Small channels: Their experimental formation,nature, and significance

The manner in which small channels are generated, from plane beds beneath sheet flows, has been experimentally elucidated. On plane, erodible, sand beds, the transition from thin, supercritical sheet flows to the channelled condition was studied over ranges of discharge, slope, and temperature. Secondary flow of the second kind, its action facilitated by steep vertical velocity gradients in the primary flows, caused sheet-flow instability. Along junctions between neighbouring secondary cells, both either raised or lowered elements of the primary flow. In the latter case, fast surface water was lowered to the bed, causing relatively intense, local, longitudinal scour. Dislodged grains were moved divergently to either side, leaving straight, central trenches. Development of positive feedback between cells and trenches led to rapid enlargement of the latter and concomitant growth of paired levees. The resulting structures, ‘protochannels’, were themselves ephemeral, developing two types of instability associated with secondary flow of the first kind. Firstly, small deviations from bilateral symmetry were enhanced, causing evolution into meandering channels. Secondly, headcutting led to multiple tributary development and, at resulting confluences, the action of strong pairs of secondary cells led to the development of braiding channels. Because they are shortlived, protochannels are but rarely seen in nature. Their seeding is markedly temperature-sensitive, reflecting their frictional origin. The erosive power of shallow overland flow largely depends on flow-energy concentration by secondary flow, firstly into channels, then within the channels themselves. Suppression of secondary flow, as by intense raindrop bombardment, can stabilize sheet flows. In deeper water, the effects of secondary flow appear relatively less dramatic. However, even if such motion is weak, bedload divergence from attachment lines can favour entrainment locally and thus affect bed geometry. Analogy between our results and river behaviour appears close and. on continental shelves where water must often flow as sheets, structures resembling giant protochannels evidently persist.     

Water movement within lac du bonnet batholith as revealed by detailed thermal studies of three closely-spaced boreholes

Successive temperature logs have been obtained over a period of two years in three closely-spaced boreholes in the Lac du Bonnet batholith of the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. Two of the boreholes, of depth 450 m and 830 m, intersect a dipping fracture zone at 435–450 m. In both holes water is flowing from near the surface to the fracture zone at approximately 1.5–1.9·10⁻⁵ m³ s⁻¹, the flow being inferred from analysis of the temperature logs. Below 25 m, temperatures in these two holes are 0.22–0.28 K lower than those in the third, 145 m, hole.The temperature data have been combined with over 200 thermal conductivity measurements on core samples to produce heat flow values. In the deepest hole heat flow above the fracture zone is 16% higher than that below the zone. This indicates that water is flowing up the fracture zone. The flow rate is approximately 0.3 g s⁻¹ m⁻¹, and the flow has existed for thousands of years.Observation of thermal effects of water flow in massive, relatively unfractured plutons in a region having little topographic relief causes one to be concerned about the reliability of heat flow values measured in similar environments.The regional heat flow is taken to be 50 mW m⁻² after correction for glaciation effects. The average value of 24 determinations of radioactive heat generation in granitic core samples is 5.23 ± 1.11 μW m⁻³, which is more than three times higher than expected for such a heat flow in the Superior Province. This implies that the layer of high radioactive heat generation is thin, being not more than 4 km and probably about 1.3 km thick.     

Tectono-thermal modeling of the Yinggehai Basin,South China Sea

Based on the observed data, the average value of surface heat flow in the Yinggehai Basin is calculated and it turns out to be 84.1 mW/m². The thermal evolution of the basin since the Cenozoic era has been attempted by tectono-thermal modeling. Three-phase extension made the basin become hotter and hotter, reaching its climax in paleo-temperature history since 5.2 Ma. And nowadays, the basin is in the heat flow decreasing period. During the Cenozoic era, the basement heat flow remained at 50–70 mW/m² all the time. This is related to the degree of each extension phase, stretching rate mode and also the limited basin scale. Modeling results also show that, the surface heat flow is controlled mainly by the basement heat flow, and less than 20% comes from radiogenic heat production in the sediments of the basin     

Iodine concentrations of soils near Trabzon, Turkey: a region of endemic goiter

Iodine contents of soils developed over the major rock formations of the northern zone of the Eastern Pontide Tectonic Belt (Northeastern Turkey) have been investigated with respect to soil-parent rock relationship, effect of topography, elevation, and climate to construe its effect on the health of the local population. Samples were collected from the A and B horizons of the soils developed over the major stratigraphic units constituting the eastern Pontides, including the Lower Basic Complex of Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous age, the Berdiga limestone (Jurassic-lower Cretaceous), the Dagbasi granitoid (Upper Cretaceous), volcano-sedimentary sequence of Upper Cretaceous age, ore-bearing and barren dacites of Upper Cretaceous age, and Neogene alkaline basalts. Chemical analyses of soil samples indicate significantly lower iodine abundances for all the soils studied (5–28 ppm) in comparison to the average abundance of iodine in analogous soils of other parts of the world (22–93 ppm). The concentration of iodine in soils developed over the same geologic formation decrease with increasing elevation. In certain cases, this decrease may reach up to 70%. Goiter is highly common throughout this region in Turkey. The results of this study suggest that the iodine deficiency of region’s soils may be a principal underlying cause for this area of Turkey being an endemic goiter region.     

松潘-平武地震前地震视应变场的时空演变

利用松潘-平武周边地区的地震资料研究了1970-1975年该地区地震视应变场的分布和时空变化特征。结果表明,地震视应变的时空变化与松潘-平武强震具有很好的对应关系,1970年在附近就出现异常区,并且地震视应变总体上逐年增加,地震就发生在地震视应变异常区。     

2006年甘肃文县5.0级地震灾害损失评估

2006年6月21日在甘肃省文县发生MS5.0地震,造成了建筑物破坏及人员伤亡。在震后开展的地震现场考察与震害评估工作中,将灾区分为2个评估子区,完成了29个点的震害抽样调查工作,根据地震灾害损失评估系统EDLES2.5的要求建立了有关数据库,做出了经济损失评估,并针对灾害特点给出了灾区恢复重建的建议。     

高分辨率浅层人工地震勘探探测隐伏断裂实例

利用高分辨率浅层地震勘探反射波法探测了福建某火电厂场址内的隐伏断裂。结果表明断裂显示清楚,为一走向NE40~55°,上断点埋深为11 m和31 m,断距2~4 m的正断层,为工程避让提供较可靠的依据。     

1879年甘肃武都南8级地震新史料

1985年在甘肃文县屯寨乡洋汤寨的天池庙的大樑上发现了一条新的关于1879年7月1日武都8级地震的新的历史记载。该记载表明武都8级地震在这里的地震烈度至少达到了Ⅹ度。