Quelques aspects sur l'activité séismique des lacs artificiels

The author reveals that certain constructions of big dams-reservoirs are responsible for the local and artificial earthquakes. Usually, the intensity of such earthquakes is proportional to the water inside the artificial basin and the weight of the material used in the construction. These dams-reservoirs, as well as other anthropological works in an environment, deform the structure of the geological layers provoking fractures or faults.     

The geographical space of big companies

During its active life a large firm adopts several representations of the space with which it is in contact. The author is concerned with the recognition of the principal traits of these representations, based upon the results of questionnaires and interviews with representatives of a dozen French companies of international standing.Industrial space is signified by the distribution of productive forces, analysed and enumerated by classical geography. It has served as the basis of a systematisation aimed at the construction of a science of localisation. Nevertheless the factors compared are not of constant value.Commercial space which guides the sale-effort is structured by town centres and their level of attractiveness. Largely influenced by political geography it escapes complete domination because of the flux of commercial relationships.The thoughts of directors are exercised periodically at the level of world markets, monetary zones and tariffs, and the poles of decision that determine the march of events. In the last analysis strategic space thus perceived is financial space.     

The geographical space of big companiesDer tätigkeitsraum groβer gesellschaftenL'espace géographique des grandes sociétés

During its active life a large firm adopts several representations of the space with which it is in contact. The author is concerned with the recognition of the principal traits of these representations, based upon the results of questionnaires and interviews with representatives of a dozen French companies of international standing.Industrial space is signified by the distribution of productive forces, analysed and enumerated by classical geography. It has served as the basis of a systematisation aimed at the construction of a science of localisation. Nevertheless the factors compared are not of constant value.Commercial space which guides the sale-effort is structured by town centres and their level of attractiveness. Largely influenced by political geography it escapes complete domination because of the flux of commercial relationships.The thoughts of directors are exercised periodically at the level of world markets, monetary zones and tariffs, and the poles of decision that determine the march of events. In the last analysis strategic space thus perceived is financial space.     

Oceanic tholeiites on the Cape Verde Islands: petrochemical and geochemical evidence

The mineralogy, major element composition, REE patterns and Sc, Co, Hf, Cr, Sr, and Cu contents of nine pillow lavas from the pre-Cenozoic basement complex of Maio reveal the presence of oceanic tholeiites on the Cape Verde archipelago.These uplifted tholeiites constitute the oldest rocks exposed on the islands and are related to an Early Cretaceous (or still somewhat older?) oceanic ridge crest. It is suggested that the formation of east-west trending fracture zones in the Atlantic Ocean induced the alkalic character of the Cape Verde magmatism from the middle of the Cretaceous up to historical times.     

Analytical and numerical models to explain steady rates of spring flow

Flow from some springs in former glacial lakebeds of the Upper Midwest is extremely steady throughout the year and does not increase significantly after precipitation events or seasonal recharge. Analytical and simplified numerical models of spring systems were used to determine whether preferential ground water flow through high-permeability features in shallow sandstone aquifers could produce typical values of spring discharge and the unusually steady rates of spring flow. The analytical model is based on a one-dimensional solution for periodic ground water flow. Solutions to this model suggest that it is unlikely that a periodic forcing due to seasonal variations in areal recharge would propagate to springs in a setting where high-permeability features exist. The analytical model shows that the effective length of the aquifer, or the length of flowpaths to a spring, and the total transmissivity of the aquifer have the greatest potential to impact the nature of spring flow in this setting. The numerical models show that high-permeability features can influence the magnitude of spring flow and the results demonstrate that the lengths of ground water flowpaths increase when high-permeability features are explicitly modeled, thus decreasing the likelihood for temporal variations in spring flow.     

Groundwater recharge in a sedimentary basin in semi-arid Mexico

Recharge mechanisms and the hydrochemical evolution of groundwater in a semi-arid, 6,840-km², intermountain basin in central Mexico were investigated using stable isotopes and major chemical constituents. Ionic ratio analysis helped to conceptualize and quantify in part the subsequent geochemical evolution in the aquifer system. Mass balance models (PHREEQC) were used to interpret and rectify the geochemical properties of the aquifer. The recharge conditions have not changed noticeably during the last several thousands of years. The recharge mechanisms are accompanied by leaching of meteoric salts on and near the ground surface during major rain events, which previously accumulated after minor rain events. Rapid and diffuse infiltration can be excluded. Indirect infiltration from wadis (arroyos) and depressions (playas) with little mixing in shallow groundwater contrasts with a high degree of mixing for water with deep circulation. The prevailing source of major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) is weathering of carbonates and albite, followed by exchange reactions on clays and hydroxides. Ca²⁺/Na⁺ exchange may interchange along the flow path with reverse (Na⁺/Ca²⁺) exchange, although the Ca²⁺/Na⁺ option is prevalent. Meteoric Ca and Mg inputs are relatively small; however, meteoric Na is insignificant. Irrigation return flow plays an important role in the western part of the study area, giving rise to elevated sulfate and chloride concentrations.

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Resumen Se han investigado los mecanismos de recarga y la evolución hidroquímica de las aguas subterráneas en una cuenca semiárida e intermontanosa de México central, de 6.840 km². Para ello, se han utilizado isótopos estables y los constituyentes químicos mayores. El análisis de las relaciones iónicas ha servido para conceptuar y cuantificar en parte su evolución geoquímica posterior dentro del sistema acuífero. Se ha recurrido a modelos de balance de masas (PHREEQC) para interpretar y rectificar las propiedades geoquímicas del acuífero. Las condiciones de recarga no han cambiado de forma apreciable durante los últimos miles de años. Los mecanismos de recarga se ven acompañados por el lixiviado de las sales meteóricas sobre y cerca de la superficie del terreno durante los episodios principales de lluvia, las cuales son acumuladas en episodios menores de lluvia. Se puede excluir la infiltración rápida y difusa. La infiltración indirecta desde arroyos ( wadis) y depresiones ( playas), que apenas se mezcla con las aguas subterráneas someras, contrasta con un elevado nivel de mezcla con el agua de circulación profunda. La fuente dominante de cationes mayores (calcio, magnesio, sodio, potasio) es la meteorización de los carbonatos y albita, mientras que las reacciones de intercambio en las arcillas e hidróxidos son menos importantes. El intercambio ión calcio-ión sodio puede ser reemplazado a lo largo de una línea de flujo por el intercambio opuesto (ión sodio-ión calcio), aunque la primera es prioritaria. Las aportaciones meteóricas de calcio y magnesio son relativamente pequeñas, mientras que la de sodio es insignificante. Los retornos de riego desempeñan un papel importante en la parte occidental del área de estudio, dando lugar a concentraciones elevadas de sulfato y cloruro.

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Résumé Les mécanismes de recharge et lévolution hydrochimique de leau souterraine dans un bassin de montagne de 6 840 km² en zone semi-aride, dans le centre du Mexique, ont été étudiés au moyen des isotopes stables et des composés chimiques majeurs. Lanalyse des rapports ioniques a aidé à conceptualiser et à quantifier en partie lévolution géochimique qui en résulte, dans le système aquifère. Des modèles de bilan de masse (PHREEQC) ont été utilisés pour interpréter et corriger les propriétés de laquifère. Les conditions de recharge nont pas changé notablement au cours des derniers millénaires. Les mécanismes de recharge sont accompagnés, durant les épisodes majeurs de précipitation, dun lessivage, à la surface du sol et à son voisinage, de sels météoriques accumulés auparavant pendant les petits épisodes de pluie. Linfiltration rapide et diffuse peut être exclue. Linfiltration indirecte à partir des oueds (arroyos) et des dépressions (playas) avec un faible mélange dans la nappe superficielle contraste avec le degré élevé de mélange de leau avec les circulations profondes. La source prépondérante des cations majeurs (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) est laltération des carbonates et des feldspaths ; léchange de cations avec les argiles et les hydroxydes est moins important. Léchange de Ca²⁺ avec Na⁺ peut sinverser le long des axes découlements pour donner un échange de Na⁺ avec Ca²⁺, bien que le cas Ca²⁺/Na⁺ soit prépondérant. Les apports météoriques de Ca et de Mg sont relativement faibles, cependant que celui de Na météorique est insignifiant. Lécoulement par retour dirrigation joue un rôle important dans la partie occidentale de la région étudiée, produisant un accroissement des concentrations élevées en sulfate et en chlorure.

     

Analyse isotopique de l'air piégé dans la glace pour quantifier les variations de température

Isotopic measurements in polar ice core have shown a succession of rapid warming periods during the last glacial period over Greenland. However, this method underestimates the surface temperature variations. A new method based on gas thermal diffusion in the firn manages to quantify surface temperature variations through associated isotopic fractionations. We developed a method to extract air from the ice and to perform isotopic measurements to reduce analytical uncertainties to 0.006 and 0.020$\text{‰}$ for δ¹⁵N and δ⁴⁰Ar. It led to a 16±1.5 °C surface temperature variation during a rapid warming ($\text{?70}\text{000}$ yr). To cite this article: A. Landais et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Discovery of the largest impact crater field on Earth in the Gilf Kebir region, Egypt

Using orbital imaging radar, we have detected a large number of circular structures in the southwestern Egyptian desert, covering more than 4500 km² close to the Gilf Kebir plateau in sandstones of Upper Cretaceous. Fieldwork confirmed that it is a new impact crater field: 13 craters from 20 m to 1 km in diameter were studied. The impact origin is confirmed by the observation of shock-related structures, such as shatter cones and planar fractures in quartz grains of breccia. Considering the extension of the crater field, it was possibly created by several meteorites that broke up when entering the atmosphere. To cite this article: P. Paillou et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).

Résumé

À partir d'images satellites issues de systèmes radar, nous avons détecté un grand nombre de structures circulaires dans le Sud-Ouest du désert égyptien, s'étendant sur plus de 4500 km² à l'est du plateau du Gilf Kebir, dans des grès du Crétacé supérieur. Une étude sur le terrain a permis de vérifier qu'il s'agit d'un champ d'impacts météoritiques jusque là inconnu : 13 structures, d'un diamètre compris entre 20 m et 1 km, ont été reconnues comme cratères d'impact. La présence d'un grand nombre de cônes de percussion et de brèches dans lesquelles des quartz choqués à structures planaires ont été observés confirment l'hypothèse de l'impact. Considérant l'extension du champ d'impact, il a probablement été créé par plusieurs météorites qui se sont fragmentées dans l'atmosphère terrestre. Pour citer cet article : P. Paillou et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Morphologic evidence of active motion of the Zambapala Fault, Gulf of Guayaquil (Ecuador)

The Zambapala Fault Zone (ZFZ) is located at the link between the offshore structures of the Gulf of Guayaquil and the Guayaquil Caracas Megashear (GCM) that accommodates the northeastward motion of the North Andean Block. We use morphological observations of drainage offset to assess the active motion of the Zambapala Fault. The relation between the horizontal offset amount D of the stream channel and the upstream length L from the offset segment, and offset of beach morphology provide a measurement of the average slip rate of the motion of the fault to an accuracy of a fraction of millimeters per year. The drainage network is short, running down the southeastern slopes of the Zambapala Cordillera (297 m), a Quaternary dome uplifted along a positive flower structure. We measure the D (drainage offset along the fault)/L (drainage length from the fault) relation for the upper and more recent part of the drainage network. The relation suggests that the fault is active at present. Capture occurs along the middle slopes and channel straightening near the littoral plain, hiding part or most of the fault offset. The fault trace crosses the littoral plain, showing 35–40 m offset of the inner beach ridge, and delimiting variations of the beach morphology. The attribution of a maximum age of 5000–6000 years to the oldest beach ridge (the postglacial transgression) allows us to calculate a minimal mean slip rate of 5.8–8 mm year⁻¹. This result confirms that the Guayaquil Caracas Megashear extends to the Gulf of Guayaquil through the Zambapala Fault Zone, which accommodate at least 60–80% of the slip motion of the Guayaquil Carcas Megashear.