Suitability assessment of deep groundwater for drinking and irrigation use in the Djeffara aquifers (Northern Gabes,south-eastern Tunisia)

The multilayered Djeffara aquifer system, south-eastern Tunisia, has been intensively used as a primary source to meet the growing needs of the various sectors (drinking, agricultural and industrial purposes). The analysis of groundwater chemical characteristics provides much important information useful in water resources management. Detailed knowledge of the geochemical evolution of groundwater and assessing the water quality status for special use are the main objective of any water monitoring study. An attempt has been made for the first time in this region to characterize aquifer behavior and appreciate the quality and/or the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes. In order to attend this objective, a total of 54 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed during January 2008 for the major cations (sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium), anions (chloride, sulfate, bicarbonate), trace elements (boron, strontium and fluoride), and physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, total dissolved salts and electrical conductivity). The evolution of chemical composition of groundwater from recharge areas to discharge areas is characterized by increasing sodium, chloride and sulfate contents as a result of leaching of evaporite rock. In this study, three distinct chemical trends in groundwater were identified. The major reactions responsible for the chemical evolution of groundwater in the investigated area fall into three categories: (1) calcite precipitation, (2) gypsum and halite dissolution, and (3) ion exchange. Based on the physicochemical analyses, irrigation quality parameters such as sodium absorption ratio (SAR), percentage of sodium, residual sodium carbonate, residual sodium bicarbonate, and permeability index (PI) were calculated. In addition, groundwater quality maps were elabortaed using the geographic information system to delineate spatial variation in physico-chemical characteristics of the groundwater samples. The integration of various dataset indicates that the groundwater of the Djeffara aquifers of the northern Gabes is generally very hard, brackish and high to very high saline and alkaline in nature. The water suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes was evaluated by comparing the values of different water quality parameters with World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values for drinking water. Piper trilinear diagram was constructed to identify groundwater groups where the relative major anionic and cationic concentrations are expressed in percentage of the milliequivalent per liter (meq/l), and it was demonstrated that the majority of the samples belongs to SO₄–Cl–Ca–Na, Cl–SO₄–Na–Ca and Na–Cl hydrochemical facies. As a whole, all the analyzed waters from this groundwater have revealed that this water is unsuitable for drinking purposes when comparing to the drinking water standards. Salinity, high electric conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio and sodium percentages indicate that most of the groundwater samples are inappropriate for irrigation. The SAR vary from medium (S2) to very high (S4) sodicity. Therefore, the water of the Djeffara aquifers of the northern Gabes is dominantly of the C4–S2 class representing 61.23 % of the total wells followed by C4–S3 and C4–S4 classes at 27.27 and 11.5 % of the wells, respectively. Based on the US Salinity Classification, most of the groundwater is unsuitable for irrigation due to its high salt content, unless certain measures for salinity control are undertaken.     

Atmospheric pollution in North Africa (ecosystems–atmosphere interactions): a case study in the mining basin of El Guettar–M’Dilla (southwestern Tunisia)

Air quality transcends all scales with in the atmosphere from the local to the global with handovers and feedbacks at each scale interaction. Air quality has manifold effects on health, ecosystems, heritage and climate. New insights into the characterisation of both natural and anthropogenic emissions are reviewed looking at both natural (e.g. dust and lightning) as well as plant emissions. In the phosphate mining area (El Guettar–M’Dilla basin: Southwestern Tunisia), several diseases have been known as cancer, respiratory, allergies, cardiovascular, dental fluorosis, stress, etc. These diseases are directly related with the installation of the industrial sector of the CPG (from 1896) and the deforestation and the ecosystem degradation (fauna and flora).     

云南干旱“常态化”的分析

近年来云南持续发生严重干旱,云南干旱是否日趋"常态化"成为社会各界关心的一个热点问题,相关报道不断见诸媒体。本文从水文的角度对云南省的历史干旱、水文要素以及趋势预测等方面进行了深入的分析。在历史依据和现代气象水文观测数据的支撑下,考察近100年来全球增暖可能导致部分地区干旱化的可能,从而认为近年来提出的云南干旱"常态化"存在科学依据;但干旱"常态化"仅能局限于近现代时期这一时间范畴,对于今后更长时期云南省干旱发展趋势,依据现有技术手段及研究成果尚难以判断把握。     

温度对煤系泥岩力学特征影响的试验研究

利用RMT-150B岩石力学试验系统和GD-65/150高低温环境箱,对经历不同温度后煤系泥岩的力学特性进行试验研究,分析不同温度下煤系泥岩的应力-应变全过程曲线、峰值应力、峰值应变、弹性模量、变形模量以及泊松比受温度的影响。研究结果表明,不同温度下泥岩的力学特性有差异。随温度的升高,其峰值应力、峰值应变有不同程度的降低,其峰值应力从25℃时的9.153 MPa下降到55℃时的8.271 MPa,降幅为9.6%;峰值应变从25℃时的11.002×10-3下降到55℃时的8.249×10-3,降幅达25.0%。弹性模量随温度的升高逐渐减小,变形模量随温度的升高而增大,泊松比随温度的升高逐渐减小,由此得到各参数变量随温度的变化关系。研究成果可为深井高温软岩巷道的围岩控制提供理论基础。     

Cohesive‐frictional model for bond and splitting action of prestressing wire

This paper presents a numerical procedure for bond between indented wires and concrete, and the coupled splitting process of the surrounding concrete. The bond model is an interface, non‐associative, plasticity model. It is coupled with a cohesive fracture model for concrete to take into account the splitting of such concrete. Bond between steel and concrete is fundamental for the transmission of stresses between both materials in precast prestressed concrete. Indented wires are used to improve the bond in these structural elements. The radial component of the prestressing force, increased by Poisson's effect, may split the surrounding concrete, decreasing the wire confinement and diminishing the bonding. The combined action of the bond and the splitting is studied with the proposed model. The results of the numerical model are compared with the results of a series of tests, such as those which showed splitting induced by the bond between wire and concrete. Tests with different steel indentation depths were performed. The numerical procedure accurately reproduces the experimental records and improves knowledge of this complex process. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Putative Meteoritic Craters in Río Cuarto (Central Argentina) Interpreted as Eolian Structures

Ten oblong aligned depressions in the Río Cuarto area (provincia de Córdoba, Argentina) were supposed to be the result of very-low-angle Holocene meteoroid impacts. However, we consider that authors that studied the structures did not demonstrated their extraterrestrial origin. We suggest that an eolian origin for the structures of Río Cuarto is more likely. Actually, these landforms integrate large systems of similar deflation/accumulation geoforms aligned according to predominant winds during different periods.     

Do accretion discs regulate the rotation of young stars?

We present a photometric study of I -band variability in the young cluster IC 348. The main purpose of the study was to identify periodic stars. In all, we find 50 periodic stars, of which 32 were previously unknown. For the first time in IC 348, we discover periods in significant numbers of lower-mass stars  ( M < 0.25 M_⊙)  and classical T Tauri stars. This increased sensitivity to periodicities is a result of the enhanced depth and temporal density of our observations, compared with previous studies. The period distribution is at first glance similar to that seen in the Orion nebula cluster (ONC), with the higher-mass stars  ( M > 0.25 M_⊙)  showing a bi-modal period distribution concentrated around periods of 2 and 8 d, and the lower-mass stars showing a uni-modal distribution, heavily biased towards fast rotators. Closer inspection of the period distribution shows that the higher-mass stars show a significant dearth of fast rotators, compared to the ONC, whilst the low-mass stars are rotating significantly faster than those in Orion. We find no correlation between rotation period and K – L colour or Hα equivalent width.
We also present a discussion of our own IC 348 data in the context of previously published period distributions for the ONC, the Orion flanking fields and NGC 2264. We find that the previously claimed correlation between infrared excess and rotation period in the ONC might, in fact, result from a correlation between infrared excess and mass. We also find a marked difference in period distributions between NGC 2264 and IC 348, which presents a serious challenge to the disc-locking paradigm, given the similarity in ages and disc fractions between the two clusters.     

若尔盖黄河唐克段河岸沉积序列测年及地表过程变化

通过对若尔盖盆地进行野外考察,在盆地中部黄河唐克段右岸发现了包含深湖相的河岸沉积物,进行了细致的地层观测和系统年代学样品采集。在实验室利用光释光和AMS¹⁴C测年技术建立了年代框架,并结合各个层次的地层沉积相宏观特征和理化性质,分析探讨了若尔盖盆地内部从末次冰期古湖消亡以来的环境和地表过程变化规律。研究结果表明：古黄河在37 ka沿着玛曲断陷谷地溯源侵蚀,沟通了若尔盖古湖水系,盆地内部在30.9 ka之前为深湖环境,稳定地沉积了蓝灰色湖相淤泥层。30.9 ka之后,黄河贯穿若尔盖湖盆内部,古湖水外泄消失,原有的古湖水系转变成为黄河源水系。黄河从湖盆上游远距离搬运携带来的浊黄橙色泥沙大量沉积,覆盖了古湖相沉积层,湖盆内部风沙作用盛行。在末次冰盛期（Last Glacial Maximum, LGM）,盆地内部松散沉积物普遍地受到冰缘冻融作用的改造,形成了冻融褶皱现象。到了14.6~12.5 ka,响应B/A（B?lling-Aller?d）时期的温暖气候,盆地周边山地冰川消融,冰融水汇入盆地,古湖盆底部各种浅洼地形成了大小不等的浅湖,沉积了滨浅湖相的沙层。在12.5~11.7 ka,对应于全球性新仙女木（Younger Dryas,YD）事件,盆地气候再次变冷,转变为冰缘冻土环境,盆地内部滨浅湖相的沙层受到冻融作用和古地震扰动,形成复式褶皱现象。进入全新世,在11.7~4.8 ka气候逐渐变得温暖湿润,古湖盆底部浅洼地积水成为淤泥质沼泽环境,在全新世中后期4.8~1.8 ka则转变成为沼泽草甸环境,在1.8 ka之后,盆地内沼泽面积收缩,风沙活动盛行,河岸台地的近源沙尘暴沉积物经过成壤改造形成亚高山草甸黑土类现代土壤。     

Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Geochemical Characteristics of the Volcanic Host Rocks from the Tongyu VHMS Copper Deposit in the Western North Qinling Orogen and Their Geological Significance

Precise in situ zircon U-Pb dating and Lu–Hf isotopic measurement using an LA-ICP-MS system, whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotope geochemistry were conducted on the volcanic host rocks of the Tongyu copper deposit on the basis of further understanding of its geological characteristics. Three zircon samples from the volcanic host rocks yielded 206Pb/238 U weighted average ages ranging from 436±4 Ma to 440±5 Ma, which are statistically indistinguishable and coeval with the ca. 440 Ma northward subduction event of the Paleo-Qinling oceanic slab. The volcanic host rocks were products of magmatic differentiation that evolved from basalt to andesite to dacite to rhyolite, forming an integrated tholeiitic island arc volcanic rock suite. The primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns for most samples show characteristics of island arc volcanic rocks, such as relative enrichment of LILE(e.g. Th, U, Pb and La) and depletion of HFSE(e.g. Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr and Hf). Discrimination diagrams of Ta/Yb vs Th/Yb, Ta vs Th, Yb vs Th/Ta, Ta/Hf vs Th/Hf, Hf/3 vs Th vs Nb/16, La vs La/Nb and Nb vs Nb/Th all suggest that both the volcanic host rocks from the Tongyu copper deposit and the volcanic rocks from the regional Xieyuguan Group were formed in an island arc environment related to subduction of an oceanic slab. Values of ISr(0.703457 to 0.708218) and εNd(t)(-2 to 5.8) indicate that the source materials of volcanic rocks from the Tongyu copper deposit and the Xieyuguan Group originated from the metasomatised mantle wedge with possible crustal material assimilation. Most of the volcanic rock samples show good agreement with the values of typical island arc volcanic rocks in the ISr-εNd(t) diagram. The involvement of crustal-derived material in the magma of the volcanic rocks from the Tongyu copper deposit was also reflected in the zircon εHf(t) values, which range from-3.08 to 10.7, and the existence of inherited ancient xenocrystic zircon cores(2616±39 Ma and 1297±22 Ma). The mineralization of the Tongyu copper deposit shows syn-volcanic characteristics such as layered orebodies interbedded with the volcanic rock strata, thus, the zircon U-Pb age of the volcanic host rocks can approximately represent the mineralization age of the Tongyu copper deposit. Both the Meigou pluton and the volcanic host rocks were formed during the ca. 440 Ma northward subduction of the Paleo-Qinling Ocean when high oxygen fugacity aqueous hydrothermal fluid released by dehydration of the slab and the overlying sediments fluxed into the mantle wedge, triggered partial melting of the mantle wedge, and activated and extracted Cu and other ore-forming elements. The magma and ore-bearing fluid upwelled and erupted, and consequently formed the island arc volcanic rock suite and the Tongyu VHMS-type copper deposit.     

空间直角坐标至两类常用坐标的快速变换

由空间直角坐标至站心极坐标的间接变换方法存在着使用复杂和不够直接快速的问题,该文提出了空间直角坐标至大地坐标快速变换的二维迭代方法;通过分析空间直角坐标与站心极坐标的几何关系,提出了站心极坐标直接变换的几何解析法。计算结果表明,当迭代停止条件采用空间点位误差限值10-5 m时,大地坐标变换的二维迭代法一般2次收敛;站心极坐标几何解析法与常规间接变换结果完全相同,验证了文中所提方法的正确性和快速性。