In two companion papers, we report the detailed geological and mineralogical study of two emblematic serpentinized ultramafic bodies of the western North Pyrenean Zone (NPZ), the Urdach massif (this ...paper) and the Saraille massif (paper 2). The peridotites have been exhumed to lower crustal levels during the Cretaceous rifting period in the future NPZ. They are associated with Mesozoic pre-rift metamorphic sediments and small units of thinned Paleozoic basement that were deformed during the mantle exhumation event. Based on detailed geological cross-sections and microprobe mineralogical analyses, we describe the lithology of the two major extensional fault zones that accommodated: (i) the progressive exhumation of the lherzolites along the Cretaceous basin axis; (ii) the lateral extraction of the continental crust beneath the rift shoulders and; (iii) the decoupling of the pre-rift cover along the Upper Triassic (Keuper) evaporites and clays, allowing its gliding and conservation in the basin center. These two fault zones are the (lower) crust-mantle detachment and the (upper) cover decollement located respectively at the crust-mantle boundary and at the base of the detached pre-rift cover. The Urdach peridotites were exposed to the seafloor during the Late Albian and underwent local pervasive carbonation and crystallization of calcite in a network of orthogonal veins (ophicalcites). The carbonated serpentinized peridotites were partly covered by debris-flows carrying fragments of both the ultramafics and Paleozoic crustal rocks now forming the polymictic Urdach breccia. The mantle rocks are involved in a Pyrenean overturned fold together with thin units of crustal mylonites. Continent-derived and mantle-derived fluids that circulated along the Urdach crust-mantle detachment led to the crystallization of abundant metasomatic rocks containing quartz, calcite, Cr-rich chlorites, Cr-rich white micas and pyrite. Two samples of metasomatized material from the crust-mantle detachment yielded in situ zircon U/Pb ages of 112.9±1.6 Ma and 109.4±1.2 Ma, thus confirming the Late Albian age of the metasomatic event. The cover decollement is a 30-m thick fault zone which also includes metasomatic rocks of greenschist facies, such as serpentine-calcite association and listvenites, indicating large-scale fluid-rock interactions implying both ultramafic and continental material. The lowermost pre-rift cover is generally missing along the cover decollement due to tectonic disruption during mantle exhumation and continental crust elision. Locally, metasomatized and strongly tectonized Triassic remnants are found as witnesses of the sole at the base of the detached pre-rift cover. We also report the discovery of a spherulitic alkaline lava flow emplaced over the exhumed mantle. These data collectively allow to propose a reconstruction of the architecture and fluid-rock interaction history of the distal domain of the upper Cretaceous northern Iberia margin now inverted in the NPZ.
Agriculture is one of the most critical sectors of the Mongolian economy. In Mongolia, land degradation is increasing in the cropland region, especially in a cultivated area. The country has ...challenges to identify new croplands with sufficient capacity for cultivation, especially for local decision-makers. GIS applications tremendously help science in making land assessments. This study was carried out in Bornuur soum, Mongolia. The goal of this study to estimate that best suitable area for supporting crop production in Bornuur soum, using a GIS-based multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and remote sensing. GIS-based multi-criteria analysis (MCA) has been widely used in land suitability analyses in many countries. In this research, the GIS-based spatial MCA among the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method has employed. The approach was enhanced for each criterion which as soil, topography and vegetation. The opinions of agronomist experts and a literature review helped in identifying criteria (soil data, topography, water and vegetation data) that are necessary to determine areas suitable for crops. The detailed cropland suitability maps indicate that 46.12 % is highly suitable for cropland, 34.68 % is moderate suitable, 13.64 % is marginal suitable and 5.56 % is not suitable. The MCA and AHP tools play an essential role in the multi-criteria analysis. Therefore, the results of these methods allow us to estimate an appropriate area for cultivation in Bornuur soum, Tuv province. The crop suitability method implies significant decisions on different levels and the result will be used for cropland management plan to make a decision. It is an integral role in agricultural management and land evaluation. Future research should further develop this method by including socio-economic (potential citizens for agriculture, current crop growth, water resource, etc.) and environmental variables (rainfall, vegetation types, permafrost distribution, etc.) to obtain specific results. However, it could be also be applied for a single crop type (mainly barley, wheat and potato) in Mongolia.
Arid and semi-arid regions cover 41% of the global land area and 2 billion people, 90% of which belong to developing countries, live there. Variation in precipitation due to climate change brings big ...large influences on ground and underground water resources, and especially it is predicted that arid and semi-arid regions are getting drier. Therefore, it is imperative to clarify impacts to environmental vulnerability caused by the variation of water cycle (VWC) due to climate change and consider options for its adaption. Mongolia is a typical country where environmental vulnerability is getting worse by VWC. Our previous studies revealed that the increase of evapotranspiration and permafrost degradation by global warming deteriorate the pasture carrying capacity (PCC) in semi-arid regions in Mongolia. In this manner, VWC is a key component of PCC, but VWC depends on not only climate change but also human activities. Recent mine development and urbanization, as well as growth of livestock, increase groundwater use, but their influences have not been clarified. To explore the influence of urbanization and mining, we have started groundwater monitoring of urban areas in semi-arid regions (Northern Mongolia) and mining areas in arid regions (Southern Mongolia) since May 2018. After investigating hundreds of wells in those areas, and finally selected 11 wells in urban areas and 7 wells in mining areas for groundwater monitoring. 22 Onset HOBO U20 Water Level Loggers (Forestry Suppliers, Inc.), including 5 Loggers for atmospheric correction, and a Water Flow Rate Sensor (Keyence Inc.) are working for measuring groundwater usage. Meanwhile, with data analyses of groundwater level at 875 wells from 2015 to 2017 measured by the local basin authority, it was found that the groundwater level of mining area had a tendency of decreasing widely comparing with that of non-mining area.
Indoor and in soil radon levels were measured using closed- and open-can techniques. Measurements were carried during three different seasons (fall, winter and spring) in Soum area northwest of ...Jordan. The highest average radon concentrations indoor were measured during winter, while in fall and spring its values were almost equals. The average radon concentration was
144
Bq
m
−3
, which is below the indoor radon concentration action level recommended by ICRP. This indoor average is about three times the Jordanian national average which may be due to the geological settings of the study area that composed of carbonate sedimentary rocks bearing high radioactive material. The average radon concentration in soil air was about
15
kBq
m
−3
and it ranges from 4 to
21
kBq
m
−3
in winter and fall, respectively. Ignoring other sources of radon in the dwellings, every
1000
Bq
m
−3
in the soil contributes about
10
Bq
m
−3
. The equilibrium factor was calculated to be 0.4.
The assessment of the hydraulic properties of soils is an important aspect to consider when dealing with the soil-water phenomena, particularly its behavior at field sente when data coverage is ...needed for the feeding of integrated modeling purposes, or if any aspect of water management is treated. At field scale, it is importam to knowyhe spatial behavior of water transfer/retention conditions and related soifparameters as well as the ones that should be sampled for soil-water description. Difficulties for "in situ" determination brings simulation of hydraulic parameters as a natural choice for data coverage in large arcas (at least approximated data, since they have, in most cases, a complex behavior). An experiment was carried out in Angatuba, Sao Paulo, Brazi I (23°33'S; 48°.18'W; 670m) and intensive soim sampling was done in a regular grid, covering a 40 ha field, in order lo study spatial contrasts of hydraulic properties and related easy-measured soim parameters. Simulations for soil-water were done based upon the pore size distribution model and pedrotransfer functions. Results from the field scale observations have shown poi nt-by-point differences in the characteristics of soil permeability, particularly near saturation. Spatial anal ysi s h as shown low coefficient of variation values and lack of strong spatial autocorrelation, for ali soim properties analyzed.
He leaves four daughters, Oeun Ros of Shrewsbury, Soeub Khlot of Worcester, Phy Khlot and Phanny Try, both of Harvard; sisters and brothers in Cambodia; 12 grandchildren; nephews and nieces.
Mr. La shot the suspect at least once, Sgt. Gil Cerda said. The man, who was in his 30s or 40s, died at Baylor University Medical Center. The incident unfolded about 3 p.m. in the 5000 block of South ...Lamar Street when the man walked into the store and asked Mr. La's wife, Soum Xieu, who was the cashier, to cash a check. Ms. Xieu told the man they didn't cash the type of check he had, Sgt. Cerda said. Sgt. Cerda said the suspect still had the shotgun.