Modelling net erosion responses to enviroclimatic changes recorded upon multisecular timescales

Land use change has been recognized throughout the Earth as one of the most important factors influencing the occurrence of rainfall-driven geomorphological processes. However, relating the occurrence of historical soil erosion rates is difficult because of the lack of long-term research projects in river basins. Also, complex models are not adequate to reconstruct erosion rate changes because they require significant input data not always available on long timescales. Given the problems with assessing sediment yield using complex erosion models, the objective of this study is to explore a parsimonious scale-adapted erosion model (ADT) from the original Thornes and Douglas algorithms, which aims at reconstruction of annual net erosion (ANE) upon multisecular timescales. As a test site, the Calore River basin (3015 km² in southern Italy) provides a peculiar and unique opportunity for modelling erosion responses to climate and land cover changes, where input-data generation and interpretation results were also supported by documented hydrogeomorphological events that occurred before and after land deforestation. In this way, ANE_ADT-values were reconstructed for the period 1675–2004 by using precipitation indexes, complemented by recent instrumental records, and by using land cover statistics from documented agrarian sources. Pulses of natural sedimentation in the predeforestation period have been related to Vesuvius volcanic activity and changes in rainstorm frequency. After deforestation, the basin system became unstable with sudden fluctuations in the hydrogeomorphological regime contributing significantly to increased erosion and, in turn, sediment transport sequences via river drainage towards the Tyrrhenian coast.     

Factors influencing the presence or absence of tributary-junction fans in the Iberian Range, Spain

This paper analyses the factors which influence the presence or absence of tributary-junction fans in the Iberian Range, northern Spain. Two valleys were selected, both characterised by wide variations in lithology, altitude, land use and plant cover. Two groups of factors were studied: those related to the internal characteristics of the drainage basins, which particularly control sediment generation; and those related to the characteristics of the depositional area which control accommodation space and main river power. Among the internal factors, the development of alluvial fans was related to: (i) the capacity of the basin to yield large volumes of sediment, (ii) the occurrence of intense human pressure until recent times, a good indicator of sediment yield, and (iii) the capacity of the basin to quickly increase discharge during rainstorms (discharge density and torrentiality). It is suggested that the areas that were intensively cultivated in the past, and have therefore been affected by intense erosion, have played a decisive role on the development of alluvial fans. This would imply that many of these alluvial fans have a relatively recent origin, perhaps related to the beginning of a widespread deforestation. The basins without alluvial fans are characterised by relatively steep hillslope gradients (that is, slopes that never were subjected to historical cultivation), low drainage densities and dense forest and shrub cover, mostly coinciding with high altitude basins composed of quartzite and shale bedrocks. Regarding the external factors, the shape, size and longitudinal gradient of the main river to which the fans are tributary are the most relevant conditioning factors determining the development of alluvial fans.     

HUMBOLDT AND THE HABITABILITY OF CANADA'S GREAT NORTHWEST*

ABSTRACT. Alexander von Humboldt's influence in British North America during the nineteenth century was filtered mainly through British imperial applications of “Humboldtian” sciences, including geomagnetism and biogeography. The best‐known examples include Edward Sabine and John Henry Lefroy, Royal Artillery officers who, during the 1830s and 1840s, transformed British North American outposts and territories, including Rupert's Land, into Humboldtian sites and regions in Great Britain's imperial “magnetic crusade.” Important groundwork had already been laid by John Richardson, who applied data accrued during John Franklin's overland Arctic expeditions during the 1820s to systematize Humboldtian inquiries into the habitability of Canada's Great Northwest. Despite both the relative decline of Humboldtian sciences by midcentury and Humboldt's own reservations about the political ramifications of his science, his “cosmic” outlook circulated in Canada to refine territorial expansionists' scientistic arguments justifying annexation of Rupert's Land after the monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company expired in 1869.     

邢台矿区山字型构造的发现及其地质意义

邢台山字型构造位于河北省邯邢煤田内，其前弧向ES突出，脊柱呈ES-WN走向。分别分析了山字型构造脊柱及其东、西翼反射弧构造形迹特征，对研究区找矿具有重要意义。     

Gated communities of the Moscow green belt: newly segregated landscapes and the suburban Russian environment

The transition from the Soviet to the post-Soviet period in and near Moscow manifested itself in increasing production of segregated space both in the urban core and suburban areas outside of the beltway to accommodate the preferences of the new Russian business and governmental elite. This paper focuses on the residential single-family housing inside old and new settlements, which are frequently gated. Approximately 260 of such suburban communities have been developed within 30 km of the beltway during the past few years, of which a majority have some form of exclusion mechanism in place, typically tall solid fences, gates, closed-circuit video surveillance and guarded entry checkpoints. The difference in exclusivity varies from the most exclusive older communities inside Moscow Serebryany Bor enclave and Rublevskoe highway mansions to less exclusive new developments along Novorizkhskoe and Dmitrovskoe highways. Despite high rates of construction, based on sociological surveys in 2003, only about 11% of Russia’s upper class claimed to live in such new “cottages,” with the rest owning condos and luxury apartments in the inner city or older detached homes in villages and small towns. Therefore, not all the needs have been accommodated and more development is certain to take place. The environmental impact of such developments is profound. Based on preliminary LANDSAT image analysis, almost 22% of suburban “green belt” forested land within 30 km zone has been converted to new construction from 1991 to 2001. New construction is now focusing on the remaining fragments of natural vegetation, which will likely lower air quality and water quality available for the city. Ironically, the new developments advertise themselves as “clean and green” with massive investments in unnatural landscaping (seeded lawns, exotic shrubs, river and lake shore “improvements”). This investment highlights the well-known paradox of development in which people move out of town to live near nature, while destroying the wild nature they come to enjoy. “We left city for the weekend It was raining, saw no stars There were fences everywhere Our chiefs behind the bars.” Gennady Shpalikov     

关于国土资源数据共享分类的思考

数据共享分类是制定数据共享政策和数据资源开发利用规划的一项基础性工作。本文 提出国土资源数据共享分类的意义、原则和方法,探讨建立以数据共享分类为核心的 国土资源数据分类体系,以期为全面开展国土资源数据共享分类提供参考。     

存储区域网技术及其在国土资源行业中的应用

本文简要介绍了存储区域网(SAN)的概念、结构及特点,对SAN与DAS、NAS存 储模式在性能、可用性等方面做了比较,并结合具体建设案例,指出了国土资源行业 存储系统建设采用SAN结构的优势。     

土地利用更新调查需要注意的几个问题

以土地利用更新调查生产中的体会．从工作前期准备、技术路线、正射影像图制作、权属界线调查几种特殊情况和表示方法的处理，提出了土地利用更新调查需要注意的几个问题和建议。     

藏南地区金和锑矿床(点)类型及其时空分布特征

本文首次对藏南地区金和锑矿床(点)地质特征、成因类型和空间分布特点进行了总结，对金和锑成矿作用与中新生代构造一岩浆活动的关系进行了论证，对区域地壳演化过程中金和锑成矿动力学机制进行了讨论。该区的金和锑矿床(点)可按容矿围岩划分为：①变质岩为主要容矿围岩矿床(点)，包括金和金一锑矿床(点)；②沉积岩为主要容矿围岩矿床(点)，包括金、锑、金一锑和锑多金属矿床(点)；③火山岩为主要容矿围岩矿床(点)，以金一银矿床为代表。根据金和锑矿床(点)空间分布特点和地质特点，将本区划分为4个矿化集中区：拉昂错一马攸木一帕羊金矿化集中区(A)，然勒金和锑矿化集中区(B)，洛扎一措美锑矿化集中区(C)和邛多江金一锑矿化集中区(D)。各矿化集中区内大多数金和锑矿床(点)与燕山晚期～喜马拉雅早期富碱火成岩具密切时空分布关系，它们是古板块对接碰撞期和碰撞期后大规模构造一岩浆活动的产物。近东西向挤压性和南北向张性断裂交汇部位以及富碱火成岩发育区是寻找金和锑矿床(点)的有利场所。     

HD-4002型综合测井仪

HD 4002型综合测井仪是核工业北京地质研究院于1998年开始研制的, 其目标是为铀矿地质系统提供适合砂岩型铀矿勘查的轻便型数字测井仪, 满足测井生产的需要。该仪器于2001 年3月通过部级鉴定, 2002至2003年投入海拉尔盆地铀矿勘查测井试生产。本文介绍了仪器的用途、功能及特点、性能指标, 简要说明了各部分的工作原理。