In situ observation of a garnet/perovskite transition in CaGeO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

We used an in situ measurement method to investigate the phase transition of CaGeO₃ polymorphs under high pressures and temperatures. A multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus combined with intense synchrotron X-ray radiation was used. The transition boundary between a garnet and a perovskite phase at T = 900–1,650 K and P = 3–8 GPa was determined as occurring at P (GPa) = 9.0−0.0023 × T (K). The transition pressure determined in our study is in general agreement with that observed in previous high-pressure experiments. The slope, dP/dT, of the transition determined in our study is consistent with that calculated from calorimetry data.     

西藏班戈县东嘎花岗岩体特征及锡找矿前景分析

东嘎花岗岩体位于冈底斯一念青唐古拉板片北缘、班公错一怒江结合带中段班戈一崩错板片。岩体时代为燕山晚期,属印度一欧亚板块碰撞造山构造环境。岩石属富钠、硅铝过饱和类型,该岩体位于斑戈一嘉黎一波密一察隅锡成矿远景带内,岩浆分异程度高,具有S型花岗岩体的典型特征,与滇西、川西含锡花岗岩体特征相似,成矿条件有利。区域化探资料显示锡异常明显,异常为Sn、Rb、Y、u、Nb、Ag、w、Th、Pb等多元素组合。sn元素的强度高、规模大。据区域地质、岩石化学及地球化学特征及区域成矿资料,东嘎花岗岩体具有良好的锡成矿前景。     

Urban mapping,accuracy, & image classification: A comparison of multiple approaches in Tsukuba City,Japan

The rapid growth of urban space and its environmental challenges require precise mapping techniques to represent complex earth surface features more accurately. In this study, we examined four mapping approaches (unsupervised, supervised, fuzzy supervised and GIS post-processing) using Advanced Land Observing Satellite images to predict urban land use and land cover of Tsukuba city in Japan. Intensive fieldwork was conducted to collect ground truth data. A random stratified sampling method was chosen to generate geographic reference data for each map to assess the accuracy. The accuracies of the maps were measured, producing error matrices and Kappa indices. The GIS post-processing approach proposed in this research improved the mapping results, showing the highest overall accuracy of 89.33% as compared to other approaches. The fuzzy supervised approach yielded a better accuracy (87.67%) than the supervised and unsupervised approaches. The fuzzy supervised approach effectively dealt with the heterogeneous surface features in residential areas. This paper presents the strengths of the mapping approaches and the potentials of the sensor for mapping urban areas, which may help urban planners monitor and interpret complex urban characteristics.     

中巴地球资源卫星在辽东区域环境监测中的应用评价研究

对中巴资源一号卫星 CCD传感器接收的辽宁省营口幅数据 ,从几何精度、空间分辨率、数据噪声等方面 ,进行了图像数据质量评价 ,认为从总体上讲 ,达到了设计要求 ,具有广阔的应用前景 ,同时指出 ,CCD传感器在稳定性和同一性方面尚需改进     

Bulk density effects on soil hydrologic and thermal characteristics: A numerical investigation

Soil bulk density (ρ_b) is commonly treated as static in studies of land surface dynamics. Magnitudes of errors associated with this assumption are largely unknown. Our objectives were to (a) quantify ρ_b effects on soil hydrologic and thermal properties and (b) evaluate effects of ρ_b on surface energy balance and heat and water transfer. We evaluated 6 soil properties, volumetric heat capacity, thermal conductivity, soil thermal diffusivity, water retention characteristics, hydraulic conductivity, and vapour diffusivity, over a range of ρ_b, using a combination of 6 models. Thermal conductivity, water retention, hydraulic conductivity, and vapour diffusivity were most sensitive to ρ_b, each changing by fractions greater than the associated fractional changes in ρ_b. A 10% change in ρ_b led to 10–11% change in thermal conductivity, 6–11% change in saturated and residual water content, 49–54% change in saturated hydraulic conductivity, and 80% change in vapour diffusivity. Subsequently, 3 field seasons were simulated with a numerical model (HYDRUS‐1D) for a range of ρ_b values. When ρ_b increased 25% (from 1.2 to 1.5 Mg m^?3), soil temperature variation decreased by 2.1 °C in shallow layers and increased by 1 °C in subsurface layers. Surface water content differed by 0.02 m³ m^?3 for various ρ_b values during drying events but differences mostly disappeared in the subsurface. Matric potential varied by >100 m of water. Surface energy balance showed clear trends with ρ_b. Latent heat flux decreased 6%, sensible heat flux increased 9%, and magnitude of ground heat flux varied by 18% (with a 25% ρ_b increase). Transient ρ_b impacted surface conditions and fluxes, and clearly, it warrants consideration in field and modelling investigations.     

Layout design of rockbolts for natural ground reinforcement

The present study addresses a layout design of rockbolts for reinforcing natural ground structures applying a special optimization method, called multiphase layout optimization. Rockbolts are used to tighten loosed natural ground, and the layout of rockbolts are determined without sufficient information about the physical properties of the ground materials. Because of this uncertainty, unexpected deformation often occurs at the excavation surface of natural ground. In that case, it is requested to determine an effective layout of the additional rockbolts promptly with respect to the actual deformation at the construction site. However, it is not easy to determine the optimal layout because of its complexity, and consequently, it has no choice but to determine the layout in an empirical way. This study introduces a numerical approach to determine an optimal layout of rockbolts with respect to arbitrarily possible deformation of natural ground. The objective is to maximize the stiffness of the overall ground structure reinforced with rockbolts. For optimization, a gradient‐based optimization scheme is applied because of its numerical efficiency. It was verified from a series of numerical examples that this method has great potential to improve the stiffness of the overall ground structure and shows a certain applicability to a practical design. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Paleozoic serpentinites and mafic schists from the Coast Range accretionary complex,central Chile: their relation to aeromagnetic anomalies

Regional structural trends within the poorly exposed metamorphic basement complex of central Chile between 39°30' and 41°30'S latitudes are evident on total intensity aeromagnetic maps. Field and laboratory measurements of magnetic susceptibility indicate that anomalies are related to relic magnetite and rare ilmenite phase concentrations in serpentinites and lower greenschist facies mafic schists.Serpentinites and mafic schists representing fragmented ophiolites are common throughout a broad, highly magnetic central zone which separates a low-magnetic metaturbidites terrain in the Northeast from a southwestern, low susceptibility, metavolcanic rich area with isolated anomalies. One of the isolated anomalies represents a polyphase deformed serpentinite emplacement overlain by coarse grained eclogitic blueschist, highly magnetic undeformed serpentinites and amphibolite boulders thought to have been transported within the ultramafic body.The trend of the regional magnetic anomaly pattern is controlled by the main foliation, a crenulation cleavage (S2), rather than by primary factors, such as emplacement pattern of the ultramafics. This structural grain was established during the early Carboniferous event which culminated pre-Andean accretion in the area. The overall zonation, however, seems to reflect the composition of slices in a composite prism accreted during oblique subduction along the margin of Gondwanaland.

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Zusammenfassung Reliktische präkinematische (prä-S2) Magnetitanreicherungen kommen in Serpentiniten und Metabasiten der Grünschieferfazies des spätpaläozoischen Grundgebirges der Küstenkordillere Chiles häufig vor. Zwischen 39°30' und 41 °30' südlicher Breite wurden magnetische Messungen in situ in diesen Gesteinen durchgeführt, die deren enge räumliche Beziehung zu regionalen NW-SO streichenden Anomalien bestätigen.Die Serpentinite stellen Teile eines zerscherten Ophiolithkomplexes dar, der zwischen einer schwach-magnetischen Metaturbidit-Zone und einer schlecht aufgeschlossenen Metapyroklastit-Zone diapirartig intrudierte. Ein mehrfach deformierter Serpentinitkörper ist von Gerollen aus eklogitischem Blauschiefer überlagert, die höchstwahrscheinlich ursprünglichen tektonischen Einschlüssen entsprechen.Der regionale Trend der Anomalien ist eher vom Streichen und Einfallen der Hauptschieferung als von primären Strukturen kontrolliert. Es handelt sich um eine Krenulationsschieferung (S2) die durch eine frühkarbonische Phase entstanden ist. Sie stellt den Höhepunkt einer prä-Andinen Schrägakkretion dar. Die regionale lithologische Gliederung scheint jedoch die Zusammensetzung der einzelnen Akkretionskeile widerzuspiegeln.

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Résumén Serpentinitas y esquistos máficos metamorfizados en condiciones de facies esquistos verdes baja forman parte del basamento metamorfico de la Cordillera de la Costa de Chile central entre los 39°30' y los 41°30'l.s. Mediciones in situ y en laboratorio de suceptibilidad magnética muestran que sus concentraciones de magnetita pretectonica con respecto a la foliación principal son responsables de anomalías de rumbo NW-SE.Las serpentinitas constituyen parte de una asociación »ofiolítica« fragmentada que aflora dentro de una ancha banda entre metaturbiditas débilmente magnéticas al NE y metapiroclastitas con aisladas anomalías al SW. Una serpentinita del último sector presenta evidencias de deformación polifásica y esta recubierta por bolones de esquistos azules eclogíticos y anfibolitas, los cuales podrían representar inclusiones originalmente transportadas por el cuerpo ultramáfico.El diseño regional de las anomalías magnéticas está controlado por la actitud de la foliación principal, más que por el diseño del emplazamiento original. Esta, un clivaje de crenuación S2, se originó durante un evento carbonífero temprano que representa el climax de la acreción pre-andina en el área. La zonación litológica regional, sin embargo, parece reflejar más bien la composición de lonjas individuales dentro de un prisma compuesto acrecionado mediante subducción oblicua.

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- (prä-S2) . 39°30 41°30 in situ , , NW-SO. , , . , , , , , . , . (S2), . - . .

     

Minor and trace element incorporation into branching coral Acropora nobilis skeleton

Chemical and isotopic compositions of the Acropora nobilis skeleton were analyzed at various spatial resolutions to investigate the mechanism by which elements are incorporated into the skeleton. Chemical and isotopic profiles along growth axes of axial and radial corallites did not show seasonal variation, with the exception of the δ¹⁸O profile of the axial corallite. Detailed observations of the skeletal structure revealed that the skeletal density increased with distance from the tip because secondarily precipitated aragonite (here called the “infilling” skeleton) filled pore spaces in the “framework” skeleton. Microscale element analyses revealed that main part of the infilling skeleton had lower Mg/Ca and higher Sr/Ca and U/Ca than the framework skeleton. At microscale, Sr/Ca and U/Ca were positively correlated with each other, and negatively correlated with Mg/Ca but only weakly. The results showed that the infilling skeleton differed significantly from the adjacent framework skeleton in terms of not only formation chronology but also chemical composition, and that the bulk composition was influenced by the infilling/framework skeletal ratio. In order to use the Acropora skeleton as a paleoclimate archive, the relationship between environmental factors and the chemical composition of each skeletal component needs to be established.     

Landfill development in the urban fringe of Metro Manila

In low-lying areas of urban and suburban regions in Asia, the use of landfill has allowed urban land use to encroach onto watery landforms, such as back marshes, which were formerly used as rice fields. To improve understanding of the associations between land-use patterns and landfill development, we carried out a case study in the urban fringe of Metro Manila in the Philippines. We examined landfill volume derived from land-use change using GIS, and field surveyed qualitative aspects of the landfill used. We calculated the rate of application of landfill in low-lying housing development areas to be 5.0 × 10³ m³ km^?2 year^?1, most of which consisted of offsite disposal of construction waste or crushed rock produced by urban development and renewal on the adjoining uplands. The flow of fill material from offsite sources to onsite landfill development areas was on the basis of individual agreements between suppliers and developers.     

Petrogenesis of greenstones from the Mino–Tamba belt, SW Japan: Evidence for an accreted Permian oceanic plateau

Permian greenstones in the Jurassic Mino–Tamba accretionary complex, southwest Japan, are divided into three distinct series on the basis of their geological occurrence, mineralogy, and geochemistry. A low-Ti series (LTS) is associated with Lower Permian chert and limestone, and is the most voluminous of the three series. The LTS shows slightly more enriched geochemical and isotopic characteristics than MORB. A transition series (TS) is mainly associated with Lower Permian chert, and has more enriched geochemical signatures than MORB. Its isotopic characteristics are divided into enriched and depleted types. A high-Ti series (HTS) occurs as sills and hyaloclastites within Middle Permian chert and as dikes intruding the TS. Some HTS rocks have high MgO contents. The HTS is characterized by enrichment in incompatible trace elements and an isotopic composition comparable to HIMU-type basalt. The geochemistry of the voluminous LTS is similar to that of the oceanic basalt series of the Kerguelen plateau, suggesting production by partial melting of a shallow mantle plume head below thick oceanic lithosphere in Early Permian time. We infer that the TS formed simultaneously at the margins of the mantle plume head. In contrast, the HTS may have resulted from partial melting of a deep mantle plume tail in Middle Permian time. Permian greenstones in the Mino–Tamba belt may have thus formed by superplume activity in an intra-oceanic setting. Given the presence of two known contemporary continental flood basalt provinces (Siberia and Emeishan) and some accreted oceanic plateau basalts, the vast magmatism of the Mino–Tamba oceanic plateau suggests a large-scale superplume pulse in Permian time. Accretion of oceanic plateaux may have played an important role in the growth of continental margins and island arcs in Japan and elsewhere in the circum-Pacific region.