Correlation between magnetic susceptibility and heavy metals in urban topsoil: a case study from the city of Xuzhou, China

Anthropogenic influence, mainly due to urban and industrial activities and traffic exhaust, may affect urban topsoil via atmospheric contamination and solid waste. Magnetic susceptibility measurements were conducted on 21 urban topsoil samples from the city of Xuzhou, China. High intensities of magnetic susceptibility were detected in the majority of the samples. SEM analysis shows that magnetic minerals are in the form of spherules and mainly due to anthropogenic inputs. The heavy metals Pb, Cu, Zn, Se, Sc, Mo, Fe, and Bi show strong correlations with magnetic susceptibility, and Ag, Ba, Cd, Ni, Cr, Sb, and Sn, on the other hand, show a weak correlation with magnetic susceptibility. Whereas, of these metals studied, only Hg has no significant correlation with the susceptibility. The Tomlinson pollution load index (PLI) also shows significant correlation with the susceptibility (χ). The present study shows that magnetic susceptibility is a fast, inexpensive, and non-destructive method for the detection and mapping of contaminated soils.     

青藏高原北部温泉活动沉积盆地的沉积特征及其地质意义

晚新生代温泉沉积盆地,是青藏高原腹地在南北向挤压、东西向伸展的构造背景下,沿南北向边界走滑断层,经边界正断层和内部张剪断层的进一步发展而形成的近南北向单断单剪楔形半地堑活动沉积盆地。它可能代表了晚新生代青藏高原第三期强烈挤压隆升事件,是侧向向东剪切挤出的结果。笔者以盆地充填序列和TL、ESR测年资料为主要依据,推测唐古拉山在30 0～2 5 0ka前后全面进入冰冻圈;而以温泉活动沉积盆地为代表的中更新世晚期(2 2 4 .0～1 5 0 .2ka)的冰碛 冰水堆积则对应于青藏高原第三期隆升的断陷盆地发育阶段;中更新世晚期—晚更新世中期(1 4 4 .0～5 6ka)为湖相沉积;晚更新世中期至今(35～0ka)对应于高原缓慢隆升与夷平发育阶段。长江溯源在35ka切割通天河盆地,形成通天河;而在1 6ka侵蚀切穿雁石坪 温泉兵站峡谷,形成布曲河。     

Multi-dimensional Seismic Response Analysis of Base-Isolated Frame Structure with 3D Isolator

INTRODUCTIONAs a new and effective method for withstandingthe horizontal component of earthquake motion on abuilding structure, the base isolation technique hascome to the engineering application phase ( Hu,1988). However, for some important buildings andfoundation facilities in an earthquake region, it is im portant to consider the effects of 3D aseismatic analy sis, including the vertical component, due to themulti dimensional characteristics of earthquakes (Suand …     

Quantitative assessment on the influence of heavy rainfall on the crystalline schist landslide by monitoring system -case study on Zentoku landslide, Japan

On Shikoku Island, which is one of the four main islands of Japan, a large number of large-scale crystalline schist landslides have been revealed and are being monitored by an observation system. Seasonal heavy rainfall is the most active meteorological factor that can threaten the stability of this kind of site-specific landslide. In this paper, on the basis of the study of the rainfall-related behavior of a typical crystalline schist landslide, the Zentoku landslide, by analyzing the precisely and continuously observed piezometric and movement data, a method was developed to quantitatively assess the effect of heavy rainfall on a large-scale landslide. The results indicated that heavy rainfall-induced landslide displacement shows good correlation with the variation of groundwater levels. Variations of groundwater level have been simulated with the use of a tank model. The simulation using this model permits the change in water levels for future rainfall events to be predicted. By combining the predicted results with the empirical relation between displacements and water levels, rainfall-induced landslide movement during extreme rainfall events can be estimated in advance. The effect of heavy rainfall on sliding behavior can be quantified in terms of the change in displacement. Thus warning information or advisories for the local residents can be provided.     

Hydrochemical characteristics and salinity of groundwater in the Ejina Basin, Northwestern China

A hydrochemical investigation was conducted in the Ejina Basin to identify the hydrochemical characteristics and the salinity of groundwater. The results indicate that groundwater in the area is brackish and are significantly zonation in salinity and water types from the recharge area to the discharge area. The ionic ration plot and saturation index (SI) calculation suggest that the silicate rock weathering and evaporation deposition are the dominant processes that determine the major ionic composition in the study area. Most of the stable isotope δ¹⁸O and δD compositions in the groundwater is a meteoric water feature, indicating that the groundwater mainly sources from meteoric water and most groundwater undergoes a long history of evaporation. Based on radioactive isotope tritium (³H) analysis, the groundwater ages were approximately estimated in different aquifers. The groundwater age ranges from less than 5 years, between 5 years and 50 years, and more than 50 years. Within 1 km of the river water influence zone, the groundwater recharges from recent Heihe river water and the groundwater age is about less than 5 years in shallow aquifer. From 1 km to 10 km of the river water influence zone, the groundwater sources from the mixture waters and the groundwater age is between 5 years and 50 years in shallow aquifer. The groundwater age is more than 50 years in deep confined aquifer.     

午后多重极光弧观测研究

本文利用2001-2003年南极中山站175天全天空摄像机观测,对午后多重极光弧的出现率及其与Kp指数的关系进行了统计分析,结果表明午后多重极光弧出现率呈一单峰分布,最大发生率出现在1445UT(1645MLT),其位置在1500MLT极光热点(1300-1700MLT)近夜侧的部分。与地磁活动指数Kp的相关统计分析表明,Kp值为2-3之间时多重极光弧有较大的出现率,这说明中等地磁活动情形下午后多重极光弧有较高的出现率。事件分析表明多重极光弧的强度变化与地磁Pc5脉动具有较高的相关性,并且有类似的频谱特征,这说明午后多重极光弧可能与同时出现的Pc5地磁脉动有关。     

1952~2003年我国区域经济发展不均衡的 长期变化态势

文中分别利用Gini、GE等指数，以实际人均国内生产总值(GDP)为指标，详细考查了从1952~2003年，我国省市区间经济发展不均衡的变化态势及其在东部-内陆、南方-北方、高城镇化-低城镇化地区等方向上的变化。人均实际GDP的Gini、GE等指数显示，从1952~2003年，我国省级区域经济发展不均衡的总体态势是以较缓慢的速度逐步增加。具体的变化是，随着时间的推移区域经济不均衡呈周期性地上升、下降运动。就我国省市区经济发展不均衡在空间上的变化而言，一是在沿海-内陆和高城镇化-低城镇化方向上，分别在1990s中期和1980s中期以前，我国省市区经济不均衡主要表现为区域内部不均衡，但区域之间不均衡则不断增加，并逐步成为省市区经济不均衡主要部分；一是，在北方-南方方向上，我国省市区经济不均衡则是一直表现为区域内部不均衡，区域之间不均衡对省市区经济不均衡的贡献一直显得微不足道。     

青藏高原腹地植物碳同位素组成对环境条件的响应

现代植物碳同位素组成是特定环境影响的结果,通过对植物碳同位素组成的研究可以揭示植物生长期环境信息。针对青藏高原腹地高寒草甸~高寒草原过渡区植被碳同位素组成进行研究;该区高山嵩草样δ13C值在-25.63‰~-27.95‰间,平均值-26.63‰;高寒草原区混合样δ13C值于-26.29‰~-27.73‰间,平均值-27.04‰。高山嵩草样δ13C值总体呈现由南东往北西方向正偏趋势,研究区北部高寒草原区混合植物样也呈现出由南向北富重碳同位素趋势。这些变化规律被认为是主要受降水环境影响的结果,而区域内降水条件的展布规律则是受高原夏季风运移方式的控制。对植物δ13C值与地理位置的回归分析表明,该区植被碳同位素组成与地理位置相关,高山嵩草样(r=0.44603,n=29,p<0.05)和混合样(r=0.8112,n=5,p<0.1)均表现出对区域降水环境条件的良好响应。据此,以该区植物δ13C值为背景,进行合理推算,拟定了研究区内干旱区和湿润区界限的位置。     

Characterisation of hydroclimatological trends and variability in the Lake Naivasha basin,Kenya

Recent hydro‐climatological trends and variability characteristics were investigated for the Lake Naivasha basin with the aim of understanding the changes in water balance components and their evolution over the past 50 years. Using a Bayesian change point analysis and modified Mann–Kendall tests, time series of annual mean, maximum, minimum, and seasonal precipitation and flow, as well as annual mean lake volumes, were analysed for the period 1960–2010 to uncover possible abrupt shifts and gradual trends. Double cumulative curve analysis was used to investigate the changes in hydrological response attributable to either human influence or climatic variability. The results indicate a significant decline in lake volumes at a mean rate of 9.35 × 10⁶ m³ year^?1. Most of the river gauging stations showed no evidence of trends in the annual mean and maximum flows as well as seasonal flows. Annual minimum flows, however, showed abrupt shifts and significant (upward/downward) trends at the main outlet stations. Precipitation in the basin showed no evidence of abrupt shifts, but a few stations showed gradual decline. The observed changes in precipitation could not explain the decline in both minimum flows and lake volumes. The findings show no evidence of any impact of climate change for the Lake Naivasha basin over the past 50 years. This implies that other factors, such as changes in land cover and infrastructure development, have been responsible for the observed changes in streamflow and lake volumes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measurement of stream cross section using ground penetration radar with Hilbert–Huang transform

This study presents a new method to measure stream cross section without having contact with water. Compared with conventional measurement methods which apply instruments such as sounding weight, ground penetration radar (GPR), used in this study, is a non‐contact measurement method. This non‐contact measurement method can reduce the risk to hydrologists when they are conducting measurements, particularly in high flow period. However, the original signals obtained by using GPR are very complex, different from studies in the past where the measured data were mostly interpreted by experts with special skill or knowledge of GPR so that the results obtained were less objective. This study employs Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) to process GPR signals which are difficult to interpret by hydrologists. HHT is a newly developed signal processing method that can not only process the nonlinear and non‐stationary complex signals, but also maintain the physical significance of the signal itself. Using GPR with HHT, this study establishes a non‐contact stream cross‐section measurement method with the ability to measure stream cross‐sectional areas precisely and quickly. Also, in comparison with the conventional method, no significant difference in results is found to exist between the two methods, but the new method can considerably reduce risk, measurement time, and manpower. It is proven that the non‐contact method combining GPR with HHT is applicable to quickly and accurately measure stream cross section. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.