Citizens as sensors: the world of volunteered geography

In recent months there has been an explosion of interest in using the Web to create, assemble, and disseminate geographic information provided voluntarily by individuals. Sites such as Wikimapia and OpenStreetMap are empowering citizens to create a global patchwork of geographic information, while Google Earth and other virtual globes are encouraging volunteers to develop interesting applications using their own data. I review this phenomenon, and examine associated issues: what drives people to do this, how accurate are the results, will they threaten individual privacy, and how can they augment more conventional sources? I compare this new phenomenon to more traditional citizen science and the role of the amateur in geographic observation.     

Downstream patterns of bed sediment-borne metals,minerals and organic matter in a stream system receiving acidic mine effluent: A preliminary study

Different downstream variation patterns were observed for a range of bed sediment-borne metals (aqua regia-extractable fraction) in a subtropical stream system receiving acid mine drainage. Mine-originated Fe tended to be deposited in the acidic (mean pH < 4.9) upstream reach in forms of goethite and/or hematite. In contrast, other metals tended to be transported farther downstream and settled in a low-gradient reach with high pH (mean pH > 5.6). The peak of sediment-borne Al, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cu, La, Mn, Ni and Zn corresponded very well with the peak of the sediment-borne organic matter, suggesting a close association between the water-borne organic colloids and the inorganic metal oxides/hydroxides during their transport. The marked increase in the sediment-borne Al and Pb started more upstream than the other metals, suggesting that the water-borne Al and Pb were more susceptible to pH rise-induced precipitation, as compared to the other metals. It appeared that the organic colloids played no important role in Pb transport and settlement. The iron precipitates had a limited role to play in affecting the transport and fates of other metals since they were predominantly formed and deposited in the acidic reach, which made them incapable of scavenging cationic metals by co-precipitation or adsorption.     

基于模糊数学综合评判的库岸稳定性分段——以新疆某水电站近坝库岸为例

从影响库岸稳定性的诸因素中筛选出六个主要因素：坡度、坡体形态、坡体完整性程度、库水面宽度、主风向与库岸夹角及坡体结构,根据其影响程度确定了它们的权重,将库岸稳定性分为良好、较好、较差和差四级。按照各个影响因素对斜坡和各级稳定性的影响不同,对各单因素进行离散化处理,得到各影响因素的隶属度矩阵。通过对各单因素矩阵与影响因素权重运算,得到各个单元分区的稳定性评价结果。运用该方法对新疆某水电站近坝库岸段20km的稳定性进行了评价,认为稳定性较差库岸段总长约4.1km,占20.3%,主要为地质灾害分布处及工程地质条件较差的地段。该综合评判成果与现场勘察及遥感解译结果较为一致。     

The effects of soil sand contents on characteristics of humic acids along soil profiles

It is generally accepted that the compositions and properties of soil organic matter (SOM) are influenced by many factors. In order to reveal the effects of soil texture on characteristics and dynamics of SOM and its sub-fraction, humic acid (HA), along two soil profiles, a yellow soil profile and a purplish soil profile, under the same climate and vegetation conditions were determined. Results indicate that the decomposition and humification degrees of SOM and HA of the purplish soils are higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils indicated by A/O–A ratios of HAs, TOCs and HA yields of bulk soil samples, nevertheless, the development degree of the purplish soil is lower than that of the yellow soil. The variations of E₄/E₆ ratios of HAs along the soil profiles indicate the overall molecular sizes of HAs decreased downward along the soil profiles. A/O–A ratios of HAs decreased downward along both the soil profiles indicate that humification processes decrease downward along both the soil profiles. Leaching of SOM shows significant effects on the distribution and characteristics of HAs in the yellow soil profile but the purplish soil profile, which is consistent with the higher hydrophobicity of HAs in purplish soils, shows that the distribution characteristics of SOM along the soil profiles are a complex result of the combination of soil texture and characteristics of SOM itself. The remarkably different sand contents are concluded tentatively as one of reasons to the different distributions and dynamics of HAs along the soil profiles, however, to profoundly understand the evolution and transport of SOM along soil profiles needs more researches.     

The effect of annealing on the luminescence decay-time of synthetic calcite:Mn

Calcite was synthesized by four methods, and the luminescence decay-time was measured for nine samples before and after heating hydrothermally in the temperature range 200–400°C. Decay-time data were collected between room temperature and approximately 15 K. The decay time at room temperature is approximately 50 ms, with little difference between a given calcite before and after hydrothermal treatment. The decay time at 15 K is always greater than at room temperature as the effect of thermal quenching diminishes. Differences in decay time before and after heating are more apparent at low temperature owing to this reduction in thermal quenching. The decay time decreased significantly in two samples, and an increase in decay time was observed in the remaining seven samples following heating. Among the latter group, the change in decay time was insignificant in three samples. The results are compared with previous data in which it was shown that the effect of heating is to increase the intensity of luminescence.     

冀西北赤城-宣化盆地土城子组沉积特征及盆缘构造分析

为了揭示华北北部晚侏罗世沉积盆地性质,对赤城-宣化盆地中土城子组沉积特征及盆缘构造进行了研究。通过对土城子组沉积特征研究表明,土城子组中-下部为一套河湖相沉积,上部为一套冲积扇粗碎屑沉积;土城子组砾岩成分系统统计分析显示,赤城盆地与宣化-下花园盆地具有相似岩屑岩性相旋回,反映源区具有相同或相近的蚀顶过程。研究区晚侏罗世盆地中土城子组充填特征及盆缘构造特征表明,土城子组形成于挤压构造背景,土城子组沉积时期盆地受控于盆缘逆冲断层。大地构造背景暗示,赤城-宣化盆地晚侏罗世-早白垩世期间,古太平洋板块向NW方向的俯冲作用与尚义-赤城断裂向南逆冲并伴随右旋走滑作用是土城子组沉积时期盆地格局形成的重要控制因素。     

Iron isotopic analyses of geological reference materials on MC-ICP-MS with instrumental mass bias corrected by three independent methods

Here we report iron (Fe) isotopic data of three pure Fe solution standards (IRMM-014, GSB Fe, and NIST 3126a) and five widely used geological reference materials (RMs) from the United States Geological Survey and Geological Survey of Japan obtained on a Neptune Plus multi-collector–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometer (MC-ICP-MS) in our laboratory over the past 3 years. The instrumental mass bias was corrected by three independent methods: sample-standard bracketing (SSB), Ni doping?+?SSB, and ⁵⁷Fe–⁵⁸Fe double spike?+?SSB. Measurements reveal that both the Ni doping and double spike methods helped calibrate short-term fluctuations in mass bias. Collectively, almost all measurements of RMs yielded δ⁵⁶Fe within?±?0.05 of recommended values, provided that each sample was measured four times on MC-ICP-MS. For the first time, new recommended values for NIST SRM3126a are reported (δ⁵⁶Fe?=?0.363?±?0.006, 2SE, 95% CI; and δ⁵⁷Fe?=?0.534?±?0.010, 2SE).     

Effect of nano-hematite morphology on photocatalytic activity

Nano-hematites, i.e., hematites with nanoparticle-, nanorod-, and nanotube-like morphologies, were synthesized via the hydrothermal method by controlling the reaction time, temperature, and reactant concentration. The nano-hematites of different crystal shapes all exhibited band gaps within the visible-light region (1.56–2.1 eV). Further, they showed weak ferromagnetic behavior, and their coercive magnetic field was larger than that of the bulk hematite. Moreover, all the nano-hematites also exhibited high photocatalytic activities during the degradation of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation. The experimental data fitted the Langmuir–Hinshelwood kinetics model very well. The nanorods had the highest photocatalytic rate constant per unit surface area, possibly owing to a higher aspect ratios; this lowers the electron–hole recombination rate. These results suggest that the crystal morphology of hematites has a significant effect on their physical and photocatalytic properties. Therefore, controlling the morphology of the materials is essential for obtaining well-tailored photocatalysts.     

Doming in the southern foreland of the Dabieshan (Yangtse block, China)

In China, the foreland of the Dabieshan is characterized by E–W trending domes and basins. From South to North the Wugongshan, Jiulingshan, Lushan and Dabieshan domes consist of Proterozoic metamorphics unconformably covered by late Proterozoic to Triassic sediments. Ductile and brittle extensional structures are described along the margins of the metamorphic domes. Along the N–S striking lineation, kinematic indicators show divergent top-to-the-north and -south shear in the north and south flanks of the domes, respectively. The superposition of Proterozoic phyllite over Permian–Triassic carbonates is reinterpreted as extensional allochthons formed by tilting, shearing and sliding on the layers. Plate convergence is responsible for continental subduction in the Dabieshan and deep-seated thrusting in the Yangtse plate. As compression continued, the thrust contacts were folded and several antiformal stacks developed. Domal uplift induced the formation of gravity-driven extensional structures.     

Effects of natural attenuation processes on groundwater contamination caused by abandoned waste sites in Berlin

The aim of this research project is to identify, characterize and quantify natural attenuation (NA) processes in groundwater affected by emissions of abandoned waste disposal sites in Berlin-Kladow/Gatow, Germany. It is part of the funding priority called KORA established by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) to explore the extent to which NA can be used for remedial purposes for varied forms of soil and groundwater contamination. Information on the emission behaviour of individual parameters is generated on the basis of hydrogeochemical comparison of 20 years old and new data. Using groundwater-modelling and CFC-analysis, information on the transport and retention of pollutants in groundwater is compiled. The microbial colonization of contaminated aquifers is characterized by molecular biological methods [polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)] to differentiate between contaminated and not contaminated zones.