Characteristics of the Shetland Islands (UK) peat slides of 19 September 2003

An extreme rainfall event over the southern Shetland Islands in northern Scotland, UK, on 19 September 2003, triggered at least 20 significant peat slides and at least 15 smaller landslides of varying types. The peat slides were examined and surveyed to characterise and explain the distinctive morphological features that were produced. The failures varied in size from 0.4 to 7.3 ha (2,300 to 59,000 m³ displaced volumes of peat) and involved blanket peat up to 3 m deep and slope gradients as low as 4°. Almost all of the failure surfaces were located at the peat–mineral interface. The morphological features included large areas (up to 0.5 ha) of intact peat that moved without breaking up, linear compression and thrust features and unusual occurrences of mineral debris. These features suggest peat of high tensile strength throughout its depth and the generation of high and sometimes artesian water pressures at the base of the peat during the event. However, the variations between peat slides highlight some of the difficulties of trying to assess the susceptibility of blanket peat to failure without full knowledge of the local peat geotechnical properties and structural features within the peat mass.     

四川得荣扎仁铜钴矿地质特征及成因

扎仁铜钴矿位于金沙江蛇绿构造混杂岩带东带内的扎仁断裂岩浆活动带上。下二叠统下段灰绿色变质基性火山岩(绿片岩)为铜钴矿(化)体主要赋存层位。经初步研究,矿床与海底火山喷发-变质改造成因有关。     

北祁连西段早古生代构造演化史

北祁连西段与北祁连中段构造带之间被一条平行于阿尔金断裂带的宗宾大坂古转换断裂所隔，东西两段在早古生代构造演化史上有明显差异。北祁连西段早古生代构造是在前震旦系陆壳基底上，在震旦纪再一次开裂演变为裂陷槽，寒武—奥陶纪为裂谷—海沟—火山弧多元构造的格局     

南海北部陆坡块体搬运沉积体系的地震响应与成因机制

块体搬运沉积体系是一种重力作用下形成的深水沉积体系,在全球大陆边缘沉积体系中扮演着重要角色.块体搬运沉积作用不仅造成危害极大的深水地质灾害,而且与海洋天然气水合物和深水油气的形成过程与富集有密切联系.根据新获得的海底地形地貌资料和地震资料,揭示了块体搬运沉积体系识别特征,明确了其分布范围.这些块体搬运沉积体系具有明显的...     

Radon as an indicator of limited cross-shelf mixing of submarine groundwater discharge along an open ocean beach in the South Atlantic Bight during observed hypoxia

Hypoxic conditions (dissolved oxygen (DO)<2 mg l⁻¹) have been documented in the nearshore coastal waters of Long Bay, South Carolina, United States of America, during summer months over the past several years. Hypoxia was documented in August 2009 in the nearshore (<500 m offshore) for ten consecutive days and four days in September 2009 corresponding with spring tides. This study measured radon activities of shallow beachface groundwater and nearshore bottom waters to estimate mixing rates and submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in the nearshore waters of central Long Bay. Statistical analyses demonstrate significant correlations between high bottom water radon activities, low DO, and cooler bottom water temperatures during hypoxic conditions. Elevated radon activities during hypoxia were significantly influenced by upwelling favorable conditions which severely limited cross-shelf mixing. Model results indicate mixing of nearshore and offshore waters was limited by up to 93% (range: 43-100%) relative to non-hypoxic conditions. Data suggests previously overlooked natural phenomena including limited cross-shelf mixing and SGD can significantly influence nearshore water quality.     

Filling the gap: A 60 ky record of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic turbidite deposition from the Great Barrier Reef

Late Pleistocene to Holocene margin sedimentation on the Great Barrier Reef, a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic margin, has been explained by a transgressive shedding model. This model has challenged widely accepted sequence stratigraphic models in terms of the timing and type of sediment (i.e. carbonate vs. siliciclastic) deposited during sea-level oscillations. However, this model documents only hemipelagic sedimentation and the contribution of coarse-grained turbidite deposition, and the role of submarine canyons in this process, remain elusive on this archetypal margin. Here we present a new model of turbidite deposition for the last 60 ky in the north-eastern Australia margin. Using high-resolution bathymetry, 58 new and existing radiometric ages, and the composition of 81 turbidites from 15 piston cores, we found that the spatial and temporal variation of turbidites is controlled by the relationship between sea-level change and the variable physiography along the margin. Siliciclastic and mixed carbonate-siliciclastic turbidites were linked to canyons indenting the shelf-break and the well-developed shelf-edge reef barriers that stored sediment behind them. Turbidite deposition was sustained while the sea-level position allowed the connection and sediment bypassing through the inter-reef passages and canyons. Carbonate turbidites dominated in regions with more open conditions at the outer-shelf and where slope-confined canyons dominated or where canyons are generally less abundant. The turn-on and maintenance of carbonate production during sea-level fluctuations also influenced the timing of carbonate turbidite deposition. We show that a fundamental understanding of the variable physiography inherent to mixed carbonate-siliciclastic margins is essential to accurately interpret deep-water, coarse-grained deposition within a sequence stratigraphic context.     

Using Rn to estimate submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and the associated nutrient fluxes into Xiangshan Bay,East China Sea

Continuous radon (²²²Rn) monitoring was conducted at two stations (site A and site B) with different perpendicular distance from the shoreline in Xiangshan Bay, East China Sea. Based on a ²²²Rn balance model (various sources and sinks of ²²²Rn in coastal water), the average rate of SGD was estimated to be 0.69 cm/day and 0.23 cm/day for site A and site B, respectively. The results from a nutrient analysis of the groundwater indicate that the associated nutrients fluxes loading through the SGD pathway were 4.27 × 10⁶ mol/day for DIN, 2.24 × 10⁴ mol/day for DIP and 1.82 × 10⁶ mol/day for DSi, respectively, which were comparable to or even higher than the levels observed in the local streams. Therefore, adequate attention should be paid to the importance of SGD as one source of nutrients during the eutrophication control process in this area.     

Clay slides in the Målselv valley, northern Norway: Characteristics, occurrence, and triggering mechanisms

The distribution of a large number of clay slides in the Målselv valley, northern Norway, is analysed and put into context with the stratigraphic organization of the valley-fill sediments. About 32% of the landslides larger than 10⁴ m³ occur close to the valley margins, where mud is either exposed or at shallow depth. About 57% of the landslides occur mid-valley, where relatively thin (< 15 m) coarse-grained deltaic sediments overlay fine-grained marine and glaciomarine sediments, and about 11% of the landslides occur in front of ice-contact deposits. The slide-prone areas are all characterized by the occurrence of heterogeneous sediments (interbedded clay, silt and sand), in addition to the presence of steep slopes eroded by rivers. The heterogeneous nature of the sediments probably enhanced groundwater drainage and leaching of salts from the clay, increasing sensitivity. Thus, the distribution and organization of the valley-fill sediments and groundwater drainage probably controlled the position of the slide scars and sliding planes. Since deglaciation of the valley (11,500 BP–present), isostatic rebound has enhanced fluvial incision and the creation of steep slopes due to a fall in relative sea level of up to 80 m.Arcuate-shaped, ‘bottleneck’ landslide scars ranging from c. 10⁴ to 10⁷ m³ in size is the dominant morphological signature of the slides, typical for quick clay slides or earth flows involving fluid mud. Their most common triggering mechanism is probably erosion at the toe slopes by the river Målselv or its tributaries. River erosion close to the valley margin, where glaciomarine and marine sediments are present, seems to give the most severe slides. The overall valley-fill organization controls the distribution of clay slides, which may apply to other fjord valleys having similar sediment distribution.     

海底地震有限断层破裂模型对近场海啸数值预报的影响

快速准确的海啸源模型是近场海啸精确预警的关键.尽管目前还没有办法直接对其进行正演定量计算,但是可以通过多源地震、海啸观测数据进行反演或联合反演推算.不同的海啸源可能导致不同的预警结论,了解不同类型海啸源适用性、评估海啸源特征差异对近场海啸的影响,无论对于海啸预警还是海啸模拟研究尤为重要.本文评估分析了6种不同同震断层模型对2011年3月11日日本东北地震海啸近场数值预报的影响,重点对比分析了有限断层模型与均一滑动场模型对近场海啸产生、传播、淹没特征的影响及各自的误差.研究表明:近场海啸波能量分布主要取决于海啸源分布特征,特别是走向角的差异对海啸能量分布影响较大;有限断层模型对海啸灾害最为严重的39°N以南沿岸地区的最大海啸爬坡高度明显优于均一滑动场模型结果;综合对比DART浮标、GPS浮标及近岸潮位站共32个站次的海啸波幅序列结果发现有限断层模型整体平均绝对/相对误差比均一滑动场模型平均误差要低,其中Fujii海啸源的平均绝对/相对误差最小,分别是0.56m和26.71%.UCSB海啸源的平均绝对/相对误差次之.3个均一滑动场模型中USGSCMT海啸源模拟精度最高.相对于深海、浅海观测站,有限断层模型比均一滑动场模型对近岸观测站计算精度更高.海啸源误差具有显著的方向性,可能与反演所采用的波形数据的代表性有关;谱分析结果表明Fujii海啸源对在12至60min主频波谱的模拟要优于UCSB海啸源.海啸源中很难真实反映海底地震破裂过程,然而通过联合反演海啸波形数据推算海啸源的方法可以快速确定海啸源,并且最大限度的降低地震破裂过程与海啸产生的不确定性带来的误差.