Probable Neolithic footprints preserved in inter-tidal peat at Kenfig, South Wales (UK)     

Matthew R. Bennett  Silvia Gonzalez  Jason Kirby 《Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. Geologists' Association》2010,121(1):66-76

Holocene footprints have been reported from several locations around the UK coast preserved within inter-tidal sediments. These sediments are normally fine-grained silts, sands and clays. Here we report potential human footprints preserved in the lower of two inter-tidal peat units exposed on the foreshore at Kenfig in South Wales. The lower peat layer pre-dates 3810 ± 40 BP and its maximum age is constrained by two dates, one of 4930 ± 50 BP and another of 5110 ± 50 BP. The prints may have formed at any point within this time interval. Both peat units formed in a salt marsh, or fen environment, as indicated by the analysis of both diatoms and pollen and have been tentatively assigned to the middle Wentlooge Formation within the Holocene lithostratigraphy established for the Severn Estuary Holocene sequence. The footprints were digitised using an optical laser scanner and are compared to other Holocene human footprints exposed on the Sefton Coast in North West England. In comparison the Kenfig prints have poor anatomical form which may be the result of both the substrate and post-depositional modification. The paper demonstrates the value of using optical laser scanning in the data capture and analysis of transitory archaeological and geological trace evidence.  相似文献   

A Fe K-edge XAS study of amethyst     

Francesco Di Benedetto  Francesco D’Acapito  Gabriele Fornaciai  Massimo Innocenti  Giordano Montegrossi  Luca A. Pardi  Silvia Tesi  Maurizio Romanelli 《Physics and Chemistry of Minerals》2010,37(5):283-289

An X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) study of the Fe local environment in natural amethyst (a variety of α-quartz, SiO₂) has been carried out. Room temperature measurements were performed at the Fe K-edge (7,112 eV), at both the X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) regions. Experimental results were then compared with DFT calculations. XANES experimental spectra suggest Fe to occur mainly in the trivalent state, although a fraction of Fe²⁺ is identified. EXAFS spectra, on the other hand, reveal an unusual short distance for the first coordination shell:  = 1.78(2) Å, the coordination number being 2.7(5). These results allow to establish that Fe replaces Si in its tetrahedral site, and that numerous local distortions are occurring as a consequence of the presence of Fe³⁺ variably compensated by protons and/or alkaline ions, or uncompensated. The formal valence of Fe, on the basis of both experimental and DFT structural features, can be either 4+ or 3+. Taking into account the XANES evidences, we suggest that Fe mainly occurs in the trivalent state, compensated by protons, and that a minor fraction of Fe⁴⁺ is stabilised by the favourable local structural arrangement.  相似文献   

Seafloor distribution and last glacial to postglacial activity of mud volcanoes on the Calabrian accretionary prism,Ionian Sea     

Silvia Ceramicola  Daniel Praeg  Andrea Cova  Daniela Accettella  Massimo Zecchin 《Geo-Marine Letters》2014,34(2-3):111-129

Mud volcanoes (MVs) are abundant along the eastern Mediterranean subduction zones, recording mud breccia extrusion over long timescales (10⁶ years), but to date relatively few have been recognised in the northern Ionian Sea on the Calabrian accretionary prism (CAP). In the present study, the seafloor distribution and recent activity of MVs is investigated across a 35,600 km² sector of the CAP using a regional acoustic dataset (multibeam bathymetric and backscatter imagery, integrated with subbottom profiles) locally ground-truthed by sediment cores. A total of 54 MVs are identified across water depths of 150–2,750 m using up to four geophysical criteria: distinctive morphology, high backscatter, unstratified subbottom facies and, in one case, a hydroacoustic flare. Fourteen MVs are identified from 3–4 criteria, of which five have been previously proven by cores containing mud breccia beneath up to 1.6 m of hemipelagic sediments (Madonna dello Ionio MVs 1–3, Pythagoras MV and the newly named Sartori MV), while nine others are identified for the first time (Athena, Catanzaro, Cerere, Diana, Giunone, Minerva, ‘right foot’, Venere 1 and 2). Forty other as yet unnamed MVs are inferred from 1–2 geophysical criteria (three from distinctive morphology alone). All but one possible MV lie on the inner plateau of the CAP, landwards of the Calabrian Escarpment in a zone up to 120 km wide that includes the inner pre-Messinian wedge and the fore-arc basins, where they are interpreted to record the ascent from depth of overpressured fluids that interacted with tectonic structures and with evaporitic or shale seals within the fore-arc basins. The rise of fluids may have been triggered by post-Messinian out-of-sequence tectonism that affected the entire pre-Messinian prism, but Plio-Quaternary sedimentation rates and depositional styles support the inference that significant mud volcanism has taken place only on the inner plateau. Sedimentation rates across the CAP applied to a 12 khz sonar detection depth of 225 cm imply that all MVs with backscatter signatures (50 of 54) have erupted mud breccias within the last 56 ka, and within the last 12.5 ka in the fore-arc basins. Ages of eruption estimated from the depth of cored mud breccias at five MVs, and a seismo-stratigraphic relationship at a sixth, indicate episodes at the last glacial maximum ca. 20 ka BP and during the postglacial period. Eruptive episodes within the Calabrian MV province constitute recurrent geohazards, separated by longer periods of quiescent (subdued) fluid seepage that are likely to support gas hydrate formation and chemosynthetic ecosystems.  相似文献   

A software solution for point counting. Petrographic thin section analysis as a case study     

Martín L. Larrea  Silvia M. Castro  Ernesto A. Bjerg 《Arabian Journal of Geosciences》2014,7(8):2981-2989

In the field of geology, as in many other fields, a common problem is the analysis of 2D sections. An example of this is the petrographic study of rock samples, i.e., the quantification of its mineral components and the percentages of each phase present in it. Conventionally, this quantification has been determined by point counting performed on thin sections. Although point counting is very time consuming, it is of common use in several domains including geology, biology, medicine, and materials sciences, among others. Point counting in thin sections is normally conducted through mechanical or electromechanical devices attached to a microscope; such devices are very expensive, offer limited functionality, and are very time consuming. In this contribution, we introduce an interactive visualization application called Rock.AR that reduces the amount of time required to apply this technique and simplify its work flow. It provides visual tools like distortion techniques, overview + detail, and statistics to assist the technique. A comparison between this application and similar tools through users' experiences is provided. We compare the time it takes to complete a session of point counting and the tools' usability.  相似文献   

Can agriculture support climate change adaptation, greenhouse gas mitigation and rural livelihoods? insights from Kenya     

Elizabeth Bryan  Claudia Ringler  Barrack Okoba  Jawoo Koo  Mario Herrero  Silvia Silvestri 《Climatic change》2013,118(2):151-165

Changes in the agriculture sector are essential to mitigate and adapt to climate change, meet growing food demands, and improve the livelihoods of poor smallholder producers. What agricultural strategies are needed to meet these challenges? To what extent are there synergies among these strategies? This paper examines these issues for smallholder producers in Kenya across several agroecological zones. Several practices emerge as triple wins, supporting climate adaptation, greenhouse gas mitigation, and profitability goals. In particular, integrated soil fertility management and improved livestock feeding are shown to provide multiple benefits across all agroecological zones examined. Triple wins of other agricultural practices are limited to specific agroecological zones. Irrigation and soil and water conservation, for example, are essential for adaptation, mitigation, and profitability in arid areas. The results suggest that agricultural investments targeted toward these triple-win strategies will have the greatest payoff in terms of increased resilience of farm and pastoralist households and global climate change mitigation. To reap the benefits of triple-win strategies will require that policymakers, researchers, and practitioners move away from isolated approaches focused on either adaptation or mitigation or rural income generation toward a more holistic assessment of joint strategies as well as their tradeoffs and synergies.  相似文献   

Dust-induced chemical differentiation in dense regions     

Silvia Casu  Cesare Cecchi-Pestellini  Santi Aiello 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2001,325(2):826-834

Dust grains respond to the physical and chemical conditions of the interstellar region in which they are embedded. The interaction produces an extinction curve which depends on the local environment and on the past history of the dust grains. In this work we present a theoretical study of the effects of radial variations of dust extinction properties on gas-phase chemistry in spherical core–halo clouds. We use observational constraints on the variation range of the extinction curve, and we analyse if the degree of dust environmental processing could be reflected by chemical signatures in the gas-phase molecular concentrations. The results of this work show that significant variations in the photodestruction rates and in the thermal profile of the cloud might induce chemical patterns otherwise excluded in the standard dense-cloud chemistry. Some discrepancies between observations and theoretical provisions are discussed in the light of the present results.  相似文献   

Annual trace element cycles in calcite–aragonite speleothems: evidence of drought in the western Mediterranean 1200–1100 yr BP     

Emily A. McMillan  Ian J. Fairchild  Silvia Frisia  Andrea Borsato  Frank McDermott 《第四纪科学杂志》2005,20(5):423-433

Each of two calcitic stalagmites from Grotte de Clamouse, Herault, southern France, displays a discrete aragonite layer dated at around 1100 yr BP. The layer of fanning aragonite ray crystals is immediately preceded by calcite with Mg and Sr compositions that are uniquely high for the past 3 kyr. Trace element compositions close to the boundary between original aragonite and calcite are consistent with quasi‐equilibrium partitioning of trace elements between the phases. Study of modern dripwaters demonstrates that pronounced covariation of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in dripwater occurs owing to large amounts of calcite precipitation upflow of the drips that fed the stalagmites. Trace element to Ca ratios are enhanced during seasonally dry periods. Ion microprobe data demonstrate a pronounced covariation of trace elements, including Mg and Sr in calcite, and Sr, U and Ba in aragonite. The mean peak spacing is close to the long‐term mean of annual growth rates determined by differences in U‐series ages and so the trace element peaks are interpreted as annual. The trace element chemistry of the stalagmites on annual to inter‐annual scales thus directly reflects the amounts of prior calcite precipitation, interpreted as an index of aridity. The longer‐term context is a multi‐decadal period of aridity (1200–1100 yr BP) possibly correlated with an analogous episode in Central America. The arid period culminated in the nucleation of aragonite, but within a decade was followed by a return to precursor conditions. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

The Geochemistry of Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica     

Joseph A. Shacat  William J. Green  Eric H. Decarlo  Silvia Newell 《Aquatic Geochemistry》2004,10(3-4):325-352

Lake Joyce is one of the least studied lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Similar to other lakes in this region, Lake Joyce is a closed-basin, permanently ice-covered, meromictic lake. We present here a detailed investigation of major ions, nutrients, and dissolved trace elements for Lake Joyce. Specifically, we investigate the role of iron and manganese oxides and hydrous oxides in trace metal cycling.Lake Joyce is characterized by fresh, oxic waters overlying an anoxic brine, primarily Na–Cl. Surface waters have a maximum nitrate concentration of 26M with a molar dissolved inorganic nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of 477. The supply of nitrogen is attributed to atmospheric deposition, possibly from polar stratospheric clouds. Dissolved phosphorus is scavenged by hydrous iron oxides. The pH is highest (10.15) just beneath the 7-m thick ice cover and decreases to a minimum of 7.29 in the redox transition zone. Dissolved Al exceeds 8M in surface waters, and appears to be controlled by equilibrium with gibbsite. In contrast, concentrations of other trace elements in surface waters are quite low (e.g., 5.4nM Cu, 0.19nM Co, <20pM La). Dissolved Fe, Mn, Ni and Cd were below our detection limits of 13 nM, 1. 8 nM, 4.7 nM and 15pM (respectively) in surface waters. There was a 6-m vertical separation in the onset of Mn and Fe reduction, with dissolved Mn appearing higher in the water column than Fe. Based on thermodynamic calculations, dissolved Mn appears to be controlled by equilibrium with hausmannite (Mn3O4). Co tracks the Mn profile closely, suggesting Co(III) is bound in the lattice of Mn oxides, whereas the Ce profile is similar, yet the Ce anomaly suggests oxidative scavenging of Ce. Release of Cu, Ni, Cd and trivalent REE appears to be controlled by pH-induced desorption from Fe and Mn oxides, although Cu (and perhaps Ni) may be scavenged by organic matter in surface waters.  相似文献   

Nickel, Copper, Zinc and Cadmium Cycling with Manganese in Lake Vanda (Wright Valley, Antarctica)     

William J. Green  Brian R. Stage  Bonnie Jo Bratina  Shannon Wagers  Adam Preston  Kevin O’bryan  Joseph Shacat  Silvia Newell 《Aquatic Geochemistry》2004,10(3-4):303-323

Lake Vanda is a closed-basin, permanently ice-covered lake located in the Wright Valley of Antarctica. The lakes more important geochemical features include the fact that it is fed by a single glacial melt water stream for only 6–8weeks out of the year; that it has remained stratified for more than a millennium; and that, like other lakes in the region, it is remote from anthropogenic influence. These, together with the fact that it is among the least biologically productive lakes in the world, make it an ideal system for examining the transport, cycling and fate of trace metals in the aquatic environment. Like others before us, we view this lake as a natural geochemical laboratory, a flask in the desert. This paper presents the first set of closely spaced, vertical, profiles for dissolved and particulate Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd in the water column. Despite the absence of an outflow, metals in the fresh upper waters of the lake have extremely low concentrations, in the pico-molar to nano-molar range, and are partitioned largely into dissolved rather than particulate phases. Efficient metal scavenging by particles from these oxygen-rich waters is indicated. Significant increases in metal concentrations begin to appear at depth, between 57 and 60m, and these increases coincide with the onset of manganese oxide dissolution in oxic, but lower pH waters. Vertical profiles suggest that the entire suite of trace metals (Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd) is being released from manganese oxide carrier phases. Thermodynamic analysis indicates that Mn3O4 (i.e., the mineral hausmannite) may be important in metal sequestration and recycling in the deeper waters of Lake Vanda. Manganese-reducing organisms reported by Bratina etal. (1998) are active in the zone of metal release and these could also contribute to the observed cycling.  相似文献   

1999年欧洲圣诞节风暴数值模拟分析     

Claudio Cassardo  ;Nicola Loglisci  ;Min Wei Qian  ;Silvia Ferrarese  ;Arnaldo Longhetto  ;Gianpaolo Balsamo 《气象与减灾研究》2008,31(2):6-13

对1999年圣诞期间发生在欧洲中西部的圣诞节风暴进行了分析,认为4个主要的低气压系统中的第二个给法国北部带来了强风暴雨,巴黎的Orly机场阵风速度〉47m／s;第四个低压系统沿法国西海岸产生相似的恶劣天气,并在西班牙的北部海岸及地中海沿岸国家造成了毁灭性的破坏。在法国中部风暴最剧烈的时候,最大阵风〉41m／s;在法国和德国之间的区域,达55m／s。圣诞节风暴造成欧洲国家大约140人死亡,其他损失包括树木、街道和房屋被毁,电力系统和电话中断时间长达数天,受影响的人数大约为1000万,财产损失大约为80亿美元。由于风暴的极端强度和快速发展速度,欧洲大多数国家的数值预报中心没有对这次剧烈天气提供足够的预警。为此,利用中尺度数值预报系统（RAMS）模拟圣诞节风暴,并与ECMWF分析资料以及实况观测资料进行了对比分析。结果表明,RAMS模式能够准确模拟风暴的主要特性、低气压的演变和位置移动、发展的关键时间点、风暴演化期间的平均风场;模拟的平均风场和气象观测网的观测结果相一致;模拟的风暴移动时间和主要新闻媒体的报道相吻合;模式计算的一些特定地区平均风速的时间趋势显示,在阿尔卑斯山脉地区,无论是上风区还是下风区,风暴的时间都被准确地预测;模拟的第一次风暴最低气压值较实际值偏低。  相似文献