Short‐term erosion rates from a 7Be inventory balance

Detailed soil erosion studies bene?t from the ability to quantify the magnitude of erosion over time scales appropriate to the process. An inventory balance for ⁷Be was used to calculate sediment erosion in a 30·73 m² plot during a series of runoff‐producing thunderstorms occurring over three days at the Deep Loess Research Station in Treynor, Iowa, USA. The inventory balance included determination of the pre‐ and post‐storm ⁷Be inventories in the soil, the atmospheric in?ux of ⁷Be during the event, and pro?les of the ⁷Be activity in the soil following the atmospheric deposition. The erosion calculated in the plot using the ⁷Be inventory balance was 0·058 g cm^?2, which is 23 per cent of the annual average erosion determined using ¹³⁷Cs inventories. The calculated erosion from the mass balance is similar to the 0·059 g cm^?2 of erosion estimated from the amount of sediment collected at the outlet of the 6 ha ?eld during the study period and the delivery ratio (0·64). The inventory balance of ⁷Be provides a new means for evaluating soil erosion over the time period most relevant to quantifying the prediction of erosion from runoff. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Uplift of the Longmenshan Thrust Belt and Subsidence of the West Sichuan Foreland Basin

Based on fission track dating of apatite, and measurement of vitrinite reflectance of rock samples from the Longmenshan (Longmen Mountain)area and the West Sichuan foreland basin and computer modelling it is concluded that (l)the Songpan-Garze fold belt has uplifted at least by 3-4 km with an uplift rate of no less than 0.3-0.4 mm/a since 10 Ma B.P.; (2) the Longmenshan thrust nappe belt has uplifted at least by 5-6 km with an uplift rate of more than 0.5- 0.6 mm /a since 10 Ma B.P.; (3) the Longmenshan detachment belt has uplifted by 1 - 2 km at a rate of 0.016-0.032 mm/a since 60 Ma B.P.; (4) the West Sichuan foreland basin has uplifted by 1.7-3 km at a rate of 0.028-0.05 mm/a since 60 Ma B.P.; (5) the uplift rate of the area on the west side of the Beichuan-Yingxiu-Xiaoguanzi fault for the last 10 Ma is 40 times as much as that on its east side; (6) the uplifting of the the Songpan - Garze fold belt and the subsidence of the West Sichuan foreland basin 60 Ma ago exhibit a mirro-image correlation, i.e     

Petrology of the Treknattan intrusion in the Fongen-Hyllingen complex, Trondheim region, Norway: a late intrusion into an evolved layered complex

The basic-ultrabasic Treknattan intrusion is an important example of a late intrusion in a solidified, evolved, layered complex and sheds light on possible mechanisms by which such associations may develop. The Treknattan intrusion, emplaced into the basic Fongen-Hyllingen intrusion shortly after the latter had solidified, consists mainly of massive or weakly layered peridotite (olivine ± Cr-spinel cumulate) and troctolite (plagioclase + olivine ± Cr-spinel cumulate). The mineral compositional range partially overlaps the most primitive end of the much larger variation-interval in the Fongen-Hyllingen intrusion. The margin of the Treknattan intrusion is sometimes outlined by massive feldspathic websterite which appears to have formed by reaction between magma and melts of gabbroic country rock. The parental magma appears to have been a relatively water-rich picritic basalt with a possible genetic relationship to the magma parental to the enveloping Fongen-Hyllingen intrusion, both displaying tholeiitic relationship between olivine and Ca-poor pyroxene, and having crystallized from relatively water-rich magmas with an early crystallization order of olivine ± Cr-spinel-plagioclase-Ca-rich pyroxene. The recognition of the Treknattan intrusion as a separate body suggests that the bulk composition of the Fongen-Hyllingen intrusion is dioritic rather than gabbroic as previously thought.     

Arrays of Unpumped Wells for Plume Migration Control by Semi-Passive In Situ Remediation

Arrays of unpumped wells can be used as discontinuous permeable walls in which each well serves both as a means to focus ground water flow into the well for treatment and as a container either for permeable reactive media which directly destroy dissolved ground water contaminants or for devices or materials which release amendments that support in situ degradation of contaminants within the aquifer downgradient of the wells. This paper addresses the use of wells for amendment delivery, recognizing the potential utility of amendments such as electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen nitrate), electron donors (primary substrates), and microbial nutrients for stimulating bioremediation, and the potential utility of oxidizers, reducers, etc., for controlled abiotic degradation. Depending on its rate and constraints, the remedial reaction may occur within the well and/or downgradient. For complete remediation of ground water passing through the well array, the total flux of amendment released must meet or exceed the total flux demand imposed by the plume. When there are constraints on the released concentration of amendment (relative to the demand), close spacing of the wells may be required. If the flux balance allows wider spacing, it is likely that limited downgradient spreading of the released amendment will then be the primary constraint on interwell spacing. Divergent flow from the wells, roughly two times the well diameter, provides the bulk of downgradient spreading and constrains maximum well spacing in the absence of significant lateral dispersion. Stronger lateral dispersion enhances the spreading of amendment, thereby increasing the lateral impact of each well, which allows for wider well spacing.     

Magnetic fabrics and rock magnetism of Proterozoic dike swarm from the southern São Francisco Craton, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Magnetic fabric and rock magnetism studies were performed on 32 mafic dikes of a Proterozoic dike swarm from the southern São Francisco Craton (SFC; Minas Gerais State, SE Brazil). Magnetic anisotropies were determined by applying anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of remanent magnetization (ARM). The latter was performed imposing both anhysteretic (total (AAR) and partial pAAR)) and isothermal remanence magnetizations (AIRM). Partial anhysteretic remanence anisotropy was performed based on remanent coercivity spectra from a pilot specimen of each site. In most sites, AMS is dominantly carried by ferromagnetic minerals, however, in some sites, the paramagnetic contribution exceeds 70% of bulk susceptibility. Rock magnetism and thin section analysis allow classifying the dikes as non-hydrothermalized and hydrothermalized. Magnetic measurement shows that the mean magnetic susceptibility is usually lower than 5×10⁻³ (SI). Ti-poor titanomagnetites up to pure magnetite pseudo-single-domain (PSD) grain sizes carry the majority of magnetic fabrics for non-hydrothermalized dikes whereas coarse to fine grained Ti-poor titanomagnetites carry the majority of magnetic fabrics for hydrothermalized dikes.Three primary AMS fabrics are recognized which are coaxial with ARM fabric, except for two dikes, from both non-hydrothermalized and hydrothermalized dikes. Normal AMS fabric surprisingly is not dominant (31%). The parallelism between AMS, pAAR_0–30, pAAR_30–60 and pAAR_60–90 fabrics in the hydrothermalized dikes indicates that magnetic grains formed due to late-stage crystallization or to remobilization of iron oxides due to hydrothermal alteration after dike emplacement have acquired a mimetic fabric coaxial with the primary fabric given by coarse-grained early crystallized Ti-poor titanomagnetites. This fabric is interpreted as magma flow in which the analysis of K_max inclination permitted the inference that the dikes were fed by horizontal or subhorizontal fluxes (K_max<30°). Intermediate AMS fabric is the most important (41%) in the investigated swarm. It is interpreted as due to vertical compaction of a static magma column with the minimum stress along the dike strike. ARM determinations for these sites also remained intermediate except for two dikes. In one of them, AIRM fabric resulted in normal AMS fabric while for the other AAR fabric resulted in inverse AMS fabric. A combination of AMS and ARM fabrics suggest that magmatic fabric for both dikes were overprinted by some late local event, probably related to Brasiliano orogenic processes after dike emplacement. InverseInverse AMS fabric is a minority (four dikes). ARM determinations also remained inverse suggesting a primary origin for inverse AMS fabric.     

Rainfall induced debris flows in pyroclastic deposits, Campania (southern Italy)

A combination of empirical and physically based hydrological models has been used to analyze historical data on rainfall and debris-flow occurrence in western Campania, to examine the correlation between rainfall and debris-flow events.

Rainfall data from major storms recorded in recent decades in western Campania were compiled, including daily series from several rain gauges located inside landslide areas, supplemented by hourly rainfall data from some of the principal storms.

A two-phase approach is proposed. During phase 1, soil moisture levels have been modelled as the hydrological balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration, on a daily scale, using the method of Thornthwaite [Geograph. Rev. 38 (1948) 55].

Phase 2 is related to the accumulation of surplus moisture from intense rainfall, leading to the development of positive pore pressures. These interactions take place on an hourly time scale by the “leaky barrel” (LB) model described by Wilson and Wiezoreck [Env. Eng. Geoscience, 1 (1995) 11]. In combination with hourly rainfall records, the LB model has been used to compare hydrological effects of different storms. The critical level of retained rain water has been fixed by the timing of debris-flow activity, related to recorded storm events.

New rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for debris-flow initiation in western Campania are proposed. These thresholds are related to individual rain gauge and assume a previously satisfied field capacity condition. The new thresholds are somewhat higher than those plotted by previous authors, but are thought to be more accurate and thus need less conservatism.     

Structural variations in derivatives of the bacteriochlorophylls of Chlorobiaceae: impact of stratigraphic resolution on depth profiles as revealed by methanolysis

Bacteriochlorophylls c and d, recovered from two sedimentary sequences, were converted to bacteriophaeophorbide methyl esters by methanolysis and analysed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation liquid chromatography-multistage mass spectrometry (APCI LC-MSⁿ). The distributions in both settings, a moderately consolidated sediment from Kirisjes Pond, Antarctica, and in a finely laminated microbial mat from Les Salines de la Trinitat, Spain, show significant variations within a narrow depth interval. The overall bacteriophaeophorbide c to d ratios in the two sediments are different, as are the ratios of particular C-3¹ diastereoisomers, indicating distinct differences between the bacterial communities that contributed to each sediment. Furthermore, a shift towards more extensive alkylation in homologues within each sediment is consistent either with changing environmental conditions in the depositional environments, or development-related changes in the structure of the bacterial community, leading to increased competition for light or nutrients.     

Further examples of ventifacts and unusual patterned ground from the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic

Abstract Examples of ventifacts and forms of unusual patterned ground that differ in situation, characteristics and/or origin to types reported previously are described from the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic. The ventifacts, represented by clasts projecting from an eroding tillite shore platform, have been grooved by the passage of windblown sand. The patterned ground forms comprise stone polygons on clay loam regolith, stone polygons on peat, peat‐filled desiccation cracks on peat, and clusters of on‐edge clasts (stone packings) on a gravel beach. Aeolian transport of particles is considered responsible for the infill of the polygonal cracks. The clusters of on‐edge clasts are thought to have developed as a result of wave action, in particular backwash and/or undertow. Although these features occupy small surface areas they provide useful information about local geomorphic processes and testify to the marked diversity of such features in nature.