@phdthesis{Allgaier2004,
  author    = {Allgaier, Axel},
  title     = {Aeolian sand movement in an arid linear dune ecosystem, Nizzana, Western Negev, Israel},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14727},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2004},
  abstract  = {In a three-year study the current aeolian transportation processes were examined in a linear dune area previously used for grazing near Nizzana at the Israeli-Egyptian border. The research area was subject to heavy grazing across the border, which led to the total destruction of the natural vegetation in the period of 1967 to 1982. As a consequence, intensified aeolian activity and significant changes of the morphology of the dunes were observed. After the end of the grazingg on the Israeli side, a rapid return of the vegetation in the interdune corridors and on the footslopes of the dunes took place. In addition also a reduction of obviously active areas on the dune crests was observed. The situation on Egyptian territory west the border remained unchanged until today. This study is aimed at understanding the changed aeolian morphodynamics east the border. The emphasis was placed on the investigation of the spatial and temporal distribution of aeolian sand transport as well as on the influencing factors morphology, surface condition and vegetation.},
  subject      = {Negev},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Alhussein2010,
  author    = {Alhussein, Mohamad},
  title     = {Taxonomie und Pal{\"o}kologie der benthischen Foraminiferen aus dem Mitteljura des Kachchh-Beckens, westliches Indien},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-49273},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden die Foraminiferenfaunen von 125 Proben, die aus drei Profilen des marinen Mitteljura (Bajocium bis Unteroxfordium) von Kachchh, West-Indien stammen, analysiert: Das Badi Nala-Jhura Village-Profil (ca. 550 m M{\"a}chtigkeit) und das Kamaguna-Profil (ca. 365 m M{\"a}chtigkeit) wurden am Jhura Hill (23°26'8'' N; 69°37'00'' E) ca. 17 km NW von Bhuj aufgenommen, w{\"a}hrend das dritte Profil durch den Jumara Dome (ca. 365 m M{\"a}chtigkeit) (23°40'40'' N; 69°04'00'' E) ca. 50 km NW des Jhura Hill liegt. Die Proben wurden lithologisch sowie nach ihren Foraminiferen-Vergesellschaftungen ausgewertet, welche wichtige Daten zur Pal{\"o}kologie lieferten. Die Profile umfassen die mitteljurassische Sedimentabfolge, die der Jhurio-, Patcham- und Chari-Formation des Jhura Dome und Jumara Dome angeh{\"o}rt. Die Schichtenfolge des Bajocium und Bathonium besteht aus Karbonaten und gemischt karbonatisch-siliziklastischen Sedimenten der Jhurio- und Patcham-Formation, w{\"a}hrend im Callovium die Chari-Formation siliziklastisch dominiert ist. Die sediment{\"a}re Abfolge des Kachchh-Beckens zeigt an der Bathonium-Callovium-Grenze signifikante Ver{\"a}nderungen in der Lithologie, im faunistischen Inhalt und in der Faunendiversit{\"a}t. Die lithologischen Ver{\"a}nderungen von einer Karbonat-dominierten Abfolge im mittleren und oberen Bathonium zu siliziklastischen Sedimenten im Callovium gehen mit einer Abnahme der zuvor hohen Diversit{\"a}t einher. Der Grund f{\"u}r den Faunenumschwung liegt vermutlich in einer deutlichen {\"A}nderung der Umweltbedingungen von sauerstoffreich im unteren zu sauerstoffarm im oberen Profilabschnitt, was sich in einem Wechsel von einer Kalkschaler- zu einer Sandschaler-dominierten Foraminiferenfauna dokumentiert. Eine weitere Ursache f{\"u}r den Fazies- und Faunenumschwung liegt in einer deutlichen Klima{\"A}nderung, indem heiße, aride Bedingungen im Bathonium von k{\"u}hleren, feuchteren Verh{\"a}ltnissen zu Beginn des Callovium abgel{\"o}st wurden. Taxonomisch konnten insgesamt 111 Foraminiferentaxa identifiziert werden, die 43 Gattungen angeh{\"o}ren. Insgesamt wurden 24 Sandschaler- und 85 benthische Kalkschaler-Taxa sowie 2 Arten planktischer Foraminiferen (Globuligerina) in den untersuchten Profilen bestimmt. Die benthischen Formen dominieren somit bei weitem an Diversit{\"a}t und H{\"a}ufigkeit, da die planktischen Protoglobigerinen im mittleren Jura global noch keine große Rolle spielten. Aufgrund der sp{\"a}rlich vorhandenen Literatur wurde jedes Taxon inklusive Synonymieliste beschrieben, durch rasterelektronen-mikroskopische Aufnahmen (REM) dokumentiert und auf 9 Tafeln illustriert. In der Foraminiferen-Gesamtfauna dominieren Vertreter der Familie Nodosariidae mit den Gattungen Lenticulina, Astacolus, Citharina, Lingulina, Marginulinopsis, Nodosaria und Vaginulina. Mit der zweitgr{\"o}ßten H{\"a}ufigkeit folgen die Familien Epistominidae, Textulariidae und Spirillinidae mit den Gattungen Epistomina, Spirillina sowie Reophax, Ammobaculites und Textularia. Die Arten Reophax sterkii, Triplasia althoffi, Verneuilinoides subvitreus, Nubeculinella bigoti, Dentalina filiformis, Saracenaria oxfordiana, Lingulina longiscata, Citharina flabellata, Palmula deslongchampsi, Vaginulina proxima, Ammodiscus asper, Ammodiscus siliceus, Triplasia bartensteini, Spirillina orbicula, Ophthalmidium carinatum, Tubinella inornata, Nodosaria fusiformis, Pyramidulina rara und Ramulina ascissa wurden erstmals in Gesteinen des Kachchh-Beckens nachgewiesen. Die dominierenden Taxa in den untersuchten Sedimenten sind epifaunale Formen, die einen hohen Sauerstoffgehalt im Bodenwasser ben{\"o}tigen. Infaunale, im Sediment lebende Arten treten dagegen etwas seltener auf. Diese lebten bevorzugt in sub- bis dysoxischen Milieus mit geringen Gehalten an gel{\"o}stem Sauerstoff im Bodenwasser und konnten auch Sauerstoffminima tolerieren. Aus der benthischen Foraminiferenfauna k{\"o}nnen folgende R{\"u}ckschl{\"u}sse gezogen werden: • Die wichtigsten Parameter f{\"u}r die Verbreitung der Foraminiferen sind Substrat, Energieniveau und Sauerstoffgehalt. • Die h{\"o}chste Diversit{\"a}t weisen die epifaunalen Vergesellschaftungen auf. • Mit zunehmender Sedimenttiefe nehmen H{\"a}ufigkeit und Diversit{\"a}t ab. • Die Diversit{\"a}t der Kalkschaler ist h{\"o}her als die der Sandschaler. • Minimale Diversit{\"a}ten liegen in Stressmilieus mit geringen Sauerstoffgehalten vor. • Die hohen Werte des Evenness-Index weisen auf eine ann{\"a}hernd gleichm{\"a}ßige Verteilung der benthischen Foraminiferen in den Profilen hin. • Epifaunale Arten werden von den physikochemischen Eigenschaften des Bodenwassers gesteuert. Sie sind auf partikul{\"a}res organisches Material und hohe Sauerstoffgehalte des Bodenwassers angewiesen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden Probencluster gebildet, um Faunenassoziationen zu erfassen und danach die Umwelt- und Ablagerungsbedingungen zu rekonstruieren. Aus drei Profilen wurden 125 Proben f{\"u}r eine quantitative pal{\"o}kologische Analyse der Foraminiferen ausgew{\"a}hlt. Die W-mode Clusteranalyse zeigt eine große {\"A}hnlichkeit zwischen den Proben, die sich in zwei Hauptcluster mit insgesamt sechs Subclustern gruppieren lassen. Die dadurch gebildeten Probengruppen stellen verschiedene Foraminiferenassoziationen dar, die sich beschreiben und weitgehend interpretieren lassen. • Assoziation A zeichnet sich durch hohe Anteile der Gattung Epistomina mosquensis aus. Diese Assoziation repr{\"a}sentiert vollmarine Ablagerungsbedingungen mit normalmariner Salinit{\"a}t und guter Durchl{\"u}ftung des Bodenwassers. • Assoziation B wird durchweg von Reophax metensis dominiert. Die Assoziation charakterisiert einen niedrig-energischen und teilweise sauerstoffarmen Sedimentationsraum. • Assoziation C wird stark von Dorothia prekummi dominiert und kennzeichnet vollmarine Bedingungen. • Assoziation D ist von Lenticulina subalata beherrscht und charakterisiert gutdurchl{\"u}ftete Flachwasserbereiche. • Assoziation E wird von Spirillina polygyrata dominiert. Sie ist typisch f{\"u}r einen flachen Subtidalbereich unterhalb der Wellenbasis mit vollmarinen Bedingungen, normal mariner Salinit{\"a}t und gut durchl{\"u}ftetem Bodenwasser. • Assoziation F zeichnet sich durch hohe Gehalte an Lenticulina quenstedti aus. Die Assoziation charakterisiert Bereiche, die {\"u}berwiegend unterhalb der Sch{\"o}nwetter-Wellenbasis liegen und ein niedriges bis mittleres Sauerstoff-Niveau aufweisen. Aus einem Vergleich zwischen den Geh{\"a}usegr{\"o}ßen und der H{\"a}ufigkeit von Lenticulina subalata und Epistomina mosquensis in den karbonatischen und siliziklastischen Sedimenten ergab sich, dass die Geh{\"a}use von L. subalata und E. mosquensis in den Karbonaten gr{\"o}ßer sind als in den Siliziklastika. Die mitteljurassischen Ablagerungsr{\"a}ume des Kachchh-Beckens werden anhand der lithologischen und faunistischen Parameter rekonstruiert. Ferner werden die Foraminiferen-Vergesellschaftungen mit den von F{\"U}RSICH et al. (2004) beschriebenen Makrofauna-Assoziationen verglichen. Aus diesen Untersuchungen ergaben sich folgende Schlussfolgerungen: • Die Ablagerungen im Jhura-Profil sind in flacherem Wasser sedimentiert worden als im Kamaguna-Profil und Jumara-Profil. • Die Mikro- und Makrofauna in diesen Profilen f{\"u}hrt zu mehr oder weniger identischen pal{\"o}kologischen Schlussfolgerungen.},
  subject      = {Foraminiferen},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{AlOuran2005,
  author    = {Al-Ouran, Nedal},
  title     = {Environmental assessment, documentation and spatial modeling of heavy metal pollution along the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba using coral reefs as environmental indicator},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14090},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {Two phases of reef sampling were carried out. The first included regular samples taken along the coastline of Aqaba (27km long) at depths of 4-15m, and used to determine spatial distribution of pollution. The second phase included three 20cm-deep cores obtained from within the industrial zone. These cores were drilled from pre-dated communities, where the growth rate was determined earlier to be 10mm y-1, therefore the core obtained represented a period of 20 years (i.e. 1980-2000). The cores were used to reconstruct the metal pollution history at the most heavily used site along the coast (industrial zone).All samples were examined with respect to their metal content of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cr. Almost all of them have shown records above the calculated background values. Mean values of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr recorded along the coast were 1,25; 4,26; 9,76; 11,40; 2,29 and 10,522, µg g-1 respectively, and for core samples 1.4; 4.2; 5.7; 6.4; 2.3 and 8.21 µg g-1 respectively. Spatial distribution of metal enrichment in reef samples have shown a general and clear increasing trend towards the south. Same increasing trend was also in core samples where the six metals have shown a prominent increasing trend towards the core surface indicating an increase of coastal activities during the last twenty years. High and relatively high values were recorded at the oil port, the industrial area and main port, and thus categorized as highly impacted areas. Intermediate metal content were recorded in samples of the north beach, and thus classified as being relatively impacted, where the lowest metal concentrations were observed at the marine reserve, the least impacted site along the coast. The high enrichment of metal is attributed mainly to anthropogenic impacts. The natural inputs of the six metals studied in the Gulf of Aqaba are generally very low, due to the geographic positions and the absence of wadi discharge and as a result of low rainfall. Several potential sources of heavy metals were investigated. The industrial-related activities, port operations and phosphate dust were among the main sources currently threatening the marine ecosystem in Aqaba. Applying the Principle Components Analysis method (PCA) to all samples taken along the coastline has resulted in categorizing three different groups according to their metal enrichment, the first is composed of samples taken from the north beach and the main port with intermediate to high enrichment, the second joined the samples of the marine park and the marine reserve with low and relatively low enrichment, and the last group joined samples of the industrial zone and the oil port with high enrichment. The Principle Component Scores were also utilized to confirm the spatial distribution and relationships of the examined heavy metals along the coast. Two models (interpolated by SURFER \&\#61666; 7.0 and ArcView\&\#61666; 3.2a) were developed, the first was based on the PC scores of the first component, and shows clearly the positive anomalies in metal concentrations along the coast. The second model was developed by plotting the second factor scores on a landuse map of Aqaba. According to these models, it has shown that the positive anomalies are associated with three different zones; industrial area, the main port and the oil port. The results have shown that coral reefs can be used as good environmental indicator for assessments and monitoring processes, and they can provide data and information on both the spatial distribution of pollution and their history. The present work is the first to document the environmental status along the whole coast of Aqaba and the first to use coral reef as a tool/ indicator.},
  subject      = {Golf von Akaba},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{AlFarajat2001,
  author    = {Al-Farajat, Mohammad},
  title     = {Hydrogeo-Eco-Systems in Aquaba/Jordan - Coasts and Region},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-1182066},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2001},
  abstract  = {The coast of Aqaba and the Aqaba region (Jordan) were investigated on their hydrogeo-ecosystem. The results of the research were translated into digits to build a geo-spatial data base. The fillings of the graben aquifer receive indirect type of recharge through the side wadis which drain the highlands. Surface water balance was modeled for a period of 20 years of daily climate records using MODBIL program which attributes direct recharge to wet years only. The hydrodynamic fresh water/seawater interface in the coastal zones was investigated by applying vertical geoelectric surveys and models of several methods to confirm its coincidence with the aquifer's flow amounts, where human impacts in terms of over-pumping allowed more encroachment of seawater into land, and unintended recharge which led to seaward interface migration. A groundwater balance and solute transport were approached by developing a flow model from the hydrogeological and hydrochemical data. The nature of soil cover and aquifer whose physical properties enhance human impacts indicated the vulnerability of groundwater to pollution. This certainly threatens the marine ecology which forms the sink where the in-excess flow ends. The constructed digital background was exported into GIS to sub-zone the study area in terms of the aquifer's vulnerability to pollution risks using DRASTIC index. However, it was unable to meet all geo-spatial factors that proved to have significant impacts on the vulnerability. Consequently, a comprehensive index -SALUFT- was developed. This suggests the suitable land use units for each zone in the light of vulnerability grades aiming at protecting the available groundwater resources.},
  subject      = {Golf von Akaba},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AkhundzadahSoltaniAich2020,
  author    = {Akhundzadah, Noor Ahmad and Soltani, Salim and Aich, Valentin},
  title     = {Impacts of climate change on the water resources of the Kunduz River Basin, Afghanistan},
  series = {Climate},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {Climate},
  number    = {10},
  issn      = {2225-1154},
  doi       = {10.3390/cli8100102},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-213199},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The Kunduz River is one of the main tributaries of the Amu Darya Basin in North Afghanistan. Many communities live in the Kunduz River Basin (KRB), and its water resources have been the basis of their livelihoods for many generations. This study investigates climate change impacts on the KRB catchment. Rare station data are, for the first time, used to analyze systematic trends in temperature, precipitation, and river discharge over the past few decades, while using Mann-Kendall and Theil-Sen trend statistics. The trends show that the hydrology of the basin changed significantly over the last decades. A comparison of landcover data of the river basin from 1992 and 2019 shows significant changes that have additional impact on the basin hydrology, which are used to interpret the trend analysis. There is considerable uncertainty due to the data scarcity and gaps in the data, but all results indicate a strong tendency towards drier conditions. An extreme warming trend, partly above 2 °C since the 1960s in combination with a dramatic precipitation decrease by more than -30\% lead to a strong decrease in river discharge. The increasing glacier melt compensates the decreases and leads to an increase in runoff only in the highland parts of the upper catchment. The reduction of water availability and the additional stress on the land leads to a strong increase of barren land and a reduction of vegetation cover. The detected trends and changes in the basin hydrology demand an active management of the already scarce water resources in order to sustain water supply for agriculture and ecosystems in the KRB.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{AbdullahiWesselHuberetal.2019,
  author    = {Abdullahi, Sahra and Wessel, Birgit and Huber, Martin and Wendleder, Anna and Roth, Achim and Kuenzer, Claudia},
  title     = {Estimating penetration-related X-band InSAR elevation bias: a study over the Greenland ice sheet},
  series = {Remote Sensing},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {Remote Sensing},
  number    = {24},
  issn      = {2072-4292},
  doi       = {10.3390/rs11242903},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193902},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Accelerating melt on the Greenland ice sheet leads to dramatic changes at a global scale. Especially in the last decades, not only the monitoring, but also the quantification of these changes has gained considerably in importance. In this context, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) systems complement existing data sources by their capability to acquire 3D information at high spatial resolution over large areas independent of weather conditions and illumination. However, penetration of the SAR signals into the snow and ice surface leads to a bias in measured height, which has to be corrected to obtain accurate elevation data. Therefore, this study purposes an easy transferable pixel-based approach for X-band penetration-related elevation bias estimation based on single-pass interferometric coherence and backscatter intensity which was performed at two test sites on the Northern Greenland ice sheet. In particular, the penetration bias was estimated using a multiple linear regression model based on TanDEM-X InSAR data and IceBridge laser-altimeter measurements to correct TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model (DEM) scenes. Validation efforts yielded good agreement between observations and estimations with a coefficient of determination of R\(^2\) = 68\% and an RMSE of 0.68 m. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the benefits of X-band penetration bias estimation within the application context of ice sheet elevation change detection.},
  language  = {en}
}