An unusual fluvial to tidal transition in the mesoarchean Moodies Group, South Africa: A response to high tidal range and active tectonics

The Moodies Group in the Dycedale Syncline, Barberton Greenstone Belt consists of a 100–130 m-thick upward-fining succession that exhibits a transition from fluvial to tide-modified sedimentation. A basal, 10–30 m-thick conglomerate–sandstone interval of alluvial origin is overlain by stacked upward-fining, decimeter- to meter-scale cycles within which three facies are recognized: 1) conglomerate lag; 2) cross-bedded sandstone; and 3) interlaminated sandstone–siltstone and mudstone. Within the cycles, the abundance of mudstone drapes increases upwards. Structureless conglomerates and cross-beds lacking mudstone drapes record braided-alluvial processes. In contrast, cross-beds with mudstone drapes and interlaminated sandstone–siltstone and mudstone are products of flows modified by various tidal beats. Sand and/or silt transport took place during the ebb and flood stages and mudstone accumulated during slack water phases. Alternating thick–thin laminations reflect dominant and subordinate, twice-daily tides. Thicker groupings of foresets and thicker intervals of vertically stacked sandstone–siltstone and mudstone laminations are interpreted as spring tide deposits whereas thinner groupings of foresets and thinner laminations record neap tides. Desiccated mudstone drapes on foresets indicate that bedforms rarely were locally exposed during some portion of the tidal cycle. Abundant exposure structures in the interlaminated sandstone–siltstone and mudstone facies indicate that the cycles are upward shoaling. The stacked upward-fining cycles are attributed to alternating subaerial exposure and fluvial influx followed by marine inundation, probably related to absolute sea level fluctuations. Lack of high-order vegetation on the Archean landscape promoted rapid lateral migration or avulsion of tidally influenced fluvial channels.

The association of facies within the 100–130 m-thick upward-fining succession is comparable to Holocene and ancient paleovalley fills characterized by basal alluvial gradational upwards into estuarine facies. However, in the absence of vegetation, the land–ocean interface in the Archean probably consisted of laterally extensive fan or braid deltas rather than point sources of sediment characteristic of most modern rivers. The abrupt up-section change from syntectonic, high-energy, alluvial–fluvial flash flood deposits to tide-influenced sedimentation implies a proximal source that provided sediment to a shoreline influenced by strong tidal action. Possible Holocene analogues are orogenic settings such as the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand, the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and strike-slip settings such as the Gulf of Aqaba but all three examples lack a direct transition to tidally influenced sedimentation.     

图的圈和路剖分问题

设G是一个顶点数为n的图，k为任意正整数且k≤n，证明了如果图G中任何一对不相邻顶点的最大度至少为n-k＋1/2，则G能剖分成k个子图Hi,1≤i≤k，其中Hi是圈或路；如果G是2-连通图，σ2（G）=min{dG（x）＋dG（y）x，Y∈y（G），x≠y，d（x，y）=2}≥n-k，G也能剖分成k个子图Hi，1≤i≤k，其中Hi是圈或路。     

不同初始饱水状态红砂岩冻融损伤差异性研究

借助于红砂岩冻融循环CT扫描试验，从扫描层面内不同的感兴趣区域内CT均值数大小及其变化以及CT图像，对4种典型的不同初始饱水状态红砂岩进行冻融循环条件下损伤扩展差异性研究。研究结果表明，对于初始损伤相同的岩石，初始饱水状态将决定冻融循环对其损伤扩展的影响程度。     

Western Pacific in glacial cycles:Seasonality in marginal seas and variabilities of Warm Pool

A serics of low-latitude marginal seas, ranging from the southern South China Sea in the north to the Arafura Sea in the south, are located within the Western Pacific Warm Pool. As shown by rnicropaleontological, isotopical and organic geochemical analyses, the sea surface temperatures in the marginal seas at the last glacial maximum were much cooler than those in the open Western Pacific Ocean. The emergence of extensive shelves of the marginal seas at the glacial low sea-level stand and the decrease of surface temperatures in their deeper water parts resulted in a remarkable reduction of the ability of vapor and heat transport to the atmosphere, causing variabilities to the Warm Pool in the glacial cycles. The intensification of winter monsoon at the glacial stages not only led to a decrease of the surface water temperature and hence to an enhanced seasonality, but also carried moisture from the sea to the tropical islands, giving rise to the downward shift of snowline and mountainous vegetation zones there. It may offer a new alternative in solution of the “Tropical Ocean Paleo-temperature Enigma”. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49576286).     

Global climatic changes since the last glacial maximum: evidence from paleolimnology and paleoclimate modeling

Recognition that Earth/Sun orbital changes are the basic cause for Quaternary climatic variations provides a context for explaining global environmental changes, many of which are preserved in the stratigraphic and geomorphic record of lakes. Paleoclimatic numerical models suggest the mechanisms. In subtropical latitudes such as North Africa the enhanced summer insolation culminating about 10 000 years ago resulted in the increased monsoonal rains that explain the widespread expansion of lakes in now-desert basins. But in the American Southwest lake expansion dates to 18 000–15 000 years ago, when storm tracks were displaced to the south by the ice sheets—themselves a product of earlier orbital changes. The dynamics in the resopnse of different components of the natural system to climatic change are recorded in the stratigraphy of lake sediments, not only by their pollen content as a manifestation of the regional vegetation but also by their microfossils and chemical composition as reflections of lake development.This is the 10th in a series of papers published in this special AMQUA issue. These papers were presented at the 1994 meeting of the American Quaternary Association held 19–22 June, 1994, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Dr Linda C. K. Shane served as guest for these papers.     

Methane,carbon monoxide and methylchloroform in the southern hemisphere

New observational data on CH₄, CO and CH₃CCl₃ in the southern hemisphere are reported. The data are analysed for long term trends and seasonal cycles. CH₃CCl₃ data are used to scale the OH fields incorporated in a two dimensional model, which in turn, is used to constrain the magnitude of a global CH₄ source function. The possible causes of observed seasonality of CH₃CCl₃, CH₄ and CO are identified, and several other aspects of observed CH₄ variability are discussed.Possible future research directions are also given.     

Experimental Study of Mechanical Behaviour of Rock Joints Under Cyclic Loading

Summary Evaluation of the effects of small repetitive earthquakes on the strength parameters of rock joints in active seismic zones is of interest of the designers of underground constructions. In order to evaluate these effects, it is necessary to study the behaviour of rock joints under dynamic and cyclic loadings. This paper presents the results of a systematic study on the behaviour of artificial rock joints subjected to cyclic shearing. More than 30 identical replicas have been tested using triaxial compression devices under different conditions of monotonic and cyclic loading. At the first stage a few samples have been tested in monotonic loading modes under various confining pressures and rate of displacement. In the second series of tests, small cyclic loads were applied on the samples for increasing number of cycles, frequency levels and stress amplitudes. These were then followed by monotonic loading again. The variations of maximum and residual shear strengths for each test have been studied. The results show increase of shear strength as a result of the increase in confining pressure and they display decrease of shear strength due to the increase of rate of loading, number of cycles, frequency levels and stress amplitudes.     

辽南新元古代营城子组臼齿灰岩的沉积环境

臼齿(Molar—Toom)灰岩是发育于中新元古代碳酸盐台地的一种特殊灰岩类型。辽东半岛南部大连地区震旦系营城子组中部臼齿灰岩十分发育，野外观测、室内薄片以及比较沉积学研究表明，臼齿灰岩的出现与环境密切相关。通过米级旋回研究发现，该岩相段以发育浅水碳酸盐岩米级旋回层序为主，臼齿构造主要产出在微旋回中下部的中薄层泥晶灰岩和粉屑灰岩中，形成环境为潮下浅水环境。     

A reevaluation of the oceanic uranium budget for the Holocene

We present a new assessment of the pre-anthropogenic U budget for the Holocene ocean. We find that the gross input of U to the ocean lies in the range 53±17 Mmol/year, where the dominant source is river runoff (42.0±14.5 Mmol/year) and the direct discharge of groundwater could represent a significant additional input (9.3±8.7 Mmol/year). The soluble U flux associated with the aeolian input of crustal dust is minor (1.8±1.1 Mmol/year), falling well within the errors associated with the riverine flux. Removal of U to the organic rich sediments of salt marshes and mangrove swamps during river–sea mixing may significantly modify the riverine flux, such that the net U input is reduced to 42±18 Mmol/year. Evaluation of the U isotope budget demonstrates that the limits we have established on the U input flux are reasonable and suggests that direct groundwater discharge may play a significant role in maintaining the oceanic excess of ²³⁴U. The total sink of U from the ocean lies in the range 48±14 Mmol/year. We find that three major processes control the magnitude of this flux: (1) removal to oxygen-depleted sediments (26.9±12.2 Mmol/year); (2) incorporation into biogenic carbonate (13.3±5.6 Mmol/year); and (3) crustal sequestration during hydrothermal alteration and seafloor weathering (5.7±3.3 Mmol/year). The removal of U to opaline silica (0.6±0.3 Mmol/year) and hydrogenous phases (1.4±0.8 Mmol/year) is minimal, falling well within the errors associated with the other sinks. That the input and output fluxes balance within the calculated errors implies that U may be in steady state in the Holocene ocean. In this case, the input and output fluxes lie in the range 34–60 Mmol/year, giving an oceanic U residence time of 3.2–5.6×10⁵ years. However, given the large uncertainties, a significant imbalance between the Holocene input and output fluxes cannot be ruled out. The constancy of the ancient seawater U concentration implies that the U budget is in steady state over the time period of a glacial–interglacial climate cycle (10⁵ year). A Holocene flux imbalance must, therefore, be offset by an opposing flux imbalance during glacial periods or at the interglacial–glacial transition. We suggest that the storage of U in the coastal zone and shallow water carbonates during interglacial periods and the release of that U at or following the interglacial–glacial transition could be sufficient to affect the short-term stability of the U budget. Providing tighter constraints on U fluxes in the Holocene ocean is a prerequisite to understanding the U budget on the time scale of a glacial–interglacial climate cycle and using this element as a valuable palaeoceanographic proxy.