Weathering process at the natural fission reactor of Bangombé

 The uranium deposits in the basin of Franceville (Gabon) host the only natural fission reactors known in the world. Unique geological conditions favoured a natural fission reaction 2 Ga ago. This was detected by anomalous isotopic compositions of uranium and rare earth elements (REE), which are produced by the fission reaction. In total, 16 reactor zones were found. Most of them are mined out. The reactor zone of Bangombé, is only 10–11 m below the surface. This site has been influenced by surface weathering processes. Six drill cores have been sampled at the site of the reactor zone of Bangombé during the course of the study and only one drill core (BAX 08) hit the core of the reactor. From these data and previous drilling campaigns, the reactor size is estimated to be 10 cm thick, 2–3 m wide and 4–6 m long. The migration of fission products can be traced by the anomalous isotope ratios of REE because of the fission process. The ¹⁴⁹Sm/¹⁴⁷Sm ratio close to the reactor zone is only 0.28 (normal: 0.92) because of the intense neutron capture of ¹⁴⁹Sm and subsequent transmutation, whereas ¹⁴⁷Sm is enriched by the fission reaction. Similar changes in isotopic patterns are detectable on other REE. The isotope ratios of Sm and Nd of whole rock and fracture samples surrounding the reactor indicate that fission-genic REE migrated only a few decimetres above and mainly below the reactor zone. Organic matter (bitumen) seems to act as a trap for fission-genic REE. Additional REE-patterns show less intense weathering with increasing depth in the log profile and support a simple weathering model. Received: 26 November 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000     

The Statistical Analysis of Migration of Strong Earthquakes-Taking the North China Region as an Example

The migration of strong earthquakes is an important research topic because the migration phenomena reflect partly the seismic mechanism and involve the prediction of tendency of seismic activity. Research on migration of strong earthquakes has mostly focused on finding the phenomena. Some attempts on getting regularity were comparatively subjective. This paper suggests that there should be indices of migration in earthquake dataset and the indexes should have statistical meaning if there is regularity in the migration of strong earthquakes. In this study, three derivative attributes of migration, i.e., migration orientation, migration distance and migration time interval, were statistically analyzed. Results in the North China region show that the migration of strong earthquakes has statistical meaning. There is a dominant migration orientation (W by S to E by N), a dominant distance (≤100km and on the confines of 300～700km), and a dominant time interval (≤1a and on the confines of 3～4a). The results also show that the migration will differ slightly with different magnitude range or earthquake activity phase.     

黄河三角洲沿岸及邻近海区细粒沉积物中的碳酸盐

本文用X-射线衍射法直接计算了来自黄河三角洲沿岸及邻近海区80个沉积样的细粒组分(<2μm)中的碳酸盐含量。计算结果与全样的容量法分析结果基本一致。研究结果表明,本区细粒沉积物中碳酸盐含量变化受沉积物来源、海区水动力作用、海底地貌特征和碳酸盐的地球化学行为等因素所影响。     

In situ and satellite observations of the eastward migration of the Western Alboran Sea Gyre

During October 2003 an intensive oceanographic survey (BIOMEGA) was carried out in the Alboran Sea, coinciding with a migration event of the Western Alboran Sea Gyre (WAG). The observations gathered during that cruise constitute the first field evidence of a migrated stage of the WAG. In this work we present the main differences between the 3D hydrodynamic fields observed during BIOMEGA and those corresponding to a WAG located at its usual position. The migration of the gyre was followed by satellite (altimetry and sea surface temperature) imagery. The causes of the gyre migration are explored in terms of the quasi-geostrophic tendency equation, in particular of the dynamics governing scales larger than the Rossby radius of deformation. It is shown that the steady state gyre must be almost equivalent barotropic and that the key process to break down the stationarity would be a density advection at gyre scale. The mechanisms to explain the migration of the WAG proposed by previous authors are discussed in light of the explanation proposed in this work.     

Geospatial analysis of a coastal sand dune field evolution: Jockey's Ridge, North Carolina

Preservation and effective management of highly dynamic coastal features located in areas under development pressures requires in-depth understanding of their evolution. Modern geospatial technologies such as lidar, real time kinematic GPS, and three-dimensional GIS provide tools for efficient acquisition of high resolution data, geospatial analysis, feature extraction, and quantification of change. These techniques were applied to the Jockey's Ridge, North Carolina, the largest active dune field on the east coast of the United States, with the goal to quantify its deflation and rapid horizontal migration. Digitized contours, photogrammetric, lidar and GPS point data were used to compute a multitemporal elevation model of the dune field capturing its evolution for the period of 1974– 2004. In addition, peak elevation data were available for 1915 and 1953. Analysis revealed possible rapid growth of the dune complex between 1915–1953, followed by a slower rate of deflation that continues today. The main dune peak grew from 20.1 m in 1915 to 41.8 m in 1953 and has since eroded to 21.9 m in 2004. Two of the smaller peaks within the dune complex have recently gained elevation, approaching the current height of the main dune. Steady annual rate of main peak elevation loss since 1953 suggests that increase in the number of visitors after the park was established in 1974 had little effect on the rate of dune deflation. Horizontal dune migration of 3–6 m/yr in southerly direction has carried the sand out of the park boundaries and threatened several houses. As a result, the south dune section was removed and the sand was placed at the northern end of the park to serve as a potential source. Sand fencing has been an effective management strategy for both slowing the dune migration and forcing growth in dune elevation. Understanding the causes of the current movements can point to potential solutions and suggest new perspectives on management of the dune as a tourist attraction and as a recreation site, while preserving its unique geomorphic character and dynamic behavior.     

西藏羊八井地热田SOTEM探测及热储结构分析

西藏羊八井地热田是世界上著名的高温地热田, 历经四十多年的开发利用, 浅部地热资源日趋萎缩, 亟需开发深部高温地热资源来维持地热发电或新增装机容量.深刻了解断裂分布特征、地热流体的升流通道, 对于开发深部高温地热资源具有十分重要的意义.我们在羊八井地热田实施了6条电性源短偏移距瞬变电磁法(SOTEM)探测剖面, 通过反演获得了2 km深度范围内地层的电性结构.结合现有的构造地质、地球物理、地球化学、钻孔测温等资料, 取得了如下新认识: (1)确认F14断裂是地热流体从地热田北区向南区运移的主通道; (2)深部地热流体的上升通道出现在北区硫磺沟, 中尼公路附近下伏渗透性较差的基岩阻挡着地热流体在深处从北区向南区的侧向流动; (3)南区深处存在一个富水区, 汇聚着来自唐山的大气降水和冰雪融水, 与正在开采的浅层热储水力联系较弱; (4)在南区实施尾水回灌, 难以实现维持热储压力、延长地热田开采寿命的目的.

     

主动源与被动源地震数据插值及联合数据成像

本文提出了两种情况下主动源数据和被动源数据的插值方法,并研究了两种数据在偏移成像中的互补效果.基于互相关法被动源数据重构原理,本文提出了结合多域迭代去噪技术的重构方法.提出了两种时间域主动源和被动源数据的插值方法,分别是共炮点域能量匹配插值和共检波点域最小平方匹配插值.然后对获得的主动源和被动源联合地震数据进行叠前深度偏移成像.在被动源活跃度不是很高的地区进行被动源地震勘探时,少量的主动源地震数据可以有效控制和补充被动源数据的成像效果.在稀疏炮点的主动源勘探中,有效利用被动源的信息能够在成像中增加更多的细节信息,提高成像质量.     

角度域剩余深度对剩余速度的敏感性分析

本文针对地震勘探深度域偏移速度建模研究, 利用角度域共成像点道集(ADCIGS)建立了以剩余速度为自变量, 剩余深度为目标函数的关系式, 及目标函数的梯度公式.利用导出的两个公式分别对剩余深度与剩余速度的关系进行了定量分析.通过理论分析和模型试算证明初始速度模型的误差具有方向敏感性, 即正误差较负误差对速度建模迭代收敛更敏感.利用此结论进行深度域速度建模既可以提高计算效率也可以提高建模精度.     

基于波场垂向和水平方向外推的高陡构造偏移

常规的单程波波动方程偏移成像方法对大角度的高陡构造偏移成像存在内在的限制.根据波动方程在各个空间方向的数学特性和高陡构造反射地震波的传播特征,通过把地震波分解为垂向的上下行波、水平方向的前后行波和左右行波,提出基于波场垂向外推和水平方向外推相结合的单程波波动方程高陡构造偏移成像方法,即用波场垂向外推的单程波波动方程偏移成像方法解决中低角度平缓构造的偏移成像,用波场水平方向外推的单程波波动方程偏移成像方法解决中高角度陡倾构造的偏移成像.这种基于波场垂向和水平方向外推相结合的高陡构造偏移成像方法是常规单程波波动方程叠前深度偏移成像方法的补充和改进,它相对基于全波方程的逆时偏移具有计算效率上的优势.     

双平方根波动方程偏移速度分析

传统的剩余校正（RMO）偏移速度分析方法基于走时原理,在陡倾角和欠照明地区,因为不能得到充分的角度域信息而失效.本文将展示一种基于波场延拓理论的偏移速度分析方法,即波动方程偏移速度分析（WEMVA）.这种方法先利用成像优化方法获得剩余成像,再利用剩余成像反演剩余速度.此类方法继承了波动方程偏移方法的优点和缺点.波动方程偏移速度分析是一种线性反演方法,它要求对Born近似的展开序列作一阶截断.高阶部分的丢失必然带来巨大的截断误差,因此剩余成像必须也进行线性化,以适应大速度扰动和大延拓步长.因此,在此类算法中,剩余成像的获取和线性化是偏移速度分析的关键.在叠前偏移算子中,因为双平方根算子的数学表达式更为简洁,所以本文基于对波动方程偏移速度分析初步讨论,并通过模型验证其原理.