Erosion rates and mechanisms of knickzone retreat inferred from 10Be measured across strong climate gradients on the northern and central Andes Western Escarpment

A steep escarpment edge, deep gorges and distinct knickzones in river profiles characterize the landscape on the Western Escarpment of the Andes between ~5°S and ~18°S (northern Peru to northern Chile). Strong north–south and east–west precipitation gradients are exploited in order to determine how climate affects denudation rates in three river basins spanning an otherwise relatively uniform geologic and geomorphologic setting. Late Miocene tectonics uplifted the Meseta/Altiplano plateau (~3000 m a.s.l.), which is underlain by a series of Tertiary volcanic‐volcanoclastic rocks. Streams on this plateau remain graded to the Late Miocene base level. Below the rim of the Meseta, streams have responded to this ramp uplift by incising deeply into fractured Mesozoic rocks via a series of steep, headward retreating knickzones that grade to the present‐day base level defined by the Pacific Ocean. It is found that the Tertiary units on the plateau function as cap‐rocks, which aid in the parallel retreat of the sharp escarpment edge and upper knickzone tips. ¹⁰Be‐derived catchment denudation rates of the Rio Piura (5°S), Rio Pisco (13°S) and Rio Lluta (18°S) average ~10 mm ky^?1 on the Meseta/Altiplano, irrespective of precipitation rates; whereas, downstream of the escarpment edge, denudation rates range from 10 mm ky^?1 to 250 mm ky^?1 and correlate positively with precipitation rates, but show no strong correlation with hillslope angles or channel steepness. These relationships are explained by the presence of a cap‐rock and climate‐driven fluvial incision that steepens hillslopes to near‐threshold conditions. Since escarpment retreat and the precipitation pattern were established at least in the Miocene, it is speculated that the present‐day distribution of morphology and denudation rates has probably remained largely unchanged during the past several millions of years as the knickzones have propagated headward into the plateau. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Implementation of a second‐order paraxial boundary condition for a water‐saturated layered half‐space in plane strain

A half‐space finite element and a transmitting boundary are developed for a water‐saturated layered half‐space using a paraxial boundary condition. The exact dynamic stiffness of a half‐space in plane strain is derived and a second‐order paraxial approximation of the stiffness is obtained. A half‐space finite element and a transmitting boundary are then formulated. The development is verified by comparison of the dynamic stiffness of impermeable and permeable rigid strip foundations with other published results. The advantage of using the paraxial boundary condition in comparison with the rigid boundary condition is examined. It is shown that the paraxial boundary condition offers significant gain and the resulting half‐space finite element and transmitting boundary can represent the effects of a water‐saturated layered half‐space with good accuracy and efficiency. In addition, the numerical method described herein maintains the strengths and advantages of the finite element method and can be easily applied to demanding problems of soil–structure interaction in a water‐saturated layered half‐space. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新疆地区环境噪声层析成像研究

本文利用北京大学宽频带流动地震台阵和新疆地震监测台网12个月连续地震记录数据,采用环境噪声层析成像方法获得了新疆地区的周期从10~35 s范围内的瑞利面波相速度异常分布图像.研究结果与地表地质构造相一致,新疆地区的天山、两盆大地构造与瑞利面波相速度异常有较好的对应关系.短周期10~20 s的图像显示两个盆地内都呈现低速异常,对应盆地较厚的沉积层.中长周期25~35 s的层析成像结果显示东西天山地区存在明显异常差异.本文获得的新疆地区地壳和上地幔相速度结果,也为进一步结合传统天然地震面波成像方法,最终获得新疆地区的三维剪切波速度结构奠定基础.     

Surface circulation downstream of the Point Arena upwelling center

Measurements from recently installed 5 MHz high-frequency radar (CODAR) stations south of Point Arena, California, are used to describe surface current patterns during the upwelling season (June-August 2007). The systems provide hourly current maps on a 5-km grid, covering a region from approximately 10 to 150 km offshore (the continental shelf into the deep ocean). These HF-radar observations provide an unprecedented view of circulation in this “coastal transition zone”, between the wind-driven circulation over the shelf and the California Current circulation offshore. Circulation patterns include: (1) bifurcation of the coastal upwelling jet downstream of Point Arena into an along-shelf (down-coast) branch and an offshore branch, and (2) a large-scale anticyclonic meander that often develops into an eddy-like recirculation south of the bifurcation. The “recirculation” feature extends well offshore, with surface currents 50-100 km from the coast consistently opposing the wind stress. The spatial and temporal evolution of the surface current features during upwelling events affects surface transport from Point Arena to areas in the south, increasing the travel time of a substantial fraction of newly upwelled water from a few days to roughly two weeks. Thus, surface currents even far offshore influence coastal transport of nutrients, phytoplankton and larvae on ecologically relevant timescales, with resultant connectivity patterns very different than implied by a simple examination of the mean flow.     

Distribution and source apportionments of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mariculture sediments from the Pearl River Delta, South China

Surface and core sediments collected from six mariculture farms in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed to evaluate contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The ∑PCBs (37 congeners) concentrations ranged from 5.10 to 11.0 ng g(-1) (mean 7.96 ng g(-1)) in surface and 3.19 to 22.1 ng g(-1) (mean 7.75 ng g(-1)) in core sediments, respectively. The concentrations were significantly higher than that measured in the sediments of their corresponding reference sites, whereby the average enrichment percentages were 62.0% and 42.7% in surface and core sediments, respectively. Significant correlations (R2=0.77, p<0.05) of PCB homologue group proportions between fish feeds and surface mariculture sediments suggested that fish feed input was probably the main source for the enrichment of PCBs. Due to the fact that PCBs could be transferred along food chains, PCB contamination in fish feeds and mariculture sediments should not be overlooked.     

Seismic response of L��Aquila downtown from comparison between 2D synthetics spectral ratios of SH, P-SV and Rayleigh waves and observations of the 2009 earthquake sequence

This is the first part of a study on the seismic response of the L’Aquila city using 2D simulation and experimental data. We have studied two velocity-depth models with the aim of outlining the behavior of a velocity reversal in the top layer, which is associated with the stiff Brecce de L’Aquila unit (BrA). In this setting, the SMTH model is topped by a layer with about 2:1 impedance contrast with the underlying layer while the NORV model has no velocity reversal. We have simulated the propagation of SH and P-SV wavefields in the range 0–10 Hz for incidence 0°–90°. Earthquake spectral ratios of the horizontal and vertical components at six sites in L’Aquila downtown are compared to corresponding synthetics spectral ratios. The vertical component of P-SV synthetics enables us to investigate a remarkable amplification effect seen in the vertical component of the recorded strong motion. Sites AQ04 and AQ05 are best matched by synthetics from the NORV model while FAQ5 and AQ06 have a better match with synthetics spectral ratios from the SMTH model. All simulations show this behavior systematically, with horizontal and near-horizontal incident waves predicting the overall pattern of matches more clearly than vertical and near-vertical incidence. The model inferences are in agreement with new geological data reporting lateral passages in the top layer from the stiff BrA to softer sediments. Matches are good in terms of frequency of the first amplification peak and of spectral amplitude: the horizontal components have spectral ratio peaks predominantly at 0.5 Hz in the simulations and at 0.7 Hz in the data, both with amplitudes of 4, while the vertical component spectral ratios reach values of 6 at frequencies of about 1 Hz in both data and simulations. The vertical component spectral ratios are very well matched using Rayleigh waves with incidence at 90°. The NORV model without the velocity reversal predicts spectral ratio peaks for the horizontal components at frequencies up to 6 Hz. The reversal of velocity acts as a low-pass frequency filter on the horizontal components reducing the amplification effect of the sediment filled valley.     

Application of HVSR to estimating thickness of laterite weathering profiles in basalt

Lateritic weathering profiles (LWPs) are widespread in the tropics and comprise an important component of the Critical Zone (CZ). The Hawaiian Islands make an excellent natural laboratory for examining the tropical CZ, where the bedrock composition (basalt) is nearly uniform and rainfall varies greatly. This natural laboratory is employed to assess the utility of the HVSR (horizontal/vertical spectral ratio) method to characterize the shear-wave velocity (V_s) structure of LWPs, particularly the depth to the contact between saprolite and basalt bedrock. LWP thicknesses determined from HVSR provide good agreement with multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) profiles, well logs and outcrop. LWP thicknesses may be estimated from the fundamental mode equation or through forward models. Prior knowledge about the subsurface from well, outcrop, and MASW profiles may greatly aid modeling in some cases. For the 3.2 to 1.8 Ma Koolau Volcano on Oahu, the downward rate of advance of the weathering front varies from 0.004 to 0.041 m/ka. For the 0.44 to 0.10 Ma Kohala Volcano (Big Island of Hawaii) rates vary from 0.013 to 0.047 m/ka. Simple H/V spectra develop in areas where the combined effects of time and elevated rainfall produce thick LWPs with a flat base and a general absence of core stones with an ideal layered geometry. Abundant buried core stones violate the assumption of simple layered geometries and scatter acoustic energy, leading to uninterpretable results. This is common where low rainfall and a young basaltic substrate leave abundant core stones as well as an undulating contact between saprolite and bedrock. Velocity inversions (high V_s intervals within low V_s saprolite) may also be present and originate from relatively intact bedrock horizons or mineralogical changes within saprolite. At Kohala, a gibbsite-rich horizon produces such a velocity inversion due to enhanced weathering and subsequent collapse of saprolite in a discrete horizon. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Insights From a Multi-Method Recharge Estimation Comparison Study

Although most recharge estimation studies apply multiple methods to identify the possible range in recharge values, many do not distinguish clearly enough between inherent uncertainty of the methods and other factors affecting the results. We investigated the additional value that can be gained from multi-method recharge studies through insights into hydrogeological understanding, in addition to characterizing uncertainty. Nine separate groundwater recharge estimation methods, with a total of 17 variations, were applied at a shallow aquifer in northwest Ethiopia in the context of the potential for shallow groundwater resource development. These gave a wide range of recharge values from 45 to 814 mm/a. Critical assessment indicated that the results depended on what the recharge represents (actual, potential, minimum recharge or change in aquifer storage), and spatial and temporal scales, as well as uncertainties from application of each method. Important insights into the hydrogeological system were gained from this detailed analysis, which also confirmed that the range of values for actual recharge was reduced to around 280-430 mm/a. This study demonstrates that even when assumptions behind methods are violated, as they often are to some degree especially when data are limited, valuable insights into the hydrogeological system can be gained from application of multiple methods.