A model for the demise of large, glacial Lake Ojibway, Ontario and Quebec

Large glacial lakes modulated the return of meltwater to the ocean during deglaciation, and their drainage may have initiated global climate change. Yet few records of their drainage come from observations within their basins. Sediment cores from nine lakes along a 240-km transect from northwestern Quebec to northeastern Ontario cover a portion of former Lake Ojibway and provide a stratigraphy of the terminal phase of this large glacial lake. Magnetic susceptibility, density, grain size, X-ray fluorescence chemistry and X-ray diffraction data were used to characterize stratigraphic changes within the basin. The basal sequence consists of till and rhythmites, with ice-proximal debris flows overlain by varves. The varves thin up-section and become unrecognizable, which indicates decreased deposition rates. This fine-grained sediment forms the matrix of a clay-pebble conglomerate. The clay-pebbles are ice-rafted debris (IRD). The IRD flux was probably constant, whereas the sedimentation rate of the finer-grained matrix decreased. The end of IRD marks the cessation of icebergs in the lake and is the best indication for drainage of the glacial lake. The conglomerate is capped by laminated to massive gray silt deposited after lake drainage and marks the transition to organic-rich, post-glacial lakes. Such sequences place drainage into the broader context of deglaciation.     

Using FTIR spectroscopy to characterise the soil mineralogy and geochemistry of cryoconite from Aldegondabreen glacier,Svalbard

Mineralogical and geochemical diversity in cryoconite granules from Aldegondabreen glacier was investigated using FTIR spectroscopy. Results suggest that the technique is an effective tool for investigating mineralogy and identifying spatial differences in geochemistry, based upon characteristic spectral signatures.     

Development of Specimen Curing Procedures that Account for the Influence of Effective Stress During Curing on the Strength of Cemented Mine Backfill

Paste backfill used to provide ground support in underground mining is generated from full-stream tailings and is almost always placed underground with cement. For the backfill, both the rate of strength development and the final strength are important considerations for design, particularly when the backfill is subsequently exposed in the stope-mining sequence. There is strong evidence that strengths measured on specimens obtained from coring the in situ cemented backfill are much greater than laboratory-cured specimens with the same cement content. The paper reviews some of the experimental evidence showing that one of the major reasons for the different strength is the difference in effective stress acting on the backfill during curing. Laboratory specimens are (almost) always cured under zero total stress, so no effective stress develops. In contrast, backfill in a stope may cure under high effective stress, which develops due to either “conventional” consolidation in free-draining backfills, or to the so-called “self-desiccation” mechanism in fine-grained fills. Evidence is presented showing how the final strength is affected by applying stress to specimens at different stages of curing and at different rates. It is shown that a fully-coupled analysis of the filling behaviour is required to determine the appropriate effective stress regime to apply in curing laboratory specimens, where “fully-coupled” in this context means taking account of the interaction of consolidation/drainage rate, filling rate and cement hydration rate. Curing protocols for laboratory specimens are proposed, which would ensure that the strengths obtained are representative of in situ conditions.     

2.5-D DC Resistivity Modeling Considering Flexibility and Accuracy

We highlighted the flexibility of using unstructured mesh together with the local refinement by a resistivity model with complicated topography. The effect of topography is emphasized. Based on this, we calculated a specific class of layered models and found that the accuracy is not always satisfactory by utilizing the standard approach. As an improvement, we employed the layered earth as the reference model to calculate the wavenumbers. The comparison demonstrates that the accuracy is considerably improved...     

A geomorphological mapping approach for the assessment of seabed geohazards and risk

Exploration and development of offshore hydrocarbon resources has advanced into remote deepwater regions over the last decade and poses significant technical challenges for the design and installation of wells and facilities at extreme water depths. Seafloor and shallow subsurface processes and conditions in these areas are complex and generally poorly understood, and the geohazards to development are larger scale and fundamentally different to those encountered onshore; consequently the geohazard risk to deepwater development projects is potentially significant and requires careful evaluation and mitigation during the front-end planning and engineering design stages of projects. There are no established industry standards or methods for the assessment of geohazards and engineering-quality geophysical data at the scale of development. The paper describes an integrated and systematic map-based approach for the assessment and mitigation of seabed geohazards and risk to proposed deepwater development. The approach employs a multi-disciplinary team working with engineering-quality field calibrated data to accurately map and assess seafloor ground conditions and ensure that development proposals are not exposed to intolerable geohazard risk. The approach taken is very similar to the practice of establishing geological models for land-based engineering projects, in which the complete geological history of the site is used to characterise and predict the performance of the ground. Such an approach is routine for major projects on land but so far does not seem to be common practice in the offshore industry. The paper illustrates the seafloor geomophological mapping approach developed. The products are being used to optimise development layouts to avoid geohazards where possible and to support site-specific engineering design of facilities based on a detailed understanding of the potential geohazard loadings and associated risk.     

利用有限单元法模拟二维MT倾子响应

在二维地电模型中,考虑到大地电磁测深(MT)倾子响应依赖于横电(TE)模式的数值模拟问题,笔者采用矩形网格单元和双二次插值对MT的倾子响应进行求解。首先,给出了二维地电条件下的边值问题和变分问题,并通过有限单元法对模型进行单元剖分、插值、积分和整体合成;其次,通过求解复系数方程组得到了每个节点的电场值;最后,采用差分方法求得电场沿横向和垂向的偏导数值,从而计算出二维MT的倾子响应。通过对2个二维地电模型的倾子响应进行数值模拟,获得了倾子响应的实部、虚部和振幅,结果很好地反映了不均匀体的横向分布情况。     

越南巴达棱湾沿岸海域周年风和浪的观测分析

基于国内首次在越南巴达棱湾2007年5月—2008年4月的风、浪现场实测资料,对该海区的风和浪的基本特征进行了初步统计分析,得出如下结论:1)海区季风现象明显,冬季(夏季)盛行东北(西南)季风,东北季风强度大于西南季风强度;2)海区波向与风向基本一致,即冬季(夏季)常浪向和强浪向均是E(SSW)向浪;3)海区以风浪为主,波谱表现为多峰结构,主峰多为单峰和双峰结构,东北季风(西南季风)期间,峰值周期对应的波向为E(SSW)向,台风对海域的波谱影响明显。文章结果对认识与我国同纬度的南沙群岛海域的风、浪特点具有一定参考价值。     

珠江口外表层沉积物底栖有孔虫组合及其与环境的关系

对珠江口外CJ14区块250个站位的表层沉积物进行底栖有孔虫分析,共发现底栖有孔虫118种,其中玻璃壳质80种,瓷质壳质21种,胶结壳质17种。有孔虫丰度基本随水深变深而增大。为研究底栖有孔虫分布与沉积环境之间的关系,对底栖有孔虫含量进行Q型因子分析,并选取前4个主因子,分别对应4个有孔虫组合。它们总共解释了总方差的86.2%,基本上反映了沉积物中有孔虫的群落结构。研究表明,水深和盐度是影响珠江口表层沉积物中有孔虫组合分布的控制因素,其他影响因素主要包括沉积物类型、水动力条件和沉积速率。水动力条件主要影响有孔虫的含量;沉积速率主要影响有孔虫的丰度。     

伶仃洋表层沉积物特征及其泥沙运移趋势

根据伶仃洋表层沉积物的粒度分析资料,探讨表层沉积物的特征,并在此基础上应用Gao-Collins粒径趋势分析方法(GSTA模型)分析了伶仃洋表层沉积物的泥沙净输运趋势。结果表明,伶仃洋表层沉积物共有6种类型,其中以黏土质粉砂分布最广泛。受径流、潮流、波浪和陆架水入侵等多种动力作用,伶仃洋表层沉积物颗粒在北面最粗,南面次之,中间最细,东面略粗,西面略细;分选由中部向东、西两岸逐渐变好,但总体分选差;不同级配的泥沙分布和沉积特征存在差异。伶仃洋泥沙运移规律较复杂,泥沙呈现出向西南输运的总趋势;内伶仃洋四周泥沙受各种力作用,呈现出顺时针方向的环流运移,中心区域为最大浑浊带,泥沙以垂直落淤为主。淇澳岛以南至澳门半岛以东海域受粉砂和黏土向西扩散影响,泥沙向西运移。大屿海峡及外伶仃岛附近海域为高盐水入侵通道,泥沙向西北运移。     

Climate Change and the Disappearance of Malaria from England

As the world's climate continues to change there is concern that this may cause malaria to spread to new areas. Here we examine whether past changes in temperature, in addition to social changes, may have affected malaria in England. Our analysis indicates that cold summers experienced during the 1800s may have contributed to the disappearance of this disease from the country. As our summers become progressively warner it is unlikely that malaria will become firmly re-established on these shores, although the possibility of future outbreaks should not be ignored.