Unravelling the evolution of an Alpine to post-glacially active fault in the Swiss Alps

The Gemmi fault is a prominent NW–SE striking lineament that crosses the Gemmi Pass in the central Swiss Alps. A multidisciplinary investigation of this structure that included geological mapping, joint profiling, cathodoluminescence and scanning electron microscopy, stable isotope measurements, luminescence- and U-TH-dating, 3D ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveying and trenching reveals a history of fault movements from the Miocene to the Holocene. The main fault zone comprises a 0.5–3 m thick calcite cataclasite formed during several cycles of veining and brittle deformation. Displaced Cretaceous rock layers show an apparent dextral slip of 10 m along the fault.A detailed study of a small sediment-filled depression that crosses the fault provides evidence for a post-glacial reactivation of the fault. A trench excavated across the fault exposed a Late-Glacial-age loess layer and late Holocene colluvial-like slope-wash deposits that showed evidence for fault displacement of a few centimeters, indicating a recent strike-slip reactivation of the fault. Focal mechanisms of recent instrumentally recorded earthquakes are consistent with our findings that show that the fault at the Gemmi Pass, together with other parallel faults in this area, may be reactivated in today's stress field. Taking together all the observations of its ancient and recent activity, the Gemmi fault can be viewed as a window through geological space and time.     

M4–18: the planetary nebula and its WC10 central star

We present a detailed analysis of the planetary nebula M4–18 (G146.7+07.6) and its WC10-type Wolf–Rayet (WR) central star, based on high‐quality optical spectroscopy (WHT/UES, INT/IDS, WIYN/DensPak) and imaging ( HST /WFPC2). From a non-LTE model atmosphere analysis of the stellar spectrum, we derive T _eff=31 kK,     v _∞=160 km s⁻¹ and abundance number ratios of H/He<0.5, C/He=0.60 and O/He=0.10. These parameters are remarkably similar to those of He 2–113 ([WC10]). Assuming an identical stellar mass to that determined by De Marco et al. for He 2–113, we obtain a distance of 6.8 kpc to M4–18 [ E ( B−V )=0.55 mag from nebular and stellar techniques]. This implies that the planetary nebula of M4–18 has a dynamical age of ∼3100 yr, in contrast to ≥270 yr for He 2–113. This is supported by the much higher electron density of the latter. These observations may be reconciled with evolutionary predictions only if [WC]-type stars exhibit a range in stellar masses.
Photoionization modelling of M4–18 is carried out using our stellar WR flux distribution, together with blackbody and Kurucz energy distributions obtained from Zanstra analyses. We conclude that the ionizing energy distribution from the WR model provides the best consistency with the observed nebular properties, although discrepancies remain.     

Mg-metasomatism of oceanic gabbros and its control on Ti-clinohumite formation during eclogitization

In the high-pressure meta-ophiolites of Western Liguria (Italy), serpentinized ultramafites host bodies of eclogite, metarodingite and Ti-clinohumite ± Ti-chondrodite-bearing rocks. The latter contain relics of augite, ilmenite and apatite, which suggest derivation from pristine Fe-Ti-rich gabbros. The composition of relict mantle clinopyroxene in the host serpentinites indicates primary depleted peridotite compositions. Compared with their inferred protoliths, the Ti-clinohumite dikelets and the host serpentinites display significant changes in their major and trace element concentrations, indicating element exchange between the two rock systems. In particular, the Fe-Ti-rich gabbros were depleted in CaO and FeO and were strongly enriched in MgO. Analogous compositional variations are shown by altered gabbros enclosed in serpentinized peridotites from the obducted ophiolite sequences of the Northern Apennine. This evidence suggests that the observed Mg-enrichment recorded by the Ti-clinohumite metagabbros occurred in oceanic environments as the result of diffusive exchange between ultramafites and gabbros in presence of fluids related to serpentinization of the ultramafic country rocks. Alteration of the gabbro and concomitant Mg-uptake mostly caused extensive chloritization of the igneous plagioclase. Survival of igneous ilmenite and augite and their reaction with the hydrothermal chlorite during high-pressure metamorphism produced the observed Ti-clinohumite and Ti-chondrodite assemblages. The data presented thus indicate that crystallization of Ti-clinohumite assemblages was facilitated by a stage of oceanic alteration leading to Mg-enrichment of original Fe-Ti-rich gabbros. We suggest that during alteration, Mg-metasomatism occurred prior to rodingitization and was related to the earlier stages of peridotite serpentinization. Survival of oceanic chemical heterogeneities in the Ti-clinohumite rocks, indicates that element mobility during high-pressure recrystallization of these rocks was on a limited scale. This allowed preservation of their pre-subduction alteration features. Received: 13 July 1998 / Accepted: 3 November 1998     

A watershed on the Rhine: Changing approaches to international environmental cooperation

Since the 1950s, the governments of the riparian countries of the Rhine have attempted to protect the ecosystems of the river basin through international cooperation. Before 1987, their relations were unproductive and antagonistic. International programs for the protection of Rhine were far less effective than domestic policies. From 1987 onwards, international cooperation on the protection of the Rhine has been exemplary, and has led the way in domestic and international water protection policies. Many existing frameworks of international relations are not able to offer an adequate account of this wholesale change. In this article, an attempt is undertaken with the help of grid-group theory. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

1990s长江流域降水趋势分析

依据国家气象局提供的实测月降水和日降水资料,运用Mann-Kendall(M-K)非参数检验法验证了降水趋势,并通过空间插补法,由点扩展到面,分析了1990s长江流域降水变化特征,发现1990s长江流域降水变化以降水在时间和空间分布上的集中度的增加为主要特点:时间上,年降水的增加趋势以冬季1月和夏季6月降水的集中增加为主;一日降水量大于等于50mm的暴雨日数和暴雨量在1990s也有了较明显的增加.空间上,年降水、夏季降水、冬季降水的增加都以中下游区的增加为主,尤其以鄱阳湖水系、洞庭湖水系的降水增加为主.1990s长江流域春季和秋季降水的减少以5月和9月两个汛期月份的降水减少为主,除金沙江水系和洞庭湖水系等少数地区外,流域大部分地区降水呈减少趋势.上述1990s出现的降水趋势明显与近年来全球变暖背景下长江流域各地区不同的温度及水循环变异有关.     

长江流域降水变化及其趋势演变

本文对中国长江流域降水趋势进行了分析.指出对月降水量而言,20世纪后50年不同区域出现1不胃的降水趋势变化特征.趋势插补法研究表明中国降水时空分布趋势十分明显.对长江流域长期降水资料分析研究指出夏季月份降水时间更集中,而对年降水而言在一些站则表现出明显的周期变化.     

基于GIS/RS的洪湖东分洪区洪水风险制图

本文计算了洪湖东分洪区洪灾损失.洪水风险带以模拟的洪水淹没深度表示.这是洪水风险综合评价模型的基础.本项研究基于GIS为基础的水动力模型计算洪水淹没深度;并以GIS/RS为基础建立了单位洪水风险评价模型,计算不同洪水风险带的直接损失.研究表明,综合洪水风险评价模型在长江流域应用是可行的.     

The contribution of scattering to near-surface attenuation

The rapid decrease of the acceleration spectral amplitude at high frequencies has widely been modeled by the spectral decay factor kappa (κ). Usually, the path-corrected component of κ, often called κ₀, is believed to be a local and frequency-independent site characteristic, in turn representing attenuation related to waves propagating vertically through the very shallow layers beneath the study site. Despite the known relevance of κ₀ in a wide range of seismological applications, most methods for its calculation do not fully consider the influence of the scattering component. To account for the scattering component, we present a summary of statistical observations of the seismic wavefield at sites of the Swiss seismic networks. The intrinsic properties of the wavefield show a clear dependency on the local shallow subsoil conditions with differences in the structural heterogeneity of the shallow subsoil layers producing different scattering regimes. Such deviations from the ballistic behavior (i.e., direct waves that sample only distinct directions) are indicative for local structural heterogeneities and the associated level of scatter. Albeit the attenuation term related to scattering depends nonlinearly on the intrinsic term, the results indicate that the commonly used explanation for the high-frequency decay spectrum might not be appropriate but involving the amount of scattering might allow better constrained estimates of κ₀.     

Mechanisms linking active rock glaciers and impounded surface water formation in high‐mountain areas

Rock glaciers are slowly flowing mixtures of debris and ice occurring in mountains. They can represent a reservoir of water, and melting ice inside them can affect surface water hydrochemistry. Investigating the interactions between rock glaciers and water bodies is therefore necessary to better understand these mechanisms. With this goal, we elucidate the hydrology and structural setting of a rock glacier–marginal pond system, providing new insights into the mechanisms linking active rock glaciers and impounded surface waters. This was achieved through the integration of waterborne geophysical techniques (ground penetrating radar, electrical resistivity tomography and self‐potentials) and heat tracing. Results of these surveys showed that rock glacier advance has progressively filled the valley depression where the pond is located, creating a dam that could have modified the level of impounded water. A sub‐surface hydrological window connecting the rock glacier to the pond was also detected, where an inflow of cold and mineralised underground waters from the rock glacier was observed. Here, greater water contribution from the rock glacier occurred following intense precipitation events during the ice‐free season, with concomitant increasing electrical conductivity values. The outflowing dynamic of the pond is dominated by a sub‐surface seepage where a minor fault zone in bedrock was found, characterised by altered and highly‐fractured rocks. The applied approach is evaluated here as a suitable technique for investigating logistically‐complex hydrological settings which could be possibly transferred to wider scales of investigation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.