Bedload abrasion and the in situ fragmentation of bivalve shells

The aim of this study was to determine how Unio bivalve shells fragment within the channel of the Sakmara River (southern Urals, Russia). The Sakmara River has an abundant bivalve population and a highly variable flow regime which, at low flow, allowed much of the channel bed to be examined. A large data set of 1013 shells (Unio sp.) was examined and these were shown to have consistent patterns of orientation, aspect, shell abrasion, perforation and fracture. The close spatial relationship between areas of shell abrasion, shell perforation and shell fracture showed that they form part of a continuum whereby areas of abrasion evolve into perforations and perforations coalesce and enlarge into fractures. The mechanism of shell damage proposed is one of abrasion in place, whereby the shell remains stationary on the surface of the point bar and is impacted by bedload. Underpinning this process are the hydrodynamic properties of the bivalve shell, with consistency in the orientation and aspect of the valve in a flowing current producing consistency in the distribution of damage on the shell surface. Valves preferentially lie in a convex‐up position and orientate in the flow such that the umbo faces upstream. The elevated, upstream‐facing umbo region is exposed to particle impact and is the first to be abraded and perforated. The vulnerability of the umbo to perforation is greatly increased by the thinness of the shell at the umbo cavity. The in situ abrasion process is enhanced by the development of an armoured gravel bed which restricts valve mobility and maintains shells within the abrasion zone at the sediment–water interface. The in situ abrasion process shows that broken shells are not a reliable indicator of long distance transport. The study also raises the issue that tumbling barrel experiments, which are generally used to simulate shell abrasion, will not replicate the type of directionally focused sand‐blasting which appears to be the principal cause of shell fragmentation in the Sakmara River.     

强震前后广义地震应变释放过程的丛集特征

利用基于小波变换的多重分形奇异谱估计方法,研究了部分强震前后地震活动广义应变.释放过程的多重分形特征。结果表明,晨中区附近- -定范围内地展活动广义应变释放过程具有多重分形特征,但多重分形维数谱随7变化复杂,在强震发生前多重分形维数谱没有明显的变化。广义地震应变释放过程的多重分形奇异谱形态和Hausdorff奇异指数范围能提供更多关于地屣活动过程的信息,特别当η取较大值时Hausdorff奇异指数范围在强晨前明显变窄。研究还表明深源地展和浅源地晨发生前广义应变释放过程多重分形特征存在明显不同。     

Geomorphology of the Ablation Point massif, Alexander Island, Antarctica

A coloured geomorphological map at the approximate scale of 1:50,000 is presented for the Ablation Point massif area. The main gcomorphological features have been described, such as ice and snow cover, glacial landforms and deposits (and chronology), ice marginal lakes, melt pools, gelifluction landforms and patterned ground and valley-slope landforms. The area is thought to be a good analogue for glacial-age maritime northwest Europe.