Sediment Organic Carbon in Todos Santos Bay, Baja California, Mexico

Sediment grain size and organic carbon (OC) data collected over the past 50 years, together with δ¹³C values of OC in recently collected samples, were analyzed to improve understanding of sediment OC distribution and abundance in Todos Santos Bay. Sediments in the submarine canyon at the mouth of the bay and in quiet-water locations along the shore are fine grained, high in OC, and have generally low δ¹³C values; sediments in high-energy environments are low in OC and have high δ¹³C values. A bivariate isotopic mixing model indicates that none of the sediments contain >50% terrigenous OC (average ~30%), and that the terrigenous OC content of the sediments is a small proportion of the OC content of local soils. Sediment OC composition is apparently controlled by energy-related sorting and deposition, oxidation of much of the original terrigenous OC, and replacement of some terrigenous OC by marine OC.     

Hybrid seismic modeling based on discrete-wave number and finite-difference methods

Any calculation of seismic wave propagation comprising the seismic source, the travel path, and the receiver site in a single finite-difference (FD) model requires a considerable amount of computer time and memory. Moreover, the methods currently available for including point sources in the 2D FD calculations are far-field approximations only. Therefore we have developed a new hybrid method for treating the seismic wave fields at localized 2D near-surface structures embedded in a 1D background medium, and excited by a point source. The source radiation and propagation in the background model is solved by the discrete-wave number (DW) method, while the propagation in the local 2D structure is calculated by the FD method. The coupling between the two sets of calculations is performed on a rectangular excitation box surrounding the local structure. We show the usefulness of the method in ground-motion studies where both near-field source effects and local site effects are important. Technical problems connected with the inconsistency between the 3D source radiation and the 2D FD calculation are minor for the relatively distant in-plane point explosive sources, but are more serious for the in-plane dislocation sources.     

Dynamics of the plasmasphere in the dusk sector as observed in the outer ionosphere

Summary Direct measurements of the thermal plasma parameters in the topside ionosphere reveal variations of the plasmasphere boundary in the dusk sector. The ACTIVE satellite's near-polar orbits at altitudes of 500 – 1800 km around winter solstice 1989 were used to study the bulge region of the plasmasphere during intervals with different levels of geomagnetic agitation. The narrow, sharply defined trough in electron concentration corresponding to the plasmapause under quiet conditions situated at L = 6 – 7 moved to lower L-values with increasing geomagnetic activity. This narrow trough can be found in all main ion constituents. During periods of moderate geomagnetic activity, following the onset of a weak magnetic storm, a portion of the plasmaspheric bulge region was separated from the main plasmaspheric body. This can be seen in the outer ionosphere as an inner narrow trough at lower L-value. Troughs in light ions need no longer coincide with this in electron concentration. He⁺ is the most sensitive constituent reflecting the dusk sector plasmaspheric situation at this altitude.Dedicated to the Memory of Professor Karel P     

Détection des cavités à l'aide de mesures électriques et du géoradar dans une galerie d'amenée d'eau

Old water-delivery tunnels can become leaky and produce water losses of some economic importance. The detection of solution cavities behind the concrete lining was the purpose of an investigation in a 2 km long part of a water-delivery tunnel in Switzerland. A gypsum zone of about 700 m length was considered to be especially critical. Two geophysical methods were used at the same time: resistivity profiling with three different array lengths, and ground-penetrating radar. The cavities were characterized by higher electrical resistivity, principally for the short array (AB = 3 m). Detailed measurements with a pole-dipole array were made for a better depth interpretation of anomalies in some critical zones. The GPR investigations were made with an antenna of 500 MHz. Some transverse profiles were carried out with GPR in order to better delineate the discovered cavernous or weathered zones. GPR located cavities up to a few meters in length, at depths between 0 and 4 m behind the lining. Anomalies found by one investigation method were often confirmed by the other one. Their complementarity thus allowed a more reliable interpretation of the gathered data. Verifying drillholes have mostly confirmed the good correlation between geophysical interpretation and drilling results. Endoscopic investigations in the drillholes enabled us to have a real vision of discovered cavities.Although GPR-profiling has the advantage of a continuous underground imaging and of greater efficiency during data acquisition (investigation speed) we consider the combination of both methods in the present study as a good example of an integrated geophysical survey, which enables a more reliable interpretation of the gathered data.

Résumé

Les galeries d'amenée d'eau d'un certain âge peuvent poser des problèmes à cause de pertes d'eau parfois importantes. L'objectif de cette étude a été la mise en évidence et le positionnement de cavités derrière le revêtement d'une galerie en Suisse, sur une longueur de 2 km. Une zone de gypse longue de 700 m était considérée comme particulièrement critique. Deux méthodes géophysiques ont été conjointement utilisées: le traîné électrique multiple avec trois longueurs de ligne d'envoi de courant et le géoradar. Les cavités, caractérisées par des résistivités élevées, ont surtout été mises en évidence par le dispositif le plus court (AB = 3 m). Des mesures de détail ont été réalisées dans les zones critiques avec un dispositif pôle-dipôle en vue d'une meilleure interprétation des anomalies en profondeur. Les mesures de géoradar ont été exécutées avec une antenne de 500 MHz. Quelques profils transversaux ont été effectués pour vérifier l'extension des zones d'altérations ou des cavités. Le géoradar a pu localiser des cavités mesurant jusqu'à plusieurs mètres en longueur à des profondeurs variant entre 0 et 4 m derrière le revêtement de la galerie. Les anomalies décelées par une méthode ont souvent pu être confirmées par l'autre et leur complémentarité a permis une interprétation plus sûre. Des forages carottés ont montré une bonne corrélation entre les anomalies géophysiques et la réalité. Des mesures de fibroscopie dans les forages nous ont permis de déterminer la géométrie des cavités.Le géoradar possède des avantages certains: imagerie continue du massif rocheux et grande rapidité dans l'acquisition des données. Néanmoins, nous considérons la combinaison des deux méthodes utilisées dans cette étude comme le bon exemple d'une investigation géophysique combinée permettant une interprétation optimale de tous les résultats.     

Paleogeothermal gradient in the boskovice furrow

Summary A coalification data set from the first seam of the Rosice-Oslavany coal district in the Boskovice furrow was used to estimate the temperature gradient prevailing within the furrow during Autunian sedimentation. An appreciable scatter of the data reflects the complicated history of the sedimentary region. The northern part of the district displays a higher degree of coalification. The results of the evaluation suggest that the region ceased to subside in the upper Autunian, and that the extent of the post-Autunian erosion does not exceed 500 metres. This version of the burial history, which is consistent with geological data, yields a temperature paleogradient of 76 mK/m for the northern part and of 72 mK/m for the southern part of the district. The gradients estimated are higher than those prevailing during the Carboniferous sedimentation in the Central Bohemian Basin (45 – 53 mK/m), lower than values found for the Ostrava Formation in the Upper Silesian Basin during its Namurian A sedimentation (about 95 mK/m), but comparable with values evaluated for the Karviná Formation of the same basin deposited during the Namurian B - C and Westphalian A (60 – 77 mK/m).Dedicated to the Memory of Professor Karel P     

Behavioural-geographical aspects of environmental quality

The behavioural approach in human geography accentuates the view of quality of the environment through man and his value orientations. The quality of environment from the point of view of human experience raises behavioural-geographical questions that are the core of the presented topic. Aspects of environmental imaginations and sensations as well as human value system are presented as variables affecting the structure of the perceived environment and human spatial behaviour. In this context, the authors present results of two behavioural studies that correspond to new models of man and environment from the viewpoint of a behavioural approach. The suggested humanistic approach in behavioural geography emphasizes above all the emotional aspect of the relationship between man and environment, which through environmental values, spatial sensations, and meanings, leads to human spatial behaviour.     

Blind prediction of the site effects at Ashigara Valley,Japan, and its comparison with reality

Weak and strong ground motions were numerically predicted for three stations of the Ashigara Valley test site. The prediction was based on the records from a rock-outcrop station, one weak-motion record from a surface-sediments station, and the standard geotechnical model. The data were provided by the Japanese Working Group on the Effects of Surface Geology as a part of an international experiment. The finite-difference method for SH waves in a 2-D linear viscoelastic medium (a causalQ model) was employed.Comparison with the real records shows that at two stations the predictions fit better than at the third one. Strangely, the two better predictions were for stations situated at larger distances from the reference rock station (one station was on the surface, the other in a borehole). The strong ground motion (the peak acceleration of about 200 cm s^–2) was not predicted qualitatively worse than the weak motion (8 cm s^–2). A less sophisticated second prediction (not submitted during the experiment), in which we did not attempt to fit the available weak-motion record at the sedimentary station, agrees with the reality significantly better.     

Geomagnetic activity as a possible cause of changes in the middle atmosphere and troposphere; observations made in Prague in the years 1932–1987

Summary A possible relation between the 10-day, 1-month, and 2-month geomagnetic as well as solar activity, characterized by Kp and Wolf's number R, and temperatures measured at the Prague-Klementinum meteorological station in January–February of the years 1932–1987 was sought. It was found that:1) Kp correlates with the temperature in Prague better than Wolf's number R.2) If the QBO phase is taken into account, the correlations improve.3) Even if the correlations improves with increasing length of the subintervals into which the individual winter periods (January-February) were derived, their statistical significance declines.