Impact of regional mantle flow on subducting plate geometry and interplate stress: insights from physical modelling

Physical models of subduction investigate the impact of regional mantle flow on the structure of the subducted slab and deformation of the downgoing and overriding plates. The initial mantle flow direction beneath the overriding plate can be horizontal or vertical, depending on its location with respect to the asthenospheric flow field. Imposed mantle flow produces either over or underpressure on the lower surface of the slab depending on the initial mantle flow pattern (horizontal or vertical, respectively). Overpressure promotes shallow dip subduction while underpressure tends to steepen the slab. Horizontal mantle flow with rates of 1–10 cm yr⁻¹ provides sufficient overpressure on a dense subducting lithosphere to obtain a subduction angle of  ∼60°  , while the same lithospheric slab sinks vertically when no flow is imposed. Vertical drag force (due to downward mantle flow) exerted on a slab can result in steep subduction if the slab is neutrally buoyant but fails to produce steep subduction of buoyant oceanic lithosphere. The strain regime in the overriding plate due to the asthenospheric drag force depends largely on slab geometry. When the slab dip is steeper than the interplate zone, the drag force produces negative additional normal stress on the interplate zone and tensile horizontal stress in the overriding plate. When the slab dip is shallower than the interplate zone, an additional positive normal stress is produced on the interplate zone and the overriding plate experiences additional horizontal compressive stress. However, the impact of the mantle drag force on interplate pressure is small compared to the influence of the slab pull force since these stress variations can only be observed when the slab is dense and interplate pressure is low.     

Particle size and sorting characteristics of sand in transport on the stoss slope of a small reversing dune

Studies of the particle size and sorting characteristics of sand on the stoss slope of a 6-m high reversing dune show that the sand in transport is generally finer and better sorted than surface sand at the same position on the slope. The sand in transport becomes coarser and more poorly sorted as wind speed and rates of mass transport increase toward the dune crest. These patterns reflect changes in the competence of the wind, which is capable of transporting larger grains and a wider range of grain sizes as its speed increases in space and time. Our field observations suggest that the particle size and sorting characteristics of surface sand are highly dependent on antecedent wind conditions and are not an invariant property of the dune, as is widely assumed. The wide range of particle sizes on the surface, as well as its change through time, also has important implications for modeling sediment transport on dunes. Transport thresholds may vary by as much as 30% on the stoss slope of the study dune.     

An overview of the spatial patterns of land surface processes over arid and semiarid regions

With data from the project Collaborative Observation of Semi-arid/Arid Regions in North China, collected during July and September 2008, the spatial patterns of land surface processes over arid and semiarid regions have been investigated based on the ordinary Kriging interpolation approach. Generally, for the radiation processes, downward and upward short-wave radiation have a uniformly increasing trend with latitude, but the spatial patterns of long-wave radiation present notable regional differences: both upward and downward long-wave radiation increase with latitude in the west of North China, while in the east they vary inversely with latitude, suggesting surface temperature and clouds respectively have feedbacks to the long-wave radiation in the west and east of North China. The surface net radiation basically has a negative latitudinal trend. Long-wave radiation budget plays an important role in the spatial pattern of surface net radiation, particularly in the east of North China, although short-wave radiation budget largely determines the magnitude of surface net radiation. For the energy processes, latent and sensible heat flux varies conversely with latitude: more available land surface energy is consumed by evaporating soil water at lower latitudes while more is used for heating the atmosphere at higher latitudes. A soil heat flux maximum and minimum are found in Loess Plateau and Qinghai Plateau respectively, and a maximum is seen in the northeast China.     

Seismic evidence for a sharp lithospheric base persisting to the lowermost mantle beneath the Caribbean

Broad-band data from South American earthquakes recorded by Californian seismic networks are analysed using a newly developed seismic wave migration method—the slowness backazimuth weighted migration (SBWM). Using the SBWM, out-of-plane seismic P -wave reflections have been observed. The reflection locations extend throughout the Earth's lower mantle, down to the core–mantle boundary (CMB) and coincide with the edges of tomographically mapped high seismic velocities. Modelling using synthetic seismograms suggests that a narrow (10–15 km) low- or high-velocity lamella with about 2 per cent velocity contrast can reproduce the observed reflected waveforms, but other explanations may exist. Considering the reflection locations and synthetic modelling, the observed out-of-plane energy is well explained by underside reflections off a sharp reflector at the base of the subducted lithosphere. We also detect weaker reflections corresponding to the tomographically mapped top of the slab, which may arise from the boundary between the Nazca plate and the overlying former basaltic oceanic crust. The joint interpretation of the waveform modelling and geodynamic considerations indicate mass flux of the former oceanic lithosphere and basaltic crust across the 660 km discontinuity, linking processes and structure at the top and bottom of the Earth's mantle, supporting the idea of whole mantle convection.     

Turf exfoliation in the high Drakensberg, Southern Africa

Limited research attention has focussed on turf exfoliation as a denudation process in mountain environments. This paper examines some characteristics of turf exfoliation forms identified within particular valley zones in the Drakensberg alpine belt. Morphological and sedimentological data are presented for turf exfoliated sites investigated in the Mashai Valley of eastern Lesotho. It is found that a variety of processes, including needle ice action, biological activity, fluvial processes and deflation, operating synergistically, are responsible for contemporary turf exfoliation in the high Drakensberg. It is apparent that the strong seasonality from mild, wet summers to cold, dry winters has helped induce the annual cycle of dominating processes.     

Seismic moment release during slab rupture beneath the Banda Sea

The highest intermediate depth moment release rates in Indonesia occur in the slab beneath the largely submerged segment of the Banda arc in the Banda Sea to the east of Roma, termed the Damar Zone. The most active, western-part of this zone is characterized by downdip extension, with moment release rates (∼10¹⁸ Nm yr^–1 per 50 km strike length) implying the slab is stretching at ∼10⁻¹⁴ s⁻¹ consistent with near complete slab decoupling across the 100–200 km depth range. Differential vertical stretching along the length of the Damar Zone is consistent with a slab rupture front at ∼100–200 km depth beneath Roma propagating eastwards at ∼100 km Myr^–1. Complexities in the slab deformation field are revealed by a narrow zone of anomalous in-plane P -axis trends beneath Damar, where subhorizontal constriction suggests extreme stress concentrations ∼100 km ahead of the slab rupture front. Such stress concentrations may explain the anomalously deep ocean gateways in this region, in which case ongoing slab rupture may have played a key role in modulating the Indonesian throughflow in the Banda Sea over the last few million years.     

工艺和生产方式(PPMs)对国际贸易的影响和对策

WTO成员方是否能以保护环境为由,对通过污染型工艺和方式生产的产品在进口时采取限制或禁止措施,这是国际贸易与环境领域关注的焦点.本文对工艺和生产方式相关的概念、边境贸易措施、WTO/GATT规则及其发展趋势等作了深入研究和探讨,分析了PPMs措施扩大应用的可能性及对发展中国家的影响,并提出了应对措施建议.     

飞云江下游河道特性及治理开发的可行性

本文通过飞云江下游河道特性分析，预测其上游珊溪水利枢纽工程及滩脚引水工程兴建后，河道的再造床过程，并对其经潮河口段的裁弯工程，航道治理，港口建设的可行性作了综合评价。     

基于空间变差函数的新疆县域产业结构格局演化

以1975—2010年间8个年份的产业数据为基础,在ArcGIS的支持下,运用空间变差函数和克里格(Kriging)插值相结合的方法,研究了"五五"—"十一五"时期新疆县域产业结构分布的时空格局演化特征及其机理。结果表明:新疆县域产业结构水平分布的空间相关性和自组织性较强,由空间自相关引起的结构化分异也十分明显,但空间关联效应的作用范围有减小趋势。2000年以前,基台值逐渐增大,而块金值和块金系数不断降低;之后,出现前者减小,后两者逐渐增大的趋势。这反映出前期(1975—2000年)县域产业结构的空间差异性不断增强,结构化分异对其影响日趋增大;而后期(2000—2010年)差异性减弱,随机性因素的影响逐渐增强。东南—西北方向的产业结构水平均质性最好,而东北—西南方向上异质性显著,形成"高原—平原—洼地"的阶梯结构,成为推动新疆产业格局演化的主要作用方向。"五五"—"九五"期间,东北—西南方向区域间产业结构水平的差距日趋拉大。产业结构的"高原"面不断扩大至北疆、东疆的大部分区域,其峰值经历了"单簇峰→扩展三峰鼎立→连接天山北坡产业峰值带"的空间演化过程。而"洼地"范围变化较小,主要集中在南疆的阿克苏西南部、和田、喀什地区。"十五"时期以来,东北—西南方向区域间产业结构水平的差异性有所减小,"高原"面基本不变,但"洼地"范围明显向西南方向缩小至喀什地区,促使"平原"面范围不断扩大。资源禀赋、区位条件、历史基础和区域政策环境是促使产业结构时空格局发生演化的重要因子,其中改革开放、西部大开发等国家重大战略对新疆产业空间格局演化的推动作用较为明显。     

亚热带山区泥石流的形成过程

本文应用地貌学、水文学等方法进行了泥石流源地分类,阐述了各类源地泥石流形成过程,分析了各类源地的地貌演变对泥石流形成过程的影响。     

Comment on 'Consequences of progressive eclogitization on crustal exhumation, a mechanical study' by H. Raimbourg, L. Jolivet and Y. Leroy

Two simple end-member models of a subduction channel have been proposed in the literature: (i) the 'pressure-imposed' model for which the pressure within the channel is assumed to be lithostatic, the channel walls have negligible strength with respect to lateral pressure gradients, and the channel geometry therefore varies with time and (ii) the 'geometry-imposed' model of constant channel geometry, rigid walls and resultant lateral variation in pressure. Neither of these models is realistic, but they provide lower and upper bounds to potential pressure distributions in natural subduction zones. The critical parameter is the relative strength of the confining plates, reflected in the effective viscosity ratio between the channel fill and the walls. The assertion that the 'geometry-imposed' model is internally inconsistent is incorrect—it merely represents one bound to possible behaviour and a bound that may be approached for realistic values of the effective viscosity for weak channel fill (e.g. unconsolidated ocean-floor sediments) and relatively cold and strong subducting and overriding lithospheric plates.     

Magnetostratigraphy of the Qiliting section (SE China) and its implication for geochronology of the red soil sequences in southern China

The red soil sequences in southern and southeastern China provide important terrestrial archives of palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment and are important sources of Palaeolithic settlements and, therefore, early human occupation. Here we present detailed palaeomagnetic investigation coupled with mineral magnetic and petrographic analyses of a red soil sequence at Qiliting, southeastern China. The sediments contain both strongly magnetic minerals (such as maghemite and magnetite) and weakly magnetic minerals (such as haematite and possibly goethite). Maghemite and haematite were identified as the main carriers of the natural remnant magnetisations. Only haematite dominates the characteristic remnant magnetisations. Palaeomagnetic findings suggest that the Qiliting sedimentary sequence recorded the early Brunhes Chron and the late Matuyama Chron, including the Jaramillo Subchron. Our finding, coupled with previously published magnetostratigraphy, establishes that the red soil sequences in southern China began to accumulate no later than the Jaramillo age (i.e. ∼1.0 Ma). It is further suggested that the capabilities of recording magnetic polarity stratigraphy in Chinese red soil sequences are variable between areas because of different climate regimes.     

Gravitational torque on the inner core and decadal polar motion

A decadal polar motion with an amplitude of approximately 25 milliarcsecs (mas) is observed over the last century, a motion known as the Markowitz wobble. The origin of this motion remains unknown. In this paper, we investigate the possibility that a time-dependent axial misalignment between the density structures of the inner core and mantle can explain this signal. The longitudinal displacement of the inner core density structure leads to a change in the global moment of inertia of the Earth. In addition, as a result of the density misalignment, a gravitational equatorial torque leads to a tilt of the oblate geometric figure of the inner core, causing a further change in the global moment of inertia. To conserve angular momentum, an adjustment of the rotation vector must occur, leading to a polar motion. We develop theoretical expressions for the change in the moment of inertia and the gravitational torque in terms of the angle of longitudinal misalignment and the density structure of the mantle. A model to compute the polar motion in response to time-dependent axial inner core rotations is also presented. We show that the polar motion produced by this mechanism can be polarized about a longitudinal axis and is expected to have decadal periodicities, two general characteristics of the Markowitz wobble. The amplitude of the polar motion depends primarily on the Y ¹₂ spherical harmonic component of mantle density, on the longitudinal misalignment between the inner core and mantle, and on the bulk viscosity of the inner core. We establish constraints on the first two of these quantities from considerations of the axial component of this gravitational torque and from observed changes in length of day. These constraints suggest that the maximum polar motion from this mechanism is smaller than 1 mas, and too small to explain the Markowitz wobble.     

汉江三角洲结构与时空过程

汉江三角洲开发较早,生产水平较高,人文地貌景观十分触目,自然本色大为改观。本文通过汉江三角洲系统空间结构的形成和时空过程分析,揭示其天然结构自组织的趋向性,指出其流通系统（河湖布局结构）自动调整与人工调整之间存在着某些方向性的差异。为建立汉江三角洲表层动态平衡系统提供导向性信息,为三角洲区域协调发展提供科学依据。