Glacier change and glacier runoff variation in the Tuotuo River basin,the source region of Yangtze River in western China

Glaciers in the Tuotuo River basin, western China, have been monitored in recent decades by applying topographical maps and high-resolution satellite images. Results indicate that most of glaciers in the Tuotuo River basin have retreated in the period from 1968/1971 to 2001/2002, and their shrinkage area is 3.2% of the total area in the late 1960s. To assess the influence of glacier runoff on river runoff, a modified degree–day model including potential clear-sky direct solar radiation has been applied to the glaciated regions of the river basin over the period 1961–2004. It was found that glacier runoff has increased in the last 44 years, especially in the 1990s when a two-thirds increase in river runoff was derived from the increase in glacier runoff caused by loss of ice mass in the entire Tuotuo River basin.     

Modeling of water–rock interactions in an aquitard of sandy clay in the coastal area near Beihai,China

Unconsolidated sand, gravel and clay deposits near Beihai and in the Leizhou Peninsula in southern China form an unconfined aquifer, aquitard and a confined aquifer. Water and soil samples were collected from the two aquifers in the coastal Beihai area for the determination of chemical compositions, minerals and soluble ions. Hydrogeochemical modeling of three flow paths through the aquitard are carried out using PHREEQC to determine water–rock interactions along the flow paths. The results indicate that the dissolution of anorthite, fluorite, halite, rhodochrosite and CO₂, and precipitation of potash feldspar and kaolinite may be occurring when groundwater leaks through the aquitard from the unconfined aquifer to the confined aquifer. Cation exchanges between Na and Ca can also happen along the flow paths.     

Mapping susceptibility of rainfall-triggered shallow landslides using a probabilistic approach

To prepare a landslide susceptibility map is essential to identify hazardous regions, construct appropriate mitigation facilities, and plan emergency measures for a region prone to landslides triggered by rainfall. The conventional mapping methods require much information about past landslides records and contributing terrace and rainfall. They also rely heavily on the quantity and quality of accessible information and subjectively of the map builder. This paper contributes to a systematic and quantitative assessment of mapping landslide hazards over a region. Geographical Information System is implemented to retrieve relevant parameters from data layers, including the spatial distribution of transient fluid pressures, which is estimated using the TRIGRS program. The factor of safety of each pixel in the study region is calculated analytically. Monte Carlo simulation of random variables is conducted to process the estimation of fluid pressure and factor of safety for multiple times. The failure probability of each pixel is thus estimated. These procedures of mapping landslide potential are demonstrated in a case history. The analysis results reveal a positive correlation between landslide probability and accumulated rainfall. This approach gives simulation results compared to field records. The location and size of actual landslide are well predicted. An explanation for some of the inconsistencies is also provided to emphasize the importance of site information on the accuracy of mapping results.     

Experimental study on the deterioration and natural remediation of the Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the sea laver treatment acid practice and the upward seepage of pore water liquid

This study presents a laboratory study of the following two aspects: (1) the influence of sea laver treatment acid on the geoenvironmental properties of Ariake Sea tidal mud, and (2) the natural remediation effect on the sea laver treatment acid contaminated Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the upward seepage of pore water liquid in the mud. Firstly, the mechanisms of the transport of sea laver treatment acid in the Ariake Sea tidal mud and the generation mechanisms of the upward seepage flow in the Ariake Sea tidal mud are discussed. Secondly, a series of one-dimensional laboratory infiltration tests were carried out to investigate the deterioration of the Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the sea laver acid treatment practice. Test results reveal that the acid treatment practice caused considerable change in the geochemical properties of the mud in terms of increase in sulfide content and decrease in pH value. After the treatment by the sea laver treatment acid, the sulfide content of the mud even exceeded the safe limit value for the benthos, which represents undesirable living condition for benthos. Thirdly, series of laboratory fresh seawater infiltration tests for the deteriorated Iida site mud were conducted to illustrate this natural remediation efficiency. It is found that with the infiltration of the fresh seawater, the sulfide content of the Iida site mud was considerably reduced and pH value increased to an acceptable range for benthos living in the tidal flat mud. With the increase in the infiltration time and the hydraulic gradient, the remediation efficiency could be increased.     

Timing of UHP metamorphism in the Hong’an area,western Dabie Mountains,China: evidence from zircon U–Pb age,trace element and Hf isotope composition

The Hong’an area (western Dabie Mountains) is the westernmost terrane in the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen that preserves UHP eclogites. The ages of the UHP metamorphism have not been well constrained, and thus hinder our understanding of the tectonic evolution of this area. LA-ICPMS U–Pb age, trace element and Hf isotope compositions of zircons of a granitic gneiss and an eclogite from the Xinxian UHP unit in the Hong’an area were analyzed to constrain the age of the UHP metamorphism. Most zircons are unzoned or show sector zoning. They have low trace element concentrations, without significant negative Eu anomalies. These metamorphic zircons can be further subdivided into two groups according to their U–Pb ages, and trace element and Lu–Hf isotope compositions. One group with an average age of 239 ± 2 Ma show relatively high and variable HREE contents (527 ≥ Lu_N ≥ 14) and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios (0.00008–0.000931), indicating their growth prior to a great deal of garnet growth in the late stage of continental subduction. The other group yields an average age of 227 ± 2 Ma, and shows consistent low HREE contents and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios, suggesting their growth with concurrent garnet crystallization and/or recrystallization. These two groups of age are taken as recording the time of prograde HP to UHP and retrograde UHP–HP stages, respectively. A few cores have high Th/U ratios, high trace element contents, and a clear negative Eu anomaly. These features support a magmatic origin of these zircon cores. The upper intercept ages of 771 ± 86 and 752 ± 70 Ma for the granitic gneiss and eclogite, respectively, indicate that their protoliths probably formed as a bimodal suite in rifting zones in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block. Young Hf model ages (T _DM1) of magmatic cores indicate juvenile (mantle-derived) materials were involved in their protolith formation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Distribution of the C37 tetra-unsaturated alkenone in Lake Qinghai, China: A potential lake salinity indicator

The alkenone unsaturation index U^K′₃₇ has been applied to reconstruct past temperature changes in both marine and lacustrine systems. However, few studies have addressed whether the relative abundance of the C_37:4 alkenone to the total C₃₇ production (%C_37:4) can reflect surface salinity changes in lacustrine systems. Here we present long-chain C₃₇ alkenone distribution patterns in surface sediments from Lake Qinghai, China. Surface sediments were sampled over a large range of surface salinity changes (1.7-25 g/l) within Lake Qinghai and its surrounding lakes, while temperature differences at these sampling locations should be relatively small. We have found that %C_37:4 varies from 15% to 49% as surface salinity decreases. We tentatively describe this %C_37:4-salinity link with a general linear regression: %C_37:4 = 53.4 (±7.8) − 1.73 (±0.45) × S (n = 28, r² = 0.62), although step-wise %C_37:4 changes in response to salinity variation may exist. U^K′₃₇ values vary between 0.10 and 0.16 at these sites and the inferred range of lake water temperature changes is ∼2-3 °C, suggesting that U^K′₃₇ largely reflects temperature signal across a large salinity range, consistent with previous findings that U^K′₃₇ can indicate temperature changes over a large diversity of environmental settings. We have also found that U^K′₃₇ values are correlated with salinity changes (r² = 0.4), and thus cannot exclude potential temperature effect on %C_37:4 and salinity effect on U^K′₃₇ in this study. However, even extreme estimates of temperature differences within the lake are still unable to explain the observed %C_37:4 changes. We therefore suggest that %C_37:4 could be used to infer past lake salinity changes at a regional scale.     

Silicon isotope fractionation in bamboo and its significance to the biogeochemical cycle of silicon

A systematic investigation on silica contents and silicon isotope compositions of bamboos was undertaken. Seven bamboo plants and related soils were collected from seven locations in China. The roots, stem, branch and leaves for each plant were sampled and their silica contents and silicon isotope compositions were determined. The silica contents and silicon isotope compositions of bulk and water-soluble fraction of soils were also measured. The silica contents of studied bamboo organs vary from 0.30% to 9.95%. Within bamboo plant the silica contents show an increasing trend from stem, through branch, to leaves. In bamboo roots the silica is exclusively in the endodermis cells, but in stem, branch and leaves, the silica is accumulated mainly in epidermal cells. The silicon isotope compositions of bamboos exhibit significant variation, from −2.3‰ to 1.8‰, and large and systematic silicon isotope fractionation was observed within each bamboo. The δ³⁰Si values decrease from roots to stem, but then increase from stem, through branch, to leaves. The ranges of δ³⁰Si values within each bamboo vary from 1.0‰ to 3.3‰. Considering the total range of silicon isotope composition in terrestrial samples is only 7‰, the observed silicon isotope variation in single bamboo is significant and remarkable. This kind of silicon isotope variation might be caused by isotope fractionation in a Rayleigh process when SiO₂ precipitated in stem, branches and leaves gradually from plant fluid. In this process the Si isotope fractionation factor between dissolved Si and precipitated Si in bamboo (α_pre-sol) is estimated to be 0.9981. However, other factors should be considered to explain the decrease of δ³⁰Si value from roots to stem, including larger ratio of dissolved H₄SiO₄ to precipitated SiO₂ in roots than in stem. There is a positive correlation between the δ³⁰Si values of water-soluble fractions in soils and those of bulk bamboos, indicating that the dissolved silicon in pore water and phytoliths in soil is the direct sources of silicon taken up by bamboo roots. A biochemical silicon isotope fractionation exists in process of silicon uptake by bamboo roots. Its silicon isotope fractionation factor (α_bam-wa) is estimated to be 0.9988. Considering the distribution patterns of SiO₂ contents and δ³⁰Si values among different bamboo organs, evapotranspiration may be the driving force for an upward flow of a silicon-bearing fluid and silica precipitation. Passive silicon uptake and transportation may be important for bamboo, although the role of active uptake of silicic acid by roots may not be neglected. The samples with relatively high δ³⁰Si values all grew in soils showing high content of organic materials. In contrast, the samples with relatively low δ³⁰Si values all grew in soil showing low content of organic materials. The silicon isotope composition of bamboo may reflect the local soil type and growth conditions. Our study suggests that bamboos may play an important role in global silicon cycle.     

Origin of Fe-Ti Oxide Ores in Mafic Intrusions: Evidence from the Panzhihua Intrusion, SW China

Economic concentrations of Fe–Ti oxides occur as massive,conformable lenses or layers in the lower part of the Panzhihuaintrusion, Emeishan Large Igneous Province, SW China. Mineralchemistry, textures and QUILF equilibria indicate that oxidesin rocks of the intrusion were subjected to extensive subsolidusre-equilibration and exsolution. The primary oxide, reconstructedfrom compositions of titanomagnetite in the ores and associatedintergrowths, is an aluminous titanomagnetite (Usp₄₀) with 40wt % FeO, 34 wt % Fe₂O₃, 16·5 wt % TiO₂, 5·3 wt% Al₂O₃, 3·5 wt % MgO and 0·5 wt % MnO. This compositionis similar to the bulk composition of the oxide ore, as inferredfrom whole-rock data. This similarity strongly suggests thatthe ores formed from accumulation of titanomagnetite crystals,not from immiscible oxide melt as proposed in earlier studies.The occurrence of oxide ores in the lower parts of the Panzhihuaintrusion is best explained by settling and sorting of densetitanomagnetite in the ferrogabbroic parental magma. This magmamust have crystallized Fe–Ti oxides relatively early andabundantly, and is likely to have been enriched in Fe and Tibut poor in SiO₂. These features are consistent with fractionationof mantle-derived melts under relatively high pressures (10kbar), followed by emplacement of the residual magma at 5 kbar.This study provides definitive field and geochemical evidencethat Fe–Ti oxide ores can form by accumulation in ferrogabbro.We suggest that many other massive Fe–Ti oxide depositsmay have formed in a similar fashion and that high concentrationsof phosphorus or carbon, or periodic fluctuation of fO₂ in themagma, are of secondary importance in ore formation. KEY WORDS: ELIP; Fe–Ti oxide ore; layered intrusion; Panzhihua; QUILF     

The state of land subsidence and prediction approaches due to groundwater withdrawal in China

This article gives a general introduction to land subsidence with the prediction approaches due to withdrawal of groundwater in three subsided/subsiding regions in China: the deltaic plain of Yangtse River (YRDP), North China Plain (NCP), and Fenwei Plain (FP). On YRDP, Shanghai is the typical subsided/subsiding city; on NCP Tianjin is the typical subsided/subsiding city, and on FP Taiyuan is the typical subsided/subsiding city. The subsided area with subsidence over 200 mm on YRDP is about 10,000 km² and the maximum subsided value reached 2.9 m at Shanghai; on NCP the subsided area reached 60,000 km² with the maximum subsidence of 3.9 m at Tianjing; on FP the subsided area is relatively smaller than that on the other two plains and is about 1,135 km² with maximum subsidence of 3.7 m at Taiyuan city. In order to protect the civil and industrial facilities, it is necessary to predict the future development of land subsidence based on present state. Many researchers proposed several approaches to predict the land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal according to different geological conditions and groundwater withdrawal practice. This article classifies these approaches into five categories: (i) statistical methods; (ii) 1D numerical method; (iii) quasi-3D seepage model; (iv) 3D seepage model; (v) fully coupled 3D model. In China, the former four categories are presently employed in the prediction practice and their merits and demerits are discussed. According to the prediction practice, 3D seepage model is the best method presently.