Microbial and molecular fossils from the Permian Zoophycos in South China

The trace fossil Zoophycos was enriched in the lower part of the Guadalupian Maokou Formation of Permian in Laibin, Guangxi of South China, and characterized by observable lamellae within its spreiten. Associated with these lamellae are the prolific coccus- and spirillum-shaped microbe fossils. These microbes morphologically identified are 0.4―3.0 μm in diameter or length. Molecular fossils, including normal alkanes (dominated by C18, without an odd-over-even predominance), acyclic isoprenoids (such as pristane (Pr) and phytane (Ph)), extended tricyclic terpanes, pentacyclic triterpanes, steranes, al-kylcyclohexanes, dibenzothiophenes, benzonaphthothiophenes, benzobisbenzothiophenes, were in-strumentally identified in the wackestone characterized by the occurrence of abundant Zoophycos (composite ichnofabric indices are 4) and crowded microbial fossils. The value of the Pr/Ph ratio is less than 1, indicative of a dysoxic condition. The identification of abundant sulfur compounds (the thio-phene series) related to the contribution of reductive sulfur favors the occurrence of sulphate-reducing bacteria. The association of abundant microbial colonies with microbial molecular fossils within the spreiten suggests that trace fossils Zoophycos would be a multifunctional garden carefully constructed by the Zoophycos-producer, where different microbial colonies were orderly and carefully planted and cultured in different minor lamellae within spreiten. Hence, it is proposed that the Zoophycos-producer symbiosed with microbial colonies on the mutual basis of food supply and the redox conditions.     

Analysis of Tectonic Conditions for Strong Earthquakes and Prediction of Seismic Risk of Seismogenic Fault Zones in the Northern Part of North China

The tectonic conditions for strong earthquakes are complicated in various aspects.The genetic conditions for strong earthquakes were studied from the angle of various disciplines.About 20 conditions belonging to different fields have been described by predecessors.In this paper,the authors try to study and evaluate all the tectonic condition factors for strong earthquakes by the methods of fuzzy mathematics and hierarchical analysis.Taking the northern part of North China as an example,the authors make a comprehensive digital analysis of all the quantitative and semi-quantitative tectonic factors.The credibility values of all strong earthquakes with different magnitudes are given after statistical analysis and calculation.Forty-one fault zones in the study region are quantitatively analyzed,and the potential seismogenic fault zones,maximum magnitude,and risk of earthquake occurrence in the near future are assessed.The result of synthetic evaluation,based on all tectonic conditions of different categorie     

A numerical study on matching relationships of gravity waves in nonlinear interactions

Applying a fully nonlinear numerical scheme with second-order temporal and spatial precision,nonlinear interactions of gravity waves are simulated and the matching relationships of the wavelengths and frequencies of the interacting waves are discussed.In resonant interactions,the wavelengths of the excited wave are in good agreement with the values derived from sum or difference resonant conditions,and the frequencies of the three waves also satisfy the matching condition.Since the interacting waves obey the resonant conditions,resonant interactions have a reversible feature that for a resonant wave triad,any two waves are selected to be the initial perturbations,and the third wave can then be excited through sum or difference resonant interaction.The numerical results for nonresonant triads show that in nonresonant interactions,the wave vectors tend to approximately match in a single direction,generally in the horizontal direction.The frequency of the excited wave is close to the matching value,and the degree of mismatching of frequencies may depend on the combined effect of both the wavenumber and frequency mismatches that should benefit energy exchange to the greatest extent.The matching and mismatching relationships in nonresonant interactions differ from the results of weak interaction theory that the wave vectors are required to satisfy the resonant matching condition but the frequencies are permitted to mismatch and oscillate with amplitude of half the mismatching frequency.Nonresonant excitation has an irreversible characteristic,which is different from what is found for the resonant interaction.For specified initial primary and secondary waves,it is difficult to predict the values of the mismatching wavenumber and frequency for the excited wave owing to the complexity.     

Ordovician chitinozoan diversification events in China

Chitinozoans, as a group of organic shelly fossils,are widely found in the Ordovician (Late Tremadocian)to the latest Devonian marine deposits since Eisenack(1931) first introduced the term of chitinozoa and de-scribed first species. Based on the detailed observa-tions and reviews of representative species of 143genera or subgenera described in the literature fromthe scanning electron microscopy, only 56 genera areultimately retained[1]. Paris and N?lvak[2] postulatedthat chitinozoans are th…     

Torsionally coupled dynamic performance analysis of asymmetric offshore platforms subjected to wave and earthquake loadings

The dynamic equations of motion of asymmetric offshore platforms under three different environmental conditions:seismic action,wave action and their combination are established in this paper. In establishing these motion equations,three typical eccentricity types including mass eccentricity,rigidity eccentricity and their combination were considered,as are eccentricities that occur un-idirectionally and bi-directionally. The effects of the eccentricity type,the dynamic characteristics and the environmental conditions on the torsional coupling response of platforms are investigated and compared. An effort has also been made to analyze the inffluence of accidental eccentricity on asymmetric platforms with different eccentricity in two horizontally orthogonal directions. The results are given in terms of non-dimensional parameters,accounting for the uncoupled torsional to lateral frequency ratio. Numerical results reveal that the eccentricity type has a great inffluence on the torsionally coupled response under different environmental conditions. Therefore,it is necessary to consider the combination of earthquake and wave action in the seismic response analysis of some offshore platforms.     

Toward understanding Cretaceous climate—An updated review

New data and ideas are changing our view of conditions during the Cretaceous.Paleotopography of the continents was lower than originally thought,eliminating the'cold continental interior paradox'of fossils of plants that could not tolerate freezing occurring in regions indicated by climate models to be well below freezing in winter.The controversy over the height of Cretaceous sea levels has been resolved by knowledge of the effects of passage of the subducted slab of the Farallon Plate beneath the North American crust.The cause of shorter term sea level changes of the order of 30 to 50 meters is not because of growth and decay of ice sheets,but more likely the filling and release of water from groundwater reservoirs and lakes although there may have been some ice in the Early and latest Cretaceous.Carbon dioxide was not the only significant greenhouse gas;methane contributed significantly to the warmer climate.Suggestions of very warm tropical ocean temperatures(40℃)have implications for the nature of plant life on land limited by Rubisco activase.The land surfaces were much wetter than has been thought,with meandering rivers and many oxbow lakes providing habitat for large dinosaurs.A major rethinking of the nature of conditions on a warmer Earth is underway,and a new suite of paleoclimate simulations for the Cretaceous is needed.     

Shaping and maintaining a medium-sized main channel in the Lower Yellow River

This paper studies relations between bankfull discharge,lateral cross section variation and the incoming flow and sediment condition in the Lower Yellow River using measured data from 1950 to 2003.Since 1950 the bankfull discharge has obviously decreased and the ratio of channel width to flow depth has increased.The critical annual average incoming sediment coefficient（defined as the ratio of sediment concentration to discharge） and discharge at the Huayuankou station are approximately 0.012 and 1,850 m³s^-1,respectively,for no accumulative deposition occurring in the reach from Huayuankou to Lijin.On this basis,a mathematical model is used to study the scale of the main channel in the Lower Yellow River and its corresponding bankfull discharge under possible incoming flow and sediment conditions in the near future.The main factors influencing the scale of the main channel are analyzed,and measures to shape and maintain a medium-sized channel are discussed.The results show the effect of various water and sediment combinations released from the Xiaolangdi Reservoir on the shaping of the main channel and suggest that under recent incoming flow and sediment conditions,it is possible to shape and maintain a medium-sized channel with a bankfull discharge of approximate 4,000 m³ s^-1.     

Ordovician radiolarians from the Yinisala ophiolitic melange and their significance in western Junggar,Xinjiang, NW China

The Yinisala ophiolitic mélange is located in the southern part of the Xiemisitai Mountains in western Junggar(NW China), and is composed of mafic-ultra mafic rocks, siliceous blocks, marble(marbleized limestone) and pyroclastic rocks, which all crop out as faulted blocks. Rich radiolarian and sponge spicule fossils are found in the siliceous rock for the first time. There are six genera of radiolarians(including one gen. et sp. Indet.) belonging to two families: Inaniguttid gen. et sp. Indet., Inanigutta sp., Inanibigutta sp., Inanihella bakanasensis(Nazarov), Triplococcus acanthicus(Danelian and Popov), Antygopora sp., which are identified to be of late Early to Middle Ordovician age, representing the upper limit of the formation age of the Yinisala ophiolite mélange. The ophiolites were developed in the Early Cambrian-Middle Ordovician oceanic environment, probably an important part of the early Paleozoic Paleo-Asian Ocean, based on the composition and structure of the siliceous rock and associated deep-water fossils. The Yinisala, Taerbahatai, and Hongguleleng ophiolitic mélange belts can be correlated as a suite of unified subduction accretionary complex, which extends eastward to the eastern Junggar. We consider that there existed an ancient ocean connecting the east and west of northern Junggar in the Early Cambrian-Middle Ordovician.     

Effect of Miocene basaltic volcanism in Shanwang (Shandong Province, China) on environmental changes

Miocene(16―10 Ma) basalts,together with significantly well-preserved fossils(including animal and plant fossils) in the contemporaneously tephra-rich Maar sediments,are located in Shanwang volcanic region,Shandong Province,China.Distribution area of the basaltic eruption products is about 240 km2.Detailed field observations indicate that most of basaltic rocks are fissure eruptive products and some are central eruptives constrained by linear faults.The well-preserved fossils in the lacustrine deposits have been considered to be a result of mass mortalities.Based on physically volcanologic modeling results,eruption column of the basaltic fissure activities in the Shanwang volcanic region is estimated to have entered the stratosphere.Petrographic observations indicate that the basalts have porphyritic textures with phenocrysts of olivine,pyroxene,plagioclase feldspar and alkali feldspar setting in groundmass of plagioclase feldspar,alkali feldspar,quartz,apatite and glass.Based on observations of tephra,tuff and tuffites collected in the Maar sediments of the Shanwang area,we determined major element oxide concentrations and volatile composition of melt inclusions in phenocrysts and matrix glasses by electron microprobe analysis.Volatile(including S,Cl,F and H2O) concentrations erupted into the stratosphere were estimated by comparing pre-and post-eruptive volatile concentrations.Our determination results show that contents of S,Cl,F and H2O emitted into the stratosphere were 0.18%― 0.24%,0.03%―0.05%,0.03%―0.05% and 0.4%―0.6%,respectively,which was characterized by high-S contents erupted.Amounts of volatiles emitted in the Shanwang volcanic region are much higher than those in eruptions which had a substantial effect on climate and environment.According to the com-positions and amounts of the volatiles erupted from the Miocene basaltic volcanism in Shanwang,we propose a hypothesis that volatile-rich basaltic volcanism could result in the mass mortalities by in-jecting volatiles(e.g.,SO2,H2S,HCl,HF and H2O) into the stratosphere that would have triggered abrupt environmental changes(including formation of acid rain,temperature decline,ozone depletion,etc.) and altered lake chemistry,and subsequently volcanic ash fall buried and covered the dead animals and plants,forming well-preserved fossils in Shanwang Maar sediments.     

Life in extreme environments: Approaches to study life-environment co-evolutionary strategies

The term"extreme environments"describes the conditions that deviate from what mesophilic cells can tolerate.These conditions are"extreme"in the eye of mankind,but they may be suitable or even essential living conditions for most microorganisms.Hyperthermophilic microorganisms form a branch at the root of the phylogenetic tree,indicating that early life originated from extreme environments similar to that of modern deep-sea hydrothermal vents,which are characterized by high-temperature and oxygen-limiting conditions.During the inevitable cooling and gradual oxidation process on Earth,microorganisms developed similar mechanisms of adaptation.By studying modern extremophiles,we may be able to decode the mysterious history of their genomic evolution and to reconstruct early life.Because life itself is a process of energy uptake to maintain a dissipative structure that is not in thermodynamic equilibrium,the energy metabolism of microorganisms determines the pathway of evolution,the structure of an ecosystem,and the physiology of cells."Following energy"is an essential approach to understand the boundaries of life and to search for life beyond Earth.     

1989 Datong-Yanggao Earthquake with Ms=6.1

In this paper,the basic conditions and characteristics of the Datong-Yanggao earthquake are described in detail.The type of the earthquake,the aftershock activity,the earthquake trend,the characteristics of damage are analyzed and discussed.This earthquake belongs to a sequence of earthquake swarm type and is of the concentratedly occurring characteristics of several main shocks in a time sequence,and the aftershock activity was normally attenuated.Because of the unreasonable design of buildings and repeated vibration by several destructive main shocks within a short period,the damage in the high intensity region was aggravated.The analysis and the prediction procedure of the 1991 Datong-Yanggao earthquake(Ms=5.8)are also briefly given.     

Fossil gastropods from the MGS3 stratigraphic segment in the Salawusu River Valley and their climatic and environmental implications

Contemporaneous with MIS3, the MGS3 segment of the Milanggouwan stratigraphic section in the Salawusu River Valley, Mu Us Desert, China contains fossil gastropods (terrestrial and freshwater snails) in strata 33LS, 35LS, 37FL and 39LS. Examination of these fossils revealed 11 species belonging to 8 families and 10 genera. They can be classified as: (1) assemblage of Gyraulus and Galba mainly consisting of Gyraulus convexiusculus, Gyraulus sibiricus, Galba pervia and Galba superegra Gredler, etc. (2) assemblage of Vallonia mainly consisting of terrestrial snails, such as Vallonia patens, Pupilla muscorum and Discus paupe, etc. Based on the dating results, and the living habits, living conditions, and geographic distribution of their extant species, we suggest that: the ages of 33LS, 35LS, 37FL, and 39LS are 26000, 29000, 33000 and 38000 a, respectively, corresponding well to the interstadial period in GRIP 4, 5, 6 and 10 in terms of chronology and climatic characters; 33LS, 35LS and 39LS represent very warm-humid periods, while 37FL represents a less warm-humid period; the four periods of climatic fluctuations recorded in MGS3 were related to the strong impact of the summer monsoon in East Asia in Mu Us Desert of China during the interstadial of MIS3 on a global climatic background.     

A methodological approach for estimating turbidity in a river

During the operations of purging and disposal of sediments of a reservoir it is necessary to know the values of turbidity in the river downstream in natural condition,in the absence of dams or river training works.The paper shows that under these conditions the ratio of the average values of sediment discharge to the annual maximum value of water discharge is a function of the average annual turbidity.Turbidity can be considered as representative synthetic index of the climatic conditions,the lithological features and the land cover of the basin,and the geometric characteristics of the river network.The proposed relationship of sediment discharge as a function of water discharge were validated on the basis of data collected from different Italian regions that have very different morphological,geo-lithological and rainfall features and that are characterised by a basin area changing between a few dozen and thousands of square kilometres.The results can be considered satisfying.     

2.5D scattering of incident plane SV waves by a canyon in layered half-space

This paper presents a 2.5D scattering of incident plane SV waves by a canyon in a layered half-space by using the indirect boundary element method (IBEM). A free field response analysis is performed to provide the displacements and stresses on the boundary of the canyon where fictitious uniform moving loads are applied to calculate the Green’s functions for the displacements and stresses. The amplitudes of the loads are determined by the boundary conditions. The free field displacements are added to the fic...     

3D scattering of obliquely incident plane SV waves by an alluvial valley embedded in a fluid-saturated,poroelastic layered half-space

The indirect boundary element method is used to study the 3D dynamic response of an infinitely long alluvial valley embedded in a saturated layered half-space for obli- quely incident SV waves. A wave-number transform is first applied along the valley＇s axis to reduce a 3D problem to a 2D plane strain problem. The problem is then solved in the section perpendicular to the axis of the valley. Finally, the 3D dynamic responses of the valley are obtained by an inverse wave-number transform. The validity of the method is con- firmed by comparison with relevant results. The differences between the responses around the valley embedded in dry and in saturated poroelastic medium are studied, and the effects of drainage conditions, porosity, soil layer stiffness, and soil layer thickness on the dynamic response are dis- cussed in detail resulting in some conclusions.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN DYNAMIC FLOW CONDITIONS

1 INTRODUCTION Rivers as a source of life can at the same time impose devastating conditions on the environment. It is , therefore, imperative to analyse and predict river behaviour for different given conditions and engineering activities. Therefore, the use of simulation tools in this field has become a necessity. Many computational tools for simulation of sediment transport in rivers are now available that can be used for prediction and design under different flow conditions. However, …     

Geomorphic evidence of ancient catastrophic flow type landslides in the mid-mountain ridges of the Western Flysch Carpathian Mountains （Czech Republic）

Ancient flow type landslides are relatively frequent fossil forms of the relief in mid-mountain conditions of the Czech Carpathian Mountains. Sixty rather distinctive displays of debris flows, rock avalanches, and debris avalanches have been mapped in the uppermost part of the territory. Unlike contemporary sporadic and low volume debris flows, ancient （Pleistocene and Lower Holocene） accumulations are a few orders of magnitude more extensive and were of considerable geomorphologic significance in forming the steep sections of mountain valleys and slopes. This geomorphic pattern does not hold for flow type slides, the source of which is material released as a consequence of numerous deep-seated landslides. Due to deep disruption of slopes, a few high-magnitude flow type landslides （e.g., rock avalanches）, quite rare in flysch mid-mountain conditions, also occurred in the Late Holocene.     

A process-based model for sediment transport under various wave and current conditions

The purpose of this study is to investigate the capability of a newly developed process-based model for sediment transport under a wide variety of wave and current conditions.The model is based on the first-order boundary layer equation and the sediment advection-diffusion equation.In particular,a modified low Reynolds number k-e model is coupled to provide the turbulence closure.Detailed model verifications have been performed by simulating a number of laboratory experiments,covering a considerable range of hydrodynamic conditions such as sinusoidal waves,asymmetric waves and wave-current interactions.The model provides satisfactory numerical results which agree well with the measured results,including the time-averaged/dependent sediment concentration profiles and sediment flux profiles,as well as the time series of concentration at given elevations.The observed influences of wave orbital velocity amplitude,wave period and sediment grain size are correctly reproduced,indicating that the fundamental physical mechanisms of those processes are properly represented in the model.It is revealed that the present model is capable of predicting sediment transport under a wide range of wave and current conditions,and can be used to further study the morphodynamic processes in real coastal regions.     

Geobiological processes of the formation of lacustrine source rock in Paleogene

Gypsum-salt rocks and coccolith calcareous shale are widely deposited in the lower part of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Sag,Shandong Province.The gypsum-salt rock is believed to be formed during the earlier deposition in salt lake,while the overlying coccolith shale in saline lake with relatively low salinity.By comparing the lake environment and lacustrine microbial communities between ancient and recent lakes,cyanobacteria are regarded as the main representative of productivity during the formation of gypsum-salt strata series,with the annual productivity of 1500-2000 gC m-2 yr-1.Based on the research of ultramicrofossils in the calcareous shale,coccolith is considered as the main contributor to the productivity during the formation of calcareous shale.On the basis of statistic data of sedimentary rates,shale laminations,and coccolith fossils in each lamination,the quantitative value of productivity is calculated,with the annual productivity of 2250-3810gC m-2 yr-1(averagely 3120 gC m-2 yr-1).Statistic data of large amount of pyrite framboids indicate that the lower water column was persistently in sulfidic or anoxic conditions during the deposition of gypsum-salt strata series,but it changed to be dysoxic when the coccolith calcareous shale was deposited.Both of these water conditions are favorable for the preservation of organic matter.It is estimated that the organic carbon burial efficiency of the Lower Paleogene salt lakes and saline lakes of Dongying Depression is about 10%-15%,which is calculated and analyzed using the multi-parameter geobiological model.     

水库大容量气枪震源激发条件优化实验研究

Through manual pickup of seismic phases,the number of recording stations,the farthest observation distance of station and received energy are determined,then optimal operating condition processing software is developed to evaluate the excitation effect of operating conditions. The optimal operating conditions in the Mianhuatan Reservoir are determined using this software. They are: optimal water depth 25 m,airgun array sink depth 9m and airgun array size 7m × 7m. At the same time,accumulative stacking results for every 10 times are analyzed for 300 fixed-point excitations. It is concluded that the excitation effect shows a rapidly rising trend at 10 to 90 times stacking,a slowly rising trend at 100 to 150 times stacking,a rapidly rising trend at 160 to 240 times stacking,and a slowly rising trend at 250 to 300 times stacking. As the number of stacking increases,the propagation distance and the number of recording stations also increase gradually.