Integration of reflection seismic and sediment grain-size data from Lake Khubsugul (Northern Mongolia): a reply to Prokopenko and Kendall

Prokopenko and Kendall (J Paleolimnol doi:, 2008) criticise the work presented in Fedotov et al. (J Paleolimnol 39:335–348, 2008), and instead propose an alternative interpretation for the grain-size evolution recorded in the KDP-01 core, retrieved from the central part of Lake Khubsugul. Their interpretation is based (i) on a seismic-stratigraphic re-interpretation of sparker seismic profile khub012 (which they copied from Fedotov et al. (EOS Trans 87:246–250, 2006)), (ii) on the presupposition that changes in lake level are the dominant control on facies distribution in Lake Khubsugul, and (iii) on the invalidation of our age-depth model. In this reply to their comment, we demonstrate that they interpreted seismic artefacts and geometries caused by changes in profile orientation as true stratigraphic features and that the lake-level reconstruction they derive from this interpretation is therefore incorrect. We also demonstrate that their grain-size predictions, which they consider to be predominantly driven by changes in lake level, are inconsistent with the measured sulphate concentration, which is a demonstrated proxy of lake level in Lake Khubsugul, and with the measured grain-size record. Finally, we point out that even if there would be a problem with the age-depth model, this problem would not affect the part of the sedimentary sequence discussed in Fedotov et al. (J Paleolimnol 39:335–348, 2008).     

Impacts of Climatic Factors on Runoff Coefficients in Source Regions of the Huanghe River

Runoff coefficients of the source regions of the Huanghe River in 1956–2000 were analyzed in this paper. In the 1990s runoff of Tangnaihai Hydrologic Station of the Huanghe River experienced a serious decrease, which had at- tracted considerable attention. Climate changes have important impact on the water resources availability. From the view of water cycling, runoff coefficients are important indexes of water resources in a particular catchment. Kalinin baseflow separation technique was improved based on the characteristics of precipitation and streamflow. After the separation of runoff coefficient (R/P), baseflow coefficient (Br/P) and direct runoff coefficient (Dr/P) were estimated. Statistic analyses were applied to assessing the impact of precipitation and temperature on runoff coefficients (including Dr/P, Br/P and R/P). The results show that in the source regions of the Huanghe River, mean annual baseflow coefficient was higher than mean annual direct runoff coefficient. Annual runoff coefficients were in direct proportion to annual pre- cipitation and in inverse proportion to annual mean temperature. The decrease of runoff coefficients in the 1990s was closely related to the decrease in precipitation and increase in temperature in the same period. Over different sub-basins of the source regions of the Huanghe River, runoff coefficients responded differently to precipitation and temperature. In the area above Jimai Hydrologic Station where annual mean temperature is –3.9oC, temperature is the main factor in- fluencing the runoff coefficients. Runoff coefficients were in inverse relation to temperature, and precipitation had nearly no impact on runoff coefficients. In subbasin between Jimai and Maqu Hydrologic Station Dr/P was mainly affected by precipitation while R/P and Br/P were both significantly influenced by precipitation and temperature. In the area be-tween Maqu and Tangnaihai hydrologic stations all the three runoff coefficients increased with the rising of annual precipitation, while direct runoff coefficient was inversely proportional to temperature. In the source regions of the Huanghe River with the increase of average annual temperature, the impacts of temperature on runoff coefficients be-come insignificant.     

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley as a risk area

The Upper Middle Rhine Valley, granted the status of a World Heritage site, is well known for its unique inner narrow valley of Quaternary age with its historical legacy of numerous medieval castles and old towns. Less known is that this has always been a risk area of floods and gravitative mass movements. Up to the recent past, mainly ice floods caused enormous damage. The inhabitants of the valley were well aware that they lived in a risk area, but they had learned to handle the flood hazard. With the demise of ice floods over the last 40 years, due to climate change and because of the additional heating of the river water by power plants, the awareness of flood hazards has been much diminished, in contrast to that of potential damage by rockfalls and landslides which were also much feared in the past, though at the local level only. Still in the people’s memory is the Kaub catastrophe of March 10, 1876, when 28 persons were killed by a landslide. Nowadays, even minor rockfalls are a major threat, as they will affect the much-used traffic lines on both banks of the river, in particular the railroads. Therefore, since 2002, on behalf of German Rail (Deutsche Bahn, DB), all problematic slopes have been protected by costly steel-ring nets, although they are an aesthetic problem by UNESCO standards. The feeling of absolute safety created among the public is only subjective, though, as planners are well aware of. Moreover, the impact of modern climate change on slope stability is nearly unknown. Therefore, it is still necessary to develop a risk map for the narrow valley, with emphasis on gravitational hazards.     

成都平原宝墩遗址中晚全新世孢粉记录的环境变迁及人类活动

对宝墩遗址T3321剖面第9~13层（深度为150~308 cm）的53个样品进行孢粉分析,结合AMS ¹⁴C测年和考古断代,恢复了遗址区全新世适宜期至4300 cal.a B.P.前后的古植被及古气候演变过程。遗址区古环境演变可以划分为4个阶段：阶段1（7400~6500 cal.a B.P.）和阶段2（6500~6000 cal.a B.P.）的孢粉组合反映了以亚热带常绿落叶阔叶林为主的森林植被景观,气候较为温暖湿润;阶段2环纹藻属（Concentricystes）的出现以及大量蕨类植物的增加暗示着遗址区开始出现湖沼。阶段3（6000~4700 cal.a B.P.）主要以稀疏乔木、灌木及陆生草本为主的植被景观,本阶段后期气候由暖湿向冷干方向发展;环纹藻属比例在本阶段达到剖面最大后逐渐降低,表明遗址区水域面积大幅增加后逐渐减小。阶段4（4700~4300 cal.a B.P.）为古蜀先民在遗址生活时期,孢粉组合反映出人类活动明显增强。T3321剖面孢粉所揭示的古环境演变趋势与西南地区中晚全新世以来气候由暖湿向冷干转变的过程基本一致。阶段3和阶段4孢粉组合的变化揭示了古环境变迁与人类活动的关系,人类活动对植被变化产生深刻影响。陆生草本植物,尤其是伴人植物的增多以及湖沼面积的减少反映出人类对环境的改造作用以及农业种植活动的出现。

     

Resolving the landfill siting impasse: modelling technocratic and indigenous perspectives using GIS multicriteria approach

Increase in waste generation calls for an effective waste management as this has become a necessity for environmental sustainability. Several methods are adopted in managing waste, which include waste reduction, reuse, thermal treatment, recycling and landfilling. The landfill method is recognised as the most used of all the waste management methods in developing countries such as Ghana. However, the selection of a suitable landfill site is very difficult and tedious. This is because it involves a consideration of many factors such as environmental, topographic, economic, socio-cultural and civil engineering. This research sought to identify a suitable landfill site by applying GIS multicriteria and weighted overlay approach in the Bongo District of Northern Ghana. The analysis relied on criteria and weights provided by the technocrats and the indigenes in the district as a way of demonstrating how landfill siting impasse can be resolved by incorporating the various stakeholders. The results obtained provided clear areas for landfill sites in the study area from the technocratic and the indigenous perspectives. However, the technocratic perspective failed to include an important cultural criterion, sacred groves, as a factor. The indigenous perspective also compromised on the factor related to nearness to residential areas, and is equally not sufficient on its own. The optimal landfill sites, which meets the expectations of both the technocrats and indigenes, was identified. This perspective has produced technically favourable and socio-culturally acceptable landfill site. However, it is recommended an environmental impact assessment (EIA) be conducted to identify the full environmental and social cost of the site. It is concluded that in landfill site selection much attention be given to cultural factors in the same way as the technical factors.     

基于深度学习的GF-1卫星WFV影像赤潮探测方法

赤潮是我国主要的海洋生态灾害,有效监测赤潮的发生和空间分布对于赤潮的防治具有重要意义。传统的赤潮监测以低空间分辨率的水色卫星为主,但是其对于频发的小规模赤潮存在监控盲区。GF-1卫星WFV影像具有空间分辨率高、成像幅宽大和重访周期短等优点,在小规模赤潮监测中表现出较大的潜力。然而,GF-1卫星WFV影像的光谱分辨率较低,波段少,传统面向水色卫星的赤潮探测方法无法应用于GF-1卫星WFV数据。而且赤潮具有形态多变、尺度不一的特点,难以精确提取。基于此,本文提出了一种面向GF-1卫星WFV影像的尺度自适应赤潮探测网络（SARTNet）。该网络采用双层主干结构以融合赤潮水体的形状特征与细节特征,并引入注意力机制挖掘不同尺度赤潮特征之间的相关性,提高网络对复杂分布赤潮的探测能力。实验结果表明,SARTNet赤潮探测精度优于现有方法,F1分数达到0.89以上,对不同尺度的赤潮漏提和误提较少,且受环境因素的影响较小。     

石笋记录的西南地区MIS4阶段夏季风的演化

基于重庆市丰都县羊子洞石笋Y-02的12个²³⁰Th年龄和503个氧同位素数据重建了中国西南地区60~73ka B.P.时段夏季风的演化历史。Y-02的δ¹⁸O记录显示中国季风区D/O18、D/O19a和D/O19共3个千年尺度夏季风增强事件与格陵兰间冰阶（GIS）18~19相对应。此外,Y-02记录显示：紧接着D/O18事件以后,夏季风强度突然减弱,而此时北半球高纬度地区正经历着明显的降温过程。Y-02记录捕捉到的这次东亚夏季风突然且短暂的一次减弱过程,可能是H6事件或者是H6事件季风最弱的时段。Y-02的δ¹⁸O记录显示,D/O18事件是一次较强烈的千年尺度季风增强事件,持续时间近千年,而D/O19事件在持续时间和强度上不如D/O18事件,这不同于格陵兰冰芯记录。中国季风区气候变化与格陵兰地区存在着如此紧密的联系进一步支持：东亚夏季风演化受到北半球高纬度地区气候变化的影响,但是对具体的气候事件响应可能存在不同的模式。

     

铜陵新桥层状菱铁矿成因的矿物学证据及成矿意义

安徽铜陵新桥矿区二叠系栖霞组底部和石炭系黄龙组—船山组之间产出层状、似层状菱铁矿矿层。开展菱铁矿矿层成因研究对于深入剖析区域层控矽卡岩型铜铁矿床成矿机制具有重要意义。本文利用粉晶X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电镜（SEM）对菱铁矿矿石进行矿物学研究,结果发现菱铁矿矿石主要由菱铁矿、石英、伊利石和有机质等组成,菱铁矿颗粒粒径较小,表面具有成岩自生的自形石英硬模的微结构,SEM原位微区成分分析显示菱铁矿中除了主量元素铁,还含有大量的锰、锌和钙。矿石中存在两种微结构和不同成因的石英：表面具菱铁矿硬模和次生加大结构的碎屑石英;具六方双锥、单锥以及生物成因球形的自生石英。菱铁矿矿石的组成和矿物表面微结构表明其为沉积成因,非岩浆热液起源。富有机质和亚铁的沉积菱铁矿层和沉积胶状黄铁矿层协同作用,可能是铜陵地区乃至长江中下游成矿带层状铜铁矿床层控性重要制约因素,以及可能作为燕山期中酸岩浆演化的氧化性含铜成矿流体卸载成矿的地球化学还原障。

     

Near-source noise suppression of AMT by compressive sensing and mathematical morphology filtering

In deep mineral exploration, the acquisition of audio magnetotelluric (AMT) data is severely affected by ambient noise near the observation sites; This near-field noise restricts investigation depths. Mathematical morphological filtering (MMF) proved effective in suppressing large-scale strong and variably shaped noise, typically low-frequency noise, but can not deal with pulse noise of AMT data. We combine compressive sensing and MMF. First, we use MMF to suppress the large-scale strong ambient noise; second, we use the improved orthogonal match pursuit (IOMP) algorithm to remove the residual pulse noise. To remove the noise and protect the useful AMT signal, a redundant dictionary that matches with spikes and is insensitive to the useful signal is designed. Synthetic and field data from the Luzong field suggest that the proposed method suppresses the near-source noise and preserves the signal well; thus, better results are obtained that improve the output of either MMF or IOMP.     

Automated Segmentation of Resistivity Image Logs Using Wavelet Transform

We describe a wavelet-transform-based method for automated segmentation of resistivity image logs that takes into account the apparent dip in the data and addresses the problem of discriminating lithofacies boundaries from noise and intrafacies variations. Our method can be applied to borehole measurements in general, but might have an advantage when applied to resistivity image logs as it addresses explicitly the large variability in facies segments recorded with a high-resolution multiple-sensor tool. We have developed an algorithm based on this method that might outperform other existing segmentation methods in the cases of low to moderate dip. We made a detailed comparison of the segmentation from our method with the one done by a geologist to delineate different lithofacies blocks in a well drilled in a deepwater depositional environment. Our results show considerable success rates in reproducing the geologically defined lithofacies boundaries, and the generality of our procedure suggests it could also be applied to other depositional environments.