Influence of soft clays on the response spectra for structures in eastern Canada

The 1990 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (Associate Committee of the National Building Code, National Research Council, Ottawa, 1990) makes a clear distinction between eastern and western Canada in terms of seismic acceleration and velocity zones. While it is well established that ground motions can be amplified significantly through loose clay deposits, no results are available that take into consideration the typical high frequency content of ground motions in eastern Canada. This paper develops ground amplification curves for clays having depths between 10 and 70 m excited by typical eastern Canadian ground motions scaled to two different values of peak horizontal accelerations. Simplified free-field spectral design curves, which could be used by structural designers, are proposed. The curves show that maximum spectral accelerations occur for structural periods between 0.2 and 0.5 s. In addition, soil depth does not appear to be an important parameter controlling the response of typical clay deposits in eastern Canada.     

High-pressure eclogites in northern Jiangsu – southern Shandong province, eastern China

Abstract Eclogites are distributed for more than 500 km along a major tectonic boundary between the Sino-Korean and Yangtze cratons in central and eastern China. These eclogites usually have high-P assemblages including omphacite + kyanite and/or coesite (or its pseudomorph), and form a high-P eclogite terrane. They occur as isolated lenses or blocks 10 cm to 300 m long in gneisses (Type I), serpentinized garnet peridotites (Type II) and marbles (Type III). Type I eclogites were formed by prograde metamorphism, and their primary metamorphic mineral assemblage consists mainly of garnet [pyrope (Prp) = 15–40 mol%], omphacite [jadeite (Jd) = 34–64 mol%], pargasitic amphibole, kyanite, phengitic muscovite, zoisite, an SiO₂ phase, apatite, rutile and zircon. Type II eclogites characteristically contain no SiO₂ phase, and are divided into prograde eclogites and mantle-derived eclogites. The prograde eclogites of Type II are petrographically similar to Type I eclogites. The mantle-derived eclogites have high MgO/(FeO + Fe₂O₃) and Cr₂O₃ compositions in bulk rock and minerals, and consist mainly of pyrope-rich garnet (Prp = 48–60 mol%), sodic augite (Jd = 10–27 mol%) and rutile. Type III eclogites have an unusual mineral assemblage of grossular-rich (Grs = 57 mol%) garnet + omphacite (Jd = 30–34 mol%) + pargasite + rutile. Pargasitic and taramitic amphiboles, calcic plagioclase (An₆₈), epidote, zoisite, K-feldspar and paragonite occur as inclusions in garnet and omphacite in the prograde eclogites. This suggests that the prograde eclogites were formed by recrystallization of epidote amphibolite and/or amphibolite facies rocks with near-isothermal compression reflecting crustal thickening during continent–continent collision of late Proterozoic age. Equilibrium conditions of the prograde eclogites range from P > 26 kbar and T= 500–750°C in the western part to P > 28 kbar and T= 810–880°C in the eastern part of the high-P eclogite terrane. The prograde eclogites in the eastern part are considered to have been derived from a deeper position than those in the western part. Subsequent reactions, manifested by (1) narrow rims of sodic plagioclase or paragonite on kyanite and (2) symplectites between omphacite and quartz are interpreted as an effect of near-isothermal decompression during the retrograde stage. The conditions at which symplectites re-equilibrated tend to increase from west (P < 10 kbar and T < 580°C) to east (P > 9 kbar and T > 680°C). Equilibrium temperatures of Type II mantle-derived eclogites and Type III eclogite are 730–750°C and 680°C, respectively.     

Rapid Lateglacial tree population dynamics and ecosystem changes in the eastern Baltic region

A growing body of evidence implies that the concept of 'treeless tundra' in eastern and northern Europe fails to explain the rapidity of Lateglacial and postglacial tree population dynamics of the region, yet the knowledge of the geographic locations and shifting of tree populations is fragmentary. Pollen, stomata and plant macrofossil stratigraphies from Lake Kurjanovas in the poorly studied eastern Baltic region provide improved knowledge of ranges of north‐eastern European trees during the Lateglacial and subsequent plant population responses to the abrupt climatic changes of the Lateglacial/Holocene transition. The results prove the Lateglacial presence of tree populations (Betula, Pinus and Picea) in the eastern Baltic region. Particularly relevant is the stomatal and plant macrofossil evidence showing the local presence of reproductive Picea populations during the Younger Dryas stadial at 12 900–11 700 cal. a BP, occurring along with Dryas octopetala and arctic herbs, indicating semi‐open vegetation. The spread of Pinus–Betula forest at ca. 14 400 cal. a BP, the rise of Picea at ca. 12 800 cal. a BP and the re‐establishment of Pinus–Betula forest at ca. 11 700 cal. a BP within a span of centuries further suggest strikingly rapid, climate‐driven ecosystem changes rather than gradual plant succession on a newly deglaciated land. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

藏东八宿地区泛非期花岗岩锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年

卡穷细粒黑云母碱长花岗岩出露于藏东八宿县同卡地区,是藏东地区首次发现的泛非期花岗岩.卡穷微陆块呈岩片状夹持于班公湖-怒江缝合带内,卡穷岩群构成卡穷微陆块的主体,卡穷岩群是由花岗岩、花岗片麻岩、黑云斜长片麻岩、大理岩、黑云斜长变粒岩、退变榴辉岩等组成的构造地质体.卡穷细粒黑云母碱长花岗岩获得的锆石SHRIMPU-Pb年龄为507Ma±10Ma,为泛非事件的岩浆活动记录,进一步证实班公湖-怒江板块缝合带以南是泛非期基底,为解决青藏高原南部的构造演化问题提供了新资料.     

灰色系统在地面沉降分析中的应用

该文将灰色系统理论引入地面沉降的研究之中。根据上海地面沉降的历史数据建立了上海地面沉降发展的GM(1,1)模型以及地面沉降与地下水位变化的映射GM(1,2)模型,最后运用所建立的模型对地面沉降的发展态势进行了预测。     

内蒙古东部森林沼泽区1∶20万区域化探工作回顾

通过对内蒙古东部森林沼泽区开展1∶20万区域化探4个不同阶段工作方法技术及效果的回顾和总结,认为在不同时期的工作方法技术随着对森林沼泽区这一特殊景观的认识不断加深,其工作方法技术也在不断改进,发现矿点8处、矿化点17处,其中,银锌矿17处、金矿1处,取得了较好的地球化学勘查成果,所完成图幅较客观地反映了工作区区域构造、成岩成矿作用的表层地球化学面貌,大大提高了地球化学信息的可靠性和真实性。     

中国热带东,西部地区冬季气候的差异与橡胶树的引种

由于青藏高原的动力影响，使得西部地区冬季出现下沉气流，多日照，利于橡胶树的越冬，而东部则出现上升气流，少日照，不利越冬，又由于青藏高原大山体，冬季明显地阻挡低层空气平流，导致高原南侧的西部地区冬季降温和缓，有利橡胶树越冬，而东部地区因无高大山体阻挡，寒潮初期降温剧烈，后期低温阴雨天气持续甚久，易导致橡胶树的严重寒害。     

上海地区湿地水生维管束植物及其区系特征

在参照相关资料基础上，结合实地调查，得出上海地区湿地水生维管束植物共49科107属179种。从植物生态型和生活型等方面来划分，上海地区水生维管束植物可主要分为内陆河湖水生植物、河口海岸滩涂植物和湿生植物3种类型。从区系组成来看，包含5种以上的12个较大科构成了上海地区水生维管束植物的主体，其中禾本科和莎草科种类最多；区内各属种数都在10种以下，包含3种以上的属有19属，共79种，分别占总属数的17．8％和总种数的44．2％。从区系分布区类型来看，水生蕨类植物种主要有4种分布区类型，世界分布为主要类型；而水生种子植物属有13种分布区类型，其中6个热带分布类型共有39属，占总属数的61．9％，6个温带分布类型共有24属，占总属数的38．1％，表明上海地区水生种子植物区系具有偏热带性质。同时，讨论了水生维管束植物在湿地生态系统以及湿地生态恢复中的重要作用。     

REE and (э)Nd of clay fractions in sediments from the eastern Pacific Ocean: Evidence for clay sources

Clay fractions in the non-calcareous surface sediments from the eastern Pacific were analyzed for clay minerals, REE and 143Nd/144Nd. Montmorillonite/illite ratio (M/I ratio), total REE contents ((REE), LREE/HREE ratio and cerium anomaly (бCe) may effectively indicate the genesis of clay minerals. Clay fractions with M/I ratio >1, бCe (0.85, (REE (400 μg/g, LREE/HREE ratio (4, and REE patterns similar to those of pelagic sediments are terrigenous and autogenetic mixed clay fractions and contain more autogenetic montmorillonite. Clay fractions with M/I ratio <1, бCe=0.86 to 1.5, ΣREE=200 to 350 μg/g, LREE/HREE ratio (6 and REE distribution patterns similar to that of China loess are identified as terrigenous clay fraction. The 143Nd/144Nd ratios or (э)Nd values of clay fractions inherit the features of terrigenous sources of clay minerals. Clay fractions are divided into 4 types according to (э)Nd values. Terrigenous clay minerals of type I with the (э)Nd values of -8 to -6 originate mainly from North American fluvial deposits. Those of type II with the (э)Nd values of -9 to -7 are mainly from the East Asia and North American fluvial deposits. Those of type III with (э)Nd values of -6 to -3 could come from the central and eastern Pacific volcanic islands. Those of type IV with (э)Nd values of -13 to -12 may be from East Asia eolian. The terrigenous and autogenetic mixed clay fractions show patchy distributions, indicating that there are volcanic or hot-spot activities in the eastern Pacific plate, while the terrigenous clay fractions cover a large part of the study area, proving that the terrigenous clay minerals are dominant in the eastern Pacific.