VELOCITY ANALYSIS OF THE SH-CHANNEL WAVE IN THE SCHWALBACH SEAM AT ENSDORF COLLIERY1

An in-seam fan shoot was conducted in 1981 over a 300 m × 500 m panel of the Schwalbach seam at Ensdorf by a team from Prakla-Seismos AG of Hannover under contract to Saarbergwerke AG, Saarbrücken. The object was to study SH-mode propagation in the coal seam waveguide. The high quality dataset retrieved provides a general and valuable test bed with which to compare the performance of in-seam seismic velocity analysers. Five different dispersion analysers are demonstrated using the Schwalbach data. They are all based on the a priori assumption of coal seam homogeneity and isotropy. Space or time windows limit the resolution of the Fourier moving-window analyser, the migration based phase-velocity analyser, and the double Fourier transformer. The other two analysers, the maximum entropy moving-window analyser and the phase-moveout analyser, achieve noise-limited super-resolution by predicting the probable behaviour of the wavefield outside the window. The coal seam's characteristics conform to those predicted for a simplified model based on proposals by Elsen, Rüter and Schott of Westfälische Berggewerkschaftskasse, Bochum. The slight discrepancy between theoretical and actual dispersion characteristics could be reduced by increasing the model's complexity. However, there would be no material gain without testing the validity of the signal processing assumptions of seam isotropy and homogeneity.     

Age and duration of the réunion geomagnetic polarity event

Palaeomagnetic studis on oriented samples from two sequences of olivine basalt lava flows on the island of Réunion together record the Réunion normal polarity event within the Matuyama reversed polarity epoch. Detailed K?Ar dating of the lavas indicates that the Réunion event has a mean age 2.02±0.02 my with a duration estimated to lie within the range 10,000 to 50,000 yr. This could explain the rarity of detection of the event in deep sea sedimentary cores.     

The great Atacama flood of 2001 and its implications for Andean hydrology

In February 2001, widespread flooding occurred throughout the Atacama Desert of northern Chile and southern Peru. It was particularly severe in the Río Loa basin, where roads and bridges were disrupted and the town of Calama inundated. The instantaneous peak flow in the Río Salado, a tributary of the Río Loa, reached 310 m³ s^?1, an order of magnitude higher than any previously recorded event. The flood is estimated to have a return period of 100–200 years and is shown to have been caused by intense, long‐duration rainfall in the western Cordillera associated with La Niña. The surface water response is typical of arid areas and highly dependent on antecedent conditions, but is quite different in perennial and ephemeral catchments. Ephemeral flood flows suffer high transmission losses, recharging phreatic aquifers. Perennial rivers have lower runoff coefficients, but baseflow levels remained high after the event for several months due to bank storage rebound and interflow. Extremely high energies of ～3000 W m^?2 were generated by the floods in the Cordillera, becoming less in the Precordillera and downstream. Erosion and sediment transport were consequently highest in the upper and middle reaches of the rivers, with mixed erosion‐deposition in the lowest reach. The new insights gained from the interpretation and quantification of this event have important implications for palaeoenvironmental analysis, hazard management, water resource evaluation and the palaeohydrological evolution of the Andes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predictability of currents on a mesotidal estuary (Ria de Vigo, NW Iberia)

In this contribution, the implementation, validation and sensitivity analysis of an operational forecasting system (three-dimensional hydrostatic model) in the Ría de Vigo is presented. A set of sensitivity tests for different atmospheric and hydrodynamic typical periods was performed. The goal is to determine the relative importance of forcing mechanisms in order to evaluate the source of errors in predictions. Previously, validations for three periods of about 15 days were compared with measured data. Sea-level evolution reveals low errors and correlation values close to 1. Surface velocities were compared with high-frequency radar and horizontal Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data, showing acceptable results on radar area, where tidal and wind circulation patterns are well reproduced by the model. Conductivity, temperature, and depth profiles were used to validate simulated temperature and salinity. While modelled temperature profiles show good agreement with measured profiles, eventual errors are detected on salinity. The sensitivity analysis took three variables into account: sea level, currents at open boundary conditions, and winds (two different configurations). The results show that the most important source of errors on simulated surface currents is wind. Errors on open boundary conditions seem to be limited on the outermost part of the Ría. Although the results presented mainly focus on the Ría de Vigo, the method and conclusions may be applied to other mesotidal estuaries. Moreover, this work will allow a more effective operational system focused on coastal management to be performed.     

Pb,Hf and Nd isotope compositions of the two Réunion volcanoes (Indian Ocean): A tale of two small-scale mantle “blobs”?

Pb, Hf, Nd and Sr isotopes of basaltic lavas from the two Réunion Island volcanoes are reported in order to examine the origin of the sources feeding these volcanoes and to detect possible changes through time. Samples, chosen to cover the whole lifetime of the two volcanoes (from 2 Ma to present), yield a chemically restricted (compared to OIB lavas) but complex distribution. Réunion plume isotopic characteristics have been defined on the basis of the composition of uncontaminated shield-building lavas from the Piton de la Fournaise volcano. The average ?_Nd, ?_Hf, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb isotope ratios calculated for this component are + 4.4, + 9.1, 0.70411, 18.97, 15.59 and 39.03, respectively. In Pb–Pb isotope space, each volcano defines a distinct linear trend but slight variations are also detected within the various volcanic sequences. The Piton des Neiges volcano yields a distinct and significantly more scattered isotopic distribution than Piton de la Fournaise for both Pb, Hf and Nd isotope tracers. A principal component analysis of the Pb isotope data from Piton de la Fournaise reveals a major contribution of the C and EM-1 components (with a clear Dupal flavor) as main components for the modern Réunion plume. The same components have been identified for Piton des Neiges but with a stronger participation of a depleted mantle component and a weaker EM-1 contribution. The compositional change of the lavas erupted by the Piton des Neiges and Piton de la Fournaise volcanoes is attributed to the impingement of two small-scale blobs of plume material at the base of the Réunion lithosphere. Compared to other hot-spots worldwide, in particular Hawaii and Kerguelen, magmas beneath Réunion are generated from a considerably more homogeneous, compositionally more primitive plume higher in ²⁰⁶Pb. Although shallow-level contamination processes have been locally detected they did not alter significantly the composition of the plume magmas. This is tentatively attributed to mantle dynamics producing small, high-velocity blobs that ascend rapidly through the lithosphere, and to the lack of a well-developed magma chamber at depth in the lithosphere.     

Young green turtles,Chelonia mydas,exposed to plastic in a frontal area of the SW Atlantic

Ingestion of anthropogenic debris represents an important threat to marine turtle populations. Information has been limited to inventories of debris ingested and its consequences, but why ingestion occurs and the conditions that enable it are less understood. Here we report on the occurrence of plastic ingestion in young green turtles (Chelonia mydas) inhabiting the Río de la Plata (SW Atlantic). This estuarine area is characterized by a frontal system that accumulates anthropogenic debris. We explored exposure of green turtles to plastic and its ingestion via debris distribution, habitat use and digestive tract examination. Results indicated that there is considerable overlap of frontal accumulated plastic and core foraging areas of the animals. Exposure results in ingestion, as shown by the high frequency of plastic found in the digestive tracts. The Río de la Plata estuarine front is an area of conservation concern for young green turtles.     

Identifying rift zones on volcanoes: an example from La Réunion island,Indian Ocean

We describe a methodology for identifying complex rift zones on recent or active volcanoes, where structures hidden by recent deposits and logistical conditions might prevent carrying out detailed fieldwork. La Réunion island was chosen as a test-site. We used georeferenced topographic maps, aerial photos and digital terrain models to perform a statistical analysis of several morphometric parameters of pyroclastic cones. This provides a great deal of geometric information that can help in distinguishing the localisation and orientation of buried magma-feeding fractures, which constitute the surface expression of rift zones. It also allowed the construction of a complete GIS database of the pyroclastic cones. La Réunion is a perfect example where past and active volcanic rift zones are mostly expressed by clusters of monogenic centres. The data has been validated in the field and compared and integrated with the distribution and geometry of dyke swarms. Results show the presence of several main and secondary rift segments of different ages, locations and orientations, whose origin is discussed considering regional tectonics, local geomorphology, and volcano deformation.     

Variability of extreme precipitation in coastal river basins of the southern mexican Pacific region

Extreme wet and dry years (± 1 standard deviation, respectively), as well as the top 95 percentile (P95) of daily precipitation events, derived from tropical cyclone (TC) and nontropical cyclone (NTC) rainfall, were analyzed in coastal river basins in Southern Oaxaca, Mexico (Río Verde, Río Tehuantepec, and the Southern Coast). The study is based on daily precipitation records from 47 quality-controlled stations for the 1961 to 1990 period and TC data for the Eastern Tropical Pacific (EPAC). The aim of this study was to evaluate extreme (dry and wet) trends in the annual contribution of daily P95 precipitation events and to determine the relationship of summer precipitation with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacifical Decadal Oscillation (PDO). A regionalization based on a rotated principal component analysis (PCA) was used to produce four precipitation regions in the coastal river basins. A significant negative correlation (significance at the 95% level) was only found with ONI in rainfall Region 3, nearest to the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Wet years, mainly linked to TC-derived P95 precipitation events, were associated with SST anomalies (≥?0.6°C) similar to weak La Niña and Neutral cool conditions, while dry years were associated with SST positive anomalies similar to Neutral warm conditions (≤?0.5°C). The largest contribution of extreme P95 precipitation derived from TCs to the annual precipitation was observed in Region 3. A significant upward trend in the contribution of TC-derived precipitation to the annual precipitation was found only in Region 1, low Río Verde.     

The role of the helicity spectrum function in turbulent dynamo theory

Abstract

It is shown that, for general homogeneous turbulence, the anti-symmetric part of the spectrum tensor can be expressed in terms of a single scalar function H(k,ω) (the helicity spectrum function). Under the first-order smoothing approximation, the coefficients α _ij β _ijk in the expansion of the mean electromotive force in terms of the mean magnetic field are determined; α _ij is a weighted integral of H(k,ω), and β _ijk contains a part β(a)ijk which is likewise a weighted integral of H(k, ω). When the turbulence is axisymmetric, β(a)ijk contains Rädler's (1969a) “Ω ∧ J-effect”. It is shown that when the turbulence is statistically symmetric about a plane perpendicular to the axis of symmetry, then βij = O but the Rädler effect is non-zero. Explicit expressions for αij and βijk are given when the velocity field is generated by random forcing in a rotating medium. Finally, it is shown by means of a local analysis that the Rädler effect, in conjunction with uniform mean shear, can give rise to non-oscillatory dynamo action, and it is argued that this effect may be significant in the well-mixed interior of a stellar convection zone, where by symmetry the α-effect may be weak.     

Salsvatn,a lake with old sea water

Salsvatn is a 464 m deep lake laying 16 m above sea level in North Trøndelag, Norway. The lake was isolated from the sea some 3,000 years ago. It is assumed that salt-water in the deepest 50 m of the lake is the remain of sea water being trapped in the lake at this time. The concentration of cloride in the salt-water layer corresponds to a salinity of 29‰ in ordinary sea water. Hydrography of the lake and changes in some components of the salt water compared with ordinary sea water are discussed. Comparison is made with changes in the stagnant layers of the Black Sea and Lake Rørholtjorden. The latest is another lake with old sea-water at its bottom. Surface sediment samples have been collected from the freshwater and salt-water layers in Lake Rørholtfjorden and from the salt-water layer of Lake Salsvatn. Some chemical components of the sediments and interstitial water have been analysed and discussed.     

The magnetic fabric of some dolerite intrusions,northeast Spitsbergen; implications for their mode of emplacement

The titanomagnetite fabric of some dolerites from two areas of northeast Spitsbergen, Lomfjorden and the Bastian, and Rønnbeck islands have been studied by means of magnetic susceptibility anisotropy measurements. The shape and orientation of the susceptibility ellipsoids were determined with an a.c. bridge. Both areas showed a dominating magnetic foliation in the horizontal plane. A weakly developed preferred orientation of the maximum (K^I) and intermediate (K^II) susceptibility axis within the magnetic foliation plane was found, the K^I-axis striking predominantly E-W and the K^II-axis striking N-S. The magnetic fabric is interpreted as resulting from horizontal movement of magma. It is concluded that the Bastian and Rønnbeck islands are the relics of one or more larger sills.     

Hydrology of stockpiled industrial coal exposed to rainfall

The movement of water and particulate matter through a simulated coal pile using a rainfall–coal‐pile simulator is investigated. In conjunction with coal‐pile management practices, this study indicates that coal‐pile systems change their internal and surficial structure with successive rainstorm events. This change in coal‐pile structure alters the proportions, rates and suspended solid concentrations within surface runoff and infiltration during subsequent storm events. Results demonstrate the need to determine the optimal coal‐pile slope that minimizes water contact time, but at the same time minimizes the potential for mass wasting and rill erosion. Promotion of a compacted surface is beneficial for the minimization of solids removal, and a stormwater detention pond with potential flocculant additive is suggested as a viable remedial measure for the containment and treatment of coal‐pile runoff. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The basalts of Réunion Island,Indian Ocean

Réunion consists of two shield volcanoes, Piton des Neiges (3069 m) and Piton de la Fournaise (2631 m). The former is extinct and deeply eroded, so that its internal structure is clearly displayed. The deepest accessible part of the pile is a strongly zeolitised agglomerate (Cirque Agglomerate) made up mainly of olivine-basalt fragments. This is covered by a thick sequence of oceanite and olivine-basalt flows (Oceanite Series), which in turn is overlain by feldsparphyric basalts and lavas of intermediate composition (Differentiated Series). An intricate plexus of intrusions, ranging in composition from picrite to quartz-syenite, is exposed in the core of the volcano. Piton de la Fournaise is still active, and is producing oceanites and olivine-basalts generally similar in character to the Oceanite Series lavas of Piton des Neiges. New chemical data on the « primitive » basalts of both volcanoes are presented, and a brief comparison is made with the Hawaiian tholeiites. It is concluded that the Réunion « primitive » basalts are best described as transitional between tholeiitic and alkaline.     

A regional water balance indicator inferred from satellite images of an Andean endorheic basin in central-western Argentina

In the Central Andes of Argentina (30–37°S), snowmelt is the main source of freshwater, an essential natural resource for ~2.2 million people in the adjacent arid lowlands. In this region, Laguna Llancanelo collects the water inputs from the Malargüe endorheic basin. Previous studies concerning the annual and intra-annual variations of this lagoon and its relationship with regional climate are rare. We obtained a monthly record for the Laguna Llancanelo area (LLA, 1984–2013) using the modified normalized difference water index derived from Landsat images. Monthly LLA ranges between 35 km² and 411 km² and is significantly related to variations of the Río Malargüe, the main snow-fed tributary to the lagoon. There is no long-term relationship between LLA and local rainfall, but rapid increases in LLA result from heavy rainfall around the lagoon. Conversely, rapid reductions in LLA encompass periods with both reduced discharge from the Río Malargüe and low local rainfall. The LLA integrates moisture of both Pacific (snowfall in the upper Andes) and Atlantic (lowland rainfall) origins; therefore, we propose using LLA as an indicator of regional water balance.     

The effects of hurricane hugo on suspended-sediment loads,Lago loíza Basin,Puerto Rico

Runoff generated from large storm events, such as hurricanes, is expected to transport large quantities of suspended sediment. Observations of suspended-sediment loads transported during Hurricane Hugo in the Lago Loìza (Lake Loiza) basin, Puerto Rico, indicate that loads were lower than expected. In the two main tributaries that enter Lago Loìza, Rio Grande de Loìza and Rio Gurabo, 99 600 tonnes of suspended sediment was transported by 58·2 × 10⁶ m³ of runoff in a 48 h period. The storm-average suspended-sediment concentration in the Río Grande de Loìza for Hurricane Hugo was 2290 mgl⁻¹, the second lowest for the 12 storms that have been monitored at this site. In Río Gurabo the storm-average suspended-sediment concentration was 1420 mgl⁻¹, the sixth lowest recorded out of 15 monitored storms. In Quebrada Salvatierra, a small tributary to Río Grande de Loìza, suspended-sediment concentrations were as low as 33 mgl⁻¹ during the peak runoff of 20 m³ s⁻¹. Normally the suspended-sediment concentrations at this discharge are 3000 mgl⁻¹. Hurricane force winds seem to be the most important factor contributing to the lower than expected suspended-sediment loads in the Lago Loìza basin. The high winds caused vegetation and debris to be dislodged and displaced. Debris accumulated on hillslopes and in small channels, blocked bridges and formed debris dams. These dams caused local backwater effects that reduced stream velocities and decreased suspended-sediment loads.     

Zur Bedeutung der Fische als Umweltindikatoren,Laboratoriumsversuche an Karpfen (Cyprinus carpio L.) mit Quecksilber

– Durch Experimente erzielte Anreicherungsfaktoren für Quecksilber in Karpfen bestätigen, daß eine Rüekrechnung von gemessenen Quecksilberkonzentrationen im Fisch auf solche im Wasser mit Hilfe der Faktoren nicht ohne weiteres möglich ist; – dagegen zeichnet sich ab, daß ein Vergleich verschiedener quecksilberhaltiger Fischorgane gewisse Rückschlüsse auf die vorangegangene Art (chronisch oder akut) der Quecksilber-belastung ermöglicht; – die Höhe der Quecksilberaufnahme der Karpfenkiemen bei akut-toxischer Quecksilberkonzentration im Wasser hing von der Queckeilberbelastung der Karpfen ab. Ebenso wurde biervon die Manifestationszeit beeinflußt     

Thermal surface characteristics of coal fires 1 results of in-situ measurements

Natural underground coal fires are fires in coal seams occurring subsurface. The fires are ignited through a process named spontaneous combustion, which occurs based on a natural reaction but is usually triggered through human interaction. Coal mining activities expose coal to the air. This leads to the exothermal oxidation of the carbon in the coal with the air's oxygen to CO₂ and – under certain circumstances – to spontaneous combustion. Coal fires occur in many countries world wide – however, currently the Chinese coal mining industry faces the biggest problems with coal fires. Coal fires destroy the valuable resource coal and furthermore lead to many environmental degradation phenomena such as the deterioration of surrounding vegetation, land subsidence and the emission of toxic gasses (CO, N₂O). They additionally contribute to the emission of green house relevant gasses such as CO₂ and CH₄ to the atmosphere.In this paper we present thermal characteristics of coal fires as measured in-situ during a field campaign to the Wuda coal fire area in south-central Inner Mongolia, China. Thermal characteristics include temperature anomaly measurements at the surface, spatial surface temperature profiles of fire areas and unaffected background areas, diurnal temperature profiles, and temperature measurements inside of coal fire induced cracks in the overlying bedrock. For all the measurements the effects of uneven solar heating through influences of slope and aspect are considered.Our findings show that coal fires result in strong or subtle thermal surface anomalies. Especially the latter can easily be influenced by heating of the surrounding background material through solar influences. Temperature variation of background rocks with different albedo, slope, aspect or vegetation cover can substantially influence the detectability of thermal anomalies. In the worst case coal fire related thermal anomalies can be completely masked by solar patterns during the daytime. Thus, night-time analysis is the most suitable for thermal anomaly mapping of underground coal fires, although this is not always feasible. The heat of underground coal fires only progresses very slowly through conduction in the rock material. Anomalies of coal fires completely covered by solid unfractured bedrock are very weak and were only measured during the night. The thermal pattern of underground coal fires manifested on the surface during the daytime is thus the pattern of cracks and vents, which occur due to the volume loss underground and which support radiation and convective energy transport of hot gasses. Inside coal fire temperatures can hardly be measured and can only be recorded if the glowing coal is exposed through a wider crack in the overlaying bedrock. Direct coal fire temperatures measured ranged between 233 °C and 854 °C. The results presented can substantially support the planning of thermal mapping campaigns, analyses of coal fire thermal anomalies in remotely sensed data, and can provide initial and boundary conditions for coal fire related numerical modeling.In a second paper named “Thermal Characteristics of Coal Fires 2: results of measurements on simulated coal fires” [Zhang J., Kuenzer C., Tetzlaff A., Oettl D., Zhukov B., Wagner W., 2007. Thermal Characteristics of Coal Fires 2: Result of measurements on simulated coal fires. Accepted for publication at Journal of Applied Geophysics. doi:10.1016/j.jappgeo.2007.08.003] we report about thermal characteristics of simulated coal fires simulated under simplified conditions. The simulated set up allowed us to measure even more parameters under undisturbed conditions — especially inside fire temperatures. Furthermore we could demonstrate the differences between open surface coal fires and covered underground coal fires. Thermal signals of coal fires in near range thermal remotely sensed imagery from an observing tower and from an airplane are presented and discussed.     

京西矿震活动特征及其与天然地震关系初探

该文介绍了门头沟矿震的概况;对门头沟矿震与天然地震进行了相关分析,认为门头沟煤矿矿震活动可作为一种较好的监视首都圈中西部强震的中尺度监测手段;论证了门头沟煤矿矿震活动作为首都圈地应力变化监测哨的地质依据,并初步建立了矿震作为地震前兆的力学模型;提供了矿震预测天然地震的地质依据。     

Thermal characteristics of coal fires 2: Results of measurements on simulated coal fires

In this paper we present thermal characteristics of coal fires as measured during simulated fires under an experimental setting in Germany in July 2002. It is thus a continuation of the previously published paper “Thermal surface characteristics of coal fire 1: Results of in-situ measurement”, in which we presented temperature measurements of real subsurface coal fires in China [Zhang, J., Kuenzer, C., accepted for publication. Thermal Surface Characteristics of Coal Fires 1: Results of in-situ measurements. Accepted for publication at Journal of Applied Geophysics.]. The focus is on simulated coal fires, which are less complex in nature than fires under natural conditions. In the present study we simulated all the influences usually occurring under natural conditions in a controllable manner (uniform background material of known thermal properties, known ventilation pathways, homogeneous coal substrate), creating two artificial outdoor coal fires under simplified settings. One surface coal fire and one subsurface coal fire were observed over the course of 2 days. The set up of the fires allowed for measurements not always feasible under “real” in-situ conditions: thus compared to the in-situ investigations presented in paper one we could retrieve numerous temperature measurements inside of the fires. Single temperature measurements, diurnal profiles and airborne thermal surveying present the typical temperature patterns of a small surface-and a subsurface fire under undisturbed conditions (easily accessible terrain, 24 hour measurements period, homogeneous materials). We found that the outside air temperature does not influence the fire's surface temperature (up to 900 °C), while fire centre temperatures of up to 1200 °C strongly correlate with surface temperatures of the fire. The fires could heat their surrounding up to a distance of 4.5 m. However, thermal anomalies on the background surface only persist as long as the fire is burning and disappear very fast if the heat source is removed. Furthermore, heat outside of the fires is transported mainly by convection and not by radiation. In spatial thermal line scanner data the diurnal thermal patterns of the coal fire are clearly represented. Our experiments during that data collection also visualize the thermal anomaly differences between covered (underground) and uncovered (surface) coal fires. The latter could not be observed in-situ in a real coal fire area. Sub-surface coal fires express a much weaker signal than open surface fires and contrast only by few degrees against the background. In airborne thermal imaging scanner data the fires are also well represented. Here we could show that the mid-infrared domain (3.8 μm) is more suitable to pick up very hot anomalies, compared to the common thermal (8.8 μm) domain. Our results help to understand coal fires and their thermal patterns as well as the limitations occurring during their analysis. We believe that the results presented here can practicably help for the planning of coal fire thermal mapping campaigns — including remote sensing methods and the thermal data can be included into numerical coal fire modelling as initial or boundary conditions.     

Expulsion and primary migration of the oil derived from coal

The characteristics of coal pores and the interaction relationship between hydrocarbons and pores in coal are analysed based on the typical example of oil from coal in Tuha Basin, pointing out that the interaction between hydrocarbon molecules and coal pore surface particles is a major controlling factor of expulsion of oil from coal. Distribution characteristics of coal pores and the ability of hydrocarbon generation are inner factors of the expulsion of the oil from coal; tectonic compressive shear stress is an external force of the expulsion of oil from coal; expulsion of the oil from coal has greater geochromatographic effect than that from mudstone, the low mature stage (or vitrinite reflectance R_o is less than 0.9%) is advantageous to the coal-formed oil expulsion and migration; hydrocarbons in the hydrocarbon network are linked with carrier beds (such as fault), through the pore network and fissure which are connected with each other, which constitutes the main pathway of expulsion and migration.