Late quaternary of the middle Caquetá River area (Colombian Amazonia)

The late Quaternary history of the middle Caquetá River area in Colombia, northwestern Amazonia is described, based on observations of river bank sections, radiocarbon dates and palynological analyses of organic layers in floodplain and low terrace sediments of the Caquetá River. It is shown that the Late Pleistocene and Holocene climatic changes that took place in the Andean Cordilleras, were related to the depositional and erosional history of the Caquetá River in the Colombian Amazonian lowlands. The low terrace sediments consist of sandy and gravelly deposits covered by clays that sometimes contain lenses of peaty material. From these organic low terrace sediments, seven finite radiocarbon dates were obtained of Middle Pleniglacial age, between 56 000 and 30 000 yr BP. The coarse textured basal deposits of the low terrace apparently stem from the early part of the Middle Pleniglaciai period, during which the effective rainfall in the Andes was relatively high and the Andean glaciers had a considerable extension. Palynological data from silty sediments with organic remains at one site, show an interval when drier and more open types of vegetation on poor soils must have covered a larger area than today, but Amazonian forest was still the dominating type of vegetation. This interval might correspond to one of the Middle Pleniglacial savanna intervals from eastern Amazonia (Carajas). No organic sediments from the Upper Pleniglacial period were found and hence radiocarbon dates were not obtained. In the Andes this period had a very cold climate with low effective rainfall and in the east Amazonian Carajas area it is characterised by the relative extension of open savanna vegetation. The river run-off and sediment transport must have been much lower than in the Middle Pleniglacial and the Caquetá River cut itself down in its own sediments. Two Late-glacial radiocarbon datings obtained at one site (ca. 12 500 yr BP) indicate the existence of a Late-glacial sedimentation phase, separated from the Holocene sequence by a minor erosional phase. Organic layers in the Holocene floodplain sediments yielded 28 radiocarbon dates between 10 000 and 355 yr BP. Holocene sedimentation started with the rapid deposition of (sandy) clay possibly in a partly permanently inundated Caquetá valley. During the major part of the Holocene (silty) clays were deposited, with a dominant seasonal inundation cycle.     

Naturally and Anthropogenically Accelerated Sedimentation in the Lower Yellow River, China, over the Past 13,000 Years

Based on data from instrumental measurements, map comparison, sedimentological methods, historical literature analysis and ¹⁴C dating techniques, a data-base has been built to study the changing sedimentation rate of the lower Yellow River over the past 13,000 years. A striking increase of sedimentation rate with time has been revealed which reflects the effects of both global climatic change and human activities. The points in the plots can be fitted by several straight-line segments with different slopes, representing geological sedimentation, naturally accelerated sedimentation and anthropogenically accelerated sedimentation.     

Thermal material in relativistic jets

The properties of thermal material co-existing with non-thermal emitting plasma and strong magnetic fields in the powerful jets of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are examined. Theoretical and observational constraints on the physical properties of this 'cold' component are determined. While the presence of a thermal component occupying a fraction ∼ 10⁻⁸ of the jet volume is possible, it seems unlikely that such a component is capable of contributing significantly to the total jet energy budget, since the thermal reprocessing signatures that should appear in the spectra have not, as yet, been detected.     

Probable spectral steepening of UHEγ-rays of nuclear origin and its consequences

Recent accelerator data based parameterization of the inclusive cross section (c −s) forπ0 production in hadronic collisions and an explicit incorporation of the finiteness of the relevant projectile hadron spectrum suggest a significant steepening in the spectrum (by as much as 0.4 in the spectral index) of the secondaryγ-ray towards the end of the spectrum. We emphasize here that this spectral steepening in conjunction with the possibility that in the bright X-ray binaries the maximum energy to which theγ-ray producing progenitor protons may be accelerated is only ∼ l0 PeV, may imply an effective efficiency forγ-ray production,ε, as reckoned by the PeV arrays, one or two orders smaller than the previous estimates. To explain the genesis of a given PeV photon flux from an X-ray binary, one, therefore, has to. accordingly consider a much higher value of the progenitor proton beam luminosity,L _p . This requirement may raise further questions regarding the actual genesis of PeVγ-rays in X-ray binaries, or alternatively, on the veracity of the high values of the PeV photon fluxes reported by earlier experiments.     

On the Relationship Between the Jets from X-Ray Binaries and Agn

The scale invariance model (Heinz, S. and Sunyaev, R.A.: 2003, MNRAS 343, L59) can be used to derive robust scaling relations between the radio luminosity from accreting black holes and the black hole mass and accretion rate. These relations agree well with the recently found “fundamental plane” of black hole activity (Merloni, A., Heinz, S. and Di Matteo, T.: 2003, MNRAS 345, 1057). This relation provides a new, powerful tool for the comparison of jets from black holes of different masses and accretion rates. The regression coefficients of this relation contain information about the nature of the X-ray emission mechanism driving the correlation. We argue that X-ray synchrotron emission from the base of the jets is unlikely to be the dominant contribution to the X-ray spectrum in most of the sources.     

Response of Sublittoral Hard Substrate Invertebrates to Estuarine Sedimentation in the Outer Harbour of Bilbao (N. Spain)

Abstract. Four sampling stations with relatively similar hard-bottom substrates were investigated to determine if there were differences between the sublittoral invertebrates near the Nervión River mouth (N. Spain) and those closer to the open sea, and if faunal differences could be attributed to the impact of estuarine sedimentation. Four 100 m long transects were surveyed using photographic and quadrat techniques, yielding data on percentage cover of all invertebrates from 136 visual inventories. Data were analysed to determine whether any community response to sedimentation was evident. Ordination (multidimensional scaling) and classification (group-average clustering) based on B ray -C urtis dissimilarity measures separated the stations at three levels based on the different faunal assemblages. The analysis suggests the presence of a gradient along the estuary discharge, mainly affecting the east side of the outer part of Bilbao harbour, since the estuarine plume flows to the east. The influence can be expressed in terms of retrogression of the variety of species and disappearance of the algal fraction, which is progressively replaced by an animal assemblage of tolerant and opportunistic suspension feeders. Several 'indicator' species were identified on the basis of strong density differences between sites; matrix correlations presented here were found to produce complementary and consistent results. The role of estuarine sedimentation disturbance as the main factor controlling subtidal assemblages in outer Bilbao harbour is discussed.     

Time-Dependent Synchrotron and Compton Spectra from Microquasar Jets

Jet models for the high-energy emission of Galactic X-ray binary sources have regained significant interest with detailed spectral and timing studies of the X-ray emission from microquasars, the recent detection by the HESS collaboration of very-high-energy γ-rays from the microquasar LS 5039, and the earlier suggestion of jet models for ultraluminous X-ray sources observed in many nearby galaxies. Here we study the synchrotron and Compton signatures of time-dependent electron injection and acceleration, and adiabatic and radiative cooling in the jets of Galactic microquasars.     

中国西部印支旋回地壳运动的研究

本文在收集大量地质文献的基础上,研究了不同区域的沉积类型及其构造环境之后,认为中国西部印支旋回的地壳运动与东特提斯洋南北两支的扩张、闭合有关。在此过程中,安尼—拉丁期间,诺利—瑞替期间,瑞替—里阿斯期间为地壳运动的三次强化时期。     

矿区表土疏水沉降机理及其与井壁破裂的关系

为了揭示矿区表土疏水沉降的机理,并透析表土沉降与井壁破裂之间的关系,从表土疏水沉降的模拟实验入手,分析了矿区表土缩水沉降的机理。揭示了矿区表土层中非压缩区的存在,并在此基础之上分析了立井井筒所承受的负向滑动摩擦力的形成及变动规律,剖析了井壁破裂与表土层厚度及下含水水位的特定对应关系,为揭示井壁破裂时间的可预测性奠定了基础。     

A critical review of rock slope failure mechanisms: The importance of structural geology

Geological structures such as folds, faults, and discontinuities play a critical role in the stability and behaviour of both natural and engineered rock slopes. Although engineering geologists have long recognised the importance of structural geology in slopes, it remains a significant challenge to integrate structural geological mapping and theory into all stages of engineering projects. We emphasise the importance of structural geology to slope stability assessments, reviewing how structures control slope failure mechanisms, how engineering geologists measure structures and include them in slope stability analyses, and how numerical simulations of slopes incorporate geological structures and processes.