The origin of shallow landslides in Moravia (Czech Republic) in the spring of 2006

At the end of March 2006, the Czech Republic (CZ) witnessed a fast thawing of an unusually thick snow cover in conjunction with massive rainfall. Most watercourses suffered floods, and more than 90 shallow landslides occurred in the Moravian region of Eastern CZ, primarily in non-forested areas. This region, geologically part of the Outer Western Carpathians, is prone to landslides because the bedrock is highly erodible Mesozoic and Tertiary flysch.The available meteorological data (depth of snow, water equivalent of the snow, cumulative rainfall, air and soil temperatures) from five local weather stations were used to construct indices quantitatively describing the snow thaw. Among these, the Total Cumulative Precipitation (TCP) combines the amount of water from both thawing snow and rainfall. This concurrence of rain and runoff from snow melt was the decisive factor in triggering the landslides in the spring.The TCP index was applied to data of snow thaw periods for the last 20 years, when no landslides were recorded. This was to establish the safe threshold of TCP without landslides. The calculated safe threshold value for the region is ca. 100 mm of water delivered to the soil during the spring thaw (corresponding to ca. 11 mm day^− 1). In 2006, 10% of the landslides occurred under or at 100 mm of TCP. The upper value of 155 mm covered all of the landslides.     

中国东北地区地震活动的动力背景及其时空特征分析

本文根据日本海沟、 西太平洋板块俯冲与中国东北地区深源地震的关系、 中国东北地区深源地震的平均震源机制结果以及日本海沟强震与中国东北地区浅源地震的关联性, 概述了中国东北地区地震活动的动力背景, 说明中国东北地区的深源地震与西太平洋板块俯冲具有成因上的联系, 中国东北深震是西太平洋板块高速度、 小倾角向欧亚大陆下俯冲的结果。 中国东北地区深源地震、 浅源地震的时空分布以及依据浅源地震的分期统计资料表明, 中国东北地区浅源地震经历了5个活动周期, 每个活动周期浅源地震的时空分布具有个性差异, 在此基础上, 分析了浅源地震每个活动周期结束地震时空分布特征, 发现每个活动周期结束地震前均经历了平均约4.19年的长时间平静, 结束地震以成对地震为主要表现形式。     

动力法计算振冲碎石桩桩体压缩模量

振冲碎石桩为散体结构,所形成的复合地基受垂直荷载后的变形较刚性桩复合地基要大,为研究振冲碎石桩复合地基的沉降规律,建立振冲器动力性能指标与碎石桩桩体强度的关系。根据压缩模量概念,结合振冲桩制桩工艺,建立桩体压缩模量与振冲器激振力、施工中的加密段长、加密电流及留振时间的关系式-动力法。采用动力法和载荷试验法所得的压缩模量在沉降量计算中进行对比,结果与按实际观测推算值的偏差均小于10%。     

Seasonal climate inferences from high-resolution modern diatom data along a climate gradient: a case study

This study represents a step towards developing seasonal climate inferences by using high-resolution modern data sets. The importance of seasonal climate changes is highlighted by the instrumental record of a meteorological station close to our study site (lac du Sommet in the Laurentian Mountains, Québec, Canada): Between 1966 and 2001, May temperatures increased significantly by 3.1°C (r = 0.41, n = 35, p < 0.01) but annual mean temperatures only by 0.6°C (r = 0.21, n = 35, p > 0.05). Comparison of this instrumental record with fossil diatom assemblages in a sediment core from lac du Sommet showed that axis one of a principal component analysis (PCA) of the fossil diatoms was best correlated with wind velocity in June (r = 0.62, n = 19, p < 0.005) and that past diatom production was significantly enhanced in periods with colder July temperatures (r =  ?0.77, n = 19, p < 0.0005) and higher wind velocity in June (r = 77, n = 19, p < 0.0005). The strong impact of the spring and summer conditions on overall diatom composition and productivity suggests that seasonal lake responses to climate are more important than annual mean temperatures. However, the seasonal dynamics of diatom communities are not well understood, and seasonality is rarely inferred effectively from lake sediment studies. Our research presents a pilot study to answer a twofold question: Is it possible to identify diatom communities which are typical for warmer or colder seasonal climate using sediment traps, and if it is, can this knowledge be used to infer seasonal climate conditions from fossil diatom assemblages? To address these questions, the seasonal dynamics of diatom communities and water chemistry were studied using sediment traps and water samples at biweekly intervals in four lakes distributed along an altitudinal gradient in the Laurentian Mountains from May through October 2002. Date of ice break-up was significantly related to the diatom assemblages taken in spring and uncorrelated to other significant environmental variables. Summer water temperature, circulation of the water column and pH explained a significant part of the biological variance in summer, and total nitrogen (TN) explained most of the biological variance in autumn. To infer these variables, weighted averaging partial least squares models were applied to the seasonal data sets. Inferred ice break-up dates were significantly correlated with number of days below 0°C in April (r = 0.52, n = 19, p < 0.025), inferred circulation of the water column was significantly related to measured wind velocity in June (r = 0.64, n = 19, p < 0.005), inferred summer water temperature and inferred pH was significantly related to measured July air temperature (r = 0.50, r =  ?53, n = 19, p < 0.025) and inferred TN autumn concentrations had an inverse relationship to August temperatures (r =  ?0.53, n = 19, p < 0.01). This comparison of the historical record with diatom-inferred seasonal climate signals, based on the comparison of fossil diatom assemblages with modern sediment trap data of high temporal resolution, provides a promising new approach for the reconstruction of seasonal climate aspects in paleolimnological studies.     

南口污水处理厂强夯处理地基瑞雷波检测

瑞雷波相速度V_R可以反映一定深度范围内岩土体的物理力学性质.与常规检测方法相比,瑞雷波检测具有分辨率高、受场地影响小、检测设备简单、检测速度快等优点,能够胜任大面积地基处理效果的检测.本文主要介绍瑞雷波检测在南口镇污水处理厂场地地基强夯处理效果检测中的应用.比较对应测点处持力层深度范围内的瑞雷波速与原位载荷试验数据,得出了准基床系数K与瑞雷波波速V_R的统计关系,据此将强夯地基持力层深度上的V_R分布转换为K值的分布,进而得出了场区地基处理土体在设计荷载作用下的沉降量分布.根据上述测试结果对场区地基强夯处理效果进行了评价.     

The Method for Inferring a Buried Fault from Resistivity Tomograms and Its Typical Electrical Features

Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has been used to experimentally detect shallow buried faults in urban areas in the past a few years, with some progress and experience obtained. According to the results from Olympic Park, Beijing, Shandong Province, Gansu Province and Shanxi Province, we have generalized the method and procedure for inferring the discontinuity of electrical structures (DES) indicating a buried fault in urban areas from resistivity tomograms and its typical electrical features. In general, the layered feature of the electrical structure is first analyzed to preliminarily define whether or not a DES exists in the target area. Resistivity contours in resistivity tomograms are then analyzed from the deep to the shallow. If they extend upward from the deep to the shallow and shape into an integral dislocation, sharp flexure (convergence) or gradient zone, it is inferred that the DES exists, indicating a buried fault. Finally, horizontal tracing is be carried out to define the trend of the DES. The DES can be divided into three types-type AB, ABA and AC. In the present paper, the Zhangdian-Renhe fault system in Zibo city is used as an example to illustrate how to use the method to infer the location and spatial extension of a target fault. Geologic drilling holes are placed based on our research results, and the drilling logs testify that our results are correct. However, the method of this paper is not exclusive and inflexible. It is expected to provide reference and assistance for inferring the shallow buried faults in urban areas from resistivity tomograms in the future.     

南海扩张的地震反射标志——南海东北部多道地震剖面结果

南海的扩张、成因演化研究的成果主要基于深部速度研究及磁条带研究的基础上,但南海东北部边界的研究相对薄弱.本次通过对南海东北部边界的反射地震剖面973的综合研究,结合前人的天然地震震源研究及地质研究成果,得到南海形成与扩张是单方向向菲律宾吕宋岛弧—台湾岛地块漂移的结果.南海各块体处于一个统一的区域应力场作用之下,菲律宾吕宋岛弧—台湾岛地块限制了南海的扩张与发展;在此应力条件下,不同部位受力状态不同,就南海东北部973剖面地震波场特征,可划分为五个构造单元：AB段南海东北部大陆架张性盆地区;BC段大陆坡为伸展区,形成大量张性盆地;CD段中部深海沉积盆地为弱挤压区,深海沉积盆地弱变形,大陆坡张性盆地浅俯冲其下,深海沉积盆地西部翘起,向东倾斜;DE段东部为强挤压区,沉积盆地挤压变形,越向东挤压越强烈,深海沉积盆地浅俯冲其下,相对弱变形并西部翘起;E以东,菲律宾吕宋岛弧—台湾岛构造带为稳定地块.南海东北部在东或南东方向统一的区域应力场作用下,处于张性、弱挤压、强挤压不同压力状态,形成南海特有的由北西向东呈现拉张-弱挤压-强挤压构造格局,反射地震剖面上显示两个浅俯冲点.每个块体构造层呈手风琴风箱式折曲并向东聚敛,近菲律宾吕宋岛弧—台湾岛构造带其折曲更为严重,沉积盆地由西向东,展现为不同阶段的沉积盆地,发育、成长、结束、消亡,块体俯冲方向以及各块体的区域性倾伏方向均与区域应力场方向一致.     

Seismic images and rock properties of the very shallow structure of Campi Flegrei caldera (southern Italy)

In September 2001, an extensive active-seismic investigation (Serapis experiment) was carried out in the Gulfs of Naples and Pozzuoli, with the aim of investigating and reconstructing the shallow crustal structure of the Campi Flegrei caldera, and possibly identifying its feeding system at depth. The present study provides a joint analysis of the very shallow seismic reflection data and tomographic images based on the Serapis dataset. This is achieved by reflection seismic sections obtained by the 3D data gathering and through refined P-velocity images of the shallowest layer of Pozzuoli Gulf (z < 1,000 m). From the refined Vp model, the overall picture of the velocity distribution confirms the presence of a complex arc-shaped anomaly that borders the bay offshore. The deeper part of the anomaly (beneath 700 m, with Vp > 3,500 m/s) correlates with units made up of agglomerate tuffs and interbedded lava, which form the southern edge of the caldera, which was probably formed following the two large ignimbritic eruptions that marked the evolutionary history of the area under study. The upper part of the anomaly that tends to split into two parallel arcs is correlated with dikes, volcanic mounds and hydrothermal alteration zones noted in previous shallow reflection seismic analyses. The depth of the transition between the upper and lower parts of the anomaly is characterized by an abrupt Vp increase on the one-dimensional (1D) profiles extracted from the 3D tomographic model and by the presence of a strong reflector located at about 0.6/0.7 s Two Way Time (TWT) on Common Mid Point gathers. The move-out velocity analysis and stack of the P–P and P–S reflections at the layer bottom allowed to estimate relatively high Vp/Vs values (3.7 ± 0.9). This hypothesis has been tested by a theoretical rock physical modeling of the Vp/Vs ratio as a function of porosity suggesting that the shallow layer is likely formed by incoherent, water saturated, volcanic and marine sediments that filled Pozzuoli Bay during the post-caldera activity.     

Modal analysis of circular flexible foundations under vertical vibration

A methodology using modal analysis is presented to evaluate dynamic displacements of a circular flexible foundation on soil media subjected to vertical vibration. The interaction effects between the foundation and the underlying soil are represented using modal soil impedance functions determined by an efficient procedure developed. The displacements of the foundation can then be easily solved by modal superposition. Comparing with existing solutions, the presented method is found to provide accurate results with less computational effort using only a few vibration modes. In addition, parametric studies for modal responses of the flexible foundation indicate that the response of the foundation are significantly influenced by relative stiffness between the foundation and the soil medium, load distributions, vibration frequency range, and the foundation mass. Besides, justification for flexible foundations to be considered as rigid are investigated.