Stratigraphic architecture and sedimentology of a Late Pleistocene subaqueous moraine complex,southwest Ireland

Glacigenic sediments exposed in coastal cliffs cut through undulatory terrain fronting the Last Glacial Maximum laterofrontal moraine at Waterville on the Iveragh Peninsula, southwest Ireland, comprise three lithofacies. Lithofacies 1 and 2 consist of interdigitated, offlapping and superimposed ice‐proximal subaqueous outwash and stacked sequences of cohesionless and cohesive subaqueous debris flows, winnowed lag gravels and coarse‐grained suspension deposits. These are indicative of sedimentation in and around small grounding line fans that prograded from an oscillating glacier margin into a proglacial, interlobate lake. Lithofacies 3 comprises braided river deposits that have undergone significant syn‐sedimentary soft‐sediment deformation. Deposition was likely related to proglacial outwash activity and records the reduction of accommodation space for subaqueous sedimentation, either through the lowering of proglacial water levels or due to basin infilling. The stratigraphic architecture and sedimentology of the moraine at Waterville highlight the role of ice‐marginal depositional processes in the construction of morphostratigraphically significant ‘end moraine’ complexes in Great Britain and Ireland. Traditional ‘tills’ in these moraines are often crudely stratified diamictons and gravelly clinoforms deposited in ice‐proximal subaqueous and subaerial fans. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

玉龙雪山西麓冰碛(水)砾岩的工程地质特性研究

作为滇西北、川西和西藏地区最重要的第四纪堆积物类型之一,冰川堆积物的工程性质及其相关的地质灾害和工程问题研究日益受到工程界的关注。通过对上述地区大量冰碛物和冰水沉积物的现场调查发现,冰碛物和冰水沉积物是一类成分、结构和性质都十分复杂的第四纪堆积物,其工程性质主要与母岩成分和充填胶结物的矿物成分密切相关。发育在石灰岩地区的冰碛物和冰水沉积物因钙质（方解石）的次生胶结,而成为单轴抗压强度达10.94～14.22 MPa的岩石,作者称其为“冰碛（水）砾岩”。结合滇藏铁路滇西北段线路比选和优化工作,对云南玉龙雪山西麓第四纪冰川堆积物的类型和分布特征进行了详细的野外调查;在室内物理力学试验的基础上,着重研究了冰碛（水）砾岩的胶结物成分与胶结作用、水稳性、力学性质、声波速度等方面的特性,这不仅可以丰富现代岩石力学的研究内容,而且对本区铁路工程建设和水力资源的开发具有重要的实际价值。     

Physical sedimentology experiments with sulfuric acid solutions: Implications for Mars?

Physical sedimentology experiments have shown that sulfuric acid solutions may have formed some surface features seen on Mars. Recent data returned from Mars show the presence of jarosite, sulfate salts, hematite, phyllosilicates, and opaline silica, all of which precipitate from some terrestrial sulfuric acid solutions. There is a plethora of geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentological data indicative of past sulfuric acid systems on Mars, but there has never been a comprehensive study published regarding sulfuric acid as a physical sedimentological agent. In the laboratory, we ran liquids of various compositions over sediments in order to test how these liquids entrain, transport, and deposit sediments. Pure water and concentrated sulfuric acid solutions produced the same general features, such as channels, gullies, and alluvial fans. However, sulfuric acid solutions yielded some distinct sedimentary features not produced by pure water runs. These features, narrow, deeply incised channels of consistent widths, rounded discrete fans, and air bubble “craters”, are similar to some Martian landscape features. These experimental results indicate that acid solutions should be considered a possible sedimentological agent on Mars.     

Controls on modern alluvial fan processes in the central Alps,northern Italy

Alluvial fan development in Alpine areas is often affected by catastrophic sedimentary processes associated with extreme ?oods events, causing serious risks for people living on the fans. Hazard assessment in these areas depends on proper identi?cation of the dominant sedimentary processes on the fans. Data from a set of 209 alluvial fans from the central Alps of Italy are presented in this paper and analysed with the help of various statistical techniques (linear regression, principal components analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis and logistic regression). First, we used modern sedimentary facies and historical records (?ood events since 15th century), to distinguish between the two dominant sedimentary processes on alluvial fans: debris ?ows and stream?ows. Then, in order to analyse the main controls on past and present fan processes, 36 morphological, geological and land‐use variables were analysed. As with observations for arid‐environment fans, catchment morphology is the most in?uential factor in the study area, whereas geology and land use are minor controls. The role of climatic change and landsliding within the catchments also seems to be very important and is discussed. Statistical techniques also help in differentiating groups of alluvial fans by sets of controlling factors, including stage and type of evolution. Finally, by using discriminant analysis and logistic regression, we classi?ed alluvial fans according to the dominant sedimentary process, with a success rate ranging between 75 and 92 per cent. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dating alluvial deposits with optically stimulated luminescence, AMS C and cosmogenic techniques, western Transverse Ranges, California, USA

In an effort to better understand chronology of alluvial episodes in Cuyama Valley in the western Transverse Ranges of California, USA, we employed optically stimulated luminescence, radiocarbon and cosmogenic radionuclide surface exposure dating methods. Twenty-one optical dates ranging from 0.01 to 27 ka were obtained from exposures of late-Holocene axial-fluvial deposits, Pleistocene–Holocene alluvial-fan deposits, and axial-fluvial sands interbedded within a late Pleistocene alluvial fan. These were cross-checked with 37 AMS radiocarbon dates from charcoal and wood from within a and five ¹⁰Be surface exposure dates from boulders on alluvial-fan surfaces. The OSL results show generally good stratigraphic consistency, logical comparison with the radiocarbon and cosmogenic data, and appear to be the best method for accurate dating within deposits of this nature because suitable material is fairly easy to find in these environments. The radiocarbon data contained numerous “detrital ages”, but well-bedded lenses of apparently in situ or minimally transported charcoal provide reliable age estimates for the associated alluvium. Radiocarbon dating of detrital charcoal in the older alluvial fan deposits was problematic. Our cosmogenic surface-exposure dating was consistent stratigraphically and with our other data, but we were unable to determine its accuracy due to the limited number of samples and the possibility of inherited radionuclides and post-depositional erosion. In light of our results, we suggest that OSL dating using the latest analytical techniques combined with rigorous methods for estimation of paleodase is reliable and of increasing utility in otherwise difficult-to-date coarse alluvial environments in the southwestern United States and elsewhere.     

Cause of dominance by sheetflood vs. debris-flow processes on two adjoining alluvial fans, Death Valley, California

Two large, adjoining alluvial fans of the Panamint Range piedmont, Death Valley, California, are composed of different facies assemblages deposited by contrasting sedimentary processes. The Anvil Spring fan was built solely by water-flow processes (incised-channel floods and sheetfloods), whereas the neighbouring Warm Spring fan has been constructed principally by debris flows. The boundary between these fans delineates a sharp provincial piedmont contact between sheetflood-dominated fans to the south and debris-flow-dominated fans to the north. Factors such as climate, catchment area, fan area, catchment relief, aspect, vegetation types and density, and neotectonic setting are essentially identical for these two fans. The key difference between them is that their catchments are underlain by dissimilar bedrock types, which weather to yield distinctive sediment suites. Weathering of the granite and andesite of the Anvil fan catchment produces significant volumes of medium to very coarse sand, granules, pebbles, cobbles and boulders, but minimal silt and clay. In contrast, the shale, quartzite and dolomite that dominate bedrock in the Warm Spring catchment weather to yield a wide suite of sedimentary particles spanning from clay to boulders. The abundance of mud, and the unsorted character of the yielded sediment, cause precipitation-induced slope failures in the Warm Spring catchment to transform readily into debris flows. This propensity is due to the low permeability of the colluvial sediment, which causes added water to become trapped quickly and pore pressure to rise rapidly, promoting transformations to debris flows. In contrast, the limited volume of sediment finer than medium sand yielded from the Anvil fan catchment causes the colluvium to have high permeability. This factor prevents the transformation of wet colluvium to a debris flow during hydrologically triggered slope failures, instead maintaining sediment transport as entrained bed load or suspended load in a water flow.     

定州市燕家佐锶－偏硅酸天然矿泉水

饮用天然矿泉水水源地位于太行山前的唐河、大沙河冲洪积扇交叠部位。“矿水床”深度为６０～１３６ｍ，上更新统下部为石英、长石质粗砂及花岗岩、片麻岩、石英岩质的砾石、卵石。长石类矿物均有风化现象，经过与地下水化学成分的交替、溶滤作用，在地下水中某些有益组分得以富集，Ｓｒ含量０．２７～０．４７６ｍｇ／Ｌ，Ｈ＿２ＳｉＯ＿３２６．４７～３１．４１ｍｇ／Ｌ，Ｎａ９．３～１６．６ｍｇ／Ｌ，矿化度３２１～４７５ｍｇ／Ｌ，属低钠、低矿化度、锶－偏硅酸重碳酸钙型饮用天然矿泉水。其中，尚含Ｌｉ，Ｚｎ，Ｂｒ等对人体健康有益的微量元素。同位素氚的测试结果：１９．２１±５．３５ＴＵ及５．０７±３．２２ＴＵ。抽水试验结果为Ｓ＝５ｍ时，Ｑ＝３６～１９７ｍ￣３／ｈ。     

雅鲁藏布江缝合带日喀则群的蛇绿岩质海底扇及其板块构造意义

沿雅鲁藏布江缝合带分布的日喀则群(K₂TK)砂泥质细粒复理石中发育着一种独特的沉积单元——蛇绿岩质砂砾质海底扇。这些扇体规模小,内扇和中扇相序典型。无论是内扇还是中扇,水道都特别发育,而且水道游荡作用明显。盛行砂砾质高密度浊流和粘性碎屑流沉积,沉积物粒度粗,含大量卵石级以上的粗碎屑,具有近源、快速堆积的特点。其碎屑组分为世界现代和古代海底扇沉积所罕见,主要是蛇绿岩碎屑,并含少量岛弧火山-岩浆岩碎屑和老地层的碎屑。这些扇体具有活动边缘型海底扇的典型特征,但又有其特殊性,它们发育在雅鲁藏布洋盆闭合、印度板块与藏北板块开始碰撞时的残留复理石盆地边缘。板块碰撞导致蛇绿岩质杂岩体和洋壳物质逆冲、抬升形成一个外弧造山带。该外弧造山带成为这些扇体的主要物源区。同时,强烈的逆掩和纳布作用也可将部分岛弧岩和老地层带到残留盆地边缘,一起作为来源母岩。     

Fast static correction methods for high-frequency multichannel marine seismic reflection data: A high-resolution seismic study of channel-levee systems on the Bengal Fan

Very high-frequency marine multichannel seismic reflection data generated by small-volume air- or waterguns allow detailed, high-resolution studies of sedimentary structures of the order of one to few metres wavelength. The high-frequency content, however, requires (1) a very exact knowledge of the source and receiver positions, and (2) the development of data processing methods which take this exact geometry into account. Static corrections are crucial for the quality of very high-frequency stacked data because static shifts caused by variations of the source and streamer depths are of the order of half to one dominant wavelength, so that they can lead to destructive interference during stacking of CDP sorted traces. As common surface-consistent residual static correction methods developed for land seismic data require fixed shot and receiver locations two simple and fast techniques have been developed for marine seismic data with moving sources and receivers to correct such static shifts. The first method – called CDP static correction method – is based on a simultaneous recording of Parasound sediment echosounder and multichannel seismic reflection data. It compares the depth information derived from the first arrivals of both data sets to calculate static correction time shifts for each seismic channel relative to the Parasound water depths. The second method – called average static correction method – utilises the fact that the streamer depth is mainly controlled by bird units, which keep the streamer in a predefined depth at certain increments but do not prevent the streamer from being slightly buoyant in-between. In case of calm weather conditions these streamer bendings mainly contribute to the overall static time shifts, whereas depth variations of the source are negligible. Hence, mean static correction time shifts are calculated for each channel by averaging the depth values determined at each geophone group position for several subsequent shots. Application of both methods to data of a high-resolution seismic survey of channel-levee systems on the Bengal Fan shows that the quality of the stacked section can be improved significantly compared to stacking results achieved without preceding static corrections. The optimised records show sedimentary features in great detail, that are not visible without static corrections. Limitations only result from the sea floor topography. The CDP static correction method generally provides more coherent reflections than the average static correction method but can only be applied in areas with rather flat sea floor, where no diffraction hyperbolae occur. In contrast, the average static correction method can also be used in regions with rough morphology, but the coherency of reflections is slightly reduced compared to the results of the CDP static correction method.