Long-term development and current status of the Barcelona continental shelf: A source-to-sink approach

The Barcelona continental shelf, off the city of Barcelona (NE Spain), is a relatively narrow canyon-bounded shelf in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Three medium-size rivers (Tordera, Besós and Llobregat) and several ephemeral rivulets flow into this margin. Two main domains have been recognized in the Barcelona shelf: (i) a modern, river-influenced area, and (ii) a relict, sediment depleted area, both affected by a variety of human impacts. A detailed geomorphologic study based on multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, high resolution seismic profiles, and surface sediment samples allowed mapping and interpreting the main distinctive seafloor features on the Barcelona shelf. Modern sedimentary features reveal that the Llobregat River is the main sediment source of the Barcelona prodeltaic shelf. High-discharge fluvial events result in the formation of suspended sediment plumes and sediment waves on the shelf floor. Relict (late Pleistocene–Holocene) sedimentary features reflect that an important shift occurred in the seashore direction between MIS 4 and MIS 2, and that recent neotectonic reactivation has created a set of seafloor faults. The Barcelona inner and middle shelf is severely impacted by anthropogenic activities such as the enlargement works of the Port of Barcelona, sewage pipes, dredging, anchoring and trawling.     

Quaternary tectonic rotation in central Japan: Paleomagnetism of the Eboshidake volcanic rocks

Abstract   Neotectonic crustal deformation in central Japan near a triple-junction of plates is investigated on the basis of paleomagnetic data. The progressive thermal demagnetization test isolated characteristic remanent magnetization from 18 sites of the early Quaternary Eboshidake volcanic rocks erupted around the termination of active strike-slip faults. The site-mean directions show considerably large scatter in declinations, and easterly deflection in average (D_m = −161.7°). On the basis of inclination statistics, measured inclinations (I_m = −48.9°, δI = 6.6°) are concordant with an expected value from latitude of the study area. Because the sampling was planned to cover a wide stratigraphic range and eliminate the effect of geomagnetic secular variation, an easterly deflection is attributed to clockwise rotation around vertical axis. Together with previous paleomagnetic data, the present study indicates that clockwise-rotated areas in central Japan are aligned on a northeast–southwest recent shear zone delineated through geodetic survey. Deflection and scatter of paleomagnetic declinations of the Eboshidake volcanic rocks are much greater than those extrapolated from a recent strain rate, and might be explained by complicated motion anticipated at fault terminations and/or enhanced crustal rotation under elevated temperatures around a Quaternary volcanic province.     

Vegetation and climate change since 14,810 C yr B.P. in southeastern Uruguay and implications for the rise of early Formative societies

This article presents a combined pollen and phytolith record of a 1.70-m sediment core from the wetlands of India Muerta (33° 42′ S, 53° 57′ W) in the lowland Pampa (grasslands) of southeastern Uruguay. Six ¹⁴C dates and the pollen and phytolith content of the samples permitted the recognition of four distinct climatic periods between 14,850 ¹⁴C yr B.P. and the present. The Late Pleistocene period (between ca. 14,810 and ca. 10,000 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) was characterized by drier and cooler conditions indicated by the presence of a C3-dominated grassland. These conditions prevailed until the onset of the warmer and more humid climate of the Holocene around 9450 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The early Holocene (between around 10,000 and 6620 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) was characterized by the establishment of wetlands in the region as evidenced by the formation of black peat, the increase in wetland taxa, and the replacement of C3 Pooideae by C4 Panicoideae grasses. During the mid-Holocene, around 6620 ¹⁴C yr B.P., began a period of environmental change characterized by drier climatic conditions, which resulted in the expansion of halophytic communities in the flat, low-lying areas of the wetlands of India Muerta. About 4020 ¹⁴C yr B.P. a massive spike of Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae coupled with a radical drop in wetland species indicates another major and more severe period of dryness. After ca. 4000 ¹⁴C yr B.P., a decrease of halophytic species indicates the onset of more humid and stable climatic conditions, which characterized the late Holocene.The findings reported in this article substantially improve our knowledge of the late Glacial and Holocene climate and vegetation in the region. The data provide a detailed record of the timing and severity of mid-Holocene environmental changes in southeastern South America. Significantly, the mid-Holocene drying trend coincided with major organizational changes in settlement, subsistence, and technology of the pre-Hispanic populations in the region, which gave rise to early Formative societies. This study also represents the first combined pollen and phytolith record for southeastern South America reinforcing the utility of phytoliths as significant indicators of long-term grassland dynamics.     

Episodes of volcanic activity and their environmental effects in the Okinawa Trough during the last 150 ka

1 INTRODUCTIONA large-scale volcanic eruption can injectenormous amount of ash and dust into the atmos-phere, leading to local and short cooling due toshielding incoming radiation. During the past 2 to 3decades, accumulated evidence indicated thatlarge-scale volcano eruptions or series of volcanicactivity appears to coincide with climatologicaltransitions. For example, Robock (1979) indicatedthat volcanic eruptions played a role in forcing "Lit-tle Ice Age". Well-dated high-resolution co…     

宣城第四纪红色粘土剖面的发育特征

宣城第四纪红色粘土14层土体硅铝率、风化淋溶系数,以及阳离子交换量、盐基饱和 度和粘粒含量等风化、成土作用指标表明,该剖面各层次之间仅显示出一定程度沉积作用和成土作用的差别。它们是边沉积边成土作用的产物。上覆lm左右厚下蜀黄土,且由均质红土层、铁锰焦斑层和网纹层构成的宣城第四纪红色粘土应归属于埋藏类型古土壤。     

导向钻机在复杂地层的非开挖施工方法及技术

简述在安徽某地联通通信管道铺设工程中，导向钻机在复杂的回填土和具有膨胀性的粘土地层中非开挖施工时采取的方法和技术。例举了该方法的工程施工的成功实例，认为该工程施工前准备工作充分，方法技术应用得当、合理，为非开挖铺设城市地下管线的施工积累了经验。     

根据因果岸三维地震资料研究地裂缝形成机理

塌隐地裂缝，改变了地层的几何结构，破坏了三维地震反射层的连续性，出现了反射波同相轴错断、反射层产状变化、反射波能量转换、反射波增多或减少等特征。据此利用石塘湾因果岸三维地震资料对其地裂缝地质灾害形成进行了研究。通过对实际资料的分析，指出本区地裂缝类型为张跌型，并以较多的资料翔实地说明了诱发本区地裂地质灾害不可分割的五个因素，从而为治理地裂缝地质灾害提供了丰富的地质资料和治理方向。     

复杂地层大口径钻探施工的体会——以山西省阳泉矿区寿阳水文地质勘探为例

在地层及煤系地层复杂，岩相以泥岩、沙岩、石英砂岩、煤层等交互，软硬变化频繁，可钻级差大等条件下施工，中常常伴随不同程度的漏失、坍塌、掉块、缩径等情况发生。针对上述问题，以寿阳地区特深水位、复杂地层钻探施工为例，阐述大口径钻探施工的工艺、参数选择、以及采取措施。     

淮北煤田松散层电性特征及富水性评价

根据淮北平原电测深资料结合钻探工作,评述了第四系松散层中砂质类和粘土类的电性特征及分布规律,对松散层中含水层各岩性的电性影响因素进行了分析,认为视电阻率与含砂量和颗粒度与正比,与矿化度成反比;介绍了含水层富水性特征参数的提取方法及电性参数与水文地质参数相关关系,认为视电阻率与含水层的渗透系数成正比.通过对电性资料的认识和区域水质资料的分析,获得了该区面积性水文地质参数.该区富水性评价成果已被实际水文地质资料验证.