Biostratigraphy and Sedimentary Settings of the Middle Devonian Succession of the Yuryung-Tumus Peninsula,Khatanga Gulf of the Laptev Sea

The age of the Paleozoic sedimentary successions of the Yuryung-Tumus Peninsula in the Khatanga Gulf is determined as Middle Devonian, late Eifelian, and the beginning of the early Givetian on the basis of the study of brachiopods, ammonoids, nautiloids, bactritoids, gastropods, and conodonts, and in the terminology of the standard conodont succession, these deposits are not older than the late Eifelian Tortodus kockelianus Zone, but include the terminal Eifelian Polygnathus ensensis Zone and the first Givetian Polygnathus hemiansatus Zone and are no younger than the beginning of the early Givetian Polygnathus varcus Zone. The Middle Devonian sedimentary successions of the Yuryung-Tumus Peninsula show the level of the global sedimentary Ka?ak Event. The areas of distribution of the Devonian sedimentary deposits in the Yuryung-Tumus Peninsula in the Khatanga Gulf should be considered as one of the fragments of the regional geological structures of a remote (isolated?) region of the Taymyr Fold System rather than a component of the structures of the northern Siberian Platform.     

Age and Provenance Areas of Terrigenous Rocks of the Dzhida Terrane: Results of U—Th—Pb (LA-ICP-MS) Geochronological Study of Detrital Zircons

The results of U—Th—Pb (LA-ICP-MS) geochronological studies of detrital zircons from terrigenous rocks of the Dzhida terrane of the Central Asian Fold Belt (CAFB) are presented. The data obtained allow us to distinguish the following age maxima (Ma): 578 and 634 (Vendian); 720, 823, and 919 (Late Riphean); 1922, 2090, 2225, and 2321 (Early Proterozoic). A number of zircons have Late Archean age in the interval of 2670–2980 Ma. Taking into account Late Cambrian age (504–506 Ma) of intrusive rocks that intruded the Dzhida terrane, a possible sedimentation period of sequences of this terrane is estimated to be in the interval of 580–510 Ma (from Vendian to Late Cambrian). The possible provenance areas of terrigenous sediments are proposed and the previously proposed models of geodynamic evolution of the Dzhida terrane are correlated with new geochronological data.     

Ziminaite,Fe3+VO4, a new howardevansite-group mineral from the Bezymyannyi volcano,Kamchatka, Russia

Mineralogy and Petrology - The new mineral ziminaite, ideally Fe3+VO4, was found in fumarole sublimates at the Bezymyannyi volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. Ziminaite occurs as lamellar, tabular or...     

Empirical seismic vulnerability,deterministic risk and monetary loss assessment in Fira (Santorini,Greece)

A deterministic seismic risk and monetary loss model is presented for the capital of Santorini volcanic Island, the town of Fira, on a building block scale. A local seismic source of M5.6 inferred from a recent volcano unrest in 2011–2012, detailed seismic vulnerability of 435 buildings and site conditions deduced from free-field ambient noise measurements were combined toward assessing the EMS-98 damage grade and its probability to occur. The seismic scenario yielded no damage or slight damage for 84% of the buildings, 16% of the constructions are expected to present moderate-to-heavy damage, while the economic loss amounts to 4 million euros. Although the model predicts low damage and direct economic loss, interaction with the touristic business activities might produce cascade side effects for the economy of the island and consequently Greece’s GDP, an important part of which emanates from Santorini.     

The present-day active deformation in the central and northern parts of the Gulf of Suez area,Egypt, from earthquake focal mechanism data

The average seismic strain rate is estimated for the seismotectonic zone of the northern/central parts of the Gulf of Suez. The principal strain rate tensor and velocity tensor were derived from a combination of earthquake focal mechanisms data and seismic moment of small-sized earthquakes covering a time span of 13 years (1992–2004). A total of 17 focal mechanism solutions have been used in the calculation of the moment tensor summation. The local magnitudes (MLs) of these events range from 2.8 to 4.7. The analysis indicates that the dominant mode of deformation in the central and northern parts of the Gulf of Suez is extension at a rate of 0.008 mm/year in N28°E direction and a small crustal thinning of 0.0034 mm/year. This low level of strain means that this zone experienced a little seismic deformation. There is also a right lateral shear motion along the ESE–WNW direction. This strain pattern is consistent with the predominant NW–SE normal faulting and ESE–WNW dextral transtensive faults in this zone. Comparing the results obtained from both stress and strain tensors, we find that the orientations of the principal axes of both tensors have the same direction with a small difference between them. Both tensors show a predominantly extensional domain. The nearly good correspondence between principal stress and strain orientations in the area suggests that the tectonic strength is relatively uniform for this crustal volume.     

陕西凤太矿集区多金属成矿作用的构造控制

陕西凤县-太白(简称凤太)矿集区铅、锌、金、银、铜多金属资源丰富,已发现二十余个大中小型矿床。在大地构造位置上,凤太矿集区位于南秦岭造山带北缘,紧邻商丹缝合带。以往的工作缺乏对矿集区整体的构造研究,本次工作通过比较系统的构造测量和解析,提出在南秦岭晚三叠世碰撞造山过程中,凤太矿集区南北两条边界断裂带的左行走滑运动导致在区内衍生了NNE向主压应力场,从而形成了NWW向复式褶皱、脆韧性剪切带、断裂和节理(纵向破裂)、B型线理,以及NNE向断裂和节理(横向破裂)、劈理、张裂隙等一系列构造组合,所有构造形迹都是在统一构造应力场下随着构造层次不断抬升,脆韧性和脆性递进变形叠加的产物,共同构成了一个大型压扭性走滑双重构造变形系统。在构造几何学上,凤太矿集区整体上表现为一个隔档式复式褶皱,由一组NWW向紧闭复背斜和一组相对宽缓复向斜组成。区内的多金属成矿作用、岩浆活动、动力变质变形作用的同位素年龄数据集中于230~190Ma。综合地质演化和成矿作用的研究成果,提出在南秦岭碰撞造山过程中引发的动力变质变形作用和岩浆活动提供了成矿元素和成矿流体,在温压梯度以及浮力效应的驱动下向上运移至走滑双重构造变形系统中的有利扩容空间中发生充填型和交代型矿化,即凤太矿集区多金属矿床是区域大规模变形变质-岩浆活动-流体作用的产物,是在构造作用这一主导因素控制下形成的一个多金属后生热液成矿系统。     

Hazard assessment of volcanic ballistic impacts at Mt Chihshin,Tatun Volcano Group,northern Taiwan

The assessment of vulnerability provides valuable knowledge in the risk assessment steps of a risk governance process. Given the multiscale, multilevel, and multisectorial aspects of flood risk, the diversified entities that directly and indirectly intervene in risk management require specific outputs from the assessment studies. Urban areas in estuarine margins are particularly exposed and vulnerable to flooding. Such interface conditions are found in the Old City Centre of the Seixal, located in the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Here, two distinct methodologies were applied for the assessment of territorial vulnerability. A regional, lower-scale, methodology explores the application of the statistical procedure based on the SoVI^® at the statistical block level. A second, local and higher-scale, methodology is based in data collected through field matrices at the building and statistical sub-block level. Comparison of results revealed that the lower-scale assessment provides information on the vulnerability drivers at the regional and municipal level. Nevertheless, only at a higher-scale, it is possible to characterize and differentiate the smaller geographical units of analysis that compose the Old City Centre of Seixal. The lower-scale vulnerability assessment allows a strategic response, based on adaptation measures such as spatial planning, institutional capacity building and public awareness. The local level assessment provides more accurate knowledge to support local emergency planning and the allocation of operational and material resources at the urban level. Nevertheless, rather than antagonistic, both models can be considered as complementary, having in mind the requirements of an holistic flood risk governance model.     

The Key Supply Source of Long-Distance Moisture Transport for the Extreme Rainfall Event on July 21, 2012 in Beijing

In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and meteorological observation data were used to research the long-distance moisture transport supply source of the extreme rainfall event that occurred on July 21, 2012 in Beijing. Recording a maximum rainfall amount of 460 mm in 24 h, this rainstorm event had two dominant moisture transport channels. In the early stage of the rainstorm, the first channel comprised southwesterly monsoonal moisture from the Bay of Bengal (BOB) that was directly transported to north China along the eastern edge of Tibetan Plateau (TP) by orographic uplift. During the rainstorm, the southwesterly moisture transport was weakened by the transfer of Typhoon Vicente. Moreover, the southeasterly moisture transport between the typhoon and western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) became another dominant moisture transport channel. The moisture in the lower troposphere was mainly associated with the southeasterly moisture transport from the South China Sea and the East China Sea, and the moisture in the middle troposphere was mainly transported from the BOB and Indian Ocean. The control experiment well reproduced the distribution and intensity of rainfall and moisture transport. By comparing the control and three sensitivity experiments, we found that the moisture transported from Typhoon Vicente and a tropical cyclone in the BOB both significantly affected this extreme rainfall event. After Typhoon Vicente was removed in a sensitivity experiment, the maximum 24-h accumulated rainfall in north China was reduced by approximately 50% compared with that of the control experiment, while the rainfall after removing the tropical cyclone was reduced by 30%. When both the typhoon and tropical cyclone were removed, the southwesterly moisture transport was enhanced. Moreover, the sensitivity experiment of removing Typhoon Vicente also weakened the tropical cyclone in the BOB. Thus, the moisture pump driven by Typhoon Vicente played an important role in maintaining and strengthening the tropical cyclone in the BOB through its westerly airflow. Typhoon Vicente was not only the moisture transfer source for the southwesterly monsoonal moisture but also affected the tropical cyclone in the BOB, which was a key supply source of long-distance moisture transport for the extreme rainfall event on July 21, 2012 in Beijing.     

Revisit the calibration errors on experimental slant total electron content (TEC) determined with GPS

The calibration errors on experimental slant total electron content (TEC) determined with global positioning system (GPS) observations is revisited. Instead of the analysis of the calibration errors on the carrier phase leveled to code ionospheric observable, we focus on the accuracy analysis of the undifferenced ambiguity-fixed carrier phase ionospheric observable determined from a global distribution of permanent receivers. The results achieved are: (1) using data from an entire month within the last solar cycle maximum, the undifferenced ambiguity-fixed carrier phase ionospheric observable is found to be over one order of magnitude more accurate than the carrier phase leveled to code ionospheric observable and the raw code ionospheric observable. The observation error of the undifferenced ambiguity-fixed carrier phase ionospheric observable ranges from 0.05 to 0.11 total electron content unit (TECU) while that of the carrier phase leveled to code and the raw code ionospheric observable is from 0.65 to 1.65 and 3.14 to 7.48 TECU, respectively. (2) The time-varying receiver differential code bias (DCB), which presents clear day boundary discontinuity and intra-day variability pattern, contributes the most part of the observation error. This contribution is assessed by the short-term stability of the between-receiver DCB, which ranges from 0.06 to 0.17 TECU in a single day. (3) The remaining part of the observation errors presents a sidereal time cycle pattern, indicating the effects of the multipath. Further, the magnitude of the remaining part implies that the code multipath effects are much reduced. (4) The intra-day variation of the between-receiver DCB of the collocated stations suggests that estimating DCBs as a daily constant can have a mis-modeling error of at least several tenths of 1 TECU.     

Assessing soil salinity using WorldView-2 multispectral images in Timpaki,Crete, Greece

Salinization is one of the major soil degradation threats occurring worldwide. This study evaluates the feasibility of operational surface soil salinity mapping based on state-of-the-art Earth Observation (EO) products captured by sensors on-board WorldView-2 (WV2) and Landsat 8 satellites. The proposed methods are tested in Timpaki, south-central Crete,Greece, where brackish water irrigation puts soil health at risk of soil salinization. In all cases, EO products are calibrated against soil samples collected from bare soil locations. Results indicate a moderate correlation of observed EC_e values with the investigated remote sensing parameters. Regarding sensitivity to saline soil, the yellow band displays higher values. Comparison between methods used in the literature shows that those developed specifically for soil salinity, and especially index S5, perform better. The proposed ‘detection index’ and 3D PCA transformation methodology perform reasonably well in detecting areas with high EC_e values and provide a simple and effective operational alternative for saline topsoil detection and mapping.