Time-dependent degradation of biotic carbonates and the search for past life on Mars     

Vincenzo Orofino  Armando Blanco  Marcella D’Elia  Sergio Fonti  Domenico Licchelli 《Planetary and Space Science》2009,57(5-6):632-639

Searching for traces of extinct and/or extant life on the surface of Mars is one of the major objectives for remote-sensing and in-situ exploration of the planet. In the present paper we study the infrared (IR) spectral modifications induced by thermal processing on differently preserved calcium carbonate fossils, in order to discriminate them from their abiotic counterparts.The main conclusion of this study is that the degree of alteration of the fossils, derived from IR spectral analysis, seems to be well correlated with the sample age, and that terrestrial fossils after a billion years are so altered that it becomes impossible to trace their biotic origin. Since it is reasonable to assume that the putative Martian fossils should be at least 3.5 billion years old, this would imply that our spectroscopic method could not be able to detect them, if their degradation rate were the same as that we have found in usual conditions for the terrestrial fossils. However, due to the different climate evolution of the two planets, there is the possibility of having two different degradation rates, much lower for Mars than for Earth, especially if the fossils are embedded in a protective layer, such as a clay deposit. In this case IR spectroscopy, coupled with thermal processing, can be a useful tool for discriminating between abiotic and biotic (fossil) carbonate samples collected on the Martian surface.  相似文献   

Carbonaceous materials in size-segregated atmospheric aerosols from urban and coastal-rural areas at the Western European Coast   总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0  

Regina M.B.O. Duarte  Cludia L. Mieiro  Ana Penetra  Casimiro A. Pio  Armando C. Duarte 《Atmospheric Research》2008,90(2-4):253-ICNAA07

A high-volume cascade impactor, equipped with a PM10 inlet, was used to collect size-segregated aerosol samples during the summer of 2004 at two Portuguese locations: a coastal-rural area (Moitinhos) and an urban area (Oporto). Concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM), total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) were determined for the following particle size ranges: < 0.49, 0.49–0.95, 0.95–3.0, and 3.0–10 µm. The total PM mass concentrations at the urban and coastal-rural sites ranged from 22.8 to 79.6 μg m^− 3 and 19.9 to 28.2 μg m^− 3, respectively, and more than 56% of the total aerosol mass was found in the fractions below 3.0 μm. At both locations the highest concentrations of OC and EC were found in the submicrometer size range. The regional variability for the OC and EC concentrations, with the highest concentrations being found in the urban area, was related to the contribution of local primary sources (mostly traffic emissions). It was also verified an enrichment of the small size particles in WSOC, representing on average 37.3(± 12.4)% and 59.7(± 18.0)% of OC in the very fine aerosol at the coastal-rural and urban areas, respectively. The amount of secondary OC calculated by the minimum OC/EC ratio method indicates that secondary organic aerosol formation was important throughout the study at both sites. The obtained results suggest that long-range transport and favourable summer conditions for photochemical oxidation are key factors determining secondary OC formation in the coastal-rural and urban areas. The ultraviolet absorption properties of the chromophoric constituents of the WSOC fractions were also different among the different particle size ranges and also between the two sampling locations, thus suggesting the strong impact of the diverse emission sources into the composition of the size-segregated organic aerosol.  相似文献   

Using helicopter electromagnetic data to predict groundwater quality in fractured crystalline bedrock in a semi-arid region, Northeast Brazil     

Oderson Antônio de Souza Filho  Adalene Moreira Silva  Armando Zaupa Remacre  Sérgio Sacani Sancevero  Anne Elizabeth McCafferty  Mônica Mazzini Perrotta 《Hydrogeology Journal》2010,18(4):905-916

Geostatistical modeling, using airborne and borehole electromagnetic data, was used to estimate electrical conductivity in groundwater within fractured paragneisses and migmatites in a semi-arid climate in northeastern Brazil. Despite the geologic heterogeneity of crystalline aquifers, the use of high resolution helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) data enabled the characterization of groundwater electrical conductivity where data from drilled wells were insufficient. The tacit assumption is that HEM measurements can be used to relate rock electrical conductivity to groundwater electrical conductivity. In this study, the HEM data were used as an external drift variable in non-stationary estimation and stochastic simulation to identify the variability of groundwater electrical conductivity. Validation tests, comparing predicted values for groundwater conductivity with measurements in new wells, confirmed the success of these models in locating fresh groundwater sources in crystalline bedrock.  相似文献   

Nekhoroshev estimate for isochronous non resonant symplectic maps     

Armando Bazzani  Stefano Marmi  Giorgio Turchetti 《Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy》1989,47(4):333-359

We prove that non resonant isochronous symplectic maps in a neighborhood of an elliptic fixed point are stable for exponentially long times with the inverse of the distance from the fixed point. In the proof we make use of the majorant series method together with an idea for optimizing remainder estimates first applied to Hamiltonian problems by Nekhoroshev.  相似文献   

Re-visiting large historical earthquakes in the Colombian Eastern Cordillera     

Cristina?DimatéEmail author  Luis?Rivera  Armando?Cisternas 《Journal of Seismology》2005,9(1):1-22

A re-assessment of the historic seismicity of the central sector of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera (EC) is made by revision of bibliographic sources, by calibration with modern instrumental earthquakes, and by interpretations in terms of current knowledge of the tectonics and seismicity of the region. Throughout the process we have derived an equation to estimate M_w for shallow crustal earthquakes in Colombia using the length of isoseismal VIII, L_VIII: We also derived an equation to evaluate M_w for Colombian crustal earthquakes using the rupture length, L, estimated generally from the aftershock distribution of strong earthquakes: We calculated average attenuation parameters for intermediate depth and shallow earthquakes that may be used, combined with other observations, to estimate the focal depth of historical events. Our final picture shows three distinct regions of the Colombian Eastern Cordillera (EC) where historical earthquakes are distributed. (a) The southern sector, from the Páramo de Sumapaz down to the Colombian Massif where the largest crustal earthquakes have occurred (1827, M 7 3/4; 1967, M_w = 7.0). (b) The central sector, between the Páramo de Sumapaz and Tunja with moderate to large earthquakes associated to the reverse faults on the piedmonts (the 1805 earthquake, M 6 3/4, on the western flank, and the 1743, 1923 and 1995 with M 6 1/2, 6 3/4, and 6.5, respectively, on the eastern flank). (c) The northern sector, to the north of Tunja, which is characterized by recurrent earthquakes probably associated with major reverse faults in the axial zone (e.g., 1646, I₀ = VIII; 1724, M 6 3/4; 1755, I₀ VIII; and 1928, M 5 3/4). Two events appear to be related to the axial faults to the south of Bogotá: those in 1644 (M 6) and 1917 (M = 7.1). The 1785 earthquake might have been an intraplate event in the subducting plate under the EC. Events in 1616 and 1826, which caused damage along the axial zone of the Cordillera near Bogotá, have no historical records precise enough to allow the estimation of their location and size, but their epicentres are probably not farther than some tens of kilometers from Bogotá.  相似文献   

Ground motion amplification due to shallow cavities in nonlinear soils   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Stefania Sica  Angelo Dello Russo  Federica Rotili  Armando Lucio Simonelli 《Natural Hazards》2014,71(3):1913-1935

Subsurface cavities or stiff inclusions represent mechanical discontinuities for seismic waves propagating in soils. They modify the propagation pattern of seismic waves and alter soil response in correspondence to the ground level or building foundations. In the literature, different analytical and numerical solutions have been proposed to account for the effect of underground cavities or inclusions on the motion generated by P, S or R waves. In these former studies, the subsoil was assimilated to a homogeneous, isotropic and linear elastic halfspace containing one or more cavities. In the present study, the effect of subsurface cavities on ground motion amplification has been analysed accounting for soil stiffness degradation and associated damping increase with increasing levels of shear strains, a fundamental aspect of soil behaviour under earthquakes. The analysed model was inspired to a real case represented by the village of Castelnuovo (Italy), which during the 2009 Abruzzo earthquake suffered huge damage. The main shock (6 April 2009) caused the collapse of 50 % of the whole built environment. The historical centre of Castelnuovo rises on a hill. In its subsoil, there are many cavities with roofs 2–3 m below the ground level. The longitudinal NW–SE section of the hill has been investigated by 2D nonlinear site response analyses. A preliminary site response analysis was performed without modelling cavities, to identify ground motion amplification due to mere stratigraphic and topographic factors. The numerical model was later refined inserting: (1) a single cavity below the hilltop, (2) multiple cavities placed below the ground surface of the hill and (3) multiple cavities filled with concrete (inclusions). The performed study highlights the important role exerted by underground cavities on the ground motion computed at the hill surface. This effect should be properly considered for both microzonation studies and the correct determination of the seismic actions on specific buildings.  相似文献   

Assessing spectral evidence of aqueous activity in two putative martian paleolakes     

Ted L. Roush  Giuseppe A. Marzo  Sergio Fonti  Armando Blanco  Lorenz Wendt 《Icarus》2011,214(1):240-245

We evaluate the evidence for the presence of mineral spectral signatures indicative of the past presence of water at two putative paleolakes on Mars using observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Compact Reconnaissance Image Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). CRISM spectra of both sites are consistent with laboratory spectra of Mg-rich phyllosilicates. Our analysis represents the first detailed evaluation of these locations. The spatial occurrence and association with topographic features within the craters is distinctly different for the two sites. The occurrence of these minerals supports the conclusion that water was once active in the areas sampled by these craters. The distribution of the phyllosilicates in Luqa does not provide distinctive evidence for the presence of a previous standing body of water and is consistent with either impact emplacement or post-impact alteration. For Cankuzo, the phyllosilicate distribution provides evidence of a layer in the crater wall indicative of aqueous activity, but does not require a paleolake.  相似文献   

Environmental factors controlling spatial variation in sediment yield in a central Andean mountain area     

Armando Molina  Gerard Govers  Jean Poesen  Hendrik Van Hemelryck  Bert De Bivre  Veerle Vanacker 《Geomorphology》2008,98(3-4):176

A large spatial variability in sediment yield was observed from small streams in the Ecuadorian Andes. The objective of this study was to analyze the environmental factors controlling these variations in sediment yield in the Paute basin, Ecuador. Sediment yield data were calculated based on sediment volumes accumulated behind checkdams for 37 small catchments. Mean annual specific sediment yield (SSY) shows a large spatial variability and ranges between 26 and 15,100 Mg km^− 2 year^− 1. Mean vegetation cover (C, fraction) in the catchment, i.e. the plant cover at or near the surface, exerts a first order control on sediment yield. The fractional vegetation cover alone explains 57% of the observed variance in ln(SSY). The negative exponential relation (SSY = a × e^{−b C}) which was found between vegetation cover and sediment yield at the catchment scale (10³–10⁹ m²), is very similar to the equations derived from splash, interrill and rill erosion experiments at the plot scale (1–10³ m²). This affirms the general character of an exponential decrease of sediment yield with increasing vegetation cover at a wide range of spatial scales, provided the distribution of cover can be considered to be essentially random. Lithology also significantly affects the sediment yield, and explains an additional 23% of the observed variance in ln(SSY). Based on these two catchment parameters, a multiple regression model was built. This empirical regression model already explains more than 75% of the total variance in the mean annual sediment yield. These results highlight the large potential of revegetation programs for controlling sediment yield. They show that a slight increase in the overall fractional vegetation cover of degraded land is likely to have a large effect on sediment production and delivery. Moreover, they point to the importance of detailed surface vegetation data for predicting and modeling sediment production rates.  相似文献   

Late Pleistocene flank collapse of Zempoala volcano (Central Mexico) and the role of fault reactivation     

José Luis Arce  Rodolfo Macías  Armando García Palomo  Lucia Capra  José Luis Macías  Paul Layer  Hernando Rueda 《Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research》2008

Zempoala is an extinct Pleistocene (∼ 0.7–0.8 Ma) stratovolcano that together with La Corona volcano (∼ 0.9 Ma) forms the southern end of the Sierra de las Cruces volcanic range, Central Mexico. The volcano consists of andesitic and dacitic lava flows and domes, as well as pyroclastic and epiclastic sequences, and has had a complex history with several flank collapses. One of these collapses occurred during the late Pleistocene on the S–SE flank of the volcano and produced the Zempoala debris avalanche deposit. This collapse could have been triggered by the reactivation of two normal fault systems (E–W and NE–SW), although magmatic activity cannot be absolutely excluded. The debris avalanche traveled 60 km to the south, covers an area of 600 km² and has a total volume of 6 km³, with a calculated Heim coefficient (H/L) of 0.03. Based on the textural characteristics of the deposit we recognized three zones: proximal, axial, and lateral distal zone. The proximal zone consists of debris avalanche blocks that develop a hummocky topography; the axial zone corresponds with the main debris avalanche deposit made of large clasts set in a sandy matrix, which transformed to a debris flow in the lateral distal portion. The deposit is heterolithologic in composition, with dacitic and andesitic fragments from the old edifice that decrease in volume as bulking of exotic clasts from the substratum increase. Several cities (Cuernavaca, Jojutla de Juárez, Alpuyeca) with associated industrial, agricultural, and tourism activities have been built on the deposit, which pose in evidence the possible impact in case of a new event with such characteristics, since the area is still tectonically active.  相似文献   

Genetic impact of the Prestige oil spill in wild populations of a poor dispersal marine snail from intertidal rocky shores     

Piñeira J  Quesada H  Rolán-Alvarez E  Caballero A 《Marine pollution bulletin》2008,56(2):270-281

In November 2002, the sinking of the Prestige cargo ship produced an oil spill of 60,000 tons that affected many areas along the Galician coast (in the northwest of Spain). In a number of rocky shore sites, most organisms (particularly marine mollusks) were nearly extinct at a local scale. We tested whether the local bottleneck/extinction that occurred in affected localities caused any detectable reduction of the genetic diversity in the marine snail Littorina saxatilis, an ovoviviparous rocky shore model species characterized by a low dispersal ability, high population density, and wide distribution range. We compared the level of genetic variation and population differentiation between affected (polluted) and control sites located in seven geographical areas (three sites per area, one impacted and two controls, and two replicates per site) one and a half years after the spill. The analysis included molecular marker variation (microsatellite and AFLP loci) and quantitative trait genetic variation for shell variables in embryos extracted from pregnant females. Our results indicate that the affected populations did not show a significant overall reduction in genetic diversity when compared to the controls, suggesting that the species is highly resistant to losing genetic variability as a consequence of a local short-term pollution process in spite of its low dispersal ability and direct development. However, some genetic effects were detected in the polluted populations, particularly for quantitative shell traits and AFLPs, consistent with local adaptations resulting from the fuel contamination.  相似文献