紫坪铺水库造成孔隙弹性耦合变化及其对2008年汶川地震触发作用

位于川西地区龙门山断裂带附近的紫坪铺水库于2005年9月开始蓄水.约2.7年后,2008年5月12日,M_w7.9级汶川地震在龙门山断裂带上发生,两事件在时间和空间上的接近,揭示其可能相互关联,但前人的诸多研究给出了不同甚至是相反的结果.本研究基于完全耦合孔隙弹性理论,利用二维有限元模型(FEM),模拟水库蓄水造成的区域孔隙压力场和应力场的演化过程,基于库仑应力演化探讨其对龙门山断裂带活动的影响.模拟结果显示紫坪铺水库蓄水打破了原来的区域孔隙压力平衡,形成孔隙压力梯度源,向周围地壳传播;进而造成龙门山断裂带上库仑应力正值范围不断扩大,由浅入深影响到整条断层,尤其对浅层范围的加载作用明显,达上百千帕,为整个断层面的失稳提供了基础.震源区域库仑应力呈持续增长趋势,汶川地震发震前,增长了约数千帕~数十千帕,即使初期库仑应力为负,在未来某时刻库仑应力仍可能由负转正,并不断增大.通过计算汶川地震震源及其附近区域内相对于多种可能断层倾角的库仑应力,发现库仑应力随断层倾角增大而增加.因此整体来看,紫坪铺水库蓄水对龙门山断裂带起加载作用,有可能触发地震.对紫坪铺库区周围的小震分析也显示,蓄水以来小震明显增多、且不同时段小震发生密集区与水库距离逐渐增大,与孔隙压力扩散趋势一致.以上结果表明紫坪铺水库的蓄水增加了汶川地震的危险性.     

Insights in the exhumation history of the NW Zagros from bedrock and detrital apatite fission‐track analysis: evidence for a long‐lived orogeny

We present the first fission‐track (FT) thermochronology results for the NW Zagros Belt (SW Iran) in order to identify denudation episodes that occurred during the protracted Zagros orogeny. Samples were collected from the two main detrital successions of the NW Zagros foreland basin: the Palaeocene–early Eocene Amiran–Kashkan succession and the Miocene Agha Jari and Bakhtyari Formations. In situ bedrock samples were furthermore collected in the Sanandaj‐Sirjan Zone. Only apatite fission‐track (AFT) data have been successfully obtained, including 26 ages and 11 track‐length distributions. Five families of AFT ages have been documented from analyses of in situ bedrock and detrital samples: pre‐middle Jurassic at ～171 and ～225 Ma, early–late Cretaceous at ～91 Ma, Maastrichtian at ～66 Ma, middle–late Eocene at ～38 Ma and Oligocene–early Miocene at ～22 Ma. The most widespread middle–late Eocene cooling phase, around ～38 Ma, is documented by a predominant grain‐age population in Agha Jari sediments and by cooling ages of a granitic boulder sample. AFT ages document at least three cooling/denudation periods linked to major geodynamic events related to the Zagros orogeny, during the late Cretaceous oceanic obduction event, during the middle and late Eocene and during the early Miocene. Both late Cretaceous and early Miocene orogenic processes produced bending of the Arabian plate and concomitant foreland deposition. Between the two major flexural foreland episodes, the middle–late Eocene phase mostly produced a long‐lasting slow‐ or nondepositional episode in the inner part of the foreland basin, whereas deposition and tectonics migrated to the NE along the Sanandaj‐Sirjan domain and its Gaveh Rud fore‐arc basin. As evidenced in this study, the Zagros orogeny was long‐lived and multi‐episodic, implying that the timing of accretion of the different tectonic domains that form the Zagros Mountains requires cautious interpretation.     

Seasonal variations of exposure biomarkers, oxidative stress responses and cell damage in the clams, Tapes philippinarum, and mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, from Adriatic sea

This work investigated the natural variability of several biomarkers in Tapes philippinarum and Mytilus galloprovincialis, sampled from Northern Adriatic where these organisms are important sentinel species for future environmental impact assessment. Levels of metallothioneins, peroxisomal enzymes and acetylcholinesterase, showed a significant seasonality and marked differences between clams and mussels. Among antioxidant enzymes, catalase and GST decreased during the warmer period, the latter enzyme activity resulting particularly high in clams. The total oxyradical scavenging capacity toward peroxyl radicals decreased in mussels from winter to summer, indicating a prooxidant challenge due to higher seawater temperature and intensity of light irradiance. Lysosomal membrane stability did not exhibit significant seasonal variations, while some variations were observed for DNA damages. Overall results indicated a significant influence of seasonal variability on several biomarkers and species-specific differences which should be considered to discriminate the appearance of anthropogenic disturbance.     

Growth and urban differentiation on the urban periphery: A case study from Szeged, Hungary

In late nineteenth century Hungarian cities there were strong contrasts between the inner ‘urban’ core and the rural periphery in terms of housing conditions, accessibility and lifestyle. Rural-urban fringe zones in the Great Plain were quite distinctive because the Turkish period was followed by an outflow of population which resulted in scattered settlement around the urban centres. The fringe could be regarded simply as a zone of transition, but the differences between urban centres and their immediate surroundings were gradually reduced through the industrialisation of the larger towns in the communist period. A study of Szeged examines the expansion of the fringe zone and its gradual urbanisation through the growth of housing as people have moved out from the centre to live among the rural population which increasingly turned from agriculture to commuting. Villages on either side of Szeged's administrative boundary accommodated more migrants from the city during the 1980s and experienced a gradual positive change in the quality of life as people escaped from the decaying residential blocs in the centre. During the years since 1989 there has been further migration, coupled with a growth of small businesses and a big improvement in services (shopping, running water, sewage and telecommunications). Further change may be expected in line with the forces of counterurbanisation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Impact of Air Pollution on Genetic Material of Shallot (Allium cepa L. var. ascalonicum) Exposed at Differently Polluted Sites in Slovenia

Test shallot plants Allium cepa L. var. ascalonicum were exposed to field conditions at six research plots in the most polluted areas in Slovenia in the vegetation seasons in 1999 and 2000. The intention of this research was to evaluate the influence of air pollution on mitotic activity and frequency of chromosomal aberrations in meristematic tissues of root tips of bioindication plants. Significant differences in the mitotic index and in frequency of chromosomal aberrations at different sampling plots in pot experiments were found and the correlation between the ozone concentration and the mitotic index was determined. The results showed the presence of cytotoxic substances at chosen sampling sites, which caused the decrease of mitotic cell division and the presence of genotoxic substances, which resulted in the increase of frequency of chromosomal aberrations.     

Evaluation of a siliciclastic diamictite from the Maya Mountains of Belize

A diamictite unit 9.2 m thick and 1.5 × 1.0 km in aerial extent lies unconformably on siliciclastics of the Santa Rosa Group in the Maya Mountains of Belize. The diamictite has an irregular scour base with 1.5 m of erosional relief. Matrix accounts for 24–27% of the deposit and consists of coarse sand to clay-sized particles of lithics and mineral grains of various origins. Clasts are granule to boulder in size, sub-rounded, poorly sorted, matrix-supported, oriented randomly and lack grading. Clasts are composed exclusively of sandstone, siltstone and shale lithologies derived from the Santa Rosa. Trace element concentrations are relatively higher in the Santa Rosa sediments, but Cu and Zn are elevated in the diamictite. Some clasts exhibit alteration rinds related to post-depositional hydrothermal processes. The age of the diamictite is unknown, it overlies the latest Pennsylvanian to Middle Permian Santa Rosa Group, and has a present-day erosional top of the unit which prevents further age refinements. The diamictite is interpreted to be of sediment-gravity flow origin related to tectonic activity on the Northern Boundary fault. However, this study points to the potential for future re-evaluation of the deposit with refinement of the depositional models themselves. The diamictite deposit also allows for further interpretation of the broader geologic history of Northern Central America.     

Possibilities of using silicate rock powder:An overview

This study evaluates the on use of crushed rocks(remineralizers)to increase soil fertility levels and which contributed to increase agricultural productivity,recovery of degraded areas,decontamination of water,and carbon sequestration.The use of these geological materials is part of the assumptions of rock technology and,indirectly,facilitates the achievement of sustainable development goals related to soil management,climate change,and the preservation of water resources.Research over the past 50 years on silicate rocks focused on soil fertility management and agricultural productivity.More recently,the combined use with microorganisms and organic correctives have shown positive results to mitigate soil degradation;to expand carbon sequestration and storage;and to contribute to the adsorption of contaminants from water and soil.In this article we show results obtained in several countries and we show that this technology can contribute to the sustainability of agriculture,as well as to reverse global warming.Although mineral nutrients are released more slowly from these types of inputs,they remain in the soil for a longer time,stimulating the soil biota.In addition,they are a technology to soluble synthetic fertilizers replace,since the few nutrients derived from such inputs not consumed by plants are lost by leaching,contaminating groundwater and water resources.In addition,conventional methods rely heavily on chemical pesticides which cause damage to soil’s microfauna(responsible for the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling)and the loss of organic carbon(in the form of dioxide),which is quickly dispersed in the atmosphere.Silicate rock powders are applied in natura,have long-lasting residual effects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.