Late Quaternary marine terraces in the Mediterranean coastal area of Syria: Geochronology and neotectonics

In order to provide new data on the neotectonics and geodynamic properties of western Syria, studies of marine terraces have been carried out. The most attention was paid to the lower terraces in the range of 3–5 to 30–35 m above sea level, because they have more complete distributions along the shore. The lower terraces were examined along the coastal area from Tartus to Latakia, and along the carbonate cliff on Arwad Island. Seven ²³⁰Th/U dates for these terraces are in the range of 85–130 ka, suggesting the age interval of the last interglacial (MIS 5). New dates on the lower terraces provide a basis for stratigraphical and geomorphological interpretation as well as neotectonic reconstruction. According to the geomorphological data and lithological composition of those terraces, two main uplifted blocks can be established. One coincides with the Latakia block, and another corresponds to the western margin of the Banias volcanic plateau. These blocks are divided by a subsided structure corresponding to the Nahr el Kebir graben. The amplitude of neotectonic uplifting in the Latakia and Banias blocks reaches 15–20 m for the Late Pleistocene.     

The Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark 120. Spectral variability in 1992–2005

We have studied the variability of the Hβ line and the adjacent continuum in the spectrum of the Seyfert galaxy Ark 120, based on spectral observations of the galaxy’s nucleus obtained in the Crimea in 1992–2005, supplemented by published data for 1988–1996. Irregular variability on various timescales (years to days) can be accompanied by periodic brightness variations in both the continuum and the Hβ line, with a period of P ～ 430 days and an amplitude of Δm ～ 0.2 ^m in the continuum, which were traced for more than 13 cycles. In total, in 1988–2005, the flux variations in the line lag those in the continuum by 55 ± 9 days if calculated from the peak of the cross correlation function, or by 72 ± 7 days, if calculated from the centroid of the CCF. The delay is correlated with the continuum brightness, increasing when the continuum flux increases. The Hβ line profiles indicate both a high degree of diversity and the presence of features that recur after various extended time intervals. Analysis of the evolution of the differences between each individual normalized line profile and the mean normalized profile indicates systematic motion of excesses relative to the average profile from negative to positive radial velocities. In contrast, parts of the Hβ line with low radiation relative to the mean normalized profile evolve in the opposite direction (from the red to the blue Hβ wing). This pattern is also typical for the rotating broad-line region, if this region has the form of a disk. The rotation period exceeds 9000–10000 days, or 25–27 years. The size of the broad-line region calculated form this period corresponds to a reverberation time of no fewer than 30 days, consistent with the results of cross-correlation analysis.     

Time-dependent stress change during failure of rocks

The energy balance of a solid subject to fracture has been explored using heat and mass transfer equations with regard to the volumetric and superficial components. In the suggested model, brittle fracture of a cracked solid considered as a heterogeneous two-phase medium is described by an equation analogous to the Griffith’s criterion for propagation of a single crack. The derived equation is used, together with estimates of relative change in specific interface area, to study the respective change of free strain energy and pressure in rocks associated with failure.     

Tidal and Meteorological Forcing of Suspended Sediment Flux in a Muddy Mesotidal Estuary

Although the supply and fate of suspended sediment is of fundamental importance to the functioning and morphological evolution of muddy estuaries, reliable sediment budgets have been established in only a few cases. Especially for smaller estuaries, inadequate bathymetric surveys and a lack of intertidal sedimentation data often preclude estimation of the sediment budget from morphological change, while instrument-derived residual fluxes typically lie well within the errors associated with measurement of much larger gross tidal transports. Given suitably long-term records of continuously monitored suspended sediment concentration (SSC), however, analysis of the major scales of variation in sediment transport and their relation to hydrodynamic and meteorological forcing permits qualitative testing of hypotheses suggested by directly measured residual fluxes. This paper analyzes data from a 1-year acoustic Doppler profiler deployment in the Blyth estuary, a muddy mesotidal barrier-enclosed system on the UK east coast. Flux calculations indicate a small sediment import equivalent to just 1.5% of the gross flood tide transport. Little confidence can be assigned to either the magnitude or direction of such a small residual when considered in isolation. However, the inference that the sediment regime is finely balanced is qualitatively supported by the close similarity between flood-tide and ebb-tide SSC values. Singular spectrum analysis of the SSC time series shows the expectedly large contributions to the variance in SSC at intratidal and subtidal (semimonthly and monthly) scales but also picks out intermittent variability that is initially attributed to a combination of non-tidal surge and wind stress forcing. Closer examination of the data through cross-correlograms and event-scale analysis indicates that local meteorological forcing is the major factor. Acting through the resuspension of intertidal mudflat sediments at times of strong westerlies, meteorological forcing is directly implicated in episodic sediment export from the estuary. Thresholding of tide-averaged fluxes using a range of critical wind stress values further indicates that ‘tide-dominated’ (i.e., low wind stress) and ‘wave-dominated’ (high wind stress) conditions are associated with sediment import and export. Sediment balance is potentially sensitive to the frequency of high wind stress events, since the associated sediment exports are several times larger than the average import under calm conditions. Intermittent meteorological forcing may thus exert an important control on the sedimentary balance of otherwise tidally dominated muddy estuarine systems, and the role of wind climate should not be overlooked in studies of estuary response to environmental change.     

国外招投标规则浅析

招投标作为当今国际贸易的主要方式越来越被人们所关注。本文从地理信息产业突破传统模式,与国际接轨开展更广泛的商务活动的角度,阐述国际市场的状况以及国外的地理信息产业工程项目招投标法规、行业规则及应用模式等。招投标规则的使用是顺应发展的必然需要,是以较高的合作水平进入国际市场,顺利深入开展国际间合作的必然趋势。     

准噶尔盆地西北缘三叠系层序地层与隐蔽油气藏勘探

层序地层学及层序地层原理指导下的地震资料解释为地层、岩性油气藏勘探提供了理论和技术支持。为配合准噶尔盆地西北缘油气勘探从克乌断裂带上盘向下盘、从构造油气藏向地层、岩性等隐蔽油气藏的转变,利用陆相层序地层学理论和地球物理资料,将三叠系划分为1个二级层序、5个三级层序和8个体系域,进而总结出拗陷完整型和拗陷残缺型两种层序类型。结合测井约束地震反演和井间沉积对比,探讨了三叠系砂体结构和湖侵体系域地层超覆、湖退体系域及最大湖泛面附近小规模滑塌浊积体岩性透镜体等5种圈闭发育模式。油气成藏综合条件分析指出有效圈闭和油源断层的识别是制约斜坡带岩性油气藏勘探的关键。     

工程勘察数据的传递控制与可视化

从广义说,工程勘察成果中的很大一部分是通过大量数据的传递与处理取得的。数据传递结构的优化和合理控制是提高勘察效率和质量的保证。讨论了用程序编制的方法实现的数据从平面图到剖面图的钻孔距离传递,利用模糊聚类思想提出的对剖面数据进行合并的建议和利用地质三维软件实现的三维地质体模型的耦合展示,这几个问题正是目前大多勘察单位在数据控制与传递流程中可能欠缺的环节。