Some fine-grained sedimentation phenomena in caves

Fine-grained sedimentation in caves often occurs by the parallel accretion of laminations upon the underlying bedforms. These laminations show remarkable persistence in unit thickness and grain size in a down-passage direction. A translatory flow mechanism ofdeposition is postulated which results in the rhythmic pulsing of sediment-laden water into subterranean lakes in response to variations in surface climate. The sediments are pulsed into standing water via multiple inputs, often resulting in coarser sediment being deposited on steeper slopes than on more gentle slopes. The final extension of this sediment input is the complete filling of the cave passage to the roof. The problem of sediment stability on steep slopes remains an unanswered anomaly.     

Mantle heat flow and geotherms for major tectonic units in central Europe

The results of seismic measurements along the deep seismic sounding profile VII and terrestrial heat flow measurements used for construction of heat generation models for the crust in the Paleozoic Platform region, the Sudetic Mountains (Variscan Internides) and the European Precambrian Platform show considerable differences in mantle heat flow and temperatures. At the base of the crust variations from 440–510°C in the models of Precambrian Platform to 700–820°C for the Paleozoic Platform and the Variscan Internides (Sudets) are found. These differences are associated with considerable mantle heat flow variations.The calculated models show mantle heat flow of about 8.4–12.6 mW m^–2 for the Precambrian Platform and 31 mW m^–2 to 40.2 mW m^–2 for Paleozoic orogenic areas. The heat flow contribution originating from crustal radioactivity is almost the same for the different tectonic units (from 33.5 mW m^–2 to 37.6 mW m^–2). Considerable physical differences in the lower crust and upper mantle between the Precambrian Platform and the adjacent areas, produced by lateral temperature variations, could be expected. On the basis of carbon ratio data it can be concluded that the Carboniferous paleogeothermal gradient was much lower in the Precambrian Platform area than in the Paleozoic Platform region.     

Heat flow in the Basin and Range province and thermal effects of tectonic extension

In regions of tectonic extension, vertical convective transport of heat in the lithosphere is inevitable. The resulting departure of lithosphere temperature and thickness from conduction-model estimates depends upon the mechanical mode of extension and upon how rapidly extension is (and has been) taking place. Present knowledge of these processes is insufficient to provide adequate constraints on thermal models. The high and variable regional heat flow and the intense local heat discharge at volcanic centers in the Basin and Range province of the United States could be accounted for by regional and local variations in extensional strain rate without invoking anomalous conductive heat flow from the asthenosphere. Anomalous surface heat flow typical of the province could be generated by distributed extension at average rates of about 1/2 to 1%/m.y., similar to rates estimated from structural evidence. To account for higher heat flow in subregions like the Battle mountain High, these rates would be increased by a factor of about 3, and locally at active bimodal volcanic centers, by an order of magnitude more.     

Heat flow map of the European part of the U.S.S.R.

A heat flow isoline map is presented. Low and relatively constant heat flow has been observed in the old shield areas of the East European Platform (25–40 mW/m²). Increased heat flow (>50 mW/m²) has been found in the Dniepr-Donetz depression. The area south of the East European Platform is characterized by highly variable heat flow (55–100 mW/m²). Some geophysical implications are discussed.     

Flow in an aquifer charged with hot water from a fault zone

Many geothermal anomalies are intersected by vertical fault zones (narrow zones of fractured material with large effective permeability). These conduits are probably responsible for much of the upwelling of hot water from depth. This paper considers a shallow aquifer intersected by a vertical fault. The fluid flow in the aquifer is numerically modeled as a two-dimensional problem. It is observed that the temperature distribution in the aquifer is governed primarily by lateral flow of hot water supplied from the intersecting vertical fault and only secondarily by conduction. The numerical results also provide a possible explanation for the local temperature maxima and inversions occasionally observed in borehole measurements. The present model is an alternative to that based on mushroom-shaped isotherm distributions found in high Rayleigh number large-scale circulation cell calculations.     

Heat flow in Italy

More than fifty heat flow measurements in Italy are examined. The values, corrected only for local influences (when present), are related to the main geological features with the following results: foreland areas, 55±19 mW m^–2, foredeep areas, 45±21 mW m^–2; folded regions and intermountain depressions, 76±29 mW m^–2. In volcanic areas the heat flow rises to in excess of 600 mW m^–2. From a tectonic point of view, these values are consistent with the hypothesis that the Apennine chain is intersected by two arcuate structures: the first from Liguria to Latium is very probably a continental arc, that is an are which occurs within a continent, and the second from Campania to Calabria is very similar from geophysical evidence to the classic island arcs.     

Drainage density changes during rainfall

Observations of stream behaviour during rainfall indicate that previous notions of a simple expanding and contracting network need review and refinement. In a small rural catchment near Armidale, N.S.W. changes in flowing stream length during rainfall have been depicted on flow length graphs which indicate a varied network response to similar rainfall amounts. Channel flow phenomena include discontinuous flow, the generation of flow points within the channel and movement of water downslope from saturated depression sources. Localized physical controls have a significant effect on stream growth which is a sensitive indicator of the catchment response to rainfall. During rapid changes in stream length total flowing length and discharge are highly correlated. A model of the pattern of network expansion and contraction involves several phases of flow contraction.     

Simulation of flow geometry in a riffle-pool stream

The nature of the flow in most natural streams is gradually varied rather than uniform. This is particularly true of streams with coarse gravel bed material organized into relatively stable riffle and pool features. In spite of this, there are few applications of the gradually varied flow models (e.g. the Bernoulli equation) to such streams. This paper presents some initial results of a simulation of flow patterns in two riffle-pool reaches, using an open channel flow profile computation method based on an equation defining an energy balance between successive cross-sections separated by an incremental distance.     

Erosion and deposition by debris flows at Mt Thomas,North Canterbury,New Zealand

The grass-covered slopes on the southern flank of Mt Thomas, an upfaulted block of highly sheared sandstone and argillite 40 km NW of Christchurch, New Zealand, are presently undergoing severe erosion by a combination of mass-wasting processes. Gully erosion, soil slips, and debris flows have carved out a number of steep, deeply incised ravines, from which coarse debris is transported (primarily by debris flows) to alluvial fans below. Geologic and historical evidence indicates that debris flows have been episodically active here for at least the last 20,000 years and have been the dominant process in fan building. This demonstrates that catastrophic geomorphic processes, rather than processes acting at relatively uniform rates, can be dominant in humid-temperate areas as well as in arid and semi-arid regions. In April 1978, debris flows were triggered in one of two unstable ravines in the Bullock Creek catchment by a moderate intensity, long duration rainstorm with a return period in excess of 20 years. Surges of fluid debris, moving at velocities up to 5 m/s, transported a dense slurry of gravel, sand, and mud up to 3·5 km over a vertical fall of 600 m. Deposition on the alluvial fan occurred when the flows left the confines of an entrenched fan-head channel and spread out as a 0·16 km² sheet averaging 1·2 m thick. In all, 195,000 m³ were deposited, roughly a third of that being reworked sediments from the head of the fan. Sediment yield from this one event would be equivalent to several thousand years worth of erosion at average sediment discharge rates for small South Island mountain catchments. Samples of viscous fluid debris during surges contained up to 84 per cent solids, composed of 70 per cent gravel, 20 per cent silt, and 4 per cent clay. Fluid density of the material ranged between 1·95 and 2·13 g/cm³, and it was extremely poorly sorted. Between surges the fluid was less viscous, less dense, and unable to carry gravel in suspension. Severe fan-head entrenchment of the stream channel (approximately 10 m in less than 24 hours) was accomplished by the erosive action of the surges. Tectonic uplift of the Mt Thomas block and the weak, crushed condition of the bedrock appear to be ultimately responsible for the catastropic erosion of slopes in the Bullock Creek catchment. However, forest clearing within the last few centuries appears to have greatly increased the rate of mass wasting and gully erosion on these slopes.     

造成山东不同天气的两个西南低涡异同分析

１９９６年６月２８－２９日和７月３－４日两桨相似的西南低涡东移,造成山东降水的范围和强度却悬殊柝大,分析发现,西南低涡影响山东产生天气差异的根本原因在于引导气流,物理机制和热力结构的不同,尤其是引导气流的差异,西南低涡的移向基本上沿引导气流方向,而其发展决定于高空冷却平流的强弱,给出了西南低涡造成了山东暴雨的天气概念模型,对今后预报此类暴雨提供了一些参考。