Mangrove Forests: a Tough System to Invade but an Easy one to Rehabilitate

Mangrove forests are tough ecosystems to invade because few species can tolerate the hydrological and edaphic conditions that prevail in mangrove habitats. The small pantropical mangrove species pool is also the basis for asserting that mangrove forests are easy to rehabilitate, at least in terms of tree species composition. The high complexity of the animal and microbial component of mangrove ecosystems is not addressed in this article. The following questions are useful as a guide for evaluating the invasion of plant species into mangrove habitats: (1) Is the invading species a halophyte? (2) What conditions of the environment is the invading species occupying and how long will those conditions last? (3) What is the geographic location of the invasion, does it penetrate the forest or is it only at the edge? (4) Is the invasion a short-term response to changes in microsite conditions? (5) Is the invasion the result of a long-term shift in the mangrove habitat?     

昆仑山强震前的震颤波并非源自慢地震

2001年11月14日的昆仑山M_s8.1级地震前几天,中国地震台网多个台站都观测到了持续数天的低频震颤波信号.由于这些震颤波发生在强震前,所以备受关注.多年来研究人员对该震颤波的产生原因进行过多方探讨,但没有定论.该震颤波信号是否源自强震区的慢地震?是否是地震前兆?或为其它因素?为了回答这些问题,我们从多方面分析和研究了昆仑山强震前中国大陆宽频地震仪所观测的震颤波信号的特征、持续时间、震颤波强度变化与大规模大气运动的关系、信号强度随观测空间的衰减变化特征.结果表明:中国大陆宽频地震仪在昆仑山强震前观测到的震颤波由两个信号组成,其中11月10日开始出现,主要频率范围0.15~0.22 Hz (周期约4~7 s)、持续时间在10-13日的震颤波,主要由同时间段内发生在西太平洋的强台风玲玲(Ling Ling)引发;而11月11日开始出现,主要频率范围0.1~0.13 Hz (周期7~10 s)、持续时间在11-12日的震颤波,不是来自昆仑山强震区的慢地震,而是由来自欧洲北部及欧亚大陆的强温带气旋引发.     

Global warming: a review of this mostly settled issue

Global warming and attendant climate change have been controversial for at least a decade. This is largely because of its societal implications since the science is largely straightforward. With the recent publication of the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Working Group 1) there has been renewed interest and controversy about how certain the scientific community is of its conclusions: that humans are influencing the climate and that global temperatures will continue to rise rapidly in this century. This review attempts to update what is known and in particular what advances have been made in the past 5 years or so. It does not attempt to be comprehensive. Rather it focuses on the most controversial issues, which are actually few in number. They are:

• Is the surface temperature record accurate or is it biased by heat from cities, etc.?
• Is that record significantly different from past warmings such as the Medieval Warming Period?
• Are human greenhouse gases changing the climate more than the sun?
• Can we model climate and predict its future, or is it just too complex and chaotic?
• Are there any other changes in climate other than warming, and can they be attributed to the warming?

Finally there is a very brief discussion of the societal policy response to the scientific message. Note that much of the introductory material in each section is essentially the same as that which appears in Keller 2003 (hereafter referred to as OR = original review) and its update (Keller 2007). Despite continued uncertainties, the review finds an affirmative answer to these questions. Of particular interest are advances that seem to explain why satellites do not see as much warming as surface instruments, how we are getting a good idea of recent paleo-climates, and why the twentieth century temperature record was so complex. It makes the point that in each area new information could come to light that would change our thinking on the quantitative magnitude and timing of anthropogenic warming, but it is unlikely to alter the basic conclusions.     

Exoplanets

George Cole reviews the properties and significance of the planetary systems discovered around stars other than our Sun.
There has been speculation for centuries that planets might exist around stars other than our Sun. Might they form planetary systems like our solar system? Will life be found elsewhere one day? Planets were, in fact, discovered orbiting a pulsar in 1991 but, more interestingly, companions were found to stars like our Sun four years later. More stars with companions are continually being discovered and some 50 systems are known at the present time. Can some of these orbiting bodies be planets and what might they be made of? Is there a pattern in the systems being found? How do they compare with the solar system? Can they sustain living material? This article attempts to throw light on these questions.     

地震科普中易被误解的几个地震学概念问题

解读了地震科普中易被误解的一些地震学概念问题:①地震来了,真的是纵波(P波)先到,感觉上下振动,然后横波(S波)到,感觉左右或前后水平方向振动吗?②震级是按地震波能量分级来刻画地震大小的吗?③地震波能量就是地震释放的总能量吗?④宏、微观地震参数有时为什么相差那么大?是误差问题,还是参数定义就有差异?⑤汶川地震地震动衰减的方向性那么强,成都市区遭受破坏相对较轻的主要原因是什么?     

Determination of radionuclides in water at uranium mining remediation – a comparison of analytical methods

The corporate purpose of Wismut GmbH is to decommission its former mining holdings and to rehabilitate the landscape and the environment. Sample taking and analysing the value of contaminants are necessary steps for the remediation of waste rock piles, the recycling of contaminated areas, controlled flooding of uranium mines. Main emphasis lies on the determination of heavy metals and radionuclides of natural decay chains of U‐238 and U‐235. Yearly about 60 000…70 000 determinations of radionuclides in waters were done. Facing this high output of determinations it is a permanent task for laboratory and quality management to ask: Are the results of different methods comparable to each other? Is there a preferred analytical technology? Which matrix influences exist? and What about the analytical costs? Answers to these important questions are given in this report. Summarizing our investigations done in the last few years it is possible to say that – by using different analytical methods the results of radionuclides in water samples (surface or groundwater) are comparable, – a not negligible influence of Ra‐223, Ra‐224 and Ra‐228 may exist by using the DIN 38404 C18 method to determine Ra‐226, – a preferred method cannot be defined, – the choice of the analytical method should include analytical questions (the sample matrix, the occurrence of other disturbing radionuclides, the necessary detection limit) and economical questions (costs, other parameters to be determined).     

Studies of a regulated dryland river: surface–groundwater interactions

Unlike rivers in humid regions, dryland rivers typically exhibit reduced flow in the downstream direction as a result of transmission losses, which include seepage of streamflow into the aquifer, evaporation, and transpiration. However, much remains to be learned about the nature of the exchange between surface water and groundwater in these landscapes, especially in terms of spatial and temporal variability. Our study focused on streambank seepage and groundwater flow in the alluvial aquifer, specifically on answering questions such as: Is there seasonal variability in seepage losses? Is seepage permanently lost? Can losses be reduced by killing riparian vegetation? To better understand the magnitude, variability, and fate of streambank seepage, we assessed river stages, groundwater hydraulic gradients, and groundwater flow paths at two sites along a reach of the Pecos River, a dryland perennial river in West Texas. We found that along this reach the river was losing water to the aquifer even under low‐flow conditions; but seepage was controlled by a number of different mechanisms. Seepage increased not only during high‐flow events but also when the groundwater level was declining owing to long periods of no irrigation release. Tamarix (saltcedar) control did not affect hydraulic gradients nor reduce streambank seepage and given that this reach of the Pecos River is a losing one, streamflow will not be enhanced by controlling saltcedar. These findings can be used to improve basic conceptual models of dryland river systems and to predict hydrologic responses to changes in the timing and magnitude of streamflows and to riparian vegetation management. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal variations in the groundwater contributing areas of inland wetlands

Water quality and groundwater dynamics in wetlands are strongly influenced by the spatiotemporal distribution of contaminant application, and variations and changes in climate, vegetation, and anthropogenic interventions in its neighborhood. For groundwater-fed wetlands, this relevant neighborhood at least extends to the groundwater contributing area (GCA) boundary. In spite of its importance, understanding of the nature of GCA dynamics vis-à-vis meteorological variations remains largely understudied. This work attempts to map GCA of inland forested wetlands. Following that, two specific questions are answered: (a) Is GCA extent and its variation different than that of the topographic contributing area (TCA)? and (b) Is the temporal dynamics of GCA for different wetlands, all of which are experiencing very similar climatological forcing, similar? Our results show that GCAs for wetlands vary temporally, are much different in extent and shape than the TCA, and on an average are larger than the TCA. Although wetlands in the studied watershed experienced similar meteorological forcings, their covariation with forcings varied markedly. Majority of the wetlands registered an increase in GCA during dry period, but for a few the GCA decreased. This highlights the role of additional physical controls, other than meteorological forcings, on temporal dynamics of GCA. Notably, wetlands with larger TCA are found to generally have larger average GCA as well, thus indicating the dominant role of topography in determining the relative size of average GCA over the landscape. Our results provide a refined picture of the spatiotemporal patterns of GCA dynamics and the controls on it. The information will help improve the prediction of wet period dynamics, recharge, and contamination risk of groundwater-fed wetlands.     

衡水冀16井水位异常变化调查与分析

衡水冀16井水位2014年10月27日突升之后并维持在高值变化,在高值变化的同时出现多次阶升阶降变化形态。此井井深为1700.41米,突升幅度为0.0588m,以前从未出现过上述情况,该异常变化是否是前兆异常?为了确定异常性质,从供电系统、观测仪器、对比观测、环境干扰等方面进行调查和分析,最终排查出是泄流口排水池堵塞造成水位变化,不是地震前兆异常,对异常变化机理进行初步分析,为判断水位异常变化积累了经验。     

用板块构造学说对中国部分地区构造发展的初步分析

为便于在大陆上研究板块构造,作者提出了几项原则,作为参考:1.板块接触带时常表现为一条大断层或断裂带,延伸至少数百公里,经常超过一千公里;2.在两个相邻的板块上,沉积岩相和古生物群有显著的划分;3.有混杂堆积的出现;4.有蛇绿岩带的出现;5.有蓝片岩的出现;6.侵入岩与喷出岩具有规律性的分布;7.地震震中的分布;8.两个相邻板块所指极向的不同移动轨迹. 根据上述原则,结合中国地质情况进行分析,作者认为我国有几条山脉和地区可能是板块构造接触带.这些是:1.秦岭东西构造带,2.台湾省东岸,3.西藏的雅鲁藏布江,4.金沙江上游,5.龙门山及“康滇地轴”,6.祁连山北部边缘. 在工作中也遇到了以下几个有待进一步研究的问题:1.大陆板块对大陆板块互相碰撞的说法,似应作一定的修改.因为几乎所有大陆上的俯冲带都是沿着地槽的一边或两边发生的,而不是两个大陆板块直接相互接触.它和大陆边缘的海洋板块对大陆板块的移动,极为相似。2.超基性岩是否能侵入到大陆地壳,还是只能生成于地幔?3.如果说超基性岩只出现于地槽,则古老地块中有超基性岩出现时,是否可以说,这是以前地槽沉积的变质岩,而不是古老的岩浆岩体,例如秦岭的大华群和大别山的淮阳地盾等。     

阿尔奇(Archie)公式：提出背景与早期争论

根据关于岩石电学的早期资料，介绍了阿尔奇公式的提出背景和当时身处学术界和测井界的研究者和工程师们围绕阿尔奇公式所展开的一系列研究和论战.回顾与分析证明：围绕阿尔奇公式所进行的早期论战在于地层因子F及指数m和n.具体的论战焦点有四个：（1）地层因子的表达式F=1/m是否合适；（2）m和n是否具有物理内涵；（3）m和n的值到底是常数还是变数；（4）m和n与岩石的内部结构是否有关.在经过近20年的研究和论争后，即在1960年左右发现指数m和n与岩石的结构、构造以及孔隙流体的饱和度和流体替换的历史有关.此外，还发现岩石的湿润性和超毛细管孔隙度对岩石的电阻率也有很大的影响.虽然阿尔奇公式影响深远而且在岩石物理学和石油测井的发展中具有划时代的意义和里程碑式的作用，但是没有考虑泥质、淡水、低孔隙、非均匀几何参数分布（孔隙度、曲折度）、非均匀饱和度分布、各向异性以及参数a和b对岩石电阻率的贡献和隐藏在这些参数和因素后面的物理机制.因此，在应用阿尔奇公式时必须注意有关的应用条件.此外，根据完全水饱和公式ρ0=FρW=aρW/m和部分水饱和公式ρt=Iρ0=bρ0S-nW来研究F、I、a、b以及m和n与岩石的内部结构、孔隙分布以及孔隙流体和岩石颗粒之间的物理及化学相互作用的关系具有反问题的特点.所以，围绕阿尔奇公式的研究和争论将有可能会伴随着时代的进步和科学技术的发展一直进行下去.     

Spatial aspects of organochlorine contamination in northern fur seal tissues

Northern fur seals from the Pribilof Islands, Alaska (St. George Is. and St. Paul Is.) were examined for organochlorine contamination (OC) and whether the organochlorine levels differed between the populations and were at levels that may adversely affect their health. Fur seal blubber and milk samples were obtained from pups, sub-adult males, and adult females on both Pribilof Islands. These samples were analyzed for organochlorine contaminants including dioxin-like PCBs and other selected PCBs and pesticides by high performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array. Results showed that there are clear differences between the two islands in the patterns of fur seal OC distribution. Generally, these differences are confined to the PCBs with only minimal differences in the DDTs. There are also clear biological differences in the levels shown between milk, pup blubber, and sub-adult male blubber. When considering blubber, St. George Is. fur seals show higher OC levels than St. Paul Is., for both pups and sub-adults. On the other hand, milk samples from St. Paul Is. showed higher PCB levels than St. George Is. For the milk, the overall OC levels may impact the immune function of the pups, but are probably of only minimal impact to humans. However, for blubber, the overall toxic equivalency shows levels exceeding those levels recommended for human consumption at St. George Is. and approaching those levels at St. Paul Is. The concentration curves suggest that the movement of OC in and out of milk follows a complex set of reactions dependent on how the OC compounds on a congener level are associated with lipid. In fact, there is some evidence that they may not follow the lipid as closely as we had thought and that lipid levels can vary without impacting the total OC level in the milk.     

Long-range forecasts of River Po discharges based on predictable solar activity and a fuzzy neural network model / Prévisions à long terme des débits du Fleuve Pô basées sur l’activité solaire prévisible et sur un modèle de réseau de neurones flou

Abstract

Abstract Is it possible to make seasonal and interannual forecasts of hydrological variables if one cannot predict next week’s rainfall? Contrary to common view, some scientists support the hypothesis that variations in mean global temperature and precipitation are controlled more by external forcing (solar variability and volcanic eruptions) than by increasing atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases. Temperature and precipitation are connected with special phases of the 11-year sunspot cycle, which coincide with significant accumulation of energetic solar eruptions. Because of the possibility of identifying years with many solar eruptions, the attractive prospect emerges of the long-term hydrological forecasting based on cycles of solar activity. Starting from this assumption, an expert system was built based on a fuzzy neural network model for seasonal and interannual forecasting of the Po River discharge. It was found that indices of solar activity and of global circulation are sufficient to yield useful forecasts of hydrological variables.     

中层大气Rossby波与惯性重力波的非线性相互作用（Ⅱ）波包之间的相互激发

进一步讨论了大中尺度Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ波与惯性重力波的非线性相互作用问题．从共振相互作用曲线来看，Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ波和惯性重力波可以在相当广泛的角谱范围内发生共振非线性相互作用．在一定条件下，一个大振幅波包可以激发两个小振幅波包不稳定增长而出现参量不稳定现象，这三个波包可以是同种类型或不同类型的波包．当两个大振幅波包发生相互作用时，非线性过程会产生另一个波包并使它增长，并且增长速度大于仅有一个大振幅波包时的增长速度．大尺度Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ波包税发两个较小尺度惯性重力波的过程是一种重要的能量串级（ｃａｓｃａｄｅ）过程．     

中层大气Rossby波与惯性重力波的非线性相互作用（Ⅱ）波包之间的相互激发

进一步讨论了大中尺度Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ波与惯性重力波的非线性相互作用问题．从共振相互作用曲线来看，Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ波和惯性重力波可以在相当广泛的角谱范围内发生共振非线性相互作用．在一定条件下，一个大振幅波包可以激发两个小振幅波包不稳定增长而出现参量不稳定现象，这三个波包可以是同种类型或不同类型的波包．当两个大振幅波包发生相互作用时，非线性过程会产生另一个波包并使它增长，并且增长速度大于仅有一个大振幅波包时的增长速度．大尺度Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ波包税发两个较小尺度惯性重力波的过程是一种重要的能量串级（ｃａｓｃａｄｅ）过程．     

Cenozoic volcanism, stress gradient and back-arc opening in the North Island, New Zealand: Origin of Taupo-Rotorua Depression

Abstract Extensive subduction-related and intraplate volcanism characterize Cenozoic magmatism in the North Is., New Zealand. Volcanics in the central North Is., predominantly intermediate to felsic, form above the dipping seismic zone and show tectonic/geochemical features common to magmatism in most subduction zones. Basaltic volcanism in Northland, the northern part of the North Is., has chemical characteristics typical of intraplate magmatism and may be caused by the upwelling of asthenospheric materials from deeper parts of the mantle. The rifting just behind the present volcanic front (the Taupo-Rotorua Depression), which follows the trench ward migration of the volcanic front and the gradual steepening of the subducted slab, is also a feature of the North Is. A possible mechanism for the back-arc rifting in the area is injection of asthenospheric materials into the mantle wedge; this asthenospheric flow results from the mantle upwelling beneath Northland and pushes both the rigid fore-arc mantle wedge and the subducted slab trenchwards. This mechanism is also consistent with the stress fields in the North Is.: dilatation in Northland, northwest-southeast tension in the Taupo-Rotorua Depression, and the northeast-southwest compression in the fore-arc region.     

Ridge collision and in situ greenstones in accretionary complexes: An example from the Late Cretaceous Ryukyu Islands and southwest Japan margin

Abstract Mélange units containing greenstones are common throughout the Cretaceous-Miocene Shimanto Supergroup in the Ryukyu Is and southwest Japan. Most greenstones in the accretionary complex originated in oceanic spreading ridges and seamounts, and they formed far from the convergent margin. Some mélange-like units in the supergroup, however, contain greenstones that were extruded upon and intruded into unconsolidated fine-grained terrigenous clastic sediments. It is inferred that eruption of the in situ greenstones resulted from igneous activity in the trench area. Geochemical signatures indicate that the greenstone protoliths were similar to mafic lavas generated at spreading ridges. Fossil ages of the strata containing in situ greenstones become younger over a distance of 1300 km eastward from Amami-Oshima (Cenomanian-Turonian) in the Ryukyu Is to central Japan (Late Maestrichtian-earliest Paleocene), implying that a site of igneous activity in the trench area migrated eastward along the Ryukyu Is and southwest Japan margin. Plate reconstructions of the northwest Pacific Ocean suggest the presence of the Kula-Pacific ridge near Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene Japan. In this context, it is suggested that the greenstones formed in response to Kula-Pacific ridge-forearc collision.
Ancient ridge-forearc collisions are best recognized by the presence of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) extruded on sediments inferred to have accumulated in the trench area. Diachronous occurrences of the strata associated with these MORB in an orogenic belt are useful for documenting the ridge collision through time.     

Sudden commencements and sudden impulses in geomagnetism: Their diurnal variation in amplitude

Summary Following on the examination of the frequencies of S. Cs. and S. Is. given in a recent paper (1), the diurnal variation of theH-amplitudes at the six stations Cheltenham, Tucson, San Juan, Honolulu, Huancayo and Watheroo during the period 1926–46 is investigated, and in this S. Cs. and S. Is. do not appear to differ greatly in their behaviour. Except in the case of Huancayo, the greatest amplitudes occur near 0h. local time, after which there is a fall to the lowest values about 7h. The S. Is. amplitudes may have a secondary minimum near 18h., but this is not certain.     

印尼MS8.7地震对中国大陆3次后续中强地震的动应力触发研究

印尼8.7级地震发生后,在不到2个月时间内,在中国大陆相继发生了3次后续中强地震(2004年12月26日云南双柏MS5.1地震、2005年1月26日云南思茅MS5.1地震、2005年2月15日新疆乌什MS6.2地震),印尼地震和这3次后续地震是否存在触发关系?计算了印尼地震在3次后续地震破裂面上的动库仑应力变化和静库仑应力变化。静应力变化量小,低于一般认为的触发阈值(0.01 MPa);动应力变化峰值为10-1MPa,可能是这3次后续地震的触发因素。