EM and GPR investigations of contaminant spread around the Hoc Mon waste site,Vietnam

This paper is presenting the results from near-surface geophysical surveys near the waste site of Hoc Mon in southern Vietnam where leachate contamination has been recognized at the surface. Using EM and GPR surveys, we were able to determine the lateral extent of a contaminated area of high electrical conductivity and have identified channels that concentrate the contaminant flow. The simple relationship between the electrical resistivity and the leachate concentration is suggested and estimated the in situ leachate concentration from the inversion of the EM data; values are as high as 40%. Thanks to a permeability barrier leachate flow is confined to the shallow subsurface, making it easier to apply possible site remediation projects.     

An analysis of coastal erosion in the tropical rapid accretion delta of the Red River, Vietnam

The largest plain in the North Vietnam has formed by the redundant sediment of the Red River system. Sediment supply is not equally distributed, causing erosion in some places. The paper analyzes the evolvement and physical mechanism of the erosion. The overlay of five recent topographical maps (1930, 1965, 1985, 1995, and 2001) shows that sediment redundantly deposits at some big river mouths (Ba Lat, Lach, and Day), leading to rapid accretion (up to 100 m/y). Typical mechanism of delta propagation is forming and connecting sand bars in front of the mouths. Erosion coasts are distributed either between the river mouths (Hai Hau) or nearby them (Giao Long, Giao Phong, and Nghia Phuc). The evolvement of erosion is caused by wave-induced longshore southwestward sediment transport. Meanwhile sediment from the river mouths is not directed to deposit nearshore. The development of sand bars can intensively reduce the erosion rate nearby river mouths. Erosion in Hai Hau is accelerated by sea level rise and upstream dams. Sea dike stability is seriously threatened by erosion-induced lowering of beach profiles, sea level rise, typhoon, and storm surge.     

The first peak ground motion attenuation relationships for North of Vietnam

The first attenuation relationships of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV) for northern Vietnam are obtained in this study. Ground motion data are collected by a portable broadband seismic network in northern Vietnam as a part of cooperation between the Institute of Geophysics, Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam and Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taiwan. The database comprises a total of 330 amplitude records by 14 broadband stations from 53 shallow earthquakes, which were occurred in and around northern Vietnam in the period between 01/2006 and 12/2009. These earthquakes are of local magnitudes between 1.6 and 4.6, focal depths less than 30 km, and epicentral distances less than 500 km. The new attenuation relationships for PGA and PGV are:

log₁₀(PGA)=-0.987+0.7521M_L-log₁₀(R)-0.00475R,     

Image smoothing of multispectral imagery based on the HNN and geo-statistics

A new method for image down-scaling using geostatistical interpolation or smoothing based on the Hopfi eld Neural Network (HNN) and zero semivariance value is introduced. The method utilises the smoothing effect of the semivariogram matching process to produce the smoothened sub-pixel multispectral (MS) image with smaller RMSEs in comparison with the bilinear interpolation. In fact, the zero semivariograms increase the spatial correlation between the adjacent sub-pixels of the superresolution image. Containing higher spatial correlation, the resulting super-resolution MS image has smaller RMSEs compared with the original coarse image.     

Freshwater stromatolites with the cone-in-cone structure from the Neogene lacustrine sediments of Vietnam

Morphological features of the columnar-stratiform stromatolites, which resemble the cone-in-cone structure, from Neogene lacustrine sediments of northern Vietnam are analyzed. Their structural-textural peculiarities and interrelations with the host terrigenous sediments of a stromatolitic buildup are discussed. It is shown that stages of the growth of columns are recorded in the succession of vertically oriented carbonate plates, which form stromatolites, and in the serrate surface protrusions of the plates at their contacts with host sediments. It is established that replacement of the columnar stromatolites by the stratiform varieties in the section can be related to variations in the intensity of terrigenous material influx to the sedimentation basin. Stratiform stromatolites were formed during relatively slow accumulation of sedimentary material. Appearance of the columnar varieties is attributed to intensification of sedimentation.     

Oligo-Miocene granitic magmatism in central Vietnam and implications for continental deformation in Indochina

Two granitoid intrusions within the Bu Khang extensional complex in central Vietnam have been dated by U–Pb and Rb–Sr geochronology. A monazite U–Pb age of 26.0 ± 0.2 (2σ) Myr was obtained for the Bu Khang pluton and 23.7 + 1.6/–1.7 Myr for monazite, allanite and zircon from the Dai Loc intrusion. These ages date crystallization of magmas previously assigned Precambrian to Devonian. Rb–Sr analyses of K-feldspar and biotite fractions from the samples yield ages of 19.8 ± 0.6 (2σ) Myr and 19.6 ± 0.5 Myr, respectively. The thermal history recorded by the different geochronometers implies an average exhumation rate of ∼2 mm yr⁻¹ corresponding to ∼9 km of unroofing. Magmatism was either (i) induced passively by lithospheric thinning driven by changes in regional tectonic stresses, or (ii) triggered actively by an ascending plume. Tertiary exhumation and magmatism documented elsewhere in Indochina (e.g. Ailao Shan-Red River and Wang Chao shear zones) favours a regional tectonic cause for extension and granitoid magmatism in the Bu Khang complex. On the other hand, the presence of an upwelling thermal anomaly since at least 35 Ma, causing mantle melting below Indochina, is supported by shear-wave velocity variations in the mantle, and source geochemistry of both the Bu Khang plutons and the Red River belt intrusions. In either case, Tertiary exhumation of the Bu Khang complex can account for previously undocumented NE–SW-directed extension, which is required in northern Vietnam to account for structural changes related to the opening of the South China Sea.     

Hydrological characteristics of karstic groundwater in the northeast Viet Nam as studied by isotopic techniques

The stable water isotopic composition (δ²H and δ¹⁸Ο), tritium (³H) activity, dissolved organic carbon, alkalinity, as well as the composition of carbon 13 (δ¹³C) in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of 36 water samples taken from 16 resurgences in the northeast provinces of Viet Nam in the dry (Mar 2008) and rainy (June 2008) seasons were analyzed to elucidate hydrological characteristics of the karstic aquifers in the area. The stable water isotopic composition of the water samples collected clearly demonstrated that the karstic groundwater in the region was recharged from the local meteorological water. The tritium activity in the samples was found to be in between 3 and 4 TU, falling in the range of the ³H activity in the local precipitation and thus meaning that the traveling of recharge water to the resurgences was very short. Concentrated and diffuse allogenic recharges seem to be important sources of karstic groundwater in the study region. Water in the karstic aquifers could be classified into three types as: (a) water from karstic areas with dense vegetation cover that causes DIC be depleted in carbon 13 (¹³δ<?12‰ vs. Pee Dee Belemnite standard of Vienna, VPDB); (b) water from karstic areas with poor vegetation cover that originates DIC with carbon 13 composition ranging from ?11 to ?12‰; and (c) surface water from lakes, springs and rivers that has DIC with enriched carbon 13 (δ¹³C >?10‰). This implies that there are several sources of carbon dioxide contributing to the DIC in water of the karstic aquifers in the study region. Among other potential sources, the atmospheric CO₂, CO₂ from carbonate rock dissolution, biomineralization of soil organic matters and plant roots respiration seem to be important sources of the DIC in the waters of this region. The results show high vulnerability towards anthropogenic contaminants of karstic groundwater in the study region.     

赣南营前岩体的年代学、地球化学、Sr-Nd-Hf同位素组成及其地质意义

赣南营前岩体由早期似斑状花岗闪长岩和晚期细粒黑云母花岗岩组成,在前者中普遍发育暗色基性包体。SHRIMP锆石U-Pb测年显示似斑状花岗闪长岩为172.2±3.1Ma,细粒黑云母花岗岩为168±3Ma,包体为167.6±3.3Ma。所有的岩石均为钙碱性系列,稀土元素显示LREE富集,HREE亏损,Eu负异常并不明显的特征,Nb-Ta负异常显示壳源物质的特征。晚期细粒黑云母花岗岩、早期似斑状花岗闪长岩、暗色包体的(87Sr/86Sr)i和εNd(t)值分别为0.70885～0.70965、0.71058～1.46393、0.70788～0.70923和-6.38～-5.31、-6.51～-5.17、-5.47～-4.31;锆石εHf(t)值分别为-12.4～-5.7、-9.2～-4.2、-9.4～+0.1。结合岩相学、地球化学研究,初步认为营前岩体的两期花岗质岩石源于地壳重熔,地幔底侵导致地壳熔融形成营前岩体,基性岩浆加入到未冷却的酸性岩浆中形成了目前所见到的暗色包体。结合区域上的研究资料,认为中侏罗世期间,沿"十杭"断裂带及与其相平行的一些深断裂发生了板块的撕裂,这些缝合带是岩石圈相对薄弱的地带,有利于幔源物质底侵上升以及壳幔相互作用。     

Measurements of the H2(13)CO ortho/para ratio in cold dark molecular clouds.

H2(13)CO has been detected for the first time toward cold dark molecular clouds using the NRAO 12 m telescope. The H2(13)CO ortho/para abundance ratio R for B335, which we report as R approximately 1.7, suggests equilibrium at the local kinetic temperature and appears to be distinctly different from that for both TMC-1 and L134N, where R is close to or higher than the statistical value 3. Since only B335 among the observed positions includes an imbedded IR source, this difference may result from heating of the grain surfaces, providing the energy necessary for desorption of formaldehyde formed on the grains.     

Palaeo-hydrogeological control on groundwater As levels in Red River delta,Vietnam

To study the geological control on groundwater As concentrations in Red River delta, depth-specific groundwater sampling and geophysical logging in 11 monitoring wells was conducted along a 45 km transect across the southern and central part of the delta, and the literature on the Red River delta’s Quaternary geological development was reviewed. The water samples (n = 30) were analyzed for As, major ions, Fe²⁺, H₂S, NH₄, CH₄, δ¹⁸O and δD, and the geophysical log suite included natural gamma-ray, formation and fluid electrical conductivity. The SW part of the transect intersects deposits of grey estuarine clays and deltaic sands in a 15–20 km wide and 50–60 m deep Holocene incised valley. The NE part of the transect consists of 60–120 m of Pleistocene yellowish alluvial deposits underneath 10–30 m of estuarine clay overlain by a 10–20 m veneer of Holocene sediments. The distribution of δ¹⁸O-values (range −12.2‰ to −6.3‰) and hydraulic head in the sample wells indicate that the estuarine clay units divide the flow system into an upper Holocene aquifer and a lower Pleistocene aquifer. The groundwater samples were all anoxic, and contained Fe²⁺ (0.03–2.0 mM), Mn (0.7–320 μM), SO₄ (<2.1 μM–0.75 mM), H₂S (<0.1–7.0 μM), NH₄ (0.03–4.4 mM), and CH₄ (0.08–14.5 mM). Generally, higher concentrations of NH₄ and CH₄ and low concentrations of SO₄ were found in the SW part of the transect, dominated by Holocene deposits, while the opposite was the case for the NE part of the transect. The distribution of the groundwater As concentration (<0.013–11.7 μM; median 0.12 μM (9 μg/L)) is related to the distribution of NH₄, CH₄ and SO₄. Low concentrations of As (?0.32 μM) were found in the Pleistocene aquifer, while the highest As concentrations were found in the Holocene aquifer. PHREEQC-2 speciation calculations indicated that Fe²⁺ and H₂S concentrations are controlled by equilibrium for disordered mackinawite and precipitation of siderite. An elevated groundwater salinity (Cl range 0.19–65.1 mM) was observed in both aquifers, and dominated in the deep aquifer. A negative correlation between aqueous As and an estimate of reduced SO₄ was observed, indicating that Fe sulphide precipitation poses a secondary control on the groundwater As concentration.