Climate control on stacked paleosols in the Pleistocene of the Po Basin (northern Italy)

Paleosols are recurrent features in alluvial successions and provide information about past sedimentary dynamics and climate change. Through sedimentological analysis on six sediment cores, the mud-dominated succession beneath the medieval ‘Two Towers’ of Bologna was investigated down to 100 m depth. A succession of weakly developed paleosols (Inceptisols) was identified. Four paleosols (P1, P2, P3 and PH) were radiocarbon-dated to 40–10 cal ka bp . Organic matter and CaCO₃ determinations indicate low groundwater levels during soil development, which spanned periods < 5 ka. The development and burial of soils, which occurred synchronously in the Bologna region and in other sectors of the Po Plain, are interpreted to reflect climatic and eustatic variations. Climatic oscillations, at the scale of the Bond cycles, controlled soil development and burial during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (P1 and P2). Rapid sea-level oscillations probably induced soil development at the MIS 3/2 transition (P3) and favored burial of PH after 10 ka bp . Weakly developed paleosols in alluvial successions can provide clues to millennial-scale climatic and environmental variations. In particular, the paleosol-bearing succession of the Po Plain represents an unprecedent record of environmental changes across the Late Pleistocene (MIS 3 and 2) in the Mediterranean region.     

Groundwater recharge sources in semiarid irrigated mountain fronts

High-elevation mountains often constitute for basins important groundwater recharge sources through mountain-front recharge processes. These processes include streamflow losses and subsurface inflow from the mountain block. However, another key recharge process is from irrigation practices, where mountain streamflow is distributed across the irrigated piedmont. In this study, coupled groundwater fluctuation measurements and environmental tracers (¹⁸O, ²H, and major ions) were used to identify and compare the natural mountain-front recharge to the anthropogenically induced irrigation recharge. Within the High Atlas mountain front of the Ourika Basin, Central Morocco, the groundwater fluctuation mapping from the dry to wet season showed that recharge beneath the irrigated area was higher than the recharge along the streambed. Irrigation practices in the region divert more than 65% of the stream water, thereby reducing the potential for in-stream groundwater recharge. In addition, the irrigation areas close to the mountain front had greater water table increases (up to 3.5 m) compared with the downstream irrigation areas (<1 m increase). Upstream crops have priority to irrigation with stream water over downstream areas. The latter are only irrigated via stream water during large flood events and are otherwise supplemented by groundwater resources. These changes in water resources used for irrigation practices between upstream and downstream areas are reflected in the spatiotemporal evolution of the stable isotopes of groundwater. In the upstream irrigation area, the groundwater stable isotope values (δ¹⁸O: −8.4‰ to −7.4‰) reflect recharge by the diverted stream water. In the downstream irrigation area, the groundwater isotope values are lower (δ¹⁸O: −8.1‰ to −8.4‰) due to recharge via the flood water. In the nonirrigation area, the groundwater has the highest stable isotope values (δ¹⁸O: −6.8‰ to −4.8‰). This might be due to recharge via subsurface inflow from the mountain block to the mountain front and/or recharge via local low altitude rainfall. These findings highlight that irrigation practices can result in the dominant mountain-front recharge process for groundwater.     

Divergence and flow direction as indicators of subsurface heterogeneity and stage‐dependent storage in alluvial floodplains

Assuming homogeneity in alluvial aquifers is convenient, but limits our ability to accurately predict stream‐aquifer interactions. Research is needed on (i) identifying the presence of focused, as opposed to diffuse, groundwater discharge/recharge to streams and (ii) the magnitude and role of large‐scale bank and transient storage in alluvial floodplains relative to changes in stream stage. The objective of this research was to document and quantify the effect of stage‐dependent aquifer heterogeneity and bank storage relative to changes in stream stage using groundwater flow divergence and direction. Monitoring was performed in alluvial floodplains adjacent to the Barren Fork Creek and Honey Creek in northeastern Oklahoma. Based on results from subsurface electrical resistivity mapping, observation wells were installed in high and low electrical resistivity subsoils. Water levels in the wells were recorded real time using pressure transducers (August to October 2009). Divergence was used to quantify heterogeneity (i.e. variation in hydraulic conductivity, porosity, and/or aquifer thickness), and flow direction was used to assess the potential for large‐scale (100 m) bank or transient storage. Areas of localized heterogeneity appeared to act as divergence zones allowing stream water to quickly enter the groundwater system, or as flow convergence zones draining a large groundwater area. Maximum divergence or convergence occurred with maximum rates of change in flow rates or stream stage. Flow directions in the groundwater changed considerably between base and high flows, suggesting that the floodplains acted as large‐scale bank storage zones, rapidly storing and releasing water during passage of a storm hydrograph. During storm events at both sites, the average groundwater direction changed by at least 90° from the average groundwater direction during baseflow. Aquifer heterogeneity in floodplains yields hyporheic flows that are more responsive and spatially and temporally complex than would be expected compared to more common assumptions of homogeneity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于RS与GIS的茂县地区干旱河谷范围变化监测

以遥感(RS)和地理信息系统(GIS)为平台,选取茂县地区两期Landsat卫星影像,利用ENVI对影像数据进行监督分类,提取区域内植被覆盖图。利用Arc GIS结合茂县地区河谷分布图,界定出茂县地区两个时期内干旱河谷的分布范围。结果表明:整个茂县地区干旱河谷的范围呈缩减趋势,2005年干旱河谷面积457 619 400 m2,2015年干旱河谷面积为381 971 125 m~2,干旱河谷范围缩减了75 648 275 m~2。准确地界定出干旱河谷的范围变化,对指导川西地区生态环境综合治理以及西部广大山区的生态环境可持续发展战略的实施具有重要意义。     

新疆乌恰萨热克铜矿北矿带库孜贡苏组沉积相、古流向、物源区及其找矿意义——来自砾石统计分析的证据

萨热克盆地库孜贡苏组是萨热克铜矿的赋矿层位,开展沉积相、物源区及古流向研究对隐伏铜矿的勘探具有重要意义。选取萨热克铜矿北矿带库孜贡苏组地表矿化最好的砾岩展开砾石统计分析,结果表明,偏斜度显示砾岩为冲积扇相沉积,砾石叠瓦状和砂岩斜层理产状统计显示古流向为北北东向;砾石成分主要为石英、石英砂岩、砂岩,石英岩等;粒度分布呈宽峰态或尖峰态;物源区为元古宇长城系阿克苏群变质岩剥蚀区;物源补给分为主河流补给和支河流补给2种方式。冲积扇相、古流向、物源区分析确定了矿体的范围、最优的勘探线布置方位和潜在的找矿靶区,具有很好的勘探意义。     

Late Quaternary Slip Rate of the Xiugou Segment,Eastern Kunlun Fault Zone

The Eastern Kunlun fault zone (EKLF) is a large left-lateral strike-slip fault, whose slip rate is meaningful to seismic hazard assessment and geodynamics of the Tibetan Plateau. Previous studies suggested that the late Quaternary average slip rate was stable and uniform (10~13 mm/a) in the central and western segment of the EKLF. But there were a few researches of accurate slip rate in the central segment on the EKLF. Therefore, we focused on an offset and well preserved alluvial fan from Xiugou basin, located in the east of Xidatan-Dongdatan, to make it clear. Moreover, we used high-resolution satellite images and digital elevation model extracted from SPOT7 stereo image pairs to restore the offset alluvial fan, and combined terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides method, including 13 quartz-rich samples from this fan surface, 1 quartz-rich sample from the main active channel bed and 1 ¹⁰Be depth profile from this fan edge to eliminate the ¹⁰Be concentration of inheritance accurately, with 1 optically stimulated luminescence sample to obtain the reliable age of this alluvial fan together. Referring to field observations, this alluvial fan was offset left-laterally by (1 862±103) m, and its age is (76.55±3.20)~(106.37±3.38) ka which can be determined through the actual geologic setting and improving chi-square test. Thus, we used the Monte Carlo method to obtain a left-lateral slip rate of (20.3+3.5/-2.3) mm/a with 68% confidence envelopes since the late Pleistocene in the Xiugou basin. As a result, combining with the results of previous studies, the left-lateral slip rate indicated that the obviously decreasing activity transferred from late Pleistocene to Holocene on the central segment of the EKLF.     

ANABRANCHING RIVERS: THEIR CAUSE,CHARACTER AND CLASSIFICATION

Anabranching rivers consist of multiple channels separated by vegetated semi-permanent alluvial islands excised from existing floodplain or formed by within-channel or deltaic accretion. These rivers occupy a wide range of environments from low to high energy, however, their existence has never been adequately explained. They occur concurrently with other types of channel pattern, although specific requirements include a flood-dominated flow regime and banks that are resistant to erosion, with some systems characterized by mechanisms to block or constrict channels, thereby triggering avulsion. The fundamental advantage of an anabranching river is that, by constructing a semi-permanent system of multiple channels, it can concentrate stream flow and maximize bed-sediment transport (work per unit area of the bed) under conditions where there is little or no opportunity to increase gradient. On the basis of stream energy, sediment size and morphological characteristics, six types of anabranching river are recognized; types 1–3 are lower energy and types 4–6 are higher energy systems. Type 1 are cohesive sediment rivers (commonly termed anastomosing) with low w/d ratio channels that exhibit little or no lateral migration. They are divisible into three subtypes based on vegetative and sedimentary environment. Type 2 are sand-dominated, island-forming rivers, and type 3 are mixed-load laterally active meandering rivers. Type 4 are sand-dominated, ridge-forming rivers characterized by long, parallel, channel-dividing ridges. Type 5 are gravel-dominated, laterally active systems that interface between meandering and braiding in mountainous regions. Type 6 are gravel-dominated, stable systems that occur as non-migrating channels in small, relatively steep basins. Anabranching rivers represent a relatively uncommon but widespread and distinctive group that, because of particular sedimentary, energy-gradient and other hydraulic conditions, operate most effectively as a system of multiple channels separated by vegetated floodplain islands or alluvial ridges.     

浅圆沉积谷地对瑞雷波的散射--高频解

利用波函数展开法给出了浅圆沉积谷地对瑞雷波散射的一个高频解析解,并分析了入射频率、沉积谷地宽度和深度等因素对波散射的影响. 数值结果表明,由于沉积谷地的影响, 在入射波的近端,地表位移分布变得相对复杂,但位移幅值并不大;而在入射波远端,地表位移分布相对简单,但位移幅值却相对较大,多数情况下高于沉积地表位移幅值.