Fossil gastropods from the MGS3 stratigraphic segment in the Salawusu River Valley and their climatic and environmental implications

Contemporaneous with MIS3, the MGS3 segment of the Milanggouwan stratigraphic section in the Salawusu River Valley, Mu Us Desert, China contains fossil gastropods (terrestrial and freshwater snails) in strata 33LS, 35LS, 37FL and 39LS. Examination of these fossils revealed 11 species belonging to 8 families and 10 genera. They can be classified as: (1) assemblage of Gyraulus and Galba mainly consisting of Gyraulus convexiusculus, Gyraulus sibiricus, Galba pervia and Galba superegra Gredler, etc. (2) assemblage of Vallonia mainly consisting of terrestrial snails, such as Vallonia patens, Pupilla muscorum and Discus paupe, etc. Based on the dating results, and the living habits, living conditions, and geographic distribution of their extant species, we suggest that: the ages of 33LS, 35LS, 37FL, and 39LS are 26000, 29000, 33000 and 38000 a, respectively, corresponding well to the interstadial period in GRIP 4, 5, 6 and 10 in terms of chronology and climatic characters; 33LS, 35LS and 39LS represent very warm-humid periods, while 37FL represents a less warm-humid period; the four periods of climatic fluctuations recorded in MGS3 were related to the strong impact of the summer monsoon in East Asia in Mu Us Desert of China during the interstadial of MIS3 on a global climatic background.     

Faulting, shallow seismicity and seismic hazard analysis for the Costa Rican Central Valley

Faulting, shallow seismicity (0–30 km), and seismic hazard of the Costa Rican Central Valley were analyzed. Faults in the study area are oriented northwest or northeast. There is an active fault system in the south flank of the Central Volcanic Ridge and another in the north flank of the Talamanca Ridge. Faults of these systems have generated 15 destructive earthquakes in the area during the last 228 years all of them shallow and their locations show one cluster near the Poas Volcano and another southward the Central Valley. These earthquakes have damaged cities of the Central Valley, two of them destroyed Cartago city and almost 1000 people were killed. Regarding recent seismicity, there are three main seismic sources at the Central Volcanic Ridge: Irazu, Bajo de la Hondura and Poas and other three in the Talamanca Ridge: Puriscal, Los Santos and Pejibaye.A seismic hazard map for the Metropolitan Area of San José has been elaborated, based on local tectonic and seismic information. The area for the hazard computation covers an area of 20×15 km² and includes the zone where the most population and socioeconomic activities are concentrated. The computation analysis are based on areas zones and faults, each one characterized by recurrence parameters, geometry, minimum and maximum magnitude and source depth. A recent local spectral attenuation model, which includes relations for shallow crustal sources and subduction zone earthquakes, has been applied in this study. The seismic hazard results are presented in terms of contour plots of estimated peak ground acceleration (PGA) for bedrock conditions for return period of 50, 100 and 500 years. In the Central Park of San Jose City the following PGA values were found: 0.29g for 50 years, 0.36g for 100 years, and 0.53g for 500 years.     

九寨沟黄龙地区两条新的科考生态旅游线

四沟、红星岩两条旅游线,长约１０８ｋｍ,旅游资源丰富,品位高,类型齐全,计有地质地貌类、水域类、生物类、气象气景类和人文景观类等５大类,并对其进行了初步评价,提出了开发建议的设想。两条旅游线的发现,为九寨沟黄龙两个风景区之间架起了一个科考、生态旅游桥梁。     

Interpreting characteristic drainage timescale variability across Kilombero Valley,Tanzania

We explore seasonal variability and spatiotemporal patterns in characteristic drainage timescale (K) estimated from river discharge records across the Kilombero Valley in central Tanzania. K values were determined using streamflow recession analysis with a Brutsaert–Nieber solution to the linearized Boussinesq equation. Estimated K values were variable, comparing between wet and dry seasons for the relatively small catchments draining upland positions. For the larger catchments draining through valley bottoms, K values were typically longer and more consistent across seasons. Variations in K were compared with long‐term averaged, Moderate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer‐derived monthly evapotranspiration. Although the variations in K were potentially related to evapotranspiration, the influence of data quality and analysis procedure could not be discounted. As such, even though recession analysis offers a potential approach to explore aquifer release timescales and thereby gain insight to a region's hydrology to inform water resources management, care must be taken when interpreting spatiotemporal shifts in K in connection with process representation in regions like the Kilombero Valley. © 2014 The Authors. Hydrological Processes published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Influence of subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation of an aeolian sand sheet

In aeolian sand sheets the interaction between aeolian and subaqueous processes is considered one of the principal factors that controls this depositional environment. To examine the role played by the subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation of sand sheets, surface deposits and subsurface sedimentary sections of a currently active aeolian sand sheet, located in the Upper Tulum Valley (Argentina), have been examined. On the sand sheet surface, airflows enable the construction of nabkhas, wind‐rippled mantles (flattened accumulations of sand forming wind ripples), megaripples, and small transverse dunes. Subaqueous deposits consist of sandy current ripples covered by muddy laminae. The latter are generated by annual widespread but low‐energy floods that emanate from the nearby mountains in the aftermath of episodes of heavy precipitations. Deposits of subaqueous origin constitute 5% of the accumulated sand sheet thickness. The construction of the sand sheet is controlled by meteorological seasonal changes: the source area, the San Juan river alluvial fan, receives sediment by thaw‐waters in spring–summer; in fall–winter, when the water table lowers in the alluvial fan, the sediment is available for aeolian transport and construction of the sand sheet area. The flood events play an important role in enabling sand sheet accumulation: the muddy laminae serve to protect the underlying deposits from aeolian winnowing. Incipient cement of gypsum on the sand and vegetation cover acts as an additional stabilizing agent that promotes accumulation. Episodic and alternating events of erosion and sedimentation are considered the main reason for the absence of soils and palaeosols. Results from this study have enabled the development of a generic model with which to account for: (i) the influence of contemporaneous subaqueous processes on the construction and accumulation in recent and ancient sand sheets; and (ii) the absence of developed soils in this unstable topographic surface. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

元谋干热河谷强侵蚀区土桥发育特征与演化过程

元谋干热河谷区的土桥地貌是当地常见的一种潜蚀地貌,是区域地貌的重要组成部分。元谋土桥是造成当地水土流失的重要原因之一,研究其形态特征及演化过程对于认识区域地貌演化及生态地质环境的治理具有重要的现实意义。2009―2013年,通过多次对土桥形态特征、分布区域的地形地貌的现场测定,对土层进行了分析。结果表明：1）元谋土桥大部分分布于冲沟中上游的沟底,少部分分布于冲沟边缘的峭壁下,有连续出现,也有单独出现;2）土桥发育的土层具有层间差异性,即桥洞所在土层较其顶部土层抗崩解性弱,易受侵蚀;3）地层构造节理及冲沟坡度的变化等因素对土桥的形成具有一定的影响作用;4）元谋土桥的形态、结构与一般天生桥或人工桥梁具有相同的桥体结构,形态规模一般都不大;5）演化过程遵循一般事物的发展规律,分为萌芽期、年轻期、成熟期、消亡期４个阶段;6）元谋土桥与陷穴、冲沟等地貌具有一定的耦合关系。     

萨拉乌苏河流域MGS2层段主要氧化物变化及其指示的气候波动

萨拉乌苏河流域与MIS2相同时代的MGS2地层段记录了5.5个由风成砂与河流相或湖沼相构成的沉积旋回,通过对各沉积旋回的主要氧化物分析表明：河湖相中Al2O3、TOFE、K2O、MgO、CaO、Na2O、TiO含量通常明显高于风成砂,而SiO2含量则呈现相反的变化,构成了与沉积旋回相对应的5.5个主要氧化物变化旋回。结合各主要氧化物的化学迁移特性和剖面所在区域的地貌特征进行分析,认为该剖面的主要氧化物变化旋回是气候波动的反映,一个主要氧化物含量变动旋回指示了一个干冷-暖湿旋回,也即一个冬夏季风先后演替的气候旋回。MGS2持续的时间仅为12 ka,一个冬夏季风环境的变化大致平均仅需要2 ka,一个冬季风或者夏季风环境的平均持续时间大约1 ka。显然,这是一个千年尺度的环境变化。研究还表明,MGS2气候波动与晚冰期气候变化以及相关的Heinrich事件具有良好的对应关系。可以推断,MGS2记录的千年尺度环境变化是全球环境变化在本区域的反映。     

基于ALOS遥感数据的新丰江流域生态安全GIS评价

基于ALOS遥感影像,采用10m×10m的栅格精度,以乡镇行政区划作为综合评价单元,在G IS的支持下,获取了18种评价因子信息。通过建立生态安全指数模型,计算出每个栅格和每个乡镇区域的生态安全指数并将其划分为6个等级,即Ⅰ级到Ⅵ级(生态安全状况由非常安全到极不安全)。结果表明,新丰江流域内的生态安全状况整体上较好,但安全等级分布不平衡,具有明显的区域性特征,生态堪忧地区为居民及工矿用地密集区,主要分布在流域的北部、东南部和中部的采矿区,如上坪镇、元善镇和上莞镇等;生态较为安全的区域主要分布在流域中部,如新丰江库区附近的锡场镇、半江镇等。该方法为流域的生态安全评价、预警、保护及管理提供了有效手段,具有积极的实用价值。     

黄山翡翠谷景区旅游发展规划构想

该文分析翡翠谷景区旅游发展的条件和存在的问题,提出景区规划的原则和设计理念,并就旅游环线、景区划分及主要景观作出规划设计。将翡翠谷景区构想为集游览观光、休闲娱乐和科普考察于一体,以"博爱"和生态回归为主题的旅游区。     

云南小江流域滑坡关键影响因子研究

确定诱发滑坡失稳的关键因素是滑坡研究的一个重要内容。采用不同影响因子图层进行危险性分区结果存在明显差异,这是由于第一因子对于滑坡变形失稳的贡献程度不同,即不同影响因子与滑坡的相关性不同。在进行滑坡灾害分析时,必须首先确定影响滑坡的关键因子以建立准确的统计分析模型。采用滑坡确定性系数的合并检验方法,在GIS中对云南小江流域进行了滑坡影响因子分析,并确定了影响滑坡的关键性因子。据此建立的多元统计分析预测模型经检验具有较高精度,要以为小江流域的灾害防治、规划建设提供科学依据。