Hydrogeochemistry of the Simav geothermal field, western Anatolia, Turkey

Thermal waters hosted by Menderes metamorphic rocks emerge along fault lineaments in the Simav geothermal area. Thermal springs and drilled wells are located in the Eynal, Çitgöl and Na a locations, which are part of the Simav geothermal field. Studies were carried out to obtain the main chemical and physical characteristics of thermal waters. These waters are used for heating of residences and greenhouses and for balneological purposes. Bottom temperatures of the drilled wells reach 163°C with total dissolved solids around 2225 mg/kg. Surface temperatures of thermal springs vary between 51°C and 90°C. All the thermal waters belong to Na–HCO₃–SO₄ facies. The cold groundwaters are Ca–Mg–HCO₃ type. Dissolution of host rock and ion-exchange reactions in the reservoir of the geothermal system shift the Ca–Mg–HCO₃ type cold groundwaters to the Na–HCO₃–SO₄ type thermal waters. Thermal waters are oversaturated at discharge temperatures for aragonite, calcite, quartz, chalcedony, magnesite and dolomite minerals giving rise to a carbonate-rich scale. Gypsum and anhydrite minerals are undersaturated with all of the thermal waters. Boiling during ascent of the thermal fluids produces steam and liquid waters resulting in an increase of the concentrations of the constituents in discharge waters. Steam fraction, y, of the thermal waters of which temperatures are above 100°C is between 0.075 and 0.119. Reservoir pH is much lower than pH measured in the liquid phase separated at atmospheric conditions, since the latter experienced heavy loss of acid gases, mainly CO₂. Assessment of the various empirical chemical geothermometers and geochemical modelling suggest that reservoir temperatures vary between 175°C and 200°C.     

Predicting average annual groundwater levels from climatic variables: an empirical model

On the basis of one-dimensional theoretical water flow model, we demonstrate that the groundwater level variation follows a pattern similar to recharge fluctuation, with a time delay that depends on the characteristics of aquifer, recharge pattern as well as the distance between the recharge and observation locations. On the basis of a water budget model and the groundwater flow model, we propose an empirical model that links climatic variables to groundwater level. The empirical model is tested using a partial data set from historical records of water levels from more than 80 wells in a monitoring network for the carbonate rock aquifer, southern Manitoba, Canada. The testing results show that the predicted groundwater levels are very close to the observed ones in most cases. The overall average correlation coefficient between the predicted and observed water levels is 0.92. This proposed empirical statistical model could be used to predict variations in groundwater level in response to different climate scenarios in a climate change impact assessment.     

Evaluating Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Hazard at the Basin Scale Through Gis in the Upper Sele River Valley

To evaluate techniques for assessing earthquake-triggeredlandslide hazard in the Southern Apennines (Italy), a GIS-based analysis was used to modelseismically induced slope deformations. Geological, geotechnical, geomorphological and seismologicaldata were integrated into a standard earthquake slope stability model. The model assessed thelandslide potential that existed during the 1980 Irpinian earthquake in the Upper Sele river Valley.The standard Newmark displacement analysis, widely used for predicting the location of shallowunstable slopes, does not take into account errors and/or uncertainties in the input parameters.Therefore, a probabilistic Newmark displacement analysis technique has been used. Probabilistictechniques allow, e.g., an estimation of the probability that a slope will exceed a certain criticalvalue of Newmark displacement. In our probabilistic method, a Monte-Carlo based simulation modelis used in conjunction with a GIS. The random variability of geotechnical data is modelled by probabilitydensity functions (pdfs), while for the seismic input three different regression laws wereconsidered. Input probability distributions are sampled and the resulting values input into empiricalrelations for estimating Newmark displacement. The outcome is a map in which to each siteis related a spatial probability distribution for the expected displacement in response to seismic loading.Results of the experiments show a high grade of uncertainty in the application of the Newmarkanalysis both for the deterministic and probabilistic approach in a complex geological setting suchas the high Sele valley, quite common in the Southern Apennines. They show a strong dependence onthe reliability of the spatial data used in input, so that, when the model is used at basin scale,results are strongly influenced by local environmental condition (e.g., topography, lithology, groundwatercondition) and decrease the model performance.     

香港海域叶绿素-a浓度的时空分布规律

选取香港海域7个水环境控制区在1988－1999年期间每月或每半月定位边疆聚样的37个水质测站，每个测站选用17个水质参数，研究香港海域海岸带水体叶绿素－a浓度及其相关因子的时空分布规律。对37个测站17个参数作聚类分析，结果表明，香港海域东部由半封闭海湾组成的水域控制区，其赤潮发生频率较高；西部水域属于河口环境。多变量分析结果表明，BOD5对叶绿素－a浓度普遍存在显著性影响，氮和光照条件在东部地叶绿素－a浓度的影响比西部海域更显著，而磷以及包括盐度，温度，溶解氧和pH在内的海洋物理化学条件在西部海域有更显著的影响。在整个香港海域，年内平均最高叶绿素－a浓度主要出现在冬末春初和夏末秋初，东部海域的年平均叶绿素－a浓度一般高于西部海域。香港海域的叶绿素－a浓度普遍存在一个8－10年的周期性变化规律。     

Statistical characteristics of chlorophyll-a concentration in Hong Kong′s coastal waters

In this paper seven of the ten Water Control Zones (WCZs) in Hong Kong′s coastal waters with monthly or bi-weekly sampling data of 17 parameters collected at 37 monitoring stations from 1988 to 1999 were selected to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of chlorophyll-a and its influencing factors. Cluster analysis was employed to group the monitoring stations based on the structure of the data set. Multiple step regression was employed to determine the significant influencing factors of chlorophyll-a level. The results suggest that all the monitoring stations could be grouped into two clusters. Cluster I with frequent red tide incidents comprises two WCZs which aresemi-enclosed bays. Cluster II with less red tide occurrence comprises the other five WCZs in an estuarine environment in the west. For both clusters, the organic contents indicator, BOD5, was a common significant influencing factor of the chlorophyll-a level. Nitrogen and light penetration condition related to turbidity, total volatile solids and suspended solids had more influence on the cholophyll-a level in Cluster I than in Cluster II, while phosphorus and oceanographic conditions associated with salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were more important in Cluster II than in Cluster 1. Generally, there was a higher average chlorophyll-a level in winter and autumn in a year.The chlorophyll-a level was much higher in Cluster I than in Cluster II among all seasons. Although the chlorophyll-a concentration had great variations from place to place in Hong Kong′s coastal waters, it seemed to have a common long term fluctuation period of 8-10 years with a high-low-high variation in the period in the whole region, which might be influenced by other factors of global scale.     

Enrichissement en uranium authigène dans les sédiments glaciaires de l'océan AustralEnrichments in authigenic uranium in glacial sediments of the Southern Ocean

Four sediment cores from the Polar frontal zone and the Antarctic zone in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean present an increase of authigenic uranium during glacial periods. We show that this increase in uranium is due to a combination of (i) an increase in the lateral transport of organic matter, (ii) a decrease in the oxygen in deep waters, and (iii) a process of diagenesis. It appears that uranium concentration cannot be used as a proxy of palaeoproductivity in the Southern Ocean, as previously suggested by Kumar et al. in 1995. To cite this article: L. Dezileau et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 1039–1046.     

The geography of water conflict and cooperation: internal pressures and international manifestations

Studies on transboundary water conflict and cooperation generally consider interstate relations over shared water resources as distinct from intrastate relations. While connections have been made between international water relations and regional relationships in general, it is conceivable that international water conflict and cooperation may also be influenced by domestic water events and vice versa. This paper seeks to investigate the dynamics of water interactions across geographic scale and their relationship to broader international affairs. The research approach involves the creation of an analytical framework for assessing possible linkages between external and internal interactions over freshwater resources. The framework is applied to three case studies – the Middle East, South Asia and Southern Africa – utilizing 'event data'. To validate the findings from the quantitative analyses, the results are compared with conventional qualitative understandings of water and overall relations in the three regions. The comparison demonstrates not only the efficacy of the analytical framework in general, but also highlights, at least in terms of the specific case studies selected, the disparate water dynamics across geographic regions and the importance of considering water events, both national and international, within larger political and historical contexts.     

Infiltration on mountain slopes: a comparison of three environments

Water is well established as a major driver of the geomorphic change that eventually reduces mountains to lower relief landscapes. Nonetheless, within the altitudinal limits of continuous vegetation in humid climates, water is also an essential factor in slope stability. In this paper, we present results from field experiments to determine infiltration rates at forested sites in the Andes Mountains (Ecuador), the southern Appalachian Mountains (USA), and the Luquillo Mountains (Puerto Rico). Using a portable rainfall simulator–infiltrometer (all three areas), and a single ring infiltrometer (Andes), we determined infiltration rates, even on steep slopes. Based on these results, we examine the spatial variability of infiltration, the relationship of rainfall runoff and infiltration to landscape position, the influence of vegetation on infiltration rates on slopes, and the implications of this research for better understanding erosional processes and landscape change.Infiltration rates ranged from 6 to 206 mm/h on lower slopes of the Andes, 16 to 117 mm/h in the southern Appalachians, and 0 to 106 mm/h in the Luquillo Mountains. These rates exceed those of most natural rain events, confirming that surface runoff is rare in montane forests with deep soil/regolith mantles. On well-drained forested slopes and ridges, apparent steady-state infiltration may be controlled by the near-surface downslope movement of infiltrated water rather than by characteristics of the full vertical soil profile. With only two exceptions, the local variability of infiltration rates at the scale of 10° m overpowered other expected spatial relationships between infiltration, vegetation type, slope position, and soil factors. One exception was the significant difference between infiltration rates on alluvial versus upland soils in the Andean study area. The other exception was the significant difference between infiltration rates in topographic coves compared to other slope positions in the tabonuco forest of one watershed in the Luquillo Mountains. Our research provides additional evidence of the ability of forests and forest soils to preserve geomorphic features from denudation by surface erosion, documents the importance of subsurface flow in mountain forests, and supports the need for caution in extrapolating infiltration rates.     

福建建宁黄埠地区金矿化基本特征

通过对建宁黄埠地区金矿地质特征、矿化特点、成矿地质规律的研究，认为该区成矿年龄为91Ma，提出了北西西向碎裂带为主要的含矿构造，并指出该区具有较好的找金远景。     

南天山西段古生代火山岩Ar-Ar年龄新资料

根据新近采自中国南天山西段志留-泥盆系乌帕塔尔坎群中的安山岩样品和石炭-二叠纪康克林组上部英安岩角砾样品的全岩Ar-Ar定年测试,乌帕塔尔坎群安山岩的坪年龄为427.70±0.60 Ma,等时年龄为426.96±4.57 Ma; 康克林组上部的英安岩角砾的坪年龄为288.16±0.40 Ma,等时年龄为289.18±2.02 Ma.测试结果为研究中国南天山(西段)古生代造山带的构造体系提供了新的依据.