Horton's slope function

An error is pointed out in Robert Horton's (1945) presentation of his ‘slope function’. The history of its apparent non-detection provides an interesting perspective on the development of geomorphology as a science.     

Tectonic mechanisms associated with P–T paths of regional metamorphism: alternatives to single-cycle thrusting and heating

Metamorphic pressure (P)–temperature (T) paths are commonly used as tools to interpret the tectonic history of orogenic belts, those deformed belts of rocks that record past activity along active plate margins. Many studies and reviews relating P–T path development to tectonics have focused on thrusting–thermal relaxation cycles, with special emphasis on collisional processes. Other studies have assumed that P–T paths resulted from a single tectono-metamorphic event that accounted for the entire burial–exhumation history of the rocks. In many cases, such assumptions may prove invalid.This paper speculates on the relationship of tectonic processes other than thrusting–heating to P–T path development. The processes discussed herein include subduction initiation, triple-junction interactions, initiation and shut off of arc volcanism, subcontinental delamination, and hot spot migration. All of these processes may leave a signature in the metamorphic rock record. Examples are presented from a number of localities, most of which are from the Pacific Rim. Although thrusting–heating cycles have influenced metamorphic evolution in many orogenic belts, the potential impact of other types of tectonic mechanisms should not be overlooked.     

云南建水-蒙自一带冲沟走滑断错及其意义

云南建水-蒙自一带位于川滇菱形块体向SE145°平移的前锋,受其影响,该地区的蒙自东山断裂、田山断裂和黑泥地断裂等表现出一定程度的晚第四纪活动性,跨过断裂的冲沟被走滑断错。攀枝花以东的蒙自东山断裂右旋错断冲沟和其间的山脊约40m,并在山前洪积扇上形成偏离上游约30m的废弃古河道,古河道中堆积物的年龄为44kaBP,断裂右旋滑动速率约为0.7mma。大红地北一条冲沟在跨过田山断裂时发生右旋拐弯。冲沟在山前形成了年龄分别为31kaBP和39kaBP的2级洪积阶地,呈现出年轻阶地位错量大于老阶地的反常现象。田山断裂的平均右旋滑动速率约0.9mma。发育于黑泥地断裂南侧的多条冲沟在流过断裂时发生一致性的右旋位错,其中一条冲沟位错量达14m,断裂的右旋滑动速率为0.4mma。这一地区自30～40kaBP开始发生了一次明显的构造运动,表现为这一时代的洪积扇上的地貌过程由加积转变为切割,并被断裂错断。断裂的走滑速率明显低于小江断裂带、曲江断裂带和石屏-建水断裂带等。川滇菱形地块向SSE方向的平移及其构造活动不仅仅局限在小江断裂带以西的地块内部,而是引起了外围地块上的断裂活动,但断裂活动强度不及内部断裂的13。冲沟对走滑断错的响应分为3种类型,分别为同步弯曲型、加剧弯曲型和不对称谷地型,其中加剧弯曲型的地貌过程较为复杂。每种类型都记录了断裂的走滑活动,在估算断错量和滑动速率时应甄别不同的响应类型,以免人为的“加大”或“减小”甚至“忽略”断裂的活动幅度。     

Exploring the role of topography in small channel erosion

Erosion caused by concentrated flows in agricultural areas is responsible for important soil losses, and rapid sediment transfer through the channel network. The main factors controlling concentrated flow erosion rates include the erodibility of soil materials, soil use and management, climate and watershed topography. In this paper, two topographic indices, closely related to mathematical expressions suggested by different authors, are used to characterize the influence of watershed topography on gully erosion. The AS1 index is defined as the product of the watershed area and the partial area‐weighted average slope. The AS2 index is similar to the AS1 but uses the swale slope as the weighting factor. Formally, AS2 is the product of the watershed area and the length‐weighted average swale slope. From studies made using different ephemeral gully erosion databases, it is shown that a high correlation consistently exists between the topographic indices and the volume of eroded soil. The resulting relationships are therefore useful to assess soil losses from gully erosion, to identify the most susceptible watersheds within large areas, and to compare the susceptibility to gully erosion among different catchments. This information is also important in studying the response of natural drainage network systems to different rainfall inputs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crack propagation trajectories for rocks under mixed mode I-II fracture

Propagation of a crack in engineering materials including rocks can cause failure. Knowledge of the stress state under which a crack can propagate, and the trajectory it may follow during its growth are thus very important for the stability of rock masses/materials and for the safe design of structures in/on rocks. In this paper, the crack initiation angle and subsequent crack propagation path are experimentally investigated for limestone rock specimens. This investigation was conducted under various mixed mode I-II loading conditions, including pure mode-I and pure mode-II.This study includes conducting diametrical compression tests on notched Brazilian disk specimens. Moreover, the effect of confining pressure and temperature on crack initiation and propagation were also studied. The experimental results were compared with theoretical predictions of crack initiation angle. The results showed that limestone behaves in brittle fashion, and the effects of confining pressure and temperature on failure trajectories were not significant. Generally, the crack initiation angle can be predicted by the maximum tangential stress criterion. However, for notched Brazilian disk with high value of crack orientation with respect to loading direction, crack does not propagate from the tip of the crack. This important observation indicated that the tensile-strength failure can become more critical than the fracture-toughness failure.     

坡耕地增长对沟谷发育的影响——以四川西昌大箐梁子为例

为了研究近50 a来土壤加速侵蚀的状况和原因,收集了四川西昌大箐梁子1957年、1979年、2000年航空影像,应用立体像对获取高程信息生成DEM,并利用DEM纠正航片获取正射影像。同时,利用三期正射影像获取土地利用变化和沟谷变化信息,通过野外调查与验证,分析了沟谷形成、发育特点及与坡耕地增长的密切关系。研究表明,西昌大箐梁子沟谷发育,到1957年已形成部分稳定或半稳定冲沟,1970年代后期,大量草地被开垦为耕地,且多为坡耕地,土壤抗蚀能力降低,土壤侵蚀由此加剧,沟蚀增强,人为加速了沟谷侵蚀的发育。     

Assessing soil erosion rates in cultivated areas of Navarre (Spain)

Although there is much evidence of intense soil erosion in cultivated areas of Navarre (Spain), information on it is currently scarce. Rill and ephemeral gully volumes can be used as a guide to minimum erosion rates. With the main purpose of determining the annual soil loss rates in cultivated areas of central Navarre, a detailed assessment of rainfall and of rill and gully erosion was made in 19 small catchments from October 1999 to September 2001. Seventeen of them were randomly selected, and were cultivated with winter cereals, vineyards or sunflowers. The other two catchments were selected to represent partially uncultivated lands abandoned for ten years. Channel cross‐sections were measured by using a 1‐m‐wide micro‐topographic profile meter, describing 632 cross‐sections and processing information from 31 600 pins. Erosive events happened every year in the three study areas. For cereal catchments, soil losses occurred in only one or two rainfall events each year, usually at the end of autumn and in some summers, with high erosion rates (0·20–11·50 kg m^?2 a^?1). In vineyards, soil losses occurred several times per year, and in any season. This is attributed to the small percentage of surface covered by the crop throughout the year. Again, high erosion rates were found (0·33–16·19 kg m^?2 a^?1), with ephemeral gully erosion causing more loss than rill erosion. No‐till is proposed as an effective conservation measure. From this large data set, it can be stated that rill erosion and ephemeral gully erosion are widespread in Mediterranean regions, and that much more attention should be paid to the problem. Abandoned fields showed very high erosion rates (16·19 kg m^?2 a^?1 on average), suggesting that the abandonment of marginal lands without implementing any erosion control can lead to severe erosion rates. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

四川布拖县扎台沟泥石流微地貌及成灾特性

扎台沟为一老泥石流沟,历史上曾多次发生过泥石流。通过野外考察、实验分析和理论计算,扎台沟流域面积4.86km2,主沟长4.53km,主沟平均纵比降420‰。共发育5条主要支沟,流域切割密度2.19km/km2,源头海拔3100m,沟口海拔1197m,主沟相对高差1903m,与西溪河以62°交角汇入。扎台沟为中高频率-中大规模粘性泥石流沟,目前已辩明,近1000a内至少发生过3次大规模泥石流,泥石流重度2.0t/m3,沟道堵塞系数1.5。扎台沟50a一遇和100a一遇泥石流流量分别为155.77m3/s和178.19m3/s;50a一遇和100a一遇泥石流固体物质冲出量分别为16.39×104m3及18.14×104m3,是一条中度危险的泥石流沟,对下游水电站其中一处拟选坝址有一定影响。如无法避开扎台沟泥石流对拟选坝址的影响,可考虑对该泥石流沟采取选择性整治工程措施。     

40Ar/ 39Ar and K–Ar geochronological age constraints for the inception and early evolution of the Izu–Bonin – Mariana arc system

K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dates are presented for locations in the Izu–Bonin – Mariana (IBM) forearc (Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) sites 786 & 782, Chichijima, Deep Sea Drilling Program (DSDP) sites 458 & 459, Saipan), and Palau on the remnant arc of the Kyushu–Palau Ridge. For a number of these locations, the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau and ³⁶Ar/⁴⁰Ar versus ³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar isochrons give older ages than the K–Ar results. The most important results are: (i) at site 786, initial construction of the proto-IBM (now forearc) basement occurred at least by ca 47–45 Ma, consistent with the age of the immediately overlying sediments (middle Eocene nannofossil Zone CP13c); the younger pulse of construction dated at ca 35 Ma by K–Ar could not be confirmed by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analysis; (ii) ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages for the initial construction of the Mariana portion of the IBM system are as old as those of the Izu–Bonin portion, for example at site 458, initial construction commenced at least by ca 49 Ma and at ca 47 Ma at Saipan (Sankakayuma Formation); and (iii) a combination of K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages indicate continued boninite magmatism in the Izu–Bonin forearc (and remnant arc at Palau) until ca 35 Ma. Subduction inception including boninite series rocks along most of the exposed length of the IBM system, clearly preceded by some 5 million years the Middle Eocene (ca 43.5 Ma) change in Pacific plate motion. Boninitic series magmatism persisted at locations now exposed in the forearc for ～ 15 million years after arc inception concurrently with low-K tholeiitic series eruptions from a subaerial arc system, established at ≥ 40 Ma, on the Kyushu–Palau Ridge. For the Mariana portion of the IBM system, reconstruction of the proto-arc places this activity adjacent to the concurrent but orthogonally spreading Central Basin Ridge of the West Philippine Basin. It is possible that a combination of subduction of a young North New Guinea Plate beneath newly created back-arc basin crust may account for some of the features of the Mariana system. It is clear, however, that the understanding of the processes of subduction initiation and early IBM arc development is incomplete.     

流域地貌演化的不同阶段沟壑密度与切割深度关系研究

主要探讨了在流域地貌演化的不同阶段,沟壑密度与切割深度的复杂关系,建立了沟壑密度随切割深度变化的理论极值模型及相应阶段的函数,补充了各演化阶段地貌形态要素的定量、定性描述;反之,可用沟壑密度与切割深度的关系推断流域地貌的演化阶段。