The environmental significance of soft-sediment deformation” of the Sedimentary Geology 344 (2016) were reviewed. (1) The first paper (according to the published order) by Moretti et al. is a general review and introduction of this special issue. This special issue has made an important contribution to the study of sedimentary environments. (2) The fourth paper by Rodriguez-Pascua et al. is an excellent case study. All evidence of earthquake in this paper is reliable. The old Roman City (adjacent to Madrid, the capital of Spain) was definitely destroyed by an earthquake. This paper solved the problem that the archaeologists have not solved yet. (3) The 19th paper by Rana et al. is another excellent case study. It demonstrated that SSDS in the youngest modern sediments in the seismically active area, i.e., the Alaknanda Valley, Garhwal Himalaya, India, are of non-seismic origin, but with typically sedimentary origin. All evidence of sedimentary origin of SSDS in the study area is reliable. (4) The second paper by Lunina and Gladkov stated that SSDS (mainly clastic dikes) in epicentral areas of the recent earthquakes in southern Siberia were originated by earthquakes and that the clastic dikes are the most reliable indicators in the epicentral areas of earthquakes. This conclusion is right. However, it is not accurate to consider all clastic injections as “in-situ earthquake structures” in anywhere, because the clastic injections are with multiple origins. (5) The third paper by Wheatley et al. comprehensively stated the clastic pipes of the Jurassic in the Colorado Plateau, USA. However, the principal origin of the clastic pipes (columns) was possibly not originated by “palaeoseismic controls”, but by “tectonic controls” or “tectonic uplifts”. (6) The 10th paper by Jiang et al. proposed that 6 types of SSDS of the Lixian Section in eastern Tibetan Plateau, i.e., in a tectonically and seismically active area, were originated by earthquakes. However, the evidence of seismic origin is not sufficient. Therefore, the origins of SSDS in the Lixian Section are worthy to be further discussed. (7) The “injectites” and “extrudites” in a Late Pliocene basin on the Boso Peninsula, Japan, from the 24th paper by Ito et al., are non-SSDS and their origin is unreliable. The above viewpoints may be inappropriate. Criticisms and corrections are welcome. This paper is not only the author's brief review on 7 papers selected from the special issue of the Sedimentary Geology 344 (2016), but also an invitation to geologists worldwide to write papers for a new special issue of “The origins of SSDS” of the Journal of Palaeogeography which is planned to be published in 2018.

Utilizing the assembly and formation of laponite/lauric arginate (LAE) complexes near the water-oil interface, where laponite and LAE interact, the stability and preparation of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) Pickering emulsions with tunable shells were investigated. Stable spherical emulsions were generated with homogenization due to the interfacial jamming of laponite/LAE complexes. The packing density of laponite at the oil/water interface was adjustable via LAE concentration tuning. The Pickering system with a tunable shell, droplet size, resistance to oil agglomeration and hydrolysis over a long period of time was achieved based on LAE loading. Hydrophobic paper with a 126.6° of water contact angle was prepared under a surface sizing process with the laponite/LAE-stabilized AKD emulsion loading of 0.12 wt% LAE, which exhibited 90 days' long-term storage stability. The confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) shows that laponite/LAE forms a dense layer at the oil/water interface and 3D-network in a continuous phase. The properties provided by laponite/LAE, a highly efficient complex with resistance to phase permeability and hydrolysis, open new opportunities in biodegradable and food-grade emulsifiers for paper sizing agents, where LAE achieves synergistic effects with laponite.

We discuss the new causative source model for the 1908 Messina Straits earthquake recently proposed by Barreca et al. (2021), where an aseismic slip of 1.13 m along a low-angle discontinuity, preceding the 1908 earthquake, have mechanically destabilized a set of overlying faults, therefore leading them to the rupture. The lack of significant variations of the relative sea level in the Messina harbor area, in the time period relevant for the levelling data (1907–1908) analyzed by Barreca et al., and at least for the decade preceding the event proves the inconsistency of the assumed pre-earthquake aseismic slip. A careful interpretation of crustal earthquake distribution in the Strait does not support the presence of the low-angle discontinuity. The modelled horizontal coseismic pattern reveals a scenario that is not supported by any other independent geological and geophysical observation. We conclude that the source model proposed by Barreca et al. for the 1908 Messina Straits earthquake can not be considered as a viable hypothesis for the causative fault.

This special issue of QSR comprises a series of papers written to celebrate the careers of Neil Roberts (Professor of Physical Geography) and Henry Lamb (Professor of Quaternary Science), as they retire from full-time posts. Both Henry's and Neil's research careers have been exceptional, marked by novel, cutting-edge research of the very highest quality within cognate disciplines and which address the big questions in Quaternary Science. Both have promoted the importance of environmental change; Neil primarily in the ‘sea in the middle of the earth’ (i.e., the lands bordering the Mediterranean) and Henry in tropical east Africa and Morocco. Both have made immense contributions to our understanding of global change in the Quaternary and have been instrumental in raising the discipline to new levels of scientific rigour. They both have CVs listing over 100 publications and still counting. This volume is an opportunity to celebrate their work and say thanks.

The present comment concerns some doubtful mathematical calculation that produced misleading results which are presented in the above paper.

The northern Bay of Bengal velocity-depth profiles do not follow the velocity-depth curve of the North Atlantic volcanic margins, and only partially the Kerguelen velocity-depth curves. Deep seismic refraction and reflection profiles acquired across the Hatton bank and Feroes ridge show that the melt is intruded into the lower thinned continental crust as sills, which cross-cut the continental fabric rather than underplating as it was often assumed in the past. Compared with the SCS northern margin proxy, we still suggest that the BoB crust is thinned continental crust intruded by post-rifting volcanics, as also shown by the interpretation of the numerous high-quality deep MCS profiles we collected there. What was supposed to be underplating might be sills intruded through the lower thinned continental crust.

A collection of papers, mostly from amongst those presented to an international meeting held in Sherborne, Dorset, UK, at the end of September 2015 is published as a memorial to Professor John H. Callomon, a physical chemist, who gained a worldwide reputation amongst the palaeontological community for his fundamental contributions to sexual dimorphism in Jurassic ammonites and to Jurassic stratigraphy, particularly of the Boreal Realm. He is remembered too for his encouragement of amateur geologists, several of whom have gone on to become internationally recognised palaeontologists themselves and are included amongst the contributors to this volume. The papers in this collection include ideas at the forefront of Jurassic palaeontology and the stratigraphical refinement that is possible with detailed work on ammonite faunas. Thus, it is demonstrated that it is possible to correlate to ammonite zonal level over a distance of some 7500 km and it is now clear that ammonite biohorizons frequently allow of correlations of significantly shorter periods than 100 ka.

Effective food packaging is a major factor in the current global drive to minimise food waste. Starch is an excellent oxygen barrier for packaging but it is brittle and moisture sensitive. The addition of layered minerals and plasticizers can significantly improve the moisture barrier and flexibility of the resulting composite. Some combinations of starch and plasticizer are incompatible but our results show that the addition of bentonite ensures the formation of coherent starch films with much improved moisture barrier regardless of the starch-plasticizer compatibility. It was clearly demonstrated that improvement of the moisture barrier was critically dependent on the layer charge of the bentonite used. Starch was readily accommodated in the interlayer space of bentonites with a layer charge of

This paper analyses the mechanical and mathematical models in Yanbin Wang et al.‘s six papers on mechanical analysis of marine riser: “Wang, Yanbin, Gao, Deli, Fang, Jun 2014. Static analysis of deep-water marine riser subjected to both axial and lateral forces in its installation. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 19, 84–90”, “Wang, Yanbin, Gao, Deli, Fang, Jun 2014. Axial dynamic analysis of marine riser in installation. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 21, 112–117”, “Wang, Yanbin, Gao, Deli, Fang, Jun 2015. Coupled dynamic analysis of deepwater drilling riser under combined forcing and parametric excitation. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 27, 1739–1747”, “Wang, Yanbin, Gao, Deli, Fang, Jun 2015. Study on lateral vibration analysis of marine riser in installation-via variational approach. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 22, 523–529”, “Wang, Yanbin, Gao, Deli, Fang, Jun 2015. Mechanical behavior analysis for the determination of riser installation window in offshore drilling. J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng. 24, 317–323”, and “Wang, Yanbin, Gao, Deli, Fang, Jun 2015. Finite element analysis of deepwater conductor bearing capacity to analyze the subsea wellhead stability with consideration of contact interface models between pile and soil. J. Pet. Sci. Eng. 126, 48–54”; and finds that the mechanical and mathematical models described in these papers are clearly incorrect. Therefore, new mechanical and mathematical models have been suggested in this study. Keywords: Marine riser, Mechanical analysis, Mechanical model, Mathematical model

The recent paper by Morillas et al. [Morillas, L. et al. Using radiometric surface temperature for surface energy flux estimation in Mediterranean drylands from a two-source perspective, Remote Sens. Environ. 136, 234–246, 2013] evaluates the two-source model (TSM) of Norman et al. (1995) with revisions by Kustas and Norman (1999) over a semiarid tussock grassland site in southeastern Spain. The TSM - in its current incarnation, the two-source energy balance model (TSEB) - was applied to this landscape using ground-based infrared radiometer sensors to estimate both the composite surface radiometric temperature and component soil and canopy temperatures. Morillas et al. (2013) found the TSEB model substantially underestimated the sensible H (and overestimated the latent heat LE) fluxes. Using the same data set from Morillas et al. (2013), we were able to confirm their results. We also found energy transport and exchange behavior derived from primarily the observations themselves to differ significantly from a number of prior studies using land surface temperature for estimating heat fluxes with one-source modeling approaches in semi-arid landscapes. However, revisions to key vegetation inputs to TSEB and the soil resistance formulation resulted in a significant reduction in the bias and root mean square error (RMSE) between model output of H and LE and the measurements compared to the prior results from Morillas et al. (2013). These included more representative ground-based vegetation greenness and local leaf area index values as well as modifications to the coefficients of the soil resistance formulation to account for the very rough (rocky) soil surface conditions with a clumped canopy. This indicates that both limitations in remote estimates of biophysical indicators of the canopy at the site and the lack of adjustment in soil resistance formulation to account for site specific characteristics, contributed to the earlier findings of Morillas et al. (2013). This suggests further studies need to be conducted to reduce the uncertainties in the vegetation and land surface temperature input data in order to more accurately assess the effects of the transport exchange processes of this Mediterranean landscape on TSEB formulations.

The present comment refers to some doubtful results included in the above mentioned paper.

The paper published by Sial et al. (2016) contains geochemical information which does not fit into the scheme of the existing planktonic foraminiferal succession across the K/Pg boundary in the Um Sohryngkew River section, Meghalaya India, worked out by either Mukhopadhyay (2008) or Pandey (1981, 1990). The K/Pg boundary reported by Sial et al. (2016) is not compatible with any of these two. In this perspective some of the controversies are highlighted.

Alkenylsuccinic Anhydride (ASA) is commonly applied as oil-in-water emulsions in papermaking industry. Herein, a particle stabilized ASA emulsion was developed for avoiding the adverse effect of surfactant, further improving the sizing performance and reducing the hydrolysis of ASA Pickering emulsions, where Laponite nanoparticles were employed as a stabilizer of the ASA Pickering emulsions after being modified with carbon nitride quantum dots. It was found that the hydrophilic Laponite particles became partially hydrophobic after being modified with CNQDs in dosage of 20–40 wt%, and thus promoted the formation of emulsions with fine and uniform droplets that resisted creaming/coalescence formation. The adsorption of the Laponite/CNQDs particles on the ASA droplet surface improved the emulsion stability, which was verified by fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy. Meanwhile, by using Laponite/CNQDs nanoparticles, the storage stability of ASA Pickering emulsion and its sizing performance on paper was also improved.

Marine seismic reflection data have been collected for decades and since the mid-to late- 1980s much of this data is positioned relatively accurately. This older data provides a valuable archive, however, it is mainly stored on paper records that do not allow easy integration with other datasets. A method for converting these records to digital SEGY format has been reported previously, although the accuracy and reliability has not been documented. Using 3.5 kHz pinger, bathymetric and side scan sonar data we test the accuracy and data resolution of converted paper seismic records on the surface and shallow-subsurface of the Barra Fan, NE Atlantic Ocean. Frequencies of navigational updates and printed fix marks are vital in determining positional accuracy as interpolation between fixes, which may be 30 minutes apart, is a significant source of potential error. Vertical data resolution of the converted records is primarily governed by the dimensions of the printed record, with order of magnitude differences noted between the scanned BGS and NOC pinger records. Positional accuracy of pinger data is observed to be within the resolution of the bathymetric grid. BGS 1985 pinger data is located within 40 m of bathymetric constrained locations at 635 m below mean sea level and NOC 1998 pinger data within 25 m of bathymetric locations at 1180 m below mean sea level. This paper-to-digital conversion is not a replacement for modern data acquisition, but it does provide a valuable complement to such data. Where appropriate archival paper data is available for conversion it could be used to assist efficiency of forthcoming surveys and may be used to provide time series evidence of seabed processes.

Ciarletti, V., et al., 2015 describe an experiment to prepare for a future landing on Mars that will use a bistatic ground-penetrating radar (GPR) with movable stations to detect subsurface layers. A simplified model of the proposed system based on ray optics is offered and a qualitative discussion is given of how its results might be softened by wave theory.

Because of a combination of new observational tools and a flurry of large megathrust earthquakes, tremendous progress has been made in recent years towards understanding the process of great subduction earthquakes at Cascadia and other subduction zones around the world. This review article attempts to clarify some of widely used geodynamic concepts and identify the most important scientific questions for future research related to megathrust behaviour. It is important to specify how the megathrust seismogenic zone has been defined when comparing data and models. Observations and concepts currently used to define the seismogenic zone include: (A) the stability transition in rate-and-state dependent friction; (B) the slip zone of large interplate earthquakes; (C) the distribution of small-medium earthquakes; and (D) the geodetically-determined zone of fault locking. Land-based geodetic measurements indicate that the Cascadia megathrust is locked to some extent, but the degree of locking is not well constrained. The near absence of detectable interplate seismicity, with the exception of a segment near 44.5°N and near the Mendocino Triple Junction, is presently interpreted to indicate full locking along most of Cascadia. Resolving the locking state requires seafloor geodetic measurements. The slip behaviour of the shallowest segment of the megathrust and its tsunamigenic potential are complex and variable. Structural studies combined with modeling have the potential to improve our understanding of the signature left in the structure by the slip history. For several reasons, but mostly because of interseismic viscoelastic stress relaxation, the downdip limit of megathrust locking cannot be reliably constrained by geodetic data. Independent information is needed on the composition and thermal state of fault zone materials. The spatial relationship between the seismogenic zone and the zone of Episodic Tremor and Slip (ETS) remains controversial. Observations from the Nankai subduction zone and the San Andreas Fault suggest that ETS does not mark a simple spatial transition from seismic to aseismic behaviour and that multiple transitions may be present because of petrological and rheological changes with depth. Coseismic rupture in the AD 1700 Cascadia earthquake has been shown to vary along strike, and it is important to investigate whether the position of boundaries between high slip and low slip are stationary with time (and therefore probably geologically controlled) and are reflected in current interseismic locking of the megathrust.