Exploring the database of a soil environmental survey using a geo-self-organizing map: A pilot study

A model integrating geo-information and self-organizing map (SOM) for exploring the database of soil environmental surveys was established. The dataset of 5 heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) was built by the regular grid sampling in Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Auxiliary datasets were collected throughout the study area to help interpret the potential causes of pollution. The main findings are as follows: (1) Soil samples of 5 elements exhibited strong variation and high skewness. High pollution risk existed in the case study area, especially Hg and Cd. (2) As and Pb had a similar topo-logical distribution pattern, meaning they behaved similarly in the soil environment. Cr had behaviours in soil different from those of the other 4 elements. (3) From the U-matrix of SOM networks, 3 levels of SEQ were identified, and 11 high risk areas of soil heavy metal-contaminated were found throughout the study area, which were basically near rivers, factories, and ore zones. (4) The variations of contamination index (CI) followed the trend of construction land (1.353) > forestland (1.267) > cropland (1.175) > grassland (1.056), which suggest that decision makers should focus more on the problem of soil pollution surrounding industrial and mining enterprises and farmland.

     

Simulation of urban expansion via integrating artificial neural network with Markov chain – cellular automata

Accurate simulations and predictions of urban expansion are critical to manage urbanization and explicitly address the spatiotemporal trends and distributions of urban expansion. Cellular Automata integrated Markov Chain (CA-MC) is one of the most frequently used models for this purpose. However, the urban suitability index (USI) map produced from the conventional CA-MC is either affected by human bias or cannot accurately reflect the possible nonlinear relations between driving factors and urban expansion. To overcome these limitations, a machine learning model (Artificial Neural Network, ANN) was integrated with CA-MC instead of the commonly used Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Logistic Regression (LR) CA-MC models. The ANN was optimized to create the USI map and then integrated with CA-MC to spatially allocate urban expansion cells. The validated results of kappa and fuzzy kappa simulation indicate that ANN-CA-MC outperformed other variously coupled CA-MC modelling approaches. Based on the ANN-CA-MC model, the urban area in South Auckland is predicted to expand to 1340.55 ha in 2026 at the expense of non-urban areas, mostly grassland and open-bare land. Most of the future expansion will take place within the planned new urban growth zone.     

A comparison of methods to estimate groundwater recharge from bare soil based on data observed by a large-scale lysimeter

Effectively estimating groundwater recharge is critical to manage water resources, especially in arid and semi-arid regions as impacted by intensive human activities and climate changes. Rare insights have been gained into groundwater recharge since direct observation is hard to carry out. Although several methods are currently available to estimate groundwater recharge, the estimated results may cover noticeable bias. The behaviours of different methods based on different conceptual frameworks and exhibiting different levels of complexity should be examined to estimate actual groundwater recharge. This study aims to assess the performance of four common methods to estimate groundwater recharge. For this end, large-scale lysimeters equipped with soil water content sensors and water table sensors were set up at a research site established in Guanzhong Basin of China. The data achieved by 1-year observation were employed to compare four estimation methods. As revealed from the results, the following findings are drawn. (a) Groundwater level fluctuation (GLF) method is simple, whereas its accuracy is determined by specific yield, and adopting a water balance method to estimate specific yield can considerably enhance the accuracy of GLF. (b) The calibrated numerical model can obtain the optimal result compared with the other methods, whereas long-term observation data are required for parameter calibration. (c) In the water balance method, the maximum entropy production (MEP) model and a practical method (estimating evaporation between two rainfall events) were used to calculate evaporation. As indicated by the results, water balance method combined with MEP is capable of obtaining more reliable results of groundwater recharge compared with the practical method. (d) With an analytical model based on linearized Richards' equation, accurate results can be achieved. What is more, the analytical model only needs the measurement of soil moisture near the surface. The limitation of this method is that it is difficult to determine the maximal water flux. The mentioned findings are of critical implications to the management and sustainable development of groundwater.     

云南维西大宝山铜矿地质特征及矿石中Ag与Cu关系探讨

云南维西大宝山铜矿区位于青藏高原东南缘,哀牢山-金沙江构造带西北部雪龙山成矿带中,是典型的中低温热液矿床。矿区主要包括望香台及滑石板矿段,根据矿床、矿体特征及详尽的镜下观察,将矿石类型划分为氧化矿、硫化矿及混合矿。氧化矿主要包括孔雀石及蓝铜矿,多分布在望香台矿段中浅部,是辉铜矿次生氧化富集作用的结果,出露形式多以混合矿产出;硫化矿主要包括辉铜矿及黄铜矿,且独立组成不同的矿物组合类型,分别为望香台矿段、滑石板矿段的主要矿石矿物。不同的矿石组合类型所含矿物种类、矿石结构构造不尽相同。通过对不同样品进行化学分析测试,发现在硫化矿辉铜矿等矿物组合中,Cu品位越高,相应Ag品位越高,存在一定的线性关系;而在硫化矿黄铜矿矿体中,Ag含量与Cu品位无相应关系;混合矿(辉铜矿、孔雀石及蓝铜矿)中此类关系更加显著。此外,辉铜矿、孔雀石、蓝铜矿单矿物矿石及混合矿矿石中含有硫砷铜银矿、深红银矿、雌黄及雄黄等伴生矿物,而黄铜矿中矿物种类较为单一。综合矿区地质特征、矿体分布特征、矿物组合类型认为,矿区中辉铜矿、孔雀石、蓝铜矿等组合类型为含银矿物的主要载体。     

Asymmetry in oceanic crustal structure of the South China Sea basin and its implications on mantle geodynamics

ABSTRACT

We investigated the oceanic crustal structure and lithospheric dynamics of the South China Sea (SCS) basin through a comprehensive analysis of residual gravity anomaly and bathymetry combined with seismic constraints and interpretation from geodynamic modelling. We first calculated the residual mantle Bouguer anomaly (RMBA) of the oceanic crustal regions of the SCS by removing from free-air gravity anomaly the predicted gravitational attractions of water-sediment, sediment-crust, and crust-mantle interfaces, as well as the effects of lithospheric plate cooling, using the latest crustal age constraints including IODP Expedition 349 and recent deep-tow magnetic surveys. We then calculated models of the gravity-derived crustal thickness and calibrated them using the available seismic refraction profiles of the SCS. The gravity-derived crustal thickness models correlate positively with seismically determined crustal thickness values. Our analysis revealed that the isochron-averaged RMBA are consistently more negative over the northern flank of the SCS basin than the southern conjugate for magnetic anomaly chrons C8n (~25.18 Ma) to C5Dn (~17.38 Ma), implying warmer mantle and/or thicker crust over much of the northern flank. Computational geodynamic modelling yielded the following interpretations: (1) Models of asymmetric and variable spreading rates based on the relatively high-resolution deep-tow magnetic analysis would predict alternating thicker and thinner crust at the northern flank than the southern conjugate, which is inconsistent with the observed systematically thicker crust on the northern flank. (2) Models of episodic southward ridge jumps could reproduce the observed N-S asymmetry, but only for crustal age of 23.6–20 Ma. (3) Southward migration of the SCS ridge axis would predict slightly thinner crust at the northern flank, which is inconsistent with the observations. (4) Models of higher mantle temperatures of up to 25–50°C or >2% less depleted mantle sources on the northern flank could produce large enough anomalies to explain the observed N-S asymmetries.     

A feasible approach to predicting time-dependent bearing performance of jacked piles from CPTu measurements

Acta Geotechnica - In this paper, a simple but feasible approach is proposed to predict the time-dependent load carrying behaviours of jacked piles from CPTu measurements. The corrected cone...     

基于灯光数据的中国县域城镇建设用地产出效率时空演变特征

本文以灯光密度表征建设用地产出效率,采取KDE、ESDA、SDE等方法对中国县域尺度2000-2015年建设用地产出效率的总体特征、时空演变以及方向分布进行分析,研究发现：① 夜间灯光总亮度与建设用地出产出存在较强的相关关系,说明可用灯光总亮度表征建设用地产出,以灯光密度反映建设用地产出效率具有一定的科学性。② 建设用地产出效率东高西低,持续上升;增长速度西高东低,中部居中,但区域间年均增长率最大相差0.56%,整体较为均衡。③ 虽然建设用地产出效率由2000年的0.008单位灯光/km²持续上升至2015年的0.025单位灯光/km²,但其核密度曲线始终处于中低水平且右侧区间不断扩大,说明中国建设用地产出效率总体水平较低,呈现出中低水平俱乐部收敛的特征。④ 建设用地产出效率的全局 Moran's I指数都大于0,建设用地产出效率存在正向空间分布特征,且其局部空间格局变化较小,存在稳中有动,强中有弱,弱中有强的特点。⑤ 方向分布上,建设用地产出效率的方位角始终在72.420^o与81.066^o之间,说明东北-西南方向为建设用地产出效率的主要方向,且标准差椭圆的主轴与辅轴标准差都有所增加,说明在建设用地产出效率的主要方向与次要方向上都发生了分散现象。     

A new standardized Palmer drought index for hydro‐meteorological use

Accepting the concept of standardization introduced by the standardized precipitation index, similar methodologies have been developed to construct some other standardized drought indices such as the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). In this study, the authors provided deep insight into the SPEI and recognized potential deficiencies/limitations in relating to the climatic water balance it used. By coupling another well‐known Palmer drought severity index (PDSI), we proposed a new standardized Palmer drought index (SPDI) through a moisture departure probabilistic approach, which allows multi‐scalar calculation for accurate temporal and spatial comparison of the hydro‐meteorological conditions of different locations. Using datasets of monthly precipitation, temperature and soil available water capacity, the moisture deficit/surplus was calculated at multiple temporal scales, and a couple of techniques were adopted to adjust corresponding time series to a generalized extreme value distribution out of several candidates. Results of the historical records (1900–2012) for diverse climates by multiple indices showed that the SPDI was highly consistent and correlated with the SPEI and self‐calibrated PDSI at most analysed time scales. Furthermore, a simple experiment of hypothetical temperature and/or precipitation change scenarios also verified the effectiveness of this newly derived SPDI in response to climate change impacts. Being more robust and preferable in spatial consistency and comparability as well as combining the simplicity of calculation with sufficient accounting of the physical nature of water supply and demand relating to droughts, the SPDI is promising to serve as a competent reference and an alternative for drought assessment and monitoring. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions of migmatites from the North Qinling terrane and their geological implications

Migmatites are predominant in the North Qinling (NQ) orogen, but their formation ages are poorly constrained. This paper presents a combined study of cathodoluminescence imaging, U–Pb age, trace element and Hf isotopes of zircon in migmatites from the NQ unit. In the migmatites, most zircon grains occur as new, homogeneous crystals, while some are present as overgrowth rims around inherited cores. Morphological and trace element features suggest that the zircon crystals are metamorphic and formed during partial melting. The inherited cores have oscillatory zoning and yield U–Pb ages of c. 900 Ma, representing their protolith ages. The early Neoproterozoic protoliths probably formed in an active continental margin, being a response to the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. The migmatite zircon yields Hf model ages of 1911 ± 20 to 990 ± 22 Ma, indicating that the protoliths were derived from reworking of Palaeoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic crustal materials. The anatexis zircon yields formation ages ranging from 455 ± 5 to 420 ± 4 Ma, with a peak at c. 435 Ma. Combined with previous results, we suggest that the migmatization of the NQ terrane occurred at c. 455–400 Ma. The migmatization was c. 50 Ma later than the c. 490 Ma ultra‐high‐P (UHP) metamorphism, indicating that they occurred in two independent tectonic events. By contrast, the migmatization was coeval with the granulite facies metamorphism and the granitic magmatism in the NQ unit, which collectively argue for their formation due to the northward subduction of the Shangdan Ocean. UHP rocks were distributed mainly along the northern margin and occasionally in the inner part of the NQ unit, indicating that they were exhumed along the northern edge and detached from the basement by the subsequent migmatization process.     

基于GIS的“一带一路”地区气温插值方法比较研究

“一带一路”倡议是新时期中国为加强对外开放提出的全球化合作倡议,资源环境的优化配置对全球化发展意义重大。气温作为重要的基础数据和输入要素,对其进行空间化处理是实现大尺度区域资源环境优化配置的前提。本文基于地理信息技术（GIS）,运用距离平方反比法（IDS）、协同克里格法（CK）、回归距离平方反比法（RIDS）和回归协同克里格法（RCK）,对“一带一路”地区1980—2017年的2679个气象站点的月平均气温和年平均气温数据进行插值,获得了“一带一路”地区10 km分辨率的气温空间分布数据。交叉验证结果表明：① IDS、CK、RIDS和RCK插值法在整体上均较好地展示了“一带一路”地区气温的地理空间分布规律,4种插值方法的月均气温的均方根误差分别在1.93~2.43、1.78~2.14、1.31~2.23和1.23~1.92 ℃之间;年均气温的均方根误差分别为1.94、1.83、1.37和1.27 ℃;② 在“一带一路”地区,加入协变量分析的CK插值精度整体优于IDS,并且削弱了IDS的极值现象;③ RIDS和RCK对年均气温的插值精度分别较IDS和CK提高了29.4%和30.6%,表明加入地理要素并进行残差修正的插值精度得到了进一步提高。总体来看,RCK插值法对气温数据的插值精度最高,可以考虑将此方法作为“一带一路”地区温度等气象要素的插值方法。