Analysis of the 2003 Varunawat Landslide,Uttarkashi, India using Earth Observation data

Mass movements such as landslides in mountainous terrains are natural degradation processes and one of the most important landscape-building factors. Varunawat Parbat overlooking Uttarkashi town witnessed a series of landslides on 23 September 2003 and the debris slides and rock falls continued for 2 weeks. This landslide complex was triggered due to the incessant rainfall prior to the event, and its occurrence led to the blockage of the pilgrim route to Gangotri (source of the Ganges river) and evacuation of thousands of people to safer places. Though there was no loss of lives due to timely evacuation, heavy losses to the property were reported. High-resolution stereoscopic earth observation data were acquired after the incidence to study the landslide in detail with emphasis on the cause of the landslide and mode of failure. Areas along the road and below the Varunawat foothill region are mapped for landslide risk. It was found that the foothill region of the Varunawat Parbat was highly disturbed by man-made activities and houses are dangerously located below steep slopes. The potential zones for landslides along with the existing active and old landslides are mapped. These areas are critical and their treatment with priority is required in order to minimise further landslide occurrences.     

南海沉积岩芯的地球化学研究

本文对南海中部陆坡区和海盆区的5个岩芯中的 Si,Al,Fe,Mn,Ca,Mg 和 CaCO_3成分做了分析,并对其分布特征与有关影响因素进行了讨论。受沉积区环境差异的影响,元素的分布具有区域性特征;受海区特定地理位置的影响,元素的分布呈现出过渡性特征(浅海到大洋的过渡);受沉积过程中环境变化的影响,元素的分布展示了周期性变化或旋回性。根据岩芯中元素的分布特征,并参考有关古地磁,氧碳同位素和钙质超微化石的测试分析结果,将本区岩芯划分为14层地球化学层,并将本区划分为两个沉积地球化学区,揭示了早更新世以来本区沉积环境的变化和存在的两种沉积模式。     

Constraining the origin and evolution of confined turbidite systems: southern Cretan margin,Eastern Mediterranean Sea (34°30–36°N)

Bathymetric, 9.5-kHz long-range sidescan sonar (OKEAN), seismic reflection and sediment-core data are used in the analysis of two tectonic troughs south of Crete, Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Here, up to 1.2 s two-way travel time (TWTT) of strata have accumulated since the Middle Miocene in association with extension in the South Aegean region. The study area comprises >100-km- long by >25-km-wide basins filled by sediments subdivided into two seismic units: (1) an upper Unit 1 deposited in sub-basins which follow the present-day configuration of the southern Cretan margin; (2) a basal Unit 2, more than 500 ms (TWTT) thick, accumulated in deeper half-graben/grabens distinct from the present-day depocentres. Both units overlap a locally stratified Unit 3 comprising the pre-Neogene core complex of Crete and Gavdos. In this work, the interpreted seismic units are correlated with the onshore stratigraphy, demonstrating that denudation processes occurring on Crete and Gavdos in response to major tectonic events have been responsible for high sedimentation rates along the proximal southern Cretan margin. Consequently, topographically confined sedimentary units have been deposited south of Crete in the last 12 Ma, including turbidites and other mass-flow deposits fed by evolving transverse and axial channel systems. Surface processes controlling facies distribution include the direct inflow of sediment from alluvial-fan systems and incising mountain rivers onto the Cretan slope, where significant sediment instability processes occur at present. In this setting, seismic profiles reveal eight different types of stratigraphic contacts on basin-margin highs, and basinal areas show evidence of halokinesis and/or fluid escape. The acquired data also show that significant changes to the margin’s configuration occurred in association with the post-Alpine tectonic and eustatic episodes affecting the Eastern Mediterranean.     

闽南：台湾浅滩渔场变性水团的初步分析

根据聚类方法，对闽南－台湾浅滩渔场变性水团进行划分，本海区共有６个变性水团。讨论各个变性水团在不同季节消长变化规律。     

厦门筼筜港的形成与演变

本文根据实际调查的资料,概述了筼筜港区的地质地貌特征,重点论述了第四纪沉积物的成因和时代,阐述了该区的形成与演变过程,把它划分为5个发育阶段。     

热带地区流场异常与江淮特大暴雨成因的研究

本文通过计算和对比分析，得到１９９１年春、夏江淮地区特大暴雨形成的五个基本特征：西北太平洋上副高显著偏西、偏北；较弱的西南季风与东南气流汇合成强西南气流伸向江淮地区；偏东风与强西南风形成的辐合带在江淮地区维持；江淮地区对流层中下部为强上升运动、上部为辐散；１３０°Ｅ附近南半球向北半球的较强越赤道气流持续。     

中国海岸风成沙ESR测年的研究

介绍ＥＳＲ测年的基本原理，并讨论风成沙Ｇｅ心测年的可行性、风成沙Ｅ＇心的特征、测年误差及可靠性等问题。１９９２－１９９３年在渤、黄、东、南海沿岸采集的１００余个风成沙样品ＥＳＲ测年实验表明，绝大部分海岸风成沙的年龄为１－７万年。     

Geomorphological evidence for upslope canyon-forming processes on the northern KwaZulu-Natal shelf,SW Indian Ocean,South Africa

A geomorphological and statistical analysis of slope canyons from the northern KwaZulu-Natal continental margin is documented and compared with submarine canyons from the Atlantic margin of the USA. The northern KwaZulu-Natal margin is characterized by increasing upslope relief, concave slope-gradient profiles and features related to upslope growth of the canyon forms. Discounting slope-gradient profile, this morphology is strikingly similar to canyon systems of the New Jersey slope. Several phases of canyon incision indicate that downslope erosion is also an important factor in the evolution of the northern KwaZulu-Natal canyon systems. Despite the strong similarities between the northern KwaZulu-Natal and New Jersey slope-canyon systems, key differences are evident: (1) the concavity of the northern KwaZulu-Natal slope, contrasting with the ∼linear New Jersey slope; (2) the relative isolation of the northern KwaZulu-Natal canyons, rather than the dense clustering of the New Jersey canyons; and (3) the absence of strongly shelf-breaching canyons along the northern KwaZulu-Natal margin. In comparison with the New Jersey margin, we surmise a more youthful stage of canyon evolution, a result of either the canyons themselves being younger or the formative processes being less active. Less complicated patterns of erosion resulting from reduced sediment availability have developed in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The reduction in slope concavity on the New Jersey margin may be the result of grading of the upper slope by intensive headward erosion, a process more subdued—or less evident—on the KwaZulu-Natal margin.     

不同树龄桐花树茎上白条地藤壶分布特征的研究

研究了广西英罗港红树林区向海林带不同树龄的桐花树茎上白条地藤壶的分布特征。结果表明，白条地藤壶在茎上的附着高度（h)随树龄和树高增大而增大。在最大树龄17龄植株上平均达到182cm，此高度为潮高约512cm海水才能浸及，在一年中约有将近90％的时间暴露在空气中。附着高度（h)与树高（H）比值h/H以5龄树最大，达91．9％。树层最大密度达46600Ind/m^2，最小为172Ind/m^2。在同一树龄的不同树层，密度表现为先随树高增大逐渐增大，达到最大密度后又下降。在不同树龄的同一树层，密度高低变化，分布一般出现多个峰。白条地藤壶最适宜附着和生长在桐花树茎上100－120cm树层（浸及此树层的海水潮高约为430－450cm)。树层最大生物量为1719．05g/m^2，最小为5．39g/m^2。生物量分布与密度的相似。     

A study on the polarimetric properties of various features using SIR-C data

Spaceborne Imaging Radar (SIR-C) data acquired over Gujarat, India in 1994 were processed and analysed using differnet techniques applicable to polarimetric SAR data such as polarization signatures, polarization index, decomposition of the signal and polarization phase difference and limited groundtruth data. It has been observed that multi-frequency polarimetric data enhances the potential of retrieving geo-physical parameters. The polarization signatures are found to vary with the nature of the target. Target decomposition of the returned signal will be useful for the classification of various features. Polarization Phase Difference (PPD) gives good information about the vegetation parameters.