The Kotuikan ring structure as possible evidence for a large impact event in the northern Siberian craton

Remote-sensing, cosmogeological, tectonic, geophysical, structural, compositional, isotopic, and geochronological criteria permit identifying the Kotuikan ring structure in the northern Siberian Platform as a Paleoproterozoic large astrobleme, close in age to the Vredefort and Sudbury impact structures. Also, indirect evidence for two more large impact structures was obtained here. This confirms widely hypothesized massive bombardment of the early Earth by asteroids and a possible effect of large impact events on the Earth's mantle dynamics and rotation regime, that is, the tectonic evolution of our planet, including plate tectonics.     

First evidence for large earthquakes on the Deshir Fault,Central Iran Plateau

Although sliced by several strike slip faults, a large part of Central Iran remained aseismic during the period of time covered by the instrumental and historical seismic records. Stating the existence of earthquakes in the Holocene is therefore important for the assessment of the regional seismic hazard. A palaeoseismic study of the Deshir fault demonstrates that Central Iran hosted large earthquakes during latest Pleistocene and Holocene. The last event corresponds to 1 m‐deep fissures, which sandy infilling yielded an optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age of 2.8 ± 1.4 ka. At least two previous events, outlined by older fissures and/or colluvial wedges, have been recorded over the last 10–30 ka. The magnitudes are difficult to assess because the actual slips per event are unknown. The size of the fissures and the significant vertical displacement associated with a colluvial wedge are nevertheless compatible with M ≈ 7 events along a primary strike‐slip surface break.     

Geophysical evidence for Holocene lake-level change in southern California (Dry Lake)

Bird, B. W., Kirby, M. E., Howat, I. M. & Tulaczyk, S. 2009: Geophysical evidence for Holocene lake-level change in southern California (Dry Lake). Boreas , 10.1111/j.1502-3885.2009.00114.x. ISSN 0300-9483.
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) data are used in combination with previously published sediment cores to develop a Holocene history of basin sedimentation in a small, alpine lake in southern California (Dry Lake). The GPR data identify three depositional sequences spanning the past 9000 calendar years before present (cal. yr BP). Sequence I represents the first phase of an early Holocene highstand. A regression between <8320 and >8120 cal. yr BP separates Sequence I from Sequence II, perhaps associated with the 8200 cal. yr BP cold event. Sequence II represents the second phase of the early-to-mid Holocene highstand. Sequence IIIa represents a permanent shift to predominantly low lake stands beginning ∼5550 cal. yr BP. This mid-Holocene shift was accompanied by a dramatic decrease in sedimentation rate as well as a contraction of the basin's area of sedimentation. By ∼1860 cal. yr BP (Sequence IIIb), the lake was restricted to the modern, central basin. Taken together, the GPR and core data indicate a wet early Holocene followed by a long-term Holocene drying trend. The similarity in ages of the early Holocene highstand across the greater southern California region suggests a common external forcing – perhaps modulation of early Holocene storm activity by insolation. However, regional lake level records are less congruous following the initial early Holocene highstand, which may indicate a change in the spatial domain of climate forcing(s) throughout the Holocene in western North America.     

Geophysical characterization of the lithological control on the kinematic pattern in a large clayey landslide (Avignonet,French Alps)

Lithology variation is known to have a major control on landslide kinematics, but this effect may remain unnoticed due to low spatial coverage during investigation. The large clayey Avignonet landslide (French Alps) has been widely studied for more than 35 years. Displacement measurements at 38 geodetic stations over the landslide showed that the slide surface velocity dramatically increases below an elevation of about 700 m and that the more active zones are located at the bottom and the south of the landslide. Most of the geotechnical investigation was carried out in the southern part of the landslide where housing development occurred on lacustrine clay layers. In this study, new electrical prospecting all across the unstable area revealed the unexpected presence of a thick resistive layer covering the more elevated area and overlying the laminated clays, which is interpreted as the lower part of moraine deposits. The downslope lithological boundary of this layer was found at around 700 m asl. This boundary coincides with the observed changes in slide velocity and in surface roughness values computed from a LiDAR DTM acquired in 2006. This thick permeable upper layer constitutes a water reservoir, which is likely to influence the hydromechanical mechanism of the landslide. The study suggests a major control of vertical lithological variations on the landslide kinematics, which is highlighted by the relation between slide velocity and electrical resistivity.     

Geophysical studies of crustal structure of the Ongul Islands and the Northern Mizuho Plateau, East Antarctica

Explosion seismic experiments, gravity measurements and aeromagnetic surveys were made in the northern Mizuho Plateau including the Ongul Islands, East Antarctica, from 1979 to 1982 by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions. The objective of these field operations was to determine the crustal structure along the 300 km-long oversnow traverse route between Syowa and Mizuho Stations. Three big shots were fired; at sea near Syowa Station, in an ice hole near Mizuho Station and in an ice hole between both stations. Twenty-seven temporal seismic stations were set up along the route. Gravity measurements were carried out at 30 points along this route. Aeromagnetic surveys over the area were made four times.In the seismic experiments, clear refracted waves from the Conrad (estimated depth 30 km) and the Moho (estimated depth 40 km) discontinuities were recorded. No layer with a velocity of less than 6 km/s was found in the Ongul Islands nor beneath the ice sheet in the surveyed area. The P-wave velocity in the upper layer varies with depth from 6.0 km/s on the surface to 6.4 km/s at a depth of 13 km. Comparing the observed record section with synthetic seismograms, it was derived that the Conrad was not associated with a sharp velocity discontinuity, but a linear velocity increase of 0.55 km/s in a transition zone of 2.4 km thick. Velocities of P^* and P_n were determined as 6.95 km/s and 7.93 km/s assuming a flat layered structure.Bouguer gravity anomalies could not be calculated along the whole profile because of a lack of data on bedrock topography, so reduced gravity anomalies were calculated. These anomalies indicate no abrupt changes of the bedrock topography.     

探测未爆炸弹的地球物理技术综述

采用综合地球物理勘查技术探测未爆炸弹(UXO)具有快速、定位准确和成本低廉的优势.综述了国内外广泛应用的地面高精度磁测法、电磁法以及地质雷达和微重力法在探测UXO中的特点和效果,介绍了国外航空磁测法及航空电磁法探测UXO的进展,并根据某些探测实例阐述了在具体实施过程中应注意的技术问题;提出了适合中国UXO探测的一些措施和建议.     

Integrated Geophysical Works on the Kozlovka Anomaly (Kaluga Region)

This work presents integrated geophysical studies that were carried out to identify the nature of the intense magnetic anomaly detected by the results of land surveying on the right bank of the Slushka River in the territory of the Yukhnovskii district of Kaluga Region. The comprehensive interpretation of the geophysical data and the laboratory measurements of the core made it possible to determine the nature and parameters of the anomaly-forming object that is located in the upper part of the section; it consists of loams that contain such magnetic minerals as greigite, pyrrhotite, and magnetite.     

综合物探方法在青藏高原某钼多金属矿的勘查效果

青藏高原是地质工作者的天然实验室,也是我国有色金属储量最为丰富的地区之一,但气候恶劣,开发研究较少。本文介绍了双频激电激发极化法、时间域激电测井和AMT大地电磁电导率成像系统在青藏高原某钼多金属矿区的勘查应用效果。本文在简述区域地质概况的基础上,分别介绍了矿区地层、构造、岩浆岩情况,阐述了针对本区选择的物探工作方法及技术,针对激电扫面异常的个别区域,进行了双频激电中梯精测剖面和AMT大地电磁测深,结合双频激电中梯精测剖面,重点对AMT大地电磁测深做了必要的推断解释,针对矿化现象,对钻孔进行激电测井做了深入剖析。结合上述工作,建立了地质地球物理模型,进行了成矿预测,圈定了与成矿有密切关系的辉钼矿化细粒花岗岩的异常带的分布、埋深、走向等情况,并利用地质资料,划分了若干个断层破碎带;后期布设实验钻孔,找矿效果明显,为今后在青藏高原高海拔地区找矿积累了宝贵经验。     

Geophysical surveys to study a landslide body (north-eastern Sicily)

Almost the entire Italian territory is prone to hydrogeological risk mostly due to landslides and flooding. The high frequency of extreme weather events in areas prone to geological–hydraulic hazards contributes significantly to increasing the risk for cities and its infrastructure, but above all for the people living there. Therefore, it is vital to research into rapid monitoring techniques to be applied following a disaster such as a landslide, so that important background information, useful for planning interventions aimed at hazard mitigation, can be obtained. This work seeks to identify the depth of the sliding surface of a landslide affecting the municipal area of Tripi (village in the Messina province, Sicily), through two geophysical field surveys (MASW and HVSR) undertaken in the same area at an interval of about 5 years. The MASW surveys have enabled to reconstruct the distribution of shear wave velocity with depth. The HVSR surveys have provided information on resonant frequency and directional effects. The data integration obtained by the two methods allowed to reconstruct impedance contrast sections indicating the depth of the sliding surface of the landslide.

     

Geophysical surveys to study a landslide body (north-eastern Sicily)

Almost the entire Italian territory is prone to hydrogeological risk mostly due to landslides and flooding. The high frequency of extreme weather events in areas prone to geological–hydraulic hazards contributes significantly to increasing the risk for cities and its infrastructure, but above all for the people living there. Therefore, it is vital to research into rapid monitoring techniques to be applied following a disaster such as a landslide, so that important background information, useful for planning interventions aimed at hazard mitigation, can be obtained. This work seeks to identify the depth of the sliding surface of a landslide affecting the municipal area of Tripi (village in the Messina province, Sicily), through two geophysical field surveys (MASW and HVSR) undertaken in the same area at an interval of about 5 years. The MASW surveys have enabled to reconstruct the distribution of shear wave velocity with depth. The HVSR surveys have provided information on resonant frequency and directional effects. The data integration obtained by the two methods allowed to reconstruct impedance contrast sections indicating the depth of the sliding surface of the landslide.     

Geophysical investigation of a sinkhole in the northern Harz foreland (North Germany)

The creek Jerstedter Bach is part of the Ringelheimer Mulde along the northern rim of the Harz Mountains in Northern Germany, a trough structure comprising steeply dipping limestones. The limestones are well karstified and drain parts of the region efficiently via sub-surface flow. As the entire region is intensively used by agriculture, contamination of the fast-flowing karst aquifer is a potential problem. During 2006, a small sinkhole (Windmühlenweg) developed alongside the Jerstedter Bach close to the city of Goslar. The sinkhole enlarged rapidly, with a small cave within the gravel cover diverting part of the creek to the subsurface karst catchment. Geophysical methods (gravimetry, geoelectrics) were used around the sinkhole to determine its extent and possible evolution. A negative Bouguer anomaly was found over the sinkhole, indicating more voids further downstream. The geoelectric survey helped to identify the old meandering course of the small river, which was straightened during the cultural land reform in the twentieth century.     

The impact of diamond extraction on natural denudation rates in the Diamantina Plateau (Minas Gerais,Brazil)

The ¹⁰Be method was used to investigate the effect of mining activities on the natural denudation rates in alluvial sediments from catchments of the Southern Espinhaço Range (SER) in Minas Gerais State (Brazil). In this region, which is predominantly composed of quartzites, the ¹⁰Be concentrations were measured in alluvial sediments from catchments in a preserved natural area of the Serra do Cipó National Park and on the Diamantina Plateau, which was subjected to diamond extraction from beginnings of XVIII century until the end of the XX. Two types of drainage were identified in the Diamantina Plateau area: (i) reworked drainage (alluvial sediments reworked by panning) and (ii) overloaded drainage (alluvial sediments originating from panning processes on saprolites located upstream). The mean denudation value for the natural drainages (∼4.4 m.My-1) is similar to that of the reworked drainages (∼4.3 m.My-1) However, the denudation rates obtained for eleven samples from three sites in overloaded basins range from ∼6.4 m My-1 to ∼22.8 m My-1 and are thus higher than those determined for the reworked and natural basins. These results show that despite the alluvium deposits have been intensely reworked by panning, the values of denudation rates were not changed, they are similar to denudation rates from the natural drainages. However, the natural rates are lower than those affected by panning processes on saprolites.     

Impact-generated carbonate melts in the Talemzane impact structure (Laghouat,Algeria)

The 1750-m-diameter, bowl-shaped Talemzane impact structure in Algeria is emplaced in Senonian or Eocene flint-bearing limestones. Field studies reveal a thin layer of light-colored polymict breccia with rounded, dark inclusions beneath a limestone megablock zone located at the top of the crater rim. The matrix of the rounded, dark inclusions consists of Si-rich glass and microcrystalline calcite. The latter is characterized by high contents of Si and Al suggesting rapid crystallization of the calcite from a melt. Backscattered electron imagery shows textural evidence for liquid immiscibility between the CaCO₃-rich and Si-rich glass of the matrix in the form of intermingling of calcite with Si-rich glass, coalesced blebs within silicate glass, individual calcite blebs within Si-rich glass, carbonate spherical globules in fresh Si-rich-glass, and sharp menisci between silicate and calcite blebs. These features are interpreted as evidence of impact melting of limestone and flint. The low totals of the Si-Al-Mg-rich glasses suggest that they contain significant amounts of volatiles. X-ray diffraction analyses indicate partial alteration of the Si-Mg-Al-rich glass to phyllosilicates.     

Geochemistry of a piston core from Ontong Java Plateau (western equatorial Pacific): evidence for sediment redistribution and changes in paleoproductivity

We discuss geochemical proxies, reflecting processes of primary productivity, CaCO₃ dissolution, and sediment redistribution in a piston core (RNDB 74P) from the Ontong Java Plateau. Due to the shallow water depth, biogenic carbonate is well preserved and a very goodδ ¹⁸O stratigraphy is available down to isotopic stage 11.²³⁰Th_ex gives evidence that the sediment accumulation pattern is driven mainly by processes of sediment focusing or winnowing. Due to the constant production of²³⁰Th in the water column, the bulk sediment accumulation rates could be corrected for the particle rain deriving from the water column above. The²³⁰Th_ex ⁰/CaCO₃ ratio reflects the well-known Pacific CaCO₃ preservation pattern with ice growth dissolution spikes and deglacial preservation spikes. The record of the grain size fraction >63 μm supports these results. The downcore concentrations and accumulation rates of barium (Ba) are on a higher level during interglacials and show several peaks. Normalization of Ba with²³⁰Th_ex ⁰ delivers a more uniform level of the Ba accumulation rates throughout the core. This pattern suggests a constantly higher biological productivity (nearly tenfold) in this area throughout the past 200 kyr compared with an open ocean environment. Barium peaks observed at the climatic transitions 2/1 and 6/5 and in stage 5 are in contrast to a predicted reduction of interglacial productivity at this location. A possible explanation might be the onset of the modern circulation pattern. The transition from Ba-enriched deep water to lower contents in the Atlantic might have resulted in an enhanced deposition of Ba in the Pacific.     

综合物探方法在松辽盆地北部基底结构研究中的应用

根据综合地球物理方法，查明松辽盆地北部基底的断裂２６条，其中岩石圈断裂６条，壳断裂５条，基底断裂１５条；盆地基底岩性由五种类型所组成一前寒武系变质岩、糜棱岩、下古生界变质岩、二叠系浅变质岩及花岗岩。为盆地演化及含油气性提供重要信息。     

Structural evidence for the sorption of Ni(II) atoms on the edges of montmorillonite clay minerals: a polarized X-ray absorption fine structure study

The nature of surface complexes formed on Ni uptake onto montmorillonite (a dioctahedral smectite) has been investigated over an extended time period by polarized extended X-ray absorption fine structure (P-EXAFS) spectroscopy. Self-supporting films of Ni-sorbed montmorillonite were prepared by contacting Ni and montmorillonite at pH 7.2, high ionic strength (0.3 M NaClO₄), and low Ni concentration ([Ni]_initial = 19.9 μM) for 14- and 360-d reaction time. The resulting Ni concentration on the clay varied from 4 to 7 μmol/g. Quantitative texture analysis indicates that the montmorillonite particles were well orientated with respect to the plane of the film. The full width at half maximum of the orientation distribution of the c* axes of individual clay platelets about the normal to the film plane was 44.3° (14-d reaction time) and 47.1° (360-d reaction time). These values were used to correct the coordination numbers determined by P-EXAFS for texture effects. Ni K-edge P-EXAFS spectra were recorded at angles between the incident beam and the film normal equal to 10, 35, 55, and 80°. Spectral analysis led to the identification of three nearest cationic subshells containing 2.0 ± 0.5 Al at 3.0 Å and 2.0 ± 0.5 Si at 3.12 Å and 4.0 ± 0.5 Si at 3.26 Å. These distances are characteristic of edge-sharing linkages between Al and Ni octahedra and of corner-sharing linkages between Ni octahedra and Si tetrahedra, as in clay structures. The angular dependence of the Ni-Al and Ni-Si contributions indicates that Ni-Al pairs are oriented parallel to the film plane, whereas Ni-Si pairs are not. The study reveals the formation of Ni inner-sphere mononuclear surface complexes located at the edges of montmorillonite platelets and thus that heavy metals binding to edge sites is a possible sorption mechanism for dioctahedral smectites. Data analysis further suggests that either the number of neighboring Al atoms slightly increases from 1.6 to 2 or that the structural order of the observed surface complexes increases from 0.01 Ų to 0.005 Ų with increasing reaction time. On the basis of the low Ni-Al coordination numbers, it appears that over an extended reaction time period of 1 yr the diffusion of Ni atoms in the octahedral layer is not the major uptake mechanism of Ni onto montmorillonite.     

The circular Uneged Uul structure (East Gobi Basin,Mongolia) – Geomorphic and structural evidence for meteorite impact into an unconsolidated coarse-clastic target?

The Uneged Uul structure is a ∼10 km circular, complex, multi-ridged domal feature in the Unegt subbasin of the East Gobi Basin, southeastern Mongolia. As revealed by remote sensing and recent field reconnaissance, the central part of the Uneged Uul structure comprises a complex central peak of outward-radiating curved ridges, composed of stratigraphically uplifted greenschist-facies basement schists, surrounded by an annular moat. The most prominent feature of the structure is a central annular ridge ∼3 km in diameter composed of pebble-boulder conglomerates and gravels of the Upper Jurassic Sharilyn Formation, surrounded by three outer domal ridges composed of Lower Cretaceous conglomeratic sandstones and gypsum clays. Jurassic conglomerates forming the main part of the central annular ridge show effects of severe internal deformation. The original population of pebbles, cobbles and boulders appears moderately displaced and mostly broken but nowhere aligned along shear planes or foliated. Primary sedimentary features, such as cross-lamination or imbrication, have been obliterated. We explain this penetrative brecciation as a result of dissipative shearing caused by a strong and rapid singular event that in magnitude was beyond the range of the common crustal tectonics recorded elsewhere in this region. Disrupted and chaotically distributed conglomeratic sandstone beds in the central annular ridge dip in highly variable directions on a local scale but show an apparent SE-NW trend of bedding plane alignment. Further outside, the tilted and uplifted Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous strata of the domal area are overlain by the flat-lying Upper Cretaceous, which stratigraphically constrains the timing of deformation at the Uneged Uul structure to most likely the Early Cretaceous. Endogenic formation models, such as magmatism and salt, gypsum, or mud diapirism, fail to explain the nature of the Uneged Uul structure. The Uneged Uul structure bears a set of geomorphic and structural features resembling those at some eroded complex impact structures on Earth. Morphologically similar central peaks are observed at the Spider and Matt Wilson impact structures in Australia; the central annular ridge reminds of that at Gosses Bluff in Australia; the outer domal ridges might correspond to ring-like features as known from Tin Bider in Algeria. We, therefore, cautiously propose that an impact may have produced the Uneged Uul feature causing structural uplift (∼1000 m) of basement rocks at its center. So far, no convincing evidence for shock metamorphism could be proven by field work and petrographic analyses. However, it is likely that at the time of the deformation event the unconsolidated conglomerates were highly porous and possibly immersed in groundwater buffering the propagation of sudden stress-reducing deformation. Further studies will be in order to unravel the nature of the Uneged Uul structure, which should be considered a promising possible impact structure.     

New insight into the structure of nanocrystalline ferrihydrite: EXAFS evidence for tetrahedrally coordinated iron(III)

Ferrihydrite (Fh) is a short-range ordered nanocrystalline iron(III) (oxyhydr)oxide that has been recognized to play an important role in contaminant sequestration and in iron cycling in geological and biological systems. Despite intensive research for the two last decades, the structure of Fh is still a subject of debate. In the present study, we report extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy data collected on a large set of ferrihydrites and model compounds samples including especially nano-crystalline maghemite (Mh), goethite (Gt), and akaganeite (Aka). This set of EXAFS data recorded at cryogenic temperature over a wide energy range allows us to precisely determine the Fe-O mean distance (〈Fe-O〉) in the first coordination shell of iron for this large set of iron (oxyhydr)oxides. Our EXAFS analysis includes both classical shell-by-shell fits of Fourier-filtered and unfiltered data as well as analysis of Fe-O distance distribution in the first coordination shell of iron using the Landweber iteration method. 〈Fe-O〉 determined by these complementary EXAFS analyses are similar: 〈Fe-O〉 is shorter in Mh (1.96 ± 0.01 Å) that contains 37.5% of tetrahedral iron, than in Gt (2.01 ± 0.01 Å), Aka (2.00 ± 0.01 Å) and hematite (Hm) (2.01 ± 0.01 Å) that do not contain tetrahedral iron. 〈Fe-O〉 for the five Fh samples investigated (1.97 ± 0.01 Å) was found to be slightly longer than in Mh and significantly shorter than those in Gt, Aka and Hm. This short 〈Fe-O〉 distance in Fh indicates the presence of significant amount of tetrahedrally coordinated iron(III) in all Fh samples studied, which ranges between 20 ± 5% and 30 ± 5% of total iron. In addition, our analysis of Fe-Fe distances observed by EXAFS is consistent with a Keggin-like motif at a local scale (∼5 Å) in the Fh structure.