Une dépression piézométrique naturelle en hausse au Sahel (Sud-Ouest du Niger)A rising piezometric depression in the Sahel (southwestern Niger)

In southwest Niger, the Continental Terminal water table displays a natural hollow shape about 10 m in depth over an area of 4000 km². A 10-year survey of this hollow aquifer has shown that current recharge is above $\text{20 }\text{mm}\text{yr}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$. The water table has risen continuously since the 1950–1960s as a result of land clearance. This shows a disequilibrium in the aquifer balance. The long-term recharge rate is estimated by radioisotopes to be around $\text{1 }\text{mm}\text{yr}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$. This figure fits with the only possible origin of the piezometric depression, i.e. evapotranspiration losses in its centre. To cite this article: G. Favreau et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 395–401.     

A UT1-Like Quantity from Analysis of GPS Orbit Planes

This paper discusses a UT1-like quantity, UTGPS, determined daily from Earth-referenced GPS satellite orbits from the International GPS Service (IGS). For each satellite considered, the observed relation between the satellite's IGS orbit and a model of its orbit plane in inertial space is used to estimate UT1. This modeled orbit plane is initialized using the satellite's IGS orbit and the actual UT1 at an initial time. It is then propagated using standard models of gravitational forces and an empirical model representing the orbit-normal radiation pressure observed during several years of in-flight experience with the satellite. To estimate UT1, an a-priori transformation from terrestrial to true-of-date celestial coordinates is applied to the satellite's IGS orbit. The geocentric angular deviations of points of the resulting transformed orbit from the modeled orbit plane are analyzed, giving the angle between the ascending nodes of the satellite's transformed and modeled orbit planes. To this observed angle between nodes, converted to a UT1 difference, is added the a-priori UT1 value used in the transformation. From the result is subtracted a model of the angle, again converted to a UT1 difference, between the ascending nodes of the actual and modeled orbit planes. The final result is the estimate of UT1 from this satellite, and the median of the UT1 estimates from all satellites considered is UTGPS. The root-mean-square difference between UTGPS-UT1 at the beginning and at the end of an interval of one to four weeks is approximately 30 s times the square root of the interval's duration in weeks.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

对华北一次特大台风暴雨过程的位涡诊断分析

通过对９６０８号台风低压及其外围暴雨位和等熵面上物理量场的分析,揭示了台风低压北上诱发暴雨过程的位涡场的结构及冷空气对暴雨增幅的作用,给出此次暴雨增幅过程的图像。分析表明：对流层低层中高纬度冷空气（高位涡）扩散南下在台风低压环流区附近的“侵入”作用是此次特大暴雨过程的最重要的原因之一;等熵面位涡的分析进一步说明了中高纬地区冷空气的活动状况;对流层高层或平流层低层位涡的下传有利于位势不稳定能量的释放     

Topex/Poseidon Altimetry and Dynamics of the Ocean-Atmosphere System

The T/P altimeter data 1993 – 1997 (cycles 11 – 194) has been analyzed with emphases on seasonal variations in sea surface topography (SST). The amplitude of the annual variations amounted to (5.9±0.3) mm when inverted barometer (IB) corrections were applied and (2.0±0.4) mm without any IB corrections. The amplitude of the semi-annual variations in SST was small with IB corrections applied: (0.6±0.3) mm. However, when no IB corrections were applied, it was (1.8±0.4) mm, i.e. the semiannual variations are at the same level as the annual variations with no IB corrections. The phase angle offset of the annual term has shifted by about 180° when IB correction was applied. The dynamics of the ocean-atmosphere system is discussed and it is concluded that it could, at least partly, be responsible for the above observed effects.     

Ionospheric measurements of relative coronal brightness during the total solar eclipses of 11 August, 1999 and 9 July, 1945

Swept-frequency (1/10 MHz) ionosonde measurements were made at Helston, Cornwall (50°06N, 5°18W) during the total solar eclipse on August 11, 1999. Soundings were made every three minutes. We present a method for estimating the percentage of the ionising solar radiation which remains unobscured at any time during the eclipse by comparing the variation of the ionospheric E-layer with the behaviour of the layer during a control day. Application to the ionosonde date for 11 August, 1999, shows that the flux of solar ionising radiation fell to a minimum of 25±2% of the value before and after the eclipse. For comparison, the same technique was also applied to measurements made during the total solar eclipse of 9 July, 1945, at Sörmjöle (63°68N, 20°20E) and yielded a corresponding minimum of 16 ± 2%. Therefore the method can detect variations in the fraction of solar emissions that originate from the unobscured corona and chromosphere. We discuss the differences between these two eclipses in terms of the nature of the eclipse, short-term fluctuations, the sunspot cycle and the recently-discovered long-term change in the coronal magnetic field.     

回忆父亲点滴

父亲是世纪同龄人 ,从 50岁到 80岁是他生命的春天。他以常人在这个年龄难以迸发的热情、智慧、不懈努力和顽强开拓的精神 ,在地质战线上为新中国建设辛勤耕耘 ,是一位在地学领域涉足宽广、具有科学预见能力、富有领导组织才能的科学家和领导者。他总是关注未来 ,特别热心于培养年轻人 ,对建立一支高水平、有解决问题能力的地质队伍下了很大功夫。父亲沉静善思、富有哲学头脑 ,他的许多预见性学术观点和开创性思维都源于他宁静淡泊的心态。没有浮华和功利 ,这便是他智慧的源泉。     

Influence of uncertain boundary conditions and model structure on flood inundation predictions

In this study, the GLUE methodology is applied to establish the sensitivity of flood inundation predictions to uncertainty of the upstream boundary condition and bridges within the modelled region. An understanding of such uncertainties is essential to improve flood forecasting and floodplain mapping. The model has been evaluated on a large data set. This paper shows uncertainty of the upstream boundary can have significant impact on the model results, exceeding the importance of model parameter uncertainty in some areas. However, this depends on the hydraulic conditions in the reach e.g. internal boundary conditions and, for example, the amount of backwater within the modelled region. The type of bridge implementation can have local effects, which is strongly influenced by the bridge geometry (in this case the area of the culvert). However, the type of bridge will not merely influence the model performance within the region of the structure, but also other evaluation criteria such as the travel time. This also highlights the difficulties in establishing which parameters have to be more closely examined in order to achieve better fits. In this study no parameter set or model implementation that fulfils all evaluation criteria could be established. We propose four different approaches to this problem: closer investigation of anomalies; introduction of local parameters; increasing the size of acceptable error bounds; and resorting to local model evaluation. Moreover, we show that it can be advantageous to decouple the classification into behavioural and non-behavioural model data/parameter sets from the calculation of uncertainty bounds.     

白垩纪地球表层系统重大地质事件与温室气候变化研究

国家重点基础研究发展计划（973）项目“白垩纪地球表层系统重大地质事件与温室气候变化”，将以白垩纪与碳循环相关的重大地质事件和温室气候变化的关系为主线，以大洋缺氧事件—富氧作用转变过程和机制研究为突破口，进行海陆相整合研究，重点追溯东特提斯洋和我国大陆地球表层系统重大地质事件的记录，探讨这些事件与碳循环、快速气候变化的正/负反馈机制。项目将充分利用中国大陆发育完好的白垩纪海相、陆相地层及古生物记录，通过松辽盆地白垩系科学钻探全岩芯取样和多学科综合研究的途径，着眼于厘定反映地质事件和气候变化的层位及标志和时间格架，解决高分辨率海、陆相沉积事件的精确对比，分析地层记录中气候标志和古生物类群的地理分布，集中研究陆地和海洋环境对同一事件的响应机制，重溯白垩纪地球表层系统重大地质事件过程及成因，探究陆相烃源岩大规模形成、陆地生物群更替与温室气候变化和碳循环之间的正/负反馈关系和机制等科学问题，为预测全球长时间尺度上的气候变化趋势提供科学依据。     

利用场地观测计算地表通量

高原地表的感热和潜热通量在亚洲季风系统中有很重要的作用。由于高原地域辽阔，且自然环境较严酷，不利于建立完善的地面观测系统。因此，卫星遥感观测就成为测算高原整体感热和潜热通量的有效工具。地面场地的观测结果作为地表通量的真实值，对于卫星遥感测算是非常重要的。它也为构建陆面—大气模型提供了科学依据，是卫星资料的资料同化系统中的重要组成部分。 计算场地热量通量有几种不同的处理方法。最简单的方法利用有效的观测和试验的参数，可以给出稳定连续的估计。愈精确的Bowen比或者廓线的观测能给出愈精确的信息。综合了湍流测量及辐射测量、土壤热通量的观测结果的估计对陆面—大气相互作用进行了详细的描述，以适应模式的发展。从1998年开始，这些方法联合应用到青藏高原；场地通量观测方面的成果以及目前对其理解将在本文中做一概述。     

内蒙古狼山-色尔腾山的剥蚀面序列 和景观发育的控制因素*

利用与现今地面有关的数字地形资料,确定了内蒙古河套裂谷带北翼狼山-色尔腾山的剥蚀面序列及其分布型式。始新世末期始发的裂谷作用导致该裂谷北翼在渐新世(E₃)、中新世(N₁)、上新世(N₂)和第四纪(Q)发生了4幕区域性地面隆起和剥蚀作用,与裂谷盆地的4幕沉降和沉积作用相关联。区域性地面降起量和剥蚀作用的时间长度、流水侵蚀对局部地势的潜在影响、隆起和侵蚀速度的相对重要性,以及构造、侵蚀和均衡作用的联合效应是该裂谷翼部景观发育的主要控制因素。