Belt Zone Research Articles

Landscape pattern of built-up land in a typical mining city, Datong, Shanxi, China from 1986 to 2018.

Analyzing the landscape spatial layout and evolution characteristics of built-up land in a mining city is helpful to solve the environment problem, and can provide scientific basis for optimizing the urban land structure and taking timely intervention measures for transformation. Taking Datong, a typical mining city as the case, we examined the spatiotemporal characteristics of landscape of built-up land based on the spatial distribution data of built-up land from 1986 to 2018 with the landscape index analysis method, and detected the landscape change period with graphs obtained by Fourier transform and wavelet transform. The results showed that, during the study period, the area of built-up land in Datong City increased continually, with the growth rate gradually slowing down and the extent spreading from a "northeast-southwest" belt zone to the east. The fragmentation and complexity of the landscape pattern were increasing. The physical connectivity gradually decreased, while functional connectivity alternated between high and low values. The space expansion of Datong City and the fragmentation and complication of landscape pattern of its built-up land may all have a cycle of about 35 years, while the functional connectivity had a longer cycle than the physical connectivity.

The “Normalized Quiet of Unseen Power”: Recognizing the Structural Violence of Deindustrialization as Loss

This article explores the structural violence of deindustrialization and the urban losses that result. It is a global story of mass displacement and dispossession but also an intensely local one that has devastated the working-class. But much of this history is submerged under a dominant, postindustrial, discourse that instills not only a sense of inevitability but of progress and where the ravages of deindustrialization, when recognized at all, are safely contained to rust belt zones or inner-city areas. These twin processes of “invisibilization” can even co-exist within a metropolitan area like Montreal where deindustrialization’s lasting effects are at once too diffuse and too localized to be noticed, further privatizing the pain and hurt that results. In exploring the internalized despair produced by the structural violence of deindustrialization, the article invites us to consider the ways that public recognition or non-recognition structures the public conversation about what’s lost in mill or factory closings. Edward Said, among others, has asked us to interrogate the “normalized quiet of unseen power” when violence becomes largely invisible to us.

Constructing urban sprawl measurement system of the Yangtze River economic belt zone for healthier lives and social changes in sustainable cities

This study was carried out for the purpose of practicing the concept of green, healthy and sustainable urban development, and building a healthy and effective regional economy. The urban sprawl theory is the theoretical foundation in this study. Creatively, deep learning and neural networks were combined to propose an algorithm. Afterwards, a theoretical model of urban sprawl growth was built, with urban industrial development as the principal indicator. According to cities’ economic data in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2005 to 2019, the model was optimized through data learning to obtain the final measurement system. On this basis, the urban sprawl levels in different regions could be analyzed. Results demonstrate that the model using the FEPA (Financial Time Series - Empirical Mode Decomposition - Principal Component Analysis - Artificial Neural Network) fusion algorithm has higher errors than other models, with an average accuracy of 82.61% and a total evaluation score of 0.778. Compared with the latest urban sprawl analysis models, the proposed model improves the performance by 7.9%, and keeps the hit rate above 70%, which is suitable for the urban sprawl measurement. In addition, the urban spatial pattern of the Yangtze River Economic Belt is always greater than 1, and the entire space is relatively narrow. From 2005 to 2019, the region's urban sprawl degree has increased by more than 50%. In general, the proposed model can well indicate the urban sprawl situation, so it has a significant reference value for research on the urban sprawl measurement system.

Climate indicators for forest landing and evaluation of forest shelterbelts

Forest shelter belts are one of the effective approaches in the fight against wind erosion, improving the microclimate of fields, protecting roads and reservoirs. The problem of assessing forest plantations and prospects for their creation is relevant for many countries of the world, due to the problem of desertification, water and wind erosion, as well as the global food crisis. The carried out analysis of scientific literature has shown that the existing assessments of forest shelter belts with insufficient degree are being taken into account the modern methods of remote sensing.Therefore, the problem of assessing forest shelterbelts from satellite imagery is relevant.The main part and research results. During the summer period of 2019, in the territory of the protective forest plantations of Fergana Valley of the Republic of Uzbekistan there were laid 170 testing plots. Then 20 test sites, which were used as reference for thematic mapping, there were laid with the collection of additional information: location coordinates and bookmark location.The purpose of the study is to assess the area of forest shelter belts zones of the Republic of Uzbekistan using remote sensing.The object of the study is forest shelter belts of Fergana Valley of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Работа подкрановых балок с усталостными трещинами в зоне сжатого пояса

The method of determining the critical parameters of stability of the crane beam walls with fatigue cracks in the compressed belt zone is briefly described. The dependences of the bifurcation critical and limit stresses in the wall on the crack length, the crack position in the section, and on the wall flexibility are shown. The results of numerical studies of the effect of cracks on the increase in normal stresses in the compressed belt are presented. A method for assessing the local stability of the beam wall with a crack is proposed.

Open canopy forests of the loess regions of southern Poland: A review based on wood charcoal assemblages from Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites

This review paper presents a comprehensive study of all available up to date anthracological assemblages recovered from 79 archaeological settlements of the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods from the loess regions of southern-Poland. The aim of the research is to reconstruct the character of the woodland developed in the loess belt (1) in the Atlantic phase, with a focus on the primeval forests, the successive cultural phases and their impact on local forests, and (2) in the Subatlantic phase, characterized by a late-migrating of trees such as hornbeam, beech and fir. For the Early Neolithic period, related with the first appearance of the stable and agrarian settlement, the research aims at testing the hypothesis about the existence of open oak-dominated forests in the Atlantic phase , with patches of steppe-like vegetation. The anthracological data indicate that indeed open canopy forests prevailed in the loess-mantled areas and this result has important implications for understanding the expansion of the first farmers into Central Europe, who settled mainly in loess belt zones. It is likely that open oakwoods played a significant role in the selection of the landscape suitable for settle down as well as was an indicator of rich soils developed on loess-substratum. Finally, the last-arriving trees in southern Poland, that are principal constituents of present-day forests communities, appeared in high shares in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, but became important forest components mostly in the Carpathian Foothills.

Age of the Gachsaran Formation and equivalent formations in the Middle East based on Foraminifera

The Gachsaran Formation from the Fars Group has a vast extent in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar (Dam Formation). It extends from the Zagros Folded Belt Zone in the south of Iran to the north of Iraq, and even to northeast Syria (Fatha Formation). In order to eliminate the ambiguities of the proposed age and cover the regional information misplacements in cases where biostratigraphy studies can be effective, surface outcrops of these deposits were investigated in three stratigraphic sections near the border of Iran and Iraq, in the area behind the mountains of the Lurestan region (Posht-e-Kuh arc). According to similar results obtained in two other sections, the age of the Gachsaran Formation in the studied region is considered to be Early Miocene (Late Burdigalian). Comparison of the results of this study with biostratigraphic studies from other parts of the Middle East, which includes 16 study areas, shows that the Gachsaran Formation in Iran and its equivalent formations (Fatha and Dam) in neighboring countries have an age range of early Miocene (Aquitanian–Burdigalian) and even Burdigalian. This age has been determined by comparing the biological contents of the Gachsaran Formation with valid official biozones, as well as the presence of the index fossil Borelis melo curdica, to cover the information gap in the area. Isotopic studies of these sections in the region show that the maximum age of these sediments is early Miocene (Burdigalian), and this confirms the results of biostratigraphic studies.

Sequence stratigraphy of Albian–Campanian carbonate deposits (Sarvak and Ilam formations) in Shiraz area, Fars, SW Iran

Bangestan group in SW Iran consists of Sarvak and Ilam formations. The Sarvak and Ilam formations comprise a thick succession of carbonate rocks in Zagros basin of Southern Iran. These formations form one of the main hydrocarbon reservoirs in central Fars, Shiraz area. This study presents a facies analysis, sedimentary environments and sequence stratigraphy. To study petrography, microfacies, sedimentary environments and sequence stratigraphy of Sarvak and Ilam formations one stratigraphic section has been chosen and studied (MajAbad section). Facies analysis led to recognition of 13 microfacies and 2 lithofacies. Study of microfacies components such as allochems and ortochems, relative sea level change and sequence stratigraphy evidences show these facies were deposited in carbonate ramp sedimentary environment in 4 facies belt zones: open marine (A), Shoal (B), Lagoon (C) and Tidal flat (D) during Middle Creataceous. Petrography, microfacies analysis and sedimentary environment of Sarvak and Ilam formations show these formations in study area consist of 5 3 order depositional sequences. Sequence 1 to sequence 4 related to Sarvak Formation and sequence 5 covered of Ilam formation. These depositional sequences have been seperated by both type-1 and type-2 sequence boundaries. Sequence stratigraphy evidences show that the Sarvak and Ilam Formations constitute five separate depositional sequences which are separated by a thin palaeosol, representing a type-one and type -two sequence boundary which can be correlated with global curves of relative sea-level.

Climatology of Tibetan Plateau vortices derived from multiple reanalysis datasets

The Tibetan Plateau vortex (TPV) is a mesoscale weather system active in the near-surface layer, which is one of the major systems for the generation of precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, no long-term observations of the TPVs are available due to the scarcity of observations in the TP. Thereby, long-term, high-accuracy reanalysis products are a reliable source for the analysis of characteristic TPV activities and possible mechanisms behind. In the present study, an objective analysis method is implemented to obtain a complete dataset of TPV based on several reanalysis products, including the ERA-Interim, ERA40, JRA55, NCEP CFSR, and NASA MERRA2. The TPVs are detected and tracked by the minima in geopotential height at 500 hPa. Results indicate that the TPVs derived from multiple reanalysis products have quite similar spatial patterns and temporal variability. The characteristic parameters of the TPVs derived from a given reanalysis data are related to the resolution of this reanalysis product. Higher-resolution reanalysis products can yield more low-pressure systems, which explains why the TPVs derived from high-resolution reanalysis datasets generally have longer lifetime, stronger and larger vortex scale than those from low-resolution reanalysis products, although the total number of TPVs are similar. The annual average number of TPVs generated in the TP is 63.5, and these TPVs largely originate in the mountainous area of the central western TP around (34° N, 78–95° E) and a belt zone (30° N, 80–84° E) in the southern TP, where the elevation is around 5500 m. The TPVs often dissipate in low valleys and the lee side of mountains. They mainly occur in the warm season during May–September, most active in the summer and least active in the winter. More TPVs form in the daytime than in the nighttime. Those TPVs that move out of the TP account for less than 10–14% of all TPVs, and they usually follow three moving paths: eastward (6.9–7.8%), northeastward (2.3–3.4%) and southward (2.3–3.5%).

High Rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among Asymptomatic Pregnant Women in a Resource-poor Setting in the Middle Belt Zone of Nigeria

High Rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among Asymptomatic Pregnant Women in a Resource-poor Setting in the Middle Belt Zone of Nigeria

Determinants of Maize Market Supply, Production and Marketing Constraints: The Case of Dembecha District, West Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia

West Gojjam is one of the maize belt zones in Ethiopia, and Dembecha district is among the potential districts in West Gojjam zone. However, despite its maize production potential of the district, marketed supply determinants, maize production and marketing constraints hampered producer’s decision and engagement on maize production and marketing. Thus, this study was attempts to address the determinants of marketed supply of maize, constraints and opportunities in Dembecha district in the year 2018. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources using appropriate tools. Primary data were collected from randomly selected 155 maize producers, 20 consumers as well as 40 maize grain traders, 10 alcohol processors using semi-structured questionnaire. Multiple linear regression econometric model were employed for data analysis owing to all respondents were participating in maize production and marketing activities. Results from econometric model revealed that sex of house hold head at 5%, education at 5%, amount of maize produced at 1%, extension contact at 1%, livestock owned at 5%, credit use at 10% and amount of non-farm income at 5% were positively determine maize marketed surplus in Dembecha district. Land shortage, price of improved seed, road and lack of government support were among major maize production and marketing constraints. Existence of strong multipurpose farmer’s cooperatives, using maize for multipurpose in the area and its productivity per hectare were the major opportunities in the study area. Thus, governmental and non-governmental organization that working with relating to maize production and marketing activities in the district should take in to account these determinate factors, constraints and opportunities while preparing intervention strategies.

Effect of transverse faults on fracture characteristics and borehole instability in the Asmari reservoir of Zagros folded belt zone, Iran

In this paper, the effect of transverse faults on the orientation, density and fractures apertures and amount of mud loss is investigated in Asmari Formation as a major oil reservoir in Zagros folded belt zone, Iran. This carried out on three selected anticlines as the surface Kuh-e-Kamarab, and subsurface Marun and Aghajari oil fields. Subsurface data on fracture characteristics were obtained from Image logs, mud losses, and reported drilling data. These are compared with outcrop fracture characteristics gathered from fieldwork and satellite image interpretation. The results show that fracture orientations are almost identical in both outcrops and subsurface data, whereas the fractures density and aperture are different along and across the folded layers and are generally governed by their location with respect to the transverse faults. The closest sector to the faults displays the highest fracture density and greater aperture. Quantitative analysis of fractures from the Kuh-e-Kamarab Anticline indicates average fracture density almost two times greater close to the Izeh-Hendijan transverse (IZH) fault than the other parts of the fold. In the Marun and Aghajari oil fields, fracture density shows three to five times greater close to the transverse faults. Analysis of the Breakout (BO) and Drilling Induce Tensile Fractures (DITF) indicate that the directions of maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) in the wells located in the bent part of the Marun field consistent with the stress state of the Mn transverse fault. Moreover, the SHmax orientation of wells in the southern periclinal closure of the Aghajari Field is also affected by the IZH transverse fault. The result of Iso-mud loss maps in the oil fields reveals that the severe mud loss occurred in areas close to the transverse faults.

Late Cretaceous magmatism and porphyry Mo–Cu polymetallic mineralization in the Tongchanggou Intrusion, Geza Arc, Southwestern China

The Geza arc is an important part of the Yidun arc belt and porphyry metallogenic zone in the Sanjiang region, Southwestern China. In this paper, we report on new laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectroscopy zircon U–Pb age and bulk geochemical and Hf isotopic data of the Tongchanggou granodioritic porphyries from the Geza arc. The results indicate that these intrusions were emplaced in the Late Cretaceous (87.6 ± 0.6–83.6 ± 1.1 Ma). The intrusive rocks have SiO2, Al2O3, and K2O + Na2O contents of 62.51–72.86, 11.43–16.30, and 5.32–7.81 wt%, respectively, similar to those of high-K calc-alkaline rock. They are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (e.g., K, U, Th, Rb, Ba, and Sr) and light rare-earth elements (LREE (light rare-earth elements)/HREE (heavy rare-earth elements) = 16.96–24.78), but depleted in high-field-strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, P, and Ti) and HREE, with a slightly negative Eu anomaly (δEu = 0.72–0.89). The intrusions show uniformly negative eHf (t) values between − 9.55 and − 3.49. These elemental geochemical and Hf isotopic data indicate that the Tongchanggou porphyries were mainly derived from partial melting of the delaminated lower crust in an extensional setting at the post-collisional stage. The collision-induced upwelling of the lithospheric mantle led to the partial melting of the crust and formed the potassium-rich and Mo-bearing parental magma. Magma rising and intruding along the deep faults eventually resulted in the Late Cretaceous tectonic–magmatic and Mo-polymetallic mineralization in Geza area.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ST. PETERSBURG AGGLOMERATION IN THE XIX - EARLY XX CENTURY

The relevance of the topic of the article is due to the beginning of the development program for the development of the largest St. Petersburg agglomeration in north-western Russia for the next 15-20 years (up to the 2030s). The specific goal of the article was to study the third, most mature stage of development of the metropolitan St. Petersburg agglomeration in 1801-1916. (taking into account the peculiarities of the formation of agglomeration at the previous stages). In the study of this topic, an integrated urban planning-landscape, functional and socio-economic analysis was used, based on a parallel study of archival materials and data of historical cartography. The main results were the conclusions that during the XIX - early XX centuries. the purposeful crystallization of the grand agglomeration was carried out, which included three belts: “external”, “middle”, “near” (as zones of intensive agglomeration), spatially extending from Yaroslavl to Riga. The near zone of agglomeration (zone of intensive agglomeration) united the belt zone (around St. Petersburg and the largest settlements and complexes), linear (along radial and ring highways) and nodal (around individual large settlements) constructions, extending in the latitudinal direction from the estuary of the r. Syasi to Narva and Ivangorod, and in the meridian direction - from the coast of the Gulf of Finland from Ino to the city of Luga. As part of this agglomeration, four subagglomerations were already being formed. This variant of the spatial formation and unique structuring of the metropolitan St. Petersburg agglomeration with the parallel development of subagglomerations is nonstandard for the world history of urban planning. The article materials can be useful both for historians of urban planning and for modern urbanists.

In-Situ Observation of Adhesion Behavior During Ultrasonic Al Ribbon Bonding

In-situ observation was performed on a transparent silica substrate during ultrasonic Al ribbon bonding, using a high-speed video camera with differing frame rates, 104 fps and 103 fps, to clarify the adhesion behavior. The bonding process was observed as follows. Initially, friction slip occurred, producing multiple island streaks in the direction parallel to the ultrasonic vibration. The island streaks were formed as a scratch, due to surface waviness of the Al ribbon. Momentarily, a belt-shaped bond zone was formed at the center, normally due to the ultrasonic vibration. The island streaks could be clearly observed at 104 fps. However, the central belt zone was unclear and appeared translucent at 104 fps; although it was clear when observed at 103 fps. The island streaks were unclear at 103 fps. The positional relation of the island streaks and the central belt zone was confirmed from in-situ observation results of a twist and peel test of Al ribbon bonded to silica substrate. The central belt zone was between the island streaks and the silica substrate.

Пространственная неоднородность свойств почв в зоне распространения островной мерзлоты (Приполярный Урал)

Пространственная неоднородность свойств почв в зоне распространения островной мерзлоты (Приполярный Урал)

Invertebrate Megafauna in the Perdido Fold Belt Polygon, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico

Four oceanographic campaigns were done in the Perdido Fold Belt zone of the Gulf of Mexico during 2016 and 2017 to generate baseline data on several macrodescriptors to characterize the region and establish existing biological-ecological conditions before hydrocarbon exploitation begins in the area. General megafauna invertebrate data were collected by trawling with a sled net (2.4m2aperture). Seven Phyla were recorded in 66 trawls in a 274,593m2 area at depths ranging from 44 to 3609 m. Species richness was 299, abundance was 37,024org/hectare, and biomass was 305.5kg/hectare. Total ecological diversity for invertebrate megafauna in the study area as represented by the Shannon-Wiener index, was 5.35bits/ind.Megafauna in this area of the Gulf is very diverse, with the highest abundances of Phyla and species recorded nearest the coast.

Carbonaceous Materials in the Longmenshan Fault Belt Zone: 3. Records of Seismic Slip from the Trench and Implications for Faulting Mechanisms

In recent studies on the recognition of graphitized gouges within the principal slip zone (PSZ) of the Longmenshan fault in China, we proposed that the presence of graphite might be evidence of fault slip. Here, we characterized the clay- and carbonaceous-rich gouges of the active fault zone of the Longmenshan fault belt using samples collected from the trench at Jiulong, which was deformed during the 2008 MW-7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, to determine if graphite is present and study both the processes influencing fault behavior and the associated faulting mechanism. Mineralogical and geochemical analyses of the Jiulong trench sample show the presence of a hydrothermal mineral (i.e., dickite) integrated with dramatic relative chemical enrichment and relative depletion within a yellowish zone, suggesting the presence of vigorous high-temperature fluid–rock interactions, which are likely the fingerprint of thermal pressurization. This is further supported by the absence of carbonaceous materials (CMs) given the spectrometric data obtained. Interestingly, the Raman parameters measured near the carbonaceous-rich gouge fall within the recognized range of graphitization in the mature fault zone, implying the origin of a mature fault, as shown in the companion paper. According to both the sharp boundary within the very recent coseismic rupture zone of the 2008 MW-7.9 Wenchuan earthquake and the presence of kinetically unstable dickite, it is strongly implied that the yellow/altered gouge likely formed from a recent coseismic event as aconsequence of hydrothermal fluid penetration. We further surmise that the CM characteristics varied according to several driving reactions, e.g., transient hydrothermal heating versus long-term geological metamorphism and sedimentation.

Geodetic Constraints of the 2017 Mw7.3 Sarpol Zahab, Iran Earthquake, and Its Implications on the Structure and Mechanics of the Northwest Zagros Thrust‐Fold Belt

AbstractWe reveal transient surface deformation following the 2017 Mw7.3 Sarpol Zahab (Iran) earthquake using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements. Based on the coseismic interferograms derived from the Advanced Land Observing Satellite‐2 (ALOS‐2) data, the preferred slip model of the earthquake has a centroid depth of 14.5 ± 4 km and suggests that a basement fault is most likely responsible for the 2017 earthquake in the northwest Zagros fold‐thrust belt zone. Two slip asperities with a maximum slip of 6 m separated by 16 km are observed in the best fitting slip model. The accumulated afterslip in the first month after the mainshock determined from the Sentinel‐1 postseismic interferograms reveals a slip distribution that lies immediately updip of the coseismic slip, implying that frictional properties of the fault vary along the rupture patch. The Bamo Mount in the earthquake area was uplifted by approximately 1 m during the earthquake. We suggest that local topographic growth from both seismic and aseismic faulting behaviors is common within the Zagros fold‐thrust belt zone based on our findings regarding the 2017 earthquake and other significant events in the region.

The Dynamic Response Law of Bank Slope under Water‐Rock Interaction

During the reservoir operation process, the long‐term security and stability of the bank slope is affected by dynamic response characteristics of its seismic action directly. Aimed at the typical bank slope existing in the actual reservoir environment, an experiment considering reservoir water level fluctuation and soaking‐air‐drying cyclic water‐rock interaction has been designed and conducted while the cyclic loading test was performed in different water‐rock cycles. Research results indicate the following: Firstly, in the process of water‐rock interaction, the dynamic characteristics of sandstone show evident degradation trend, with the increase of the damping ratio and Poisson’s ratio and decrease of dynamic elastic modulus, and the former six water‐rock cycle degradation effects are particularly obvious. Secondly, the numerical analog computation analysis of dynamic response in typical bank slope shows that as the water‐rock interaction period is increased, the dynamic response of the slope hydro‐fluctuation belt zone increases gradually, while the other parts weaken. Thirdly, under the long‐term water‐rock interaction process, the hydro‐fluctuation belt zone gradually becomes a “soft layer” which is sensitive to the earthquake effect and dynamic response, resulting in a direct influence on long‐term seismic performance of the bank slope. Therefore, it is necessary to make better protection for the bank slope hydro‐fluctuation belt zone.