Sulfide intrusion in the tropical seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme

Sulfur and oxygen dynamics in the seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme and their sediments were studied in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) in order to explore sulfide intrusion into tropical seagrasses. Four study sites were selected based on the iron concentration in sediments and on proximity to anthropogenic nutrient sources. Meadow characteristics (shoot density, above- and below-ground biomass, nutrient content) were sampled along with sediment biogeochemistry. Sulfide intrusion was high in T. testudinum, as up to 96% of total sulfur in the plant was derived from sediment-derived sulfides. The sulfide intrusion was negatively correlated to the turnover of sulfides in the sediments regulated by both plant parameters and sediment sulfur pools. Sediment iron content played an indirect role by affecting sulfide turnover rates. Leaf production was negatively correlated with sulfide intrusion suggesting that active growth reduced sulfide intrusion. Sulfide intrusion was lower in S. filiforme (up to 44%) compared to T. testudinum consistent with a higher internal nighttime oxygen concentrations found for S. filiforme. When S. filiforme can take advantage of its ability to maintain high internal oxygen concentrations, as was the case on the USVI, it could increase its success in colonizing unvegetated disturbed sediments with potentially high sulfide concentrations.     

Tectonically-driven mud volcanism since the late Pliocene on the Calabrian accretionary prism,central Mediterranean Sea

Mud volcanoes recently discovered on the offshore Calabrian Arc are investigated at two sites 60 km apart, in water depths of 1650--2300 m, using swath bathymetry, 2D&3D multichannel seismic and cores. The seabed and subsurface data provide information on their formation and functioning in relation to tectonic activity during the rapid Plio-Quaternary advance of the accretionary prism. Fore-arc extension and thrust-belt compression are seen to have involved two main phases of activity, separated by a regional unconformity recording a mid-Pliocene (3.5–3.0 Ma) tectonic reorganization. The two sites of mud volcanism lie in contrasting tectonic settings (inner fore-arc basin vs central fold-and-thrust belt) and record differing forms of seabed extrusive activity (twin mud cones and a caldera vs a broad mud pie). At both sites, subsurface data show that mud volcanism took place throughout the second tectonic phase, since the late Pliocene; differing forms of mud extrusion were accompanied by subsidence to form depressions beneath and within extrusive edifices up to 1.5 km thick. The basal subsidence depressions point to sources within the succession of thrusts underlying the inner to central Arc, consistent with microfossils within cored mud breccias from both sites that are derived from strata as old as Late Cretaceous.     

Assessing fish quality status in transitional waters,within the European Water Framework Directive: Setting boundary classes and responding to anthropogenic pressures

Validation of the AZTI's Fish Index (AFI), proposed for the Basque Country (northern Spain), in assessing fish quality within the Water Framework Directive (WFD), is undertaken. The response to anthropogenic pressure is investigated, in setting the boundaries between the different quality status classes. Hence, 12 estuaries were sampled, at different frequencies, between 1989 and 2007, by means of a beam trawl. Significant (p < 0.0001) correlations were found between the AFI and oxygen saturation and ammonia. Oxygen quality standards are used to set boundaries between quality classes. Then, the AFIs obtained are compared with different anthropogenic pressures, including urban and industrial discharges, engineering works and dredging. The effects of the removal of some of these pressures are also studied. The total number of pressures within an estuary shows significant (p < 0.009) negative correlation with AFI, explaining between 51 and 62% of the variability in fish quality. The impact of pressures upon fish and demersal assemblages is detected as required by the WFD. Nonetheless, further investigation and intercalibration of the methods used, are necessary.     

1992年美国加州兰德斯地震——地壳结构不均匀性对地震发生的影响

为了理解地震的发生和地壳结构不均匀性的关系,利用南加州地震台网的固定台和临时台所记录的2863个兰德斯余震和区域地震,共计107401个P波和19624个S波高质量的到时数据,采用地震层析成像方法得到了兰德斯地震区P波和S波的精细的三维速度结构和泊松比分布．结果显示,地震的发生和分布与地壳结构的横向不均匀性有密切的关系．总体上看,兰德斯地震区余震成丛分布,并被低速块体截断,其中4级以上地震大多分布于P波高、低速异常过渡区域或偏向高速块体一侧,这可能是因为高速区多属地壳脆性介质,易于造成应力集中,导致地震;反之,低速度区则可能代表破碎程度较高、富含流体或温度较高区域,因而更倾向于产生无震变形．基于兰德斯地震区强震震源位置、地震区P波、S波速度异常与泊松比分布推断,兰德斯地震区可能有流体存在．地壳流体易使地壳岩石弱化,从而引发大地震．     

有限元方法在地震孕育过程与前兆机理研究中的应用进展

有限元方法的基本思想是将连续的求解区域离散为一组有限个、 且按一定方式相互联结在一起的单元的组合体。 有限元方法是目前应用最为广泛的数值模拟方法, 由于能够将复杂介质的力学本构关系及边界条件问题转化成为常规问题的计算程序, 所以越来越多的地震学者将其应用于地震成因与前兆机理研究中。 该文着重介绍了有限元数值分析方法及其模拟在地震孕育过程与前兆机理研究中的应用进展, 并提出开展小尺度规模如岩石中矿物颗粒之间的力学行为的有限元模拟研究等几点建议。     

模拟地震波传播的三维逐元并行谱元法

高效地震波场正演模拟对于复杂模型中地震波传播与成像研究至关重要.本文在谱元法原理框架内,对已有逐元谱元法改进,提出一种新的逐元并行谱元法求解三维地震波运动方程,并得到地震波场.逐元并行谱元法的核心思想在于在单元上进行质量矩阵与解向量的乘积运算,并将此运算平均分配至每一个CPU计算核心,此处理有利提升谱元法的并行计算效率...     

Assessment of seismic hazard for the Sannio-Matese area of Southern Italy — A summary

The working group on Test Regions for Evaluation of Methods for Seismic Hazard Assessment in Europe (TERESA), consisted of 15 members from 10 different European countries. Methods and experience gathered in these countries have been compared and discussed for two test areas in Europe: the Sannio-Matese region, Southern Italy, with high seismic activity, and the border region between Belgium, The Netherlands, and Federal Republic of Germany, with low activity.This paper summarizes the results for one of the test areas, Sannio-Matese. Most of the participants used statistical procedures to assess earthquake hazard, receiving results in terms of probability of occurrence for intensity as the ground-motion parameter. It was found that careful preparation of input data and parameters is the major influencing factor, therefore most of the efforts of the working group was devoted to this task.The scatter of the obtained results of the group is considerable, mainly because of the uncertainties in the data and the subjectiveness involved in the procedures. For better control of both factors, more objective methods have to be developed.     

未来地震震级的定量计算

将某一地震带在强震前某一时期内发生的地震,按其面波震级大小自大到小排列,并以N=2、3、4、……来累计频度,采用公式logN=a-bM计算a、b,从而计算出第一个地震的震级M_1,这就是未来可能发生地震的震级。通过对川滇地区和华北地区的九次近期强震进行计算,结果表明,在震级测定误差范围(±0.3级)内,上述的M和logN之间具有很好的线性关系,这就为地震预报和地震区划中定量计算未来地震震级提出了一个新的方法。     

1988年四川八美5级地震参数和前兆的研究

本文对1988年6月四川省道孚八美(即乾宁)4.5、5.0、4.0级地震前后地震活动进行了研究,给出了地震参数、P波初动解、余震序列和前兆变化的分析及未来地震危险性的讨论。     

输水管网模糊地震可靠性的 Monte Carlo 法分析程序

本文详细介绍了笔者所建议的运用模糊图理论和方法进行城市输水管网的地震可靠性分析途径和计算程序。对于输水管网中每段管道的震害预测,建立了相应的专家系统。在此基础上,定义了管网系统的模糊可靠性,更好地反映了人们对于管道损坏状态估计的模糊性和对可靠性要求上的模糊性。以模糊矩阵来描述输水管网的状态是十分方便的。通过计算模糊矩阵的传递闭包,极易找出最短路、关键段等。由于地震作用和管道抗震能力都是随机的,因此整个管网系统的可靠性分析是藉助Monle Carlo法进行的。以Monle Carlo法对模糊图进行分析,从而得到管网的地震可靠性,这还是首次。用PASCAL和PROLOG编制了在微机上实用的计算机程序,特别是以智能语言PROLOG编制的程序,更有许多特色。由于采用了一些技巧,使在微机上可以分析相当大的系统,为城市抗震防灾工作提供了一个有力的工具。