Contemporary kinematics of the Upper Rhine Graben: A 3D finite element approach

The Upper Rhine Graben (URG), a Cenozoic intra-plate rift situated in the Alpine foreland, is presently characterised by relative slow tectonic deformation and low to medium seismicity. Concurrently, it is a region with a significant amount of ongoing subsidence in two recent depocentres (0.1 to 0.2 mm/a geological, 1 mm/a geodetical rate). In this paper, the recent kinematic behaviour of the URG is simulated using a 3D finite element model, containing three lithospheric layers (upper mantle, lower crust and upper crust) with different rheological properties. First order fault structures (e.g. border faults) are implemented as frictional contact surfaces within the upper crustal layer. The stresses generated by applying lateral displacements over a time period of 10 ka are insufficient to obtain a match between predicted and observed stress magnitudes. Therefore, a technique of “combined pre-stressing” has been developed to avoid unrealistic deformation and unrealistic stress magnitudes within the model. The stress magnitudes and stress directions predicted are calibrated against in-situ stress measurements and stress indicator data. For benchmarking of the modelling results, the vertical surface displacements predicted are compared to surface uplift derived from geological and geomorphological data. Furthermore, predicted fault slip rates are compared to available geological and geodetical data. Parameters derived from the calculated stress tensor, such as fracture potential and the regime stress ratio are also analysed in order to describe the possible kinematic behaviour of the URG. The modelling results suggest that the URG is currently being reactivated as a sinistral strike–slip system with the central segment of the URG forming a restraining bend and the two recent depocentres situated in releasing bend settings. The modelling results suggest that both sinistral shearing and mantle uplift are active mechanisms driving the recent kinematics of the URG and that the recent subsidence within the two depocentres is re-enforced by ongoing mantle uplift additionally.     

Warming permafrost in European mountains

Here we present the first systematic measurements of European mountain permafrost temperatures from a latitudinal transect of six boreholes extending from the Alps, through Scandinavia to Svalbard. Boreholes were drilled in bedrock to depths of at least 100 m between May 1998 and September 2000. Geothermal profiles provide evidence for regional-scale secular warming, since all are nonlinear, with near-surface warm-side temperature deviations from the deeper thermal gradient. Topographic effects lead to variability between Alpine sites. First approximation estimates, based on curvature within the borehole thermal profiles, indicate a maximum ground surface warming of +1 °C in Svalbard, considered to relate to thermal changes in the last 100 years. In addition, a 15-year time series of thermal data from the 58-m-deep Murtèl–Corvatsch permafrost borehole in Switzerland, drilled in creeping frozen ice-rich rock debris, shows an overall warming trend, but with high-amplitude interannual fluctuations that reflect early winter snow cover more strongly than air temperatures. Thus interpretation of the deeper borehole thermal histories must clearly take account of the potential effects of changing snow cover in addition to atmospheric temperatures.     

Metamorphism and microstructures along a high-temperature metamorphic field gradient: the north–eastern boundary of the Královský hvozd unit (Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic)

A metamorphic field gradient has been investigated in the Moldanubian zone of the central European Variscides encompassing, from base to the top, a staurolite–kyanite zone, a muscovite–sillimanite zone, a K‐feldspar–sillimanite zone, and a K‐feldspar–cordierite zone, respectively. The observed reaction textures in the anatectic metapsammopelites of the higher grade zones are fully compatible with experimental data and petrogenetic grids that are based on fluid‐absent melting reactions. From structural and microstructural observations it can be concluded that the boundary between the kyanite–staurolite zone and the muscovite‐ and K‐feldspar–sillimanite zones coincides with an important switch in deformation mechanism(s). Besides minor syn‐anatectic shearing (melt‐enhanced deformation), microstructural criteria point (a) to a switch in deformation mechanism from rotation recrystallization (climb‐accommodated dislocation creep) to prism slip and high‐temperature (fast) grain boundary migration in quartz (b) to the activity of diffusion creep in quartz–feldspar layers, and (c) to accommodation of strain by intense shearing in fibrolite–biotite layers. It is suggested that any combination of these deformation mechanisms will profoundly affect the rheological characteristics of high‐grade metamorphic rocks and significantly lower rock strength. Hence, the boundary between these zones marks a major rheological barrier in the investigated cross section and probably also in other low‐ to medium‐pressure/high‐temperature areas. At still higher metamorphic grades (K‐feldspar‐cordierite zone), where the rheologically critical melt percentage is reached, rock rheology is mainly governed by the melt and other deformation mechanisms are of minor importance. In the study area, the switch in deformation mechanism(s) is responsible for large‐scale strain partitioning and concentration of deformation within the higher‐temperature hanging wall during top‐to‐the‐S thrusting, thus preserving a more complete petrostructural record within the rocks of the footwall including indications for a ?Devonian high‐ to medium‐pressure/medium‐temperature metamorphic event. Thrusting is accompanied by diapiric ascent of diatexites of the K‐feldspar‐cordierite zone and infolding of the footwall, suggesting local crustal overturn in this part of the Moldanubian zone.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article: Main Street: Northeastern Oregon: The Founding and Development of Small Towns . Barbara Ruth Bailey . Food Politics: The Regional Conflict . David N. Balaam and Michael J. Carey , eds. The International Economy and Industrial Development: Trade and Investment in the Third World . R. Ballance , J. Ansari and H. Singer . Neighborhoods in Urban America . Ronald H. Bayor , ed. The English Heartland . By Robert Beckinsale and Monica Beckinsale . Regional Dimensions of Industrial Policy . Michael E. Bell and Paul S. Lande , eds. Tension Areas of the World . D. Gordon Bennett , ed. Latin America: an Introductory Survey . B. W. Blouet and O. M. Blouet , eds. Integration and Division: Geographical Perspectives on the Northern Ireland Problem . Frederick W. Boal and J. Neville H. Douglas , eds. Energy and Land Use . Robert W. Burchell and David Listokin , eds. Slopes and Weathering . Michael Clarke and John Small . Alaska's Rural Development . Peter G. Cornwall and Gerald Mc Beath , eds. The Politics of Park Design: A History of Urban Parks in America . Galen Cranz . World Congress on Land Policy, 1980, Proceedings . Matthew Cullen and Sharon Woolery , eds. Oregon Divided: A Regional Geography . Samuel N. Dicken and Emily F. Dicken . Urban Food Marketing and Third World Rural Development . T. Scarlett Epstein . South Africa: Spatial Frameworks for Development . T. J. D. Fair . Institutions and Geographical Patterns . Robin Flowerdew , ed. Industrialization of U.S. Agriculture, An Interpretive Atlas . Howard F. Gregor . Planning Theory: Prospects for the 1980s . Patsy Healy , Glen Mc Dougall and Michael J. Thomas , eds. Neighborhood Mobilization: Redevelopment and Response . Jeffrey R. Henig . The American Urban System: A Geographical Perspective . R. J. Johnston . Climate, History and the Modern World . Hubert H. Lamb . Climate and History: Studies in Past Climates and Their Impact on Man . T. M. L. Wigley , M. J. Ingram and G. Farmer . China: Railways and Agricultural Development, 1875–1935 . Ernest P. Liang . A Desirable Energy Future—A National Perspective . Robert S. Livingston , T. D. Anderson , T. M. Besmann , M. Olszewski , A. M. Perry , and C. D. West . Topothesia: Essays Presented to T. S. Ó Máille . B. S. Mac Aodha , ed. Transportation for the Poor: Research in Rural Mobility . Hal S. Maggied . Land Uses in American Cities . Harold M. Mayer and Charles R. Haves . Industrial Organisation and Location . Philip Mc Dermott and Michael Taylor . Human Adaptability: an Introduction to Ecological Anthropology . Emilio F. Moran . Regional Analysis and the New International Division of Labor . Frank Moulaert and Patricia W. Salinas , eds. The Nuclear War Atlas. Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada : Urbanization and Environmental Quality . Isao Orishimo . The Garden of Eden: The Botanic Garden and the Re-Creation of Paradise . John Prest . Earthfire, The Eruption of Mount St. Helens . Charles Rosenfeld and Robert Cooke . Contest for the South China Sea . Marwyn S. Samuels . The Future of the Wetlands: Assessing Visual-Cultural Values . Richard C. Smardon , ed. Tucson: the Life and Times of An American City. C. L. Sonnichsen . The Geography of Multinationals . Michael Taylor and Nigel Thrift , eds. Impact of Marine Pollution on Society . Virginia Tippie and Dana Kester . Reviving the Industrial City: the Politics of Urban Renewal in Lyon and Birmingham . Jerry A. Webman . Andean Reflections: Letters from Carl O. Sauer While on a South American Trip under a Grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, 1942 . Robert C. West , ed. Cartographic Drawing with Computers . P. Yoeli .     

中欧规范RC桥墩抗震设计及验算方法对比研究

地震作用下钢筋混凝土（RC）桥墩容易损坏。为完善RC桥墩的抗震设计及验算方法,对比最新中国和欧洲规范中关于RC桥墩的延性抗震设计及验算方法的不同之处。基于Midas/Civil软件所建立的常规连续梁桥有限元模型,对比分析采用中欧规范开展的RC桥墩延性抗震设计及验算结果。结果表明:中欧规范中关于RC桥墩的延性抗震设计理念、抗剪和变形验算方法及延性构造细节均有区别。基于中欧规范设计的RC桥墩配筋情况存在差异。与中国规范相比,欧洲规范关于RC桥墩的横向钢筋配筋率和纵筋最小配筋率要求较高,有利于保证结构的抗剪强度和延性;箍筋最大间距要求较低,不利于防止纵筋压曲。     

Middle Paleozoic impact event in the southwest of the East European Platform

A zone with high remanent magnetization and magnetic susceptibility has been identified at the boundary between Lower Devonian gray- and red-colored deposits in the basin of the Dniester River in the southwest of Ukraine (in the southwest of the East European Platform). The microparticles of native iron and nickel and iron-nickel intermetallic compounds found here might be markers of an impact event in the Lochkovian (~ 415 Ma). Electron microscope examination and probe microanalysis of the chemical composition, morphology, structures, and textures of specific microobjects showed that they are the product of melting of meteoritic substance and target rocks caused by an impact explosion. Explosive dispersion and deposition of microparticles on the Earth’s surface result in a rapid differentiation of their substance. The obtained data can be used as evidence of a reference impact event during the fall of an iron-stone meteorite, and a characteristic set of minerals and geochemical parameters can help to identify catastrophic events in the geologic history.     

Surface cracks—geomorphological indicators for late Quaternary halotectonic movements in Northern Germany

Loading and unloading effects of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet triggered halotectonic movements in Northern Germany. We present newly detected geomorphological features—termed surface cracks—which indicate a relation between ice sheet-induced salt movement and surface processes. As a part of the Central European Basin System, numerous Zechstein salt structures are abundant in the North German Basin. On the basis of high-resolution digital terrain data, more than 160 surface cracks were mapped in Northern Germany, which were grouped into 30 clusters. Almost all of the surface cracks occur above the top regions of Zechstein salt structures. The surface cracks can be several kilometres long, up to more than 20 m deep and more than 100 m wide. The comparison of the shape of the salt structures and the orientation of the cracks reveals a geometric dependency, indicating that the cracks preferably occur near the crest margins of the salt structures. Furthermore, 3D seismic data from two sites show that subsurface faults originating from salt movement exist beneath the surface cracks. We interpret the cracks as surface ruptures due to ice sheet-induced halotectonic movements. The cracks occur in a variety of Quaternary sediments and landforms. This indicates that widespread halokinetic movements occurred in the region after the last (Weichselian) deglaciation and likely before the thawing of the permafrost, possibly in a time frame from c. 30–20 ka until c. 15 ka.     

Varied impact of land use on water and sediment parameters in fish ponds of the Dombes agro-ecosystem,France

Abstract

Agricultural land use in the area of water bodies is generally considered to increase the nutrient status of the water body water and sediments, but is this also the case for already nutrient-rich fish ponds? We studied 83 fish ponds in the Dombes region, France, where 1100 ponds are located in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape. Different water and sediment parameters were analysed for ponds and in ditches after rainfall events. Land use was studied in the primary catchment of ponds and in a 100-m zone around ponds. Soil parameters of different land-use types were analysed and farmers interviewed about agricultural practices. Increasing cropping area in the catchment of the ponds is significantly correlated to higher PO₄ ^3- concentration of pond water and to a lower degree, also to NO₃ ^?, but only in certain years with higher rainfall and with a more uneven distribution in spring. Sediment parameters were not significantly influenced. High NO₃- concentration in the water of a ditch during significant rainfall events was found for a cropland dominated catchment.

Citation Wezel, A., Arthaud, F., Dufloux, C., Renoud, F., Vallod, D., Robin, J., and Sarrazin, B., 2013. Varied impact of land use on water and sediment parameters in fish ponds of the Dombes agro-ecosystem, France. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (4), 854–871.     

The case for Japanese—Russian joint implementation in implementing the Kyoto Protocol

The Doha Amendment allows surplus Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) to be carried over from the first commitment period, but limits their use for offsetting emission growth beyond commitment levels. Amendment 7ter simultaneously ‘shaves’ AAU allocation to a level equivalent to the average 2008–2010 emissions for countries that pledged a growth target under the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. This means that economies in transition (EITs) are not allocated headroom for growth, and makes their commitments starkly different from their original pledges. The ‘bubble’ arrangement within the EU adds uncertainty to whether new Member States will avoid the ‘shaving’ of 7ter due to their pooled target. This would put Annex I EITs into an unequal position as a result of the Doha Amendment.     

Benchmark-based allocations in EU ETS Phase 3: an early assessment

Phase 3 of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS; 2013–2020) sees the introduction of new rules governing the free allocations of emissions allowances given to energy-intensive industries. In contrast to Phases 1 and 2, allocations will be based on historical production multiplied by best available emissions technology benchmarks. This article exploits an original database to provide a first analysis of the distributional and economic efficiency implications of the new rules. It is shown empirically that the new allocation rules reduce the scope for windfall gains by EU ETS firms while also effectively mitigating carbon leakage risks, even assuming optimistic forecasts of Phase 3 carbon prices. The example of the cement sector is used to show that benchmarking significantly improves the harmonization of the levels of free allocations to competing firms throughout the EU compared to Phase 2. However, it is also found that the use of ex ante output levels to determine allocations still leaves considerable scope for windfall gains and possible distortions of the internal market.