Exploring effects of climate change on Northern Plains American Indian health

American Indians have unique vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change because of the links among ecosystems, cultural practices, and public health, but also as a result of limited resources available to address infrastructure needs. On the Crow Reservation in south-central Montana, a Northern Plains American Indian Reservation, there are community concerns about the consequences of climate change impacts for community health and local ecosystems. Observations made by Tribal Elders about decreasing annual snowfall and milder winter temperatures over the 20th century initiated an investigation of local climate and hydrologic data by the Tribal College. The resulting analysis of meteorological data confirmed the decline in annual snowfall and an increase in frost free days. In addition, the data show a shift in precipitation from winter to early spring. The number of days exceeding 90 ?F (32 ?C) has doubled in the past century. Streamflow data show a long-term trend of declining discharge. Elders noted that the changes are affecting fish distribution within local streams and plant species which provide subsistence foods. Concerns about warmer summer temperatures also include heat exposure during outdoor ceremonies that involve days of fasting without food or water. Additional community concerns about the effects of climate change include increasing flood frequency and fire severity, as well as declining water quality. The authors call for local research to understand and document current effects and project future impacts as a basis for planning adaptive strategies.     

The coalescence and organization of lahars at Semeru volcano, Indonesia

We present multi-parameter geophysical measurements of rainfall-induced lahars at Semeru Volcano, East Java, using two observation sites 510 m apart, 11.5 km from the summit. Our study site in the Curah Lengkong channel is composed of a 30-m wide box-valley, with a base of gravel and lava bedrock, representing an ideal geometry for high density measurements of active lahars. Instrumentation included pore-pressure sensors (stage), a broad-band seismograph (arrival times, vibrational energy, and turbulence), video footage, and direct bucket sampling. A total of 8 rainfall-induced lahars were recorded, with durations of 1–3 h, heights 0.5–2 m, and peak velocities 3–6 m/s. Flow types ranged from dilute to dense hyperconcentrated flows. These recorded flows were commonly composed of partly coalesced, discrete and unsteady gravity current packets, represented by multiple peaks within each lahar. These packets most likely originate from multiple lahar sources, and can be traced between instrument sites. Those with the highest concentrations and greatest wetted areas were often located mid-lahar at our measured reach, accelerating towards the flow front. As these lahars travel downstream, the individual packets thus coalesce and the flow develops a more organised structure. Observations of different degrees of coalescence between these discrete flow packets illustrate that a single mature debris flow may have formed from multiple dynamically independent lahars, each with different origins.     

泰安基准台洞体及环境改造

大部分形变仪器长年工作在山洞内,洞室的潮湿对仪器及房间内装修材料影响很大,“十五”期间中国地震局投资近十万元对泰安台形变仪器专用山洞进行了改造。本文从改造内容,改造方法及改造效果几方面进行了阐述,为同类山洞改造提供借鉴。     

Crustal deformation and tectonic levels of Nujiang Gorge since the Miocene

Crustal deformation shows different patterns at different depths due to changes in the physical properties of rock.Tectonic levels can be defined based on the geometry and deformation mechanisms of crustal deformation patterns. Nujiang Gorge, with a high riverbed drop, great erosion depth, and strong deformation, has rock exposures at different tectonic levels and thus provides an ideal lab for deformation study. This paper takes the Nujiang Gorge from Chawalong to Fugong as the object to identify structural deformation patterns at different depths through field study and deformation analysis. At depth, the primary form of deformation is flow deformation, as shown on the outcrops at Maji. Ductile shear deformation can be found in many outcrops within the study region, e.g., the Gaoligong dextral shear zone and Puladi-Songta sinistral shear zone that lie to the south and north of Maji, respectively. Further to the north of Puladi, the dominated deformation pattern is similar fold and dense sub-vertical foliation. In addition, brittle faults, as evidence of shallow deformation, can be seen overprinting on the deeper deformation features all over the region. Based on those observations, this paper identifies four tectonic levels from depth to the surface: flow deformation, ductile shear deformation, similar fold, and brittle fault deformation, all of which result from the NEE-SWW compressive stress field. Further evidence from studies on the region′s thermal evolution and regional tectonics suggests that the development of different tectonic levels is closely linked to the discrepant uplift or denudation since the Miocene(~21 Ma).     

Military geology and the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1863

Gettysburg – the most costly of all battles of the American Civil War, and one of the most significant battles ever fought. Contested in rural Pennsylvania, the Battle of Gettysburg took place after a chance encounter by the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia (General Robert E. Lee) with the Union Army of the Potomac (Major-General George Meade). It was to prove the turning point in the war, the so-called 'high tide' of the Confederacy, as after Gettysburg the fortunes of war turned in favour of the Union. Fought over three days in early July 1863, the battle continues to be analyzed and re-analyzed from all perspectives. Significantly, it was the first battle to be re-interpreted from the perspective of its geology, by Andrew Brown of the Pennsylvania State Survey in the early 1960s. It continues to fascinate geologists interested in the overall impact of geology and terrain in determining the outcome of battle. This article examines why Gettysburg has been so influential in shaping our understanding of geology in warfare.     

Shallow‐water microbialite‐volcaniclastic facies association in the Cambro‐Ordovician Mt Windsor Subprovince,Australia

The Trooper Creek Formation is a mineralised submarine volcano‐sedimentary sequence in the Cambro‐Ordovician Seventy Mile Range Group, Queensland. Most of the Trooper Creek Formation accumulated in a below‐storm‐wave‐base setting. However, microbialites and fossiliferous quartz‐hematite ± magnetite lenses provide evidence for local shoaling to above fairweather wave‐base (typically 5–15 m). The microbialites comprise biogenic (oncolites, stromatolites) and volcanogenic (pumice, shards, crystal fragments) components. Microstructural elements of the bioherms and biostromes include upwardly branching stromatolites, which suggest that photosynthetic microorganisms were important in constructing the microbialites. Because the microbialites are restricted to a thin stratigraphic interval in the Trooper Creek area, shallow‐water environments are interpreted to have been spatially and temporarily restricted. The circumstances that led to local shoaling are recorded by the enclosing volcanic and sedimentary lithofacies. The microbialites are hosted by felsic syneruptive pumiceous turbidites and water‐settled fall deposits generated by explosive eruptions. The microbialite host rocks overlie a thick association (≤?300 m) of andesitic lithofacies that includes four main facies: coherent andesite and associated autoclastic breccia and peperite; graded andesitic scoria breccia (scoriaceous sediment gravity‐flow deposits); fluidal clast‐rich andesitic breccia (water‐settled fall and sediment gravity‐flow deposits); and cross‐stratified andesitic sandstone and breccia (traction‐current deposits). The latter three facies consist of poorly vesicular blocky fragments, scoriaceous clasts (10–90%), and up to 10% fluidally shaped clasts. The fluidal clasts are interpreted as volcanic bombs. Clast shapes and textures in the andesitic volcaniclastic facies association imply that fragmentation occurred through a combination of fire fountaining and Strombolian activity, and a large proportion of the pyroclasts disintegrated due to quenching and impacts. Rapid syneruptive, near‐vent aggradation of bombs, scoria, and quench‐fragmented clasts probably led to temporary shoaling, so that subsequent felsic volcaniclastic facies and microbialites were deposited in shallow water. When subsidence outpaced aggradation, the depositional setting at Trooper Creek returned to being relatively deep marine.     

TritonX-100－5-Br-PADAP光度法测定铜和镍

研究了非离子型表面活性剂Ｔｒｉｔｏｎ Ｘ－ １００ 存在下,用５ － Ｂｒ － ＰＡＤＡＰ 光度法测定铜、镍的方法。结果表明：在ｐＨ９ ．０ 的硼砂缓冲介质中,５ － Ｂｒ － ＰＡＤＡＰ 与铜和镍生成紫红色络合物,λＣｕｍ ａｘ ＝ ５７５ ｎｍ ,εＣｕ ＝ １ ．０４ ×１０５ Ｌ·ｍｏｌ－ １·ｃｍ － １ ;λＮｉｍ ａｘ ＝ ５７５ ｎｍ ,εＮｉ ＝ １ ．１４ ×１０５ Ｌ·ｍｏｌ－ １·ｃｍ － １ 。铜和镍的质量浓度分别在０ ～５６０ μｇ／ Ｌ和０ ～４４０ μｇ／ Ｌ符合比尔定律。加入六偏磷酸钠后,由于偏磷酸镍的形成,镍不再与５ － Ｂｒ － ＰＡＤＡＰ 显色,可通过铜及铜镍总量的测定,计算出镍的含量。用该方法实测了钢样中铜和镍的含量,结果与推荐值相符,对铜和镍５ 次测定的ＲＳＤ均小于５ ％ 。     

Identification of the principal patterns of summer moisture transport in South America and their representation by WCRP/CMIP3 global climate models

The goal of this study is to assess the ability of a set of global climate models (GCMs) to represent the main regional spatial patterns of austral summer moisture transport in South America in order to evaluate if one of the possible causes of GCMs misestimating summer precipitation in this region could be associated with an erroneous representation of these patterns. For this purpose, NCEP/NCAR reanalysis and 20 GCMs from the WCRP/CMIP3 multi-model dataset for the period 1960–1999 were considered. Extreme cases of moisture transport patterns were selected to assess their association with rainfall anomalies. Results obtained indicate that only some aspects of water vapor transport and convergence in South America as well as the associated precipitation anomalies can be reproduced adequately by GCMs. Finally, a case study is presented showing that one of the moisture transport patterns identified was observed during December 2008–February 2009.