Research on the dynamics of the South China Sea opening:Evidence from analogue modeling

Independent of Indochina extrusion, the South China Sea experienced a process from passive continental rifting to marginal sea drifting. According to the fault patterns in the Beibu Gulf basin and the Pearl River Mouth basin, the continental rifting and early spreading stage from 32 to 26 Ma were controlled by extensional stress field, which shifted clockwise from southeastward to south southeastward. From 24 Ma on, the sea spread in NW-SE direction and ceased spreading at around 15.5 Ma. Integrated geological information with the assumption that the South China Sea developed along a pre-Cenozoic weakness zone, we did analogue experiments on the South China Sea evolu- tion. Experiments revealed that the pre-existing weakness zone goes roughly along the uplift zone between the present Zhu-1 and Zhu-2 depression. The pre-existing weakness zone is composed of three segments trending NNE, roughly EW and NEE, respectively. The early opening of the South China Sea is accompanied with roughly 15° clockwise rotation, while the SE sub-sea basin opened with SE extension. Tinjar fault was the western boundary of the Nansha block (Dangerous Ground), while Lupar fault was the eastern boundary of the Indochina, NW-trending rift belt known as Zengmu basin developed between above two faults due to block divergent of Indochina from Nansha. In the experiment, transtensional flower structures along NW-trending faults are seen, and slight inversion occurs along some NE-dipping faults. The existence of rigid massifs changed the orientations of some faults and rift belt, and also led to deformation concentrate around the massifs. The rifting and drifting of the South China Sea might be caused by slab pull from the proto South China Sea subducting toward Borneo and/or mantle flow caused by India-Asia collision.     

Sensitivity and fuzzy uncertainty analyses in the determination of SCS-CN parameters from rainfall–runoff data

Spatial and seasonal variations of curve number (CN) and initial abstraction ratio (λ) in a watershed can result in inaccurate runoff volume estimations when using the US Natural Resources Conservation Service (SCS-CN) method with constant values for these parameters. In this paper, parameters of CN and λ are considered as calibration parameters and the sensitivity of estimated runoff to these parameters using the SCS-CN method is scrutinized. To incorporate the uncertainty associated with CN and λ, fuzzy linear regression (FLR) is applied to derive the relationships of CN and λ with rainfall depth (P) by employing a large dataset of storm events from four watersheds in Iran. Results indicate that the proposed approach provides more accuracy in estimation of runoff volume compared to the SCS method with constant values of CN and λ, and gives a straightforward technique for evaluating the hydrological effects of CN, λ, and P on runoff volume.     

Oceanic environmental changes of subarctic Bering Sea in recent 100 years: Evidence from molecular fossils

The objectives of the past studies of global cli-matological changes were to obtain and interpret in-formation about various macroclimates and paleoenvi-ronments, and to understand changing processes andmechanisms of the global system environment, so asto provide basic materials for establishing a physicalmodel of forecasting climate environment. To reduceuncertainty of forecast, it is particularly important totake variation sequences in short dimension and highresolution in global climatologic…     

Lateral spreading: Evidence and interpretation from the 2010–2011 Christchurch earthquakes

In the 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes widespread liquefaction occurred over nearly half of the urban area of Christchurch. The most severe damage to buildings and infrastructure was often associated with lateral spreading and consequent large ground distortion and permanent ground displacements. This paper presents analysis, results and interpretation of lateral spreads using measurements from detailed ground surveying at a large number of locations along the Avon River. Classification of lateral spreads based on the magnitude and spatial distribution of permanent ground displacements is first presented, and then key characteristics of soil layers and ground conditions associated with different classes of lateral spreads are identified and discussed. Evidence of both global effects from topographic features and local effects related to density, thickness and continuity of critical layers is presented highlighting the need for a systematic approach in the engineering evaluation of lateral spreading in which particular attention is given to key factors governing lateral spreading.     

Paleoclimate evolution and aridification mechanism of the eastern Tethys during the Callovian–Oxfordian: evidence from geochemical records of the Qiangtang Basin,Tibetan Plateau

Global climate during the Jurassic has been commonly described as a uniform greenhouse climate for a long time.However,the climate scenario of a cool episode during the Callovian-Oxfordian transition following by a warming trend during the Oxfordian(163.53 to157.4 Ma) is documented in many localities of the western Tethys.It is still unclear if a correlatable climate scenario also occurred in the eastern Tethys during the same time interval.In this study,a detailed geochemical analysis on the 1060 m thick successions(the Xiali and Suowa formations) from the Yanshiping section of the Qiangtang Basin,located in the eastern Tethys margin during the Callovian-Oxfordian periods,was performed.To reveal the climate evolution of the basin,carbonate content and soluble salt concentrations(SO_4~(2-),Cl~-) were chosen as climatic indices.The results show that the overall climate patterns during the deposition of the Xiali and Suowa formations can be divided into three stages:relatively humid(～164.0 to 160.9 Ma),dry(～160.9 to159.6 Ma),semi-dry(～159.6 to 156.8 Ma).A similar warming climate scenario also occurred in eastern Tethys during the Callovian-Oxfordian transition(～160.9 to159.6 Ma).Besides,we clarify that the Jurassic True polar wander(TPW),the motion of the lithosphere and mantle with respect to Earth's spin axis,inducing climatic shifts were responsible for the aridification of the Qiangtang Basin during the Callovian-Oxfordian transition with a review of the paleolatitude of the Xiali formation(19.7+2.8/-2.6° N) and the Suowa formation(20.7+4.1/-3.7° N).It is because the TPW rotations shifted the East Asia blocks(the North and South China,Qiangtang,and Qaidam blocks) from the humid zone to the tropical/subtropical arid zone and triggered the remarkable aridification during the Middle-Late Jurassic(ca.165-155 Ma).     

Deep water gravity core from the Marsili Basin (Tyrrhenian Sea) records Pleistocenic–Holocenic explosive events and instability of the Aeolian Archipelago, (Italy)

A 4.8 m long gravity core was recovered on a relative topographic high in the northern part of the Marsili Basin (southern Tyrrhenian Sea) at a water depth of 3200 m. The core was taken in order to decipher the sedimentary record of the past volcanic events of the nearby Aeolian arc. A succession of thin (2 cm to 5 cm thick) fine-grained turbidites, mainly of volcaniclastic origin, topped by hemipelagic mud layers and a number of primary tephra layers were recovered by the core. The most prominent turbidite occurs in the lower part of the core at 385 cm. It consists of a 20 cm-thick, thinning-upward, pebble to sand-sized bed.     

Calibration of a rainfall–runoff model at regional scale by optimising river discharge statistics: Performance analysis for the average/low flow regime

Traditional procedures for rainfall–runoff model calibration are generally based on the fit of individual values of simulated and observed hydrographs. We use here an alternative option that is carried out by matching, in the optimisation process, a set of streamflow statistics. Such an approach has the significant advantage to enable also a straightforward regional calibration of model parameters, based on the regionalisation of the selected statistics. The minimisation of the set of objective functions is carried out by using the AMALGAM algorithm, leading to the identification of behavioural parameter sets. The procedure is applied to a set of river basins located in central Italy: the basins are treated alternatively as gauged and ungauged and, as a term of comparison, the results obtained with a traditional time-domain calibration are also presented. With respect to previous applications of analogous procedures, we investigate here the identification of the target statistics depending on the purposes of the application, and in particular when the focus is on the reproduction of the low-flows. The results show that a suitable choice of the statistics to be optimised leads to interesting results in real world case studies as far as the reproduction of the different flow regimes is concerned.     

Grain-size records at ODP Site 1146 from the northern South China Sea: Implications on the East Asian monsoon evolution since 20 Ma

273 samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1146 in the northern South China Sea (SCS) were analyzed for grain-size distributions using grain-size class vs. standard deviation method and end-member modeling algorithm (EMMA) in order to investigate the evolution of the East Asian monsoon since about 20 Ma. 10–19 μm/1.3–2.4 μm, the ratio of two grain-size populations with the highest variability through time was used to indicate East Asian winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The mass accumulation rate of the coarsest end member EM1 (eolian), resulting from EMMA, can be used as a proxy of winter monsoon strength and Asian inland aridity, and the ratio of EM1/(EM2 EM3) as a proxy of winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon. The combined proxies show that a profound enhancement of East Asian winter monsoon strength and winter monsoon intensity relative to summer monsoon occurred at about 8 Ma, and it is possible that the summer monsoon simultaneously intensified with winter monsoon at 3 Ma. Our results are well consistent with the previous studies in loess, eolian deposion in the Pacifc, radiolarians and planktonic foraminifera in the SCS. The phased uplift of the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau may have played a significant role in strengthening the Asian monsoon at 8 Ma and 3 Ma.     

Comparison of the geophysical excitations of polar motion from the period: 1980.0–2009.0

In this study we compared contributions to polar motion excitation determined separately from each of three kinds of geophysical data: atmospheric pressure, equivalent water height estimated from hydrological models, and harmonic coefficients of the Earth gravity field obtained from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Hydrological excitation function (Hydrological Angular Momentum — HAM) has been estimated from models of global hydrology, based on the observed distribution of surfacewater, snow, ice, and soil moisture. In our considerationwe used several global models of land hydrosphere and models ofAtmospheric Angular Momentum (AAM) and Oceanic Angular Momentum (OAM). All of themwere compared with observed Geodetic Angular Momentum (GAM). The spectra of the following excitation functions of polar motion: GAM, AAM+OAM, AAM+OAM+HAM, GAM-AAM-OAM residual geodetic excitation function, and HAM were computed too. The time variable spectra of geodetic, gravimetric, and the sum of atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrological excitation functions are also presented. Phasor diagrams of the seasonal components of polar motion excitation functions of all HAM excitation functions as well as of two GRACE solutions: Center for Space Research (CSR), Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales/Groupe de Recherche en Geodesie Spatiale (CNES/GRGS) were determined and discussed.     

Bounds on the Time–history and Holocene Mass Budget of Antarctica from Sea–level Records in SE Tunisia

Solving the sea–level equation for a Maxwell Earth, we analyze the sensitivity of Holocene sea–level records in SE Tunisia to the time–history of remote ice sheets. Assuming that mantle viscosity increases moderately with depth, we find that in this region the sea–level variations driven by the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets cancel, so that the late–Holocene sea–level high–stand suggested by the geological record merely reflects the melting history of Antarctica. New insight into the history of this ice sheet is obtained analyzing the information contained in a revised set of relative sea–level observations for sites across the Mediterranean covering the last 8 kyrs. From a trial–and–error misfit analysis, it holds true that in this region the match between model predictions and observations improves when the volume of water released from Antarctica is well below the value imposed by the ICE3G chronology and when a sudden meltwater pulse is allowed between 8 and 7 kyrs before present, corresponding to the epoch of the catastrophic rise event known as CRE3.     

Mesospheric planetary wave effects on global PMC variability inferred from AIM–CIPS and TIMED–SABER for the northern summer 2007 PMC season

Polar Mesospheric Cloud (PMC) observations from the Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument on the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft are used to investigate the role of planetary wave activity on global PMC variability in the summer polar mesosphere during the 2007 Northern hemisphere season. This is coupled with an analysis of contemporaneous measurements of atmospheric temperature by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument onboard the Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Mesosphere–Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) spacecraft to characterize the importance of temperature as a dominant forcing mechanism of the dynamical state of the summer polar mesosphere. The study confirms results from a recent study using PMC data from the Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) and temperature data from SABER, such that planetary wave activity is present in both PMCs and mesospheric temperature and that are strongly coherent and anti-correlated. The dominant wave present in the polar summer mesosphere in both PMCs and temperature is the 5-day wavenumber 1 Rossby normal mode. The maximum amplitude of the variation of the 5-day wave in temperature is small at 3 K but has a significant effect on PMC albedo. The phase relationship between PMC and temperature is variable between 150° and 180° out of phase, with PMC albedo reaching a maximum ～10 h before the minimum in temperature. We have identified two additional waves, the westward propagating 2-day wavenumber 2 (2DW2) and the eastward propagating 2-day wavenumber 1 (2DE1) are both present in PMC and temperature variability in the 2007 NH season. The 2DW2 wave is consistent with a Rossby normal mode excited by the instability in the zonal mean zonal wind. However, the source of the 2DE1 wave could be a nonlinear interaction of the 2DW2 with the migrating diurnal tide. This is the first time these two wave features have been detected in coincident PMC and temperature measurements. Analysis of the zonal variation of PMC occurrence and temperature shows they are also anti-correlated and supporting the conclusion that temperature is an important forcing mechanism in zonal variability.     

Lessons from water scarcity of the 2008–2009 Gwangdong reservoir: needs to address drought management with the adaptiveness concept

Numerous publications document increasing consensus in the scientific community that climate change will increase the severity and frequency of drought. However, constructing large infrastructures is often viewed as an unreliable and inefficient option in dealing with the problem of drought, owing to unpredictability of climate change. This study aims at illustratively presenting that there is much room to improve drought management without resorting solely to infrastructure options. The adaptiveness concept is first explained to examine the reasons of failure in drought management and appropriate options from the viewpoint of a systems approach. Thereafter, a Korean water scarcity case is defined as the system dynamics model. The model is implemented to include movement of water via the reservoir and water supply facilities, the operating rules of the reservoir, and the relation between water scarcity and customer stress. Simulation results demonstrate that adaptiveness of drought management was low because of untimely or limited options of the reservoir operator. They also show that most customer stress could be largely mitigated by two options chosen from the adaptiveness concept. It is finally concluded that drought management needs to be addressed with consideration of the adaptiveness concept before deciding solely on expansion of infrastructure upon facing challenges due to climate change.     

Groundwater–surface water interactions in a river estuary and the importance of geomorphology: Insights from hydraulic,thermal and geophysical observations

This study presents the groundwater flow and salinity dynamics along a river estuary, the Werribee River in Victoria, Australia, at local and regional scales. Along a single reach, salinity across a transverse section of the channel (~80 m long) with a point bar was monitored using time-lapse electrical resistivity (ER) through a tidal cycle. Groundwater fluxes were concurrently estimated by monitoring groundwater levels and temperature profiles. Regional porewater salinity distribution was mapped using 6-km long longitudinal ER surveys during summer and winter. The time-lapse ER across the channel revealed a static electrically resistive zone on the side of the channel with a pronounced cut bank. Upward groundwater flux and steep vertical temperature gradients with colder temperatures deeper within the sediment suggested a stable zone of fresh groundwater discharge along this cut bank area. Generally, less resistive zones were observed at the shallow portion of the inner meander bank and at the channel center. Subsurface temperatures close to surface water values, vertical head gradients indicating both upward and downward groundwater flux, and higher porewater salinity closer to that of estuary water suggest strong hyporheic circulation in these zones. The longitudinal surveys revealed higher ER values along deep and sinuous segments and low ER values in shallow and straighter reaches in both summer and winter; these patterns are consistent with the local channel-scale observations. This study highlights the interacting effects of channel morphology, broad groundwater–surface water interaction, and hyporheic exchange on porewater salinity dynamics underneath and adjacent to a river estuary.     

Crossing the rural–urban boundary in hydrological modelling: How do conceptual rainfall–runoff models handle the specificities of urbanized catchments?

Landscape differences induced by urbanization have prompted hydrologists to define a fuzzy boundary between rural- and urban-specific hydrological models. We addressed the validity of establishing this boundary, by testing two rural models on a large sample of 175 French and United States (US) urbanized catchments, and their 175 rural neighbours. The impact of urbanization on the hydrological behaviour was checked using four metrics. Using a split-sample test, we have compared the performances, parameter distributions, and internal fluxes of GR4H and IHACRES, two conceptual and continuous models running at the hourly time step. Both model structures are based on soil moisture accounting reservoirs (infiltration, runoff, and actual evapotranspiration) and quick flow/slow flow routing components, with no consideration of any specific feature related to urbanization. Results showed: (a) Except for the ratio of streamflow flashiness to precipitation flashiness, the range of hydrological signature metrics in rural catchments encompassed the specificities of urbanized ones. Overall, the urbanized catchments showed higher ratios of mean streamflow to mean precipitation (median values: 0.39 vs. 0.27) and streamflow flashiness to precipitation flashiness (0.13 vs. 0.03), besides lower baseflow index (0.42 vs. 0.62) and shorter characteristic response time (3 vs. 14 hr). (b) The performances of GR4H revealed no significant distinction between rural and urbanized catchments in terms of Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE), whereas IHACRES better simulated urbanized catchments, especially during summer. (c) With respect to differences in urbanization level, the GR4H and IHACRES parameters showed different distributions. The differences in parameters were consistent with the differences in hydrological behaviour, which is promising for a model-based assessment of the impact of urbanization. (d) The models agreed less in reproducing the internal fluxes over the urbanized catchments than over the rural ones. These results demonstrate the flexibility of conceptual models to handle the specificities of urbanized catchments.     

Deep structure of the North Vent Area, Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption of 1975–1976, Kamchatka: Evidence from low-frequency microseismic sounding

Studies were conducted to improve our knowledge of the deep structure of the magmatic system and the plumbing system for the North Vent, Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption of 1975–1976 based on recordings of background microseismic emission by broadband digital instruments along two parallel lines running through eruptive centers of various ages across the main magma-conducting fault. The method of low-frequency microseismic sounding was used for constructing deep sections down to a depth of 20 km, showing the shear-velocity distributions along these lines. Elements of the magmatic system were revealed beneath both vents in the form of low-velocity anomalies. We identified regions of magma chambers at different depths together with the channelways that connect these. It was found that magma might come to shallow chambers from different deep-seated sources along spatially isolated magma conduits, which is one of the possible causes of the variation in the basalt composition during the eruptions. For the zone of areal volcanism we are the first to demonstrate a change in magma-conducting conduits in the transition from the crystalline basement to the volcanogenic sedimentary rock sequence, with subvertical channels being replaced by inclined forms. It was shown that the elements of the magmatic system beneath both eruptive centers studied here are similar. It is hypothesized that there is a regularity in the configuration of plumbing systems in the middle part of the Tolbachik regional zone of areal volcanism.     

Seasonal variability of the organic matter in a sedimentary coastal environment: sources,degradation and accumulation (continental shelf of the Gulf of Lions—northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

The temporal variations of the superficial (0–1 cm) sedimentary organic matter were studied at a depth of 26 m on the continental shelf of the Gulf of Lions (northwestern Mediterranean). The samples were analyzed for total organic carbon, coarse organic carbon (>40 μm), hydrolyzable organic carbon, nitrogen, total amino acids, total and individual sugars (HPLC), lignin-derived compounds (HPLC) and kerogens (acid-soluble, humic substances and humin). Seasonal variations of the organic compounds are related to the sedimentological, hydrodynamical and physico-chemical environmental conditions.The mean annual values of the different organic compounds analyzed show the low quantities and their evolved character at the sediment-water interface: 0.5% total org C (TOC) (d.w.), 0.049% N (d.w.), $\text{C}\text{N}$: 11.2, coarse org C (COQ: 62% of TOC, hydrolyzable org C: 45% TOC. The labile compounds represent a low percentage of the total organic matter (TOM), amino-acids: 12% of TOM and sugars: 5% of TOM. The relative proportions of soluble (humic) and insoluble kerogens (humin), respectively 6% and 94% of TOC are typical of a highly evolved organic matter. The large contribution of plant remains confirmed by the high proportion of COC, corresponds to a low proportion of humic substances and a high degree of condensation ($\text{H}\text{C}\text{= 1.3}$). The infrared spectroscopy determination of the functional groups of the humic substances permits us to confirm both autochtonous (marine) and allochtonous (terrestrial) sources of organic matter in the Têt prodeltaïc accumulation area. Numerous functional groups identified reveal the fresh quality of the organic inputs at the sediment-water interface. Aliphaticity is well marked and nitrogenous compounds (1 and 2 amines) correspond to autochtonous production (in spring: phyto- and zoo-planktonic blooms in the euphotic zone; in summer: primary production under the thermocline and phytobenthic blooms). Sugars are well represented, but from two origins: phytoplanktonic, and issue from terrestrial high plants (ligno-cellulosic complexes). The aromatic functional groups are well identified (aromatic ether, phenol) as are the markers of a large contribution of terrestrial organic matter.The active hydrodynamical (resuspension) and biological, (consumption, bioturbation) events participate in the frequent reworking of the superficial deposits (muddy-silts) and, consequently, the active degradation (oxidization) of the organic matter. The more labile organic matter is rapidly consumed by the intense biological benthic activity. The organic C content is low (0.5% d.w.) except during the autumnal input (2.5% d.w.). This input (8 cm thick) disappears one month later, because of the resuspension induced by littoral currents. This same phenomenon induces during all the year the reworking of the first centimeter of the deposit. In terms of budget of the carbon cycle in the coastal area, this active hydrodynamical environment shows the supremacy of the carbon degradation over its burial.     

Neotectonic modelling of the western part of the Africa–Eurasia plate boundary: from the Mid-Atlantic ridge to Algeria

In this work we use the thin-shell approximation to model the neotectonics of the western part of the Africa–Eurasia plate boundary, extending from the Mid-Atlantic ridge to Tell Atlas (northern Algeria). Models assume a nonlinear rheology and include laterally variable heat flow, elevation, and crust and lithospheric mantle thickness. Including the Mid-Atlantic ridge permits us to evaluate the effects of ridge push and to analyse the influence of the North America motion on the area of the Africa–Eurasia plate boundary. Ridge push forces were included in a self-consistent manner and have been shown to exert negligible effects in the neotectonics of the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa. Different models were computed with systematic variation of the fault friction coefficient. Model quality was scored by comparing predictions of anelastic strain rates, vertically integrated stresses and velocity fields to data on seismic strain rate computed from earthquake magnitude, most compressive horizontal principal stress direction, and seafloor spreading rates on the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The best model scores were obtained with fault friction coefficients as low as 0.06–0.1. The velocity boundary condition representing spreading on the Mid-Atlantic ridge is shown to produce concentrated deformation along the ridge and to have negligible effect in the interior of the plates. However, this condition is shown to be necessary to properly reproduce the observed directions of maximum horizontal compression on the Mid-Atlantic ridge. The maximum fault slip rates predicted by the model are obtained along the Mid-Atlantic ridge, Terceira ridge and Tell Atlas front. Relatively high slip rates are also obtained in the area between the Gloria fault and the Gulf of Cadiz. We infer from our modelling a significant long-term seismic hazard for the Gloria fault, and interpret the absence of seismicity on this fault as possibly due to transient elastic strain accumulation. The present study has also permitted better understanding of the geometry of the Africa–Eurasia plate boundary from the Azores triple junction to the Algerian Basin. The different deformational styles seem to be related to the different types of lithosphere, oceanic or continental, in contact at the plate boundary.