Thrust controlled lineaments of the Aravalli-Delhi fold Belt, Rajasthan, India mapped from landsat TM image

The litho-units of the area between Chawand to Kotra across the Aravalli-Delhi Fold Belt are referable to Bhilwara, Aravalli and and Delhi Supergroups. Earlier workers considered the sequence as progressively younger toward west across the Avavalli Orographic axis. Two-dimensional trend mapping of the planar tectonic anisotropy was carried out to map lineaments from landsat TM Image. Ground checks of the lineament along Chawand-Kotra section suggest that lineaments are tectonic dislocations, morphotectonically controlled by thrusts and ductile shears within the Aravalli-Delhi Fold Belt. The recognition of thrust bounded litho-tectonic units from interpretation of satellite remotely sensed data may necessitate reassessment of the Precambrian lithostraligraphy of the Aravalli and Delhi supergroups in the study area. The paper reports thrust tectonics from Aravalli-Delhi Fold Bell. The Antalia Schuppean Belt is possible duplex; imbricate thrusts are connected with base thrust and continuity with roof thrust has been punctuated by transverse faulting and erosion.     

陕西大旱与太阳活动的关系

本文分析了公元５８０～１９７９年的陕西大早与大阳活动的关系，得到大旱主要发生在太阳黑子的高值段和下降段以及低值段。第２２大阳周峰年已经过去，粗略估计１９９６年是第２３太阳周的谷年。我们预测１９９５Ａｓｌ９９７年大旱１次，１９９７～２０００年基本上无大旱，２０００～２００５年大旱２～３次。     

A Baseline Assessment of Coral Reef in Malacca Straits,Malaysia

Coral reefs along the Malacca Straits (MS) are poorly developed mainly due to turbidity and sedimentation. This study describes the health status and community structure of the corals in Cape Rachado, West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (WCPM), utilizing the Coral Video Transect (CVT) technique. All the survey transects were categorized as ‘fair’ coral conditions (27.39 ± 5.41%–48.56 ± 18.96%) with the reef floor mainly covered by corals and sediment. Twelve families of coral comprised of 25 distinct genera were identified. Coral communities were differentiated into four clusters with each being predominated by Galaxea, Diploastrea, Fungia and Pectinia respectively. Among all, Pectinia is the most spectacular genera and dominated the survey area. Along the MS, Favia, Favites and Porites are commonly found while Porites and Pectinia dominated the reefs. Low coral cover and diversity was recorded in MS as compared to the reefs in the South China Sea (SCS). The most prominent results include changes in the dominant coral from Porites to Pectinia while some species such as Acropora were absent from the study area. Based on the presented data, the reef in the study area was predominantly occupied by sediment and the coral communities were formed by a species with a high tolerance to turbidity and sedimentation.     

“十五”福建省地壳形变数字化监测网简介

该文主要对福建省地形变监测数字化监测网的特色 ,监测网的内容 ,布网目的 ,主要技术指标以及数据处理中心建设作了简介 ,最后对地壳形变数字化监测网在“数字福建”工程中的作用作了阐述     

Influence of solar activity on the state of the wheat market in medieval England

The database of professor Rogers (1887), which includes wheat prices in England in the Middle Ages, was used to search for a possible influence of solar activity on the wheat market. Our approach was based on the following: (1) Existence of the correlation between cosmic ray flux entering the terrestrial atmosphere and cloudiness of the atmosphere. (2) Cosmic ray intensity in the solar system changes with solar activity, (3) Wheat production depends on weather conditions as a nonlinear function with threshold transitions. (4) A wheat market with a limited supply (as it was in medieval England) has a highly nonlinear sensitivity to variations in wheat production with boundary states, where small changes in wheat supply could lead to bursts of prices or to prices falling. We present a conceptual model of possible modes for sensitivity of wheat prices to weather conditions, caused by solar cycle variations, and compare expected price fluctuations with price variations recorded in medieval England. We compared statistical properties of the intervals between wheat price bursts during the years 1249-1703 with statistical properties of the intervals between the minima of solar cycles during the years 1700-2000. We show that statistical properties of these two samples are similar, both for characteristics of the distributions and for histograms of the distributions. We analyze a direct link between wheat prices and solar activity in the 17^th century, for which wheat prices and solar activity data (derived from ¹⁰Be isotope) are available. We show that for all 10 time moments of the solar activity minima the observed prices were higher than prices for the corresponding time moments of maximal solar activity (100% sign correlation, on a significance level < 0.2%). We consider these results a direct evidence of the causal connection between wheat prices bursts and solar activity.     

Diagenetic evolution of the volcaniclastic deposits: an example from Neoproterozoic Dokhan Volcanics in Wadi Queih basin,central Eastern Desert,Egypt

Wadi Queih basin hosts a ～2,500-m thick Neoproterozoic volcanoclastic successions that unconformably lie over the oldest Precambrian basement. These successions were deposited in alluvial fan, fluviatile, lacustrine, and aeolian depositional environments. Diagenetic minerals from these volcaniclastic successions were studied by X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and analytical electron microscopy. The diagenetic processes recognized include mechanical compaction, cementation, and dissolution. Based on the framework grain–cement relationships, precipitation of the early calcite cement was either accompanied or followed by the development of part of the pore-lining and pore-filling clay cements. Secondary porosity development occurred due to partial to complete dissolution of early calcite cement and feldspar grains. In addition to calcite, several different clay minerals including kaolinite, illite, and chlorite with minor smectite occur as pore-filling and pore-lining cements. Chlorite coating grains helps to retain primary porosity by retarding the envelopment of quartz overgrowths. Clay minerals and their diagenetic assemblages has been distinguished between primary volcaniclastics directly produced by pyroclastic eruptions and epiclastic volcaniclastics derived from erosion of the pre-existing volcanic rocks. Phyllosilicates of the epiclastic rocks display wider compositional variations owing to wide variations in the mineralogical and chemical compositions of the parent material. Most of the phyllosilicates (kaolinite, illite, chlorite, mica, and smectite) are inherited minerals derived from the erosion of the volcanic basement complex, which had undergone hydrothermal alteration. Smectites of the epiclastic rocks are beidellite–montmorillonite derived from the altered volcanic materials of the sedimentary environment. Conversely, phyllosilicate minerals of the pyroclastic rocks are dominated by kaolinite, illite, and mica, which were formed by pedogenetic processes through the hydrothermal influence.     

Land subsidence and declining water resources in Quetta Valley, Pakistan

Extensive groundwater withdrawals in urban areas may cause water shortages, land subsidence, and water quality problems. The Quetta Valley is the largest population center in Balochistan province in western Pakistan. This area is arid and groundwater is the main water source for domestic and agricultural use. This work presents global positioning system (GPS) data and assessment of spatial and temporal variations in water levels. GPS data from two stations from mid-2006 to the beginning of 2009 show subsidence rate of 10 cm\year. Nine satellite images from 1975 to 2009 were classified and processed to quantify land cover and land use changes, which highlight an increase in agricultural areas in the central region of the Quetta Valley, as well as reduced vegetation on mountains. These data correspond to gradual temporal changes in water volumes in streams and lakes. Average temperatures have also increased and mean precipitation has decreased during this period. However, the greatest change in this area has been in population growth, which rose from 260,000 in 1975 to 1.2 million in 2010, mainly due to migration of refugees from war-torn neighboring Afghanistan. The Quetta Valley provides a good example for studying the impact of urbanization on water resources.     

Origin and evolution of post-collisional volcanism: an example from Neoproterozoic Dokhan volcanics at Gabal Nugara area, Northeastern Desert, Egypt

Nugara volcanics are one of the northernmost outcrops of the Arabian?CNubian Shield. Two distinct volcanic successions are found in the Nugara basin: (1) old volcanic sequence composed of voluminous medium- to high-K calc-alkaline lavas and minor alkali basalt and (2) young volcanic sequence composed of subordinate tholeiitic mafic lavas. Their eruptions were punctuated by occasional volcaniclastic deposits that generated fall, flow, or reworked suites compositionally identical to the lava flows. These volcanics are a part of a post-subduction and extensional-related magmatic event in Northeastern Desert of Egypt. The volcanic rocks of the Nugara basin are characterized by strong enrichment in LILE relative to HESF, high LILE/HFSE ratios, and depletions of Nb on MORB-normalized multi-element diagrams. The geochemical features of the volcanic rocks suggest that they experienced fractional crystallization, along with mixing processes. Crustal contributions to the magma sources may also have occurred during magmatic evolution. These processes have resulted in scattered major and trace element variations with respect to increasing silica contents. The model proposed for their origin involves contrasting ascent paths and differentiation histories through crustal columns with different thermal and density gradients. The geochemical features of the most mafic samples suggest that the volcanic rocks in the region were derived from a mainly lithospheric mantle source that had been heterogeneously metasomatized by previous subduction events during convergence between the East and West Gondwanaland. The volcanic activity in the region is best explained by the delamination of lithospheric mantle slices that were heterogeneously enriched by previous subduction-related processes.     

“进入21世纪地震地质学发展方向研讨会”在贵阳召开

由中国地震学会地震地质专业委员会与贵州省地震局联合召开的“进入２１世纪地震地质学发展方向研讨会”于１９９９年６月２２～２５日在贵阳召开。来自全国地震系统、有关高校和科研院所共２５个单位的５０名代表参加了会议,会议得到中国地震学会、中国地震局科技发展司、中国地震局地质研究所、贵州省人民政府、贵州省科委和贵州省地震局的大力支持和协助。会议首先由丁国瑜院士、马瑾院士、邓起东研究员、张培震研究员、汪一鹏研究员、刘百篪研究员等对进入２１世纪地震地质学的发展作了中心发言,分别就２０世纪后半期地震地质学的主要成就,当前地质学发展的新进展和动向,构造物理实验研究进展的动态,和２１世纪地震地质学发展的新形势、新方向、新课题等作了介绍和展望,对与会代表进一步讨论有很多启发。代表们在讨论中结合我国地震地质特征和经济发展形势,对２１世纪地震地质学发展的方向与任务,得到以下１０点共同的认识：（１）　努力吸取世界地球科学的最新进展,推动和促进地震地质学的进一步发展;（２）　重视野外实际资料的获取,进一步开展中国活动构造定量研究和地震危险性评估;（３）　重视多学科的相互交叉和渗透,加强大陆内部现代构造活动图象和动力学的研究;（４）　开拓近     

Utilization of palm oil mill effluent for polyhydroxyalkanoate production and nutrient removal using statistical design

The optimization for poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate production was carried out with nutrient removal efficiency for total organic carbon (TOC), phosphate, and nitrate from palm oil mill effluent waste. The experiment was conducted in a fabricated fed-batch reactor and the data obtained was analyzed using central composite rotatable design and factorial design for response surface methodology as a systematic approach for designing the experiment statistically to obtain valid results with minimum effort, time, and resources. The analysis of numerical optimization with propagation of error showed that 66 % of poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate production can be obtained with nutrient removal of TOC and nitrate by 19 and 3 %, respectively. However, phosphate removal efficiency was not found to be much effective. More over, the chemical oxygen demand: nitrogen phosphate (509 g/g N), chemical oxygen demand: phosphate (200 g/g P), air flow rate (0.59 L/min), substrate feeding rate (20 mL/min), and cycle length (20 h) were the optimized variables for maximum poly-β-hydroxyalkanoate production and nutrient removal.