The evolution of a tropical rainforest/grassland mosaic in southeastern Brazil since 28,000 C yr BP based on carbon isotopes and pollen records     

Luiz Carlos Ruiz Pessenda  Paulo Eduardo De Oliveira  Milene Mofatto  Vanda Brito de Medeiros  Ricardo Jos Francischetti Garcia  Ramon Aravena  Jos Albertino Bendassoli  Accio Zuniga Leite  Antonio Roberto Saad  Mario Lincoln Etchebehere 《Quaternary Research》2009,71(3):437-452

The lack of paleoecological records from the montane Atlantic Rainforest of coastal Brazil, a hotspot of biological diversity, has been a major obstacle to our understanding of the vegetational changes since the last glacial cycle. We present carbon isotope and pollen records to assess the impact of the glaciation on the native vegetation of the Serra do Mar rainforest in São Paulo, Brazil. From ca. 28,000 to  22,000 ¹⁴C yr BP, a subtropical forest with conifer trees is indicative of cool and humid conditions. In agreement carbon isotopic data on soil organic matter suggest the presence of C₃ plants and perhaps C₄ plants from  28,000 to  19,000 ¹⁴C yr BP. The significant increase in the sedimentation rate and algal spores from  19,450 to  19,000 ¹⁴C yr BP indicates increasing humidity, associated to an erosion process between  19,000 and  15,600 ¹⁴C yr BP. From  15,600 ¹⁴C yr BP to present there is a substantial increase in arboreal elements and herbs, indicating more humid and warmer climate. From  19,000 to  1000 ¹⁴C yr BP, δ¹³C values indicated the predominance of C₃ plants. These results are in agreement with studies in speleothems of caves, which suggest humid conditions during the last glacial maximum.  相似文献   

Small mammals from the early Pleistocene of the Granada Basin, southern Spain     

Antonio García-Alix  Raef Minwer-Barakat  Elvira Martín Surez  Matthijs Freudenthal 《Quaternary Research》2009,72(2):265-274

The Pliocene and Pleistocene continental sedimentary records of the western sector of the Granada Basin, southern Spain, consist of alternating fluvial and lacustrine/palustrine sediments. Two Quaternary sections from this sector have been sampled: Huétor Tájar and Tojaire. They have yielded remains of rodents, insectivores and lagomorphs. The presence in the Huétor Tájar and Tojaire sections of Mimomys, Apodemus atavus, Castillomys rivas and two different species of Allophaiomys, indicates an Early Pleistocene age. These deposits, which are related to a fluvio-lacustrine system, can be differentiated from an older (Pliocene) braided fluvial system. Their dating has important repercussions on the paleogeographic reconstruction of the basin. The conditions inferred from the ecological preferences of the small mammal associations are wet and cold. These associations suggest a predominance of open herbaceous habitats, followed by forested habitats; semiaquatic habitats are the least represented.  相似文献   

Photoautotrophic community changes in Lagunillo del Tejo (Spain) in response to lake level fluctuation: Two centuries of sedimentary pigment records     

Lidia Romero-Viana  Brendan J. Keely  Antonio Camacho  Eduardo Vicente  M. Rosa Miracle 《Organic Geochemistry》2009,40(3):376-386

Lagunillo del Tejo is a small doline lake in a karstic region of the Iberian Ranges (central-eastern Spain) that undergoes significant lake level fluctuation in response to changing aquifer influxes. In order to assess changes in the primary producer community in the lake over the last two centuries and to elucidate whether these were conditioned by climatic variability, photosynthetic pigments and their derivatives were extracted from the sediments and the data analysed using multivariate statistical techniques. Quantitative variations in total pigment concentrations through the sedimentary sequence are considered a result of changes in sedimentation rate, largely due to lake level fluctuation. Rapid lowering of the level results in an increase in detritic mineral matter eroded from the sides of the lake, which accumulates in the sediment and dilutes the organic matter content in the corresponding sediment layers. On the other hand, shifts in the relative abundances of the different pigments suggest the development of two different primary producer communities: (i) planktonic, comprising cyanobacteria, chlorophytes, cryptophytes and purple sulfur bacteria and (ii) primary producers related to the littoral environment, mostly submerged macrophytes. These two communities showed alternating relative importance over the last two centuries, as a biotic response to lake level fluctuation during wet and dry periods, respectively.  相似文献   

The 2nd century AD earthquake in central Italy: archaeoseismological data and seismotectonic implications     

Emanuela Ceccaroni  Gabriele Ameri  Antonio Augusto Gómez Capera  Fabrizio Galadini 《Natural Hazards》2009,50(2):335-359

The 2nd century AD earthquake in central Italy is only known by an epigraph that mentions restorations to a damaged weighing-house at the ancient locality of Pagus Interpromium. The available seismic catalogues report this event with the conventional date of 101 AD, a magnitude M _aw of 6.3, and an epicentral location at the village of San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, in the province of Pescara. In order to improve the knowledge of the damage pattern, we gathered all the archaeological data collected during modern excavations at sites located in the area, which were presumably struck by the earthquake. This information is mainly represented by (1) stratigraphic units due to the sudden collapse of buildings over still frequented floors; (2) stratigraphic units demonstrating restoration or re-building of edifices; (3) stratigraphic units formed as the result of the abandonment of sites or of their lack of frequentation for decades or centuries. Only stratigraphic evidence consistent with an earthquake occurrence during the 2nd century AD has been considered. The most recent archaeological material found in a collapsed unit is a coin of Antoninus Pius, dated at 147–148 AD. This may represent a post quem date very close to the occurrence of the earthquake. The gathered information, plus the stratigraphic data that excluded the earthquake occurrence at some sites, has allowed us to roughly delineate an area of possible damage, including the Sulmona Plain and surrounding areas. Comparisons between the possible 2nd century damage distribution and (i) the damage patterns of more recent historical events that have struck the investigated area, (ii) the distribution of virtual intensities obtained by simulating an earthquake having an epicenter in the Sulmona Plain and applying an intensity attenuation relationship and (iii) a shaking scenario obtained by modelling the activation of the major active fault of the Sulmona Plain area (the Mt. Morrone fault) have revealed consistency between the ancient earthquake and the activation of this fault. Since no other historical events can be attributed to this active fault, we conclude that the time that has elapsed since the last fault activation should be in the order of 1,850 years, i.e. a time span that is very close to the recurrence interval of Apennine seismogenic sources. Moreover, considering the fault length, the causative source may be responsible for earthquakes with M up to 6.6–6.7. The comparison between the presumed 2nd century damage and the shaking scenario suggests that the magnitude mentioned is consistent with the presumed effects of the ancient earthquake. Finally, considering that Sulmona (the most important town in the region investigated) is located in the middle of the Mt. Morrone fault hanging wall, we consider it as the probable epicentral area. Therefore, to summarise the information on the 2nd century AD earthquake, we can conclude that (i) it occurred shortly after 147–148 AD; (ii) a magnitude M _w 6.6–6.7 can be attributed to it and (iii) the probable macroseismic epicentral area was Sulmona.  相似文献   

Environmental and hydrogeological problems in karstic terrains crossed by tunnels: a case study     

J. Gisbert  A. Vallejos  A. González  A. Pulido-Bosch 《Environmental Geology》2009,58(2):347-357

The construction of one of the high-speed railway tunnels between Malaga and Córdoba (South Spain) beneath the Abdalajís mountains occasioned a series of hydrogeological problems with geotechnical and environmental impacts. The double tunnel, 7,300 m in length, runs south to north across several lines of small, calcareous mountains that have a highly complex structure. Beneath the Jurassic limestones lie Triassic clays and evaporites. Overlying the limestones is an essentially marly and limestone-marl Cretaceous series, which culminates with Miocene marls containing some organic matter. These mountains have generated springs that are used for urban water supply and irrigation, as well as drinking fountains in the surrounding villages. The initial water level in the aquifer series varied from 400 to 650 m above sea level. After drilling approximately 2,900 m, and intercepting a fracture zone within the carbonate rocks, a sudden water eruption occurred that reached a peak flow of 800 L/s. After a short while, spring discharges dried up, leading to a public protest. In this paper, we describe the geological and hydrogeological settings, the development of the aquifer as the drilling operation proceeded, the measures adopted and the responses subsequent to completion of the tunnel, including the effect of rainfall on the recovery of water levels. Lastly, a generalized estimate is made of how the system functions, and a forecast is made for recovery of its equilibrium.  相似文献   

The hydrochemical facies and anomalous fluoride content in the Serra Geral aquifer system,southern Brazil: a GIS approach with tectonic and principal component analysis     

Arthur Nanni  Ari Roisenberg  Maria Paula Casagrande Marimon  Antonio Pedro Viero 《Environmental Geology》2009,58(6):1247-1255

Groundwater with high fluoride content and water mixture patterns were studied in Serra Geral aquifer system (SGAS) using three aspects, principal component analysis (PCA), tectonic scenery and hydrochemical interpretation from 309 groundwater chemical data information from deep wells. A four-component model is suggested and explains 81% of total variance in the PCA. Six hydrochemical facies were identified. These facies suggest two different fluoride sources. Tectonic approach shows the relationship between defined hydrochemical facies and regional fracture control. The applied methodology reveals a minimum level to understand hydrochemical mixtures. The fluoride enrichment mechanisms into the groundwater are comprised in advance to guide the future uses of SGAS to the public supply.  相似文献   

Gas hazard assessment at the Monticchio crater lakes of Mt. Vulture, a volcano in Southern Italy     

Antonio Caracausi  P. Mario Nuccio  Rocco Favara  Marco Nicolosi  Michele Paternoster 《地学学报》2009,21(2):83-87

Geochemical investigations have shown that there is a considerable inflow of gas into both crater lakes of Monticchio, Southern Italy. These lakes are located in two maars that formed 140 000 years ago during Mt. Vulture volcano's last eruptive activity. Isotopic analyses suggest that CO₂ and helium are of magmatic origin; the latter displays ³He/⁴He isotope ratios similar to those measured in olivines of the maar ejecta. In spite of the fact that the amount of dissolved gases in the water is less than that found in Lake Nyos (Cameroon), both the results obtained and the historical reports studied indicate that these crater lakes could be highly hazardous sites, even though they are located in a region currently considered inactive. This could be of special significance in very popular tourist areas such as the Monticchio lakes, which are visited by about 30 000 people throughout the summer, for the most part on Sundays.  相似文献   

Anisotropic Mean Traveltime Curves: A Method to Estimate Anisotropic Parameters from 2D Transmission Tomographic Data     

Juan L. Fernández Martínez  Luis M. Pedruelo González 《Mathematical Geosciences》2009,41(2):163-192

We present the mathematical deduction and properties of the mean traveltime curves for homogeneous elliptical anisotropic media. These curves generalize their isotropic counterparts which have been introduced in the past as a simple data quality analysis technique at the pre-inversion stage for 2D transmission experiments, allowing the inference of prior velocity models to gain stability at the tomographic inversion. Also, the anisotropy parameters (maximum velocity, anisotropic direction and ratio) are shown to affect the shape of these curves. The degree of asymmetry of the anisotropic mean traveltime curves (displacement of the mean time and standard deviation minima from the middle of the gathering line) is related to the direction of anisotropy which can then be visually estimated. Least squares’ fitting of the anisotropic theoretical models to their experimental counterparts is an effective method to estimate at the pre-inversion stage a macroscopic elliptical anisotropic velocity model, valid at the scale of the experiment, and able to match the experimental mean traveltime distribution. Sensitivity analysis has shown that the mean curve is less prone to errors than the standard deviation curve. Parameter identification from the standard deviation curve becomes unstable for noise levels higher than 5%; data errors produce smearing of the value of the estimated anisotropy ratio and wrong directions of anisotropy biased towards zero degrees. Also, identification from the mean traveltime curve becomes stable when the maximum velocity is well constrained. Finally, this methodology is illustrated with the application to the Grimsel data set. Performing MTC analysis is always recommended since it does not need high numerical requirements, and as shown in the sensibility analysis section, errors in data can be misinterpreted as geological anisotropies. J.L. Fernández Martínez is a visiting professor at UC Berkeley, Department of Civil and Environmental Eng., CA 94720-1710.  相似文献   

Accurate hypocentre locations in the Middle-Durance Fault Zone, South-Eastern France     

Sebastiano Imposa  Jean-Pierre Fourno  Rosario Raffaele  Antonio Scaltrito  Luciano Scarfi 《Central European Journal of Geosciences》2009,1(4):416-423

A one-dimensional velocity model and station corrections for the Middle-Durance fault zone (south-eastern France) were computed by inverting P-wave arrival times recorded on a local seismic network of 8 stations. A total of 93 local events with a minimum of 6 P-phases, RMS 0.4 s and a maximum gap of 220° were selected. Comparison with previous earthquake locations shows an improvement for the relocated earthquakes. Tests were carried out to verify the robustness of inversion results in order to corroborate the conclusions drawn from our findings. The obtained minimum 1-D velocity model can be used to improve routine earthquake locations and represents a further step toward more detailed seismotectonic studies in this area of south-eastern France.  相似文献   

Intraseasonal variability in subtropical South America as depicted by precipitation data   总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0  

P. L. M. González  C. S. Vera  B. Liebmann  G. Kiladis 《Climate Dynamics》2008,30(7-8):727-744

Daily precipitation data from three stations in subtropical Argentina are used to describe intraseasonal variability (20–90 days) during the austral summer. This variability is compared locally and regionally with that present in outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) data, in order to evaluate the performance of this variable as a proxy for convection in the region. The influence of the intraseasonal activity of the South American Seesaw (SASS) leading convection pattern on precipitation is also explored. Results show that intraseasonal variability explains a significant portion of summer precipitation variance, with a clear maximum in the vicinity of the SASS subtropical center. Correlation analysis reveals that OLR can explain only a small portion of daily precipitation variability, implying that it does not constitute a proper proxy for precipitation on daily timescales. On intraseasonal timescales, though, OLR is able to reproduce the main features of precipitation variability. The dynamical conditions that promote the development of intraseasonal variability in the region are further analyzed for selected summers. Seasons associated with a strong intraseasonal signal in precipitation variability show distinctive wet/dry intraseasonal periods in daily raw data, and are associated with a well defined SASS-like spatial pattern of convection. During these summers, strong large-scale forcing (such as warm El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events and/or tropical intraseasonal convective activity), and Rossby-wave-like circulation anomalies extending across the Pacific Ocean, are also observed.  相似文献