Microplastic pollution in surface water and sediments of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Current status and causes

To study the current status and causes of the microplastic pollution in surface water of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this paper compared the average microplastic abundance in sediments and surface water of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the results are as follows. First, the average microplastic abundance in surface water of the independent rivers and the whole area is 247–2686 items/m³ and 856 items/m³, respectively. The average microplastic abundance in sediments of independent rivers or lakes and the whole area is 0–933 items/m² and 362 items/m², respectively. Meanwhile, the degree of microplastic pollution in river sediments is higher than that in lake sediments, and the rivers suffering from microplastic pollution mainly include the Brahmaputra River, Tongtian River, and Nujiang River. Second, compared with the microplastic pollution in other areas of the world, the levelof microplastic pollution in the lakes and rivers of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau is not lower than that of well-developed areas with more intensive human activities. Finally, this study suggests that relevant government departments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau should strengthen waste management strategies while developing tourism and that much attention should be paid to the impacts of microplastics in the water environment.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.     

Research achievements of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on 60 years of aeromagnetic surveys

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (also referred to as the Plateau) has long received much attention from the community of geoscience due to its unique geographical location and rich mineral resources. This paper reviews the aeromagnetic surveys in the Plateau in the past 60 years and summarizes relevant research achievements, which mainly include the followings. (1) The boundaries between the Plateau and its surrounding regions have been clarified. In detail, its western boundary is restricted by West Kunlun-Altyn Tagh arc-shaped magnetic anomaly zone forming due to the arc-shaped connection of the Altyn Tagh and Kangxiwa faults and its eastern boundary consists of the boundaries among different magnetic fields along the Longnan (Wudu)-Kangding Fault. Meanwhile, the fault on the northern margin of the Northern Qilian Mountains serves as its northern boundary. (2) The Plateau is mainly composed of four orogens that were stitched together, namely East Kunlun-Qilian, Hoh-Xil-Songpan, Chamdo-Southwestern Sanjiang (Nujiang, Lancang, and Jinsha rivers in southeastern China), and Gangdese-Himalaya orogens. (3) The basement of the Plateau is dominated by weakly magnetic Proterozoic metamorphic rocks and lacks strongly magnetic Archean crystalline basement of stable continents such as the Tarim and Sichuan blocks. Therefore, it exhibits the characteristics of unstable orogenic basement. (4) The Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone forming due to continent-continent collisions since the Cenozoic shows double aeromagnetic anomaly zones. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone formed from the Indian Plate subducting towards and colliding with the Eurasian Plate twice. (5) A huge negative aeromagnetic anomaly in nearly SN trending has been discovered in the middle part of the Plateau, indicating a giant deep thermal-tectonic zone. (6) A dual-layer magnetic structure has been revealed in the Plateau. It consists of shallow magnetic anomaly zones in nearly EW and NW trending and deep magnetic anomaly zones in nearly SN trending. They overlap vertically and cross horizontally, showing the flyover-type geological structure of the Plateau. (7) A group of NW-trending faults occur in eastern Tibet, which is intersected rather than connected by the nearly EW trending that develop in middle-west Tibet. (8) As for the central uplift zone that occurs through the Qiangtang Basin, its metamorphic basement tends to gradually descend from west to east, showing the form of steps. The Qiangtang Basin is divided into the northern and southern part by the central uplift zone in it. The basement in the Qiangtang Basin is deep in the north and west and shallow in the south and west. The basement in the northern Qiangtang Basin is deep and relatively stable and thus is more favorable for the generation and preservation of oil and gas. Up to now, 19 favorable tectonic regions of oil and gas have been determined in the Qiangtang Basin. (9) A total of 21 prospecting areas of mineral resources have been delineated and thousands of ore-bearing (or mineralization) anomalies have been discovered. Additionally, the formation and uplift mechanism of the Plateau are briefly discussed in this paper.©2021 China Geology Editorial Office.     

基于变分客观分析方法的青藏高原试验区夏季对流降水过程热动力特征分析

本文利用基于变分客观分析方法的物理协调大气分析模型,构建了青藏高原试验区大气热力—动力相互协调的数据集,并通过该数据集对青藏高原试验区夏季深厚及浅薄对流降水过程的热动力特征进行分析,结果表明:变分客观分析后的垂直速度场能更好地与实际观测的对流降水过程相吻合;深厚对流降水期高云含量多,整层大气为较强的上升运动,上升运动可达100 hPa左右,浅薄期高云含量少,上升运动仅能延伸到300 hPa左右;两种对流降水过程中视热源Q₁在低层为冷却作用,高层为加热作用,在深厚期中高层Q₁存在两个加热中心,中层受较强的水汽凝结释放潜热加热所影响,高层主要受过冷云水凝结成冰晶形成高云时释放的热量所影响;在浅薄期中高层Q₁只存在一个加热中心,大气的加热主要来源于水汽的凝结潜热释放;深厚对流降水期视水汽汇Q₂的加热作用可以延伸到200 hPa,而浅薄期仅到340 hPa左右。     

川西高原砂金矿床形成规律

砂金富集规律可归纳为五条:(1)砂金比重大,体积小,一般下沉于砂砾层底部基岩之上,形成富矿带。(2)河流流速减缓处是砂金富集之场所,如河流内湾处;两河会流处;河谷由宽突变窄处;河谷由窄突变宽处。(3)河床起伏不平是砂金富集之主要条件。最理想的河床是软硬相间之岩层,如砂页岩互层,且走向横穿河谷,倾斜较陡,这样,便形成具有无数隔梁与隔槽的起伏不平的河床,砂金受阻,易于停积。(4)位于谷旁之古老河床沉积阶地是无水患的易采砂金矿床,不容忽视。(5)红黄杂色铁砂及石英碎屑常为砂金富集标志。     

青藏高原隆升的过程和机制

青藏高原夹持于土兰、塔里木、华北、扬子与印度等刚性地块之间，在地球物理场和岩石圈结构构造上构成一个相对独立的构造系统。白垩纪晚期到始新世，高原开始了一个地壳缩短、加厚和不断隆升的新阶段。高原隆升可以划分为俯冲碰撞隆升、汇聚挤压隆升和均衡调整隆升３个阶段。高原地壳的加厚、缩短是在压应力作用下通过不同层次物质以不同的运动形式实现的，高原隆升的过程和机制可以概括为“陆内汇聚－地壳分层加厚－重力均衡调整”的隆升模式。     

蒙新高原盐湖资源及盆地结构

通过蒙新高原典型盐湖区的解剖研究，查清了代表性盐湖盆地的相环境及其沉积建造，将盐湖盆地环境的变化形式划分为沉陷型、抬升型和改造型，并归结了盐湖盆地相环境分异与盆地地质结构之间的相互关系，为开发大陆干旱区盆地的盐湖和卤水资源及其环境演化的理论研究提供了依据。     

关于青藏高原地壳的隆升与增厚

本文扼要地评述了国内外地质学家、地球物理学家关于青藏高原地壳隆升与增厚机制的研究成果,并对大地测量学者深入该项研究提出了几点意见。     

长江中下游地震同青藏高原北部地震的相关性

本文对比了1910—1987年发生的长江中下游地震和青藏高原北部地震,发现两者有比较好的对应关系。一般是,青藏高原北部先发生M≥6级地震,而后长江中下游地区发生M≥19/4级地震。对1910年以来的21次地震进行了统计分析,得到复相关系数R=0.74,能够在很高的显著性水平上通过F检验。地震活动在时间、空间、强度上的相关,现代构造运动及应力场等事实表明,长江中下游地震活动可能主要受青藏高原向东的横向推移运动的影响。     

青海地区现今垂直形变场概貌及与构造运动和强震活动性的关系

本文利用青海地区近几十年的大地测量资料，探讨了该区现今地壳垂直形变与现代构造运动及强震活动之间的关系，认为青藏高原北部目前仍处于强烈的构造运动活跃期，判定了两处有可能是未来发生强震的场所，并对青藏高原北部强震成因提出了作者的看法。