Effects of vegetation restoration on soil physical properties of abandoned farmland on the Loess Plateau,China

To improve the ecological environment in China, the Chinese government implemented a country-wide ecological protection and reforestation project (namely the “Grain for Green Project”) in 1999 to return cultivated land with slopes of 25° or more to perennial vegetation. Vegetation restoration reduces soil erosion mainly by changing the soil physical properties. Different vegetation restoration methods might produce different impacts on soil physical properties. In this study, two vegetation restoration methods (i.e., natural restoration and artificial restoration) were compared on abandoned farmland in the typically hilly and gullied areas of the Loess Plateau of Northwest China. In the natural restoration method, the farmland was abandoned to natural vegetation succession without irrigation, fertilization or other artificial disturbances. In the artificial restoration method, the farmland was planted with black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and watered and cultivated for the first two years. Three soil physical properties (i.e., soil moisture, bulk density and aggregation) were investigated under the two vegetation restoration methods. The results showed that the soil moisture and soil bulk density were higher under artificial restoration than under natural restoration within the first three years of vegetation restoration. By the fourth year, the soil moisture and soil bulk density were higher under natural restoration than under artificial restoration. For the stability of soil aggregates?>?0.25 mm, the soil aggregates in the 0-20 cm soil layer were more stable under artificial restoration than under natural restoration, while the results were the opposite for the 40-60 cm soil layer. Overall, the soil physical properties were continuously improved during the restoration of vegetation on abandoned farmland. In choosing between vegetation restoration methods, natural restoration is preferable to artificial restoration, but artificial intervention is needed during the first three years.     

Heavy metals status,transport mechanisms,sources, and factors affecting their mobility in Chinese agricultural soils

Heavy metals are the focus of much interest because of their environmental persistence, toxicity, and mobility in soils. Some of the Chinese soils have been contaminated with heavy metals due to expansion of mining industries, pesticides usage, and other anthropological activities, which made the agro-ecosystem to become contaminated. The objective of this review is to illuminate the current pollution status, sources of heavy metals, transport mechanisms, and the factors affecting their mobility in Chinese soils. The additional studies in the future will present on source identification and the heavy metal transport characteristics in soil.     

Effect of climate change on water resources in the Yuanshui River Basin: a SWAT model assessment

The Yuanshui River Basin is one of the most important river basins ensuring food production and livelihoods in the Hunan and Guizhou Provinces of China. Based on digital elevation model, land use, soil, and meteorological data, the soil and water assessment tool was used to analyze the response of water resources in the basin to climate change. Specifically, the monthly runoff from the Yuanshui River Basin was simulated. Runoff measurements from the 1961–1990 series were used to calibrate model parameters, and measurements from the 1991–2010 series were used for model validation. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient, correlation coefficient, and water balance error were used to evaluate the simulation results; the values obtained for these parameters were 0.925, 0.929, and 2.0%, respectively, indicating that the established model can be applied successfully to runoff simulations. To evaluate the effects of climate change and human activities on runoff, 24 different climate scenarios were modeled. By comparing the model simulation results with the baseline scenario, the effects of climate change were analyzed by year, during the dry season, and during extremely dry conditions. The results showed that runoff decreased with increasing air temperature and decreasing precipitation, and that the effects of rainfall on runoff were greater than those of air temperature. Under the same baseline conditions, the effects of climate change on runoff were most pronounced during extremely dry months.     

Dynamical evolution properties of debris flows controlled by different mesh-sized flexible net barriers

Because the flexible net barrier is a gradually developed open-type debris-flow counter-measure, there are still uncertainties in its design criterion. By using several small-scale experimental flume model tests, the dynamical evolution properties of debris flows controlled by large and small mesh-sized (equal to D₉₀ and D₅₀, respectively) flexible net barriers are studied, including the debris flow behaviors, segregation, and permeability of sediments, as well as the energy absorption rates and potential overtopping occurring when debris flows impact the small mesh-sized one. Experimental results reveal that (a) two sediment deposition patterns are observed depending on variations in debris flow textures and mesh sizes; (b) the aggregation against flexible net barriers is dominated by flow dynamics; (c) the segregation and permeable functions of the barrier are determined by the mesh size, concentration, and flow dynamics; and (d) the smaller mesh-sized flexible net barrier tends to be more efficient in restraining more turbulent debris flows and can absorb greater rate of kinematic energy, and finally, the great kinematic energy dissipation that occurs when secondary debris flows interact with the post-deposits in front of the small mesh-sized flexible net barrier is believed to cause the failure of overtopping phenomenon. The mesh size is concluded to be the decisive parameter that should be associated with debris flow textures to design the control functions of flexible net barriers.     

Application of instantaneous amplitude gradient for ground penetrating radar signal analyses

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is an effective geophysical method for environmental and engineering exploration. However, significant background interference occurs around most work sites, which increases the difficulty of analyzing and interpreting GPR profiles. For time-distance profile analyses, more accurate results can be obtained using the instantaneous parameters of the analytic signals. In this study, these instantaneous parameters are extracted and compared using 1D model waveform and 2D model strong interference profiles. The results show that the instantaneous amplitude gradient effectively reflects the model information, even under strong interference. The instantaneous amplitude gradient is applied to GPR survey data from a study site, and the results indicate that the technique reflects the underground structure information of the survey area. Drilling verification further confirms that the instantaneous amplitude gradient accurately reflects the underground structure information.     

北淮阳东段山七岩体地球化学特征、LA-ICP-MS 锆石U-Pb年龄及地质意义

北淮阳东段山七岩体岩性为石英闪长岩,SiO₂、Al₂O₃含量中等,富碱质,Mg^#低,具偏铝质碱性系列岩石特征。稀土元素含量中等,La_N/Yb_N值和LREE/HREE值均较大,HREE相对于LREE明显亏损,具较弱的Ce负异常,轻稀土相对富集,分馏较明显,重稀土分馏不明显。岩石富集大离子亲石元素(LILE)Rb、Ba、K和高场强元素(HFSE)Zr、Hf、Y,明显亏损Nb、Ta、Ti、P、U。通过LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年,获得山七岩体²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U年龄为128.2±3.3Ma,属早白垩世早期。主量元素及微量元素地球化学特征均表明山七岩体岩浆来源于地壳,受地幔物质混染。     

Carbon and nitrogen isotope,and mineral inclusion studies on the diamonds from the Pozanti–Karsanti chromitite,Turkey

The Pozanti–Karsanti ophiolite (PKO) is one of the largest oceanic remnants in the Tauride belt, Turkey. Micro-diamonds were recovered from the podiform chromitites, and these diamonds were investigated based on morphology, color, cathodoluminescence, nitrogen content, carbon and nitrogen isotopes, internal structure and inclusions. The diamonds recovered from the PKO are mainly mixed-habit diamonds with sectors of different brightness under the cathodoluminescence images. The total δ¹³C range of the PKO diamonds varies between ??18.8 and ??28.4‰, with a principle δ¹³C mode at ??25‰. Nitrogen contents of the diamonds range from 7 to 541 ppm with a mean value of 171 ppm, and the δ¹⁵N values range from ??19.1 to 16.6‰, with a δ¹⁵N mode of ??9‰. Stacking faults and partial dislocations are commonly observed in the Transmission Electron Microscopy foils whereas inclusions are rather rare. Combinations of (Ca_0.81Mn_0.19)SiO₃, NiMnCo-alloy and nano-sized, quenched fluid phases were observed as inclusions in the PKO diamonds. We believe that the ¹³C-depleted carbon signature of the PKO diamonds derived from previously subducted crustal matter. These diamonds may have crystallized from C-saturated fluids in the asthenospheric mantle at depth below 250 km which were subsequently carried rapidly upward by asthenospheric melts.     

Electrical conductivity of the plagioclase–NaCl–water system and its implication for the high conductivity anomalies in the mid-lower crust of Tibet Plateau

In order to investigate the origin of the high conductivity anomalies geophysically observed in the mid-lower crust of Tibet Plateau, the electrical conductivity of plagioclase–NaCl–water system was measured at 1.2 GPa and 400–900 K. The relationship between electrical conductivity and temperature follows the Arrhenius law. The bulk conductivity increases with the fluid fraction and salinity, but is almost independent of temperature (activation enthalpy less than 0.1 eV). The conductivity of plagioclase–NaCl–water system is much lower than that of albite–NaCl–water system with similar fluid fraction and salinity, indicating a strong effect of the major mineral phase on the bulk conductivity of the brine-bearing system. The high conductivity anomalies of 10^?1 and 10⁰ S/m observed in the mid-lower crust of Tibet Plateau can be explained by the aqueous fluid with a volume fraction of 1 and 9%, respectively, if the fluid salinity is 25%. The anomaly value of 10^?1 S/m can be explained by the aqueous fluid with a volume fraction of 6% if the salinity is 10%. In case of Southern Tibet where the heat flow is high, the model of a thin layer of brine-bearing aqueous fluid with a high salinity overlying a thick layer of partial melt is most likely to prevail.     

Geochemistry of organic matter and elements of black shale during weathering in Northern Guizhou,Southwestern China: Their mobilization and inter-connection

Different from previous studies on effect of weathering upon geochemical variation along a single weathered profile, this paper provides a new methodology validated by comparing a weathered outcrop samples and their stratigraphic counterpart un-weathered core samples in a nearby shallow borehole. This outcrop and borehole penetrated the Ordovician-Silurian Wufeng–Longmaxi shales, located in the same anticline structure in the northern part of Guizhou Province, Southern China. The mineral composition, major, trace and rare earth elements (REEs) composition and Rock-Eval parameters of outcrop and core samples were analyzed and compared. Organic matter (OM) was observed in the microscope and extracted for elements analysis. The results show that short-term weathering still has significant influence on OM, mineral and elemental composition of black shales. The elements composition shows the outcrop profile was moderately weathered. The REEs compositions do not alter much during weathering process and the REEs composition and their relative ratios still are valid for rock origin determination. The OM, mainly composed by graptolite and bitumen, even entering the highly-over thermal maturity, is still sensitive to the weathering with a systematic loss 30–50% of TOC along the outcrop profile, which suggests that the OM consumption is predominantly controlled by weathering duration and the distance from the weathering surface. In turn, OM has significant influence on the trace elements transportation behavior during weathering. Some trace elements associated with the OM such as V, Cr, Th, U, Ni and Co, change significantly in their absolute concentration during weathering, but their relative ratios do not necessarily change too much and might be still reliable proxies for paleo-environmental determination. The mobility of shale minerals during weathering is in the following order: plagioclase?>?potassium feldspar and dolomite >pyrite and OM. Short-term weathering can also result in considerable transportation of elements and significant variation of minerals content in black shale, which may pose potentially high environmental and engineering risk in the regions rich in black shale.     

Palaeoproterozoic granitic magmatism in the northern segment of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt: implications for orogenesis along the Eastern Block of the North China Craton

As the northern segment of the Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt (JLJB), the Palaeoproterozoic Liaoji Belt is a key region for deciphering the formation and evolution of the North China Craton (NCC). In this study, we present the geochronology, geochemical, and isotopic studies on the monzogranitic gneiss, which is one of the major lithotectonic elements of the Liaoji Belt. LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating reveals that the studied monzogranitic gneisses were formed in the period of 2213–2178 Ma. They are in tectonic contact with the Palaeoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary rocks in the field. The monzogranitic gneisses belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series, and are metaluminous to peraluminous. They have 10,000 Ga/Al ratios of 2.63–3.14 with an average of 2.90, and are thus classified as aluminous A-type granites. Their ε_Nd(t) values vary from ?3.4 to +2.5, indicating heterogeneous source region. The monzogranitic gneisses are characterized by enrichment in LREE and LILE (e.g. Rb, Ba, Th, and K) and depletion in HREE and HFSE (such as Nb, Ta, and Ti), and are typical to magmatism in active continental margins formed in a subduction-related tectonic setting. Taking into account their A-type affinity and regional geological data, we suggest that the monzogranitic gneisses were most probably generated in a local extensional back-arc environment during subduction.