Microclimatology and forest plague(Dendroctonus adjunctus) in Central Mexico

It has been observed in at least eight places in Central Mexico that hilly zones with certain orientation and slopes have a higher-than-normal incidence of plague. In this paper, the potential insolation and the total microclimatology of an infested and a healthy zone have been studied, with the purpose of determining the condition of natural climatic stress in the vegetation that makes it susceptible to the attack and proliferation of plagues. The infested slope (NE-NW), in contrast to the healthy slope (SE-SW), has greater annual variability in the potential reception of insolation, besides a minor energy availability disposition — on a daily basis — in quantity and in number of hours, by conduction from the ground, which produces more heterogeneity in the gradient of temperature at different depths in the ground; and the wind effect tends to be more frequent, intense and prolonged. The area studied is in the National Park “La Malinche” Tlaxcala in Central Mexico.     

Eine einfache Methode zur rechnerischen Ermittlung der Verschiebungen eines Hohlraumrandes

ZusammenfassungEine einfache Methode zur rechnerischen Ermittlung der Verschiebung eines Hohlraumrandes In diesem Artikel wird gezeigt, daß bei dem im Gebirge oft zulässigen vereinfachten Näherungsansatz für das statische System als unendlich ausgedehnte, im Unendlichen mit einer vertikalen und einer horizontalen Gleichlast belastete, gelochte, isotrope Scheibe die Verschiebung des Hohlraumrandes infolge des Felsausbruches mit einer einfachen Formel gefunden werden können. Im ersten Teil wird die theoretische Ableitung nach der Scheibentheorie kurz dargelegt, im zweiten Teil wurden die Formeln für die praktische Anwendung zusammengestellt und an Hand eines Beispieles erläutert. Mit dieser Methode ist es für den projektierenden Ingenieur auch ohne Kenntnis der Scheibentheorie leicht, Richtung und Größenordnung der zu erwartenden Verschiebungen bei Schaffung eines Felshohlraumes zu bestimmen und den Einfluß der gewählten Querschnittsform auf die Deformationen zu untersuchen.

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SummaryA Simple Method for the Calculation of the Boundary Displacements of an Excavation A simple formula is presented for the boundary displacements of a hole in an infinite homogeneous isotropic perfectly elastic two-dimensional body with uniform external pressures at infinity. This mathematical model is often permissible for tunnels or other long excavations in rock. In the first part the formula is derived, while the second part gives an example for practical application. The method enables the projecting engineer to evaluate quickly and easily the boundary displacements in direction and magnitude and consequently to investigate the influence of the chosen cross-sectional shape on the displacements of the walls.

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RésuméUne méthode simple pour évaluer les déplacements du contour d'une cavité Une formule simple est présentée pour les déplacements du contour d'une cavité dans un corps infini, élastique, isotrope, à deux dimensions, soumis à une pression uniforme à l'infini. Ce modèle mathématique est souvent acceptable pour les tunnels ou autres cavités allongées dans la roche. En première partie, la formule est développée; la seconde partie donne un exemple d'application pratique. Cette méthode permettra à l'ingénieur projeteur de déterminer promptement et facilement les déplacements de la paroi en direction et en grandeur et d'examiner l'influence de la section transversale choisie sur ces déplacements.

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Separation of local and regional information in distorted GDS response functions by hypothetical event analysis

Electromagnetic investigations are usually intended to examine regional structures where induction takes place at a given period range. However, the regional information is often distorted by galvanic effects at local conductivity boundaries. Bahr (1985) and Groom & Bailey (1989) developed a physical distortion model for decomposing the MT impedance tensor, based upon local galvanic distortion of a regional 2-D electromagnetic field. We have extended their method to predict the magnetic variation fields created at an array of sites. The magnetic response functions at periods around 1000 s may be distorted by large-scale inhomogeneities in the upper or middle crust. In this period range, the data measured by a magnetometer array contain common information that can be extracted if the data set is treated as a unit, for example by using hypothetical event analysis. With this technique it is always possible to recover the regional strike direction from distorted data, even if a strong, spatially varying regional vertical field component is present in the data set. The determination of the regional impedance phases, on the other hand, is far more sensitive to deviations from the physical distortion model.
The approach has been used to investigate the Iapetus data set. For the array, which covers an area of 200  km × 300  km in northern England/southern Scotland, the technique revealed a common regional strike azimuth of ca . N125° E in the period range 500–2000  s. This direction differs from the strike indicated by the induction arrows, which seem influenced mainly by local current concentrations along the east–west-striking Northumberland Trough and a NE–SW-striking mid-crustal conductor. Both impedance phases are positive and differ by ca . 10°, which supports the assumptions of distortion fields in the data set and that the regional structure is 2-D.     

Beobachtungen über die Eientwicklung des Blaufelchens (Coregonus lavaretus wartmanni) im Bodensee-Obersee

Lake Constance whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus wartmanni) spawn in the water column. The demersal eggs develop at the mud-water interface at depths down to 250 m. Samples were taken by dredging areas of 100 m². Mortality, developmental stages and rate of malformations were determined. Incubation period lasts roughly from December to March. The percentage of dead eggs increased from 52% in January to 74% in February. Among living eggs deformations of the trunk raised from 4% to 31% during the same time. It is assumed that larvae with anomalities of the trunk will have no survival chances. Total losses were 91.7% in the average of all samples.      

Paleo-environment of iron-rich sedimentary rocks

It is possible to apply actualistic principles to the interpretation of the paleoenvironment of iron-rich sedimentary rocks, although few iron-rich sediments form today. The sedimentary textures and structures of cherty iron-formations, Minette-tpye ironstones and limestones are similar. These similarities prove that the hydrodynamic processes of the deposition of the three rock types are the same. Therefore, it is possible to define facies of cherty iron-formations and Minette-type ironstones on the basis of their sedimentary textures and structures, disregarding mineralogy, and to interprete the formative environment by comparison with Recent limestones. Shaly sulfide iron-formation and sideritic clay ironstones are ferriferous mudstones. Methods applied to the interpretation of iron-poor shales may also be applied to these two rock types. The mineralogy of iron-rich sedimentary rocks is determined by diagenetic processes. Depositional organic content of the sediment, sediment texture (which controls diffusivity and permeability) and the groundwater flow system during diagenesis are the primary controls of iron-mineral diagenesis. Paleogeography and basin bathymetry are indirect controls of iron mineralogy, because they affect organic content and sediment texture.     

A bimodal four‐parameter lognormal linear model of soil water repellency persistence

Soil water repellency may be characterized in terms of the delayed infiltration time of a water droplet resting on the soil surface, which is, water drop penetration time (WDPT), or repellency persistence. Such repellency persistence varies nonlinearly with soil water content (θ_g), although no models have been proposed to reproduce the variation of WDPT with θ_g in soils. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA) is used to identify two common patterns of unexplained variability in a scattered dataset of WDPT versus θ_g measurements. A four‐parameter lognormal distribution was fitted to both common patterns obtained by DFA, and these were combined additively in a weighted multiple linear bimodal model. We show how such an empirical model is capable of reproducing a large variety of WDPT versus θ_g curve shapes (N = 80) both within a wide range of measured WDPTs (0–17 000 s) and for samples with organic matter content ranging from 21·7 to 80·6 g (100 g)^?1. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3D shear-wave velocity structure of the Eifel plume, Germany

The Quaternary Eifel volcanic fields, situated on the Rhenish Massif in Germany, are the focus of a major interdisciplinary project. The aim is a detailed study of the crustal and mantle structure of the intraplate volcanic fields and their deep origin. Recent results from a teleseismic P-wave tomography study reveal a deep low-velocity structure which we infer to be a plume in the upper mantle underneath the volcanic area [J.R.R. Ritter et al., Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 186 (2001) 7-14]. Here we present a travel-time investigation of 5038 teleseismic shear-wave arrivals in the same region. First, the transverse (T) and radial (R) component travel-time residuals are treated separately to identify possible effects of seismic anisotropy. A comparison of 2044 T- and 2994 R-component residuals demonstrates that anisotropy does not cause any first-order travel-time effects. The data sets reveal a deep-seated low-velocity anomaly beneath the volcanic region, causing a delay for teleseismic shear waves of about 3 s. Using 3773 combined R- and T-component residuals, an isotropic non-linear inversion is calculated. The tomographic images reveal a prominent S-wave velocity reduction in the upper mantle underneath the Eifel region. The anomaly extends down to at least 400 km depth. The velocity contrast to the surrounding mantle is depth-dependent (from −5% at 31-100 km depth to at least −1% at 400 km depth). At about 170-240 km depth the anomaly is nearly absent. The resolution of the data is sufficient to recover the described features, however the anomaly in the lower asthenosphere is underestimated due to smearing and damping. The main anomaly is similar to the P-wave model except the latter lacks the ‘hole’ near 200 km depth, and both are consistent with an upper mantle plume structure. For plausible anhydrous plume material in the uppermost 100 km of the mantle, an excess temperature as great as 200-300 K is estimated from the seismic anomaly. However, 1% partial melt reduces the required temperature anomaly to about 100 K. The temperature anomaly associated with the deeper part of the plume (250 to about 450 km depth) is at least 70 K. However, this estimate is quite uncertain, because the amplitude of the shear-wave anomaly may be larger than the modelled one. Another possibility is water in the upwelling material. The gap at 170-240 km depth could arise from an increase of the shear modulus caused by dehydration processes which would not affect P-wave velocities as much. An interaction of temperature and compositional variations, including melt and possibly water, makes it difficult to differentiate quantitatively between the causes of the deep-seated low-velocity anomaly.