Dust supply from river floodplains: the case of the lower Huang He (Yellow River) recorded in a loess–palaeosol sequence from the Mangshan Plateau

The Mangshan Plateau is located on the south bank of the Huang He (Yellow River) just west of the city of Zhengzhou, well outside the Loess Plateau in central China. Mixing models of the grain‐size data indicate that the loess deposits are mixtures of three loess components. Comparison of the mixing model with existing models established for a series of loess–palaeosol sequences from the Loess Plateau indicates that the Mangshan loess has been supplied from a proximal dust source, the Huang He floodplain, during major dust outbreaks. The high accumulation rates, the composition of the loess components, and especially the high proportions of a sandy loess component support this. Owing to the exceptionally high accumulation rates, the Mangshan grain size, magnetic susceptibility and carbonate records provide a high‐resolution archive of environmental and climate change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbonate aeolianites of western Saurashtra,India: experimental decipherment of the depositional mechanisms

Granular carbonate deposits of Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene age, commonly referred to as ‘miliolite limestone’, occur in a linear belt, parallel to the southern coast of Saurashtra, India. In the present study area these carbonate deposits are found in select valleys between ridges and mounds of pyroclastic material present in the Deccan trap plateau. Two different depositional histories have been proposed for these sediments. The presence of marine bioclasts led to the postulation of a marine origin for these deposits. The second school of thought propounded redeposition of the coastal sediments by aeolian processes. Although a few features could not be explained by the proposed aeolian model, critical comparison of these two views favoured the aeolian origin. The mode of occurrence, lithological and structural attributes, and microscopic evidence presented here, also support a possible aeolian origin for these deposits. Experimental observation indicates that these carbonate aeolianites represent backflow deposits, which accumulated because of the flow separation caused by the presence of topographic highs. The conspicuous concave‐up geometry of the deposit conformed to the shape of the separation bulb. In view of the inferred depositional mechanism, the disposition of the deposits and the signature of the palaeoflow direction suggest that the carbonate particles were derived from the north‐western coast of Saurashtra by strong south‐easterly winds. Massive granular carbonates with outsized basement clasts appear to be the product of avalanching of granular material from the higher contours because of oversteepening of the primary deposit.     

Shear Failure of a Clamped Dented Tubular Beam Under Lateral Impact

- The shear failure of a rigid-plastic dented clamped tubular beam under the lateral impact of a mass is investigated. Both the denting and the impact point are in the middle span of the beam. It is assumed that denting does not spread during the shear sliding. Numerical results show that the axial force and lateral deflection of the beam are very small at the moment of the occurence of shear failure, which means that the finite deformation effect can be neglected in the shear failure analysis. Also, some aspects of the initial impact energy are investigated.     

Biokarst on Limestone Coasts, Morphogenesis and Sediment Production

Abstract. Biokarst-forms on limestone coasts are developed and arranged according to the bionomic zonation. The development of biokarst is the result of bioerosion, a synergistic effect of biological corrosion by endoliths and biological abrasion by grazers.
The cumulative effect of biogenic carbonate destruction leads to coastal destruction with a resulting highly profiled morphology on the limestone surfaces along the coastal profile. Under the influence of environmental factors a zonation of organisms develops which brings in turn a zonation of erosion rates (0.1-1.1 mm a^-1) resulting in biokarst-forms such as rock holes, rock pools and notches.
Products of bioerosion on limestone coasts are dissolved carbonate (by biological corrosion, 10–30% of the decomposed limestone) and particulate carbonate (by biological abrasion, 70–90% of the decomposed limestone) both of which contribute directly or indirectly to nearshore sedimentation. Size and shape of the bioerosional grains are determined by the boring pattern of the endoliths. The fine-grained sediments (maximum within the fraction 20–63 μm) contribute 3–25 % to the nearshore sediments.
Drastic changes in the biological zonation (like the mass invasion of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus in the Northern Adriatic since 1972 which eliminated nearly the entire macrophyte zone) due to unknown factors or pollution can have a profound effect on the bioerosion rates, altering them by as much as a factor of ten.     

基于高光谱Hyperion数据的线性光谱混合模型与神经网络模型的比较

混合像元问题是定量遥感中的热点问题之一,为了改进从遥感数据中提取定量信息,人们建立了各种混合光谱分解技术,其中线性光谱混合模型和神经网络模型就是两种比较成熟的方法。以陕西省横山地区的高光谱Hyperion数据为研究基础,通过最小噪声变换(MNF)、像元纯度指数(PPI)转换和RMS误差分析的迭代方法相结合提取影像中的纯净像元作为终端端元。分别运用神经网络模型和线性光谱混合模型对影像进行光谱分解,得到各个组分的分解图像。以标准植被指数(NDVI)影像为衡量标准,选取训练样本点,分别对两种模型进行回归分析,结果显示NDVI影像与线性光谱混合模型植被分解图像的判定系数(R2=0.91)要大于其与神经网络模型的判定系数(R2=0.81)。进一步分析表明在一般情况下,线性光谱混合模型具有比神经网络模型略高的分离精度,但是神经网络模型对细部信息的提取的效果要好于线性光谱混合模型,最后提出了端元均方根误差(EAR)指数,一种新的混合像元分解的思路。     

Quantitative study of landscape patterns in homogenous carbonate rock distributed regions in Guizhou

With the utilization of GIS software, research is conducted on （a） the characteristics of cells, fragmentation, and patch fractal of landscape based on homogenous carbonate rocks in Guizhou; （b） causes of the formation of these characteristics. It has been found that under the influence of lithology, the landscape of the study region as a whole shows consistency, yet embodies distinct diversity inside. The consistency is embodied in the following aspects： （a） the preponderant landscape consists of bushes and small woods; （b） secondary landscape is characteristic of forests and grounds covered with grass; （c） of all the patches making up the study area small patches are in the majority, with positive-skewed distribution of patches-as a result, steep peaks are characteristic of the charts showing the distribution of patches. The factor of scale is not taken into account in the study of patches. The shapes of patches tend to be regular with strong disturbances from human activities, and consequently, the values of fractal dimensions of landscape types tend to get smaller. The fragmentation of patches is more apparent in landscape under influence of human activities than the one without these disturbances. Compared with regions characteristic of homogenous dolomite, the characteristics of homogenous limestone areas are described as follows： （a） low utilization rate of water resource; （b） uneven distribution of diversified landscape; （c） weak resistance against disturbances from human activities; （d） the continuous degradation, ever-increasing fragmentation, intensification of spatial heterogeneity, and the deteriorating stability of landscape.     

泥晶灰岩地层孔壁坍塌掉块现象及处理

在灰岩地区钻探施工过程中，常见孔壁坍塌、掉块现象，尤其在含泥晶灰岩地层分布区钻进过程中，这种现象尤为突出，轻则影响钻探施工效率，重则造成钻探孔内事故。针对孔内坍塌、掉块现象的征兆及特点，提出了相对应的处理办法。     

Construction Problems on the Karstified Limestone Tuffs of Condeixa, Central Portugal: A Case Study

During the excavations for the foundations of a three storey building on the limestone tuffs of Condeixa, Central Portugal, a large dissolution fissure and smaller dissolution voids were found. Since the area has never been the subject of engineering geology investigation, it was decided to evaluate the risk associated with the construction of the building. These limestone tuffs were formed in a continental environment by the precipitation of calcite carried by the water coming from the large limestone body in the east. The precipitated calcite mixed with the terrigenous materials and around trunks and leaves of plants, originating a very heterogeneous and porous ground, which is characteristic of limestone tuffs. The study started with a detailed geological survey followed by a large number of destructive drillings, located essentially under the pad foundations. The results revealed several karstic cavities with serious problems for the building foundations and the structure, and many smaller dissolution cavities, often filled with clayey soils. The ground treatment solutions used included, dental cleaning, filling with concrete or granular material the dissolution structures accessible at the level of the foundation, reinforcement of the footing and the structure of the building and adding a continuous foundation beam to hold the foundations together. The cost of the engineering geology study, site investigation, ground treatment, and the reinforcement of the foundation and building, increased the total construction cost from 2%, at the design stage, to 4.8%.     

辽河盆地冷家油田沙河街组三段储层岩相古地理

辽河盆地在沙河街组三段早期水体较深,主要形成扇三角洲及盆底扇;沙三晚期水体较浅,发育湖泊砂体.依据沉积相分布规律,沙三早、中、晚3个时期可进一步分别划分出湖泊扩张和收缩阶段.盆地西部凹陷的冷家油田为东陡西缓的箕状洼陷.研究区内沙三段的古地理格局是决定相分布的关键因素,河流和湖泊能量相对强弱决定扇体沉积的规模.受相对湖平面变化的影响,纵向扇三角洲主要形成于湖泊扩张时期,并且有相带窄、过渡快、以粗碎屑沉积为主的特点.扇体沉积中主要发育前缘分流河道充填沉积,但位于河口前缘或侧缘的滩坝及前三角洲中的盆底扇局部也较发育.     

Isotopic constraints on growth conditions of multiphase calcite–pyrite–barite concretions in Carboniferous mudstones

Carbonate concretions in the Lower Carboniferous Caton Shale Formation contain diagenetic pyrite, calcite and barite in the concretion matrix or in different generations of septarian fissures. Pyrite was formed by sulphate reduction throughout the sediment before concretionary growth, then continued to form mainly in the concretion centres. The septarian calcites show a continuous isotopic trend from δ¹³C=?28·7‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?1·6‰ PDB through to δ¹³C=?6·9‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?14·6‰ PDB. This trend arises from (1) a carbonate source initially from sulphate reduction, to which was added increasing contributions of methanogenic carbonate; and (2) burial/temperature effects or the addition of isotopically light oxygen from meteoric water. The concretionary matrix carbonates must have at least partially predated the earliest septarian cements, and thus used the same carbonate sources. Consequently, their isotopic composition (δ¹³C=?12·0 to ?10·1‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?5·7 to ?5·6‰ PDB) can only result from mixing a carbonate cement derived from sulphate reduction with cements containing increasing proportions of carbonate from methanogenesis and, directly or indirectly, also from skeletal carbonate. Concretionary growth was therefore pervasive, with cements being added progressively throughout the concretion body during growth. The concretions contain barite in the concretion matrix and in septarian fissures. Barite in the earlier matrix phase has an isotopic composition (δ³⁴S=+24·8‰ CDT and δ¹⁸O=+16·4‰ SMOW), indicating formation from near‐surface, sulphate‐depleted porewaters. Barites in the later septarian phase have unusual isotopic compositions (δ³⁴S=+6 to +11‰ CDT and δ¹⁸O=+8 to +11‰ SMOW), which require the late addition of isotopically light sulphate to the porewaters, either from anoxic sulphide oxidation (using ferric iron) or from sulphate dissolved in meteoric water. Carbon isotope and biomarker data indicate that oil trapped within septarian fissures was derived from the maturation of kerogen in the enclosing sediments.