河口港湾沉积物中的(137)Cs剖面及其沉积学意义

本文通过对采自海南岛洋浦港?福建厦门外港?浙江象山港三个河口港湾的六个沉积柱样的137Cs分析,分别用137Cs剖面的最大峰值层及137Cs剖面的起始值层位估算了该六个站位的现代沉积速率,结果表明:在河口港湾沉积环境条件下,用137Cs剖面来估算沉积物的平均沉积速率是可行的,由137Cs最大值法,这六个站位的平均沉积速率分别为1.14cm/a?1.56cm/a?0.82cm/a?0.75cm/a?1.26cm/a?1.66cm/a,由137Cs最大值法得出的平均沉积速率其精确度与可信度要好于137Cs起始值得出的平均沉积速率?与210Pb法所得的结果符合的很好?137Cs起始值层位与预期值偏离的大小可以为我们提供有关该站位沉积环境?扰动作用强弱的信息?在应用137Cs剖面估算沉积速率时,还要注意沉积结构变化的影响?     

Trends in landslide occurrence in Nepal

Nepal is a mountainous, less developed kingdom that straddles the boundary between the Indian and Himalayan tectonic plates. In Nepal, landslides represent a major constraint on development, causing high levels of economic loss and substantial numbers of fatalities each year. There is a general consensus that the impacts of landslides in countries such as Nepal are increasing with time, but until now there has been little or no quantitative data to support this view, or to explain the causes of the increases. In this paper, a database of landslide fatalities in Nepal has been compiled and analysed for the period 1978–2005. The database suggests that there is a high level of variability in the occurrence of landslides from year to year, but that the overall trend is upward. Analyses of the trends in the data suggest that there is a cyclicity in the occurrence of landslide fatalities that strongly mirrors the cyclicity observed in the SW (summer) monsoon in South Asia. Perhaps surprisingly the relationship is inverse, but this is explained through an inverse relationship between monsoon strength and the amount of precipitation in the Hill District areas of Nepal. It is also clear that in recent years the number of fatalities has increased dramatically over and above the effects of the monsoon cycle. Three explanations are explored for this: land-use change, the effects of the ongoing civil war in Nepal, and road building. It is concluded that a major component of the generally upward trend in landslide impact probably results from the rural road-building programme, and its attendant changes to physical and natural systems.     

Recent advances in aquaculture in Japan

Conclusions During the last ten years, aquaculture, especially mariculture has undergone remarkable expansion to counter-balance the gap between the supply and demand of fishery products in Japan. Its expansion has also been supported by the traditional preference of the Japanese people for seafood. Mariculture is now being forced to change its structure due to adverse economic circumstances such as the rise in the cost of energy, feeds and other materials for culture, low market prices, deterioration of environmental conditions, and many other factors. Before these constraints can be resolved, advanced scientific knowledge and technologies must be integrated to develop new types of aquaculture. Expansion of maricultural activities to more open-sea and off shore areas would be one route to follow. Technologies for the development of formulated diets not only for young but also for adults and larvae, establishment of feeding standards, prevention of epizootic diseases must support the establishment of modern aquaculture.The culture-based fisheries, or marine ranching, is becoming a subject for further development in Japan. Much research work has been conducted with a great degree of governmental support. Establishment of a net work of seedstock production farms has made it possible to carry out releasing experiments on a large scale. A newly integrated restoration system could be developed on the basis of these experiments, even though the profits resulting from the artificial restoration of stocks is not thouroughly verified at present. The commencement of a national scheme for culture-based fisheries would be a manifestation of the enthusiasm of the Japanese fish industry.     

Gypsum-karst problems in constructing dams in the USA

Gypsum is a highly soluble rock and is dissolved readily to form caves, sinkholes, disappearing streams, and other karst features that typically are also present in limestones and dolomites. Gypsum karst is widespread in the USA and has caused problems at several sites where dams were built, or where dam construction was considered. Gypsum karst is present (at least locally) in most areas where gypsum crops out, or is less than 30–60 m below the land surface. These karst features can compromise on the ability of a dam to hold water in a reservoir, and can even cause collapse of a dam. Gypsum karst in the abutments or foundation of a dam can allow water to pass through, around, or under a dam, and solution channels can enlarge quickly, once water starts flowing through such a karst system. The common procedure for controlling gypsum karst beneath the dam is a deep cut-off trench, backfilled with impermeable material, or a close-spaced grout curtain that hopefully will fill all cavities. In Oklahoma, the proposed Upper Mangum Dam was abandoned before construction, because of extensive gypsum karst in the abutments and impoundment area. Catastrophic failure of the Quail Creek Dike in southwest Utah in 1989 was due to flow of water through an undetected karstified gypsum unit beneath the earth-fill embankment. The dike was rebuilt, at a cost of US $12 million, with construction of a cut-off trench 600 m long and 25 m deep. Other dams in the USA with severe gypsum-karst leakage problems in recent years are Horsetooth and Carter Lake Dams, in Colorado, and Anchor Dam, in Wyoming.     

Soil-structure interaction in shield tunnelling in soft soil

The development and extension of large cities creates a need for multiple shallow tunnels in the soft ground of building areas. Prediction of the ground settlement caused by the tunnel excavation is a major engineering challenge. A numerical simulation using a finite element method was implemented in the aim of developing a procedure to predict the movement induced by shield tunnelling in soft soil. This study describes a two-dimensional modelling and compares two procedures. The first procedure is done in a simple way (called “deconfinement modelling”) simulating the excavation using a stress decrease vector exerted on the excavation boundary (inside the tunnel) described by a stress release scalar parameter λ (named the “deconfinement factor”). The second procedure is composed of a complete stage of modelling (called “phase modelling”) taking into account different phases which simulate the different kinds of interactions between the tunnel and the soil (deconfinement, lining installation, pore pressure applied on the lining, and weight of the lining). Using a shallow lined tunnel with homogeneous soil conditions, the two procedures are analysed and compared. Then, the second modelling procedure is applied to the case of the metro of Lyon where field data have been obtained. Observations of the results and comparison with the experimental data demonstrate that the proposed modelling is adequate for the analyses of settlement induced by tunnelling in soft soil.     

Orogenesis in time and space in Mexico

The evolution of the border region of part or all of a craton, on the basis of geological data gathered from Mexico, may best be described in terms of geotectonic cycles. These consist, in chronological order, of (1) an orthogeosynclinal phase (eu- and miogeosynclines) with or without initial magmatic activity, (2) an anatexitic phase consisting of batholith emplacement with attendant regional metamorphism in the eugeosyncline and deposition of a clastic or flysch wedge over the miogeosyncline, (3) an orogenic phase consisting principally of the folding and thrusting of the sediments of the miogeosyncline together with the clastic or flysch wedge against the foreland, and (4) a taphrogenic or block-faulting phase accompanied by (a) accumulation of post-orogenic debris or molasse, (b) subsequent magmatic activity consisting largely of igneous extrusions with fewer intrusions, and (c) final magmatic activity consisting of igneous extrusions. A region that has gone through the above phases of a geotectonic cycle may be termed a structural belt. In the post-Precambrian geologic history of Mexico, three geotectonic cycles are recognized: one occurred along the Pacific border of Mexico between Cambrian and middle Jurassic (?) time (Jaliscoan geotectonic cycle), the second occurred along the present Gulf of Mexico border of the country at the same time (Huastecan geotectonic cycle), and the third occurred over the entire country from the United States border to the Guatemalan border between Late Jurassic and Pliocene time (Mexican geotectonic cycle). The early Mesozoic clastic rocks in northwestern Mexico may signify a fourth geotectonic cycle in that region. In the three recognized geotectonic cycles, however, the geologic record shows only two orogenic phases, one of which occurred in late Paleozoic time in an arcuate belt along the eastern side of Mexico (Coahuilan orogeny), and the other in early Tertiary time in a belt traversing central Mexico from the United States border to the Guatemalan border (Hidalgoan orogeny).     

Delayed failure in rock loaded in uniaxial compression

Summary The long-term response to sustained compressive loading of two crystalline hard rocks of the Canadian Shield has been investigated. Static fatigue tests conducted on granite and anorthosite have shown that in a humid environment the long-term strengths of these crystalline igneous rocks could be less than 60 percent of their dry instantaneous strengths. Such reduction in strength has implications for the design and construction of deep tunnels, mines and other underground installations. The particular case of a nuclear fuel waste vault located at a depth of one kilometer is considered.Considering a service life of 1,000 years, a vault one kilometer deep in granite could suffer time-dependent spalling in highly stressed regions of the rock where the maximum principal stress exceeds about 130 MPa. Anorthosite has a lower instantaneous strength than granite and it is sensitive to static fatigue as well. A vault in anorthosite would be subject to time-dependent spalling of the perimeter rock in places where the maximum principal stress is above 80 MPa.     

Some Measurements of Radon in Soils and in Stream-Water in County Durham

Radon is a radioactive gas emanating naturally from uranium rich granites and shales. It may be emitted from the ground surface into the atmosphere as a gas, or it may be dissolved into stream water and transported over distance. The levels of radon gas in soils at ground surface depend on a number of factors relating to the source of the gas and to its transmission. Igneous rocks contain the highest mean concentrations of radium and uranium. The depth of cover is relevant also. Surveys over the years by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) and others have indicated that the highest concentrations in the United Kingdom occur in Cornwall, Devon and northeast Scotland. However, recent reports have indicated that high concentrations of the gas may be detected in small pockets in counties outside of those considered at high risk. This survey relates to a series of measurements taken in and around Darlington, County Durham. The results showed the presence of small areas with strong concentrations of radon in soil gas, but only minor levels of dissolved gas in stream waters.     

Confronting scale in watershed development in India

The issue of scale is examined in the context of a watershed development policy (WSD) in India. WSD policy goals, by improving the natural resource base, aim to improve the livelihoods of rural communities through increased sustainable production. It has generally been practiced at a micro-level of less than 500?ha, as this was seen to be a scale that would encourage participative management. There has been some concern that this land area may be too small and may lead to less than optimal hydrological, economic and equity outcomes. As a result there has been a move to create guidelines for meso-scale WSD of above 5,000?ha in an endeavour to improve outcomes. A multidisciplinary team was assembled to evaluate the proposed meso-scale approach. In developing an adequate methodology for the evaluation it soon became clear that scale in itself was not the only determinant of success. The effect of geographical scale (or level) on WSD is determined by the variation in other drivers that will influence WSD success such as hydrological conditions, land use and available institutional structures. How this should be interpreted at different levels in the light of interactions between biophysical and socio-economic scales is discussed.     

世界环境问题和中国减灾工作研究进展

环境和灾害是威胁人类生存的两大挑战性问题。由人类活动导致的自然环境破坏和恶化是一个长期累积的过程,类似于人体所患的慢性疾病,对其认识和解决不仅依靠多种条件,也需要很长时间的持久努力。自然灾害的发生一般是短时间内的突然事件,类似人体的急性疾病。为最大限度地减轻自然灾害给人类社会造成的损失,需要实施事先预防、灾前预警、灾时应急和灾后重建的系统工程,其中地球科学家的责任之一是找出有效的宣传演练,使社会各界充分认识灾害的危险性,做好必要的防灾准备。最近20 a来中国的减灾实践经验还说明,为进一步提高减灾的效益,要用科学观念指导各领域的减灾工作,在国家一级层次上要实行多部门协调、多学科合作的综合管理,并注重对灾害发生的规律性研究。例如对群发性灾害链过程及其潜在影响的估计,这对制定区域性可持续发展规划具有重要意义。     

Regularities in the response of spectral lines to small perturbations in physical quantities in the photosphere

Numerical simulations are used to establish a number of dependencies between small perturbations in physical quantities in the photosphere and small variations in the Stokes profiles of spectral lines. A perturbation of any physical quantity in the model photosphere shifts every point in a line profile in the direction perpendicular to the tangent to the profile at that point. The actions on the wing of a spectral line of perturbations in the magnetic field and radial velocity are equivalent for a particular ratio of these perturbations (if the line is fully split in the magnetic field). If the response of part of a line wing is considered as a shift in wavelength, the area under the curve representing the response to perturbations in the magnetic field and radial velocity has a simple physical meaning.     

Assessing debris-flow hazard in a watershed in Taiwan

This paper presents the results of a pilot study for assessing debris-flow hazards using geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The watershed of the Chen-Yu-Lan River is investigated in this pilot study. Factors that are believed to be critical to the occurrence of debris flow are identified and considered in the assessment of debris-flow hazards. Using the spatial analysis feature of GIS, the impact of these factors, expressed in terms of debris-flow hazard (DH) index, is calculated. By taking a simple summation of all DH indexes according to each factor, the overall debris-flow hazard at a particular watershed may be assessed. The applicability of the proposed approach for analyzing the watershed of the Chen-Yu-Lan River has been confirmed with the field observations in a recent typhoon event.     

Electrogeochemical techniques in deeply weathered terrain in Australia

Measurement of H⁺ ion and conductance of aqueous soil slurries as an exploration technique is conceptually attractive for use in exploration in Australia where large parts of the land surface are mantled by very thick leached weathering residuum. The common development of conductive horizons and the generally alkaline nature of the soils, however, raised doubts about its applicability.Tests have been conducted over a number of Australian deposits, mostly over massive sulphide deposits, e.g., Elura and Mt. Bulga in New South Wales. At Elura a totally weathered conductive zone extends down to about 100 m and the overlying soils are Red Earths, frequently calcareous; at Mt. Bulga the soils are skeletal podzols and the weathering is less intensive.At both deposits characteristic “rabbit-ear” anomalies, with a central peak in some instances, for H⁺ ion are recorded in surface soils. Conductance anomalous patterns are either sympathetic or mirror images of the H⁺ ion pattern, depending upon local conditions.At Elura there is no conventional geochemical response in the soils over part of the deposit, and there is a very strong transported Pb anomaly for a distance of about 1300 m southwest of the deposit. There are characteristic H⁺ ion and conductance responses over the entire orebody, and there is no H⁺ ion and conductance response over the transported Pb anomaly. At Mt. Bulga a clear H⁺ anomaly occurs over sulphides covered by 60 m of barren rock.The results demonstrate the potential usefulness of electrogeochemical techniques in Australia to detect deeply buried sulphides under conditions of extreme weathering.     

Changes in current regime and turbidity in response to a freshwater pulse in the eastmain estuary

In September 1984, the freshwater input to the Eastmain River (James Bay, Canada) was increased by a factor of 50 over a 6-d period during a controlled reservoir discharge. Changes to the current, salinity and turbidity regimes were monitored during the peak runoff. Estuarine salinity values fell rapidly with increasing mean flow, as did the amplitude of the semi-diurnal tidal currents. A large increase in bottom shear stress dispersed the settled suspension layer into the water column, raising concentrations of suspended matter in the estuary by a factor of 4 in 3 d. The peak values exceeded 150 mg I^?1. This led to erosion of the river silt deposits, with the export of an estimated 6 × 10⁴ metric tons of sediments. After the reduction of discharge, current values returned to their normal range within a day, whereas upstream salinity intrusion occurred at a slower rate. Horizontal diffusivities of about 100 m² s^?1 were required to match the observed lag.     

Molybdenite in calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite

The first observations of molybdenite in a meteorite have been made in two CaAl-rich inclusions in the Allende chondrite. The mineral occurs as single individuals completely enclosed in high Ni metal (62–64.5 wt. % Ni). The association with refractories is consistent with thermodynamic calculations which predict that Mo is a high temperature condensate even when nucleation constraints are imposed on the formation of a metal phase. Kinetic factors (including nucleation constraints) appear to have played an important role in the formation of molybdenite and the associated sulfides, magnetite and high nickel metal.     

Uncertainty in simulated groundwater-quality trends in transient flow

In numerical modeling of groundwater flow, the result of a given solution method is affected by the way in which transient flow conditions and geologic heterogeneity are simulated. An algorithm is demonstrated that simulates breakthrough curves at a pumping well by convolution-based particle tracking in a transient flow field for several synthetic basin-scale aquifers. In comparison to grid-based (Eulerian) methods, the particle (Lagrangian) method is better able to capture multimodal breakthrough caused by changes in pumping at the well, although the particle method may be apparently nonlinear because of the discrete nature of particle arrival times. Trial-and-error choice of number of particles and release times can perhaps overcome the apparent nonlinearity. Heterogeneous aquifer properties tend to smooth the effects of transient pumping, making it difficult to separate their effects in parameter estimation. Porosity, a new parameter added for advective transport, can be accurately estimated using both grid-based and particle-based methods, but predictions can be highly uncertain, even in the simple, nonreactive case.     

Certain peculiarities in the distribution of mercury in meteorites

This paper presents chemical analyses of mercury in 123 specimens of 58 meteorites. A statistical comparison is made of the mercury content in meteorites (using all available data) as a function of their composition and texture.The average mercury abundance in stony meteorites is estimated as 6.6 ppm. Stony and iron meteorites differ significantly in mercury content. Among stones, chondrites and achondrites show significant differences in the mercury content. In ordinary cbondrites, mineralogy and texture do not seem to have a significant influence on the distribution of mercury, judging from the available number of analyses. Carbonaceous chondrites, in which we found up to 500 ppm mercury, stand out among all other varieties of chondrites. Iron meteorites fall at the other extreme, having the lowest mercury concentrations (generally 0-0x ppm). In specimens of several meteorite classes, troilite is a good mercury concentrator, having a consistently higher mercury content than the meteorite as a whole. Nonetheless, troilite generally accounts for less than one-half the total mercury content of the meteorite.     

Failure of dams arranged in series or in complex

A practical methodology has been developed for predicting flows generated by dam failures or malfunctions in a complex or a series of dams. A twofold approach is followed. First, the waves induced in the downstream reservoirs are computed, as well as hydrodynamic impacts induced on downstream dams and dikes are estimated. Second, the flood wave propagation and the inundation process are simulated in the downstream valley, accounting for possible dam collapse or breaching in cascade. Two complementary flow models are combined: a two-dimensional fully dynamic model and a simplified lumped model. At each stage, the methodology provides guidelines to select the most appropriate model for efficiently computing the induced flows. Both models handle parametric modeling of gradual dam breaching. The procedure also incorporates prediction of breach formation time and final width, as well as sensitivity analysis to compensate for the high uncertainties remaining in the estimation of breach parameters. The applicability of the modeling procedure is demonstrated for a case study involving a 70-m high-gravity concrete dam located upstream of four other dams.     

形变实验中的构造地球化学及对成矿的意义

通过对不同岩石，矿石样品进行的构造地球化学变实验结果表明，形变中形成了典型的塑性变形组构，同时也使样品中的矿物不仅发生形貌，颜色，干涉色以及结构的改变，而且矿物化学成分也发生了明显的变化，说明形变不仅是一种构造和地球化学作用过程，同时也是一种成矿作用。     

Velocity field in the spiral-wave pattern observed in rotating shallow-water experiments

The paper presents the first quantitative results of a laboratory study of the velocity field in a two-arm spiral-wave pattern generated in a steady-state fashion by a hydrodynamical instability in a differentially rotating, thin layer of liquid. The liquid layer has a free surface, and the rotational profile includes an interval where the velocity drops abruptly, as in the gaseous disks of spiral galaxies. The properties of anticyclonic vortices observed between the arms of this pattern at the corotation radius are considered.