Orogenic volcanism caused by thermal runaways?

Summary. Quartz eclogite as source rock seems capable of explaining the chemistry of calc-alkaline volcanics. This model requires partial melting of quartz eclogite in the depth range 100–200 km. Shear heating of the subducting crust is one of the most debated models. The problem may be treated with two different boundary conditions: constant strain rate or constant shear stress. In the former case an increase in temperature tends to reduce the heat production thus stabilizing the shear flow; the result is a moderate increase in temperature which will remain constant during flow. The latter case may lead to a thermal feedback instability and thus temperature and strain rate may suddenly grow to very high values. This phenomenon is termed a runaway and will be discussed in this paper using an adiabatic approximation. It is shown that for a runaway to occur the local energy density must amount to a common value independent of the rheology. In contrast to the constant strain rate case, shear heating is negligible until just before the instability occurs. When the melting point is reached shear stress will break down but the stored local energy will be set free and supply the latent heat of melting. The possibility of a runaway occurring is strongly dependent on the ambient temperature. In subduction shear zones neither shear stress nor strain rate are likely to be constant throughout, but if the former is constant or changes little on a 1–10 km scale a runaway is liable to occur at a depth of around 150 km thus possibly being the cause of calcalkaline volcanism.     

A note on further refinements to a procedure for the extraction of carbonaceous fly-ash particles from sediments

This paper describes improvements to a previously published technique for the extraction of carbonaceous fly-ash particles from sediments. By using test-tubes in a water-bath rather than beakers on a hot-plate, the number of simultaneous preparations that can be done is increased and the length of time spent on the preparations and the amounts of hazardous chemicals used is reduced. As the digestion vessel remains the same throughout the procedure, potential loss of particles due to transfer of material between vessels is also minimised, whilst keeping sensitivity, accuracy and detection limit the same.     

Recent changes in diatom-inferred pH, heavy metals, and spheroidal carbonaceous particles in lake sediments near an oil refinery at Mongstad, Western Norway

Sediments from two naturally acid lakes have been used to investigate whether there is any local impact of atmospheric pollution from an oil refinery at Mongstad in Western Norway. The refinery started production in 1975 and expanded in 1987. One lake was selected as a reference site as it only receives long-range transported air pollution, whereas a second lake was selected as it was expected to receive both long-range transported and local air pollution from the refinery. Heavy metal (Pb, Ni and Zn) and spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) (> 5 µm in diameter) concentrations and accumulation rates have been estimated and lake-water pH has been reconstructed by weighted averaging and weighted averaging partial least squares regression and calibration from the fossil diatom assemblages.Heavy metals that are in the size range for which atmospheric residence time is greatest do not show any enhanced levels in the sediments after 1975 that could be associated with local impacts from the refinery. SCPs in the sediments that are in the size range thought to be effectively removed by dry deposition, and thus have a more local deposition pattern, show an increase after 1975 and an additional large increase after 1987 that can be explained by impacts from the local oil refinery. After 1975 the SCP diameter distribution changed from being dominated by SCPs with a small diameter in the range 5-10 µm to SCPs with larger diameters. The SO₂ emission from the oil refinery seems to have had no significant effect on lake pH. The reconstructed lake pH history is complex, possibly related to land-use changes and long-range transported air pollution.     

Uplift by thermal expansion of the lithosphere

Summary. If one can measure the anomalous horizontal magnetic field associated with a (locally bounded) two-dimensional conductivity anomaly, the transfer function which results from correlating the vertical with the anomalous horizontal magnetic field directly indicates the depth to an equivalent line-current. A. numerical model can be used to illustrate this. If three-dimensional effects (including current channelling) produce the current anomaly, interpretation in terms of conductive structure would be less clear. It has been claimed (Babour & Mosnier etc.) that such three-dimensional effects are experimentally observed in the highly coherent transfer functions determined from differential geomagnetic sounding experiments. These effects are, specifically, the 'linear polarization' of the anomalous fields, and the invariance of the phase of the measured anomalous field across the anomaly. It is suggested in this present paper that both these effects can be explained in terms of simple local induction models.
If the embedded two-dimensional anomaly is sufficiently close to the Earth's surface, the transfer function (between the vertical and the total horizontal field) contains more information than is usually interpreted. With this in mind, the magnetovariational data collected by Rooney & Hutton in the Kenyan Rift is re-examined.     

暴雨内涝影响下的城市道路交通拥挤特征识别

近年来,暴雨内涝频繁发生,常引发严重的城市交通拥堵问题。本文利用自主开发的宏观交通模拟工具,模拟了上海市中心城区50年一遇和100年一遇暴雨强度情景下每条路段的小时交通量,通过计算道路饱和度,研究了不同强度暴雨内涝对中心城区高架出入口和重要道路拥挤程度的影响。结果表明：①100年一遇暴雨内涝对上海市中心城区道路交通服务能力影响显著,可导致7个高架道路出入口关闭,部分出入口严重拥堵;②暴雨内涝对道路拥堵状况影响的差异性明显,变拥挤路段占道路总里程的13.35%,其中一级道路的拥挤程度变化最为明显,如：大连路、武宁路,周家嘴路和长寿路等主要路段服务水平下降。     

Polarization anomaly of Love waves caused by lateral heterogeneity

We calculate surface waves propagating in a laterally heterogeneous structure beneath the Kuril trench, where significant Love-wave polarization anomalies, called quasi-Love waves, are generated. Since 3-D wave propagation in the two-dimensionally heterogeneous structure can be assumed, we apply the 2.5-D finite difference method to the surface-wave calculations. The calculations show that a velocity contrast of 7 per cent at depths of less than 210 km beneath the Kuril trench cannot generate quasi-Love waves, and that an unlikely contrast of 20 per cent is required to generate clear quasi-Love waves. The possible cause of the quasi-Love waves inferred from previous studies on coupled free oscillations is a lateral variation in azimuthal anisotropy. The lateral variation in azimuthal anisotropy beneath the Kuril trench suggests a change in the mantle flow induced by the subducting slab.     

Independent measurement of biogenic silica in sediments by FTIR spectroscopy and PLS regression

We present an independent calibration model for the determination of biogenic silica (BSi) in sediments, developed from analysis of synthetic sediment mixtures and application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) modeling. In contrast to current FTIRS applications for quantifying BSi, this new calibration is independent from conventional wet-chemical techniques and their associated measurement uncertainties. This approach also removes the need for developing internal calibrations between the two methods for individual sediments records. For the independent calibration, we produced six series of different synthetic sediment mixtures using two purified diatom extracts, with one extract mixed with quartz sand, calcite, 60/40 quartz/calcite and two different natural sediments, and a second extract mixed with one of the natural sediments. A total of 306 samples—51 samples per series—yielded BSi contents ranging from 0 to 100 %. The resulting PLSR calibration model between the FTIR spectral information and the defined BSi concentration of the synthetic sediment mixtures exhibits a strong cross-validated correlation ( \( {\text{R}}^{ 2}_{\text{cv}} \)  = 0.97) and a low root-mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV = 4.7 %). Application of the independent calibration to natural lacustrine and marine sediments yields robust BSi reconstructions. At present, the synthetic mixtures do not include the variation in organic matter that occurs in natural samples, which may explain the somewhat lower prediction accuracy of the calibration model for organic-rich samples.     

Hydrodynamic change recorded by diatoms in sediments of Liuxihe Reservoir, southern China

Diatoms are used widely for paleolimnological studies in lakes, but their use for studying the environmental history of reservoirs has not been tested extensively. Reservoirs have hydrodynamic characteristics intermediate between those of rivers and lakes. This study assessed the utility of diatom assemblages as recorders of long-term changes in hydrodynamics and spatial gradients in Liuxihe Reservoir, an impoundment in southern China. Four sediment cores were collected in the reservoir, from the riverine, transition and lacustrine zones. Each core was sectioned at 2-cm intervals to investigate the stratigraphic distribution of accumulated diatoms. Varve counting was used to develop a chronology for one of the cores. The unique characteristics of Liuxihe Reservoir, including its large size, great depth, long narrow morphology and strong thermal stratification for 10 months of the year, limit secondary sedimentation processes and preserve the varves, enabling development of an accurate chronology. Damming profoundly altered the physical environment of the former river, especially in the lacustrine zone, where the change is clearly illustrated by diatoms in the sediment. Diatom abundance increased as a consequence of nutrient enrichment after construction of the dam in 1958, but later decreased as the new impoundment stabilized. After damming, relative abundance of Cyclotella increased along with a simultaneous decrease of Navicula and Achnanthes in the lacustrine zone, most significantly in 1963, when Cyclotella replaced Navicula as the dominant genus. This switch was indicative of a general shift from a lotic to a lentic habitat. A longitudinal gradient was apparent in the patterns of sedimentation and diatom accumulation at different sites in the reservoir, with diatom abundance highest in the transition zone. In the long term, water discharge from the reservoir showed a weak, but significant negative correlation with diatom abundance in the lacustrine zone (r = −0.320, P = 0.03). In summary, diatom assemblages in the Liuxihe Reservoir sediments recorded past changes in hydrodynamics, suggesting that paleolimnological study of some impoundments is feasible.     

艾比湖湖面变化对周缘农牧生态系统功能影响

为进一步探讨艾比湖湖面应恢复或保持的面积问题,按照耗散结构理论,对艾比湖周缘农牧生态系统功能受自然辅助能变化影响趋势进行研究.通过调查收集1998-2004年间艾比湖周缘七个农牧生态系统物质投入、产出数据,在数据规范化处理后比较表明:体现农业生态系统功能稳定性的能量产投比率与湖面面积大小变化呈现着明显的正相关关系;提出艾比湖湖面最低应恢复或保持在800 km2以上.为推进应用生态学在生物生产领域的广泛应用,并就研究中遇到的问题提出讨论.     

Ringed seal Phoca hispida fright behaviour caused by walrus Odobenus rosmarus

Other marine mammals tend to avoid walruses. The present paper describes two incidents of avoidance behaviour displayed by ringed seals in the presence of a walrus.     

中国地质灾害伤亡事件的空间格局及影响因素

对中国2000-2012年造成人员伤亡的地质灾害事件进行分析,其空间分布格局受地形等自然环境要素的影响,南多北少,主要位于川西山区和云贵高原地区,东南丘陵地区,北方黄土丘陵,以及祁连山脉和天山山脉等地区,但局部地区的分布格局表明其还受到人为因素影响。构建基于二元Logistic回归的中国地质灾害伤亡事件发生概率模型（CELC）,定量分析自然、人为因素的影响程度,结果表明GDP增长率是仅次于地形起伏度的第二大影响因素,GDP增长率每增加2.72%,地质灾害伤亡事件发生的概率变为原来的2.706倍。此外还有多年平均降水、植被覆盖度、岩性、土壤类型、断裂带、产业类型和人口密度等因素。将CELC模型应用于中国县域,计算各个县的地质灾害伤亡事件概率,发现尚未发生但概率较高的县有27个,或为贫困县、或为矿产工业县域,或为房产过度开发县,它们是未来中国需要重点防范地质灾害的县域。