Clifford Ollier

Problems of geotourism and geodiversity

Abstract. Early definitions of geotourism stressed tourism related to geology and geomorphology, though some drifted into other concepts such as education, sustainability, conservation and more. Later definitions, largely fostered by National Geographic, treat the topic as related to geography, or more simply place, and concentrate on the extraneous topics such as sustainability, conservation and so forth which should be part of any form of tourism. The earth science community is liable to lose its influence on creation and interpretation of geosites and related topics because the concept has been broadened to include everything. Geodiversity is a copy-cat adaptation of biodiversity, but while biodiversity might be a measure of the health of an ecosystem, the value of geological and geomorphic sites does not depend on diversity. Many geological and geomorphic features are restricted to a single rock or feature, which enhances their value. Geodiversity might be useful as a way of recording diverse features within a given area, but it should not be treated as a value-judgement on the significance of individual sites. The whole area of geoheritage is under threat from the redefinition of geotourism, and the mis-application of the concept of geodiversity

Very deep weathering and related landslides

Abstract Some huge landslides have occurred in deeply weathered rock, but most geologists and engineers do not appreciate the great depths that weathering can attain. Rocks can be weathered to depths of hundreds of metres, often in a very irregular manner. Fresh rock is converted to weathered rock called saprolite by isometric chemical alteration. Some saprolite is later eroded, and fresh rock appears in the landscape in distinctive landforms. This erosion of an irregularly weathered landscape is called stripping (meaning the stripping of saprolite from fresh rock). The age of the weathering may be measured in geological periods, as can the age of stripping, and may be related to past climate different from that of today. Deep weathering occurs basically by hydrolysis, which requires groundwater. Slope failure in saprolite depends on the engineering property of the material, and its relation to bedrock and corestones, and relationship to degree of weathering of adjacent saprolite. This paper emphasizes the deep weathering phenomenon itself, but a few examples are given to illustrate the variety of landslides in deeply weathered material.

Short-Term Tide Gauge Records from One Location are Inadequate to Infer Global Sea-Level Acceleration

BackgroundLong records of sea level show decadal and multi-decadal oscillations of synchronous and asynchronous phases, which cannot be detected in short-term records. Without incorporating these oscillations, it is impossible to make useful assessments of present global accelerations and reliable predictions of future changes of sea level. Furthermore, it is well known that local sea-level changes occur also because of local factors such as subsidence due to groundwater or oil extraction, or tectonic movements that may be either up or down.PurposeLimited data from limited areas of study are, therefore, unsuitable for making predictions about the whole world sea level. Yet, people continue to make such predictions, often on an alarming scale. Here, we use one example to illustrate the problems associated with trying to make sea-level predictions based on a short record (25 years) in a limited region.MethodsLinear and parabolic fittings of monthly average mean sea levels (MSL) of global as well as different local (United States Atlantic Coast, United States Pacific Coast) data sets of long tide gauge records.ResultsIt is clear from the analyses of the tide gauges of the “NOAA-120”, “US 39”, “PSMSL-162”, “Mitrovica-23”, “Holgate-9”, and “California-8” data sets and the United States Pacific and Atlantic coasts that the sea level has been oscillating about the same almost perfectly linear trend line all over the 20th century and the first 17 years of this century.ConclusionIt is of paramount importance to discuss the proper way to assess the present acceleration of sea levels. This can not be done by focusing on the short-term upward oscillations in selected locations. The information from the tide gauges of the United States does not support any claim of rapidly changing ice mass in Greenland and Antarctica. The data only suggest the sea levels have been oscillating about the same trend line during the last century and this century.

Carbon Dioxide Flux Measurements Based on Satellite Observations Differ Considerably from the Consensus Values

The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) satellite provides the first measured CO2 flux data that can be used to determine if a region is sequestering or emitting CO2. Results differ considerably from the popular accepted view. In the specific case of Australia, the observational data show this country is a top sequestering and not a top emitting country.

Lysenkoism and Global Warming

A classic instance of the baleful effect of political interference in science is provided by the Lysenko Affair. There are, unfortunately, close parallels between that example and the modern politics of Global Warming. Significantly, Trofim Lysenko introduced his ideas first through politics. Some think his ideas had Marxist backing because biology could be then modified in the way that Soviet communists wanted – in order to control peoples behaviour. Furthermore, Lysenko demonised conventional genetics, which again suited his masters - who believed this to be the basis behind Fascist eugenics.

Is the Sea Level Stable at Aden, Yemen?

BackgroundThe sea level records since the start of the twentieth century show oscillations with many periodicities up to multi-decadal. The sea level may then change because of local factors such as subsidence or uplift, and global factors such as mass addition and thermal expansion of the oceans.PurposeWe use non-aligned data from the tide gauges of Aden, and the tide gauges of Mumbai and Karachi, to reconstruct the most likely pattern of sea levels for these three locations of the west Indian Ocean.MethodsLinear and parabolic fittings of monthly average mean sea levels (MSL) from the different tide gauges of the three locations were carried out. Alignment of the different data sets based on historical information, similarity of patterns, and break point alignment was done.ResultsAnalysis of the tide gauge data of Aden, Yemen shows that without arbitrary alignment of data, Aden exhibits very stable sea level conditions like those in Mumbai, India and Karachi, Pakistan, without any significant sea level trend.ConclusionThe reconstructed tide gauge records of Aden, Mumbai and Karachi are perfectly consistent with multiple lines of evidence from other key sites of the Indian Ocean including Qatar, Maldives, Bangladesh and Visakhapatnam. The sea levels have been stable since the start of the twentieth century in Aden similar to Karachi and Mumbai.

Planation Surfaces of the Gondwana Continents: Synthesis and Problems

The geomorphology of Gondwana was different from that of the fragments created when it broke up. These fragments, now continents and large islands, inherited some features from the original Gondwana landscape, including major drainage patterns and planation surfaces. Other features including Great Escarpments could only form after the break-up, and some erosion surfaces are also formed after break-up and graded to new base levels. The continents of Gondwana derivation have geomorphic histories that have many features in common but also some distinct features peculiar to individual fragments.

Some Principles in the Study of Planation Surfaces

Despite the efforts of some workers to deny their very existence, planation surfaces are real and worthy of study. Drainage patterns provide insights into their age and deformation. They provide valuable information on the evolution of passive continental margins. Their frequent thick cover of weathering products tells us of past hydrology and climate. Several different mechanisms can cause planation, such as pedimentation and relief inversion and so lead to valuable process studies. Successive planation surfaces may indicate tectonic or climatic histories. Above all, they show that landscape formation and regolith history are on the same timescale as global tectonics and biological evolution.

Global warming and climate change: Science and politics

Abstract The threat of dangerous climate change from anthropogenic global warming has decreased. Global temperature rose from 1975 to 1998, but since then has levelled off. Sea level is now rising at about 1.5mm per year based on tide gauges, and satellite data suggests it may even be falling. Coral islands once allegedly threatened by drowning have actually increased in area. Ice caps cannot possibly slide into the sea (the alarmist model) because they occupy kilometres-deep basins extending below sea level. Deep ice cores show a succession of annual layers of snow accumulation back to 760,000 years and in all that time never melted, despite times when the temperature was higher than it is today. Sea ice shows no change in 30 years in the Arctic. Emphasis on the greenhouse effect stresses radiation and usually leads to neglect of important factors like convection. Water is the main greenhouse gas. The CO2 in the ocean and the atmosphere are in equilibrium: if we could remove CO2 from the atmosphere the ocean would give out more to restore the balance. Increasing CO2 might make the ocean less alkaline but never acid. The sun is now seen as the major control of climate, but not through greenhouse gases. There is a very good correlation of sunspots and climate. Solar cycles provide a basis for prediction. Solar Cycle 24 has started and we can expect serious cooling. Many think that political decisions about climate are based on scientific predictions but what politicians get are projections based on computer models. The UN’s main adviser, the IPCC, uses adjusted data for the input, their models and codes remain secret, and they do not accept responsibility for their projections.

Analysis of The Sea Level Rise of Guam

Many reported sea level records are often not a single measurement. They are then a composition of different records from several tide gauges. Sometimes, they are from the same tide gauge, but the tide gauge stability has been affected by earthquakes. This is the case of Guam as discussed in the present manuscript. The claimed sea level acceleration of Guam is only the result of two earthquakes that have compromised the stability of the tide gauge.