The role of principles and methods in loess-paleosol investigations

In the process of loessification, the development of loess fabric, the role of zonal, regional and partly of local environmental factors is regarded decisive. In the loess sequences various genetic types of loess pockets and paleosols occur and reflect different climatic and paleogeographical conditions.As a consequence, even within a single profile the colour, grain size and mineral composition, CaCO₃ content, degree of weathering and fabric of loess may vary. Zonal, regional or even local variations in such loess properties may equally derive from syngenetic or postgenetic processes. For similar reasons, spatially and temporally different forms, types and subtypes of paleosol also developed.This way, loess and soil formation resulted in various spatial types in the same glacial, interstadial or interglacial phase in the various geographical zones and regions. Although there exist major loess regions where the interglacial soils (eg brown forest soils) are markedly distinct from interstadial steppe soils or from other types of humic soils, continental loess areas can also be observed where the paleosols developed under interglacial and interstadial conditions (eg steppe or forest steppe soils) cannot be referred into different genetic types. In such cases the changes in paleoenvironments are difficult and uncertain to reconstruct.The interregional correlation of paleosols is occasionally hindered by the various terminologies applied to denote them. In addition, there are uncertainties concerning the dating and identification of paleoenvironments of polygenetic soils and of soil complexes consisting of paleosol units: how many soil formation phases they represent and how long erosional gaps can be reckoned with between these phases.     

Assessment of loess as parent material for agroecological potential

Due to its physical and chemical properties, areas with a loess mantle of proper thickness favour arable farming. Loess as a parent material promotes the formation of soils of good structure, nutrient supply and water budget. The ongoing land evaluation project places particular emphasis on the consideration of parent material in its scoring system as soil and climatic parameters are assessed in conjunction with the grain size composition of subsurface material and soil texture.A test area most suitable for the presentation of the method seems to be a sandy alluvial fan with loess mantle and this circumstance allows the contrasting of the agroecological potentials of soils developed on the two parent materials of different nature.The favourable water storage properties of loess make this deposit particularly valuable under the conditions of climatic aridification. The geographical information system applied here is capable of simulating the agroecological potential changes caused by reduced precipitation, increased evaporation and dropping groundwater levels.The research for this paper was carried out as part of the MEDALUS II (Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use) collaborative research project. MEDALUS II was funded by the EC under its Environment Progamme, contract no. EV5V 0128/0166. A grant was also provided by the OTKA (Hungarian National Science Foundation), project no 1278. The support is gratefully acknowledged.     

Andalusite in granulites of the bohemian massif

Summary In granulites of South-Bohemia not only the usually occurring Al₂SiO₅ polymorphs, kyanite and sillimanite, were found but also andalusite. Its presence indicates that the metamorphic development of these granulites is characterized by a high PT-gradient. The granulitic rocks of the Bohemian Massif can be regarded as a facies series ranging from the granulite facies through the amphibolite facies to the hornblende-hornfels facies. The lower limit of the PT-conditions of this series should be placed below the position of the triple point of Al₂SiO₅.

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Andalusit in Granuliten der Böhmischen Masse

Zusammenfassung In den Mineralparagenesen der südböhmischen Granulite wurde neben den üblicherweise auftretenden Al₂SiO₅-Modifikationen, Disthen und Sillimanit, auch Andalusit gefunden. Seine Anwesenheit weist darauf hin, daß die metamorphe Entwicklung der erwähnten Granulite durch einen ausgeprägten PT-Gradienten gekennzeichnet wurde. Die Granulitgesteine der Böhmischen Masse kann man als eine Faziesserie ansehen, die von der Granulitfazies über die Amphibolitfazies bis in die Hornblende-Hornfelsfazies reicht. Die untere Grenze der PT-Bedingungen dieser Serie ist unter die Lage des Tripelpunktes von Al₂SiO₅ zu setzen.

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With 5 Figures     

Estimation of seismic hazard parameters in TERESA test areas

A general overview of some of the problems involved in earthquake catalogue handling is given as part of the works carried out into the ESC/SC8-TERESA project related with the seismic hazard assessment in two selected test areas: Sannio-Matese in Italy and the northern Rhine region (BGN). Furthermore, the necessary input data to be used in the calculation of seismic hazard has been obtained, including earthquake source zones and their seismic hazard parameters.The importance is pointed out of detailed analysis of seismic catalogues, mainly in relation to the use of aftershock information, the historical records of the region, and the possible temporal and spatial variation of seismicity, which could have an important influence on short-term hazard assessment.     

The study of metal contamination in urban topsoils of Mexico City using GIS

This research presents and discusses information concerning the spatial distribution of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Ba, Co, Cr, Ni and V) in the urban environments of Mexico City using geographical information system and statistical analysis. Superficial soil samples (n = 146) were analyzed. The highest contamination indices were found in the north and center zone of the metropolitan area. In contrast, the surrounding rural fields show a lower impact grade. The higher concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn and Ba were observed as being related to high vehicular traffic, nevertheless other elements such as Co, Cr, Ni and V do not show anthropogenic influence and their content can be attributed to the parental rock. The results are compared with previous surveys carried out in 2003 in order to evaluate temporal deposition trends. No changes were found on reported concentrations except for Cu and Zn, whose concentration has increased in later years. The results suggest that spatial distribution analysis and results in comparison with previous studies could be useful for the management and sustainable development of the metropolitan area of Mexico City.     

辽西义县组与冀北大店子组、西瓜园组的对比

辽西义县组与冀北大店子组、西瓜园组的对比关系一直存有分歧.综合分析前人生物地层学资料,并结合同位素年代学,提出老公沟层、业南沟层、尖山沟层和冀北滦平盆地大店子组1~2段及3~4段下部相当,大康堡层可与大店子组3~4段上部对比,金刚山层与西瓜园组大致相当.     

Comparison of Two Methods Used to Model Shape Parameters of Pareto Distributions

Two methods are compared for estimating the shape parameters of Pareto field-size (or pool-size) distributions for petroleum resource assessment. Both methods assume mature exploration in which most of the larger fields have been discovered. Both methods use the sizes of larger discovered fields to estimate the numbers and sizes of smaller fields: (1) the tail-truncated method uses a plot of field size versus size rank, and (2) the log–geometric method uses data binned in field-size classes and the ratios of adjacent bin counts. Simulation experiments were conducted using discovered oil and gas pool-size distributions from four petroleum systems in Alberta, Canada and using Pareto distributions generated by Monte Carlo simulation. The estimates of the shape parameters of the Pareto distributions, calculated by both the tail-truncated and log–geometric methods, generally stabilize where discovered pool numbers are greater than 100. However, with fewer than 100 discoveries, these estimates can vary greatly with each new discovery. The estimated shape parameters of the tail-truncated method are more stable and larger than those of the log–geometric method where the number of discovered pools is more than 100. Both methods, however, tend to underestimate the shape parameter. Monte Carlo simulation was also used to create sequences of discovered pool sizes by sampling from a Pareto distribution with a discovery process model using a defined exploration efficiency (in order to show how biased the sampling was in favor of larger fields being discovered first). A higher (more biased) exploration efficiency gives better estimates of the Pareto shape parameters.     

Barium-rich fluids and melts in a subduction environment (La Corea and Sierra del Convento mélanges,eastern Cuba)

Whole-rock compositions of muscovite-bearing amphibolite, trondhjemite, pegmatite and quartz-muscovite rocks from Sierra del Convento and La Corea mélanges (eastern Cuba), as well as mineralogy, record complex circulation of Ba-rich fluids and melts in the subduction environment. Partial melting of fluid-fluxed, MORB-derived amphibolite produced trondhjemite magmas that crystallized at depth, in some cases evolving into pegmatites. Qtz-Ms rocks probably crystallized from primary fluids derived from subducted sediments. All these rocks have elevated concentrations of large-ion lithophile elements, especially Ba (up to 11,810 ppm), presumably released from slab sediments by fluids and/or melts. Fluid–rock interaction produced crystallization of phengite in parental amphibolites. The phengite crystallized in all types of rocks is rich in Ba, with concentric zoning, characterized by Ba-rich cores and Ba-poor rims, indicating a compatible behaviour of Ba in the studied systems. Zoning in phengite is governed primarily by the celadonite (tschermak) exchange vector ((Mg,Fe)Si-(Al)_-2), with more moderate contributions of the celsian (BaAl-(KSi)_-1) and paragonite (NaK_-1) exchange vectors. Late remobilization of Ba at relatively low temperature formed retrograde celsian. The compatible behaviour of Ba in the studied rocks strengthens the importance of the stability of phengite for the transfer of LIL elements from the subduction to the volcanic arc environments.     

Characteristics of the Two Types of Granits at Sikongshan in the Eastern Part of the Dabieshan Mountains

It has been shown from petrologic,geochemical,trace element and REE evidence that the gran-ite intrusions at Sikongshan,Anhui Province,can be assigned to two distinct types which are radically different in age and origin.The Precambrian gneissic granited resulted from remelting of old continental crust while the Mesozoic granites were derived ,also through remelting,from low-Rb/Sr rocks at greater depths.Granite masses at Tiantangzhai and Zhoujiawan in the Dabieshan Mountains are also dicussed.     

Sequence stratigraphy of Holocene incised-valley fills and coastal evolution in the Gulf of Cádiz (southern Spain)

This first sedimentary interpretation of two incised-valley fills in the Gulf of Cádiz (southern Spain), which accumulated during the last fourth-order eustatic cycle in response to fluvial incision, changes of sea level, and correlative deposition, relates the filling of the estuarine basins and their barriers with four regional progradation phases, H₁ to H₄. The cases studied are the wave-dominated Guadalete, and the mixed, tide and wave-dominated Odiel-Tinto estuaries. The sequence boundary is a type-1 surface produced during the lowstand of the Last Glacial period ca. 18 000 ¹⁴C yr BP. No fluvial lowstand deposits were found in the area. Due to rapid transgression the valley fills consist of transgressive and highstand sediments. The maximum landward advance of the estuarine barriers occurred ca. 6500–6000 ¹⁴C yr BP during the maximum of the Flandrian transgression, but there is no evidence of sea level rising appreciably above the present. A large part of the estuaries was filled during H₁ (ca. 6500–4400 ¹⁴C yr BP) but ravinement by shifting tidal inlets destroyed most of the coeval barriers. During the H₂ phase (ca. 4200–2550 ¹⁴C yr BP) sedimentation was favoured by arid conditions and concentrated in the axial estuarine zones and the barriers. Between H₂ and H₃ prevailing winds changed from W to WSW, increasing spit growth to the east and south-east. Progradation of bay-head deltas and flood-plains during H₃ (ca. 2300–800 ¹⁴C yr BP) and H₄ (500 yr ago to the present) further reduced the accommodation space in the largely-filled valleys, and sediment by-passed the estuaries and accumulated in the estuarine barriers as fast-growing spits. Arid conditions and increasing human activity have caused rapid coastal modifications.