Lapis lazuli from Baffin island — a precambrian meta-evaporite

On Baffin Island, the major minerals in lapis lazuli are calcite, lazurite, diopside, nepheline and phlogopite in the Main Occurrence and calcite, lazurite, diopside, plagioclase and scapolite in the North Occurrence. The abundances of Na, K, S, Cl, Br, F and Fe, the well-developed layering parallel to the regional foliation, and the scarcity of intrusive rocks, support the hypothesis that the deposit evolved from an evaporite parent during regional metamorphism. After sedimentation, considerable reduction of sulfur was effected by CO, perhaps aided by H₂, Cl^? and anaerobic bacteria. Chemographic analysis suggests that the observed phase assemblages represent local equilibrium within small volumes, where SiO₂-Al₂O₃-MgO-Na₂O-K₂O behaved as inert components at the peak of metamorphism. The lack of systematic zoning of phase assemblages, and the uniformity of mineral compositions within the deposit, also argue against a metasomatic origin. Most phases equilibrated at or near the peak of metamorphism (granulite facies).     

A correlation between slope failures and accelerometric parameters: the 26 September 1997 earthquake (Umbria–Marche, Italy)

After the occurrence of the 26 September 1997 earthquake in Umbria–Marche an extensive survey was performed to individuate surface effects induced by the ground motion. Several types of effects occurred on bedrock, calcareous debris and sandy-clay deposits. Shallow soil slides and dry debris slides were mapped by field survey and aerial photograph interpretation in the epicentral area close to Nocera Umbra. This gave the opportunity for testing the prediction maps that can be obtained with the use of empirical laws, proposed by several authors, based on a simple method (Geotechnique 15(2) (1965) 139). Accelerometric records from the permanent and mobile seismic network of the Seismic Survey of Italy have been processed and interpolated to obtain strong ground motion parameters at each site, e.g. Peak Ground Acceleration, Spectral Intensity, Arias Intensity, etc. The different predictions have been tested with the real landslide data to verify their performances. Some of the proposed methods explain quite well the behaviour of slopes during the application of a time history and can therefore be employed for future landslide hazard zonation.     

Residual curvature migration velocity analysis for angle domain common imaging gathers

Pre-stack depth migration velocity analysis is one of the keys to influencing the imaging quality of pre-stack migration. In this paper we cover a residual curvature velocity analysis method on angle-domain common image gathers (ADCIGs) which can depict the relationship between incident angle and migration depth at imaging points and update the migration velocity. Differing from offset-domain common image gathers (ODCIGs), ADCIGs are not disturbed by the multi-path problem which contributes to imaging artifacts, thus influencing the velocity analysis. On the basis of horizontal layers, we derive the residual depth equation and also propose a velocity analysis workflow for velocity scanning. The tests to synthetic and field data prove the velocity analysis methods adopted in this paper are robust and valid.     

Sensitivity study of the seasonal mean circulation in the northern South China Sea

A study of the circulation in the northern South China Sea （SCS） is carried out with the aid of a three-dimensional, high-resolution regional ocean model. One control and two sensitivity experiments are performed to qualitatively investigate the effects of surface wind forcing, Kuroshio intrusion, and bottom topographic influence on the circulation in the northern SCS. The model results show that a branch of the Kuroshio in the upper layer can intrude into the SCS and have direct influence on the circulation over the continental shelf break in the northern SCS. There are strong southward pressure gradients along a zonal belt largely seaward of the continental slope. The pressure gradients are opposite in the southern and northern parts of the Luzon Strait, indicating inflow and outflow through the strait, respectively. The sensitivity experiments suggest that the Kuroshio intrusion is responsible for generating the imposed pressure head along the shelf break and has no obvious seasonal variations. The lateral forcing through the Luzon Strait and Taiwan Strait can induce the southwestward slope current and the northeastward SCS Warm Current in the northern SCS. Without the lateral forcing, there is the continental slope. The wind forcing mainly causes the The wind-induced water pile-up results in the southward no high-pressure-gradient zonal belt seaward of seasonal variation of the circulation in the SCS. high pressure gradient along the northwestern boundary of the basin. Without the blocking of the plateau around Dongsha Islands, the intruded Kuroshio tends to extend northwest and the SCS branch of the Kuroshio becomes wider and stronger. The analyses presented here are qualitative in nature but should lead to a better understanding of the oceanic responses in the northern SCS to these external influence factors.     

An investigation of the controls on Irish precipitation δ18O values on monthly and event timescales

This two-year study investigates the relative influence of meteorological variables (precipitation amount and temperature), atmospheric circulation, air mass history, and moisture source region on Irish precipitation oxygen isotopes (δ¹⁸O_p) on event and monthly timescales. Single predictor correlations reveal that on the event scale, 20% of δ¹⁸O_p variability is attributable to the amount effect and 7% to the temperature effect while on the monthly timescale the North Atlantic Oscillation accounts for up to 20% of δ¹⁸O_p variability and the amount and temperature effects are not significant. In comparison, multivariate linear regression reveals that the interaction of temperature and precipitation amount explains up to 40% of δ¹⁸O_p variance at event and monthly timescales. Five-day kinematic back trajectories suggest that the amount-weighted mean δ¹⁸O_p value of southerly- and northerly-derived events are lower by 2‰ relative to events derived from the west. Because air mass history and atmospheric circulation appear to influence δ¹⁸O_p in Ireland, Irish paleo-δ¹⁸O_p proxy records are best interpreted as reflecting a combination of parameters, not just paleotemperature or paleorainfall.     

对含厚软表层海域工程场地设计 地震动参数确定的一点建议

工程上常用的等效线性化方法在处理常见的、 含厚软表层的海域场地时, 其计算结果往往产生较大的偏异. 为了研究这些计算偏异产生的程度, 本文利用等效线性化方法对典型海域工程钻孔进行了小震、 中震和大震3种不同工况下保留和舍弃软表层情况下的土层计算. 考虑到在大震作用下, 土体可能进入大的非线性范围, 等效线性化将不再适用, 故引入了一种能更好地考虑土层大非线性效应的直接时域积分方法, 并与等效线性化方法研究结果进行了对比分析. 在此基础上, 给出了确定含厚软表层海域工程场地设计地震动参数的处理建议.     

Black carbon and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface sediments of China’s marginal seas

This study investigates the distribution of black carbon (BC) and its correlation with total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ΣPAH) in the surface sediments of China’s marginal seas. BC content ranges from <0.10 to 2.45 mg/g dw (grams dry weight) in the sediments studied, and varied among the different coastal regions. The Bohai Bay sediments had the highest BC contents (average 2.18 mg/g dw), which comprises a significant fraction (27%–41%) of the total organic carbon (TOC) preserved in the sediments. In ...     

Outburst risk of barrier lakes in Sichuan,China

34 barrier lakes induced by earthquake have been formed by wedged debris on the river channels after a massive earthquake happening on May 12 in Sichuan, China. Among them, the Tangjiashan Barrier Lake is the largest one. It faces very urgent risk of dam breaking when water level reaches the top and begins overflow in case of storm rainfalls and continually aftershocks, threatening already devastated cities and villages with about 1.5 million people downstream. The outburst of a similar barrier lake occurred in the Minjiang River in 1933, causing a catastrophic flood. Risk analysis indicates that not all barrier lakes are highly dangerous. Only those lakes with very high dams and water to be filled up in short period need to be dealt with immediately.     

1D and 2D site amplification effects at Tarcento (Friuli,NE Italy), 30 years later

A temporary accelerometer network has been installed in Tarcento (Friuli, NE Italy), a small town heavily hit by the 1976–1977 Friuli earthquake sequence, as a part of an ongoing research project aimed at ground motion simulation and generation of shakemaps in the near-field of an earthquake. The network operated from October 2008 to April 2010 and consisted of three K2 accelerographs with internal Episensor, distributed over a linear array of about 1.5 km length. Tarcento town had been chosen, at the end of the 1970s, as the ideal site for a pilot microzonation study, the first of this kind in Italy, in which a substantial number of field (and laboratory) tests were carried out in order to assess the mechanical properties of local alluvium deposits and their complex (3D) geometrical configuration. The data from the temporary network, illustrated herein, allow for proper verification and review of some of the quantitative predictions formulated in the 1980 study. As argued in the discussion section, we also believe that the data are apt to provide valuable information of more general interest on the complex seismic response of alluvium-filled valleys, and we show therein how the observations can be interpreted in the light of presently available parametric simulation studies and simplified criteria for handling basin amplification effects.     

Pile reinforcement mechanism of soil slopes

Stabilizing piles are widely used as an effective and economic reinforcement approach for slopes. Reasonable designs of pile reinforcement depend on the understanding of reinforcement mechanism of slopes. A series of centrifuge model tests were conducted on the pile-reinforced slopes and corresponding unreinforced slopes under self-weight and vertical loading conditions. The deformation of the slope was measured using image-based analysis and employed to investigate the pile reinforcement mechanism. The test results showed that the piles significantly reduced the deformation and changed the deformation distribution of the slope, and prevented the failure occurred in the unreinforced slope. The pile influence zone was determined according to the inflection points on the distribution curves of horizontal displacement, which comprehensively described the features of the pile–slope interaction and the characteristics of reinforced slopes. The concepts of anti-shear effect and compression effect were proposed to quantitatively describe the restriction features of the piles on the deformation of the slope, namely the reduction in the shear deformation and the increase in the compression deformation, respectively. The pile reinforcement effect mainly occurred in the pile influence zone and decreased with increasing distance from the piles. There was a dominated compression effect in the vicinities of the piles. The compression effect developed upwards in the slope with a transmission to the anti-shear effect. The anti-shear effect became significantly dominated near the slip surface and prevented the failure that occurred in the unreinforced slope.