The Late Jurassic Zedong ophiolite: A remnant of subduction initiation within the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone (southern Tibet) and its tectonic implications

The Zedong ophiolite is the largest ophiolite massif east of Dazhuqu in the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone in the southern Tibetan Plateau. However, its age, geodynamic setting and relationship to the Xigaze ophiolite remain controversial. New zircon U–Pb ages, whole-rock geochemical and Nd–Pb isotopic data from ophiolitic units provide constraints on the geodynamic and tectonic evolution of the Zedong ophiolite. U–Pb zircon geochronology of dolerite lavas and late gabbro–diabase dikes yield weighted mean ages of 153.9 ± 2.5 Ma and 149.2 ± 5.1 Ma, respectively. Strong positive ε_Nd(t) and positive Δ7/4Pb and Δ8/4Pb values indicate derivation from a highly depleted mantle source with an isotopic composition similar to that of the Indian MORB-type mantle. The geochemistry of ophiolitic lavas and early dikes are analogous to typical island arc tholeiites whereas late dikes are similar to boninites. The geochemistry of these rock types suggests multi-stage partial melting of the mantle and gradually enhanced subduction influences to the mantle source through time. Combined with the MORB-like 162.9 ± 2.8 Ma Luobusha ophiolitic lavas, we suggest that the Luobusha lavas, Zedong lavas and early dikes originated in an infant proto-arc setting whereas late dikes in the Zedong ophiolite originated in a forearc setting. Together, they represent a Neo-Tethyan subduction initiation sequence. The Late Jurassic intra-oceanic proto-arc to forearc setting of the Zedong ophiolite contrasts with the continental margin forearc setting for the Xigaze ophiolite, which suggests a laterally complex geodynamic setting for ophiolites along the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone.     

Structural control on syn-rift sedimentation,northwestern Red Sea margin,Egypt

Detailed field mapping of a 120-km-long segment of the northwestern Red Sea margin reveals the existence of a number of sediment-input sites where Lower Miocene sediments form coarse-grained fan delta systems. Localizations of the fan deltas at the sediment-input sites (Wadis Gassus, Guesis, Quwyh and Sharm El Bahari) are controlled by structural and topographic elements, including relay ramps between interacting normal fault segments, cross-trend transfer faults, reactivated Precambrian basement fabrics and the plunge directions of tilted fault blocks. Sedimentary facies and geometrical characteristics of the fan deltas indicate that they are progradational and “Gilbert-type” fan delta systems. Variations in size and composition of the conglomerate clasts reflect the heterogeneous lithologies of the Precambrian basement and pre-rift strata in the source areas along the rift margin. Palaeocurrent data show marked changes in paleoflow directions, from northeast in the northernmost fans to east and southeast directions in the southern fans. This change occurs across the Duwi accommodation zone which formed a topographic high separating the oppositely dipping half-grabens in the study area. The data presented in this paper clearly demonstrates that the structural architecture of the northwestern Red Sea margin together with its related topographic expressions played a fundamental role in controlling the drainage network systems, sediment dispersal and localization of the fan deltas in this part of the rift system.     

Life cycle of intraseasonal oscillation of summer SST in the western South China Sea

Intraseasonal oscillation (ISO, times-cales of 30~90 d) of summer sea surface temperature (SST) in the western South China Sea is studied using harmonic and empirical orthogonal function analyses of microwave observations by the tropical rainfall measuring mission satellite. Each summer from May to September, two or three ISO events occur off South Vietnam, with a typical period of approximately 50 d. The life cycle of these events from the initiation to decay of SST anomalies is described.     

同水平完全疏干法在张马屯铁矿脉管式径流中的应用效果

张马屯铁矿为一夕卡岩型磁铁矿床,水文地质条件极其复杂,单一的防治水方法难以达到采矿生产的要求。在长期探索矿山防治水的基础上,采用同水平疏干法对张马屯铁矿地下水脉管式径流进行试验,取得了完全疏干的效果,为深井大水矿山探索出一条综合治理的途径。     

THE PEATLAND/ICE AGE HYPOTHESIS REVISED, ADDING A POSSIBLE GLACIAL PULSE TRIGGER

Carbon sequestering in peatlands is believed to be a major climate‐regulating mechanism throughout the late Phanerozoic. Since plant life first evolved on land, peatlands have been significant carbon sinks, which could explain significant parts of the large variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide observed in various records. The result is peat in different degrees of metamorphosis, i.e. lignite, hard coal and graphite. During phases of extensive glaciations such as the 330–240 Ma Pangea Ice Age, atmospheric carbon dioxide was critically low. This pattern repeats itself during the Pleistocene when carbon dioxide oscillates with an amplitude of c. 200–300 ppmv. This paper suggests that the ice age cycles during the Pleistocene are generated by the interglacial growth of peatlands and the subsequent sequestering of carbon into this terrestrial pool. The final initiation of ice age pulses towards the end of inter‐glacials, on the other hand, is attributed to the cyclic influx of cosmic dust to the Earth surface, which in turn regulates cloud formation and the incoming shortwave radiation. These shorter cycles have a frequency of c. 1000‐1250 years and might be connected to sunspot or other low frequency solar variations. In a wider context the ice age cycling could be regarded as an interplay between terrestrial life on the high latitudes of the northern hemisphere and the marine subsurface life in the southeast. If the results presented here are correct, the present global warming might just be the early part of a new warm period such as the Bronze Age and the Roman and Medieval Warm periods. This could be caused by entry into another phase of decreasing influx rates of cosmic dust. The increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide might have contributed to this warming but, most important of all, it might temporarily have saved us from a new ice age pulse.     

贵州盘县石桥矿区地质灾害研究

通过对贵州省盘县某煤矿区地质灾害的实地调查,矿区主要发育的地质灾害主要有滑坡、崩塌、地裂缝、地面塌陷等,其形成与发展固然与自然地质环境相关,但长期较大规模的煤炭资源开发和无序的开采等人类工程活动是主要影响因素,采用科学的煤炭资源开发方案与采矿方法才是避免与减轻地质灾害发生的主要途径。     

A physically-based method for removing pits in digital elevation models

Spurious pits in digital elevation models (DEMs) are traditionally removed by filling depressions, often creating flat regions that lead to inaccurate estimation of landscape flow directions. In this study, a physical approach based on a simple landscape evolution model is proposed for DEM pit removal. This method, an alternative to traditional geometrical procedures, enforces more realistic slopes and flow directions on topography. The procedure is compared with the method most commonly used in the literature and distributed with commercial GIS software where, generally, elevations of a depression are increased up to the lowest value among neighbouring cells. Several tests are performed and parameters sensitivity is carried out in order to demonstrate the performance of the proposed model as compared to traditional methods.     

Impact of rehabilitation of Assiut barrage, Nile River, on groundwater rise in urban areas

To make optimum use of the most vital natural resource of Egypt, the River Nile water, a number of regulating structures (in the form of dams and barrages) for control and diversion of the river flow have been constructed in this river since the start of the 20th century. One of these barrages is the Assiut barrage which will require considerable repairs in the near future. The design of the rehabilitation of the barrage includes a headpond with water levels maintained at a level approximately 0.60 m higher than the highest water level in the headpond of the present barrage. This development will cause an increase of the seepage flow from the river towards the adjacent agricultural lands, Assiut Town and villages. The increased head pond level might cause a rise of the groundwater levels and impedance of drainage outflows. The drainage conditions may therefore be adversely affected in the so-called impacted areas which comprise floodplains on both sides of the Nile for about 70 km upstream of the future barrage. A rise in the groundwater table, particularly when high river levels impede drainage, may result in waterlogging and secondary salinization of the soil profile in agricultural areas and increase of groundwater into cellars beneath buildings in the urban areas. In addition, a rise in the groundwater table could have negative impact on existing sanitation facilities, in particular in the areas which are served with septic tanks. The impacts of increasing the headpond level were assessed using a three-dimensional groundwater model. The mechanisms of interactions between the Nile River and the underlying Quaternary aquifer system as they affect the recharge/discharge processes are comprehensively outlined. The model has been calibrated for steady state and transient conditions against historical data from observation wells. The mitigation measures for the groundwater rise in the urban areas have been tested using the calibrated mode.     

Mechanism of the water invasion of Gaoyang Iron Mine,China and its impacts on the mine groundwater environment

With the development of mining of iron deposits in China, groundwater invasion and the impacts of groundwater drainage, such as regional groundwater table lowering, overlapping cones of depression, subsidence, and water quality deterioration are environmental problems which endanger mining production and human life. Effective prevention of water invasion or timely determination of the mechanism of water bursting and rational design of drainage plans are the most urgent mining challenges. The mechanism of water invasion and the environment impacts on the groundwater system of the Gaoyang Iron Mine, China were dealt with in this paper. A systematical investigation of the hydrogeological conditions and monitoring of groundwater dynamics of the mine were completed. Results show that the limestone of the middle Ordovician System constitutes the under floor of the iron deposit. This limestone is the main source of water invasion into the mine. Groundwater dynamic equilibrium conditions are broken due to mine drainage. Water invasion and drainage have caused a serious impact on the groundwater environment of the area.     

Areal versus linear evaluation of relationship between drainage basin lithology and geochemistry of stream and overbank sediments in low-order mountainous drainage basins

The comparison of two multiple regression models is based on the assumption that geochemical composition of the drainage basin alluvial sediments is derived primarily from the underlying bedrock lithology. The parent material is integrated with both stream sediment and overbank sediment geochemistry via the two essentially different approaches as regards the drainage basin geomorphological data: (1) as the relative area of influence representing a portion of the catchment basin occupied by a specific rock type and (2) as the relative “line” of influence representing a narrow zone of the underlying bedrock traversed by the perennial streams which form the active stream network. The model comparison is established on the goodness-of-fit test for both experimental designs and for the same set of data. Both experiments converge on the linear approach as the more appropriate model in evaluating the lithologic influence on the analysed sample media in small mountainous watersheds.