Risk assessment strategies for the reactivation of earth flows in the Northern Apennines (Italy)

The aim of this paper is to analyze the reactivation mechanism of ancient earth flows, with a view to gleaning information that can subsequently be utilized to formulate a risk-reduction strategy. All considerations made herein are the result of direct experience and observation of actual events which have occurred over the past few decades in the Northern Apennines. Particular attention has been paid to the analysis of the evolution of landslides during actual reactivation, acknowledging a typical, recurring succession of events that precede the failure of the slope. The hazard assessment of these large landslide bodies, which are of slope scale, constitutes a thorny problem, especially in view of the inapplicability of traditional deterministic models such as limit equilibrium stability analysis. Nevertheless, a site-specific assessment of probability of reactivation of these large and ancient earth flows is fundamental to effective land-use planning.     

Preservation conditions and the use of sediment pigments as a tool for recent ecological reconstruction in four Northern European estuaries

Down-core sediment pigment concentrations from four Northern European estuaries were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to investigate phytoplankton community structure and preservation conditions over the last ca. 100 years where all sites have experienced different levels of eutrophication. Phytoplankton pigments have been shown to be useful biomarkers for phytoplankton community structure and abundance due to their taxonomic specificity. The pigment concentrations and sediment pigment inventory showed large variation between the four sites. Concentrations ranged from more than 6000 nmol/g OC to less than 100 nmol/g OC and the inventory integrated over the top 10 cm from more than 300 nmol/cm² to less than 30 nmol/cm² for total identified pigments. Good pigment preservation in Mariager Fjord (Denmark) reflected the almost permanently anoxic conditions. Pigments in Laajalahti (Finland) showed peak concentrations around the time of highest nitrogen loading events known from historical and modelled records over the past 100 years. In contrast, poor down-core preservation of pigments (especially carotenoids) was observed in the Ems-Dollard (The Netherlands) and Himmerfjärden (Sweden) estuaries. The Ems-Dollard site is an intertidal mudflat that experiences daily exposure to light and air, which enhances pigment degradation. In Himmerfjärden, resuspension is an important process affecting both the sedimentation rate and degradation properties. The different preservation conditions at the four sites were supported by the differences in two degradation indicators; the ratio of pheopigment-a to chlorophyll-a and total carotenoids to total pigments. Class-specific carotenoid pigments represented the dominant algal groups reported from each site, however, no distinct down-core changes in the pigment composition were observed at any of the four sites. This indicated that changes in plankton community structure on the group level have been limited over this time period or masked by low preservation of pigments.     

利用卫星遥感资料对南海北部陆架海洋表层温度锋的分析

利用7年(1993～1999)月平均的SST卫星遥感资料，分析了南海北部陆架区域海洋表层温度锋在一年中的逐月变化特征，表明南海北部陆架海洋表层温度锋存在明显的季节内变化。结合风场的卫星遥感资料，分析了东北季风对南海北部陆架温度锋的影响，表明东北季风风速的增加有利于温度锋强度的增强。通过对黑潮南海流套入侵较强的1999年2月与流套入侵较弱的1998年2月的SST卫星遥感资料的对比分析，考察了黑潮南海流套的入侵对南海北部陆架温度锋的影响，结果表明黑潮流套的较强入侵能够增加陆架温度锋的强度，对温度锋的走向也会产生一定的影响。     

冀北榆树沟煤矿区褐煤地下气化地质条件分析

通过对冀北沽源县榆树沟煤矿白芈系青石砬组含煤地层地质条件进行分析,认为仵该矿区进行煤炭地下气化是可行的。研究区构造简单,为一轴向近东西向的舒缓向斜,主要煤层厚度大,最大平均厚度为24.31m。可采煤层顶板多为泥岩、炭质泥岩,尤其是煤系上覆的“三趾马红土”层,对气体有良好的圈闭作用。由于褐煤的灰分含量高,26％～49．03％,地下气化时对煤层顶板影响小,主要煤层埋藏浅200—300m,水文地质条件简单,根据诸多因素分析认为该矿区适合进行褐煤地下气化开采。     

A pronounced dry event recorded around 4.2 ka in brine sediments from the northern Red Sea

Partly laminated sediments were sampled from the brine-filled, anoxic Shaban Deep basin in the northern Red Sea. At about 4200 cal yr BP more than two millennia of anoxic sedimentation is replaced by a sub-oxic facies strongly suggesting the episodic absence of the brine. At the same time stable oxygen isotopes from surface dwelling foraminifera show a sharp increase (within less than 100 yr) pointing to a strong positive salinity anomaly at the sea surface. This major evaporation event significantly enhanced the renewal of deep water and the subsequent ventilation of the small Shaban Deep basin. The timing and strength of the reconstructed environmental changes around 4200 cal yr BP suggest that this event is the regional expression of a major drought event, which is widely observed in the neighboring regions, and which strongly affected Middle East agricultural civilizations.     

Evolution from Oceanic Subduction to Continental Collision: a Case Study from the Northern Tibetan Plateau Based on Geochemical and Geochronological Data

Two apparently distinct, sub-parallel, paleo-subduction zonescan be recognized along the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau:the North Qilian Suture Zone (oceanic-type) with ophioliticmélanges and high-pressure eclogites and blueschistsin the north, and the North Qaidam Belt (continental-type) inthe south, an ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane comprisingpelitic and granitic gneisses, eclogites and garnet peridotites.Eclogites from both belts have protoliths broadly similar tomid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) or oceanic island basalts (OIB)in composition with overlapping metamorphic ages (480–440Ma, with weighted mean ages of 464 ± 6 Ma for North Qilianand 457 ± 7 Ma for North Qaidam), determined by zirconU–Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe dating.Coesite-bearing zircon grains in pelitic gneisses from the NorthQaidam UHP Belt yield a peak metamorphic age of 423 ±6 Ma, 40 Myr younger than the age of eclogite formation, anda retrograde age of 403 ± 9 Ma. These data, combinedwith regional relationships, allow us to infer that these twoparallel belts may represent an evolutionary sequence from oceanicsubduction to continental collision, and continental underthrusting,to final exhumation. The Qilian–Qaidam Craton was probablya fragment of the Rodinia supercontinent with a passive marginand extended oceanic lithosphere in the north, which was subductedbeneath the North China Craton to depths >100 km at c. 423Ma and exhumed at c. 403 Ma (zircon rim ages in pelitic gneiss). KEY WORDS: HP and UHP rocks; subduction belts; zircon SHRIMP ages; Northern Tibetan Plateau     

山西北部至晋冀蒙交界地区几次中强地震前4.0级地震活动的研究

对山西北部至晋冀蒙交界地区中强地震前的 4 .0级地震进行了研究 ,得出其特征为异常增强—异常平静—信号地震的结论 ,认为该区某些 4 .0级地震活动似可作为某些中强地震的前兆地震而进行进一步的研究。     

河北南部地区资源、环境、发展初析

河北南部地区山前平原区农业气候条件适于夏玉米的生长 ,黑龙港地区适于棉花的生长。本区水资源匮乏 ,地下水超采严重。浅层地下水超采模数为 8.0 1× 1 0 4 m3/( km2 ·a) ,深层地下水为 2 .5 8× 1 0 4 m3/( km2·a)。全区水资源利用的综合边际效益以廊坊市最高 ( 2 6.68元 /t) ,保定市最低 ( 1 4.85元 /t) ,两者之比为 1 .80。区内地下水降落漏斗与地面沉降等环境地质灾害频繁 ,1 998年浅层地下水漏斗区面积为 0 .5 4× 1 0 4 km2 ,深层地下水为 1 .5 9× 1 0 4 km2。地下水、粮食和蔬菜受到农药残留、过量化肥的污染。本区 2 0 1 0水平年外流域调水将占可供水量的 2 3.9% ,但缺水率仍达 36.2 %。若全区通过发展工程节水 (提高综合节水率 3.2 % )、实施适水种植 (冬小麦播种面积下调 7% ) ,利用水分胁迫处理 (减少一次灌溉 )等节水措施 ,则比 1 999年节水 1 7.2 %。     

京、津、冀区域群发性强沙尘暴分析

利用1954—2002年82个站的气象观测资料，探讨京、津、冀区域群发性强沙尘暴的认定标准，构建较完整的群发性强沙尘暴序列，并分析该地区群发性强沙尘暴的时空分布特征和气候变化趋势。近50a京、津、冀区域共出现了39例群发性强沙尘暴，河北省的冀西北高原区和石家庄、保定、衡水、沧州四市交接处饶阳一带是京、津、冀区域强沙尘暴天气的多发区。多发季节为3—5月，占全年总数的76．9％，其中4月份最多，占全年总数的51．3％。群发性强沙尘暴年代际变化呈现总体减少趋势，其发生次数、覆盖面积均是以20世纪90年代为最低值．