Riddle of arsenic in groundwater of Bengal Delta Plain—role of non-inland source and redox traps

In the Bengal Delta Plain (BDP) the primary arsenic sourcing appears to be different from the global scenario. Here, the Terminal Pleistocene–Holocene depositional platform, the interactive early Holocene depositional morphology with fluvio-estuarine and marine incursions played a crucial role for arsenic sourcing and enrichment. The lenticular silt-fine sand layer between anoxic clay beds favoured entrapment of dissolved organic carbon with decayed phyto-planktons debris. The Terminal Pleistocene–Holocene transgression and regression processes may have acted as major events in the BDP. Interestingly, at the end of the last glacial maxima, the Pleistocene delta had undergone block movements, wherein some parts of the platform were raised above the level of Holocene deposition. Those blocks were found to be free from arsenic in the groundwater. The sea, during re-emerging inundation (10–7 ka BP), has witnessed a monsoon-induced environment in the BDP with the resultant oscillation of sea level leading to higher upsurge towards the north. This might have resulted in the marine incursion and inundation in pre-existing land depressions. Meanwhile arsenic entrapments through marine incursion as well as enrichment in the presence of organic carbon/DOC and/or Fe/Mn/Al catalytic agents could have developed into localised redox traps. It may be of relevance that due to the repetitive transgressive–regressive phases in Holocene, resulting in periodic exposure and weathering of iron-bearing minerals and consequent iron enrichment in the aquifer system. The iron, thus present, had free charge to host arsenic as a sink. It appears that arsenic, wherever found, would likely be of atypical localised exhaustible phenomenon, both in horizontal and vertical context. It also rationalises the cause of the absence of arsenic in the other nearby Pleistocene platform, which has not come across Holocene interaction and marine incursion, as to the likely limiting condition for the search for arsenic in the BDP or beyond.     

北京平原区晚中生代安山岩锆石U-Pb年代学及其地质意义

本文对北京平原区Jr173井和Jr176井安山岩进行了SHRIMP和LA-LCP-MS锆石U-Pb定年,用以精确限定北京平原区火山岩时代、盆地形成与地貌转变之间的关系。2个安山岩中的锆石多晶型良好,具有典型的生长环带和较高的Th/U比值,显示其为岩浆锆石。Jr173井底部安山岩14颗锆石的206Pb/238U年龄可分为两组,其加权平均年龄分别为122.6Ma和138.4Ma;Jr176底部安山岩53颗锆石的206Pb/238U加权平均年龄为122.63Ma,表明该期火山岩的形成时代为早白垩世晚期,与前人认为的侏罗纪有较大区别。结合前人资料,北京地区沿着黄庄-高丽营断裂一线形成断陷盆地,西部隆升为山脉,东部下降为平原,就其安山岩喷发时代、空间展布和盆地发育特征而言,可视为中国东部晚中生代构造演化的一个缩影。     

Numerical simulation of groundwater and early warnings from the simulated dynamic evolution trend in the plain area of Shenyang,Liaoning Province (P.R. China)

Groundwater level is the most direct factor reflecting whether groundwater is in a virtuous cycle. It is the most important benchmark for deciding whether a balance can be struck between groundwater discharge and recharge and whether groundwater exploitation will trigger problems pertinent to environment, ecology and environmental geology. According to the borehole and long-term monitoring wells data in the plain area of Shenyang, a numerical groundwater model is established and used to identify and verify the hydrogeological parameters and balanced items of groundwater. Then the concept of red line levels, the control levels of groundwater is proposed, the dynamic evolution trend of groundwater under different scenarios is analyzed and predicted and groundwater alerts are given when groundwater tables are not between the lower limit and the upper limit. Results indicated: (1) The results of identification and verification period fitted well, and the calculation accuracy of balanced items was high; (2) with the implementation of shutting wells, groundwater levels in urban areas of Shenyang would exceed the upper limit water level after 2020 and incur some secondary disasters; (3) under the recommended scenario of water resources allocation, early-warnings for groundwater tables outside the range would occur in the year of 2020, 2023, 2025 respectively for successive wet, normal and dry years. It was imperative to reopen some groundwater sources and enhance real-time supervision and early-warning to prevent the occurrence of potential problems.     

Deformation patterns of upper Quaternary strata and their relation to active tectonics,Po Basin,Italy

Despite increased application of subsurface datasets below the limits of seismic resolution, reconstructing near‐surface deformation of shallow key stratigraphic markers beneath modern alluvial and coastal plains through sediment core analysis has received little attention. Highly resolved stratigraphy of Upper Pleistocene to Holocene (Marine Isotope Stage 5e to Marine Isotope Stage 1) alluvial, deltaic and coastal depositional systems across the southern Po Plain, down to 150 m depth, provides an unambiguous documentation on the deformation of previously flat‐lying strata that goes back in time beyond the limits of morphological, historical and palaeoseismic records. Five prominent key horizons, accurately selected on the basis of their sedimentological characteristics and typified for their fossil content, were used as highly effective stratigraphic markers (M1 to M5) that can be tracked for tens of kilometres across the basin. A facies‐controlled approach tied to a robust chronology (102 radiocarbon dates) reveals considerable deformation of laterally extensive nearshore (M1), continental (M2 and M3) and lagoon (M4 and M5) marker beds originally deposited in a horizontal position (M1, M4 and M5). The areas where antiformal geometries are best observed are remarkably coincident with the axes of buried ramp anticlines, across which new seismic images reveal substantially warped stratal geometries of Lower Pleistocene strata. The striking spatial coincidence of fold crests with the epicentres of historic and instrumental seismicity suggests that deformation of marker beds M1 to M5 might reflect, in part at least, syntectonically generated relief and, thus, active tectonism. Precise identification and lateral tracing of chronologically constrained stratigraphic markers in the ¹⁴C time window through combined sedimentological and palaeoecological data may delineate late Quaternary subsurface stratigraphic architecture at an unprecedented level of detail, outlining cryptic stratal geometries at the sub‐seismic scale. This approach is highly reproducible in tectonically active Quaternary depositional systems and can help to assess patterns of active deformation in the subsurface of modern alluvial and coastal plains worldwide.     

Change of ancient hydrology net in Northeast China Plain

Comparing with lithofacies palaeogeography of several great plains, the authors analyzed four great plains in Quaternary diastrophism, the sedimentary facies, sedimentary environment and their evolution from the independent embryonic and river system of ancient Heilongjiang finally to the Halar highland, Songnen Plain, Sanjiang Plain, the Xingkai Lake Plain and various river systems, collected the unification outside the system of Heilongjiang River to release into the sea, south ancient Xialiao River finally piracy Dongliao River, Xialiao River had released into the sea the ancient water law vicissitude and the evolved rule.     

江汉平原古生界构造结构特征及油气勘探方向

江汉平原古生界具有北西—南东向分为三块、北东—南西向分为三带及纵向上多层楼的构造结构特征。三个区块为当阳—京山构造区、荆州—仙桃构造区及鄂城—大冶构造区,每个区块均可划分出三个次级构造带,并在全区形成三个构造变形分带。这三个分带在变形强度、构造样式等方面具有特征性差异:北东侧的构造分带受东秦岭—大别山造山运动产生的挤压应力的直接作用,显示以逆冲推覆结构为主要特征;南西侧的构造分带在三个构造区有差别,在当阳—京山构造区形成斜坡稳定带,在另两个构造区则以推覆叠瓦构造为特征;中部构造分带一般显示前缘断褶或复合叠加构造。当阳—京山构造区东部和鄂城—大冶构造区应以逆冲推覆体为勘探对象;荆州—仙桃构造区的仙桃地区应以上古生界油气藏为勘探目标;当阳—京山构造区西部宜昌稳定带和荆州—仙桃构造区的珂理—簰洲地区则应以下古生界油气藏为勘探目标。     

关中平原城市群植被覆盖的时空特征与影响因素

植被是全球及区域生态系统环境变化的重要指标,也是对人类社会活动有重要贡献的资源之一。为了研究关中平原城市群不同区域植被覆盖变化对自然和人文因子的响应,以划分为三个区域的植被作为研究对象,选取2000—2017年MODIS-NDVI遥感数据,运用趋势分析、探索性空间数据分析与地理探测器等方法,从时序演进与空间分布方面研究了18 a内植被覆盖的演化及分布特征,定量分析影响植被覆盖的主导因子。遥感数据要通过投影转换、拼接、最大值合成等方法进行处理,再运用Python程序进行影像批量裁剪,将遥感数据和气象数据进行分区统计,最后对该处理数据进行讨论研究。结论表明：（1） 研究期内关中平原城市群植被覆盖呈显著上升趋势,NDVI平均值增速为0.077·（10 a）^–1,阶段性变化特征明显,其中2005—2007阶段和2011—2013阶段极显著增加,最大上升速率达到了0.05·a^–1。（2） 空间上总体呈现“南高北低”的分布特征,研究区总体得到改善;高值区主要分布在南部秦岭北坡,受气候因子的影响更大,植被覆盖增加速度缓慢,达到轻度改善水平;低值区聚集在黄土高原边缘地区,植被增加趋势明显;中部关中平原极少部分地区植被覆盖出现了轻度退化或严重退化,以西安市及临近城市最为典型。（3） 热点区主要分布在秦岭山区及关中平原中部地区,冷点区则集中于黄土高原边缘地区,植被覆盖总体以增长为主。热点区格网数量持续增多,2013年达到最大为45.07%;冷点区域数量不断减少,2017年减少到9.82%;次热点区与次冷点区主要分布在中部平原地带及北部地区,由连片分布转化为零散分布,且总量不断减少。（4） 自然因素对植被覆盖的影响最为突出,其中气温和降水为影响植被覆盖的主导因子,决定力q值分别为0.955和0.931,且气温的影响大于降水的影响;人文因子影响力较为显著,GDP因子决定力q值达到0.387。研究可为当地改善植被覆盖环境提供理论依据。     

Effect of farmland expansion on drought over the past century in Songnen Plain,Northeast China

The effects of human activities on climate change are a significant area of research in the field of global environmental change. Land use and land cover change(LUCC) has a greater effect on climate than greenhouse gases, and the effect of farmland expansion on regional drought is particularly important. From the 1910 s to the 2010 s, cultivated land in Songnen Plain increased by 2.67 times, the area of cultivated land increased from 4.92×10~4 km~2 to 13.14×10~4 km~2, and its percentage of all land increased from 25% to 70%. This provides an opportunity to study the effects of the conversion of natural grassland to farmland on climate. In this study, the drought indices in Songnen Plain were evaluated from the 1910 s to the 2010 s, and the effect of farmland expansion on drought was investigated using statistical methods and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model based on UK's Climatic Research Unit data. The resulting dryness index, Palmer drought severity index, and standardized precipitation index values indicated a significant drying trend in the study area from 1981 to 2010. This trend can be attributed to increases in maximum temperature and diurnal temperature range, which increased the degree of drought. Based on statistical analysis and simulation, the maximum temperature, diurnal temperature range, and sensible heat flux increased during the growing season in Songnen Plain over the past 100 years, while the minimum temperature and latent heat flux decreased. The findings indicate that farmland expansion caused a drying trend in Songnen Plain during the study period.