Holocene environment and subsistence patterns near the Tree Shelter, Red Sea Mountains, Egypt

The Tree Shelter site dates to the Early to Mid-Holocene (8000 to 4900 ¹⁴C yr BP). Present conditions around the site are hyperarid, but charcoal remains indicate less severe aridity at the time of its occupation. The environment around the site then supported a rich wadi vegetation, which allowed hunting during the Epipaleolithic and herding during the Neolithic occupation. Although more favorable than today, the environmental conditions also displayed a desert character and seem to have limited the range of domestic herbivores introduced in the area.     

Estimating and Optimising Analytical and Sampling Uncertainty in Environmental Investigations: Application and Evaluation

Measurements taken to characterise environmental contamination contain uncertainty, which is generated by both field sampling and chemical analyses. Recently devised techniques have been applied for the first time to estimate this uncertainty in the commercial monitoring and assessment of contaminated land. The uncertainty reduces the reliability of the classification of the land that is made following a site investigation. The possible misclassification of areas of land, as a result of measurement uncertainty, can lead to substantial financial penalties, resulting from litigation or unnecessary remediation. Previous studies have developed methods for the estimation and financial optimisation of measurement uncertainty. These methods have now been applied to a series of six contrasting site investigations, which were conducted by various commercial organisations. The previous uses of these sites included a gas works, a tin mine and railway sidings. The measurement uncertainty was successfully estimated for each of the six investigations, showing its applicability to a wide range of different sampling methods, such as trial pits, window sampling and augering. The measurement uncertainty ranged widely between sites from 25% to 158%, indicating that investigations can differ widely in their reliability. The field sampling tended to generate the largest component of the measurement uncertainty when compared to the contribution from the chemical analysis. The Optimised Contaminated Land Investigation (OCLI) method was applied to each site, with the initial aim of estimating the financial losses that could be incurred as a result of misclassifying the land, due to the uncertainty. It showed that the expectation of loss value per sampling location ranged from only £58 at one site to over £ 11 000 at another. The optimal level of uncertainty that produced the minimal financial loss was then calculated for each site. It provided a reduction in the expectation of loss for the whole site of over £ 10 000 at two of the sites and over £90 000 at two others. These findings demonstrate that implementing concepts of uncertainty can have practical benefits in environmental monitoring, and can enable improvements to be made in the quality of sampling and hence of measurements in general.     

Environmental geological investigations at the Van open dump site, southeastern Turkey

 This study evaluates the geological, hydrogeological and hydrological conditions at the open waste dump site of the Van municipality in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. A geological map and a three-dimensional view of the project site have been prepared. All lithological units exposed at and near the dump site have been determined and their boundary relationships identified. Drainage basin characteristics of the dump site along with the water bearing properties of different lithological units have been assessed. For the rehabilitation of the existing dump site, material availability (clay as a liner, cap, and daily cover material; granular soil as a filter material) has been researched. Based on the geological, hydrogeological, morphological and hydrological conditions of the existing waste dump site, recommendations to minimize its environmental impact are presented. Received: 8 March 1999 · Accepted: 3 May 1999     

重力侵蚀作用下昔格达地层滑坡特征分析

昔格达地层性质特殊,强度低,遇水极易崩解,在地质构造与水力作用下,极易发生滑塌。在调查研究的基础上,介绍了文武坡喇嘛溪沟重力侵蚀作用下昔格达地层滑坡的地层岩性、地质构造等工程地质条件及地表水、地下水等水文地质条件,重点分析了滑坡形成原因及影响因素,认为滑坡发生的易发斜坡坡度、坡角与高度,并按坡度对斜坡按危险性分成了3级,得出了滑坡易发坡度,为滑坡稳定性评价提供了依据,最后提出了适合于地质条件的填方反压结合排水沟的整治措施。     

基于循环采样统计的敦煌辐射校正场表面反射比空间变异特征研究

利用地学统计中的变差函数,采用循环采样法对敦煌辐射校正场表面反射比的空间分布特征进行了测量和分析,结果表明,其可见光光谱区表面反射比的空间变程约为20～50 m。目前使用的同步测量采样范围（〈5 m）明显小于光谱数据的空间变程,使得测量数据的随机性误差较大,不能准确地代表大尺度的平均反射比。为了减少测量尺度差异造成的偏差,地表同步反射比测量的空间采样范围应该不小于卫星光谱测量数据的空间变程。     

Importance of sampling across an assemblage of glacial landforms for interpreting cosmogenic ages of deglaciation

Deglaciation chronologies for some sectors of former ice sheets are relatively poorly constrained because of the paucity of features or materials traditionally used to constrain the timing of deglaciation. In areas without good deglaciation varve chronologies and/or without widespread occurrence of material that indicates the start of earliest organic radiocarbon accumulations suitable for radiocarbon dating, typically only general patterns and chronologies of deglaciation have been deduced. However, mid-latitude ice sheets that had warm-based conditions close to their margins often produced distinctive deglaciation landform assemblages, including eskers, deltas, meltwater channels and aligned lineation systems. Because these features were formed or significantly altered during the last glaciation, boulder or bedrock samples from them have the potential to yield reliable deglaciation ages using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN) for exposure age dating. Here we present the results of a methodological study designed to examine the consistency of TCN-based deglaciation ages from a range of deglaciation landforms at a site in northern Norway. The strong coherence between exposure ages across several landforms indicates great potential for using TCN techniques on features such as eskers, deltas and meltwater channels to enhance the temporal resolution of ice-sheet deglaciation chronologies over a range of spatial scales.     

Designing science web sites

From a scientist’s viewpoint a web site is one tool used to conduct research. From an artist’s viewpoint web sites are a form of visual composition. From a developer’s point of view a web site is a type of application. While web sites are a relatively new medium with a particular set of constraints, they do adhere to the same basic design principles that apply to other art forms. These design principles are the basic assumptions that affect the arrangement of elements within a composition. A successful design uses the principles and elements to achieve a visual goal in the composition. A web site designed for scientists has unique properties which are not shared by many other types of web sites. These properties influence the overall visual design of the web sites. Recently at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at UCLA undertook a re-design of a number of its websites. In the effort, the use of visual design principles combined with the properties of a science web site were put to the test. In all, six different web sites were designed each with a difference science focus. We describe the process used to design the web sites which involve forming teams of designers, scientists and developers. We present example pages from each design and conclude with a discussion of what was learned during the process.     

Natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents: a comparative study

Sites contaminated by chlorinated solvents have been investigated. Sites Dolni Tresnovec and Zetor located in Czech Republic exhibit relatively reducing conditions. Primary chlorinated solvents are attenuated by reductive dechlorination processes, and plumes have probably reached steady-state at Zetor site. Terminal electron accepting processes (TEAP) are ferric iron reduction and sulfate reduction at respective Dolni Tresnovec and Zetor sites. Source of organic matter at Dolni Tresnovec site is the waste deposited at local landfill. At Zetor site reducing conditions are linked to the petroleum hydrocarbons spill from broken pipeline. In contrast, site Dubnica in Slovak Republic exhibits oxidizing conditions, and natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents occurs mostly by dispersion. Modeling by the program BIOCHLOR indicated formation of steady-state plumes close to source at Zetor site, much longer steady-state plumes at Dolni Tresnovec site, and extremely long plumes at Dubnica site. Results demonstrate an important role of redox conditions in natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents.     

乌东德水电站大坝防渗帷幕成幕影响地质因素分析及处理措施

灌浆工程为地下隐蔽工程,其地质条件约束着实际的现场施工工艺,且不同地质条件对应不同的岩石属性,并将直接影响着防渗帷幕的优化设计,同时地质条件分析不足也将给整个灌浆工程带来很多不确定的风险。目前,地质条件预测在隧洞开挖过程中的研究较充分,但在灌浆工程中地质因素的研究较少。本文以乌东德水电站大坝防渗帷幕工程为例,分析了对防渗帷幕成幕有影响的岩溶、角砾岩、断层、岩层走向与帷幕走向大角度相交及长大结构面等地质因素,并针对不同地质因素的特点,提出了采取浓浆回填、灌浆孔加密加深、灌浆压力及浆材动态调整等处理措施,为帷幕灌浆工程优化提供了必要支持。     

宁杭高速公路宜广路立交桥场区岩溶发育特征

研究场区为"覆盖型"岩溶区。为提供公路选线、桥梁设计施工战略决策依据,为今后类似勘察区积累经验,在补勘资料基础上,对场区岩溶分布、形态、制约因素及其发展趋势作了初步分析,重点提出岩性、构造、地貌及彼此间最佳组合状态是岩溶发育的关键。结论是场区岩溶的发展已处于衰亡期。     

东疆红山Cu-Au矿床氧化带硫酸盐矿物穆斯堡尔谱特征及其意义

穆斯堡尔谱对确定铁离子占位、核外环境及氧化态方面有着独特的优势。在红山铜金矿床氧化带硫酸盐矿物的XRD、TA、湿法化学分析和红外光谱测试的基础上,测定了板铁矾、针绿矾等8种硫酸盐矿物的室温57Fe穆斯堡尔谱,并根据常温下硫酸盐矿物穆斯堡尔谱参数和其晶体结构中Fe3+和Fe2+的占据位置对其谱峰进行了指派。结果表明本矿床氧化带硫酸盐矿物的穆斯堡尔谱的同质异能位移较小、四级矩分裂值分布范围较大、无磁超精细分裂等特征,且硫酸盐矿物结构中存在着共价键。通过与青海锡铁山铅锌矿氧化带硫酸盐矿物的穆斯堡尔谱相比较,两者在近地表风化及氧化过程中所处的物理化学条件基本相同,酸性和氧化性的环境为硫酸盐矿物的产生和保存提供了良好条件,但红山矿床更为干旱少雨,导致两者硫酸盐的穆斯堡尔谱参数略有不同。     

Evidence for a large surface ablation zone in central East Antarctica during the last Ice Age

Internal isochronous ice sheet layers, recorded by airborne ice-penetrating radar, were measured along an ice flowline across a large (>1 km high) subglacial hill in the foreground of the Transantarctic Mountains. The layers, dated through an existing stratigraphic link with the Vostok ice core, converge with the ice surface as ice flows over the hill without noticeable change to their separation with each other or the ice base. A two-dimensional ice flow model that calculates isochrons and particle flowpaths and accounts for ice flow over the hill under steady-state conditions requires net ablation (via sublimation) over the stoss face for the predicted isochrons to match the measured internal layers. Satellite remote sensing data show no sign of exposed ancient ice at this site, however. Given the lack of exposed glacial ice, surface balance conditions must have changed recently from the net ablation that is predicted at this site for the last 85,000 years to accumulation.     

Estimation of S-wave site response in and around Delhi region from weak motion data

Site response in and around Delhi is studied using digital seismograms recorded by a thirteen-station VSAT-based 24-bit digital Delhi telemetry network of the India Meteorological Department. Nine local (M _l ≥ 2.3) and nine regional (M _l ≥ 3.9) earthquakes are selected for the estimation of site amplification factor using the classical standard spectral ratio for regional events (Ridge Delhi Observatory being the reference station), normalized standard spectral ratio for local events, horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio or receiver function and the generalized inversion techniques in the frequency range of 0.5 to 7.5 Hz. Site response curves at all the thirteen stations exhibit station to station variation of the site amplification factor reflecting the changes in geologic/geotectonic/soil conditions. A comparison of the site response values obtained by the generalized inversion with those computed using receiver function technique shows a large scatter even though the pattern of the curves remain more or less similar. However, the site effects computed by generalized inversion and standard spectral ratio exhibit a good 1:1 correspondence. The peaks yielded by all the methods have been observed to occur at the same frequencies. It is evident that the softer fluvial deposits of the newer alluvium of the east Yamuna sector show steeper site amplification gradient at lower frequencies, while the greater Delhi experiences moderate site amplification. The variation of site response corroborates the abrupt changes in intensity from one location to another due to local site condition.     

Upstream—Downstream Shifts in Peak Recruitment of the Native Olympia Oyster in San Francisco Bay During Wet and Dry Years

Understanding the conditions that drive variation in recruitment of key estuarine species can be important for effective conservation and management of their populations. The Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) is native to the Pacific coast of North America and has been a target of conservation efforts, though relatively little information on larval recruitment exists across much of its range. This study examined the recruitment of Olympia oysters at biweekly to monthly intervals at four sites in northern San Francisco Bay from 2010 to 2015 (except 2013). Mean monthly temperatures warmed at all sites during the study, while winter (January–April) mean monthly salinity decreased significantly during a wet year (2011), but otherwise remained high as a result of a drought. A recurring peak in oyster recruitment was identified in mid-estuary, in conditions corresponding to a salinity range of 25–30 and >16 °C at the time of settlement (April–November). Higher average salinities and temperatures were positively correlated with greater peak recruitment. Interannual variation in the timing of favorable conditions for recruitment at each site appears to explain geographic and temporal variation in recruitment onset. Higher winter/spring salinities and warmer temperatures at the time of recruitment corresponded with earlier recruitment onset within individual sites. Across all sites, higher winter/spring salinities were also correlated with earlier onset and earlier peak recruitment. Lower winter salinities during 2011 also resulted in a downstream shift in the location of peak recruitment.     

Florisbad—New investigations at a middle stone age Hominid Site in South Africa

First results of renewed excavations at the Middle Stone Age spring site of Florisbad are reported. Seven meters of deposits dating possibly from the later mid-Pleistocene to the mid-Holocene contain several cultural phases and record alternating periods of increased spring flow versus more stabilized conditions. The archaic Homo sapiens cranium discovered in 1932 and the Florisian Land Mammal Age fauna retrieved from the springs are argued to derive from the earliest deposits, estimated to be ca. 100,000–200,000 years old. In an Upper Pleistocene layer beyond the range of Carbon-14 dating, a Middle Stone Age occupation floor has been excavated. This we interpret as a multiple-occupation kill, butchery, or scavenging site. The presence of a hearth, of chipping debris under 10 mm in size, and the limited displacement of artifacts which have been refitted as conjoining pieces demonstrate a minimally disturbed, primary context site.     

Temperature and pH Dependence of Some Metals Leaching from Fly Ash of Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract. Municipal solid waste combustion leads to concentration of various metals in the solid residue (fly ash) remaining after combustion. These metals pose serious environmental hazard and require proper handling and monitoring in order to control their harmful effects. Leachability of some metals from fly ash was examined in fly ash and Milli-Q water mixture (liquid-to-solid ratio, 100) under various temperature and pH conditions in the laboratory. The leaching experiments conducted for 24 hours showed that pH was generally more important than temperature in controlling the amount of metals leached out of the fly ash. However, at a given pH, rise in temperature led to different degree of (usually one to two fold) enhanced or reduced leaching of metals. Owing to amphoteric nature of oxides of Al, Cr, Pb and Zn, these metals often yielded typical pattern of increase and decrease in their concentrations with change in pH. The extent of leaching of Cr and Pb in our experiments suggests that decrease of pH to acidic range in the case of Pb and to neutral to acidic range for Cr over a long period of storage of fly ash at solid waste dumping site may facilitate leaching of these metals from fly ash, leading to contamination of groundwater to the level that exceeds beyond the level permitted by the environmental laws.     

Groundwater flow modeling of periods with periglacial and glacial climate conditions for the safety assessment of the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository site at Forsmark,Sweden

The impact of periglacial and glacial climate conditions on groundwater flow in fractured crystalline rock is studied by means of groundwater flow modeling of the Forsmark site, which was recently proposed as a repository site for the disposal of spent high-level nuclear fuel in Sweden. The employed model uses a thermal-hydraulically coupled approach for permafrost modeling and discusses changes in groundwater flow implied by the climate conditions found over northern Europe at different times during the last glacial cycle (Weichselian glaciation). It is concluded that discharge of particles released at repository depth occurs very close to the ice-sheet margin in the absence of permafrost. If permafrost is included, the greater part discharges into taliks in the periglacial area. During a glacial cycle, hydraulic gradients at repository depth reach their maximum values when the ice-sheet margin passes over the site; at this time, also, the interface between fresh and saline waters is distorted the most. The combined effect of advances and retreats during several glaciations has not been studied in the present work; however, the results indicate that hydrochemical conditions at depth in the groundwater flow model are almost restored after a single event of ice-sheet advance and retreat.     

Using gradients in tidal restriction to evaluate nekton community responses to salt marsh restoration

Few studies concerning tide-restricted and restoring salt marshes emphasize fishes and decapod crustaceans (nekton) despite their ecological significance. This study quantifies nekton utilization of three New England salt marshes under tide-restricted and restoring conditions (Hatches Harbor, Massachusetts; Sachuest Point and Galilee, Rhode Island). The degree of tidal restriction differed among marshes allowing for an examination of nekton utilization patterns along a gradient of tidal restriction and subsequent restoration. Based on sampling in shallow subtidal creeks and pools, nekton density and richness were significantly lower in the restricted marsh compared to the unrestricted marsh only at the most tide-restricted site (Sachuest Point). The dissimilarity in community composition between the unrestricted and restricted marsh sites increased with more pronounced tidal restriction. The increase in nekton density resulting from tidal restoration was positively related to the increase in tidal range. Species richness only increased with restoration at the most tide-restricted site; no significant change was observed at the other two sites. These patterns suggest that only severe tidal restrictions significantly reduce the habitat value of New England salt marshes for shallow subtidal nekton. This study suggests that the greatest responses by nekton, and the most dramatic shift towards a more natural nekton assemblage, will occur with restoration of severely restricted salt marshes.     

Assessing deep-seated dissolution-subsidence hazards at radioactive-waste repository sites in bedded salt

Deep-seated salt dissolution and associated subsidence have occurred in many salt-bearing sedimentary basins. Because of its capacity for brea hing the hydrologic integrity of a thick salt unit, the dissolution-subsidence process is a potential hazard requiring thorough assessment at proposed radioative-waste repository sites in bedded salt. In order to develop a better understanding of this potential hazard, a combination of field studies and theoretical analyses are used to delineate the physical processes that control dissolution and subsidence. This information is used, in turn, to develop strategies for assessing this hazard at any given bedded salt repository site.

A generalized hydrogeological model of dissolution has been developed consisting of a salt unit separated from an underlying aquifer by a low-permeability unit. This model suggests that local salt-removal rates can vary over many orders of magnitude, from microns per year to meters per year, depending on the hydrogeologic conditions beneath the salt unit.

Salt deformation is strongly rate-sensitive, so the rate of salt removal strongly influences the structural form of subsidence. Low salt-removal rates produce predominantly ductile subsidence, which is characterized by the gradual formation of a braod shallow depression that is narrower and deeper in successively lower horizons. On the other hand, high salt-removal rates produce predominantly brittle subsidence, which is characterized by the formation of a steep-walled chimney, filled with down-dropped, brecciated rock. Ductile subsidence depressions and brittle subsidence chimneys most likely represent the endpoints of a continuous range of structural forms.

Assessing potential dissolution-subsidence hazards at a given repository site begins with the identification and characterization of existing dissolution-subsidence features in the site area. Studies of existing features should be complemented by an evaluation of the potential for undetected or future dissolution activity, based on the deep hydrogeologic conditions at the site. Potential salt-removal rates predicted by this analysis are then used as an analysis of the structural character and timing of potential subsidence.     

Dissolved iodine flux from estuarine sediments and implications for the enrichment of iodine at the sediment water interface

During the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in sediments iodine is released into solution. Three techniques have been applied to independently estimate the resulting flux of soluble I from the sediments to the overlying water of Mud Bay, Georgetown, South Carolina. Flux estimates (summer) range between ~ 5 and 41 μmol/m²/day. The estimates predicted from either the pore water I concentration gradient across the sediment-water interface or the dissolved I production rate are higher than the apparent flux measured directly at the same site. This suggests that I which is released to the pore water under the anoxic conditions below the sediment surface reacts with a sedimentary component at or near the sediment water interface and is lost from solution.