Exhumation and relief history of the Southern Carpathians (Romania) as evaluated from apatite fission track chronology in crystalline basement and intramontane sedimentary rocks

The combination of apatite fission track (FT) thermochronology from basement units and the FT age distributions of apatites in the Miocene intramontane sedimentary rocks allows describing the exhumation history of the central segment of the Southern Carpathians, Romania. Exhumation and cooling from the total track annealing temperature (>120°C) of the Cozia and Cibin massifs occurred in the Palaeocene–Early Eocene. Between the Eocene and Middle Miocene, there was a stagnation period concerning vertical displacement; the presently exposed part of the basement was buried in shallow depth. The present crests of the Cozia and Cibin Mountains were at temperatures around 80°C and 50°C, respectively. The second exhumation period occurred in Middle Miocene times. The magnitude of the Miocene vertical displacement is on the order of the present-day relief. The vertical apatite FT age distribution in the basement and the age clusters in the sedimentary rocks prove that the levels of the crests were already close to the surface in Palaeogene times. Therefore, the post-Palaeocene erosional removal from the crest zones is very limited.     

Apports de la modélisation sur bathymétries historiques dans la compréhension des évolutions des bancs de sable estuariens

Formation and evolution of estuarine sand ridges are some of the less well known among the different classes of sand banks. Simulation of tides and related sand bedload transport on historical bathymetries brings new insights about the secular evolution of two estuarine sand ridges (the Saint-Georges and the ‘Longe de Boyard’ sand banks, Atlantic coast of France). Two different mechanisms are involved in order to explain the evolutions of these banks, suggesting the category of estuarine sand banks to be less homogenous than it is proposed in the last classifications of sand banks. To cite this article: X. Bertin, É. Chaumillon, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Differences in hillslope runoff and sediment transport rates within two semi-arid catchments in southeast Spain

This paper focuses on hillslope runoff and sediment transport within two catchments in southeast Spain. Five monitoring sites were established on hillslope concavities throughout the two catchments. The techniques used were mini-crest stage recorders, spray-painted lines, sediment traps and tipping bucket rain gauges (established during previous research). Results show that a storm event in the Rambla Nogalte on 30 June 2002 of 83.0 mm was responsible for a maximum runoff depth of 12 cm and a maximum hillslope sediment transport of 1886 cm³ m⁻¹. The same storm in the Rambla de Torrealvilla produced 53.4 mm of rainfall on the 1 July 2002, had a maximum runoff depth of 26 cm and resulted in 2311 cm³ m⁻¹ of sediment transport. There is evidence to suggest that measured sediment transport is related to runoff and a qualitative estimate of Morphological Runoff Zones (MRZ). Sediment transport and depth of runoff varied dramatically with lithology; marl sites produced most runoff and sediment transport, followed by the sites of mixed red and blue schist, then blue schist. These results are important for understanding the behaviour of slopes and show that for short lived storms with high, but not rare, rainfall intensities and total rainfall amounts, runoff can cause significant hillslope sediment transport in semi-arid areas.     

Sediment mobility due to currents and waves in the Torres Strait–Gulf of Papua region

The MECO hydrodynamic model (MECO Technical Report No. OMR-118/120, CSIRO Marine Research, 1998) was adapted for the Torres Strait–Gulf of Papua region at 0.05° resolution. Validation of the hydrodynamic model was carried out against observed current meter data and calculated tidal sea levels. Dispersal pathways of sediments derived from the Fly River, and from a resuspension event along the northern Great Barrier Reef were investigated using an Eulerian approach. Sediment input into Torres Strait is found to be greater during the Trade season by approximately 10%. Wave data were also obtained, and together with hydrodynamic model output, sediment mobility due to currents, waves and wave–current interactions was considered for both the Trade and Monsoon seasons. Sediment mobility in the Gulf of Papua is dominated by wave motion, whereas Torres Strait is a mixed environment of waves and tidal currents.     

Soil erosion due to rainfall impact with no inflow: a numerical solution with spatial and temporal effects of sediment settling velocity characteristics

Dynamic changes take place in the nature of sediment eroded from bare soil at low slopes by rainfall impact when there is no inflow of water at the top of the eroding slope. This relates initially to fine soil sediment not settling back onto the soil after the rainfall impact. Coupled partial differential equations describing such dynamic changes have been solved numerically for a bed of soil, bounded at its upper end, and subject to a constant rainfall rate. This solution allows prediction of the change with time and downslope distance in the concentration and settling velocity (or size) characteristics of eroding sediment, allowing critical evaluation of the assumption of space-independent sediment characteristics made in prior approximate analytical solutions of the equations involved. Following the determination of as yet unpredictable soil-related parameters in the equations, the solution was tested by comparison with experimented data on two soils of contrasting structural stability, namely a vertosol [The Australian Soil Classification (1996)] and a aridisol. Investigations included the determination of a minimum number of sediment size classes required to adequately describe the settling velocity characteristics, based on the shape of the underlying basic settling velocity characteristic, which is used to predict the dynamics of sediment deposition. The effect on the solution of observed structural breakdown in soil aggregation due to rainfall impact was investigated, leading to more accurate predictions of the settling velocity characteristics of eroded sediment. Other sources of discrepancy between theory and observation remain to be determined.     

Limnological and Climatic Environments at Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon during the past 45 000 years

Upper Klamath Lake, in south-central Oregon, contains long sediment records with well-preserved diatoms and lithological variations that reflect climate-induced limnological changes. These sediment archives complement and extend high resolution terrestrial records along a north–south transect that includes areas influenced by the Aleutian Low and Subtropical High, which control both marine and continental climates in the western United States. The longest and oldest core collected in this study came from the southwest margin of the lake at Caledonia Marsh, and was dated by radiocarbon and tephrochronology to an age of about 45 ka. Paleolimnological interpretations of this core, based upon geochemical and diatom analyses, have been augmented by data from a short core collected from open water environments at nearby Howards Bay and from a 9-m core extending to 15 ka raised from the center of the northwestern part of Upper Klamath Lake. Pre- and full-glacial intervals of the Caledonia Marsh core are characterized and dominated by lithic detrital material. Planktic diatom taxa characteristic of cold-water habitats (Aulacoseira subarctica and A. islandica) alternate with warm-water planktic diatoms (A. ambigua) between 45 and 23 ka, documenting climate changes at millennial scales during oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 3. The full-glacial interval contains mostly cold-water planktic, benthic, and reworked Pliocene lacustrine diatoms (from the surrounding Yonna Formation) that document shallow water conditions in a cold, windy environment. After 15 ka, diatom productivity increased. Organic carbon and biogenic silica became significant sediment components and diatoms that live in the lake today, indicative of warm, eutrophic water, became prominent. Lake levels fell during the mid-Holocene and marsh environments extended over the core site. This interval is characterized by high levels of organic carbon from emergent aquatic vegetation (Scirpus) and by the Mazama ash (7.55 ka), generated by the eruption that created nearby Crater Lake. For a brief time the ash increased the salinity of Upper Klamath Lake. High concentrations of molybdenum, arsenic, and vanadium indicate that Caledonia Marsh was anoxic from about 7 to 5 ka. After the mid-Holocene, shallow, but open-water environments returned to the core site. The sediments became dominated (>80%) by biogenic silica. The open-water cores show analogous but less extreme limnological and climatic changes more typical of mid-lake environments. Millennial-scale lake and climate changes during OIS 3 at Upper Klamath Lake contrast with a similar record of variation at Owens Lake, about 750 km south. When Upper Klamath Lake experienced cold-climate episodes during OIS 3, Owens Lake had warm but wet episodes; the reverse occurred during warmer intervals at Upper Klamath Lake. Such climatic alternations apparently reflect the variable position and strength of the Aleutian Low during the mid-Wisconsin.     

吉林省现代有感地震活动及震害

吉林省境内１９７６年以来仪器记录到的新有地震一般的ＭＬ１．０～４．３小震，在这些小震中约１／９的地震有感，ＭＬ≥２．５小震的１／３有感，ＭＬ≥３．５级地震全部有感。有感小震主要分布在吉林省中部和南部，与吉林省现今中小震空间分布有大致相同的格架，与发震构造密切相关，绝大多数地震听到了地声，震级小烈度值偏大，有感小震在极震区造成一定的震害。     

RENOVATION IN HANDUN IRRIGATION DISTRICT AND ITS EFFECT

LIRRIGAnONALONGTHELOWERYELLOW~RYellowairisoneOfthemainwaterresourcesinNOrthChina.Sincetheames70diVersionslthees,28siphonsand30PUmpingstationshavebeenbuiltalongtheLowerYellowRad.Thetotaldischargingcapacityis3363m3lsacthetotalirrigationareaisnearlytwOInillinnh~s.Intheeighties,asanaVerage,Il.lxloom3ofwaterwasdiVertalfromtheYellowairannually.In198915.4-cio'm3ofwatCfwasdiVerted.AstheYdlowforerisaheavilysediment-ladenone,sedimentisdiVertedsimultalleouslywhenwaterisdiverted.Inthe…     

Distribution and sources of phosphorus in tidal river sediments in the Washington, DC, Area

 Sediments in the rivers and basins around Washington, DC, have high concentrations of phosphorus, which, based on geographic distributions, is largely derived from urban runoff and municipal sewage. Dissolved-particulate phosphate exchange reactions and biological uptake of dissolved phosphorus from the water column may be an added source of phosphorus to the sediments. Concentrations of total sedimentary phosphorus ranged from 24 to 56 μm P/g-dw, and were highest in areas near combined sewer outfalls. As a part of this study, sedimentary phosphorus was fractionated into Fe-P, Ca-P, Al-P, and organic phases using a selective-sequential leaching procedure. The distribution of the phases in all sediments analyzed follow the order , Fe-P>Ca-P>Al-P. Spatial variations in the amounts of phosphorus in the different phases is related to the sources of phosphorus to the area. The proportions of occluded Al-P and organic P are 10–20% of the total P, respectively. This suggests that phosphorus from natural sources is small compared to anthropogenic inputs in this area. The high leachable Fe-P and Ca-P in these sediments might contribute a substantial amount of P to the water column under conditions of remobilization. Received: 20 February 1996 · Accepted: 2 April 1996     

The role of soil erosion and fluvial processes in the post-fallout redistribution of Chernobyl-derived caesium-137: a case study of the Lapki catchment, Central Russia

The central area of the Russian Plain received substantial amounts Cs-137 fallout as a result of the Chernobyl accident in 1986, with inventories exceeding 40 kBq m⁻² in many of the areas close to Chernobyl. Concern over the longer-term fate of this contamination has focused attention on the need to predict the post-fallout redistribution of the radiocaesium and, thus, future changes in the spatial distribution of contamination in the landscape. Since radiocaesium reaching the land surface as fallout is rapidly and strongly adsorbed by soil and sediment particles, any attempt to predict its post-fallout redistribution must focus on erosion and sediment delivery processes and must rely heavily on a knowledge of the geomorphological processes involved. This paper reports a detailed investigation of post-fallout Cs-137 redistribution in the 2.18-km² Lapki catchment in the Middle-Russian Upland, which has required consideration of soil erosion processes, sediment delivery pathways, sediment delivery ratios and sediment sinks. The time elapsed since the Chernobyl accident is currently insufficient to result in significant reduction of Cs-137 inventories in eroding areas, but areas of deposition on both the lower slopes and on the balka sides and bottoms are already marked by significant increases in Cs-137 inventories. The results obtained emphasise that any attempt to develop meaningful predictions of the longer-term redistribution of Chernobyl-derived Cs-137 fallout within the Russian Plain must be based on a sound and detailed understanding of the linkage between the slopes and the balka systems and the fate of sediment entering the balka systems.