ESR dating of Pleistocene archaeological localities of the Nihewan Basin,North China – Preliminary results

The well-developed, late Cenozoic Nihewan Beds in northern China are amongst the most famous and well-preserved Quaternary strata in East Asia. The Nihewan Basin is also well-known for its mammalian fossils and stone artifacts, which document early human settlements in high northern latitudes (around 40°N). It is a key geological place to study palaeoenvironments and ancient human activities due to the excellent age-control of the formation by palaeomagnetism. In the present paper, the sediments of two Paleolithic sites were dated using the ESR signals of the titanium center in quartz. In order to check the reliability of our analytical procedures, a reference sample collected near the Brunhes/Matuyama (B/M) boundary at the Donggutuo site was firstly analyzed, yielding an age of 750 ± 88 ka. Then, three samples collected from the Dongpo site were analyzed by the same procedures. Our ESR results indicate that the age of the Dongpo cultural layer ranges between 304 ± 12 ka and 333 ± 23 ka, with an average of approximately 321 ± 15 ka.     

Effect of the addition of granitic powder to an acidic soil from Galicia (NW Spain) in comparison with lime

The impact of diffuse pollution, agricultural land use and climate change on the long-term response of subsurface–surface water quality is not well understood, but is a prerequisite for evaluation of water management options. The goal of this study is to model geochemical evolution of water chemistry from the infiltration through soil into the unsaturated zone, transport through bedrocks and granular aquifers to a river in order to identify zones of steep concentration gradients and high dynamics under transient flow conditions. A numerical model was constructed comprising a 2-D 1,500 m × 150 m vertical cross-section of typical sedimentary rock formations, a glacio-fluvial quaternary gravel aquifer in the valley and soil layers. The model coupled saturated/un-saturated flow and reactive transport under steady state and transient conditions. Geochemical interactions, include intra-aqueous kinetic reactions of oxygen with dissolved organic matter, as well as kinetics of carbonate dissolution/precipitation. This model section was chosen to provide insight in to the principal processes and time scales affecting water chemistry along different flow paths. The numerical simulator MIN3P was used, a finite volume program for variably saturated subsurface flow and multi-component reactive transport. The results show that subsurface water residence times range from approximately 2 to 2,000 years. Different zones are to be expected with respect to the development of mineral equilibria; namely, purely atmospherically influenced, as well as open and closed system carbonate dissolution. Short-term responses to daily averaged changes in precipitation, however, are only visible to some extent in the shallower and near-river parts of flow system and solute loads. This can most likely be explained by directional changes in flow paths, indicating that equilibrium geochemical condition predominate at the hillslope scale, i.e. water quality depends on transport pathways rather than on kinetic effects. The extent of reducing conditions is controlled by the presence of organic-rich layers (i.e. peat deposits), the dissolution kinetics of aquifer organic matter and the subsequent mixing with oxygenated water by hydrodynamic dispersion.     

Identity of the characteristics of electrodynamic seismographs with non-standard periods of seismometers and galvanometers

Summary The maximum changes of magnification were determined for electrodynamic seismographs with standard characteristics and for some experimental long-period seismographs, the constants of which are given in Tab. 1, when the period of the seismometer or galvanometer has a deviation of not more than 5% from the standard value. Under the assumption of control of the other constants of the seismograph, identical amplitude and phase responses with a small change of the absolute magnification of the seismograph may be achieved with characteristicsAII ( ² >0.2), AIV ( ² 0.4), B ( ² >0.3) Nos28, 32 and33. This deviation can also be compensated by adjusting the optical distance. The procedure of adjusting the identical characteristics is suitable for systems with which an accurate setting of the period is difficult and for systems with an uncontrollable period, provided their values are within the limits of allowed deviations from the standard constants.     

3D-Monitoring Big Geo Data on a seaport infrastructure based on FIWARE

Many organizations of all kinds are using new technologies to assist the acquisition and analysis of data. Seaports are a good example of this trend. Seaports generate data regarding the management of marine traffic and other elements, as well as environmental conditions given by meteorological sensors and buoys. However, this enormous amount of data, also known as Big Data, is useless without a proper system to organize, analyze and visualize it. SmartPort is an online platform for the visualization and management of a seaport data that has been built as a GIS application. This work offers a Rich Internet Application that allows the user to visualize and manage the different sources of information produced in a port environment. The Big Data management is based on the FIWARE platform, as well as “The Internet of Things” solutions for the data acquisition. At the same time, Glob3 Mobile (G3M) framework has been used for the development of map requirements. In this way, SmartPort supports 3D visualization of the ports scenery and its data sources.     

Shear wave crustal velocity model of the Western Bohemian Massif from Love wave phase velocity dispersion

We propose a new quantitative determination of shear wave velocities for distinct geological units in the Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic (Central Europe). The phase velocities of fundamental Love wave modes are measured along two long profiles (~200 km) crossing three major geological units and one rift-like structure of the studied region. We have developed a modified version of the classical multiple filtering technique for the frequency-time analysis and we apply it to two-station phase velocity estimation. Tests of both the analysis and inversion are provided. Seismograms of three Aegean Sea earthquakes are analyzed. One of the two profiles is further divided into four shorter sub-profiles. The long profiles yield smooth dispersion curves; while the curves of the sub-profiles have complicated shapes. Dispersion curve undulations are interpreted as period-dependent apparent velocity anomalies caused both by different backazimuths of surface wave propagation and by surface wave mode coupling. An appropriate backazimuth of propagation is found for each period, and the dispersion curves are corrected for this true propagation direction. Both the curves for the long and short profiles are inverted for a 1D shear wave velocity model of the crust. Subsurface shear wave velocities are found to be around 2.9 km/s for all four studied sub-profiles. Two of the profiles crossing the older Moldanubian and Teplá-Barrandian units are characterized by higher velocities of 3.8 km/s in the upper crust while for the Saxothuringian unit we find the velocity slightly lower, around 3.6 km/s at the same depths. We obtain an indication of a shear wave low velocity zone above Moho in the Moldanubian and Teplá-Barrandian units. The area of the Eger Rift (Teplá-Barrandian–Saxothuringian unit contact) is significantly different from all other three units. Low upper crust velocities suggest sedimentary and volcanic filling of the rift as well as fluid activity causing the earthquake swarms. Higher velocities in the lower crust together with weak or even missing Moho implies the upper mantle updoming.     

Dipole tilt controls bow shock location and flaring angle

The dipole tilt angle has been found to affect Earth’s bow shock. This work presents a quantitative relationship between the dipole tilt angle and the bow shock location and flaring angle. We collected a large data set of bow shock crossings from four different satellites (IMP 8, Geotail, Magion 4, and Cluster), including some recent crossings obtained during 2012–2013. The results from a statistical analysis demonstrate that: (1) the subsolar standoff distance increases but the flaring angle decreases with increasing dipole tilt angle; (2) when the dipole tilt angle changes sign from negative to positive, the dayside bow shock moves toward Earth and the shift can be as much as 2.29 R _E, during which the flaring angle increases; and (3) the shape of bow shock in the northern and southern hemispheres differs. For the northern hemisphere bow shock, with increasing positive/negative dipole tilt angle, the flaring angle increases/decreases. While for the southern hemisphere, the trend is the opposite; with increasing positive/negative dipole tilt angle, the flaring angle decreases/increases. These results are helpful for future bow shock modeling that needs to include the effects of dipole tilt angle.     

About the Efficiency of Numerical 1-D and 2-D Modelling of Site Effects in Basin Structures

—In the present study we compare results obtained from experimental estimates of local site amplification effects with those from numerical modelling using four different techniques. We benefit from an extremely precise knowledge of the near-surface structure and experimental estimates of the local amplification factors which are determined from seismic weak-motion data recorded by a dense array across a sedimentary basin at a European test-site in Northern Greece. The possibilities and limitations of the different modelling techniques (a 1-D technique, and three 2-D techniques) to model the effects of local amplification effects are tested. Amplifications calculated by the numerical techniques are only qualitatively compared with observed data from experimental studies in the time domain and directly in the frequency domain.¶As a result we conclude that, in the case of a complex subsurface geometry, 1-D modelling underestimates the amplification patterns in terms of absolute amplification level, and cannot correctly account for resonant frequencies, at least for modes higher than the fundamental mode. If a more realistic incident wave field than just a plane wave is taken into account, 2-D modelling reveals the fundamental frequency and shows adequate amplifications not only at the fundamental frequency but also at higher frequencies. The general trend of the amplifications at the lowest frequencies is well determined by the 2-D numerical modelling, and can therefore supply information for seismic risk analysis.     

关于我国电力建设问题

本文在分析我国能源资源分布特点,总结过去电力建设经验的基础上,通过水、火电全面经济效益比较,认为,在我国具体的国情和国力条件下,今后必须贯彻优先开发水能的方针,并提出了因地制宜发展水电建设应注意做好的四项工作。