Characterization of microbial communities associated with African desert dust and their implications for human and ecosystem health

Desert winds aerosolize several billion tons of soil-derived dust each year, including concentrated seasonal pulses from Africa and Asia. Huge dust events create an atmospheric bridge over continents and oceans, and eject a large pulse of soil-associated microorganisms into the atmosphere. These dust events might therefore have a role in expanding the biogeographical range of some microorganisms by facilitating rare long-distance dispersal events. The goal of this study is to characterize the microbes associated with African dust events and determine if they pose a risk to humans or downwind ecosystems. Air samples were collected by vacuum filtration in a source region （Mali, West Africa） during dust events and plated on R2A media to culture microorganisms. These organisms were compared to those in similar samples collected in the Caribbean during Saharan/Sahelian dust events. A high-volume liquid impinger is currently being tested in Barbados, collecting aerosol samples during African dust events. Over 100 bacteria and fungi （19 genera of bacteria and three genera of fungi） have been characterized from source region dust events.     

Attenuation of aqueous metal transport at two natural acid rock drainage occurrences in the Yukon Territory, Canada

Naturally acidic drainage associated with pyritic black shale has been observed in many locations in the Yukon Territory. While not necessarily linked to known mineral deposits, most of these natural acid rock drainage occurrences show elevated dissolved concentrations of trace elements, especially zinc, nickel, copper, cadmium and arsenic. Based on field observations, microbial investigation, chemical analyses and geochemical modeling, the fate and transport of potentially deleterious elements at two natural acid drainage occurrences with slightly different settings are examined. The Macintosh Creek is a small, acidic stream （pH 2.98-3.40）, 2 km long, located in the Macmillan Pass area of east-central Yukon amidst known sedimentary exhalative massive sulfide mineralization but remains undisturbed by exploration activities. Its trace metal content is apparently derived from groundwater discharges, which gave as much as 5.0, 2.5, 0.7, 0.13 and 0.03 mg/L ofZn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Interaction and sorption reactions with algal mats, biofilms and iron oxyhydroxides appear to be the dominant mechanisms attenuating aqueous contaminant transport along the stream. Cryogenic precipitation further consolidates the ferricrete formation and reduces the mobility of the sorbed metals. The tributaries of the Engineering Creek along the Dempster Highway in northern Yukon drain through a series of dolomite, phyllite, argillite, limestone, black shale, sandstone and conglomerate with no known concentration of mineralization. In this area, the water chemistry fully reflects the local geology with acidic streams invariably associated with black shale occurrences. Groundwater seeps in the headwaters area of the km-180 Creek completely enclosed in black shale gave pH 3.0 and as much as 148, 39, 2.9 and 9.1 mg/L of Zn, Ni, Cu and As, respectively. Sorption with iron oxyhydroxide and organic matter appear to dominate the attenuation of contaminant transport along the stream. However, once entered into carbonate-dominated terrains, secondary carbonate minerals exercise additional geochemical control on the local water chemistry as a result of neutralization.     

俄罗斯西西伯利亚和外贝加尔区古河道型铀矿床

本文系统地介绍了俄罗斯3个具有工业意义的古河道型铀矿化发育区（外乌拉尔，西西伯利亚和外贝加尔）的地质背景，铀矿化特征和铀成矿条件，指出切割到基底的古河道型铀矿床，既可产于跨地区的造山周围，也可产于活化的年青地台和古老地盾，既可形成于干燥的气候条件，也可形成于潮湿的气候条件。古河道型铀矿化可以从含矿层的沉积开始一直延续到被泥岩层或玄武岩层完全封盖。古河道的后成氧化分带有两种形式：氧化带－铀矿化带－原生灰色岩石；氧化带－氧化铁再沉积带－漂白带－原生灰色岩石。古河道型铀矿床具宽广的元素谱，这主要是与含矿围岩富含有机质和在氧化带尖灭处存在各种地球化学障有关。     

湖南印支期过铝质花岗岩的形成: 岩浆底侵与地壳加厚热效应的数值模拟

在合理构建华南印支期地质-物理模型的基础上, 利用FLAC软件, 模拟了该区印支期过铝质富钾花岗岩形成与基性岩浆底侵, 及陆壳变形叠置加厚两种动力学背景的可能联系. 模拟结果表明, 220 Ma±的基性岩浆底侵能导致地壳含水矿物相岩石的深熔, 但除非印支期存在大规模基性岩浆的底侵作用, 否则其热效应持续时间和热效应波及范围难以形成具大岩基规模的湖南印支期花岗岩. 在陆壳叠置加厚模型中, 地壳的叠置加厚可导致中下地壳界面温度升高到700℃以上, 引起片麻质岩石熔融, 当加厚因子达1.3, 白云母矿物脱水熔融产生的熔体达到熔体流动临界比例(≥20%), 从而形成花岗岩基; 结合印支期挤压逆冲推覆构造和同期基性火山岩极少出露的地质事实, 认为陆壳变形加厚可能是湖南印支期构造岩浆作用形成的主导因素.     

藏南地壳速度结构与地壳物质东西向“逃逸”──以佩枯错-普莫雍错宽角反射剖面为例

根据佩枯错-普莫雍错480余公里长地震剖面上纵、横波波场特征识别的来自Moho界面反射及壳内界面反射震相, 通过正演拟合解释藏南地区近东西向剖面地壳纵、横波速度与泊松比结构. 结果显示: 该区地壳厚度东西向变化显著, 分别以定日西、定结东为界呈现“块体三分”格局, 西段Moho界面埋深为71 km, 中段约76 km, 东段约74 km; 上地壳底部深度20~30 km左右处存在一低速层, 其厚度沿东西向急剧变化, 即从西段的20 km减薄至东段的6 km左右; 地壳内纵、横波速度变化剧烈, 在东西方向上呈现出跳跃式周期性变化. 下地壳物质低波速与3条近南北向活动正断层的存在可能是伴随印度与欧亚板块碰撞、下地壳物质“拆沉”、地壳增厚与物质东西向“逃逸”耦合作用的结果.     

法国诺曼底地震分布的点模式分析

提出了分析稀疏震中分布的一种新的数学方法。此方法主要是用于评价地震震中分布的线性特征是否显著，从而进一步识别地震断层。将该方法用于合成数据集和旧金山湾地震数据的试验表明，其识别能力还是较好的。如果把该方法应用于实际数据，必须结合地质信息，以此消除人为影响。本文应用该方法分析了西诺曼底地区的震中分布，并由稀疏震中追踪主要的构造方向。     

新西兰阿瑟山口地震之谜2.余震分布及其与区域应力场和诱发应力场的关系

1994年M_W=6.7的阿瑟山口地震的余震分布对于逆冲断层事件是不寻常的,其实际断层面沿NNW方向扩展了12 km,SSE方向扩展了30 km,走向为NE-SW。我们运用几种方法反推此区域的应力场,其中包括大地测量结果、地震震源机制结果,并用P波偏振数据反演了应力张量的方向。反演方法是新的,并不需要所用事件的震源机制,方法中也考虑了库仑破裂准则。所有结果均表明应力场支持走滑断层而不是逆断层。应力场中几乎水平的σ_1和σ_3主轴走向分别为298°和28°。运用位错理论,我们计算了阿瑟山口地震及其最大余震(走滑事件)诱发的应力并叠加到区域应力场中。远离主震断层面的余震位置与最优取向断层面上诱发的库仑破裂应力高值区域有很好的对应关系。然而,有一些高诱发库仑破裂应力的区域缺乏余震。与其他地方的观测一样,倾斜(19°)板块收敛区域的地震滑动可以分解为平行和垂直于板块边界的分量。像发生在太平洋板块和澳大利亚板块边界的右旋阿尔卑斯断层上那样,大部分滑动是平行的。然而,像阿瑟山口地震那样的偶尔的逆断层事件至少可以解释滑动的某些垂直分量和南阿尔卑斯隆起的形成。     

可以调和证据矛盾的新地幔对流模型

最近,提出了一种新的地幔对流模型,它与过去的标准模型相比要更接近实际一些。当然该模型还存在一些有争议的问题,不过我们认为,该模型可以调和不同研究领域矛盾的证据,因而为进一步研究对流提供一种新的构架。借助于我们最近的一些研究工作(Albarede,1998)以及其他人的一些研究工作,我们对由Kellogg等(1999)、van der Hilst和Karason(1999)提出的模型作了更深入的研究。新的观点认为,一个深地层大致位于地幔中较低的第三层,该地层的化学成分明显地与其上覆的地层不同。这样的一个深地层将决定地球放热元素的实际部分,并有助于达到一些临界同位素体系的热平衡。化学变化和热密度变化间微妙的平衡产生了明显的动态地形,这一过程使得地震波监测复杂化,但却有利于沉降板块的穿过。热柱将形成于对流地幔的地层边界与上覆部分的过渡带中。若割裂气体消失、气体不完全消失或气体逸出的地层与从地震学角度已被证实的、被660km间断面分开的上下地幔之间的关系,要协调其他矛盾的证据看来还要颇费一番功夫。     

岩石破裂实验研究中强震发生前主破裂形成时能量释放过程的分析

分析用方程Q（t)=Q(t1) A1-A2(tf-t)^m[1 ccos(2πlog(tf-t)/p-φ)]来模拟强震前地震能量释放过程的一些条件，式中的Q（t)是在时间t以前所累积的“贝尼奥夫”总应变，tf是主震的时间，A1，A2，c,m,p,ψ都是模型的参数，Q（t1)是已知量（t1≤tf时）。表明在一定假定条件下幂指数m=α（2-d) 1。这里d是主震周围地震潜在震源群震中的尺寸，参数α决定着幂律。根据这个规律，地震时释放的地震能量和总能量的比值随地震的震级而变化。模型可用于分析实验研究岩石破裂释放声能的动力学，也适用于对堪察加一些强震前地震活动性的回溯性分析。     

EXPERIMENTAL AND FIELD STUDY ON MINING-PIT MIGRATION

1 INTRODUCTION Because of the large quantity of sand and gravel in their beds, rivers have always been considered as a major source of sand and gravel for civil works. Acceptable quality, ease of extraction and economy are some of the reasons could be mentioned. Unfortunately, specific laws and regulations regarding the safe in-stream mining have not been provided for users and officials. What should be taken into account are the effects of over-mining of sand and gravel, which can cause …