Radionuclides in the Natural–Anthropogenic System Comprising a Nuclear Power Plant and a Cooling Reservoir

The sources of technological radionuclides coming into the ecosystem of a nuclear power plant (NPP) cooling reservoir are considered and estimated. The information about the volumetric and mass activity in the biotic and abiotic components of the reservoir ecosystem is analyzed. The activity distribution between the components was determined. The activity reserve in the ecosystems of the cooling reservoirs in central European Russia has been estimated. The real radioactive input from NPPs to the reservoir is shown to be insignificant. It is concluded that cooling reservoirs can be used for any needs of the national economy and for the recreation (with respect to the radiation factor).     

A discussion on the records of water level ‘precursors’ in Well Shuozhou, Shanxi Province

A lot of slow fluctuations of water level have been observed in the original recording maps of subsurface fluid in Well Shuozhou, Shanxi Province. Some typical recording maps of the “precursors” are introduced in the paper and the features of the “precursors” recorded by the well are analyzed. The results show that 38% strong earthquakes possess this kind of record, which has a fluctuation period arranging from several to tens of minutes and appear mostly two days before the earthquakes. Moreover, the mechanism, transmission and responding conditions of well water level are discussed, as well as the scientific meaning and practical value of the “precursor” of the well water level in earthquake predictions. Foundation item: State Natural Science Foundation of China (19973011).     

Earthquake—generating Structure Revealed by 1999 Sichuan mianzhu Earthquake Sequence with Ms=5.0

Through the accurate determination of hypocenter location,the measurement of the main focal mechanism solutions and the analyses of time dependent processes for Sichuan Mianzhu earthquake sequence with Ms=5.0 occurred along the middle segment of Longmenshan fault zone on November 30,1999,the distribution of focal depth section,the stress relase and seismicity features are given to reveal the earthquake-geneating structure of the earthquake sequence.The obtained results show the activity features for this sequence as follows:(1) There is no obvious foreshock,the accumulated strain energy releases in nearly pulse way,fluctuation of the seismic activity level is not quite evident during the duration of the sequence,and the statistical relation between the large events and the small events is less compatible with the traditional G-R estimation;(2) The epicenters of the earthquake sequence are not distributed on the main Longmenshan piedmont faults emerging out ground,but near the hidden Longmenshan piedmont faults.The direction of epicenter distribution is not very coincident with the fault strikes.The microscopic epicenters are relatively far from the macroscopic epicenters,The focal depths range from 5km to 16km;(3) The fractures of focal fault plane with the NE strike appear out the strike-slip displacement with a few overthrust components under the major principal compressive stress of NNE direction.From these,we consider it should be paid more attentions to the underground hidden faults near the ground fault zone on a large scale for their generating earthquake risk.     

Focal Fault of the 1999 Datong Ms5.6 Earthquake in Shanxi Province

Several earthquakes with Ms≥5.0 occurred in the Datong seismic region in 1989,1991 and 1999,The precise focus location of the earthquake sequence was made by the records of the remote sensing seismic station network in Datong.Using that data together with macro-intensity distribution and focal mechanism solutions,we analyze the difference among three subsequences.The results show that the focal fault of the 1999 Ms 5.6 earthquake was a NWW-trending left-lateral strike-slip fault.It is 16km long and 12km wide.It developed at the depth of 5km and is nearly vertical in dip.The two previous earthquake subsequences,however,were generated by activity along NNE-trending right-lateral strike-slip fault.It can be found that the rupture directioin of the 1999 earthquake has changed.It is generally found that a rupture zone has more than two directions and has different strength along these two directions.The complicate degree of focal circumstance is related to the type of earthquake sequences.There is the NE-trending Dawangcun fault and the NW-trending Tuanbu fault in the seismic region,but no proof indicates a connection between focal faults and these two tectonic faults.The feature that focal faults of three subsequences are strike-slip is different from that of the two tectonic faults.It is suggested that the 1999 earthquake subsequence was possibly generated by a new rupture.     

Extracting coseismic deformation of the 1997 Mani earthquake with differential interferometric SAR

Introduction The development and application of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) have a close relationship with the sensors development of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The conception of SAR is proposed comparatively to the real aperture radar antenna. It is well known that the longer the antenna is, the higher the observation resolution will be. Just limited by the length of the antenna, the resolution of real aperture radar is generally very low and cannot meet the r…     

An scientific evaluation of annual earthquake prediction ability

Introduction There have been nearly 40 years for earthquake prediction since the research on earthquake prediction was carried out in plan by some advanced countries since 1960s. For the hard long process of earthquake prediction, Alen, American famous scientist and former president of the evaluation commission of earthquake prediction in California, USA, said that the difficulty of earthquake prediction is more than the expected and the practical progress of earthquake prediction is more sl…     

大姚地热动态特征分析

通过大姚高精度水温观测井水地质、井孔条件的分析，震例观测资料、实验观测数据的处理，以及井水水质分析结果，表明大姚水温周期性变化的突出位置是井深75m左右，根本原因是该地层石膏脉稳定释热，含水层热水与井内冷水混合过程中，在通道内形成钙盐类沉淀物（如CaSO4CaCO3），堵塞对流通道，含水层内外压差突破被阻塞通道，热水反复侵入井内，便形成水温周期性变化。地震的孕育、发生和调整过程，由于应力场作用，产生附加地热场，水温基值发生变化，周期畸变或消失，这种附加地热动态是可以恢复的。所以认为大姚地热动态是井区特殊地层地热信息的反映。     

The null distribution of sample serial correlation coefficient

 The null distribution of the lag-k sample serial correlation coefficient (r _k , k=1,2,3) was investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. For a time series with normal, exponential, Pearson 3, EV1 (Gumbel), or generalized Pareto (GP) distribution type, the null distribution of its r _k can be approximated by the normal distribution with mean −1/(n−k) and variance 1/(n−1). But for a time series with the lognormal, EV2 or EV3 (Weibull) distribution type, the null distribution of r _k is skewed distributed. In such cases, a simulation technique is suggested to construct percentile confidence intervals at a given significance level.     

On crustal movement in Mt. Qomolangma area

Mt. Qomolangma lies in the collision zone between the fringe of Eurasia plate and Indian plate. The crustal movement there is still very active so far. In the past three decades China carried out five geodetic campaigns in Mt. Qomolangma and its north vicinal area, independently or cooperatively with other countries, including triangulation, leveling, GPS positioning, atmospheric, astronomical and gravity measurements. On the basis of the observation results achieved in the campaigns the crustal movements in the area were studied and explored. A non-stationary phenomenon both in time and space of the crustal vertical movement in the area is found. There seems to be some relevance between the phenomenon of non-stationary in time and seismic episode in China. The phenomenon of non-stationary in space is possibly relevant to the no-homo- geneity of crustal medium and non-uniform absorption of terrestrial stress. The horizontal crustal movement in the area is in the direction of NEE at a speed of 6–7 cm per year, and the trend of strike slip movement is manifested evidently in the collision fringe of Indian plate and Qinghai-Xizang block.     

Quantitative reconstruction of the lake water paleotemperature of Daihai Lake, Inner Mongolia, China and its significance in paleoclimate

By measuring Sr/Ca ratios of the ostracod shells (Limnocthere cf. inopinata) in sediments of the Daihai Lake, and combined with Sr²⁺/Ca²⁺ ratios of the lake water, this paper obtained paleosalinity of the lake water. Vaporizing experiment of the lake water in laboratory showed that there was a quantitative relationship between salinity and oxygen isotope. Using this relationship, oxygen isotope values of the paleo-lake water were calculated. By measuring the oxygen isotope of the authigenic carbonate in the lake’s sediments, and in combination with the oxygen isotope values of the paleo-lake water, the paleotemperature of the lake water was calculated. Finally, based on these proxies, the paleoclimate in the lake basin was explored.