A biostratigraphic study of the Upper Cretaceous-Lower Tertiary rocks of Wadi Feiran and Gebel Qabcliat, SW Sinai has allowed the application of several calcareous nannofossil biozones. A Cretaceous/Tertiary nannofloral break is present in the two studied sections and the magnitude of the hiatus is greater to the south, at G. Qabeliat. This boundary occurs somewhere at the top of the Sudr Chalk in the W. Feiran section and in the lowermost part of the Esna Shale in the G. Qabe liat section. No nannofloral break was observed within the Esna Shale at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary in the sections. Introduction The stratigraphy of the Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary rocks in Sinai has attracted the attention of many authors (e.g. Nakkady, 1949, 1950; Said&Kenawy, 1956; Ghorab, 1961; Abdel Malik, 1967; Abdel Malik et al., 1978a, b; Masters, J 984; Khalil, 1986; Hewaidy, 1987; Abou-El Enein, 1989; Cherif et al., 1989; El-Dawoody, 1992; Ismail, 1992). The objective of this work was to study the calcareous nannoplankton present in the Wadi Feiran and Gebel Qabeliat sections (Figure I) and to provide a biozonation of this area. 33°30'
The studies done on Dalichai Formation in Central Alborz, South Polour Formation of an 80 m thick that are systematically sampled at intervals of 2 meters and selected the 40 rock samples for the preparation of thin sections considered and in addition to lithology; characteristics of the stone, and index examples of Ammonites were also studied. Dalichai formation lithology in the study area is rich in terms of alternating gray sandstone and marl with Ammonites Fauna. Based on the study of fossil fauna, the oldest identified ammonite in the studied section is Procerites (Early Bathonian), and the youngest is Reineckeia sp. (Late Callovian). The distribution of ammonites indicates that the eastern Alborz region had marine connections with northwestern Europe and the Mediterranean marginal areas during the Middle Jurassic period, and the study area was located north of the Tethys Ocean. Based on its stratigraphic position of the middle Jurassic Age Formation, Dalichai Ammonites with peer review study sections and microfossils Bathonian-Callovian age Dalichai is accurate. Lar Formation covers this formation with a gradual contact and has been parallel to the Shemshak Formation on an erosional unconformity. Through the examination of stratigraphy and the correlation of formations in the studied sequence, it was determined that the lower part of the Dalichai Formation is equivalent to other formations in Iran, including the Parvdeh Formation in the Shotori Mountains, the Kashfrood Formation in the Kopeh Dagh, and the lower part of the Baghamshah Formation in the Tabas Basin. The variations in thickness of the Dalichai Formation in the eastern Alborz region indicate relative subsidence of the sedimentary basin, a delay in sea-level rise, and the exit of sediments from seawater. These changes are indicative of the Middle Cimmerian tectonic event, which is observed as an erosional unconformity at the lower boundary of the Dalichai Formation.
The Pécel loess–paleosol profile is a 25.72-metre-high well-preserved sequence in the northern part of Hungary. It was sampled every 4 cm for the purpose of sedimentological analysis and every 12 cm for the purpose of mollusc investigation, which are relatively high resolutions in loess investigation. Twenty samples were radiocarbon-dated from the L1 layer (top 8 m of the sequence). Subsequently, an age–depth model was constructed, from which an accumulation rate was calculated. Based on these radiocarbon and previous magnetic susceptibility data, the Pécel’s L1 layer is correlated with the Chinese Loess Plateau’s L1 layer and the MIS 2–4 stages. The malacological examinations show that the temperature was basically warm during the development, and there was open vegetation except on the S2, S1 and L1S1 paleosol layers, where significant forest expansion was shown. With the magnetic susceptibility and the malacological data, it is possible to track the changes in the conditions through the Chinese Loess Plateau’s timeline.
The article presents diagnoses and information on the type series of two trilobite species of the genus Papillicalymene Shirley, 1936: P. dnistroviana Konstantynenko, 2006 and P. sokoliana Konstantynenko, 2006 from the Ludlow (Upper Silurian) of Podillia in western Ukraine. This study confirms the validity of these trilobite species, as their original description did not include type specimen numbers, their storage place, and their diagnoses.
Igor V. Volkov, Airat M. Gubaidullin, Oxana V. Lopan
This paper deals with rare groups of Chinese pottery imports from the excavations by A.M. Gubaidullin on the Bolgar fortified settlement. One of the rarest is a fragment of Jun ware. The growth of production in Henan province was during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), and after the Mongol conquest it has declined. In the Ulus of Jochi, such isolated finds are edentified exclusively in Bolgar. Since they are not found in the well-studied Golden Horde layers of the XIV century in all other sites, our objects should be attributed to the XIII century. A rare but steady import in the Golden Horde cities are Chinese pottery of the Cizhou ware: their fragments are represented on many large excavations in Bolgar and capitals. The Cizhou vessel, published here, belongs to wine vases and is decorated with a traditional painting for this group – with stylized chrysanthemums in the upper part and with the plot "phoenix in the clouds" in the main tier. The number of the finds of the Cizhou ware whole vessels in the Golden Horde cities is small, and our vessel is the most preserved and expressive in painting. It dated to the second half of the XIV century by the stratigraphy and also by the fragment of an octagonal Qinghua porcelain bottle with a blue-and-white painting, which was found together. The Golden Horde complexes can provide valuable reference dates to clarify the chronology of Chinese imports.
Yury N. Poltev, Tatyana G. Koreneva, Vsevolod E. Maryzhikhin
et al.
The content of Fe, As, Cu, Mn, Cr, Ni, Pb and Cd in the muscles of some aquatic organism species from the Sea of Okhotsk waters of Northeastern Sakhalin was estimated: walleye pollack (Gadus chalcogrammus Pallas, 1814), longhead dab (Limanda proboscidea Gilbert, 1896) and Bering flounder (Hippoglossoides robustus Gill & Townsend, 1897), snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio (O.Fabricius, 1788)). The concentrations of Fe and Cu are reliably higher in the snow crab, in contrast to fish, and Pb concentration is higher in fish relative to the snow crab. There was no difference in the content of trace elements between the flounders and snow crab, and in relation to the walleye pollock, the snow crab has reliably higher concentrations of Fe, Cu, and Hg and lower ones of Pb. The content of Fe is higher in the flounders compared to the walleye pollack. The concentrations of Pb, Cd, As and Hg are safe according to the hygienic requirements for food products and may indirectly indicate a favorable environmental situation in terms of the content of regulated toxic elements in the waters of Northeastern Sakhalin.
Juwan Jeon, Jeong-Hyun Lee, Stephen Kershaw
et al.
Stromatoporoid-type hypercalcified sponges are known to have contributed to the global reef system since the late Middle Ordovician until their major disappearance in the latest Devonian. However, the timing of their appearance and how the earliest stromatoporoids were incorporated into the reef ecosystem remains a mystery. A stromatoporoid taxon was previously reported from the lower Floian of South China, but this example limitedly occurs within the cryptic space of a lithistid-Calathiumreef and has negligible importance in reef construction, unlike the later stromatoporoids that formed the major reef frameworks during the Palaeozoic.
In this study, we describe the earliest known definitive stromatoporoids and the reefs constructed by them in the upper Tremadocian to the lower Floian of South China. The reef framework is dominated by various growth forms of stromatoporoids â ranging from laminar, domical, bulbous to digitate morphologies â that alternate with other organisms such as the calcimicrobe Girvanella and stalked echinoderms. Stromatoporoids have played a significant role in frame-building and binding associated with other reef components, contributing to the construction of a complex reef community similar to those found in the late Middle Ordovician and onwards.
In South China, late Cambrian microbial-dominant reefs were rapidly substituted by newly-emerging metazoan reef-builders in the Early Ordovician, such as lithistid sponges, quasi-sponge Calathium, bryozoans, echinoderms, the problematic Pulchrilamina and stromatoporoids. This is in contrast to other palaeocontinents where lithistid-microbial reefs dominated throughout the late Cambrian and Early Ordovician, with Calathium being incorÂporated in the Early Ordovician. This finding supports the idea that there was regional heterogeneity in reef evolution during this critical time of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.
Angiosperms are a group of plants with the highest rate of evolution, the largest number of species, the widest distribution and the strongest adaptability. Needless to say, angiosperms are the most important group for the humans. The studies on the origin, evolution and systematics of angiosperms have been the major challenges in plant sciences. However, the origin and early history of angiosperms remains poorly understood and controversial among paleobotanists. Some paleobotanists insist that there were no angiosperms in the pre-Cretaceous age. However, this conclusion is facing increasing challenges from fossil evidence, especially Early Jurassic <i>Nanjinganthus</i>, which is based on over two hundred specimens of fossil flowers. Studying more fossil plants is the only reliable way to elucidate the origin and early evolution of angiosperms. Here, we document a new species of angiosperms, <i>Qingganninginfructus formosa</i> gen. et sp. nov, and provide the first detailed three-dimensional morphology of <i>Qingganninginfructus</i> gen. nov from the Middle Jurassic of Northwest China. A Micro-CT examination shows that the best-preserved fossil infructescence has eleven samaroid fruits, each with a single basal ovule. Since these fossils are distinct in morphology and organization from all organs of known gymnosperms and angiosperms (the latter are defined by their enclosed ovules), we interpret <i>Qingganninginfructus</i> as a new genus of angiosperms including a new species, <i>Q. formosa</i> gen. et sp. nov., and an unspecified species from the Middle Jurassic of Northwest China. The discovery of this new genus of angiosperms from the Middle Jurassic, in addition to the existing records, undermines the “no angiosperms until the Cretaceous” stereotype and updates the perspective on the origin and early history of angiosperms.
The Neogene Terror Rift in the Antarctic Victoria Land Basin (VLB) of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, is composed of the Discovery Graben and the Lee Arch. Many Neogene volcanoes are aligned in the north-south direction in the southern VLB, belonging to the McMurdo Volcanic Group. However, due to multiple glaciations and limited seismic data, the volcanic processes are still unclear in the northern VLB, especially in the Terror Rift. Multichannel seismic profiles were collected at the VLB from the 32nd Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE). We utilized four seismic profiles from the CHINARE and additional historical profiles, along with gravity and magnetic anomalies, to analyze faults and stratigraphic characteristics in the northern Terror Rift and volcanism in the VLB. Negative flower structures found in the northern Terror Rift suggest that the Terror Rift was affected by dextral strike-slip faults extending from the northern Victoria Land (NVL). After the initial orthogonal tension, the rift transited into an oblique extension, forming a set of downward concaving normal faults and accommodation zones in the Terror Rift. On the Lee Arch, several imbricated normal faults formed and converged into a detachment fault. Under gravitational forces, the strata bent upward and formed a rollover anticline. Many deep faults and thin strata subjected to erosion facilitated volcanic activity. A brittle volcanic region in the VLB was affected by dextral strike-slip movements and east-west extension, resulting in two Neogene volcanic chains that connect three igneous provinces in the VLB: the Hallett, Melbourne, and Erebus Provinces. These two chains contain mud volcanoes with magnetic nuclei, volcanic intrusions, and late-stage volcanic eruptions. Volcanisms have brought about opposite polarities of magnetic anomalies in Antarctica, indicating the occurrence of multiple volcanic activities.
The Chikoy archaeological expedition led by M. V. Konstantinova has been studying the Ust-Menzinsky
archaeological complex in the territory of Western Transbaikalia since 1980. Particular attention is paid to the
study of Paleolithic monuments within the framework of multilayer objects. They represent a unique opportunity
for reconstructing the variability and continuity of paleotechnologies, as well as paleogeographic and paleoclimatic
conditions of the Late Pleistocene. Of particular interest is the settlement of Ust-Menza-5, located on the
IV terrace with a height of 20–22 m. In 2012, a systematic study of even higher levels of Ust-Menza began. As
a result of these works, the sites Ust-Menza 6 (Gruzdevaya) and Ust-Menza 15 (Kedrovaya) were studied. In
the framework of this article, we will consider the preliminary results of the study of cultural layers 3 and 4 of the
multilayer site Ust-Menza 6 (Gruzdevaya). As a result of studies of the site, carried out at an altitude of 32 m
above the Menza river edge, within the framework of an excavation of 100 m2, 7 cultural layers were identified,
deposits 8 m thick were studied. Cultural layers 3 and 4 were attributed to two generations of ancient man
in the middle pore of the upper Paleolithic in the range of 19–27 thousand years ago. This period is the least
studied within the periodization of the Stone Age of Transbaikalia. The results of the study of cultural layers 3
and 4 of Ust-Menza 6 (Gruzdeva) make it possible to actualize and significantly supplement the ideas about
the variability of the stone industries of Transbaikalia in the final of MIS 3 ‒ the first half of MIS 2. The author
took an active part in fieldwork, office processing, preparation of scientific reports and analysis of the revealed
materials.
Numerous specimens belonging to the Apulites giganteus Tavani, 1958 have been discovered in a carbonate sequence of Western Murge that belongs to the "Calcare di Altamura" unit (Upper Cretaceous). In this study both genus and type—species are reexamined and redescribed, since the discovery of the Apulian specimens has permitted new paleontological and stratigraphical observations.
This article presents the first results of the planned archaeological excavations led by Prof. Marie Besse, head of the Laboratory of prehistoric archaeology and anthropology of the Department F.-A. Forel for environmental and aquatic sciences of the University of Geneva, at the Eremita Cave site between 2012 and 2015. The Eremita Cave is located in the North Italian region of Piedmont, in the heart the calcareous massif of Monte Fenera, near Borgosesia (Vercelli). The Monte Fenera is already well known for its numerous caves, many of which contain archaeological remains chronologically spanning from the Palaeolithic to the Middle Ages. This particular situation can be explained by two elements: the uniqueness of the massif from a geological perspective when compared to the rest of the area, and its strategic localisation on the southern alpine foothills, that made it a possible stopover for the people transitioning the Alps. The interest of the researchers of the Laboratory of prehistoric archaeology and anthropology was sparked by the mention of the discovery of a bone button attributed to the “età del Rame” (Copper Age) in the Eremita Cave in the late 1980s by the Gruppo Archeologico e Speleologico di Borgosesia (GASB). The first test trenches confirmed the importance of this archaeological site with the uncovering of a pin and spiralled pearls in bronze in the middle of the cave. Further excavations began in 2013. They allowed the team to point out to two important levels. The first one being US 10, a thin silty level that contains numerous lumps of coal. The second is US 19, a level identified around 40 cm below US 10. It delivered a great amount of animal remains, mostly burned, in association with potsherds and stone blocks, and most importantly bronze finery. Four charcoal samples were sent for radiocarbon dating to Zurich (ETH), one belonging to US 10, one to US 19 in the back of the cave, and two to US 19 around the place of discovery of the pin and pearls. The results showed that US 10 is dated to the Late Bronze Age (ETH-64659, 1013-850 cal BC), and US 19 to the earliest stages of Middle Bronze Age (ETH-64657, 1767-1627 cal BC). They also confirmed that the stratigraphy of the cave was undisturbed. Culturally speaking, the shape of the pin shows affinities with the North of the Alps, while the pottery shapes display similarities with the common cultural ground of the alpine region, mostly Valais and Piedmont. Excavations are being carried on by the University of Geneva. The researchers are aiming at determining the function of the cave, mainly by studying the location of the archaeological structures and remains but also by linking the spatial distribution of potsherds to the reassembled pottery. The typological and technological analysis of the pottery assemblage should allow us to establish the cultural affiliations of the site.
Caves reaching the (epi)phreatic zone may provide the only access to groundwater in the internal parts of karst aquifers. Modern instruments enable unattended high frequency measurements of groundwater parameters in such caves. A network of distributed observation points may give new information on temporal and spatial pattern of groundwater flow. Such network, recording water level, temperature and specific electrical conductivity was established in all major ponors and active water caves of the karst aquifer between Planinsko Polje and springs of the Ljubljanica River, Slovenia. Up to three and a half years long records were analysed in view of available and relevant geological, speleological, meteorological and hydrological information, and basic hydraulic principles of the epiphreatic flow. The result of the interpretation were models of possible conduit networks of the three main flow subsystems draining Planinsko Polje. For each subsystem a hydraulic model comprising the main features of the inferred conduit network and inputs was made. The models were adjusted until their response to the typical flood situations gave a good qualitative fit to the response of the observation network. The results provide new insights into the mechanism of flood propagation through the system and its relation to the known conduit geometry. The hydraulic role of known cave passages is assessed and new flow pathways are proposed. Back-flooding within the aquifer causes an increase of head in the polje, followed by the activation of higher located ponor zones and flow pathways related to them. Hydrographs recorded in two caves located northwest from Planinsko Polje revealed pos sible high transmissivity zone of the Idrija Fault Zone and the mechanism of estavelles located at the polje’s north-western border. The approach taken in this work offers new insights into the relation between the conduit network geometry and flood mechanism. It can be used elsewhere in conduit-dominated systems with multiple accesses to groundwater flow and well constrained recharge.
Key words: karst aquifer, epiphreatic zone, groundwater monitoring, hydraulic models, Planinsko Polje, Ljubljanica River.
Dinamika podzemne vode med Planinskim poljem in izviri Ljubljanice, Slovenija
Jame v epifratični coni običajno predstavljajo edini dostop do podzemne vode znotraj kraškega vodonosnika. Sodobni merilniki omogočajo kakovostne zvezne meritve različnih parametrov tudi v takšnih jamah. Merilna mreža z več lokacijami znotraj izbranega vodonosnika lahko ponudi nove podatke o časovni in prostorski dinamiki toka podzemne vode. Takšna merilna mreža, z meritvami višine, temperature in elektroprevodnosti vode, je bila vzpostavljena v vseh pomembnejših ponorih in vodnih jamah na območju med Planinskim poljem in izviri Ljubljanice. Do tri in pol leta dolgi nizi podatkov so bili analizirani z vidika razpoložljivih geoloških, speleoloških, meteoroloških in hidroloških podatkov ter osnovnih hidravličnih načel o epifreatičnem toku vode. Rezultat interpretacij so poenostavljeni modeli z domnevno razporeditvijo podzemnih kanalov v treh glavnih podsistemih, ki odvajajo Planisko polje. Za vsak podsistem je bil napravljen hidravličen model z dotokom in mrežo kanalov, ki najbolje ponazarja resnično stanje. Tekom raziskave so se hidravlični modeli nadgrajevali do takšne mere, da je simulacija vodnega toka zadovoljivo ponazarjala dogajanje, izmerjeno v resničnem okolju. Rezultati so prinesli nove ugotovitve o širjenju in dinamiki poplavljanja skozi sistem ter njihovo povezavo s poznano geometrijo proučevanega vodonosnika. Ocenjena je bila hidravlična vloga poznanih jamskih rovov, na podlagi njih pa interpretirane nove smeri pretakanja vode. Ugotovljeno je bilo tudi zajezitveno poplavljanje znotraj vodonosnika, ki vpliva tudi na vodostaj na polju in nadalje na aktivacijo višje ležečih požiralnikov ter njim sledečih kanalov. V dveh jamah severozahodno od Planinskega polja so višinski hidrogrami nakazali na obstoj bolj prepustnega območja Idrijske prelomne cone ter delovanje estavel na severozahodnem obrobju polja. Postopek, ki je bil uporabljen v pričujočem delu, omogoča nova dognanja o razporeditvi podzemnih kanalov in s tem povezano dinamiko poplavljanja v kraškem vodonosniku. Predstavljeno metodo je mogoče uporabiti tudi v drugih kraških sistemih z dobro razvitimi kanali, z več dostopi do toka podzemne toka vode in dobro poznanem dotoku v sistem.
Ključne besede: kraški vodonosnik, epifreatična cona, spremljanje podzemne vode, hidravlični modeli, Planinsko polje, Ljubljanica.
Climate change and human activities have caused a shift in
vegetation composition and soil biogeochemical cycles of alpine wetlands on
the Tibetan Plateau. The primary goal of this study was to test for
associations between community-weighted mean (CWM) traits, functional
diversity, and soil properties during wetland drying. We collected soil
samples and investigated the aboveground vegetation in swamp, swamp meadow,
and typical meadow environments. Four CWM trait values (specific leaf area is SLA, leaf dry
matter content is LDMC, leaf area is LA, and mature plant height is MPH) for 42
common species were measured across the three habitats; three components of
functional diversity (functional richness, functional evenness, and
functional divergence) were also quantified at these sites. Our results
showed that the drying of the wetland dramatically altered plant community
and soil properties. There was a significant correlation between CWM of
traits and soil properties, but not a significant correlation between
functional diversity and soil properties. Our results further showed that
CWM-LA, CWM-SLA, and CWM-LDMC had positive correlations with soil readily
available nutrients (available nitrogen, AN; available phosphorus, AP), but
negative correlations with total soil nutrients (soil organic carbon is SOC,
total nitrogen is TN, and total phosphorus is TP). Our study demonstrated that
simple, quantitative plant functional traits, but not functional diversity,
are directly related to soil C and N properties, and they likely play an
important role in plant–soil interactions. Our results also suggest that
functional identity of species may be more important than functional
diversity in influencing ecosystem processes during wetland drying.
Soil and water losses in agriculture are major environmental
problems worldwide, especially on the Loess Plateau, China. Summer fallow
management may help to control soil erosion and conserve water. This study
investigated the effects of wheat stubble on runoff, infiltration, and soil
loss in laboratory plots under simulated rainfall. The treatments comprised
wheat stubble cover (WS) and traditional plowing (TP) in runoff plots (4.0 m × 1.0 m)
with three slope gradients (5, 10, and 15°) under simulated rainfall at 80 mm h<sup>−1</sup> for 1 h. The
runoff volume from WS plots was significantly less than that from TP. The
runoff reduction with WS ranged from 91.92 to 92.83 % compared with TP. The
runoff rates varied with the runoff volume in the same manner. The
infiltration amount was higher with WS (94.8–96.2 % of rainwater
infiltrated) than TP (35.4–57.1 %). The sediment concentration was
significantly lower with WS than TP. Compared with TP (304.31–731.23 g m<sup>−2</sup>),
the sediment losses were reduced dramatically in WS (2.41–3.78 g m<sup>−2</sup>) and the sediment loss slightly increased with slope; however, it
was greatly increased as slope increased in TP. These results revealed that
the stubble cover was the main factor reducing runoff and sediment losses
and improving infiltration and that stubble showed a great potential to
control erosion and conserve soil and water resources during the summer
fallow period in the Loess Plateau region.
Explosive volcanic eruptions are commonly characterized based on a thorough
analysis of the generated deposits. Amongst other characteristics in
physical volcanology, density and porosity of juvenile clasts are some of
the most frequently used to constrain eruptive dynamics. In this study, we
evaluate the sensitivity of density and porosity data to statistical methods
and introduce a weighting parameter to correct issues raised by the use of
frequency analysis. Results of textural investigation can be biased by clast
selection. Using statistical tools as presented here, the meaningfulness of
a conclusion can be checked for any data set easily. This is necessary to
define whether or not a sample has met the requirements for statistical
relevance, i.e. whether a data set is large enough to allow for reproducible
results. Graphical statistics are used to describe density and porosity
distributions, similar to those used for grain-size analysis. This approach
helps with the interpretation of volcanic deposits. To illustrate this
methodology, we chose two large data sets: (1) directed blast deposits of the
3640–3510 BC eruption of Chachimbiro volcano (Ecuador) and (2) block-and-ash-flow deposits
of the 1990–1995 eruption of Unzen volcano
(Japan). We propose the incorporation of this analysis into future
investigations to check the objectivity of results achieved by different
working groups and guarantee the meaningfulness of the interpretation.
LÉO A. HARTMANN, LUCAS M. ANTUNES, LEONARDO M. ROSENSTENGEL
The Entre Rios mining district produces a large volume of amethyst geodes in underground mines and is part of the world class deposits in the Paraná volcanic province of South America. Two producing basalt flows are numbered 4 and 5 in the lava stratigraphy. A total of seven basalt flows and one rhyodacite flow are present in the district. At the base of the stratigraphy, beginning at the Chapecó river bed, two basalt flows are Esmeralda, low-Ti type. The third flow in the sequence is a rhyodacite, Chapecó type, Guarapuava subtype. Above the rhyodacite flow, four basalt flows are Pitanga, high-Ti type including the two mineralized flows; only the topmost basalt in the stratigraphy is a Paranapanema, intermediate-Ti type. Each individual flow is uniquely identified from its geochemical and gamma-spectrometric properties. The study of several sections in the district allowed for the identification of a fault-block structure. Blocks are elongated NW and the block on the west side of the fault was downthrown. This important structural characterization of the mining district will have significant consequences in the search for new amethyst geode deposits and in the understanding of the evolution of the Paraná volcanic province.