Evidences for Incipient Hydrothermal Event(s) in the Central Indian Basin: A Review

1 IntroductionMetalliferous sediments and mounds occur in all majortectonic settings in the oceans (e.g., the Galapagos Rift,East Pacific Rise (EPR), Bauer Deep and Central Basin ofthe Pacific; Heath and Dymond, 1977). Further, massivesulphide deposits and high-temperature vents have beenreported along the mid-ocean ridges (MOR). In the IndianOcean, an inactive hydrothermal field and a hydrothermalplume site have been discovered along the Central IndianRidge (CIR). The SONNE Hydro…     

阿尔泰-阿尔金地学断面地壳结构

根据阿尔泰—阿尔金地学断面的地震纵、横波资料,建立了地壳速度及泊松比结构. 测区的地壳具有明显的三分结构特征,其纵波速度自上而下依次为6.0～6.3km/s、6.3～6.6km/s及6.9～7.0km/s;阿尔泰南缘的地壳最厚,为56km,准噶尔盆地的地壳最薄,为46km,大部分地区的地壳厚度为50km 左右. 准噶尔盆地与天山之间上地幔顶部的纵波速度为7.7～7.8km/s ;阿尔泰南缘及塔里木盆地上地幔顶部的纵波速度较高,为7.9～8.0km/s. 测线南部,包括东天山及塔里木东缘,自地表至30km深处的地壳纵波速度低,泊松比为0.25,表明上地壳主要为石英及花岗质成分;而测线北部(包括阿尔泰及准噶尔盆地)的中、上地壳则呈现较高的泊松比（0.26～0.27）,可能为基性地壳的体现. 厚15～30km的下地壳纵波速度（6.9～7.0km/s）较高,泊松比为0.26～0.28,可能以镁铁质的麻粒岩成分为主. 位于天山及其南侧地壳中部的低速层（VP=5.9km/s, σ=0.25）则可能为晚古生代的构造热事件中的花岗质侵入岩.     

亚马逊上空的烟雨云

人们观测到亚马逊森林大火的浓烟减小了云滴的大小,使降水产生延迟。因为清洁云在云底以上1．5km处就可以产生降水,而被污染的云中这个高度要抬升到5km以上．在火成云中就要到7km以上了。云中低层被抑止的降雨和气溶胶沉降使得水份和烟尘向高层输送,高层的云就像能卸下很多污染物的‘烟’。在抬高了的降雨启动高度上,由于相变触发的上升气流导致强的雷雨、大雹以及其他类似的云体突破云顶进入平流层,在平流层沉降的污染物和水汽的辐射效应对气候系统有深刻的影响。大气中激发的风暴在更高层释放出潜热,这就从本质上影响了区域和全球的环流系统。这些过程共同影响了水份循环、大气中污染物的分布以及大气环流的动力学特征。     

西藏高原上地幔的精细结构与构造--地震层析成像给出的启示

用布置在亚东—格尔木的164个流动地震台站记录的926个远震事件的24241条射线,进行远震P波层析成像处理,高分辨率的西藏高原上地幔的速度结构图,显示了印度巨厚地幔岩石圈在向高原之下推进的过程中,在高喜马拉雅之下拆分成上、下两层,这是发生的第一次拆沉. 下层从高喜马拉雅以下约以22°的角度向高原北部插入到350km 深;而其上层则向北伸展直到雁石坪,并构成了高原薄的地幔岩石圈. 在雁石坪北（33.7°N）,当其与亚洲大陆岩石圈地幔相遇后发生断离并下沉. 再次证实了五道梁（35.27°N）深部低速体的存在,本区内地壳内低速物质可能与上述运动有联系,反映了深层热物质的上涌.     

由面波快速稳健反演地震矩张量的经验方法

给出一种稳健反演方法(也称迭代加权最小二乘IRLS),该方法对分离数据点极不敏感,因为它可以自动剔除异常的数据点,不需要人工仔细检查和控制数据质量。为了使用Tarantola-Valette的迭代广义离散反演方法进行稳健反演,将基于残差和信噪比的不同判据引入到协方差矩阵(作用相当于权重函数)中。在实际应用中,这个算法的作用相当于震源机制初步测定(PDFM),后者在海啸预警中用于快速估计强震震源参数。要反演的输入数据是长周期面波的频谱,输出的计算结果为地震矩张量,根据这些张量获得地震的震源几何形状和主应力轴。这种算法可以应用于任何非线性(迭代)反演计算中,解决污染数据集的分离数据点的问题。     

Rationales behind irrationality of decision making in groundwater quality management

This issue paper presents how certain policies regarding management of groundwater quality lead to unexpected and undesirable results, despite being backed by seemingly reasonable assumptions. This happened in part because the so-called reasonable decisions were not based on an integrative and quantitative methodology. The policies surveyed here are: (1) implementation of a program for aquifer restoration to pristine conditions followed, after failure, by leaving it to natural attenuation; (2) the "Forget About The Aquifer" (FATA) approach, while ignoring possible damage that contaminated groundwater can inflict on the other environmental systems; (3) groundwater recharge in municipal areas while neglecting the presence of contaminants in the unsaturated zone and conditions exerted by upper impervious surfaces; (4) the Soil Aquifer Treatment (SAT) practice considering aquifers to be "filters of infinite capacity"; and (5) focusing on well contamination vs. aquifer contamination to conveniently defer grappling with the problem of the aquifer as a whole. Possible reasons for the failure of these seemingly rational policies are: (1) the characteristic times of processes associated with groundwater that are usually orders of magnitude greater than the residence times of decision makers in their managerial position; (2) proliferation of improperly trained "groundwater experts" or policymakers with sectoral agendas alongside legitimate differences of opinion among groundwater scientists; (3) the neglect of the cyclic nature of natural phenomena; and (4) ignoring future long-term costs because of immediate costs.     

Higher order analytical solutions of water table fluctuations in coastal aquifers

The groundwater response of coastal aquifers to tidal forcing is described by Laplace's equation coupled with the nonlinear phreatic-free surface boundary condition. Here we describe fluctuations in the water table using two small parameters, extending previous work by proposing an ansatz to compute higher order, semi-analytical solutions. The new solutions are compared with known lower order solutions. The relative difference between the linear solution and higher order solutions can reach up to 30% of the linear solution for shallow beaches. The new solutions exhibit a reduction in the over height of the groundwater fluctuations compared with the lower order solutions. In addition, the super elevation of the water table, both near shore and as the aquifer tends landward, is examined with the inclusion of higher order terms.     

Carry-over effects of the membrane interface probe

The membrane interface probe (MIP) is widely used to characterize the subsurface distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). One problem that arises during MIP application is that disproportionately high MIP signals are obtained after passing source zones which contain mobile or residual phases. This serious problem occurs because of a carry-over effect, in particular caused by compound-specific retention times in the conventional unheated transfer line, commonly used during such an investigation. The objective of this study was to perform a qualitative methodical field evaluation of the carry-over effect of a conventional MIP system with a conventional unheated transfer line. This was achieved by coupling a mobile mass spectrometer to the MIP device. Results obtained were then further compared with those achieved using a laser induced fluorescence (LIF) system. Because of this coupling, time- and depth-dependent signals for different substances became known. Field evaluation data obtained showed complex superpositions of compounds with MIP system results. As a result of this superposition, MIP signals from the saturated zone beneath the source zone (zone with free and/or residual phase) are blurred and are therefore not representative of particular depths. However, utilizing multidirectional probing alongside conventional MIP probing (forwards and backwards), it was possible to detect the upper and lower phase boundary of the source zone. These MIP results correlated excellently with the LIF results. An important conclusion that can be drawn from the field investigation is that coupling a mobile mass spectrometer to the MIP system enables advanced MIP signal interpretation to be successfully achieved.     

Assessment of the effects of a marine urban outfall discharge on caged mussels using chemical and biomarker analysis

To assess the presence of endocrine disruptors in treated marine outfall discharges and their possible effects, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were caged in the environmental mixing zone of the outfall of the Santander sanitation system and in one control area. After 30, 60 and 90 days, samples were collected to perform chemical analyses (metals, anionic surfactants, alkylphenols, bisphenol A, phthalates and estrogenic hormones), biomarkers of general stress (lysosomal membrane stability-LMS, histopathology) and biomarkers of endocrine disruption (vitellogenin-like proteins and gonad index). There were no significant differences between outfall and control sites on contaminant levels, except for 4-tert-octylphenol which was higher in the outfall site. Bacteriological counts were higher in the outfall area. No relevant differences in biomarkers were detected between treated and control mussels. A significant reduction in LMS occurred in both groups after 90 days caging, indicating a stress situation possibly related to caging or to post-spawning reproductive state.     

Chemical composition and acute toxicity in the water after in situ burning--a laboratory experiment

The chemical composition and toxicity of a water soluble fraction (WSF) of oil versus the underlying water after in situ burning (ISB), has been studied in a laboratory experiment. A system for allowing water sampling after ISB was developed. Seawater samples and oil were collected prior to and immediately after ISB, and chemical analysis was conducted. The chemical characterization of the water showed that the disappearance of water soluble oil components during ISB was insignificant. Acute toxicity tests with the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus and Microtox® bioassay was performed to establish LC₅₀/EC₅₀ values of the water. The results were compared with regular WAF systems with unburned weathered oil, and indicated no increase in toxicity in the underlying water after ISB.