Natural Seashell Waste as an Efficient and Low‐Cost Catalyst for the Synthesis of Arylmethylenemalonitriles

In this work, four kinds of natural seashells (clam shell, oyster shell, scallop shell, and conch shell) are investigated as catalysts for the Knoevenagel reaction to produce arylmethylenemalonitriles, among which conch shells show the highest catalytic activity due to their mixed phases of calcite and aragonite, resulting in the relatively weak base strength and fewer number of basic sites. Solvent effect and catalyst usage are systematically investigated, and conch shells show high universality for nine aromatic aldehydes to produce the desired products with high yield in short time under optimized conditions. In addition, this catalyst possesses good recyclability and could be used four times without obvious deactivation. In all, conch shell is an efficient, low‐cost, green, and recyclable catalyst for the Knoevenagel reaction.     

Magnetic study of archaeological structures in La Campana,Colima, western Mesoamerica

Results of a magnetic survey of the archaeological site at La Campana in the Colima area of western Mesoamerica are reported. The site is located in the northern suburbs of the city of Colima over a terrain characterized by volcanic debris avalanche deposits. The study area of about 12,600 m² is divided into two sections corresponding to (1) the main archaeological site and to (2) a potential extension north of it. The magnetic survey shows the presence of three large dipolar anomalies oriented N–S or NNE–SSW occurring over small hills some 2 to 4 m high. The archaeological excavations have uncovered three large structures made mainly of rounded volcanic boulders built on large platforms. The southern structure consists of a pyramid (25×25 m² at its base) and an adjacent structure (at least 30×15 m²). The central structure is a pyramid (20×20 m²) with stair-like accesses on either side. The northern structure is a large complex extending over an area at least 40×30 m². A detailed survey in the open plaza area, using the vertical gradient method, revealed an elongated shallow linear feature, which turned out to be part of a channel network constructed with flat volcanic slabs. Inverted conical openings that end in a small well are connected to the channel network, which was apparently designed to collect water from rain and distribute it to the surrounding structures. The magnetic survey also shows the occurrence of a dipolar anomaly over a small topographic elevation that may likely correspond to another large pyramid. North of it, there is a series of elongated anomalies similar in shape and amplitude to those associated with the hydrological network. The archaeological remains extend over an area considerably larger than the one excavated in the archaeological study. The characteristics and size of the pyramidal structures, the plazas and channel network, and the apparent overall extension of the archaeological site strongly suggests that La Campana constituted a major urban and ceremonial center in westernmost Mesoamerica.     

Geophysical investigations of the Olonium Roman site (Northern Como Lake)

The study area is located at S. Agata (Gera Lario), a small center at the northern end of Como Lake, near the junction of Valchiavenna and Valtellina Valleys. This site played a strategic role since ancient times, providing the control on the communications routes to both the Como Lake and the Spluga and Septimer alpine passes. Since the end of the last century archaeological findings are reported in literature, also supported, from the early XI century, by archival documents confirming the existence of the `Olonium' settlement, an administrative and fiscal center of primary importance, as well as a parish amongst the most influential in the Como Lake area. Within an area of 45,000 m² an electrical survey has been carried out in conjunction with magnetic and GPR investigations. These studies have indicated the presence of a number of sub-areas characterized by significant anomalies defined by the overlapping of the results obtained from two or more geophysical methods. In two of such sub-areas, excavation tests have been conducted, which have brought to light a number of archaeological findings of interest. In one of the two sub-areas, which is characterized by the superimposition of electrical and radar anomalies, a deposit of large pebbles has been found. The origin of this deposit has not been ascertained, whether it is of fluvial origin, related to the deviation of the Adda river in the Pian di Spagna region in Roman times, or it is part of reclamation works, still of Roman times, of paleolacustrine marshes. The overlapping stratigraphy, however, suggests the development of fluvial channels between Roman and Low-Medieval times. In the other sub-area, excavations were carried out on sites defined by electrical and radar anomalies, and confirmed by the results from magnetic survey. The excavations brought to light, below the fluvial deposits, a large medieval edifice, which could be identified as the S. Stefano church abandoned in 1444. The church is built on earlier structures, amongst which an apse with a single aisle has been interpreted as a paleochristian sacellum.     

Ancient destructive earthquakes in Chersonesus Taurica and their importance for a long-term seismic hazard assessment of the Southwestern Crimea region

Continuing the author’s earlier works, the signs of ancient destructive earthquakes in the southwest Crimea have been collected and analyzed. These signs are considered using archeoseismological method based on the data of multiannual archeological excavations at Chersonesus Taurica and agricultural hinterland around it (chora) separately on each period of total destruction, reconstruction and new construction, and on structures of different purposes and degrees of earthquake-resistance (defensive structures, large civil buildings, dwellings, fortified estates, necropolises, and burials). Indirect signs are also involved. Both direct and indirect signs unambiguously contribute to form the general scenarios of considerable destruction in the polis and its chora, with the disturbance of entire socioeconomic life, which occurred in 340(±20) and 105(±5) BC as a result of strong earthquakes with I = VIII–IX (on MSK-64 scale). Based on the results of earlier works on destructive earthquakes of a later historical period in mind, the seismic potential of the Sevastopol source zone has been estimated.     

Radiocarbon age anomalies of land snail shells in the Chinese Loess Plateau

In the Chinese Loess Plateau, land snail shells are often the only material available for dating in paleoenvironmental and archaeological research. However, the geochronological suitability of land snail shells is limited because of poor knowledge about their deposition dynamics, particularly with regards to the incorporation of inorganic carbonate and the resulting age anomalies. To evaluate the factors controlling these age anomalies, radiocarbon and stable carbon analyses were carried out on surface soils, as well as the shells and organic bodies of different modern snail species from different ecological habitats. The results showed that all specimens were depleted in ¹⁴C, indicating the influence of inorganic, radiocarbon-free carbonate on the ¹⁴C-activity of the snail shells. The apparent ¹⁴C-deficiencies and the resultant age anomalies of both the Cathaica and the Bradybaena snail shells were within close ranges across the Chinese Loess Plateau, indicating that the shells of these species could, after corrections for radiocarbon anomalies, provide reliable age estimates. The apparent ¹⁴C-deficiencies were closely associated with the ecological habitats of the snails. The shells of the ground-dwelling Bradybaena had the smallest age offsets (533 ± 150 a), followed grass-dwelling Cathaica (1107 ± 138 a) and Cathaica living on trees (1550 ± 345 a). These results suggest that the availability of calcium in the respective ecological habitats is an important factor in explaining the apparent ¹⁴C-deficiencies. The influence of carbonate on the stable carbon isotope composition of shells is overwhelmed by the organic diets of snails, making δ¹³C unsuitable for identifying and correcting shell age anomalies. The radiocarbon activities of surface soils (A_calc) increase with weathering intensity. Thus, a significant uncertainty could be caused by assuming that A_calc is zero when estimating the proportions of different carbon sources in shells, as has been the case in most previous studies.     

Modelling Seismic Waves Around Underground Openings in Fractured Rock

—?The potential for large excavation-induced seismic events may be recognised, even if the timing of an event may be inherently unpredictable. In this case, modelling the wave propagation from a potential event could allow the dynamic motions around an excavation to be projected, and for areas of danger to be anticipated. However, the above and other potential applications require accurate models of wave interaction with the openings, as well as with the fractured rock which surrounds such excavations. This paper considers real recorded waveforms and how well these waveforms are modelled by explicit mechanical models of the source, the medium and the excavation. Models of experiments at three different scales of the problem are presented: small and large amplitude waveforms recorded around a deep-level mining tunnel in a synthetic rockburst experiment; waveforms from laboratory experiments of waves through plates of steel representing fractures; waveforms from active pulses in an acoustic emission experiment in a small volume of fractured rock at the surface of an underground excavation. The results show that elastic wave propagation around an excavation was a first approximation for small amplitude waves, but was less successful for modelling large amplitude waves and more fractured rock. Fractures in the models were represented explicitly with displacement discontinuities. Waveforms through known fracture geometries were particularly well-reproduced, and indicate the importance of fracture stiffness, the in situ stress state, and stress-dependence of the fractures in such models. Overall, the models are sufficiently successful at representing recorded behaviour, to be encouraging for the goal of representing accurate wave motions around excavations.     

四川芦山MS7.0地震震源区及其周边区域P波三维速度结构研究

利用四川数字地震台网和流动地震台站在芦山M_S7.0地震震后(2013年4月20日—6月23日)记录到的2026次区域地震事件的28188条P波到时资料,采用地震层析成像方法反演得到了芦山地震震源区及其周边区域中上地壳P波三维速度结构. 结果表明,浅部地壳的P波速度异常分布特征与地表地质构造、 地形和岩性密切相关,即成都断陷盆地表现出与第四纪沉积有关的低速异常区;犍为、 乐山一带的川中微升区和川青块体龙门山以西的邻近地带均表现为与构造抬升有关的高速异常;宝兴、 康定附近分布的基性火山岩及火山碎屑岩均呈局部高速异常分布. 芦山地震震源位于高低速异常分界线附近且偏向高速体一侧,其下方存在明显的低速异常分布,可能与流体的存在有关. 流体的作用导致中上地壳内部发震层的弱化,使孕震断层易于破裂,可能对芦山地震起到了触发作用. 芦山地震与汶川地震两次地震的余震密集区相距50 km,这50 km地震空区震源体的深度范围附近目前正处于高速异常区内,加之龙门山断裂带西南段又具有比较典型的断错地貌发育,使得该段地震空区(大邑—邛崃活动断裂破裂空段)现在所处的深浅部构造环境变得复杂,其潜在的地震危险性仍值得进一步关注.      

A regional strategy for geothermal exploration with emphasis on gravity and magnetotellurics

As part of the resource evaluation and exploration program conducted by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory for the national Hot Dry Rock (HDR) Geothermal Program, a regional magnetotelluric (MT) survey of New Mexico and Arizona is being performed. The MT lines are being located in areas where the results of analysis of residual gravity anomaly maps of Arizona and New Mexico, integrated with other geologic and geophysical studies indicate the greatest potential for HDR resources.The residual gravity anomalies are derived by applying the concept of predicting gravity anomalies from topography. This can be accomplished by employing reductions similar to those used in some isostatic investigations, in which a regional topographic surface is used as the Bouguer reduction datum. The datum is derived by comparison of various harmonics of Bouguer anomalies and elevations of stations. Topography can be used to predict Bouguer anomalies because of isostatic compensation; the resultant anomalies can be considered high frequency residual anomalies or isostatic anomalies corrected for regional compensation. Such maps have been produced for Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico.The main objective of the MT project is to produce a regional geoelectric contour map of the pervasive deep electrical conductor within the crust and/or upper mantle beneath the Colorado Plateau and the adjacent Basin and Range Province and Rio Grande Rift. The MT survey consists of 200 sites along several long profiles with site spacing of 15–20 km. Pre-existing available MT data are being integrated with the new data. After the data are processed, a one-dimensional inversion is applied to the sounding curve and used as a starting point for 2-D modeling. Such a project and ultimate map will be of major value in studying the regional geophysics and tectonics of the southwest United States as they now apply to HDR resources in particular and geothermal resources in general.Electrical conductivity anomalies of large areal extent are of particular interest in geothermal exploration. Correlation analysis of large conductive anomalies with other geophysical, geological, and geotectonic data is being performed. Preliminary analysis of the data has suggested several major regions of anomalously shallow high electrical conductivity. Among these is the Aquarius area of northwest Arizona which is the site of a longwavelength residual anomaly low, which when modeled and correlated with other geophysical data can be shown to be possibly related to low density and high temperature in the crust at depths of 20 km or less. Preliminary analysis of MT data indicates the possible existence of a mid-crustal high electrical conductivity anomaly in this same region.     

Evaluation and archaeological potential of geophysical investigations of the Roman fort and baths in Northern Muntenia,România

The Roman fort from Sfârleanca is one of the most representative archaeological sites dating from the Roman period (2nd century A.D.) in Northern Muntenia. The existing natural and anthropic features of the environment required the application of geophysical methods in order to outline the spatial pattern of the buried remains, to define the geometry of the anthropogenic settlements and to obtain detailed information about different archaeological materials without digging. During the survey, two different geophysical methods have been employed: total magnetic field measurements and electrical resistance mapping using Twin-probe array. The instrument consists of GSM19W Overhauser magnetometers with GPS, in base-rover system, and a twin-probe array LGM 4-Point light hp. The measurements were used to draw primary maps of the physical parameters (total magnetic field strength/intensity, electrical resistance), and also processed maps (filtering, derivative). The magnetic results obtained by interpreting the anomalies yielded information about the limits of the fort, about the internal organization of the military structure (its axial road, partially its secondary road, the localization and the shape of its constructions) and at the bath and heating installation. A previously unknown element is the possible water supply pipe made of ceramic material highlighted by the mathematical modelling of the data obtained by the magnetic investigations. Electrical resistance results provide complementary information to the magnetic survey concerning the limits of the baths and the remains of the fort structure. This paper brings to light geophysical investigations into this Roman fort and baths, extending the picture produced by previous archaeological excavations that only dealt with a small part of the site. It indicates the importance of using geophysical methods in preliminary archaeological research and the advantages of combining total magnetic field measurements and electrical resistance mapping when investigating an archaeological site characterized by a number of environmental difficulties.     

Empty native and invasive bivalve shells as benthic habitat modifiers in a large river

Bivalves are remarkable ecosystem engineers and their long-lasting shells may provide important physical structures for benthic organisms. In the last decades the Danube River has experienced great changes in the bivalve fauna, i.e. several native species have been declining and several invasive species have been introduced. The invasive Corbicula fluminea and Sinanodonta woodiana are now widespread and produce large amounts of shells. In this study, we investigated empty shells of native (Anodonta anatina, Unio tumidus) and invasive (C. fluminea, S. woodiana) bivalves (including their mixtures) as benthic substrates and compared them to clay granules (control), which mimics the natural hard substrates in the Danube River (Hungary). Macroinvertebrate colonization was compared between (i) empty shells and control substrate; (ii) different bivalve species (native and invasive) and (iii) three scenarios (before invasion, and short and long time after invasion) by using a mix of empty shells (native, native plus invasive, and invasive species). In comparison to control treatments the empty shells facilitated the presence of amphipods, caddis larvae and isopods, which contributed to a shift in the trophic structure by decreasing the proportion of gathering collectors while increasing the presence of shredders and predators. Several shell traits such as size, outer-shell surface roughness, hardness, thickness, 3D shape and chemical composition may be important attributes in the habitat modifying effects; however, this study could not disentangle which contribute most for the differences found. Given the capability of invasive C. fluminea and S. woodiana to accumulate large amounts of empty shells on several sites of the Danube, its habitat modifying effects can be particularly important, especially on the macroinvertebrate community structure. Moreover, these effects may increase in near future due to the predicted more frequent and severe extreme climatic conditions, which have been responsible for massive mortalities in both species.     

Study on Potential Strong Earthquake Risks Around the Mabian Area,Southern Sichuan

Based on seismic data from the regional network for the last 34 years,we analyzed the present fault behavior of major fault zones around the Mabian area,southern Sichuan,and identified the risky fault-segments for potential strong and large earthquakes in the future.The method of analysis is a combination of spatial distribution of b-values with activity background of historical strong earthquakes and current seismicity.Our results mainly show:(1) The spatial distribution of b-values indicates significant heterogeneity in the studied area,which reflects the spatial difference of cumulative stress levels along various fault zones and segments.(2) Three anomalously low b-value areas with different dimensions were identified along the Mabian-Yanjin fault zone.These anomalies can be asperities under relatively high cumulated stress levels.Two asperities are located in the north of Mabian county,in Lidian town in western Muchuan county,and near Yanjin at the south end of the fault zone.These two areas represent potential large earthquake seismogenic sites around the Mabian area in the near future.Besides them,the third relatively smaller asperity is identified at southern Suijiang,as another potential strongearthquake source.(3) An asperity along the southwestern segment of the Longquanshan fault zone indicates the site of potential moderate-to-strong earthquakes.(4) The asperity along the segment between Huangmu town in Hanyuan county and Longchi town in Emeishan city on Jinkouhe-Meigu fault has potential for a moderate-strong earthquake.     

青海湖意外湖花介(Limnocythere inopinata Bird)壳体稳定氧同位素组成对盐度的可能响应

介形类壳体的氧同位素组成已成为恢复湖区古气候/古环境的有效代用指标,而其氧同位素分馏及环境意义目前还缺乏研究.为评价青海湖介形类壳体氧同位素分馏及其环境意义,在青海湖进行系统的表层沉积物和水样的采集,测定表层沉积物中的意外湖花介(Limnocythere inopinata Bird)和相应水样的氧同位素组成.结果表明:意外湖花介壳体的氧同位素组成主要受控于水体的氧同位素组成,除温度的影响外,还可能受到盐度的影响,随着盐度变化,该种壳体与水体之间的同位素分馏呈减小趋势,而两者的氧同位素组成均呈偏正趋势.青海湖意外湖花介壳体的氧同位素组成在一定程度上可能间接反映水体盐度的变化,值得进行更深入的研究.     

蒙古及周边地区重力异常和地壳不均匀体分布

基于全球EGM2008自由空气重力异常模型,本文计算了蒙古及周边地区的布格重力异常和AiryHeiskanen均衡重力异常.在此基础上,本文采用Crust 1.0地壳模型为参考,通过重力正演方法,对蒙古及周边地区不同深度地壳密度结构模型的重力异常进行了计算,并对得到的正演布格重力异常与实际重力异常进行了对比和分析.研究结果表明:蒙古西部杭爱山地区与阿尔泰山地区的构造变形差异性明显,现今均衡重力异常中杭爱山周边没有明显的均衡异常高值区,而阿尔泰山地区西南方向存在均衡重力异常高值分布,分析与新构造运动密切相关;Crust 1.0模型给出的壳幔横向密度不均匀体分布对于计算Moho面起伏引起的重力异常作用明显;Crust 1.0给出的地壳内界面变形可以反映深大活动断裂的深部构造变形.研究结果对于认识蒙古东西部构造特征差异,以及现今西部活动断裂的地球物理场特征具有参考意义,也可以为进一步应用Crust 1.0模型为参考开展三维密度结构反演提供一定帮助.     

Expulsion of geopressured hydrothermal system along active faults and its relation to the occurrence of earthquakes in the Shinanogawa seismic belt,Japan

The 1995 Northern Niigata Earthquake (M 6.0) occurred at a shallow depth in the Niigata seismic gap. The anomaly areas in temperature, electrical conductivity and Cl- concentration of groundwater trend northeast as linear distribution in the epicentral area and are approximately coincident with the area of the seismic intensity 6 (JMA scale). The distributions of seismic intensity 6 and groundwater anomalies convincingly imaged the presence of a buried active fault beneath the epicentral area. The occurrence of this earthquake and the anomalies of groundwater were related to the expulsion of geopressured hydrothermal system (GHS). All epicenters of the destructive earthquakes along the Shinanogawa seismic belt are actually located in the buried active fault zones characterized by the areas of temperature and geochemical anomalies of groundwater. These earthquakes might have been triggered by the activity of GHS. The expulsion of GHS along an active fault in combination with the thermal softening of fault     

Design and application of a direct-push vadose zone gravel permeameter

A borehole permeameter is well suited for testing saturated hydraulic conductivity (K(sat)) at specific depths in the vadose zone. Most applications of the method involve fine-grained soils that allow hand auguring of test holes and require a small water reservoir to maintain a constant head. In non-cohesive gravels, hand-dug test holes are difficult to excavate, holes are prone to collapse, and large volumes of water are necessary to maintain a constant head for the duration of the test. For coarse alluvial gravels, a direct-push steel permeameter was designed to place a slotted pipe at a specific sampling depth. Measurements can be made at successive depths at the same location. A 3790 L (1000 gallons) trailer-mounted water tank maintained a constant head in the permeameter. Head in the portable tank was measured with a pressure transducer and flow was calculated based on a volumetric rating curve. A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation analytical method was utilized to calculate K(sat). Measurements with the permeameter at a field site were similar to those reported from falling-head tests.     

Numerical calculations of the perturbation of normal heat flow by topographic and local conductivity structure

A numerical method is used to investigate the effect of topographic and local thermal conductivity anomalies on near-surface heat flow for two-dimensional models. Heat flow associated with a sloping topographic structure is calculated. Also, the effects of a fault structure associated with the sloping topography are considered. Vertical and horizontal heat flow components are calculated alone; the surface of the earth as well as throughout the whole region of interest. The results indicate that surface heat flow is substantially affected by topographic relief and the horizontal heat flow component associated with topographic features can be large. Also, regional heat flow is greatly perturbed by local thermal conductivity anomalies and the effect of topographic features may be considerably modified by the subsurface structure.     

Chronostratigraphy and morphological changes in Cerion land snail shells over the past 130 ka on Long Island,Bahamas

Despite the nearly 600 named species of the land snail Cerion, studies of the geological and paleontological framework of modern species are few. To address this deficiency, the biostratigraphic succession of Cerion was investigated at several areas on Long Island, Bahamas. A chronostratigraphic framework was developed through whole-rock and Cerion land snail aminostratigraphies. About 175 individual Cerion shells from last interglacial and Holocene deposits were age-ranked using stratigraphic position and amino acid racemization (AAR) geochronology. AAR ages were generated using an existing AAR-¹⁴C age model for Cerion from the central Bahamas. The age structure of Cerion fossils in sediments was determined with AAR ages, and the magnitude of “dead carbon” anomalies was evaluated using this chronological approach.Temporal changes in gross shell morphology were examined from four study areas. The last interglacial, marine isotope stage/substage (MIS) 5e (Aminozone E) is characterized by generally large shells and in some cases, bimodal sets of very small (α shells) and very large forms (β shells) coexisting in the same stratigraphic levels (primarily soils), which may encompass the transition from between MIS 5e and 5d/c. Similar bimodality of nearly identical α and β shell forms and sizes is observed at other late MIS 5e sites from the furthest reaches of Great Bahama Bank (including Long, Exumas, Eleuthera, and New Providence Islands). The widespread distribution of α and β forms in soils capping MIS 5e marine and eolian deposits implies that there may have been a synchronous, regional morphological convergence on Great Bahama Bank. None of these forms are observed in Holocene deposits of Aminozone A.The earliest MIS 1 Cerion appear in a oolite deposited 6500 a BP, and are of intermediate size compared to the Pleistocene α and β forms. As MIS 1 progressed, the diversity of shell sizes and shapes increased into modern times. The greater variety of shell forms over the past 1000–2000 a suggests that humans may have played a role in the introduction and redistribution of Cerion across the region. The potential for frequent and widespread human introductions, combined with the propensity of Cerion to hybridise freely may explain the farrago of shell sizes and shapes in the recent snail faunas of Long Island and other Bahama islands.     

Integrated Geophysical Investigations at the Greek Kamarina Site (Southern Sicily,Italy)

Kamarina, located in southern Sicily (Italy), was an important Greek colony since its foundation in the sixth century BC. Archaeological excavations, carried out since the twentieth century, uncovered only limited portions of the site so far. Despite the importance of the Greek colony, the presence of remarkable buildings that archaeologists expected to bring to light has not found fully correspondence in the archaeological excavations. Consequently, the integrated geophysical prospection carried out in the study area is aimed to support and address the future archaeological investigations. After the photographic and thermographic survey obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle, we performed a systematic survey through ground magnetic and GPR methods over an area of 6200 m². The acquisition procedures have been optimized in order to get the best results combining high resolution and elevated speed of acquisition. The results derived from the three geophysical techniques have been conveniently combined by means of a cluster analysis, allowing us to clearly identify a series of buried archaeological features. Because of their geometrical characteristics, often in good agreement with the spatial arrangement of the archaeological remains at the surface, these buried archaeological features can be interpreted as roads, walls, or buildings foundations in which the various construction phases of the city can be clearly recognized. The integrated approach has proven to be essential for a robust interpretation of the archaeogeophysical investigation.     

易门地倾斜前兆综合分析的初步研究

本文应用莱柯拉兹滤波和别尔夫捷调和分析方法,对易门地倾斜固体潮观测资料进行处理;结合测点附近的区域地质构造特点、地震活动性和误差理论进行综合分析。数据处理和综合分析结果表明:易门地倾斜固体潮观测稳定,精度亦佳;测点地区内的大震前,均有前兆异常存在;测点所在地震带内的中强震前,有前兆异常存在;测点附近较近地区的中强震前,有时有前兆异常存在;大震及其前兆对地倾斜观测精度有直接影响;大震前存在一种集群性多台、多手段、多方法的前兆异常现象;在未来的一年时间内(1991年),云南地区不存在七级以上地震的危险。