Estimation of commercial diamond grades based on microdiamonds: a case study of the Koidu diamond mine,Sierra Leone

This paper documents the application of a microdiamond-based approach to the estimation of diamond grade in the Pipe 1 kimberlite at the Koidu mine in Sierra Leone. A geological model of Pipe 1 was constructed to represent the distribution and volume of the dominant kimberlite units within the pipe. Bulk samples, along with representative microdiamond samples, were collected from these units at surface and were used to define the ratio between microdiamond stone frequency (+212 μm stones per kilogram) and recoverable macrodiamond grade (+1.2 mm carats per tonne; 1 carat = 0.2 g). These ratios were applied to a comprehensive, spatially representative microdiamond sample dataset and were combined with a spatial model of country-rock xenolith dilution within the pipe to estimate +1.2 mm recoverable grades. The resource estimate was reconciled with subsequent production results in the elevation range 160 to 100 m above sea level. Production results for each of the six 10 m benches covering this elevation range were compared to the estimated average grades for these zones in the pipe. For the five cases where most of the kimberlite mass on a given bench is represented in the production data, the results show a maximum discrepancy of 6% between predicted and reported production grade with no indication of any consistent bias. This indicates that, when supported by a sound geological model and suitable microdiamond and macrodiamond data, the microdiamond-based estimation approach can provide reliable constraints on macrodiamond grade, even in the case of geologically complex bodies such as Koidu Pipe 1.

     

Pure aluminium shear panels as dissipative devices in moment‐resisting steel frames

The use of energy dissipation systems for the seismic control of steel structures represents a valid alternative to conventional seismic design methods. The seismic devices currently employed are mostly based on the metallic yielding technology due to the large feasibility and efficiency they can provide. Within this context, in the current paper an innovative solution based on the adoption of low‐yield‐strength pure aluminium shear panels (SPs) for seismic protection of steel moment‐resisting frames is proposed and investigated. In order to prove the effectiveness of the system, a wide numerical study based on both static and dynamic non‐linear analyses has been carried out, considering a number of different frame‐to‐shear panel combinations, aiming at assessing the effect of the main influential parameters on the seismic response of the structure. The obtained results show that the contribution provided by aluminium SPs is rather significant, allowing a remarkable improvement of the seismic performance of the structure in terms of stiffness, strength and ductility, with the possibility to strongly limit the damage occurring in the members of moment‐resisting frames. In particular, it is clearly emphasized that the stiffening effect provided by SPs allows a more rational design procedure to be adopted, since the serviceability limit state check does not lead to unavoidable and uneconomical increase of the size of main structural members. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于风暴尺度模式产品的暴雨最优升尺度概率预报方法研究

基于ARPS3DVAR+WRF (Advanced Regional Prediction and 3-dimensional variational System)快速同化模式对西南地区近几年发生的4次强降水过程进行模拟试验,对12 h降水预报结果采用升尺度方法,计算邻域平均预报、站点概率预报,最终形成邻域概率预报,并细致分析了这三种预报的特点与效果,讨论了升尺度窗区尺度给不同量级降水带来的影响,最后结合AROC评分与邻域空间检验FSS讨论业务概率预报应用的最佳尺度。结果表明:升尺度邻域平均预报在小雨与大暴雨量级降水上表现不稳定,对中雨的预报提高不明显,但是对大雨与暴雨预报有较好的改善效果;站点概率预报具有一定的误导性,而邻域概率预报可以弥补其缺憾,越高分辨率的模式有更多的降水样本,在降水不确定性上能给出更好的概率分级信息;相对邻域平均的升尺度预报TS检验结果,基于邻域概率的FSS和AROC分析有更好的预报技巧指导意义;36 km升尺度窗区既能消除一定程度的强降水预报不确定性,同时也可以保留适当的对流尺度特征,为最佳升尺度窗区。     

Stochastic Modelling of the Impact of Flood Protection Measures Along the River Waal in the Netherlands

River flooding is a problem of international interest. In the past few years many countries suffered from severe floods. A large part of the Netherlands is below sea level and river levels. The Dutch flood defences along the river Rhine are designed for water levels with a probability of exceedance of 1/1250 per year. These water levels are computed with a hydrodynamic model using a deterministic bed level and a deterministic design discharge. Traditionally, the safety against flooding in the Netherlands is obtained by building and reinforcing dikes. Recently, a new policy was proposed to cope with increasing design discharges in the Rhine and Meuse rivers. This policy is known as the Room for the River (RfR) policy, in which a reduction of flood levels is achieved by measures creating space for the river, such as dike replacement, side channels and floodplain lowering. As compared with dike reinforcement, these measures may have a stronger impact on flow and sediment transport fields, probably leading to stronger morphological effects. As a result of the latter the flood conveyance capacity may decrease over time. An a priori judgement of safety against flooding on the basis of an increased conveyance capacity of the river can be quite misleading. Therefore, the determination of design water levels using a fixed-bed hydrodynamic model may not be justified and the use of a mobile-bed approach may be more appropriate. This problem is addressed in this paper, using a case study of the river Waal (one of the Rhine branches in the Netherlands). The morphological response of the river Waal to a flood protection measure (floodplain lowering in combination with summer levee removal) is analysed. The effect of this measure is subject to various sources of uncertainty. Monte Carlo simulations are applied to calculate the impact of uncertainties in the river discharge on the bed levels. The impact of the “uncertain” morphological response on design flood level predictions is analysed for three phenomena, viz. the impact of the spatial morphological variation over years, the impact of the seasonal morphological variation and the impact of the morphological variability around bifurcation points. The impact of seasonal morphological variations turns out to be negligible, but the other two phenomena appear to have each an appreciable impact (order of magnitude 0.05–0.1 m) on the computed design water levels. We have to note however, that other sources of uncertainty (e.g. uncertainty in hydraulic roughness predictor), which may be of influence, are not taken into consideration. In fact, the present investigation is limited to the sensitivity of the design water levels to uncertainties in the predicted bed level.     

Palaeoecology and Archaeology of the Kärlich–Seeufer Open-Air Site (Middle Pleistocene) in the Central Rhineland, Germany

The Kärlich–Seeufer archaeological site in Germany's central Rhineland was excavated between 1980 and 1992. The site provides evidence for hominid activity during a Middle Pleistocene interglaciation known up to now only from the Kärlich clay pit and therefore defined as the Kärlich Interglaciation, which is considered to be post-Cromer IV and pre-Holstein (sensu stricto) in age. The site is characterized by Acheulean artifacts, a fauna dominated byElephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus,and a unique and outstanding preservation of wooden and other palaeobotanical remains. Assuming all finds are associated, the site previously was interpreted as an elephant hunting camp with a wooden structure, together with wood and bone implements preservedin situ.Recent analysis of the same features has shown that the site can also be interpreted as a reworked archaeological sample. Hominid occupation occurred in the vicinity of a small lake with prevailing meso-oligotrophic conditions. Expanding boreal forests and fen vegetation characterized the landscape.     

Modelling distribution of marine benthos from hydroacoustics and underwater video

Broad-scale mapping of marine benthos is required for marine resource management and conservation. This study combines textural derivatives based on bathymetry from multibeam hydroacoustics with underwater video observations to model and map sessile biota between 10- and 60-m water depth over 35 km² in Point Addis Marine National Park (MNP), Vic., Australia. Classification tree models and maps were developed for macroalgae (all types, mixed red algae, Ecklonia, and rhodoliths) and sessile invertebrates (all types, sponges, and ascidians). Model accuracy was tested on 25% of the video observation dataset reserved from modelling. Models fit well for most macroalgae categories (correct classification rates of 67–84%), but are not as good for sessile invertebrate classes (correct classification rates of 57–62%). The poor fit of the sessile invertebrate models may be the combined result of grouping organisms with different environmental requirements and the effect of false absences recorded during video interpretation due to poor image quality. Probability maps, binary single-class maps, and multi-class maps supply spatially explicit, detailed information on the distribution of sessile benthic biota within the MNP and provide information at a landscape-scale for ecological investigations and marine management.     

Options to overcome the barriers to pricing European agricultural emissions

Although agriculture could contribute substantially to European emission reductions, its mitigation potential lies untapped and dormant. Market-based instruments could be pivotal in incentivizing cost-effective abatement. However, sector specificities in transaction costs, leakage risks and distributional impacts impede its implementation. The significance of such barriers critically hinges on the dimensions of policy design. This article synthesizes the work on emissions pricing in agriculture together with the literature on the design of market-based instruments. To structure the discussion, an options space is suggested to map policy options, focusing on three key dimensions of policy design. More specifically, it examines the role of policy coverage, instruments and transfers to farmers in overcoming the barriers. First, the results show that a significant proportion of agricultural emissions and mitigation potential could be covered by a policy targeting large farms and few emission sources, thereby reducing transaction costs. Second, whether an instrument is voluntary or mandatory influences distributional outcomes and leakage. Voluntary instruments can mitigate distributional concerns and leakage risks but can lead to subsidy lock-in and carbon price distortion. Third, the impact on transfers resulting from the interaction of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with emissions pricing will play a key role in shaping political feasibility and has so far been underappreciated.

POLICY RELEVANCE

Following the 2015 Paris Agreement, European climate policy is at a crossroads. Achieving cost-effectively the 2030 and 2050 European targets requires all sectors to reduce their emissions. Yet, the cornerstone of European climate policy, the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), covers only about half of European emissions. Major sectors have been so far largely exempted from carbon pricing, in particular transport and agriculture. While transport has been increasingly under the spotlight as a possible candidate for an EU ETS sectoral expansion, policy discussions on pricing agricultural emissions have been virtually absent. This article attempts to fill this gap by investigating options for market-based instruments to reduce agricultural emissions while taking barriers to implementation into account.     

阿尔金断裂带晚第四纪左旋走滑速率及其构造运动转换模式讨论

在高分辨率SPOT卫星数字影像和大比例尺航片处理、断错地貌制图、野外核实与位移测量基础上, 利用宇宙成因核素(¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al)、碳十四(¹⁴C)和热释光(TL)等多种测年手段, 厘定了各断错地貌面的形成年龄, 得到了阿尔金断裂带不同段落全新世左旋走滑速率: 阿克赛以西的中、西段左旋走滑速率可达(17.5±2) mm/a, 肃北-石包城段为(11±3.5) mm/a左右, 疏勒河口段减少到(4.8±1) mm/a左右, 东端宽滩山段仅约(2.2±0.2) mm/a, 左旋走滑速率突变点位于阿尔金断裂带中东段存在分支活动逆断层向南东扩展的肃北、石包城和疏勒河等三联点上. 矢量分析表明, 三联点东、西两侧左旋滑动速率的减少量转换成了阿尔金断裂带中东段南盘北西向活动逆断层上的地壳缩短和上盘推覆体抬升, 形成了党河南山、大雪山、祁连山等条块山地. 因此, 青藏高原北部物质向东挤出的速率和幅度是有限的, 符合“叠瓦状逆冲转换——有限挤出模型”.     

Features of the Extremely Severe Drought in the East of Southwest China and Anomalies of Atmospheric Circulation in Summer 2006

The spatial-temporal features of the extremely severe drought and the anomalous atmospheric circulation in summer 2006 are analyzed based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the characteristic circulation indices given by the National Climate Center of China, and the daily precipitation data of 20 stations in the east of Southwest China (ESC) from 1959 to 2006. The results show that the rainless period started from early June and ended in early September 2006 with a total of more than 80 days, and the rainfall was especially scarce from around 25 July to 5 September 2006. Precipitation for each month was less than normal, and analysis of the precipitation indices shows that the summer precipitation in 2006 was the least since 1959. The extremely severe drought in the ESC in summer 2006 was closely related to the persistent anomalies of the atmospheric circulation in the same period, i.e., anomalies of mid-high latitude atmospheric circulation, western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), westerlies, South Asian high, lower-level flow, water vapor transport, vertical motion, and so on. Droughts usually occur when the WPSH lies anomalously northward and westward, or anomalously weak and eastward. The extreme drought in summer 2006 was caused by the former. When the WPSH turned stronger and shifted to the north and west of its normal position, and the South Asian high was also strong and lay eastward, downdrafts prevailed over the ESC and suppressed the water vapor transfer toward this area. At the same time, the disposition of the westerlies and the mid-high latitude circulation disfavored the southward invasion of cold air, which jointly resulted in the extremely severe drought in the ESC in summer 2006. The weak heating over the Tibetan Plateau and vigorous convective activities over the Philippine area were likely responsible for the strong WPSH and its northwestward shift in summer 2006.     

华北地层大区寒武纪早期地层统一划分与对比问题

基于华北地层大区数百条寒武纪早期地层剖面与安徽淮南地区基准层序(2组2亚组15段1个亚段)和带序(6个三叶虫带)的确切对比,编制了新的沉积分区图;依据有无猴家山组和馒头组下亚组是否完整,划分出5个沉积区;讨论了各区与基准层序-带序的对比;明确了各地方性岩石地层单位(五山组、李官组、碱厂组、辛集组、朱砂洞组、苏峪口组、五道淌组、昌平组、府君山组、老庄户组、水洞组、黑沟组等)的层位归属(具体至段),确认与寒武纪早期地层有关的3个沉积间断(皖北上升、豫陕上升和燕辽上升),归属于重新厘定的蓟县运动的3个期次.