Moselle River Research Articles

Le comportement morphodynamique de la Moselle avant ses aménagements/The morphodynamic behaviour of Moselle river before its harnessings

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to know better the morphodynamic behaviour of Moselle River during the historic times. The consequences of climatic changes are scrutinized whereas the previous harnessings undergone by the river are stated. The used inquiry method involved three aspects. First, the meteorological and hydrological chronicles collection allows to reconstitute the river cycle. Second, the former cartographic documents give a ponctuai image of the fluvial style. Third, the analysis of some technical- styled documents, written during the 19th century, brings useful lights upon the patterns at work during the first harnessings and upon the effects produced by those last one. Generally, a brittling of the fluvial system can be established together with an expanding braided river style up to the XVIIIth century. It results from the cross effects of the frequent winter floods, the Vosges sides deforestation and the multi-plication of the banks harnessings.

96/06663 Occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part IV: Deposition of radioactive particulate matter in high-sedimentation areas

96/06663 Occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part IV: Deposition of radioactive particulate matter in high-sedimentation areas

96/04436 Occurence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part III: Dispersion of radionuclides along the river course

96/04436 Occurence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part III: Dispersion of radionuclides along the river course

96/04434 Occurence and bahaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part I: Entry of natural and artificial radionuclides

96/04434 Occurence and bahaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part I: Entry of natural and artificial radionuclides

96/04435 Occurence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River — Part II: Distribution of radionuclides between aqueous phase and suspended matter

Small concentrations of monomeric TCN have been produced by exchange of HCN and T2O inside a quasi-free-space microwave absorption cell. A large number of rotational transitions of T12C14N, T13C14N, and T12C15N in both the 0000 and 0110 vibrational states have been observed in the 100–500 GHz region. These measurements were made possible by the strong interaction between electromagnetic radiation and the rotational motion of molecules in this spectral region and the sensitivity and resolution of the phase-locked millimeter and submillimeter spectrometer used. The spectral constants which result from this work are (in MHz) for T12C14N: 0000 state; B0 = 30954.080(8), D0 = 0.04382(10), 0110 state; B0 = 31080.410(5), D0 = 0.04582(8), q2(0) = 150.809(7), q2(1) = 0.0041(2), for T13C14N: 0000 state; B0 = 30591.036(7), D0 = 0.04245(9), 0110 state; B0 = 30709.082(12), D0 = 0.04437(16), q2(0) = 149.744(17), q2(1) = 0.0032(4), for T12C15N: 0000 states; B0 = 30064.400(12), D0 = 0.04119(14), 0110 state; B0 = 30186.560(8), D0 = 0.04300(14), q2(0) = 142.674(12), q2(1) = 0.0042(4).

Occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle river — Part IV: Deposition of radioactive particulate matter in high-sedimentation areas

The nuclides 58Co, 60Co and 110mAg were used to trace the transport of particulate radionuclides from their discharge from the French NPP Cattenom over a distance of more than 200 km in the German part of the Moselle river. To describe the sedimentation of radioactive particulate matter in high-sedimentation areas, a sedimentation model has been applied which was developed in a previous study of the Rhine. Sedimentation rates were determined by means of drill-core measurements and with 137Cs and 60Co as tracers. The influence of grain-size effect on the transfer of particulate radionuclides to the bottom sediment was demonstrated, and a correction factor for fractionation was derived from field measurements. The relatively wide variations of radionuclide concentrations in sediment are mainly due to an inhomogenous distribution of radionuclides in the bottom layers as shown in samples from the Weser river. Validation of the sedimentation model was performed by comparing measured values with calculated data. The evaluation of the radiation exposure of the population in the Moselle valley due to radioactive effluents from the NPP Cattenom showed that the internal dose rate through the ‘drinking water path’ as well as the external dose rate from the ‘spoil field path’ were both far below the dose limit defined in the German legal regulations.

Occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River—Part I: Entry of natural and artificial radionuclides

Various sources contribute to the radioactive contamination of the Moselle River, among which the French NPP Cattenom with four units of 1300 M We represents the most important. Appropriate operational precautions were taken in order to monitor the nuclide transfer on different pathways under normal and accidental conditions and the effectiveness of these measures has been tested using natural ( 214Pb/ 214Bi, 7Be, 40K) and artificial radionuclides. ( 3H, 58Co, 60Co, 131I, 137Cs) as tracers. Measurements of suspended matter have revealed that the inputs of natural nuclides exceed the discharges of the NPP Cattenom. In 1992 the annual loads of 7Be and 40K in suspended matter at Palzem amounted to 21 and 130 GBq year −1, whereas the emission rates of 60Co and 137Cs were about 2.6 and 1.0 GBq year −1. The total nuclide load of 137Cs at Palzem reached 6.2 GBq year −1, which is about six times the quantity emitted by the NPP Cattenom in the same year. This excess is due to the accident at Chernobyl and to a lesser extent to prior atmospheric weapons tests.

Occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River—Part II: Distribution of radionuclides between aqueous phase and suspended matter

Most of the radionuclides released from nuclear power plants ( NPPs) into rivers are primarily adsorbed onto suspended matter. To describe this nuclide transfer, a model was used which takes the total suspended matter load as solid phase into account. The necessary partition factors of various radionuclides were determined in river water/suspended matter of the Moselle in laboratory investigations. By use of this model, a conservative estimate of the radionuclide concentration of the solid phase could be obtained which proved to be more realistic than the results based on the distribution law. Furthermore, the influence of grain-size on the specific activity of single fractions of a Moselle sediment was demonstrated using 137Cs, 106Ru and 144Ce from the Chernobyl nuclear accident as tracers. The grain-size pattern is considered to be a main factor which may seriously distort the determination of distribution coefficients and concentration factors that are needed in applying the model based on the distribution law.

Occurrence and behaviour of radionuclides in the Moselle River—Part III: Dispersion of radionuclides along the river course

Knowledge about propagation of radionuclides from nuclear power plants (NPPs) along the course of a river is of great interest in radioecological assessments. By use of a model previously applied in the cases of the Rhine and Weser Rivers, the distribution of various radionuclides released into the Moselle from the NPP Cattenom at normal operation is described with 58Co, 60Co and 110mAg as tracers. A comparison of field measurements with calculated values revealed that the radionuclide concentrations in suspended matter and nuclide loads calculated from emission rates agreed with the measured data by a factor of less than two on average. Radionuclide concentrations and loads along the river course decrease mainly due to deposition of particulate radioactive matter in high-sedimentation areas and due to dilution with uncontaminated material from tributaries and other sources. The rate constants of both processes were evaluated, and the mean range of suspended radioactive particles in the Moselle was estimated. Moreover, this study showed anew that suspended matter has to be considered as the main carrier by which the radionuclides from NPPs may be transported over long distances.

Enseignements de l'étude du couloir saalien de la Haute Moselle, à propos de la capture à Toul

Relations belween the Moselle piracy al Toul and the Saalian valley of the Upper Moselle. — Between Epinal and Pont-Saint-Vincent, that is from the Vosges massif to the conséquent valley through the Bajocian cuesta, the Moselle river flows today along its Saalian course. We can find hère an important alluvial accumulation which is cut into two terraces and can be correlated with the maximum extent of the Moselle glacier : « older glaciation », or Saalian. At Golbey, this accumulation takes the shape of a large proglacial fan, and downstream from Thaon-les-Vosges, of two stepped fluvioglacial terraces. Thèse morphological bodies show three main internal depositional units. called Fxj. Fx9, Fx. and distinctions are made on the basis of internai sedimentary structures, gra- nuîometry. petrography and morphology of the pebbles. The last unit Fx, corresponds to the lower Saalian terrace which appears after the incision of both Fx : and Fx-,. It is thought that the « terrasse de la Justice » and the « terrasse d'Ecrouves ». at Toul, corresponding to Fx, and Fx2 deposits respectively, hâve flowed through the « Val de l'Ane ». Then, an overflow caused the course diversion into the Meurthe river and a régressive érosion developed in the earlier valley. After that, the Fx, deposits took place, corresponding to the retreat of the last Saalian ice-sheet.

Analyse et évolution de l'impact de l'accident de Tchernobyl sur le fleuve Rhône

AbstractThe radioactive Tchernobyl fallout added their effect to those from atmospheric tests, and the liquid wastes from nuclear plants sited along the Rhone river. The radioactive level of the biotic and abiotic river components increased quickly. The radioactivity of nuclides as 110mAg, 103Ru) 106Ru) 134Cs) 137Cs the nuclear plants impact. In the upper Rhone it was in the same order of magnitude than the one found in the Moselle river but very low in comparison to the values obtained in central Europe of Scandinavian countries. After May 1986 the radioactivity decreased. In the fish cesium 134 and 137 have effective half-lives of 200 and 260 days. In 1988, the river radioactivity is in the same order of magnitude than it was before the accident.

Interrelations between Amoebae and Bacteria in the Moselle River, France

Interrelations between Amoebae and Bacteria in the Moselle River, France

Modélisation de la qualité de grands cours d'eau Eutrophisation : cas de la Moselle et du Doubs

In many big rivers at the low-water mark major phytoplankton or microscopic algae development can be seen living and being moved along by the current.Unlike what is seen in many lakes at the end of Spring this algae development does not usually exhaust the stock of easily assimilated phosphorus contained in the water. Thus phosphorus is not a factor that limits the growth of phytoplankton and this is why we have the proliferation of plant life if other nutrients are not lacking. Since digital modelling is capable of taking into account hydrometerological conditions over several years it is an efficient instrument for assessing the reduction of waste being introduced into the catchment area that is necessary in order to obtain limiting conditions. Applications are given for the Doubs and the Moselle rivers for which we show that a large scale dephosphatization effort would be required in order to achieve a major reduction in the concentration of phytoplankton.

Ausonius' ‘Late-Antique’ Poetics and ‘Post-Modern’ Literary Theory

The fourth-century Latin poet, Ausonius, enjoyed in his own time considerable prestige and success. Our witnesses for this reputation are by no means inconsiderable figures. In a letter, the emperor Theodosius proclaims that his admiration for the poet could not be greater. He equates Ausonius with the poets of the Augustan golden age and concludes that, although Augustusmighthave esteemed these authors as highly as Theodosius does Ausonius, he could not possibly have loved them more. In another fascinating document, Symmachus, one of the most influential and learned men of the age, playfully castigates Ausonius for the fact that, despite their friendship, he hasn't received a copy of the poet's latest best seller. The work in question is Ausonius' poem in praise of the Moselle river; copies of it, Symmachus punningly protests, are circulating everywhere, but they have glided right past him. Still, he has managed to obtain a copy to read, and the praise he lavishes on the work is boundless; he proclaims that the Moselle has become more famous than the Tiber and does not blush to conclude by holding up Ausonius to the master himself, Vergil:ego hoc tuum carmen libris Maronis adiungo(‘I class your poetry with Vergil's’).

Plankton und Stoffhaushalt der Mosel bei der Stauhaltung Enkirch 1981

River plancton becomes an important factor in rivers affected by man, as a result of a permanent abundance of P and N, and of a lowering of current velocity transforming a river into a chain of storage basins. This process is demonstrated by means of data from the storage basin of Enkirch on the river Mosel, where in summer the growth of plancton leads to an oxygen deficiency. The mechanisms involved are shown. They are controlled by flow, global radiation, and temperature.

Isolation of Yersinia from surface water: Comparative study of three selective media

Isolation of Yersinia was undertaken on three media from surface water of the Moselle River. Samples collected over an 8-month period were examined with Y-M agar, CAL agar and “Y” medium. Out of 48 water samples, 33.3% were positive. The isolation frequency with Y-M agar (27%) was significantly higher than with CAL agar of “Y” medium (χ2 = 11.2; 0.001 < P < 0.01). Furthermore, Y-M agar exhibited a wide diversity of species; Y. enterocolitica, Y. frederiksenii, Y. kristensenii and Y. intermedia were isolated. In addition, the aerobic cold-enrichment technique without culture broth appears adequate for Yersinia isolation.

Marthamea beraudi (Navás) and its European congeners (Plecoptera : Perlidae)

The west palearctic species of Marthamea are reviewed. Adults are distinct from other European genera, but larvae and eggs are very similar to those of genus Phasganophora. M. beraudi (Navas) (Antilebanon Mts.) is re-instated as a species distinct from M. vitripennis (Burmeister). A lectotype of the latter is designated. Its range includes south-west, central and south-east Europe. Records from Syria are unconfirmed, those from Israel are erroneous. The species has in the past been confused with larvae of a Phasganophora species. M. selysii (Pictet) has brachypterous males and is known from Spain north to Meuse and Moselle rivers. Keys to adults and larvae are presented, but larval M. selysii and M. vitripennis can presently not be separated. The European Marthamea species are inhabitants of the potamon and are endangered ; they are presently already extinct in parts of their former ranges.

Soil erosion processes and their measurement in the german area of the Moselle river

AbstractMeasurements and observations of soil erosion processes in vineyards on steep slopes in the German portion of the Moselle valley‐are described. Rates of erosion caused by gravitational mass movements and the action of running water differ. Catastrophic geomorphic events since 1972 are described qualitatively while quantitative data on precipitation, runoff, soil and solute loss during one year (1974‐5) from 13 plots in old and new vineyards (measuring 2m × 8, 16, 24, 32 and 48m) are presented. On the 20° slope plots erosion rates were 2.7cm/1,000 years in the old vineyard and 4.4 cm/1,000 years in the new vineyard.These results compare favourably with rates of 0.75‐4‐4 cm/1.000 years calculated from geological evidence. Both values are lower than those from many other agricultural plots and probably reflect the relative stability of the stony loams.

Advice on the Choice of a Library

Joseph François Malgaigne, eminent French surgeon of the 19th century, wrote for Mlle. Aline Chardin, the young daughter of an old friend, words of advice on the choice of a library. These remarks,<i>Conseils pour le choix d'une bibliothèque, écrits pour une jeune fille</i>, were not printed during Malgaigne's lifetime. The manuscript was given to his biographer and son-in-law, Edouard Pilastre, by the dedicatee, Mme. Aline Chardin Chazal. M. Pilastre, a lawyer who during his student days had listened to his medical friends praise the virtues of their great professor, reproduced the<i>Conseils</i>in his biography of Malgaigne, published in 1905.¹Thirty-one years later, the American bibliophile Frank Altschul produced the first separate printing of this French literary period piece.² Its author, Joseph François Malgaigne, was born on Feb 14, 1806, in the Vosges town of Charmes, on the left bank of the Moselle River. Son of the

The Canalization of the Moselle and West European Integration

URING protracted negotiations between members of European Economic Community (EEC) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA), during De Gaulle's attempts at disentanglement in Algeria, and during East-West struggle over future of Berlin, a Franco-German engineering project in a quiet corner of Europe has been proceeding almost unnoticed. Yet when it is completed late in 1963, canalization of Moselle River (Fig. 1) may have an economic impact on Western Europe equal to addition of a medium-sized nation to EEC, loss of Saharan oil to France, or severance of trade with Eastern Europe. The political effects are no less significant. The project should become one of strongest bonds uniting EEC, with or without EFTA. For French, it intensifies an already enormous commitment of resources in the East (the Lorraine industrial region) and acceptance of a dependence on Rhine and Ruhr that has been unthinkable since Napoleonic times.