Palaeoclimatic studies in South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, based on numerous stratigraphic variables in lake sediments

The hitherto longest found lake sediment sequence on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, was analysed with respect to lithology, chronology, diatoms, Pediastrum, pollen and spores, mosses, mineralogy, and sediment chemistry. During the ca. 5000 year long development the sediments were influenced by frequent tephra fall-outs. This volcanic impact played a major role in the lake's history during two periods, 4700–4600 and 2800–2500 BP, but was of importance during the lake's entire history with considerable influence on many of the palaeoenvironmentally significant indicators. The large and complex data set was analysed and zonated with different types of multivariate analysis. This resulted in a subdivision of the sequence into 8 time periods and 21 variables. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of this data set, both without and with the tephra periods, and with 4–6 of the variables as explanatory environmental variables, reveal that climatic/environmental signals are detectable. The palaeoclimatic picture that emerged out of the tephra noise suggests that the first 100 years were characterized by mild, humid conditions. This was followed by a less mild and humid climate until ca. 4000 BP when a gradual warming seems to have started, coupled with increased humidity. These mild and humid conditions seem to have reached an optimum slightly after 3000 BP. At ca. 2500 BP a distinct climatic deterioration occurred with colder and drier conditions and long seasons with ice cover. This arid, cold phase probably reached its optimum conditions at ca. 1500 BP, when slightly warmer conditions might have prevailed for a while. Except for the modern sample with rather mild climate, the last 1400 years seem to have been fairly arid and cold, and the effects of the frequent volcanic activity during this period is only vaguely seen in the records.     

Paleomagnetism of the Esterel rocks: a revisit 22 years after the thesis of Hans Zijderveld

For his PhD. thesis, Zijderveld (1975) studied the paleomagnetism of the Permian Esterel rocks (southern France). High-quality thermal and alternating-field demagnetization diagrams were interpreted to determine the direction of the characteristic natural magnetization. For the Esterel volcanics, a mean direction of Dec = 206.5°, Inc = –23°, ₉₅ = 5.7°, k = 112 was found for this magnetization. The dispersion in this mean is remarkably low. Only the declination of the Reyran Rhyolite in the Reyran River quarry clearly deviated from this mean. This deviating direction is not found in our samples, taken at the same site. As many faults occur in this quarry, it is suggested that Zijderveld sampled this rhyolite on a small rotated block. To verify whether the small dispersion in the mean paleomagnetic direction of the Esterel rocks has a geomagnetic or a rock-magnetic origin, two conglomerate tests were carried out. One of these might be interpreted as positive. The results of the other conglomerate test (Agay Formation) are ambiguous: four of the six measured boulders show directions close to the mean paleomagnetic direction of the Esterel rocks. Rock-magnetic measurements show that the remanence is carried by a magnetite and a hematite fraction. The low dispersion in the paleomagnetic directions, the conglomerate tests, and hematite as remanence carrier suggest that the characteristic remanence in the Esterel volcanics was not instantaneously acquired during cooling, but might be affected by remagnetization due to weathering.     

Analysis on the sources of mercury in soils in the Chengdu Basin, China

Mercury is a pollutant of concern due to its toxic and bioaccumulative properties. Studies on the distribution and hazard of mercury in the environment are mainly focused on its forms, toxicity and the environment standard, and progresses and results have been achieved. But these studies in the past were concentrated on the scales of laboratory or smaller districts merely, such as a small unit of mineral area, vegetable base, paddy field, lake, etc. Multi-target regional geochemical survey carried out by China Geological Survey from the 1990s to now is a fundamental and commonweal geological survey, large-scale and systematical inquisition and research were conducted in 19 provinces （or municipalities directly under the Central Government） in the eastern overlay region of China, and the purpose is to provide the basic geochemical data for national economic construction, adjustment of industrial and agricultural structures and sustainable social development. Geochemical studies aim at investigating soils in these regions and 52 elements have been tested, producing a great amount of data at the same time. Methods： based on the data from 3061 samples of surface soil and 832 samples of deep soil from the project of multi-purpose geochemical survey in the Chengdu Basin, Sichuan, China, this paper describes the correlation relationship between Hg and other 48 elements and their spatial distribution in surface and deep soils of these areas by applying the method of linear regression and factor analysis.     

Analysis of the effect of geology, soil properties, and land use on groundwater quality using multivariate statistical and GIS methods

The regional survey of groundwater used as a small water supply system was performed to know the effect of geology, soil properties and land use on groundwater quality at Nonsan City, Korea. A total of 126 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed at the study area. The multivariate statistical methods, principal components analysis and discriminant analysis, and GIS technique were used for the quantitative interpretation of groundwater quality. The study area is mainly composed of Precambrian gneiss, Jurassic granite, and Cretaceous volcanics, and metasedimentary rocks of the Ogcheon zone. The land use was grouped as paddy, upland, grassland, resident, point source, industrial area, and water system. The soil properties were classified as 4 major groups, Entisols, Alfisols, Inceptisols, and Ultisols, by the degree of development, and reclassified as 11 subgroups. The modified and simplified geologic map, soil map, and land use map were made by using ARCGIS soft-ware. The area of geology, soil property, and land use affecting the groundwater quality for each well were also calculated by ARCGIS soft-ware to acquire the quantitative parameters for multivariate statistical analysis. The monitoring results of groundwater in the study area showed that 13%-21% of the groundwater samples exceeded the portable water guideline and the main causes were turbidity, bacteria, arsenic and nitrate-N. The spatial distribution of each component showed the close relationship between groundwater quality and geology reflecting the topography, land use.     

Temporal behavior of the background seismicity rate in central Japan, 1998 to mid-2003

We studied the temporal behavior of the background shallow seismicity rate in 700 circular areas across inland Japan. To search for and test the significance of the possible rate changes in background seismicity, we developed an efficient computational method that applies the space–time ETAS model proposed by Ogata in 1998 to the areas. Also, we conducted Monte Carlo tests using a simulated catalog to validate the model we applied. Our first finding was that the activation anomalies were found so frequently that the constant background seismicity hypothesis may not be appropriate and/or the triggered event model with constraints on the parameters may not adequately describe the observed seismicity. However, quiescence occasionally occurs merely by chance. Another outcome of our study was that we could automatically find several anomalous background seismicity rate changes associated with the occurrence of large earthquakes. Very significant seismic activation was found before the M6.1 Mt. Iwate earthquake of 1998. Also, possible seismic quiescence was found in an area 150 km southwest of the focal region of the M7.3 Western Tottori earthquake of 2000. The seismicity rate in the area recovered after the mainshock.     

爆破夯实技术在水下地基处理中的应用

以某杂货码头和集装箱重力式码头水下地基处理工程为例，介绍了其地基处理的爆夯试验过程，得出了一次性爆破夯实厚层块石抛石基床的爆夯参数，并对其施工过程进行了监测。总结了类似工程施工的经验与教训。     

我国入境旅游和经济增长关系分析

文章分析了入境旅游发展的区域差异，并用Granger因果检验来考察入境旅游和各区域经济增长之间是否存在相应的因果关系，Granger因果检验的结果表明在东部地区，入境旅游和经济增长存在单向因果关系。东部地区的入境旅游对区域的经济增长产生显著影响。但是全国和中西部地区的入境旅游与经济增长之间不存在显著的因果关系。类似地，东部地区入境旅游增长是其第三产业增长的Granger原因。但是全国和中西部地区的入境旅游和相应区域第三产业的增长并不存在显著的因果关系。在区域层面上。只有少数区域支持入境旅游是区域GDP增长的Granger原因，它们是东部地区的北京、广东、上海、天津、福建、江苏、浙江、海南和广西；中部地区的黑龙江和湖南以及西部地区的云南和陕西。在这些省区市。入境旅游对区域经济增长产生显著的影响。但总体而言，入境旅游在我国还没有足够的发展。     

近几十年我国极端气温变化特征分区方法探讨

采用聚类统计检验分析和旋转主分量分析相结合确定中心站的方法,利用我国多年极端气温资料,对我国最高和最低气温年际变化型态进行区划。结果表明,这两种方法结合可以互相补充,使分区结果更具客观性。中国极端高温和极端低温年际变化分别可划为12和11个不同类型的区域,分别计算了各区域第一主成分的方差贡献率以及各区域之间的两两相关系数,检验证明分区是合理的。     

Assessment of Marine Clay Improvement Under Reclamation Fills by in-situ Testing Methods

In ground improvement projects with prefabricated vertical drains, the duration of the preloading period is set in advance based on the predetermined time rate of consolidation of the compressible layer. If prediction is accurately done, the required degree of consolidation is met at the pre-determined preloading time. As such, there is a requirement for in-situ tests to be carried out just prior to the removal of surcharge to assess the degree of consolidation of the improved ground. In-situ tests were carried out after 23 months of surcharge loading at the In-Situ Test Site within the Changi East Reclamation Project in the Republic of Singapore. In-situ testing works in this research study comprises the use of field vane shear, piezocone, flat dilatometer and self-boring pressuremeter. The in-situ tests were carried out to determine the shear strength and degree of consolidation of the Singapore marine clay at Changi after 23 months of surcharge loading. The In-Situ Test Site consisted of a Vertical Drain Area as well as an untreated Control Area. Both areas were located adjacent to each other and were surcharged simultaneously to the same level and surcharge left in place for a period of 23 months. Comparison was made between the in-situ test results of the Vertical Drain Area and the untreated Control Area.     

Experimental and numerical studies of rock salt strain hardening

The work presented in this paper comes as part of a research program dealing with the thermomechanical behaviour of rock salt. It aims to study laboratory and in-situ long-term behaviour by means of creep tests with deviator and temperature changes. The laboratory results, using a triaxial multi-stages creep tests, highlighted the strain hardening character of rock salt. Furthermore, the in-situ results, using a borehole dilatometer multi-step creep test, have shown that the drilling is carried out in a weakly stressed pillar. The interpretation of the laboratory results, using the J.LEMAITRE law, did not indicate full agreement with all the test results. As a result a ‘double’ J.LEMAITRE model, which takes into account a double strain hardening variable, has been put forward. The validation of this model on the laboratory creep tests is very satisfactory. Furthermore, the activation energy seems satisfactory to represent the influence of the temperature. The in-situ behaviour modelling is clearly more complex than the modelization based on laboratory tests. In fact, it seems that if the rock salt behaviour is maintained by J.LEMAITRE law, it is necessary to vary with the stress, at least, one of the parameters assumed constant in the basic law.