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(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.

Contributions are invited to a new cross-journal special collection that describe novel advances in critical zone research, with specific consideration for transferable and broadly applicable science.

In the November 2020 issue of the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (IJDRR), it was published an article which addressed local risk awareness and precautionary behaviour in north Morocco. Regrettably, the article provides a distorted picture of the reality in the study area. Thus, it cannot achieve the goals suggested by the authors nor can have practical consequences or improvement of knowledge.

These critical notes challenge the interpretation of the authors of the article that the volcanic source of the described tuffs on the island of Lemnos (Greece) is the source of Dazhdovnitsa tuffs (beginning of the Oligocene) and that it is located in the Bororvitsa caldera, Eastern Rhodopes. However, there are large regions between this caldera and the island of Lemnos (e.g. between the villages of Podkova and Dobromirtsi in the southern part of the Eastern Rhodopes), where no pyroclastic layers are found at the base of the Oligocene section, corresponding to the stratigraphic position of the Dazhdovnitsa tuffs. It has been suggested that the volcanic source of Lemnos tuffs may be located in the Kalotiko volcanic region, situated essentially in Northern Greece. It has a multi-phase Rupelian volcanic activity, but it is not dated in detail.

The data presented here were collected onboard the NIOZ RV - Pelagia in June and October 2017. Bathymetric (multibeam), sediment and benthos samples were collected along an asymmetrical sand wave field 20 km to the west of island Texel.

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.

© 2020 The Authors Integrated geographic modelling and simulation is a computational means to improve understanding of the environment. With the development of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and web technologies, it is possible to conduct open, extensible integrated geographic modelling across a network in which resources can be accessed and integrated, and further distributed geographic simulations can be performed. This open web-distributed modelling and simulation approach is likely to enhance the use of existing resources and can attract diverse participants. With this approach, participants from different physical locations or domains of expertise can perform comprehensive modelling and simulation tasks collaboratively. This paper reviews past integrated modelling and simulation systems, highlighting the associated development challenges when moving to an open web-distributed system. A conceptual framework is proposed to introduce a roadmap from a system design perspective, with potential use cases provided. The four components of this conceptual framework - a set of standards, a resource sharing environment, a collaborative integrated modelling environment, and a distributed simulation environment - are also discussed in detail with the goal of advancing this emerging field.

This paper was removed from publication at the author’s request. December 9, 2020. Copyright © 2020 by ASME

International audience; Earthquakes nucleate when large amounts of elastic energy, stored in the earth's crust, are suddenly released due to abrupt sliding over a fault. Fluid injections can reactivate existing seismogenic faults and induce/trigger earthquakes by increasing fluid pressure. Here we develop an analogous experimental system of simultaneously loaded and wetted absorbent porous paper to quantify theoretically the process of wetting-induced earthquakes. This strategy allows us to gradually release the stored energy by provoking low intensity tremors. We identify the key parameters that control the outcome of the applied injection strategy, which include the initial stress state, fault segmentation, and segment-activation rate. Subsequent injections, initiated at high stress levels, can drive the system faster toward its instability point, nucleating a large earthquake. Starting at low stress levels, however, they can reduce the magnitude of the natural event by at least one unit.

The article of Blatnik et al. (2019) “Groundwater dynamics between Planinsko Polje and springs of the Ljubljanica River, Slovenia” published in Acta Carsologica, 48/2 focused on describing the hydrogeological behaviour of the aquifer between Planinsko Polje and the springs of the Ljubljanica River. The authors analysed the effect of different high water events that occurred between January 2015 and May 2018. Interpretations were based on hydrographs obtained by continuous measurements of water level, temperature and specific electric conductivity in selected ponors, springs and water active caves located in the area between Planinsko Polje and the springs of the Ljubljanica River. Through these interpretations, different conceptual hydrological models about the dynamics and directions of the flow in the aquifer have been proposed and tested. A flow connection was proposed between the Hrušica Plateau, estavelles located at the NW border of Planinsko Polje, and caves Gradišnica (W2) and Gašpinova Jama (W3) close to town Logatec. In this supplement, we provide new data recorded during an unusual hydrological event in August 2018. These further support and stress the importance of the connection between the Hrušica Plateau and Logatec region (W2 and W3).

Brongniart’s 1822 paper “Sur la classification et la distribution des végétaux fossils” was one of the most important early contributions to palaeobotany, especially in its treatment of how to name and classify plant fossils. Twenty four genera / sections were named in this work. Seven of these names have been supressed for nomenclatural or taxonomic reasons (Exogenites, Clatharia, Sagenaria, Filicites, Phyllites, Poacites, Carpolithes), and four are difficult to use because of problems with typification and / or diagnosis of the taxa (Endogenites, Culmites, Fucoides, Antholithes). However, many of the remaining names are still in widespread use, albeit not always correctly, notably Calamites, Sigillaria, Stigmaria, Sphenopteris, Neuropteris, Pecopteris, Odontopteris, Sphenophyllum, Glossopteris, Asterophyllites, albeit with altered orthographies or conserved with different types

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.

A recent publication on the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition in carbonate platforms of NE Turkey reported some major discontinuities. Based on biostratigraphy and Sr-derived ages, one associated hiatus was estimated spanning the Tithonian whereas the remaining three minor hiatuses are supposed to have occurred during the Hauterivian - Barremian interval. The revision of the material (foraminifers and calcareous algae) from the 2 localities studied led to identify Kimmeridgian strata below the discontinuity and Valanginian to ? lower Hauterivian strata above the discontinuity, but no upper Hauterivian or Barremian strata at the top of the section. The major stratigraphic gap possibly corresponds to the Berriasian and most, if not all, of the Tithonian at this location.

In this reply, the aim of the authors is to correct the calculation errors on solar depression angle and azimuth angle as recognized by Dr. Dalin in his critical review. However, these updated and corrected calculations do not affect the possibility for Antonio Colla of having observed the Noctilucent Cloud (NLC) plausible both in the direction and for the duration he described in his observations. In this reply, the authors offer two different interpretations in this regard.

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