Nonparametric method for transmissivity distributions along boreholes

The transmissivities of individual fractures along a borehole are difficult to obtain unless each fracture is tested. To estimate a fracture-transmissivity distribution from section transmissivities, a method was developed based on fixed-interval-length transmissivities and the corresponding number of fractures for each interval. The method is nonparametric and iterative, and the fractures are viewed as two-dimensional features, in which the total transmissivity of a borehole is equal to the sum of individual fracture transmissivities. Initially, a linear a priori assumption of the transmissivity distribution is made, and from this a so-called mean transmissivity function is derived. Subsequently, the mean transmissivity of the Nj fractures within a section, j, of the borehole is estimated, and the same value of the mean transmissivity function represents Nj possible fracture transmissivities from the initial distribution. This is repeated for each borehole section, and, eventually, all fracture transmissivities are sorted to give the next iteration's transmissivity distribution and the corresponding mean transmissivity function. Finally, the distributions converge, yielding a possible fracture-transmissivity distribution. The method was verified for a synthetic data sample and then tested on a sample from a borehole at the Asp? Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden. For the synthetic data, the method gave a distribution that was fairly close to the original one; for the Asp? data, 15% of the fractures had a transmissivity larger than the measurement limit (1 x 10(-9) m2/sec), and these transmissivities follow a log-normal distribution.     

SWASV speciation of Cd, Pb and Cu for the determination of seawater contamination in the area of the Nicole shipwreck (Ancona coast, Central Adriatic Sea)

The study reports for the first time on the heavy metal contamination of the waters surrounding a shipwreck lying on the sea floor. Square wave anodic stripping voltammetry has been used for a survey of the total and dissolved Cd, Pb and Cu contents of the seawater at the site of the sinking of the Nicole M/V (Coastal Adriatic Sea, Italy). Results show that the hulk has a considerable impact as regards all three metals in the bottom water, especially for the particulate fraction concentrations, which increased by factors of ∼9 (Cd), ∼3 (Pb) and ∼5 (Cu). The contaminated plume extended downstream for about 2 miles. Much lower contamination was observed for dissolved bottom concentrations; nevertheless Pb (0.56 ± 0.03 nmol/L) is higher than the Italian legal limits established for 2015 and Cd (0.23 ± 0.03 nmol/L) is very close the limit of Cd will be exceeded if the hulk is not removed.     

俄罗斯岩石科学的进展和问题

最主要进展是把岩石学研究扩大至天体，形成了天体岩石学研究方向。以陨石、月岩、彗星及宇宙尘为主要对象，运用地球化学天体化学观点，研究太阳系行星的起源和演化，并推衍于地球内生作用，指出行星的更生（ｒｅｎｏｖａｔｉｏｎ）过程有三种类型：裂谷作用、成岛（ｎｅｓｏｇｅｎｅｓｉｓ）和造山作用。文中对裂谷岩浆作用、碱性岩浆（在成岛阶段）演化作了论述，提出金刚石成因四大类型。认为金伯利岩钾镁煌斑岩中金刚石成矿是承袭被取代的母岩高压成矿的产物，变质杂岩中金刚石来自卷入其中的含金刚石橄榄岩、辉石岩和榴辉岩，金刚石的高￣３Ｈｅ／￣４Ｈｅ比值排除其为变质成因，金刚石成因新解释提出了金刚石成矿预测的新思路。含金刚石环状构造并非陨石冲击所成而是火山强力爆发的产物，各类球粒陨石中都发现过金刚石，说明球粒陨石来自巨型行星熔融核心，其流体外壳的压力足以生成金刚石。地球与太阳系其它星体之差别在于存在地槽体制、火山沉积岩系褶皱及其造山演化过程。     

遥感和GIS技术应用于伊拉克南部Basrah省土地利用/覆盖变化及城市扩张研究

In recent years, land use/cover dynamic change has become a key subject that needs to be dealt with in the study of global environmental change. In this paper, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) are integrated to monitor, map, and quantify the land use/cover change in the southern part of Iraq (Basrah Province was taken as a case) by using a 1:250 000 mapping scale. Remote sensing and GIS software were used to classify Landsat TM in 1990 and Landsat ETM+ in 2003 imagery into five land use and land cover (LULC) classes: vegetation, sand, urban area, unused land, and water bodies. Supervised classification and normalized difference build-up index (NDBI) were used respectively to retrieve its urban boundary. An accuracy assessment was performed on the 2003 LULC map to determine the reliability of the map. Finally, GIS software was used to quantify and illustrate the various LULC conversions that took place over the 13-year span of time. Results showed that the urban area had increased by the rate of 1.2% per year, with area expansion from 3 299.1 km² in 1990 to 3 794.9 km² in 2003. Large vegetation area in the north and southeast were converted into urban construction land. The land use/cover changes of Basrah Province were mainly caused by rapid development of the urban economy and population immigration from the countryside. In addition, the former government policy of “returning farmland to transportation and huge expansion in military camps” was the major driving force for vegetation land change. The paper concludes that remote sensing and GIS can be used to create LULC maps. It also notes that the maps generated can be used to delineate the changes that take place over time. Supported by the Al-Basrah University, Iraq, the Geo-information Science and Technology Program (No. IRT 0438)China).     

A Study of Lift Force and Instantaneous Velocity Field Around an Oscillating Circular Cylinder

-Force measurements of oscillatory flow acting on a single circular cylinder have been carriedout.The experiments were done by oscillating a circular cylinder in still water.Instantaneous forces and ve-locity fields around the cylinder were measured by Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV).The Keulegan-Car-penter number(KC)varied in the range from 5 to 20 and the viscous parameter β=Re/KC was set at500(Re is Reynolds number).It was found that the strength and frequency of the lift force increased withKC number,the main frequency of the lift force being three times the frequency of the oscillatory flow atKC=20.The movement and strength of the vortices around the cylinder are discussed for differentKC numbers.     

苏格兰和东格陵兰太古宙奥长花岗质与英云闪长质片麻岩的地球化学

英云闪长质—奥长花岗质成分的高Na/K比的片麻岩在苏格兰和东格陵兰太古代高级变质区中占优势。片麻岩的成分从超镁铁质变化到奥长花岗岩,但成分的分布是双模式的,特别是在角闪岩相的片麻岩带中尤是如此。英云闪长质片麻岩的Al_2O_3偏高(平均大于15%),CaO也高,但SiO_2多数低于70％,而以小型奥长花岗岩体和脉体为例外。Ba和Sr的含量高,而Sr甚至在硅质片麻岩中仍居高位。在Y与SiO_2间和TiO_2与SiO_2之间显然存在着负相关。CeN/YN比值随SiO_2而增加,主要是较富硅质片麻岩中重稀土元素大大减低的结果,其比值可以超过100。然而有些奥长花岗质岩石中,稀土总量和Ce/Yb比值是较低的。虽然Eu异常之量与总稀土的含量有关,但许多硅质片麻岩具有显著正Eu异常,而有一些奥长花岗质岩石具不明显的负Eu异常。地球化学有力地表明,假如片麻岩成分范围与分离结晶作用有关,那么角闪石则已是一种主要控制矿物相,整个片麻岩杂岩可以在地壳深部高PH_2O条件下演化而来。然而包含着初源物质的角闪岩,特别是柘榴角闪岩的部分熔融模式,看来是最能解释地球化学特征和野外关系的。片麻杂岩的较深部分在地壳矿物相生成时或稍后,转化为干的麻粒岩相组合,可能相应有变化的流体成分(富CO_2)。驱逐含水流体要伴随着K、Rb、Th和U的丢失,从而增进了片麻岩杂岩的英云闪长质一奥长花岗质的特点。     

利用尾波包络线反演方法研究伽师强震群区地壳的非均匀结构

以单次散射模型、球形辐射源、一维线性速度模型为基础计算理论包络线,通过尾波归一化方法把理论与观测包络线结合起来形成非线性方程组,用迭代最小二乘方法反演伽师强震群区的散射系数空间分布.结果表明,伽师强震群区下方中上地壳中存在明显的非均匀结构.在10~25 km各深度图像上,研究区中部都存在一低散射系数区,这个低散射系数区在10 km、15 km深度被高散射系数区包围,在20 km深度仅其东侧存在高散射系数区.1997年的7次M_s≥6.0级地震发生在研究区中部的低散射系数区内或低散射系数区向高散射系数区过渡带的低散射系数一侧.     

Detoxification mechanisms in shrimp: comparative approach between hydrothermal vent fields and estuarine environments

Hydrothermal vents are extreme deep-sea habitats that, due to their singular features, still intrigue scientific communities. Swift growth rates and profuse biomass of biological communities can be observed, despite of their inherently unstable physical-chemical and toxic conditions, indicating that organisms inhabiting this environment must be well adapted to these inhospitable conditions. The caridean shrimp, Chorocaris chacei, Mirocaris fortunata and Rimicaris exoculata, together with bathymodiolid mussels, dominate the vent fauna along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Crustacean species are widely used as biological indicators of environmental alterations, since they play a key ecological role as planktivorous grazers, epibenthic scavengers or as prey species. The biological consequences of the hydrothermal metal-rich environment in shrimp species are still largely unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was the determination of the metal levels (Ag, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn), metallothioneins (MT) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in shrimp species collected in Rainbow, Lucky Strike and Menez-Gwen vent sites, in order to evaluate their different adaptation strategies toward metals when compared with two common coastal shrimp species (Palaemon elegans and Palaemonetes varians) from a fairly unpolluted estuarine system in south Portugal (Ria Formosa). Results show significant differences in metal concentrations, MT levels and lipid peroxidation between vent and coastal shrimp and also between shrimp species from the same site. This indicates that biochemical responses in both vent and coastal shrimp are affected not only by the environmental characteristics but also by inter-specific differences. Nevertheless, these responses apparently grant a successful adaptation for the survival in a metal-extreme environment.     

Water conservation in the Arab region: a must for survival

The Arab region covers an area over 13 million square kilometers in size, with almost 90% of its area classified as arid or extremely arid with very little precipitation, extremely high evaporation and almost no vegetation cover. The region is classified in many international reports as the poorest region in the world in the context of renewable water resources and critical water scarcity which hinders the socio-economic development of many countries in this region. The rapidly increasing population has reduced the per capita share of renewable water to less than the poverty line of 1,000 m 3 /(capita·a) and, in some Arab countries, to less than the extreme poverty line of 500 m 3 /(capita·a). This has led to over-exploitation of non-renewable groundwater and desalination of salty water in many countries with considerable costs and contamination of many renewable sources. Atmospheric processes responsible for aridity in the Arab region are projected to intensify due to climate change, resulting in an alarming decrease in precipitation and increase in evaporation rates. Many concerned entities in the region consider water security as a key element for food security and ultimately political stability. Hence, various efforts have been exerted to identify key problems and suggested solutions. The Arab Water Ministers Council of the Arab League, as well as Reports of the Arab Forum for the Environment and Development (AFED) and the recommendations of the 13th Regional Meeting of the Arab National Committees of the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO (IHP), have all made similar recommendations on the need to address the issues of water scarcity in the Arab region which will be further discussed in this paper. However, none of these reports focused on "Water Conservation" as an equally important action for coping with water scarcity in the region. There are many definitions for "Water Conservation" in the scientific literature, including huge water savings from irrigation, industrial use, and domestic use as well as methods and approaches for augmenting water supply through non-conventional practices such as water harvesting and waste water reuse. In this paper, a review is provided for definitions, methods and impacts of water conservation and its role in alleviating water scarcity in the Arab region.