Groundwater-flow modeling in the Yucatan karstic aquifer, Mexico

The current conceptual model of the unconfined karstic aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is that a fresh-water lens floats above denser saline water that penetrates more than 40 km inland. The transmissivity of the aquifer is very high so the hydraulic gradient is very low, ranging from 7–10 mm/km through most of the northern part of the peninsula. The computer modeling program AQUIFER was used to investigate the regional groundwater flow in the aquifer. The karstified zone was modeled using the assumption that it acts hydraulically similar to a granular, porous medium. As part of the calibration, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) karstic features play an important role in the groundwater-flow system; (2) a ring or belt of sinkholes in the area is a manifestation of a zone of high transmissivity that facilitates the channeling of groundwater toward the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the geologic features in the southern part of Yucatan influence the groundwater-flow system. The model shows that the Sierrita de Ticul fault, in the southwestern part of the study area, acts as a flow barrier and head values decline toward the northeast. The modeling also shows that the regional flow-system dynamics have not been altered despite the large number of pumping wells because the volume of water pumped is small compared with the volume of recharge, and the well-developed karst system of the region has a very high hydraulic conductivity. Electronic Publication     

Milan: The city of constant renewal

Traditional models of urban development are no longer adequate to describe current metropolitan transformations. These are now at the centre of a debate concerning management and administration. In Italy, delays in resolving problems of urban and metropolitan government, despite the legal framework provided by Law 142/90, have weighed heavily on the larger urban areas of the country: Rome, Naples, Milan, which have not been able to tackle the issue of metropolitan government. Recent legislation, while not providing a pre-defined institutional solution, allows separate administrative districts to collectively establish metropolitan institutions of `variable geometry'. The Milan urban area is not one city, but a system of mutually-dependent cities, linked to each other and the rest of the world by a transport network still requiring much investment. The vitality of its economic structure (especially its small firms) is held back by seriously inadequate infrastructure and low external economic efficiency. The provincial capital may boast `historic centrality' but the most interesting potential for development is to be found on the periphery and in the administrative districts immediately surrounding it, in the recovery of derelict industrial areas and dormitory towns established in the 1950s and 1960s, especially to the north. Recovery of derelict areas, green areas, and better transport links within the urban area and with the outside world are the key elements in the reorganization of `Greater Milan'. In this situation of rapid transformation the most appropriate political strategies involve negotiated planning. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Momentum transport of wave zero during March: A possible predictor for the Indian summer monsoon

Analysis of monthly momentum transport of zonal waves at 850 hPa for the period 1979 to 1993, between ‡S and ‡N for January to April, using zonal (u) and meridional (v) components of wind taken from the ECMWF reanalysis field, shows a positive correlation (.1% level of significance) between the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (June through September) and the momentum transport of wave zero TM(0) over latitudinal belt between 25‡S and 5‡N (LB) during March. Northward (Southward) TM(0) observed in March over LB subsequently leads to a good (drought) monsoon season over India which is found to be true even when the year is marked with the El-Nino event. Similarly a strong westerly zone in the Indian Ocean during March, indicates a good monsoon season for the country, even if the year is marked with El-Nino. The study thus suggests two predictors, TM(0) over LB and the strength of westerly zone in the Indian Ocean during March.     

河南省栾川县马圈一带银铅锌多金属找矿方向探讨

马圈一带出露的主要地层为上元古界栾川群和中元古界官道口群 ,是Pb、Zn、Ag的主要含矿地层。燕山期花岗岩在空间上与矿化关系密切。矿体主要受北西向断裂控制 ,常分布在北西、北东向断裂构造交汇部位。根据地球化学特征、矿产分布规律和找矿标志 ,划分出百炉沟西凹—东凹—磨沟、百炉沟—黄花北沟—杨树凹等两个一级和银窝沟—大石渣沟—小石渣沟、板岔沟等两个二级找矿预测区。     

Preparation of a New Geological Survey of Japan Geochemical Reference Material: Coral JCp-1

A new geochemical reference material, coral Porites sp. JCp-1 has been prepared by the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ). Provisional values for twenty one major, minor and trace elements are presented. The homogeneity tests showed that all elements studied are considered to be homogeneously distributed.     

对永胜6级地震的预报及依据

2001年10月27日在云南永胜发生6.0级地震，震前四川省地震局有较准确的中期和短临预报，加强了川滇交界地区的地震监测预报工作，并且向四川省政府作了汇报，取得了明显的社会效益。经验性地震预报重视川滇菱形地块西界断裂带动态活动图像的分析，尤其对历史强震破裂空段附近出现的中小震活动带或新活跃区段的研究；同时，重视4级前震群、川滇交界地区地下水位、水温、形变观测异常的跟踪分析和震情预测。     

半无限空间中圆形孔洞周围SH波的散射

建立了求解在含有圆形孔洞的弹性半空间中SH波散射与圆形孔洞附近动应力集中问题的解析方法。利用SH波散射的对称性和多极坐标的方法，构造了一个可以预先满足半空间自由表面上应力自由边界条件的圆形孔洞对SH波散射的波函数。利用这一波函数，则可将该问题转化成对一个圆形孔洞散射的求解问题。该问题的解答最终又可归结为对一组无究代数方程组的求解问题，并可利用截断有限项的方法对其进行计算，最后给出了有关圆形也洞附近动应力集中问题的算例和数值结果，并讨论了波数与圆孔至自由边界距离变化对动应力集中的影响。     

华北近十年来水平运动动态与地震活动危险区的讨论

根据华北地区1999年和2001年两期高精度GPS观测结果，通过与1992，1995，1996年和1999年这几期资料的比较，发现近两年的运动与前有所不同，主要表现为：（1）阴山单元和鄂尔多斯单元之间显示为压性运动的性质，但比较微弱，它们之间的边界带上似乎有左旋走滑运动，但从整体上看并不显著。（2）晋冀鲁单元和燕山单元的整体活动性不如以前，各单元内部存在着较明显的差异运动，并山单元和晋冀鲁单元的北部存在着比较显著的东西向挤压，北京地区则表现为南北向挤压。（3）晋冀鲁单元南部与胶辽鲁苏单元的南部的趋势活动呈张性，优势运动方向为东南，这样的结果可能表明，华北目前存在着应力扰动行为，大同与天津之间的区域是受其影响最大的地区，该区有可能成为未来几年中强地震活动的一个主体地区。     

三原井水位固体潮加卸载响应比的地震异常

讨论了三原井水位在泾阳4．8级地震前的变化特征，重点是泾阳地震前水位对固体潮响应的变化，即固体潮加卸载响应率与加卸载响应比的变化，对水位观测资料的计算分析表明，震前加卸载响应率及响应比有“平稳－升高－恢复”的特征，说明水位固体潮加卸载响应比方法有可能捕捉5级左右近震的前兆信息。     

小波变换在少震、弱震区地下水位数据分析中的应用

利用小波变换和多尺度分析原理，对位于少震弱震区的湖南的具有不同变化形态的6口典型井4年的水位日均值序列进行了分析。结果显示，通过多尺度分析可以很方便地将水位日均值序列中的高频部分与低频部分分开，而且对不同井孔的含水层系统而言，分离出去的频率成分的主模是不同的，这反应出不同井孔的含水层系统对同一频率的响应存在差异，主模的频率反映了正常背景下井孔－含水层系统的优势频率。Morlet小波分析的结果对时间序列的突然变化和周期结构都有很好的反映。