Insight into the structure of the Upper Rhine Graben and its basement from a new compilation of Bouguer Gravity     

Y. Rotstein  J.-B. Edel  G. Gabriel  D. Boulanger  M. Schaming  M. Munschy 《Tectonophysics》2006,425(1-4):55-70

A compilation of gravity data from the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) is presented that includes all the main data sources from its German and French parts. This data is used to show that the URG consists of, at least, two arc-shaped and asymmetric rift units that tectonically are the basic building blocks of the graben. In this sense the URG does not differ from other continental rifts, such as the African rifts. This division should replace the now classical geomorphologic division of the URG into three segments, based on their different trends. Moreover, the gravity suggests that the faults in the central and southern segments are continuous and have the same trend, appearing to respond as a single kinematic unit. Changes in the gravity field in the graben are shown to reflect not only the structure of the graben, but also the highly variable composition of the basement. In this respect, the URG is quite different from some other Tertiary continental rifts, where possible changes in the composition of the basement are mostly masked in the gravity field by the effect of the overlying low-density sediments. This characteristic is used to study the extent of some of the main basement units that underlie the graben.  相似文献   

Climate proxies from Sr/Ca of coccolith calcite: calibrations from continuous culture of Emiliania huxleyi     

Heather M Stoll  Yair RosenthalPaul Falkowski 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2002,66(6):927-936

Continuous culture of the coccolithophorid Emiliania huxleyi reveals that coccolith Sr/Ca ratios depend on temperature and growth rate. At a constant temperature of 18°C, coccolith Sr/Ca ratios increased nearly 15% as growth rate increased from 0.1 to 1.5 divisions per day and calcification rate increased from 1.5 to 50 pg calcite per cell per day. When temperature increased from 7 to 26°C, Sr/Ca ratios increased by more than 25% (i.e., 1%/1°C), although the range in growth and calcification rates was the same as for experiments at constant temperature. The temperature dependence of Sr/Ca ratios in coccoliths is consistent with that observed in planktonic foraminifera and abiogenic calcites, suggesting that it is controlled by thermodynamic processes. However, the positive correlation of coccolith Sr/Ca with temperature contrasts with field studies in the equatorial Pacific, where Sr/Ca ratios are highest at the locus of maximum upwelling and productivity despite depressed temperatures. This paradox may reflect different calcification rate effects between E. huxleyi and the other species dominating assemblages in the equatorial Pacific sediments, which may be resolved by new techniques for separation of monospecific coccolith samples from sediments. Models of crystal growth indicate that kinetic effects on Sr partitioning in calcite due to surface enrichment could explain the Sr/Ca variations observed in constant temperature experiments but not the larger amplitude calcification rate effects observed in equatorial Pacific sediments. Despite the dual influence of temperature and growth rate on coccolith Sr/Ca, coccolith Sr/Ca correlates with “b,” the slope of the dependence of carbon isotope fractionation in biomarkers (ε_p) on CO₂(aq) at a range of growth rates and temperatures. Consequently, using coccolith Sr/Ca in combination with alkenone ε_p may improve paleo-CO₂ determinations.  相似文献   

The Variscan tectonic inheritance of the Upper Rhine Graben: evidence of reactivations in the Lias,Late Eocene–Oligocene up to the recent     

J.-B. Edel  K. Schulmann  Y. Rotstein 《International Journal of Earth Sciences》2007,96(2):305-325

Processing of gravity and magnetic maps shows that the basement of the Upper Rhine Graben area is characterized by a series of NE–SW trending discontinuities and elongated structures, identified in outcrops in the Vosges, Black Forest, and the Odenwald Mountains. They form a 40 km wide, N30–40° striking, sinistral wrench-zone that, in the Visean, shifted the Variscan and pre-Variscan structures by at least 43 km to the NE. Wrenching was associated with emplacement of several generations of plutonic bodies emplaced in the time range 340–325 Ma. The sub-vertical, NE–SW trending discontinuities in the basement acted as zones of weakness, susceptible to reactivation by subsequent tectonism. The first reactivation, marked by mineralizations and palaeomagnetic overprinting along NE–SW faults of the Vosges Mountains, results from the Liassic NW–SE extension contemporaneous with the break-up of Pangea. The major reactivation occurred during the Late Eocene N–S compression and the Early-Middle Oligocene E–W extension. The NE–SW striking basement discontinuities were successively reactivated as sinistral strike-slip faults, and as oblique normal faults. Elongated depocenters appear to form in association with reactivated Variscan wrench faults. Some of the recent earthquakes are located on NE–SW striking Variscan fault zones, and show sinistral strike-slip focal mechanisms with the same direction, suggesting also present reactivation.  相似文献   

Runoff and erosion processes and rates in the Zin valley badlands,northern Negev,Israel     

A. Yair  H. Lavee  R. B. Bryan  E. Adar 《地球表面变化过程与地形》1980,5(3):205-225

Badland areas are usually regarded as impermeable zones which generate high runoff and are very vulnerable to sheetwash and rainsplash. To test those considerations sprinkling experiments using two rainfall simulators were carried out on slopes of varying aspect in the northern Negev (Israel). For one unit 1·5 m² plots were used with rainfall of natural characteristics at 36 mm/hr intensity and 43–48 minute duration, runoff being recorded and water/sediment samples taken every 5 minutes. The second unit was used on 30–50 m² plots but rainfall energy production was below that of natural rainfall. Results show that due to the high stability and strong flocculation of clay-rich aggregates rainsplash is ineffective in surface sealing so that infiltration capacities remain high despite intense, prolonged rainfall. Aspect differences are reflected in variation of surface properties despite homogenous bed-rock, which cause marked differences in hydrological response. North-facing slopes respond more quickly, more frequently and produce more runoff than south-facing slopes. Non-uniform runoff generation is also seen within plots of one aspect reflecting subtle variations in surface properties. Comparison of rainfall intensity and duration used during the experiments with those prevailing under natural conditions shows that under present day conditions surface flow in the Zin valley badlands must be extremely infrequent and denudation rates very low.  相似文献   

Holocene rockfalls in the southern Negev Desert,Israel and their relation to Dead Sea fault earthquakes     

Yair Rinat  Ari Matmon  Maurice Arnold  Georges Aumaître  Didier Bourlès  Karim Keddadouche  Naomi Porat  Efrat Morin  Robert C. Finkel 《Quaternary Research》2014

Rockfall ages in tectonically active regions provide information regarding frequency and magnitude of earthquakes. In the hyper-arid environment of the Dead Sea fault (DSF), southern Israel, rockfalls are most probably triggered by earthquakes. We dated rockfalls along the western margin of the DSF using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides (TCN). At each rockfall site, samples were collected from simultaneously exposed conjugate boulders and cliff surfaces. Such conjugate samples initially had identical pre-fall (“inherited”) TCN concentrations. After boulder detachment, these surfaces were dosed by different production rates due to differences in post-fall shielding and geometry. However, in our study area, pre-rockfall inheritance and post-rockfall production rates of TCN cannot be evaluated. Therefore, we developed a numerical approach and demonstrated a way to overcome the above-mentioned problems. This approach can be applied in other settings where rockfalls cannot be dated by simple exposure dating. Results suggest rockfall ages between 3.6 ± 0.8 and 4.7 ± 0.7 ka. OSL ages of sediment accumulated behind the boulders range between 0.6 ± 0.1 and 3.4 ± 1.4 ka and support the TCN results. Our ages agree with dated earthquakes determined in paleoseismic studies along the entire length of the DSF and support the observation of intensive earthquake activity around 4–5 ka.  相似文献   

Hydropedology of a mildly‐arid loess covered area,southern Israel          下载免费PDF全文

Aaron Yair  Naftali Goldshleger  Yossi Shachar 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2017,42(5):781-788

Extensive loess covered areas characterize the mildly arid areas of western Israel, where average annual rainfall is 280 mm. Hydrological data point to a peculiar hydrological behavior of the ephemeral streams. The frequency of sporadic flash floods is very high. However, even in extreme rain events peak discharges are extremely low. Hydrographs are usually characterized by very steep rising and falling limbs, representative of saturated areas, extending over a limited part of the watershed. Following this observation we advanced the hypothesis that storm channel runoff originated in the channel itself, with negligible contribution from the adjoining hillslopes. The study was based on two complementary approaches. The hydrological approach was based on the detailed analysis of rainfall–runoff relationships in a small watershed (11 km²) and on the analysis of the hydrological characteristics of the drainage network. The second approach was based on the toposequence concept. Several boreholes were dug along a hillslope 400 m long. Chemical data obtained show no significant difference in the downslope direction. Similar results were also obtained for the particle size distribution and soil moisture content. Data obtained perfectly fit the concept of ‘Partial Area Contribution’ as it presents an extreme case of hydrological discontinuity at the hillslope–channel interface. The lack of pedological trends in the downslope direction is an additional indication of the limited connectivity between the hillslopes and the adjoining channel. The limited connectivity is attributed to the prevalence of low rain intensities in the study area. The present study is also relevant to our understanding of pedological processes in dryland areas. The high frequency of intermittent low intensity rainstorms limits runoff generation and flow distances, and casts doubt on the general application of the toposequence approach. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Crustal Structure of Israel: Constraints From Teleseismic and Gravity Data   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Abraham Hofstetter  Lea Feldman  Yair Rotstein 《Geophysical Journal International》1991,104(2):371-379

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Runoff generation in a sandy area—the nizzana sands,Western Negev,Israel     

A. Yair 《地球表面变化过程与地形》1990,15(7):597-609

This paper presents the results of sprinkling experiments conducted over the lower part of vegetated and crusted linear dunes as well as over flat playa surfaces that appear in the interdune corridors. Data obtained show that these two surface units respond quickly to rainstorms. Runoff generation can be expected for any storm exceeding 2-3 mm and runoff coefficients are high. When the topsoil algal crust, 1 to 2 mm thick, is removed from the surface of the dune, infiltration increases drastically and eliminates any possibility of runoff generation under present-day rainfall conditions. This data may be of great help in the understanding of the geomorphology and sedimentary sequence of the corridors separting linear dunes.  相似文献   

Can severe rain events over the Mediterranean region be detected through simple numerical indices?   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

B. Ziv  N. Harats  E. Morin  Y. Yair  U. Dayan 《Natural Hazards》2016,83(2):1197-1212

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Atmospheric factors governing winter thunderstorms in the coastal region of the eastern Mediterranean     

B. Ziv  H. Saaroni  Y. Yair  M. Ganot  A. Baharad  D. Isaschari 《Theoretical and Applied Climatology》2009,95(3-4):301-310

The factors controlling lightning activity over central Israel and the adjacent Mediterranean Sea were studied. Potential predictors were correlated at 12-h intervals with total number of flashes. Since during the winter season lightning is generated in this region by Cyprus Lows, the data includes 283 observations on days in which this system prevailed for December to February, which covered four winters. The average lightning rate was 26.8 h^-1, with a high standard deviation of 55.2 h^-1. The total number of flashes at night exceeded the daytime number by 35%, in agreement with previous studies. The CAPE values were on the order of hundreds of J kg^-1. A statistical linear multi-regression model was developed for the number of lightning flashes based on 35 atmospheric variables. The correlation between the modeled and the observed number of lightning flashes was 0.67, and 0.81 for the logarithm of the number of lightning flashes (log-lightning). This suggests that the lightning intensity responds exponentially to its governing factors. A linear multi-regression stepwise model for the log-lightning selected seven predictors as significant and yielded a correlation of 0.74. This model was validated by three holdout and three leave-one-out validation experiments. The composition and hierarchy of the significant predictors reflect the dominance of the thermodynamic factors, in particular instability, in determining lightning activity. Though thunderstorms are local or meso-scale phenomena, the synoptic-scale atmospheric variables were found to be powerful predictors for their intensity.  相似文献