Preliminary assessments on the modes of instability of the Antalya (SW-Turkey) coastal cliffs

Cliff erosion and the consequent instabilities present a significant risk to Antalya city (SW-Turkey). Erosional processes include the chemical action of mixing zone water, the mechanical action of waves, salt erosion and biological degradation. The rock properties (lithology, stratification, strength, etc.) are the controlling factors to this erosion. The coastal cliffs of Antalya are composed of tufa type carbonate rocks which occur in a wide range, from collapsible soil to hard rock. The instability problems of the cliffs of Antalya tufa commonly involve: rock fall, cave collapse, raveling, washout of weakly lithified tufa, shear failure and secondary toppling. Secondary toppling type instabilities, Culmann type failures and complex failures, a combination of these two, are widespread on the cliffs. The occurrence of large failures are usually associated with heavy rainfall as heavy rainfall causes the saturation of pores, increases pore water pressures and reduces the strength of the rock. Comparison between aerial photographs and topographic maps of different dates, do not provide evidence of considerable retreat. According to the historical data there has been little or no cliff retreat for 2,000 years. Therefore the erosion rate of the Antalya tufa cliffs is said to be so very slow that retreat is valid only in a geological timescale. However in an engineering timescale these cliffs are subjected to instabilities and to local failures causing local retreats.     

丹霞地貌定义、分类及丹霞作用研究

丹霞地貌以广东丹霞山最为典型而得名,是一种发育赤壁丹崖群的特殊地貌类型,近年来随着旅游开发不断升温而成为景观地貌学关注的重要对象,但其中一些基本问题长期争论不休。本文从命名地的地质、地貌特征和我国区域地质发展史角度出发,重新厘定了丹霞地貌的定义与分类,强调丹霞地貌的三大基本要素:赤壁丹崖地貌特征、燕山旋回以来陆相红层基础和以流水侵蚀为主的地质营力。西北地区也广泛发育丹霞地貌,一类是黄土覆盖下的古丹霞,另一类是干旱区片流侵蚀和泥乳贴膜的丹霞。丹霞作用是对中新生代陆相碎屑岩经流水侵蚀、重力崩塌和风化剥落等多种地质作用的统称,其产物就是丹霞地貌。岩性控制和崖壁片流垂蚀是丹霞作用的两种特殊机理。红层盆地的沉积相及其岩性差异控制着丹霞地貌的发育及其景观类型,据此在地貌发育的构造、外力和时间三个因素基础上增加了岩性因素。南方典型的红层盆地中,边缘冲积扇相粗碎屑岩地区可经历青年、中年和老年等发展阶段,盆地中央湖泊相泥岩、粉砂岩却没有经历过绝壁陡崖发展阶段。暴雨水流在丹霞崖壁上发生近垂直向下的侵蚀作用叫片流垂蚀作用。其中冲蚀作用形成竖状沟槽、竖状洞穴,涡蚀作用(借助风力吹动发展成垂直崖壁的涡旋)形成圆...     

Short contribution: Marine erosion and archaeological landscapes: A case study of stone forts at cliff‐top locations in the Aran Islands,Ireland

Two massively constructed stone forts exist on the edge of vertical coastal cliffs on the Aran Islands, Ireland. One of these, Dun Aonghusa, contains evidence of occupation that predates the main construction phases of the walls and broadly spans a time interval of 3300–2800 yr B.P. The other fort, Dun Duchathair, has been termed a promontory fort because its remaining wall crosses the neck of a small promontory marginal to the cliffs. Estimates of past rates of marine erosion in this part of Ireland may be made both by analogy with studies in other areas and comparison with present day rates of marine erosion. A working model for erosion rates of approximately 0.4 m of coastal recession per annum is suggested. By applying this rate to the cliffs of the Aran Islands, it can be shown that, assuming a construction date of approximately 2500 yr B.P. for these forts, they were originally built at a considerable distance from the coastline. Thus Dun Duchathair was not a promontory fort. The earliest recorded habitation at Dun Aonghusa, dated to the middle of the Bronze Age, was, therefore, at some distance inland and not on an exposed 70 m high cliff on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A methodology for the study of the relation between coastal cliff erosion and the mechanical strength of soils and rock masses

A methodology is proposed to make approximate estimates of the destructive force of waves at the bottoms of cliffs where no accurate bathymetric data are available, by means of correlation between the erosion rate of rocky coasts and the mechanical strength of soils and rock masses. The correlation used makes it possible to obtain a linear semi-logarithmic expression between the long-term average erosion rate (from an engineering standpoint) of coasts consisting of different lithologies, wave energy, and the uniaxial compressive strength of soils and rock masses forming the cliffs. The uniaxial compressive strength of soils consisting of landslide debris was measured using a pocket penetrometer and the Rock Mass index (RMi) method was used for rock masses. These methods were chosen after critical analysis of the methodologies currently available. The proposed approach was tested in the Cilento area of southern Italy, and in particular along a 6 km stretch of coast typified by rock masses and landslide debris that are particularly susceptible to erosion. This coastline is exposed to south-westerly waves which in deep water reach significant heights (between 1 and 3 m) and significant wave periods (between 4 and 7 s). Estimates of the coastal erosion rates were made by studying the variations, especially in restricted headland areas, occurring over two time spans, 30 and 45 years, respectively by comparing topographic maps and aerial photographs taken at different times. These comparisons give approximate indications of retreats of 15 m over the time span of 30 years (average erosion rate of 0.5 m year⁻¹) and of 35 m over the time span of 45 years (average erosion rate of ca 0.8 m year⁻¹). These data do have a local significance but clearly show how quick these processes sometimes are. Lastly, the study of a notch incised by wave action on a concrete sea wall built to protect a terrace made it possible to quantify the impact of erosion on concrete. It was possible to obtain RMi-values through field observations. Furthermore, it was possible to obtain the constants of the Hoek and Brown failure criterion using RMi. On the basis of RMi-values, the rock masses studied were defined as ‘moderately strong’ to ‘strong’ and, according to the Hoek and Brown criterion, as ‘poor’ to ‘fair’. A semilogarithmic linear relation was found between the strength of landslide debris, rock masses and concrete, as well as their respective long-term erosion. Consequently, a rough estimate of the destructive force of waves (ca 24 MPa) was calculated. This value is given by the product of the mean value of their hydraulic pressure for a non-dimensional constant which, in turn, takes into account the sandy-pebbly beach sediment at the foot of the cliffs that acts as an abrasive on the rock mass.     

粤北金鸡岭丹霞地貌发育与地质构造的关系

本文讨论了粤北金鸡岭地区各种破裂构造的特征及其与该区丹霞地貌发育的关系。研究结果表明,近东西向和近南北向的两组构造破裂面控制着该区条、块、面、线和点五种地貌形态的发育,而层状洞穴的发育则与成岩节理有关。沿着构造破裂面的机械崩塌、化学溶蚀和流水冲刷是形成金鸡岭丹霞地貌的三种主要地质作用。通过对各种实际资料的归纳和抽象,笔者还初步建立起金鸡岭丹霞地貌的演化模式,并得出该区丹霞地貌目前整体处于壮年期的认识。     

Landslides and stability of coastal cliffs of Cox's Bazar area,Bangladesh

Successive applications of two-dimensional circular slip limit equilibrium analysis of slices have been made to the three sections of the Cox's Bazar Coastal Cliff. These three sections have been found to be stable (S), quasistable (QS), and unstable (U) with factors of safety (Fs) of 1.269 ± 0.01, 1.13 ± 0.0504, and 1.01 ± 0.058, respectively. In the quasistable and unstable sections, the slopes suffered shallow slidings with slip circles parallel to the surface of slopes.The main causes of these slidings are steepness of slopes, lack of vegetation cover, erosion of toe accumulations by run-off water and waves during high tides. The influence of the slope geometry and the material's strength properties of slopes on safety factors are evaluated. The steeper cliffs reach an unstable condition faster than the more gentle cliffs as their heights change by an equal amount. Again, the high cliffs reach an unstable condition faster than the lower cliffs as slope inclinations change by an equal amount. The safety factor increases with a corresponding increase of friction angle (ø°) and vice versa.Abbreviations BK Bahar chara to Kalatali chara - KR Kalatali chara to Reju khal - RI Reju khal to Boro Inani khal - Fs Factor of Safety - S Stable - QS Quasistable (semistable) - US Unstable     

High-resolution monitoring of complex coastal morphology changes: cross-efficiency of SfM and TLS-based survey (Vaches-Noires cliffs,Normandy, France)

High-resolution digital elevation models (HRDEMs) on coastal areas, particularly cliffs, are an important asset for analyzing and quantifying the processes affecting their morphology. The Vaches-Noires coastal cliffs, located at the north-western part of the Pays-d’Auge region (Normandy, France), are an ideal site for the study of subaerial and marine erosion processes. Indeed, the coastline evolves through the accumulation of deposits resulting from rotational landslides and/or mudflows at the base of the cliff which are then undermined by the sea. The 3D modeling of a representative sector of the cliffs appears a suitable solution to monitor and quantify this evolution using HRDEMs. This paper presents the whole of a monitoring protocol, with high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution, on an original location characterized by reliefs of Badlands in coastal environments. The first results of these investigations are described with an evaluation of two methods for the creation of 3D models: a “heavy” method by Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) monitoring, and a “light” method using “Structure from Motion” (SfM) terrestrial photogrammetry. The small investment of time in the field and money is an important asset of the SfM method. The textured rendering quality of the SfM model makes it a powerful tool for geomorphological analysis. According to a recurrent monitoring protocol involving both measurements, it was possible to compare the accuracy of the SfM and TLS models. The results show a high accuracy of the SfM models with an overall average error of 0.05 m. The representations of the zones of accumulation and erosion as well as their spatial succession allow to investigate the dynamics of the involved processes with both methods. Preliminary volume calculation results are conclusive for TLS models.     

科其喀尔冰川表碛区冰崖形态调查

采用随机抽样的方法对科其喀尔冰川表碛区冰崖的规模及形态进行了调查.在冰崖比较集中的表碛区东侧任意选取了20个冰崖,利用测绳、皮尺并结合GPS测量的方法对冰崖的长度和高度进行了调查,同时用地质罗盘对冰崖的坡向和坡度进行了测量,从而了解冰崖的长度、高度、坡面面积、坡向和坡度等形态特征及其关系.对冰崖形态的分析表明,消融区内冰崖的规模相差很大,且随着海拔高度的增加,冰崖规模有减小的趋势;这可能主要与地形起伏随海拔高度的差异性变化有关,消融区下部冰崖表面消融过程较为活跃也是一个重要的因素.通过对冰崖的坡向和规模之间的分析可以看到,坡向为NW和NNE方向的冰崖最多,其规模也较大,而太阳直接辐射是影响冰崖发育坡向和发育规模的重要因素.     

江苏洪泽顺河集南石盐矿水溶性能试验

通过江苏洪泽顺河集南石盐矿样品室内水溶试验,研究该盐矿的水溶性能。结果表明：该矿上溶溶解速度和溶蚀速度大,侧溶溶蚀速度小于上溶溶蚀速度,但样品侧溶角小、溶解空间大、卤水膨胀率低,有利于水溶开采时水资源的利用;水不溶残渣膨胀率平均仅为2.18%,溶腔被残渣充填范围小,有利于上溶生产;残渣中的石盐残留量为23.03%～35.60%,开采过程中损失较少,利用率较高;卤水成分中NaCl含量高,有利于进一步加工利用。     

Raised coastal landforms as products of modern process variations, and their relevance in eustatic sea-level studies: examples from eastern Ireland

Products of marine processes occupy a considerable vertical range, which varies along the shore. Extreme waves can both cause erosion and form depositional structures up to several metres above the high tide mark. Temporary supra-elevation of water level by surge or wave set-up shifts effects upward. The preservation potential of products of extreme storms is relatively high, when compared to those associated with more frequent events. The level to which coastal landforms develop depends upon the conditions under which they form; thus sand beach ridges which are related to fairweathcr periods have a restricted height range when compared to gravel beach ridges building up under extreme storms. The varied coastal scenery of eastern Ireland provides many examples of storm-related products (barriers. cliffs, platforms, etc.). They have been related to a latc-Holocene eustatic sea level or even a partly isostatically controlled raised late-Holoccne sea level, but both elevations and apparent tilts can be explained by longshore variations in waves, tides and surges. Such an explanation is more consistent with other studies of latc-Holocene coastal evolution around the Irish Sea basin.     

Origin,geomorphology and geoheritage potential of Australia’s longest coastal cliff lines

Abstract

Two spectacular cliff lines occur along Australia’s south and west coasts: the Great Southern Scarp (new name) and the Zuytdorp Cliffs. Detailed measurements of their length show that they are exceptionally long and unusually continuous. The Great Southern Scarp is the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain’s Bunda Plateau; it is cut into shallow marine sediments and extends for 820?km. Once a continuous sea-cliff, local uplift has isolated two sections from the ocean, so it now comprises the Bunda Cliffs (210?km of coastal cliff, 180?km of which is uninterrupted cliff line), Hampton Range (inland; 300?km), Baxter Cliffs (160?km of coastal cliff) and Wylie Scarp (inland; 160?km). The Zuytdorp Cliffs are coastal cliffs cut into eolianite, and extend for 210?km with an uninterrupted section of 120?km. The length of the Great Southern Scarp and the Zuytdorp Cliffs results from an unusual combination of circumstances. They are both composed of poorly jointed, relatively homogenous biogenic calcarenites, presented to high-energy ocean waves by regional uplift. The carbonates are sufficiently well cemented to maintain a steep vertical cliff face, but susceptible to disintegration under direct wave attack. Cliff retreat has been fairly uniform because of the broad spatial scale of both lithology and erosion. The arid climate, absence of nearby non-karstic catchments and karstic nature of the cliffs’ hinterlands has discouraged integrated drainage development, so no significant fluvial systems dissect the cliffs; this is a key factor in cliff edge preservation. In the case of the Great Southern Scarp, these processes have formed the longest continuous cliff line in Australia and probably the world. Referenced against criteria from Australia’s National Heritage List, the cliffs have potentially international/national levels of significance for the rarity of their scale, their demonstration of landscape evolution, and their spectacular beauty.

1. KEY POINTS

2. Australia’s longest coastal cliffs, the Bunda (SA) and Zuytdorp (WA) cliffs, are equal in length (210?km, within defined confidence levels).

3. The Bunda Cliffs are part of the Great Southern Scarp (new name), an 820 km-long feature of the Nullarbor Plain that also includes the coastal Baxter Cliffs (160?km in length) and two paleocoastal scarps.

4. The unusual continuity of the cliff lines results from a landscape history specific to the Australian continent, and the Great Southern Scarp is likely to be unusual on a global scale.

5. The Great Southern Scarp and the Zuytdorp Cliffs have potentially national and/or international levels significance for geoheritage values in the criteria of events and processes, rarity and aesthetics.

     

Spatial and isotopic analysis of watershed soil loss and reservoir sediment accumulation rates in Lake Anna, Virginia, USA

Soil erosion and associated sedimentation are a threat to the sustainable use of surface water resources through the loss of volume storage capacity and conveyance of pollutants to receiving water bodies. The RUSLE2 empirical model and isotopic sediment core analyses were used to evaluate watershed erosion and reservoir sediment accumulation rates for Lake Anna, in Central Virginia. A sediment flux rate of 66,000 Mg/year was estimated from the upper basin and land use was determined to be the primary factor contributing to soil erosion. Barren lands and agricultural activities were estimated to contribute the most sediment (>20 Mg/ha/year), whereas forested and herbaceous landscapes were less likely to erode (<0.3 Mg/ha/year). Eleven separate ²¹⁰Pb-based estimates of sediment accumulation were used to construct reservoir-scale sedimentation rates. Sedimentation rates in the upper reaches of the reservoir were variable, ranging from 2.3 to 100 Mg/ha/year, with a median rate of 8.4 Mg/ha/year. Historical sedimentation showed an increase in annual accumulation from 1972 to present. Based on these data the reservoir has experienced a 2% loss of volume storage capacity since impoundment in 1972. Results from this study indicate that Lake Anna is not currently experiencing excessive sedimentation and erosion problems. However, the predominance of highly erosive soils (soil erodibility factor >0.30) within the watershed makes this system highly vulnerable to future anthropogenic stressors.     

An integrated assessment of soil erosion dynamics with special emphasis on gully erosion in the Mazayjan basin,southwestern Iran

Soil erosion by water is a significant problem in arid and semi-arid areas of large parts of Iran. Water erosion is one of the most effective phenomena that leads to decreasing soil productivity and pollution of water resources; especially, in the Mazayjan watershed in the southwest of Fars Province gully erosion contributes to the sediment dynamics in a significant way. Consequently, the intention of this research is to identify the different types of soil erosion processes acting in the area and to assess the process dynamics in an integrative way. Therefore, we applied GIS and satellite image analysis techniques to derive input information for the numeric models. For sheet and rill erosion the Unit Stream Power-based Erosion Deposition Model (USPED) was utilized. The spatial distribution of gully erosion was assessed using a statistical approach, which used three variables (stream power index, slope, and flow accumulation) to predict the spatial distribution of gullies in the study area. The eroded gully volumes were estimated for a 7-year period by fieldwork and Google Earth high-resolution images. Finally the gully retreat rates were integrated into the USPED model. The results show that the integration of the SPI approach to quantify gully erosion with the USPED model is a suitable method to qualitatively and quantitatively assess water erosion processes. The application of GIS and stochastic model approaches to spatialize the USPED model input yields valuable results for the prediction of soil erosion in the Mazayjan catchment. The results of this research help to develop an appropriate management of soil and water resources in the southwestern parts of Iran.     

Geospatial assessment of soil erosion intensity and sediment yield: a case study of Potohar Region,Pakistan

Estimation of spatial extent of soil erosion, one of the most serious forms of land degradation, is critical because soil erosion has serious implications on soil fertility, water ecosystem, crop productivity and landscape beauty. The primary objective of the current study was to assess and map the soil erosion intensity and sedimentation yield of Potohar region of Pakistan. Potohar is the rainfed region with truncated and complex topography lying at the top of the Indus Basin, the world’s largest irrigation networks of canals and barrages. Spatially explicit Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) Model integrated with Remote Sensing-GIS techniques was used for detecting/mapping of erosion prone areas and quantification of soil losses. The results show that the Potohar region is highly susceptible to soil erosion with an average annual soil loss of 19 tons ha^?1 year^?1 of which the maximum erosion (70–208 tons ha^?1 year^?1) was near the river channels and hilly areas. The sediment yield due to the erosion is as high as 148 tons ha^?1 year^?1 with an average of 4.3 tons ha^?1 year^?1. It was found that 2.06% of the total area falls under severe soil erosion, 13.34% under high erosion, 15.35% under moderate soil erosion while 69.25% of the area lies in the low (tolerable) soil erosion. Chakwal and Jhelum districts of the region are seriously affected by erosion owing to their topography and soil properties. The information generated in this study is a step forward towards proper planning and implementation of strategies to control the erosion and for protection of natural resources. It is, hence, necessary that suitable water harvesting structures be made to control water to prevent soil erosion and provision of water in the lean season in this region. Tree plantation and other erosion control practices such as strip cropping can also minimize soil erosion in this region.     

Erosion problems in Alexandroupolis coastline,North-Eastern Greece

This paper deals with the coastal erosion processes and the related problems around the city of Alexandroupolis, NE Aegean Sea, N. Greece. The area is very fast developing, as the city is an important port and a summer resort center in SE Balkans, and will become soon a transportation and energy center, as well. The coastline under study exhibits an east–west orientation and has a length of more than 50 km. The spatial distribution and the characteristics of the changes in the shoreline were studied by comparing old and new air photographs and topographic maps, as well as through repeated series of field observations and local measurements regarding the erosion process. From these studies it was concluded that the greater stretch of the western part of the coast, under consideration, is of moderate to high relief, with a considerable participation of coastal cliffs. It consists of conglomerates of varying granulometry and consistency and is under moderate to severe erosion process. The erosion phenomena in the western part of the coast may be attributed, primarily, to strong S, SW winds, blowing in the area and to trapping of sediments by Alexandroupolis’ port breakwaters; the port stops or/and diverts the sediments to the open sea; and to the east to west longshore sea current, prevailing in the area. The eastern stretch of the coast is a plain area, formed by sandy–silty sediments; being a part of the river Evros’ Delta, it is under deposition and accretes seawards. The majority of the coasts under consideration are classified as coasts of high wave energy potential. Hard structures, as shore protection measures, have been constructed in some places, but they were proved, in rather short time-period, ineffective and suffered extensive failures. Thus, it is argued that for a long-term cost-effective tackling of the various erosion problems on any stretch, priority must be given to soft engineering measures; although, certain hard measures, carefully selected and locally implemented, can contribute to forming a rational combination of protection/mitigation measures. Besides, the development pressures in the coastal zone have to be confronted, in a sustainable way, through new integrated coast management regulations.     

Reef geometries, erosion surfaces and high-frequency sea-level changes, upper Miocene Reef Complex, Mallorca, Spain

The upper Miocene Reef Complex of Mallorca is a 20-km prograding unit which crops out in sea cliffs along the southern side of the island. These vertical and exceptionally clean outcrops permit: (i) identification of different facies (lagoon, reef front, reef slope and open platform) and their geometries and boundaries at different scales, ranging from metre to kilometre, and (ii) construction of a 6-km-long high-resolution cross-section in the direction of reef progradation. This cross-section shows vertical shifts of the reefal facies and erosion surfaces linked to a general progradational pattern that defines the accretional units. Four hierarchical orders of magnitude (1-M to 4-M) of accretional units are identified by consideration of the vertical facies shifts and by which erosion surfaces are truncated by other erosion surfaces. All these orders show similar patterns: horizontal beds of lagoonal facies in the upper part (landward), reefal and slope facies with sigmoidal bedding in the central part, and open-platform facies with subhorizontal bedding in the lower part (basinwards). The boundaries are erosion surfaces, horizontal over the lagoon facies, dipping basinwards over the reef-front facies and connecting basinwards with their correlative conformities over the reef-slope and open-platform facies. The four orders of accretional units are interpreted in terms of four (1-M to 4-M) hierarchies of sea-level cycles because (i) there is a close relation between the coral growth and the sea surface, (ii) there are vertical shifts in the reefal facies and their relation to the erosion surfaces, and (iii) there was very little tectonic subsidence in the study area during the late Miocene. Additionally, all these units can be described in terms of their position relative to the sea-level cycle: (i) the reefs prograde on the open-platform sediments during low stands of sea-level; (ii) aggradation of the lagoon, reef and open-platform facies dominates during sea-level rises, and the lagoonal beds onlap landwards upon the previous erosion surface; (iii) reefal progradation occurs during high stands of sea-level; and (iv) the 2-M sea-level fall produces an off-lapping reef and there is progradation with downward shifts of the reefal facies and erosion landward on the emerged (older) reefal units (A-erosion surfaces); the 3-M and 4-M sea-level falls produce only erosion (B-and C-erosion surfaces). Although precise age data do not exist at present, some speculations upon the frequency of these Miocene relative sea-level cycles can be made by comparisons with Pleistocene cyclicity. There is a good correlation between the Miocene 2-M cycles and the 100-ka Pleistocene cycles. Consequently, the 1-M cycles can be assigned to a fourth order in relation to previously proposed global cycles and the 2-M to fifth-order cycles. All these accretional units could be defined as ‘sequences’, according to the definition as commonly used in sequence stratigraphy. However, they represent higher than third-order sea-level cycles, but are not parasequences. The term subsequence, therefore, is suggested to define ‘a part of a sequence bounded by erosion surfaces (mostly subaerial) and their correlative conformities basinwards'. A hierarchy of subsequences can be established.     

河北省海兴县小山区域的国土资源及开发前景

小山区域有距今1万余年前的掩埋火山口,小山的岩性为多期喷发的凝灰岩组成。本区一度曾沦为海湾,后随地壳运动形成断崖、台地、砂丘等多种地貌景观,并蕴藏着矿泉水、地热、砂等矿产资源。所以,除地质研究外,本文还就该区的土地资源、矿产资源及旅游资源的开发利用提出了一些建议。     

美国Zion国家公园红层地貌发育研究

随着中国红层和丹霞地貌研究逐步走向国际,国内学者走出国门去认识和了解国外的红层及其地貌发育显得尤为必要。Zion国家公园是美国西部红层的典型代表,在干旱气候环境下发育了高原-峡谷景观。本文通过野外考察和岩样分析,从地质构造、岩性特征和外动力等方面来探讨Zion公园的红层地貌发育机制。研究表明:Zion公园为科罗拉多高原西部边缘的断块山地,公园内褶皱很少,断层稀疏,但节理密集,控制了峡谷群的发育。公园内地貌发育的主体地层为红层,主要形成于侏罗纪,其沉积环境复杂多变,兼具滨/浅海、河流、湖泊和沙漠等。岩性特征上,Zion公园的红层以细砂岩和粉砂岩为主。其中,形成崖壁的主要为风成相石英砂岩,但各段岩石的胶结特性不同,导致其岩石强度和颜色有较大差异。此外,还发现Zion公园红层的岩石强度和山体坡度并不呈正相关关系,它还与岩性是否均一有关。细粒均一的风成相砂岩和河流相Springdale段砂岩发育成陡崖,其余含有软岩夹层的岩层只能形成缓坡。外动力方面,流水下切是主导因素,同时流水侧蚀和地下水的基蚀作用等对Zion公园的地貌发育也有重要影响。     

Interaction between aeolian, fluvial and playa environments in the Permian Upper Rotliegend Group, UK southern North Sea

The Permian Upper Rotliegend Group in offshore UK Quadrants 42, 43, 47 and 48 comprises a sequence of mixed aeolian/fluvial/playa deposits. These deposits are up to 300 m thick and contain a record of the interaction between desert fluvial systems and adjacent aeolian and playa environments. The relative dominance of water vs. wind transport and deposition in this stratigraphic package was a function of fluctuations in the discharge of ephemeral fluvial systems and changes in water table/playa level driven by a combination of climatic change and syndepositional tectonics. The Rotliegend sedimentary record is punctuated by numerous surfaces recording erosion by wind and water. The origin of these surfaces is mostly climatic, with periods of increased runoff resulting in fluvial incision, especially near active faults. During periods of reduced runoff, wind erosion of fluvial deposits occurred, with fluvially derived sand being reworked into expanding aeolian dune fields. Wind erosion also occurred as a rising water table isolated dunes from their sediment supply, resulting in deflation of dunes down to the water table. These surfaces formed in a basin that was subsiding. Thus, even in a background of overall increasing accommodation space, climatically driven falls in the water table allowed for periods of erosion. The occurrence of significant erosion, especially near syndepositional fault zones, resulted in a sedimentary record that shows pronounced lateral as well as vertical facies variations.     

Lake shoreline development, frost weathering and rock platform erosion in an alpine periglacial environment, Jotunheimen, southern Norway

Ice-dammed lake Boverbrevatnet existed for 75–125 years in the 'Little Ice Age'. After about A.D. 1826, glacier retreat led to a fall in lake level and to exposure of the former shoreline, which includes well-developed platforms cut in metamorphic bedrock. The rock platforms, up to 5.3 m wide and backed by cliffs up to 1.55 m high, are partially covered by large angular boulders which form pavements. Accurate levelling has permitted correlation of platform fragments, overflow cols and related features of the shoreline, such as benches eroded in moraines, ice-push ridges, a perched delta, vegetation trim-lines, lichen limits and a 'lichen-kill' zone. The evolution of the lake, the chronology of deglaciation and the period of formation of the rock platforms have been dated by lichenometry, supported by ¹⁴C dating, Schmidt hammer 'R'-values and historical data. The morphology of the rock platforms, together with estimates of their rate of erosion ranging from 1.4 to 7.1 cm/year, indicate the importance of frost shattering (frost riving, frost wedging or macrogelivation) at the lake margin under a periglacial climate, while the permanence of such platforms as landscape features suggests their use in the reconstruction of former periglacial environments. A semi-quantitative model is outlined for the development of rock platforms which emphasises deep penetration of the annual freeze-thaw cycle, the movement of unfrozen lake water towards the freezing plane, and the growth of segregation ice in fissures and cracks at the interface between lake ice and bedrock. Ice-push and ice-pull processes are involved primarily as transporting agents in the formation of boulder pavements and in the removal of debris from the platforms. Analogous processes may occur on polar coasts producing coastal rock platforms.