Statistical analysis of seismic data from north-western and western Argentina

Due to the process of subduction of the Nazca Plate, high seismic activity is observed near the Argentine Andean range between 21°S and 36°S. The new version of the Argentine Seismic Catalogue, which includes well-defined events during the period 1964–1989, allows us to perform an analysis of seismic risk.Earthquakes with epicenters in the provinces included in the north-western and western regions were studied using Gumbel III extreme value distribution. Modal extreme magnitudes and return periods were calculated for both regions and the results were compard with the ones obtained through the entire process techniques (both analytical and graphical).As a first study, we analyzed each province separately, after which mean values for each region were obtained. Modal values around 5–5.5 have been found and times of recurrence for events withm _b >6 of approximately 25 years were obtained.Also at CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas).     

An orthotropic interface damage model for simulating drying processes in soils

The study of drying process in soils has received an increased attention in the last few years. This is very complex phenomenon that generally leads to the formation and propagation of desiccation cracks in the soil mass. In recent engineering applications, high aspect ratio elements have proved to be well suited to tackle this type of problem using finite elements. However, the modeling of interfaces between materials with orthotropic properties that generally exist in this type of problem using standard (isotropic) constitutive model is very complex and challenging in terms of the mesh generation, leading to very fine meshes that are intensive CPU demanding. A novel orthotropic interface mechanical model based on damage mechanics and capable of dealing with interfaces between materials in which the strength depends on the direction of analysis is proposed in this paper. The complete mathematical formulation is presented together with the algorithm suggested for its numerical implementation. Some simple yet challenging synthetic benchmarks are analyzed to explore the model capabilities. Laboratory tests using different textures at the contact surface between materials were conducted to evaluate the strengths of the interface in different directions. These experiments were then used to validate the proposed model. Finally, the approach is applied to simulate an actual desiccation test involving an orthotropic contact surface. In all the application cases the performance of the model was very satisfactory.     

Probleme der spektrophotometrischen Chlorophyllbestimmung

For the determination of the contents of chlorophyll a and phaeopigment a in sediment samples the method according to LORENZEN with its principle and the error sources is discussed in detail. The acidification required for the determination of the phaeopigments should be carried out on a final concentration of 0.006 mol/l acid. As an extracting agent, such a quantity of acetone has to be added to the sediment sample that a final concentration of 90 % acetone will be obtained with the interstitial water being taken into account. By an extraction done twice 90 % of pigments are extracted. Methanol as an extracting agents is unsuitable for several reasons mentioned. Exposure to light at more than 1 W/m₂ results in a high rate of chlorophyll degradation, the same effect being shown by increased temperatures. Between the trichromatic chlorophyll determination according to JEFFREY and HUMPHREY and the determination according to LORENZEN exists the linear relation chl. a (J. and H.)=chl. a (L.)+0.6. phaeo. a (L.). The procedure of the determination of chlorophyll a and phaeopigment a according to LORENZEN is described in a detailed representation.     

Permian age of the Burpala alkaline pluton, Northern Transbaikalia: Geodynamic implications

This paper presents the U-Pb zircon age of pulaskite of the main phase (294 ± 1 Ma) and the rare metal syenite (283 ± 8 Ma) of the Burpala alkaline pluton. The geochronological data show that it was formed in the Early Permian. By age, it is comparable with the Synnyr pluton of the Synnyr rift zone, alkaline granitic rocks and bimodal volcanic associations of the Uda-Vitim rift zone, and carbonatites of the Saizhen rift zone of the Central Asian foldbelt. These intraplate igneous complexes were formed almost simultaneously with crustal granitic rocks of the Angara-Vitim batholite. All of this gives ground to suppose that the origination of their parental melts is a result of the influence of the mantle hot spot or mantle plume on the lithosphere that led to extensive crustal anatexis.     

Diamonds from placers in western and central Africa: A problem of primary sources

This paper discusses diamonds and their accessory minerals from the Koidu kimberlites, placers on the Bafit River in Sierra Leone, and Chikapa placers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Minerals from the placers are characterized by fine preservation and bear no evidence of long-term transportation. In placers, garnet, ilmenite and zircon have been found, but the specific features of their chemical composition do not coincide with those of minerals from kimberlites. Diamonds from the placers are of a mantle origin, but they have no direct analogs in the known kimberlite and lamproite pipes.     

Heterotrophic microbial communities on the water-sediment boundary in the Kara Sea

The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the heterotrophic microbial communities (bacteria, flagellates, and ciliates) in the thin water-sediment layer in the Kara Sea are analyzed. The bacterial abundance correlated with the concentration of organic matter, whereas their size depended on the abundance of heterotrophic flagellates. The number of species of heterotrophic flagellates increased with the increase in the bacterial number. A positive relationship between the bacterial abundance and the ration of heterotrophic flagellates was observed at the offshore stations, probably due to the grazing pressure. The density of the ciliates on the soft silty and sandy-silty sediments was extremely low. The share of upstream filter feeding ciliate species increased with the increase in the abundance of the flagellates, probably due to the shift to less selective feeding strategies at higher values of the food concentrations. The classification of the heterotrophic microbial communities in the surface sediment layer has revealed two distinct types of the communities. The river communities are rich in species and are characterized by the high abundance of microorganisms. They are gradually replaced by marine communities at the salinity of 9%.     

Crustal complexity in the Lachlan Orogen revealed from teleseismic receiver functions

There is an ongoing debate about the tectonic evolution of southeast Australia, particularly about the causes and nature of its accretion to a much older Precambrian core to the west. Seismic imaging of the crust can provide useful clues to address this issue. Seismic tomography imaging is a powerful tool often employed to map elastic properties of the Earth's lithosphere, but in most cases does not constrain well the depth of discontinuities such as the Mohorovi?i? (Moho). In this study, an alternative imaging technique known as receiver function (RF) has been employed for seismic stations near Canberra in the Lachlan Orogen to investigate: (i) the shear-wave-velocity profile in the crust and uppermost mantle, (ii) variations in the Moho depth beneath the Lachlan Orogen, and (iii) the nature of the transition between the crust and mantle. A number of styles of RF analyses were conducted: H-K stacking to obtain the best compressional–shear velocity (V _P /V _S) ratio and crustal thickness; nonlinear inversion for the shear-wave-velocity structure and inversion of the observed variations in RFs with back-azimuth to investigate potential dipping of the crustal layers and anisotropy. The thick crust (up to 48 km) and the mostly intermediate nature of the crust?mantle transition in the Lachlan Orogen could be due to the presence of underplating at the base of the crust, and possibly to the existing thick piles of Ordovician mafic rocks present in the mid and lower crust. Results from numerical modelling of RFs at three seismic stations (CAN, CNB and YNG) suggest that the observed variations with back-azimuth could be related to a complex structure beneath these stations with the likelihood of both a dipping Moho and crustal anisotropy. Our analysis reveals crustal thickening to the west beneath CAN station which could be due to slab convergence. The crustal thickening may also be related to the broad Macquarie volcanic arc, which is rooted to the Moho. The crustal anisotropy may arise from a strong N–S structural trend in the eastern Lachlan Orogen and to the preferred crystallographic orientation of seismically anisotropic minerals in the lower and middle crust related to the paleo-Pacific plate convergence.     

Landscape–biogeochemical factors of transformation of the Cs-137 contamination field in the Bryansk region

Data are presented on the distribution of Chernobyl-derived ^137Cs in different landscapes of the Bryansk region. The role of different landscape-biogeochemical factors in the transformation of the ^137Cs contamination field is examined. The distribution of ^137Cs in the typical soil catenary junction of predpolessie, predopolje, and opolje landscapes is analyzed. The role of biogeochemical barriers in the ^137Cs accumulation is considered. It is revealed that the slope exposure affects the intensity of geochemical migration. In particular, the intensity of lateral migration of ^137Cs on the slopes of the southern and southwestern exposure is much higher than that on the slopes of the northern and northeastern exposure. The different types of geochemical lateral structure of landscape are analyzed on the basis of the catenary ^137Cs distribution.