Assessing the influence of afforestation with Eucalyptus globulus on hydrological response from a small catchment in northwestern Spain using the HBV hydrological model

Land use change as conversion pasture to forest produces several changes on hydrological cycle. In this paper, we analyse the effects on stream discharge of afforestation of a small watershed devoted to pasture using the HBV hydrological model. Streamflow data obtained over the first 10 years after planting were employed to evaluate the capacity of HBV model to simulate hydrological behaviour of catchment after afforestation. Obtained results indicate that the estimation of streamflow was accurate as reflected by statistics (R² = 0.90, NSC = 0.89 and PBIAS = 0.34). Afterwards, streamflow under pasture land use (if afforestation had not occurred) was simulated using hydrometeorological data collected during the period of study and model parameters optimized previously, together with two parameters, pcorr and cevpfo, that were adjusted for pasture conditions. The HBV model results indicate that afforestation produced a water yield reduction around 2000 mm (22% of total stream discharge) during the first 10 years of planting growth. The differences between forest and pasture land cover are increasing in all seasons year by year. The greatest streamflow reduction was observed in wet period (autumn and winter) with 76% of total reduction. In summer, streamflow reduction represents only 3% of total, however, represents 24.7% of discharge in this season. Streamflow reduction was related to increase of rainfall interception (mainly in wet periods) and the increase of evapotranspiration by plantation in dry periods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shallow Cystoseira (Fucales: Ochrophyta) assemblages thriving in sheltered areas from Menorca (NW Mediterranean): Relationships with environmental factors and anthropogenic pressures

The distribution of Cystoseira species was studied at 103 coves in the island of Menorca (Balearic Islands, NW Mediterranean). Both geomorphological parameters and anthropogenic pressures were considered in order to investigate which were the main environmental factors explaining their distribution. Several factors contributed to explain the composition of Cystoseira assemblages in the sampled coves being coastal morphology, bottom nature, nutrient concentration in seawater and urbanization level of the coast the most important. The relatively high number of Cystoseira species found in Menorca suggested a general high quality of the environment. However, in southern coves the number and abundance of Cystoseira spp. was reduced compared to the northern ones. This pattern seems to be related both to a higher anthropogenic pressure and to a less favourable geomorphology at southern coves. When strong anthropogenic disturbances were present (proximity to harbour areas), coves were completely devoid of Cystoseira specimens. As historical data is available for some of these sites, we can document the disappearance of some Cystoseira species at these coves, which seems to be related to increased pollution levels. However, as the absence of Cystoseira assemblages can also respond to a lack of a suitable geomorphology, their use as bioindicators of water quality needs of a definition of proper reference sites.     

Marine palynology of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 3 (OAE3, Coniacian – Santonian) at Tarfaya,Morocco, NW Africa – transition from preservation to production controlled accumulation of marine organic carbon

The paper presented is the first comprehensive, fully quantitative, high resolution study of marine palynology from an OAE3 black-shale environment. It is based on 175 m core spanning the upper Turonian to lower Santonian at Tarfaya, Morocco, NW Africa, which has been sampled from centimetre to 3 m intervals. The results are integrated and discussed with lithology and geochemistry data to (1) distinguish between potential changes in production and preservation of total organic carbon (TOC) accumulation and (2) constrain the stratigraphic position of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 3 (OAE3).The succession is characterized by increased total organic carbon (TOC), varying between 1% and 19% (average about 6%). Distinct black-shale horizons of variable thickness appear episodically throughout the succession, with higher frequency in the late Turonian. Higher TOC contents do not strictly correlate to lithologic black-shales or peaks of a specific taxon of organic-walled algae. The palynomorph spectrum is strongly dominated by organic-walled algae, with the ratio of terrigenous sporomorphs to organic-walled algae (t/m index) varying between zero and 0.05 (average 0.01). The dominance of algal organic matter is corroborated by the prevalence of Type I kerogen identified using Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Dinocyst diversity is low, with the absolute taxa number varying from 7 to 27 between single samples. The peridinioid/gonyaulacoid ratio of dinocysts (p/g ratio) shows strong fluctuations, varying between 1 and 283 (average of about 100).The upper Turonian interval is dominated by Bosedinia spp., a dinocyst taxon formerly described as abundant only in lacustrine sediments from the Oligocene and Miocene of SE Asia. This dominance is episodically modified by the increase of the warm-temperate waters dinocysts fraction, here mainly represented by the genera Alterbidinium, Isabelidinium and Spinidinium. Within the Coniacian-Santonian, black-shale horizons are limited in number and are concentrated within the upper Coniacian to lower Santonian interval. The dinocysts show alternating, prominent peak abundances of Palaeohystrichophora spp. and the warm-temperate water dinocysts fraction, here mainly represented by the genera Trithyrodinium and Chatangiella. However, a final episode of increased proportions of Bosedinia spp. is confined to a 5 m thick black-shale horizon closely spanning the Coniacian-Santonian boundary.Changes in the ratio of total sulphur to total organic carbon (TS/TOC) reflect fluctuating oxygen contents of bottom waters throughout the late Turonian to Santonian. These are significantly parallelled by the alternation of dinocysts assemblages suggestive of enhanced upwelling and water column stratification respectively, probably reflecting changes in the mode of TOC accumulation. Accordingly, preservation largely prevails during the late Turonian interval and changes towards increased production within the Coniacian-Santonian. However, a final preservation-event is probably represented by the black-shale horizon closely spanning the Coniacian-Santonian boundary (top Dicarinella concavata foraminifera zone), which may reflect an episodic shutdown of a major upwelling cell. It is thus proposed, that the “culmination” of the OAE3 at Tarfaya may represent intermittent preservation of TOC within an otherwise high productivity environment related to a global cooling trend.     

Petrogenesis of the Wudaogou intermediate–mafic complex,NW China: zircon U–Pb dating,whole-rock and isotope geochemistry,and geological implications

The Wudaogou plutonic complex is located in the eastern Yanbian area of Jilin Province and consists of hornblende gabbros, gabbroic diorites, and quartz diorites that contain abundant dioritic microgranular xenoliths. Zircon U–Pb dating of gabbroic and quartz diorites yielded weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸Pb ages of 263.5 ± 5.1 Ma (N = 12, mean squared weighted deviation (MSWD) = 0.78, probability = 0.66) and 262.0 ± 5.6 Ma (N = 10, MSWD = 0.50, probability = 0.87), respectively. These units are characterized by high Na₂O/K₂O (0.33–0.77) ratios and Al₂O₃ (15.05–18.91 wt%) concentrations and are large ion lithophile element (LILE) (light rare earth element (LREE), Rb, Ba, K, etc.) enriched and high field strength element (HFSE) (Nb, Ta, P, Ti) depleted. They also have initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of 0.70192–0.70420 and ?_Nd(t) values of +1.9 to +4.7 with two-stage model ages (T_DM2) of 653–878 Ma. These characteristics indicate that these rocks formed from calc–alkaline magmas derived from partial melting of a mixture of juvenile crust formed attending the Neoproterozoic subduction of the Palaeo-Asian oceanic crust and lower crustal material. The dioritic xenoliths have whole-rock compositions that are similar to their host rocks, but with negative ?_Nd(t) values (?1.6 to ?4.3) and older T_DM2 ages (1166–1382 Ma), further indicating that this magmatic event involved older crustal material. Combining these data with existing knowledge of the crustal evolution of this area, we conclude that this complex formed in a post-collisional extensional setting during closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean.     

新疆东昆仑托库孜达板—野狼沟一带地质背景及找矿方向

托库孜达板—野狼沟地区分布于祁曼塔格成矿域西段,是白干湖成矿带的一部分,区内岩性主要为石炭系喀拉米兰河群火山岩,浅成岩及花岗岩广泛分布,又位于在阿尔金断裂带及昆中断裂带的交汇部位,两断裂的次一级在区内特别发育。从以往1/50万化探成果及1/5万遥感解译成果看,矿致异常在区内大面积分布。近年发现的野狼沟铜多金属矿于石炭系次火山岩及北西向断裂构造关系密切。所有地物化遥等特征都预示了该区良好的找矿前景。     

Structural evidence for superposition of transtension on transpression in the Zagros collision zone: Main Recent Fault,Piranshahr area,NW Iran

The Main Recent Fault of the Zagros Orogen is an active major dextral strike-slip fault along the Zagros collision zone, generated by oblique continent–continent collision of the Arabian plate with Iranian micro-continent. Two different fault styles are observed along the Piranshahr fault segment of the Main Recent Fault in NW Iran. The first style is a SW-dipping oblique reverse fault with dextral strike-slip displacement and the second style consists of cross-cutting NE-dipping, oblique normal fault dipping to the NE with the same dextral strike-slip displacement. A fault propagation anticline is generated SW of the oblique reverse fault. An active pull-apart basin has been produced to the NE of the Piranshahr oblique normal fault and is associated with other sub-parallel NE-dipping normal faults cutting the reverse oblique fault. Another cross-cutting set of NE–SW trending normal faults are also exist in the pull-apart area. We conclude that the NE verging major dextral oblique reverse fault initiated as a SW verging thrust system due to dextral transpression tectonic of the Zagros collision zone and later it has been overprinted by the NE-dipping oblique normal fault producing dextral strike-slip displacement reflecting progressive change of transpression into transtension in the collision zone. The active Piranshahr pull-apart basin has been generated due to a releasing damage zone along the NW segment of the Main Recent Fault in this area at an overlap of Piranshahr oblique normal fault segment of the Main Recent Fault and the Serow fault, the continuation of the Main Recent Fault to the N.     

Syn- and post-sedimentary controls on clay mineral assemblages in a tectonically active basin,Andean Argentinean foreland

In the northern part of the Calchaquí Valley (NW Argentina), Palaeogene Andean foreland sediments are represented by a 1400-metre-thick continental succession (QLC: Quebrada de Los Colorados Formation) consisting of claystones, siltstones, sandstones, and conglomerates representing sedimentation in fluvial-alluvial plains and alluvial fan settings. To understand the main syn- and postsedimentary variables controlling the clay mineral assemblages of this succession, we have studied the fine-grained clastic sediments by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy, along with a detailed sedimentary facies analysis, for two representative sections. In the northern section, the whole succession was sampled and analysed by XRD, whereas in the second section, a control point 15 km to the south, only the basal levels were analysed. The XRD study revealed a strong contrast in clay mineral assemblages between these two sections as well as with sections in the central Calchaquí Valley studied previously. In the northernmost part of the study area, a complete evolution from smectite at the top to R3 illite/smectite mixed-layers plus authigenic kaolinite at the bottom, through R1-type mixed-layers in between, has been recognized, indicating the attainment of late diagenesis. In contrast, the clay mineral assemblages of equivalent foreland sediments cropping out only 15 km to the south contain abundant smectite and micas, subordinate kaolinite and chlorite, and no I/S mixed-layers to the bottom of the sequence. Early diagenetic conditions were also inferred in a previous study for equivalent sediments of the QLC Formation cropping out to the south, in the central Calchaquí Valley, as smectite occurs in basal strata. Burial depths of approximately 3000 m were estimated for the QLC Formation in the central and northern Calchaquí Valley; in addition, an intermediate to slightly low geothermal gradient can be considered likely for both areas as foreland basins are regarded as hypothermal basins. Consequently, the attainment of late diagenesis in the northernmost study area cannot be explained by significant differences in burial depth nor in geothermal gradient in relation to the section 15 km to the south nor with the central Calchaquí Valley. The formation of R3 mixed-layer I/S and authigenic kaolinite in the northern study area was most likely controlled by the circulation of hot, deep fluids along the reverse faults that bounded the Calchaquí valley. These faults were active during the Cenozoic, as evidenced by the syndepositional deformation features preserved in the studied sediments. Stress could also have been a driving force in burial diagenesis at the R3 mixed-layer I/S stage in these young continental sediments.     

Tectonic activity revealed by morphostructural analysis: Development of the Sierra de la Candelaria range,northwestern Argentina

The tectonically active broken foreland of NW Argentina is a recent analog of the eastern margin of the Puna plateau during Mio-Pliocene times and likely of other broken forelands worldwide. In order to evaluate active tectonism in the broken foreland of the NW Argentine Andes, we examined the complex geomorphology in the vicinity of the basement-cored Sierra de la Candelaria range at ∼26°S and deciphered multiple episodes of crustal deformation spanning the Pliocene to the Quaternary. Digital elevation models, satellite images and geological data within a GIS environment allowed us to analyze the terrain, drainage networks, river dynamics and structure, as well as to obtain detailed geomorphological mapping, active tectonic indices, longitudinal river profiles and structural sections. Three morphostructural segments were defined based on the structural features, the differential vertical dissection pattern over the basement, the faulted Pliocene to recent deposits, the stepwise propagation of anticlines and the distortion over the fluvial system. By combining the several lines of evidence, we concluded that the Sierra de la Candelaria range was subjected to a multi-stage development. The first stage uplifted the central segment concomitant with the formation of the surrounding ranges and with the main partition phase of the foreland. After a significant time lapse, the mountain range was subjected to southward thick-skinned growth and northward growth via stepwise thin-skinned deformation and exerted control over the dynamics of the Río Rosario. Taking into account the surrounding basins and ranges of the Sierra de la Candelaria, the southern Santa Bárbara System is characterized by partially isolated intramontane basins (Choromoro and Rosario) limited by shielded ranges that caused moisture block and shows continuous deformation. These features were related to early stages of a broken foreland evolution model and modern analogs were found at the northern Santa Bárbara System, in the vicinity of the Siancas/Güemes Valley or at the more evolved stage represented by the Lerma Valley. In addition, ancient analogs were defined for the Humahuaca basin conditions at 4–3 Ma ago or for the Toro basin at 6–3 Ma, among others.     

雪峰造山带中段地质构造特征

雪峰造山带的地质构造特征认识尚存在较多分歧。通过构造剖面测制并结合区域地质调查,对雪峰造山带中段东部怀化—两丫坪地区的形变类型、变形时代、变形强度、剖面结构以及构造变形的运动学特征、成因机制和构造体制等进行了较全面的分析研究,取得以下主要认识和进展:(1)雪峰造山带中段形变类型主要有板劈理、折劈理、褶皱及与褶皱同走向的大型膝褶带、逆断裂、正断裂、右行走滑断裂等;(2)加里东运动和早中生代构造运动(印支运动与早燕山运动)中均存在明显的挤压变形,构造体制均为NW—NWW向挤压,形成NE—NNE向褶皱和逆断裂,加里东运动尚形成了板劈理和大型膝褶带;(3)雪峰造山带中段以溆浦—靖州断裂为界分为东带和西带,分别为加里东期区域雪峰逆冲推覆构造的根带和中带。东带板劈理发育,西带板劈理不发育且上古生界与下伏地层产状相近,表明加里东运动中东带变形强度明显大于西带,不整合特征、抬升幅度、逆冲断裂的发育特征等表明早中生代构造运动中东带变形较强,而西带变形较弱;(4)劈理优势倾向以及褶皱轴面和逆断裂的倾向,反映雪峰造山带东带加里东运动和早中生代构造运动中均具有背冲构造样式,但早中生代背冲构造的中轴相对加里东期向西迁移25 km以上;(5)南华纪早期溆浦—靖州断裂以东大幅伸展断陷并接受巨厚沉积,晚古生代期间断裂东侧大幅伸展沉降而构成湘中沉积盆地的西边界,反映雪峰造山带东带为一块体强度低的构造薄弱带,这是其变形强度大于西带及成为雪峰推覆构造根带的主要原因。     

汶川M_s 8.0级地震断层间相互作用及其对起始破裂段的启示

汶川地震在地表形成了北东向与北西向两个方向的地表破裂带,余震分布也清晰地显示沿着小鱼洞断裂存在一条北西向小震密集条带。为了研究北西向小鱼洞断裂在汶川地震破裂过程中的作用,在已有的地表破裂数据和认识的基础上,结合汶川地震前小震资料和余震资料,完善了汶川地震震源构造模型。分别计算了以北川—映秀断裂西南的虹口段(BY1)与小鱼洞断裂作为初始破裂段所产生的库仑静应力变化量(ΔCFS)分布图像。结果显示,以北川—映秀断裂虹口段(BY1)做为起始破裂段,虽然小鱼洞断裂西北段(XYD2)的局部地段处于应力触发区,但在出现地表破裂的小鱼洞断裂东南段(XYD1)却处于1.5 bar的应力抑制区,同时随着北川—映秀断裂向北东方向的进一步破裂,小鱼洞断裂仍处于应力抑制区,并且范围有所扩大。如果这样,在汶川地震过程中,小鱼洞断裂应该是稳定的,不可能产生地表破裂带及小震密集条带;以小鱼洞断裂作为起始破裂段,北川—映秀断裂BY1段的大部分区段处于1.0～1.5 bar的应力触发区,不但如此,小鱼洞断裂对彭灌断裂也有触发作用。基于以上结果,认为汶川地震破裂过程是以北西向小鱼洞断裂为起始破裂段,该断裂的破裂触发了北川—映秀断裂和彭灌断裂,并导致北川—映秀断裂向北东方向发生级联破裂。