Manganese pollution of drinking water extracted from the terrace of Vacha River

The presented study is aimed towards determining the reasons for manganese pollution of drinking water extracted from the terrace of Vacha River. The results show that this is due to the seepage of from the artificial lake, formed after the construction of a small hydropower plant. Another possible reason is the natural accumulation in the upper parts of the river terrace of poorly soluble in water manganese compounds that turn into soluble ones as a result of changes in the redox environment, which take place in the conditions of very intensive groundwater extraction.

Two earthquake events on the Pamsoa Segment of the Matano Fault, Sulawesi

Sulawesi Island crossed by the importance active faults of the Palukoro Fault in the western part and the Matano Fault in the eastern part. Pamsoa Segment, the fourth of six-segments of the Matano Fault (from west to east), located near importance Sorowako mining city, Sulawesi. Pamsoa segment has a 38 km length, oriented N295°E, and has an obvious 475 m sinistral river offset. A reconnaissance survey conduct in this segment along the fault crosses the mining dirt road. Two fault rupture existed on the Holocene river terrace. Accelerated Mass Spectrometry (AMS) carbon dating shows age about 5218 BP and 4446 BP on the soil samples. Nice slicken-side on red soil shows as a fresh fault rupture. This rupture shows a possible two earthquake event on the Pamsoa Segment. The Matano fault has potency similar to the 2018 Palu earthquake. If the fault has similar multi fault rupture earthquake characteristic, the Matano Fault is also classified as a Magnitude 7+ class earthquake. Further research is needed to get precise earthquake geology parameters and ideal charcoal samples.

Diachronism as process-inherent part of Pleistocene river terrace formation: First results based on luminescence dating for testing a well-established theoretical concept and possible implications for practical field work

<p>There are two main statements of a long-accepted paradigm of fluvial morphodynamics formalized inter alia by S.A. Schumm: (i) changes in fluvial systems strongly depend on exceeding external and / or internal thresholds ​​and (ii) they are always characterized by a nonlinear and asynchronous character. While the first aspect of this paradigm is part of numerous studies on fluvial morphology and river dynamics, the second aspect has so far tended to be sidelined in practical geomorphology.</p><p>With particular respect to the field of paleo-environmental research, this is evident from studies that aim at determining ages of Pleistocene river terraces in order to provide a time frame for the reconstruction of paleo-environmental conditions. Typically, numerical dating approaches are only applied to a single location that is supposed to be exemplary for the respective terrace level. Numerical ages determined for this specific location are then extrapolated and interpreted in a generalizing way to derive "THE age" of the river terrace as a whole.</p><p>With respect to the concept of asynchronism of fluvial reactions to environmental changes, such an approach seems problematic. In fact, asynchronism implies different sections of a river showing different and specific reactions to environmental changes at a given point in time. For fluvial terraces, this means that the processes controlling their formation may already have started in some sections of a valley, while in other sections they do not yet have any impact on landscape evolution.</p><p>In this contribution, we present luminescence ages of fluvial deposits originating from an Upper Pleistocene river terrace in a small valley located in the headwater of the Main River, Germany. Here, several samples from various locations throughout the river longitudinal course have been analysed. The luminescence ages determined for the lowermost part of the valley are significantly older than those from the middle section, which in turn are older than those from the valley’s upper reaches.</p><p>Our results suggest a diachronic alignment of sedimentation ages for fluvial deposits, starting with old ages close the mouth of a river and getting progressively younger for locations approaching the upper reaches. If these findings are confirmed in other fluvial systems and are not only the result of specific local conditions, they will be of great relevance for geomorphological research in fluvial landscapes. As a result, the widespread approach of deriving age estimates for fluvial terraces from numerical results merely determined for a single location appears to be inadequate and should be subjected to a critical review.</p>

Spatial vegetation distribution and zonal vegetation type on islands in southern part of the Lena Delta (Eastern Siberia)

In this research spatial distribution of the different vegetation types on Lena Delta islands described in connection with their relief, time of formation and geological substrates. It was shown that zonal vegetation can be find only on third river terrace on gentle slopes. Because of continuous permafrost predominant vegetation is presented by hydro serial communities united into successional cycles. Zonal vegetation types occupy not more than 1-2% of the whole area.

The layout peculiarities of the residential and production areas in the site of ancient settlement of Ushbastobe (Southern Kazakhstan)

This article deals with the planning structure of the site of ancient settlement of Ushbastobe in southern Kazakhstan, dated to the 2nd–5th centuries AD. The settlement is located on the tall cape of the Ugam river bank and con- sists of a citadel and a residential area (rabad). Natural slopes of the river terrace and a steep ravine made the settlement impregnable from the two sides; the other two were bounded by moats. In addition to the residential part, a production area has been revealed between the two southeastern moats where an iron-smelting furnace has been studied. The results of this study allow the authors to maintain that the fortified settlement not only controlled a passage to the fertile river valley but was also an important center for the primary smelting of bloom iron in the region.

Wstęp

The Przeworsk culture cemetery in Żelazna Nowa was discovered in 1999, when Stanisław Organiściak found large concentrations of artefacts on the surface of fields belonging to the villages of Żelazna Stara and Żelazna Nowa. The new sites in Żelazna Nowa were later confirmed archaeologically and identified as a cremation cemetery of the Przeworsk culture (site 2), and a settlement of Pomeranian and Przeworsk cultures (site 3). What was evident from the beginning was considerable destruction of the cemetery, caused by prolonged deep ploughing, actions of amateur archaeologists, and floods of the Vistula River, today flowing approx. 2.5 km north-east of the site. The edge of the river terrace forms a distinct arch pointing to the west, and marks a meander scar of the Vistula. Both archaeological sites lie within this arc. The settlement neighbouring the cemetery was investigated by means of surface surveys. Despite relatively large amounts of pottery and daub found on the ground surface, no considerable damage to the archaeological features was observed.