Transboundary aquifers: conceptual models for development of international law

More than one-half of the world's population is dependent on ground water for everyday uses such as drinking, cooking, and hygiene. In fact, it is the most extracted natural resource in the world. As a result of growing populations and expanding economies, many aquifers today are being depleted while others are being contaminated. Notwithstanding the world's considerable reliance on this resource, ground water resources have long received only secondary attention as compared to surface water, especially among legislatures and policymakers. Today, while there are hundreds of treaties governing transboundary rivers and lakes, there is only one international agreement that directly addresses a transboundary aquifer. Given that many of the aquifers on which humanity so heavily relies cross international borders, there is a considerable gap in the sound management, allocation, and protection of such resources. In order to prevent future disputes over transboundary aquifers and to maximize the beneficial use of this resource, international law must be clarified as it applies to transboundary ground water resources. Moreover, it must be defined with a firm basis in sound scientific understanding. In this paper we offer six conceptual models is which ground water resources can have transboudary consequences. The models are intended to help in assessing the applicability and scientific soundness of existing and proposed rules governing transboundary ground water resources. In addition, we consider the development of international law as it applies to ground water resources and make recommendations based on the models and principles of hydrogeology. The objective is the development of clear, logical, and science-based norms of state conducts as they relate to aquifers that traverse political boundaries.     

Freezing of sediments inappropriate for pore water selenium analysis

The common practice of freezing sediment cores for later chemical investigation was shown to be inappropriate for samples containing selenium. Pore waters from frozen estuarine sediment cores contained up to eighty times the selenium content of those extracted from chilled but unfrozen cores. Experiments suggested that the increase in selenium concentrations resulted from rupturing the cells of selenium-accumulating bacteria present in the samples.     

New Zircon U-Pb Ages of the Shirenshan Gneiss,North Qinling and Their Geological Implications

正Objective The Qinling Orogenic Belt(QOB)is a composite continental orogenic belt that has experienced many tectonic events. The QOB is subdivided into the following three lithotectonic units:the North Qinling terrane,the Middle Qinling microplate and the South Qinling terrane.     

Babu (SW China)‐Cao Bang (NE Vietnam) Ophiolite Complex: Implications for Tectonic Evolution between South China and the Indochina Block

The convergence process between South China and the Indochina Block is still controversial. A large number of igneous rocks scattered along the current China‐Vietnam border provide a good opportunity to investigate the tectonic evolution. Babu ophiolites, cropping out in the southeastern Yunnan province (SW China), consist primarily of metaperidotite, serpentinite, pillow basalt (metabasalt), gabbro, metadiabase. Most of them are fault contacted and strongly sheared, especially between metaperidotite/serpentinite and metabasalt. U‐Pb zircon analyses yield an Early Permian formation age of ～278 Ma. Basalts and metagabbros show light rare earth elements (LREEs)‐depleted and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs)‐flat REE patterns, and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs)‐depleted primitive‐normalized spider diagrams without Nb‐Ta anomalies, which is similar to N‐MORB. Metaperidotites have low initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os (0.122‐0.126) and γOs values, and indicate that they were derived from a depleted mantle source. Relative low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)i and high εNd(t) values of basalts and metagabbros also support their DMM origin. The petrological, geochemical and isotope characteristics suggest that Babu ophiolites were N‐MORB‐type and represent remnants of an Early Permian oceanic crust. Mafic‐ultramafic rocks exposed in Cao Bang area (NE Vietnam) have recently been considered as dismembered Paleotethyan ophiolites instead of were genetically linked to the Emeishan Large Igneous Province. U‐Pb zircon analyses suggest an Early‐Middle Permian age (274 ±18 Ma) for the formation of ultramafic rocks. Both whole rock geochemistry and Cr‐spinel mineral chemistry show MORB‐like characteristics. Field observations suggest that Babu and Cao Bang ophiolite complex structurally overlie Middle‐Triassic deposits, and form a tectonic mélange zone. It developed from the subduction of a Paleotethyan subsidiary ocean basin between the South China and Indochina blocks until their collision..     

New dating indicates intermittent human occupation of the Nwya Devu Paleolithic site on the high-altitude central Tibetan Plateau during the past 45,000 years

The timing and mechanisms of the human occupation of the demanding high-altitude Tibetan Plateau environment are of great interest. Here, we report on our reinvestigations and dating of the Nwya Devu site, located nearly 4600 meters above sea level on the central Tibetan Plateau. A new microblade techno-complex was identified on a lower lake shore at this site,distinct from the previously reported blade tool assemblage. These two lithic assemblages were dated to 45.6±2.6 and10.3±0.5 ka using opt...     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATION OF PARTICLE-LIQUID TWO-PHASE TURBULENT FLOW IN A HYDRAULIC TURBINE RUNNER

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Regulation of different light conditions for efficient biomass production and protein accumulation of Spirulina platensis

Light plays an important role in the photosynthesis and metabolic process of microalgae.However, how different light conditions regulate the biomass production and protein accumulation of microalgae is mostly unknown. In this study, the influence of different light conditions, including light colors, densities, and light:dark cycles on the cell growth and biochemical composition of Spirulina platensis was symmetrically characterized. Under different colored lights, S. platensis all shows an incr...