Earthen barriers to control lava flows in the 2001 eruption of Mt. Etna

Preceded by four days of intense seismicity and marked ground deformation, a new eruption of Mt. Etna started on 17 July and lasted until 9 August 2001. It produced lava emission and strombolian and phreatomagmatic activity from four different main vents located on a complex fracture system extending from the southeast summit cone for about 4.5 km southwards, from 3000 to 2100 m elevation (a.s.l.). The lava emitted from the lowest vent cut up an important road on the volcano and destroyed other rural roads and a few isolated country houses. Its front descended southwards to about 4 km distance from the villages of Nicolosi and Belpasso. A plan of intervention, including diversion and retaining barriers and possibly lava flow interruption, was prepared but not activated because the flow front stopped as a consequence of a decrease in the effusion rate. Extensive interventions were carried out in order to protect some important tourist facilities of the Sapienza and Mts. Silvestri zones (1900 m elevation) from being destroyed by the lava emitted from vents located at 2700 m and 2550 m elevation. Thirteen earthen barriers (with a maximum length of 370 m, height of 10–12 m, base width of 15 m and volume of 25 000 m³) were built to divert the lava flow away from the facilities towards a path implying considerably less damage. Most of the barriers were oriented diagonally (110–135°) to the direction of the flow. They were made of loose material excavated nearby and worked very nicely, resisting the thrust of the lava without any difficulty. After the interventions carried out on Mt. Etna in 1983 and in 1991–1992, those of 2001 confirm that earthen barriers can be very effective in controlling lava flows.     

Magnetotelluric Investigation of the Hydrothermal System and Heat Source in the Muine-Toyoha Geothermal Area, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract. Magnetotelluric (MT) surveys were carried out around the Muine volcano, Hokkaido, Japan, where it is expected that the heat and metal source forming the polymetallic Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-In Toyoha deposit is present at depth. Measurements were performed at 20 sites, 18 of which were located along a WSW-ENE profile traversing the north ridge of Mt. Muine. A resistivity model obtained from 2D inversion of the MT data shows subsurface specific conductive and resistive features. Conductive layers are present at the surface of Mt. Muine. The low resistivity is probably due to the clay-rich rocks associated with the hydrothermal alteration. A high resistivity layer, which corresponds to the pre-Tertiary Usubetsu Formation, crops out east of Mt. Muine and dips westward. At the west foot of Mt. Muine, relatively high resistive layers are widely exposed. The resistivity increases with depth and exceeds 1000 ohm-m. This fact indicates that this region is not influenced by the recent hydrothermal activity. An extremely conductive zone about 3–6 km wide and 6–9 km thick exists at a depth of 2 km below Mt. Muine. This zone mostly corresponds to an elastic wave attenuation zone detected by a seismic survey. It is interpreted as a large hydrothermal reservoir or melted magma, which is a heat source of the hydrothermal system in this area.     

长白山天池火山区长白-敦化剖面结晶基底的探测和研究

时间项分析法中，应用广义最小二乘法进行反演，对长白山天池火山区岩浆系统的长白—敦化(L1)剖面的Pg波到时进行了计算处理，得到了Pg波时间项及基底速度值；取上部地壳的介质平均速度为4．5km/s，经反演求得了各点的深度值，给出了长白山天池火山区结晶基底的厚度分布。结晶基底厚度一般在2．0km左右，而在长白山天池下方结晶基底最厚处接近4．0km；在万宝和敦化附近各有一不太明显的凹陷，其原因可能与在这两个位置处有几条断裂穿过有关。     

马鞍山的古冰川地貌

马鞍山是四川盆地西南边缘第一高山。此山存在第四纪冰川地貌。它是我国东部一处典型的古冰川地貌，时代属末次冰期与新冰期。     

Numerical modeling of 3-D terrain effect on MT field

Using the boundary element method, the numerical modeling problem of three-dimensional terrain effect on magnetotelluric (MT) field is solved. This modeling technique can be run on PC in the case of adopting special net division. The result of modeling test for 2-D terrain by this modeling technique is basically coincident with that by 2-D modeling technique, but there is a great difference between the results of 3-D and 2-D modeling for 3-D terrain. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

青藏高原祖尔肯乌拉山地区火山岩Ar-Ar年代学初步研究

对祖尔肯乌拉山地区 4个火山岩样品进行了Ar -Ar年龄测定 ,其坪年龄分别为 (40 91± 1 18)Ma、(41 0 7± 0 80 )Ma、(42 0 0± 1 31)Ma、(39 0 0± 2 0 6 )Ma。它们代表了这些火山岩的形成时代 ,表明本区在古近纪始新世中期发生过大规模的火山活动     

贡嘎山东坡海螺沟的河川径流特征

对贡嘎山高山水文观测试验系统进行了简要介绍，并对海螺沟冰川河以及黄崩溜沟的径流特征进行了初步探讨。由于大气降水同是冰川河及黄崩溜沟径流的重要补给来源，故其径流量的季节变化明显带有大气降水过程的烙印，显得丰、枯分明。在冰川河，冰雪融水和地下水在枯水季节的稳定补给改变了大气降水对冰川河径流的年内分配过程；在黄崩溜沟，由于冰雪融水和地下水对其径流的补给非常有限，大气降水过程对其径流过程的影响便明显大过冰川河。     

青藏高原东南缘贡嘎山东坡亚高山土壤的土相

根据土相学定义，提出了包括研究内容、方法和分类命名等的土相学研究具体方案。并以贡嘎山东坡亚高山为例，对该地从海拔l820m～3650m的垂直地带土壤的土相，进行了实例研究。分析了典型土壤的土貌、土型和土壤微形态等土相要素和土相的特征；提出了各要素和土相的具体分类系统和命名方法。研究结果表明，土相可系统、完整地表述宏观、中观和微观各层次的土壤形态特征。既继承了土壤学研究的传统理论，又充分吸收了土壤学最新理论研究成果；既有扎实的理论基础，又有可操作性。在理论和实际应用上都有重要意义。     

A newly defined Late Ordovician magmatic‐thermal event in the Mt Painter Province,northern Flinders Ranges,South Australia

Magmatism,metamorphism and metasomatism in the Palaeoproterozoic‐Mesoproterozoic Mt Painter Inlier and overlying Neoproterozoic Adelaidean rocks in the northern Flinders Ranges (South Australia) have previously been interpreted as resulting from the ca 500 Ma Delamerian Orogeny. New Rb–Sr, Sm–Nd and U–Pb data, as well as structural analysis,indicate that the area also experienced a second thermal event in the Late Ordovician (ca 440 Ma). The Delamerian Orogeny resulted in large‐scale folding, prograde metamorphism and minor magmatic activity in the form of a small volume of pegmatites and leucogranites. The Late Ordovician event produced larger volumes of granite (the British Empire Granite in the core of the inlier) and these show Nd isotopic evidence for a mantle component. The high‐temperature stage of this magmatic‐hydrothermal event also gave rise to unusual diopside‐titanite veins and the primary uranium mineralisation in the basement, of which the remobilisation was younger than 3.5 Ma. It is possible that parts of the Mt Gee quartz‐hematite epithermal system developed during the waning stages of the Late Ordovician event. We suggest that the Ordovician hydrothermal system was also the cause of the commonly observed retrogression of Delamerian metamorphic minerals (cordierite, andalusite) and the widespread development of actinolite, scapolite, tremolite and magnetite in the cover sequences. Deformation during the Late Ordovician was brittle. The recognition of the Late Ordovician magmatic‐hydrothermal event in the Mt Painter Province might help to link the tectonic evolution of central Australia and the southeast Australian Lachlan Fold Belt.