Diffuse emission of CO2 from the Fossa crater,Vulcano Island (Italy)

 Numerous measurements of CO₂ degassing from the soil, carried out with the accumulation chamber method, indicate that in the period April–July 1995 the upper part of the Fossa cone released a total output of 200 t d^–1 of CO₂, which corresponds to approximately 1000 t d^–1 of steam. These large amounts of fluids are of the same order of magnitude as those released by the high temperature fumarolic field located inside the crater. The spatial distribution of soil gas fluxes shows that the main structures releasing CO₂ are the inner slopes of the crater and a NW–SE line, located NE of the crater rim, which correspond to the main direction of Vulcano Island active faults. The comparison of the φCO₂ maps with the soil temperature distribution, derived from both direct measurements and airborne infrared images, indicates the occurrence of extensive condensation of fumarolic steam within the upper part of the Fossa cone, whose total amount is comparable to the rainfall budget. Part of the condensate which originates from this process contributes to the recharge of the phreatic aquifer of Porto Plain, modifying the chemical and isotopic composition of the groundwater. Received: 1 September 1995 / Accepted: 8 January 1996     

THE DISTRIBUTION REGULARITY OF HIGHER CATEGORIES IN CHINESE SOIL TAXONOMY

SoildaSSificationPlays~rolesinsoilsUrVey,soilmappingandagriculturaltechnologytranSferinthelightoflocalconditions.ItisalsothemediumofsoilsciencecornmunicationamongdomesticandinternationalscholarS.MOber,thesurveyandevaluationoftricultUralnatalsoarealways~onthesoilclaSSification:firstly,theproperties,typeSanddistributionSofAmsmustbesurveyed;thenthesoiladaptationandproductionPOtentialcanbeevaluated.This'isoneofthemostimportantandbasicworkintheinvestigatignofagricultUralsituation.I.~~or~occu…     

Seasonal soil water dynamics in the jarrah forest,Western Australia. II: Results from a site with fine-textured soil profiles

Seasonal soil water dynamics were measured at a fine-textured, upslope site within the jarrah forest of southwest Western Australia and compared to the results from a coarse-textured hillslope transect. Gravity drainage dominated during winter and early spring. This reversed in early summer and an upward potential gradient was observed to 7 m depth. A shallow ephemeral saturation zone was observed above a clay pan at 1.5 m depth. This saturation zone persisted through late winter and early spring, contrasting with the short-lived saturation in the duricrust on the hillslope transect. The annual maximum to minimum unsaturated soil water storage was about 530 mm, 50 mm greater than the hillslope transect and higher than most values reported elsewhere in Australia. Significant soil water content changes following winter rain were generally restricted to 6 m but at one site occurred to 9 m. These depths were significantly less than the coarser-textured hillslope transect. Soil water drying rates averaged 5 mm day^?1 during extended dry periods compared to 3.5 mm day^?1 on the hillslope transect. The drying rate occurred uniformly through the profile until late summer when a significant decrease in the upper 3 m was observed.     

Development and testing of subsurface sampling devices for the Beagle 2 lander

For planetary landing missions, the capability to acquire samples of soil and rock is of high importance whenever complex analyses (e.g. isotopic studies) on these materials are to be carried out, or when samples are to be returned to Earth. Not only surface samples are of relevance, but in recent concepts at least for Mars landing missions also subsurface samples are required. Subsurface material on Mars is believed to have been protected from the inferred oxidants at the immediate surface while also being protected from the UV influx. Therefore, there is considerable hope that in subsurface soil samples on Mars, at least organic matter delivered by meteorites may be detected, and possibly also relics of earlier simple microbial life on the planet. Likewise, samples from the inside of Martian surface rocks promise to have been protected from weathering and for the same reason they are important for organic chemistry studies. In this paper, an overview is given of the development and science of two different subsurface sampling devices for the Beagle 2 lander of ESA's Mars Express mission, being a “Mole” subsurface soil sampler and a small rock coring and sampling mechanism. Besides their sampling function, both the Mole and the Corer/Grinder will provide data on physical properties of Martian soils and rock, respectively, through the way they interact with the sampled materials. Details of the Mole and Corer/Grinder design are presented, along with results of recent tests with prototypes in the laboratory on physically analogous sample materials.     

福建省土壤分类参比与土壤系统分类检索

在阐述不同土壤分类系统参比规则和方法的基础上 ,根据长期研究工作积累 ,对福建省的主要土壤类型进行发生学分类与中国土壤系统分类 (修订方案 )的参比 ,初拟了福建省土壤系统分类检索表 ,以推动区域土壤分类的变革 ,方便本领域的学术交流和技术引进.     

Seasonal soil water dynamics in the jarrah forest,Western Australia. I: Results from a hillslope transect with coarse-textured soil profiles

Seasonal soil water dynamics were measured on a hillslope transect in the jarrah forest of southwest Western Australia over the period 1984-86 using mercury manometer tensiometers, gypsum blocks, and a neutron moisture meter. The soil water potential gradients indicated downward vertical drainage flux through winter and spring. There was generally a change to an upwards flux in early summer which was sustained through to autumn. A shallow ephemeral saturation zone was identified in and above a duricrust layer, lasting up to three days after heavy, late winter rainfall. The annual maximum to minimum unsaturated soil water storage on the hillslope was approximately 400 mm to 6 m depth and 480 mm to 15 m depth. This did not change significantly in years of substantially different winter rainfall. The magnitude of seasonal soil water storage was similar to other forested areas with deep soil profiles. The depth of observable infiltration was dependent on annual rainfall. This was consistent with the observation that groundwater levels responded to rainfall over the whole hillslope in wet years but only responded on the lower slopes in dry years. The average summer drying rate of the soil profile to 6 m depth of 3.5 mm day^?1 was within the range of values reported for forests elsewhere. In late summer, following an extended drought period, the drying rate decreased downslope but increased midslope.     

新一轮土地利用总体规划修编思路探讨——以即墨市土地利用总体规划修编为例

通过即墨市土地利用总体规划修编试点工作,提出了县级土地利用规划修编思路:力求土地利用现状数据可靠,实现图(实地)数一致;要对土地资源利用状况进行全面地分析;要科学地预测各业用地,综合协调和平衡用地规模;要运用专家论证与公众参与相结合的方法,逐步优化规划方案;应积极采用信息技术,并结合制度创新提高规划的科学性和可行性。     

An evaluation of the universal soil loss equation and field techniques for assessing soil erosion on a tropical alfisol in western Nigeria

Four techniques for soil erosion assessment were compared over two consecutive seasons for bare-fallow plots and a maize-cowpea sequence in 1985 at IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria. The techniques used were: tracer (aluminium paint), nails (16 and 25), the rill method, and the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Soil loss estimated by these techniques was compared with that determined using the runoff plot technique. There was significantly more soil loss (P < 0·01) in bare-fallow than in plots under maize (Zea mays) or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). In the first season, soil loss from plots sown to maize was 40·2 Mg ha^?1 compared with 153·3 Mg ha^?1 from bare-fallow plots. In the second season, bare-fallow plots lost 87·5 Mg ha^?1 against 39·4 Mg ha^?1 lost from plots growing cowpea. The techniques used for assessing erosion had no influence on the magnitude of soil erosion and did not interfere with the processes of erosion. There was no significant difference (P < 0·05) between soil erosion determined by the nails and the runoff plot technique. Soil loss determined on six plots (three under maize, three bare-fallow) by the rill technique, at the end of the season, was significantly lower (P < 0·05) than that determined by the runoff plot technique. The soil loss estimated by the rill method was 143·2, 108·8 and 121·9 Mg ha^?1 for 11, 11, and 8 per cent slopes respectively, in comparison with 201·5, 162·0, and 166·4 Mg ha^?1 measured by the runoff plot method. Soil loss measured on three bare-fallow plots on 10 different dates by the rill technique was also significantly lower (P < 0·01) than that measured by the runoff plot. In the first season the USLE significantly underestimated soil loss. On 11, 11, and 8 per cent slopes, respectively, soil loss determined by the USLE was 77, 92, and 63 per cent of that measured by the runoff plot. However, in the second season there was no significant difference between soil loss determined by the USLE and that determined by the conventional runoff plot technique.     

Support vector machines‐based modelling of seismic liquefaction potential

This paper investigates the potential of support vector machines (SVM)‐based classification approach to assess the liquefaction potential from actual standard penetration test (SPT) and cone penetration test (CPT) field data. SVMs are based on statistical learning theory and found to work well in comparison to neural networks in several other applications. Both CPT and SPT field data sets is used with SVMs for predicting the occurrence and non‐occurrence of liquefaction based on different input parameter combination. With SPT and CPT test data sets, highest accuracy of 96 and 97%, respectively, was achieved with SVMs. This suggests that SVMs can effectively be used to model the complex relationship between different soil parameter and the liquefaction potential. Several other combinations of input variable were used to assess the influence of different input parameters on liquefaction potential. Proposed approach suggest that neither normalized cone resistance value with CPT data nor the calculation of standardized SPT value is required with SPT data. Further, SVMs required few user‐defined parameters and provide better performance in comparison to neural network approach. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.