与地震活动相关的电磁扰动的空间观测

介绍了地震附近甚低频（VLF）电磁波信号强度统计分析结果。统计数据全部来自法国的DEMETER卫星（轨道高度700km,近太阳同步轨道）,处理中采用了稳健的两步处理方法。第一步,利用所有的观测数据构建电磁辐射背景图,在给定条件和给定轨道位置对电场波动强度进行了统计描述。第二步,在第一步得到的电场波动强度的统计分布背景基础上,对地震附近的观测数据进行分析,研究由地震活动引起的电场波动强度的变化,评估它们在统计上的显著性。在整个分析过程中,我们总计使用了大于两年半的卫星观测数据,并对在此期间全球范围内发生的大约9000个震级大于或等于4．8的地震进行了统计分析。统计结果显示,在夜间时段,对于浅源地震（震源深度小于或等于40km）,在震前0～4小时的短时间内,电场波动强度会有4～6dB的显著降低。     

The overlooked role of the ocean in mercury cycling in the Arctic

The rapid and high bioaccumulation of mercury in marine mammals and its spatial and temporal variations have been a major puzzle in the Arctic. While extensive efforts have been focussed on the monitoring and chemistry of atmospheric mercury depletion events, a recent mass budget estimate of mercury in the Arctic suggests that we have overlooked the role of the ocean itself. Only through focussed studies on Hg dynamics in the Arctic Ocean under a changing climate are we going to understand what the risk of mercury is to those marine ecosystems and the people who rely on them.     

综合地震和地质数据获得的坎特伯雷地震序列的震级—频度分布模型

我们综合地质和地震数据获得了坎特伯雷地震序列的震级—频度分布模型。在确定分布曲线时,借机用新的数据解决了文献中的一个长期争议:对于断层或断裂带的地震活动性,究竟是古登堡—里克特关系还是特征地震模型描述得更好。结果表明,对于坎特伯雷地震序列的整个复合断裂带而言,若综合考虑古登堡—里克特曲线(拟合仪器目录数据)误差和格林代尔断层上大(主)震根据古地震推断的复发周期界限,震级—频度分布可用古登堡—里克特关系很好地描述。相反,对于格林代尔断层的较小区域,震级—频度分布用特征地震模型描述得更好。不同的就是尺度,因为坎特伯雷地震序列所代表的复合断裂带表现为古登堡—里克特分布,而该断裂带内的单个断层表现为特征地震分布。因此,地震风险模拟中震级—频度分布的确定必须考虑尺度因素,而不能简单地认为一条震级—频度分布曲线适用于所有断层情形。     

Man-induced hydrological changes, metazooplankton communities and invasive species in the Berre Lagoon (Mediterranean Sea, France)

The Berre Lagoon has been under strong anthropogenic pressure since the early 1950s. The opening of the hydroelectric EDF power plant in 1966 led to large salinity drops. The zooplankton community was mainly composed of two common brackish species: Acartia tonsa and Brachionus plicatilis. Since 2006, European litigation has strongly constrained the input of freshwater, maintaining the salinity above 15. A study was performed between 2008 and 2010 to evaluate how these modifications have impacted the zooplankton community. Our results show that the community is more diverse and contains several coastal marine species (i.e., Centropages typicus, Paracalanus parvus and Acartia clausi). A. tonsa is still present but is less abundant, whereas B. plicatilis has completely disappeared. Strong predatory marine species, such as chaetognaths, the large conspicuous autochtonous jellyfish Aurelia aurita and the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi, are now very common as either seasonal or permanent features of the lagoon.     

Tidal flushing and wind driven circulation of Ahe atoll lagoon (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia) from in situ observations and numerical modelling

Hydrodynamic functioning and water circulation of the semi-closed deep lagoon of Ahe atoll (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia) were investigated using 1year of field data and a 3D hydrodynamical model. Tidal amplitude averaged less than 30cm, but tide generated very strong currents (2ms(-1)) in the pass, creating a jet-like circulation that partitioned the lagoon into three residual circulation cells. The pass entirely flushed excess water brought by waves-induced radiation stress. Circulation patterns were computed for climatological meteorological conditions and summarized with stream function and flushing time. Lagoon hydrodynamics and general overturning circulation was driven by wind. Renewal time was 250days, whereas the e-flushing time yielded a lagoon-wide 80-days average. Tide-driven flush through the pass and wind-driven overturning circulation designate Ahe as a wind-driven, tidally and weakly wave-flushed deep lagoon. The 3D model allows studying pearl oyster larvae dispersal in both realistic and climatological conditions for aquaculture applications.     

A conceptual evolutionary aseismic decision support framework for hospitals

In this paper, aconceptual evolutionary framework for aseismic decision support for hospitalsthat attempts to integrate a range of engineering and sociotechnical models is presented. Genetic algorithms are applied to find the optimal decision sets. A case study is completed to demonstrate how the frameworkmay applytoa specific hospital.The simulations show that the proposed evolutionary decision support framework is able to discover robust policy sets in either uncertain or fixed environments. The framework also qualitatively identifies some of the characteristicbehavior of the critical care organization. Thus, by utilizing the proposedframework, the decision makers are able to make more informed decisions, especially toenhance the seismic safety of the hospitals.     

南加州地区地震释放的方式

南加州经历了发生在垂直右旋以走滑占优势的圣安德烈斯断层系统上的地震,以及发生在一个由逆断层、斜滑断层、左旋断层和其他类型断层组成的次级断层系统上的地震。应用模式识别和聚类分析的方法来分析1915～1994年间M≥5.5的地震目录。我们用模式识别来找出一组能够表示上述两个系统各自特征并能够区分它们的特性。模式识别和聚类分析这两种方法都表明,当地震活动的两种体系中的任何一种成为主要形式时,则进入了地震释放期。近20年来,次级系统成为活跃的系统,板块在运动方向上的微小变化可能会解释这一现象。在圣安德烈斯系统上的地震释放之前,大盆地或加州湾地区发生了一系列的地震活动。这些事件大致上表明了大盆地地区的扩张和加州湾地区转换断层的扩展和滑动。     

Sorption-desorption kinetics and toxic cell concentration in marine phytoplankton microalgae exposed to Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate

Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonates (LAS) are ubiquitous surfactants. Traces can be found in coastal environments. Sorption and toxicity of C₁₂-LAS congeners were studied in controlled conditions (2-3500 μg C₁₂LAS/L) in five marine phytoplanktonic species, using standardized methods. IC₅₀ values ranged from 0.5 to 2 mg LAS/L. Sorption of ¹⁴C₁₂-6 LAS isomer was measured at environmentally relevant trace levels (4 μg/L) using liquid scintillation counting. Steady-state sorption on algae was reached within 5 h in the order dinoflagellate > diatoms > green algae. The sorption data, fitted a L-type Freundlich isotherm, indicating saturation. Desorption was rapid but a low LAS fraction was still sorbed after 24 h. Toxic cell concentration was 0.38 ± 0.09 mg/g for the studied species. LAS toxicity results from sorption on biological membranes leading to non-specific disturbance of algal growth. Results indicate that LAS concentrations in coastal environments do not represent a risk for these organisms.     

The impact of dredge-fill on Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows: regression and patterns of recovery

Posidonia oceanica meadows can be severely damaged by dredge-fill operations. We report on the construction of gas pipelines that occurred between 1981 and 1993 in SW Sicily, Italy. A large portion of the meadow was mechanically removed, and the excavated trench was filled with a mosaic of substrates, ranging from sand to consolidated rock debris. Meadow loss and recovery were quantified over 7 years after the end of operations. We recorded an overall loss of 81.20 ha of meadow. Substrate strongly affected recovery as the percent cover by P. oceanica consistently increased on calcareous rubble, reaching values of 44.37 ± 3.05% in shallow sites after 7 years, whereas no significant increase occurred on other substrates. As in the Mediterranean Sea exploitation of coastal areas continues to grow with consequent impacts on P. oceanica meadows, this case study illustrates how artificial rubble-like materials could be employed to support the restoration of damaged meadows.     

Do benthic biofilters contribute to sustainability and restoration of the benthic environment impacted by offshore cage finfish aquaculture?

Benthic biofilters were deployed under a cage fish farm and in two reference locations to assess the influence of the farm on the biofilters and the surroundings, as well as to verify the usefulness of this technology as a mitigation tool. The biofilters underneath the farm recruited a fouling community practically identical to that of the control biofilters, which included a variety of trophic strategies. The former showed a higher ¹⁵N enrichment, indicating that fouling beneath the farm was benefiting from the farm waste. The waste retention efficiency was low (0.02 g N m⁻² month⁻¹) beneath the farm. Benthic biofilters aggregated demersal wild fish around and within them. Pelagic wild fish also frequently used the biofilters beneath the farm, forming compact shoals around them. The increased complexity of the habitat below the fish farm enhanced biodiversity, but this improvement did not lead to the recovery of the sediments around the biofilters.