Columnar joints in the Patino Formation sandstones, Eastern Paraguay： a dynamic interaction between dyke intrusion, quartz dissolution and cooling-induced fractures

The Patiho Formation sandstones, which crop out in Aregud neighborhood in Eastern Paraguay and show columnar joints near the contact zone with a nephelinite dyke, have as their main characteristics the high pro- portion of syntaxial quartz overgrowth and a porosity originated from different processes, initially by dissolu- tion and later by partial filling and fracturing. Features like the presence of floating grains in the syntaxial cement, the transitional interpenetrative contact between the silica-rich cement and grains as well as the intense fracture porosity are strong indications that the cement has been formed by dissolution and reprecipita- tion of quartz from the framework under the effect of thermal expansion followed by rapid contraction. The increase of the silica-rich cement towards the dyke in association with the orthogonal disposition of the columns relative to dyke walls are indicative that the igneous body may represent the main heat source for the interstitial aqueous solutions previously existing in the sediments. At macroscopic scale, the increasing of inter- nal tensions in the sandstones is responsible for the nucleation of polygons, leading to the individualization of prisms, which are interconnected by a system of joints, formed firstly on isotherm surfaces of low tem- perature and later on successive adjacent planes towards the dyke heat source.     

Changes in snowmelt runoff timing in the contiguous United States

Changes in timing of snowmelt-fed streamflow have great importance for water supply, flood management, and ecological processes, as well as being a common indicator of climate change. In this study, snowmelt runoff timing change in the contiguous United States between 1957 and 2016 was investigated by analysing data from 97 streamflow gages. The annual snowmelt runoff timing shift was identified using ‘Center Time (CT)’ and ‘Spring Pulse Onset (SPO)’ methods, jointly with the monthly fractional streamflow (MFS) analysis, conducted between January and June. Since snowmelt-derived streamflow timing change is mainly induced by regional meteorological factors, such as air temperature and precipitation, their trends and relationship with CT were also examined. Shifts toward earlier snowmelt runoff timing were found by both methods, CT (8.3 days on average) and SPO (8.5 days on average). Although the results of the CT change are stronger than the SPO change, both outcomes are mostly correlated, particularly in the central and northwestern parts of the country. MFS trends support the outcomes of CT and SPO. In January, February, and especially March, a higher number of the stations indicated increasing trends in MFS. In April, May, and June, their number decreased and the number of gages with diminishing trends rose sharply. The timing difference is highly related to temperature change. Annual average temperature and temperature in the melting period increase considerably. The annual average temperature is significantly negatively correlated with CT in the vast majority of the regions. Although precipitation is not as effective as the temperature, its trends have impacts on snowmelt runoff timing change depending on the region and elevation. These results demonstrate the importance of the impacts of snowmelt runoff timing changes due to global warming on the regional and large-scale hydrology in the contiguous United States.     

Correction to: Spatiotemporal variability of vegetation due to drought dynamics (2012–2017): a case study of the Upper Paraíba River basin,Brazil

Natural Hazards - This correction stands to support the updating of the original article for changing the name Glauciene Justino Ferreira to Glauciene Justino Ferreira da Silva. The author group...     

A hybrid modelling of soil–structure interaction problems for deeply embedded structures in A multilayered medium

Dynamic response of deeply embedded structures, such as underground tunnels and deep foundations, in a multilayered elastic half-space are analysed when the structure is excited by a plane P or SV wave propagating at some angle. The scattered field is represented by the sum of three Green's functions, corresponding to two oscillating forces and one oscillating moment at the centroid position of the buried structure. The amplitudes of these two forces and one moment are a priori unknown and are obtained by satisfying displacement and stress continuity conditions across the near-field/far-field boundary. The distinguishing feature of this technique from direct or indirect boundary integral techniques is that in these techniques a distribution of sources of unknown amplitude are considered at the near-field/far-field boundary, and a large number of sources are needed for different combinations of source-receiver arrangements. But in this technique the sources of unknown amplitude are placed at the location of the structure, not at the near-field/far-field boundary and, using the Saint Venant's principle, the scattered field is modelled. Thus, the number of sources required is reduced to only three. Two example problems are solved. The first one is for a deeply embedded footing in a three-layer soil mass and the second one is for a rectangular tunnel in a two-layer soil mass.     

Cloud water interception in the high altitude tree heath forest (Erica arborea L.) of Paul da Serra Massif (Madeira,Portugal)

Cloud water interception (CWI) occurs when cloud droplets are blown against the forest canopy, where they are retained on the vegetation surface, forming larger water droplets that drip into the forest floor. CWI was measured from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1999, on a first‐line tree heath (Erica arborea), at Bica da Cana, Madeira Island. Rainfall was corrected for wind‐loss effect and compared with throughfall and other climatological normals. The CWI depletion rate along a forest stand transect was also analysed during three distinct fog events in 2008. Cloud water was 28 mm day^?1, corresponding to 68% of total throughfall and 190% of the gross precipitation. Cloud water correlates directly with monthly normals of fog days and wind speed and correlates inversely with the monthly air temperature normal. CWI has an exponential correlation with monthly relative humidity normal. Cloud water capture depletion along the stand shows a logarithmic decrease. Although a forest stand does not directly relate to a first‐line tree heath, this study shows that CWI is a frequent phenomenon in the Paul da Serra massif. Restoration and protection of high altitude ecosystems in Madeira should be a priority, not only for biodiversity, ecological and economical purposes but also for its role in regional water resources. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial distribution and estimation of rainfall trends and erosivity in the Epitácio Pessoa reservoir catchment,Paraíba,Brazil

Natural Hazards - The main goals of this study are to better understand the spatial and temporal variabilities in rainfall and to identify rainfall trends and erosivity for the period from 1963 to...     

Age and sources of gold mineralization in the Marmato mining district, NW Colombia: A Miocene–Pliocene epizonal gold deposit

Epigenetic gold mineralization occurs in the Marmato mining district, within the Calima Terrain of the Setentrional Andes, Colombia. Regional rocks associated with this mineralization include: graphite- and chlorite-schists of the Arquia Complex; metamorphosed during the Cretaceous, Miocene sandstones, shales and conglomerates of the Amagá Formation; as well as pyroclastic rocks (clasts of basalt, andesites and mafic lavas) and subvolcanic andesitic/dacitic bodies of the Combia Formation (9 to 6 Ma). The subvolcanic Marmato stock hosts mesothermal and epithermal low-sulfidation Au–Ag ores in the form of distensional veins, stockwork, and quartz veinlets within brecciated zones. Ore minerals are pyrite, sphalerite and galena with subordinate chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, argentite and native gold/electrum.Sericitized plagioclase from a porphyry dacite yielded a K–Ar age of 5.6 ± 0.6 Ma, interpreted as the age of ore deposition. This is in close agreement with the age of reactivation of the Cauca–Romeral Fault System (5.6 ± 0.4 Ma), which bounds the Calima Terrain. A porphyry andesite–dacite (6.7 ± 0.1 Ma), hosting the Au–Ag veins, shows a measured ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr between 0.70440 and 0.70460, ε_Nd between + 2.2 and + 3.2 and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of 18.964 to 19.028; 15.561 to 15.570; and 38.640 to 38.745, respectively. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ε_Nd values of rocks from the Arquia Group range from 0.70431 to 0.73511 and − 12.91 to + 10.0, respectively, whereas the corresponding Pb isotopic ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb) range from 18.948 to 19.652; 15.564 to 15.702; and 38.640 to 38.885, respectively. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ε_Nd values obtained on sulfides from the gold quartz veins, which occur at shallow and intermediate levels, range from 0.70500 to 0.71210 and from − 1.11 to + 2.40. In the deepest veins, ε_Nd values lie between + 1.25 and + 3.28 and the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of calcite and pyrite fall between 0.70444 and 0.70930. The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of all mineralization are in the ranges 18.970 to 19.258; 15.605 to 15.726 and 38.813 to 39.208, respectively. Carbonates have an average ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.70445, which is within the range of values measured in the host dacite. The Sr isotopic data indicate that carbonic fluids have a restricted hydrothermal circulation within the host igneous body, while the Sr, Pb and Nd isotopic compositions of the sulfides suggest that the fluids not only circulated within the Marmato stock, but also throughout the Arquia Complex, inferring that these rocks offer a potential target for mineral exploration. Based on geological and geochronological evidence, the epizonal Marmato gold ores formed during the Miocene to Pliocene, as a result of cooling of the Marmato stock and reactivation along a crustal-scale fault zone related to thermal processes in an accretionary oceanic–continental plate orogen.     

Potential implications of global warming and barrier island degradation on future hurricane inundation,property damages,and population impacted

Hurricane flooding is a leading natural threat to coastal communities. Recent evidence of sea level rise coupled with potential future global warming indicate that sea level rise will accelerate and hurricanes may intensify over the coming decades. In regions fronted by barrier islands, the protective capacity of these islands may diminish as they are degraded by rising sea level. Here we present a hydrodynamic and geospatial analysis of the relative role of barrier island degradation on potential future hurricane flooding. For the City of Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, hurricane flooding is projected to rise between 20% and 70% by the 2030s, resulting in an increase in property damages and impacted population. These findings indicate that adaptive management strategies should be developed and adopted for mitigating loss of natural barrier islands when these islands act as protective features for populated bayside communities. Finally, this study illustrates a method for applying models to forecast future storm protection benefits of barrier island restoration projects.