The astrochemistry of life

There are many unanswered astronomical questions about the chemical basis of life; a meeting held in August this year by the Astrophysical Chemistry Group of the RAS and the Royal Society of Chemistry took as its starting point the understanding of a number of questions, and reviews of progress towards the answers, report Anita Richards and Peter Sarre .     

Groundwater microtemperature in earthquake regions

Microtemperature measurements of groundwater with a relative precision better than 1/1000°C have been made in several seismically active areas in Japan. The measured temperatures show clear coseismic signals as well as a correlation with atmospheric pressure. Simultaneous observations at various depths have shown that these temperature changes were not induced by simple groundwater level changes. Also, distinctive signals occurred before several earthquakes and seem to be caused by a different mechanism than the coseismic signals. The microtemperature at some observation sites shows excellent correlation with records of nearby sensitive borehole strainmeters. Simultaneous recording of microtemperature and strain has been initiated in some boreholes.     

Electromagnetic studies in geothermal regions

Surveys in Geophysics - During the past 25 yr, nearly all available electromagnetic and geoelectric techniques have been tested for their usefulness in geothermal exploration and exploitation....     

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy of alkali feldspars

²⁹Si,²⁷Al MAS NMR and IR spectra of rnonophase K-feldspars (sanidine, orthoclase and microcline) and Na-feldspars (monalbite, anorthoclase and low albite) in different structural states have been studied. The NMR and IR spectra of K-feldspars and Na-feldspars vary regularly along with their degrees of Si/Al ordering evolution. Si in orthoclase occupiesT _2m,T2o andT1m, and the high-temperature Na-feldspar (monalbite and anorthoclase) coincides in²⁹Si,²⁷Al NMR and IR spectra. Moreover, all the high-temperature Na-feldspars and sanidine have the same²⁷Al NMR and IR spectra. Project supported by the Foundation of Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atom and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Flow against dispersion in two-dimensional regions

In field applications, upstream spreading of contaminant plumes may be controlled by the flow of fresh water in a direction opposite to the dispersive expansion direction of the plume. In the current literature this type of control is identified as flow against dispersion or contrary flow. In this study analytic methods are used to investigate contrary flow conditions for two-dimensional applications. In particular, special attention is given to the dispersive spread of the contaminant plume in the transverse direction under equilibrium flow against dispersion. Typical problems analyzed emphasize the effect of adsorption and transverse dispersion on the overall control process. Problems analyzed indicate that equilibrium flow velocities deduced from one-dimensional analysis, which may balance the dispersive spread of the plume in the longitudinal direction, represent an over design condition when these equilibrium velocities are compared with the conditions generated from a two-dimensional model for a downstream source which is finite in the transverse direction.     

中国大陆东部强震区和火山区人工地震探测研究综述

介绍了东北、华北、华东和华南的强震区和火山区的地震测深研究成果,揭示了强震区和火山区的地壳深部构造背景.分析表明,地壳深部断裂、中下地壳低速层、速度结构的差异、波速比异常、泊松比和岩性的不同、上地幔顶部隆起、莫霍界面较大的起伏、复杂的壳幔过渡带、滑脱构造、深部岩浆活动等构造特征与东部地区强震形成和发生有较为密切的关系.     

Improving watershed management practices in humid regions

In many parts of the world, watershed management practices have been extremely effective. However, implementation of soil and water conservation technologies in the humid African highlands, while beneficial in the short term, were remarkably unsuccessful in the long term. Insights from community knowledge perspectives have revealed that alternative methods are needed. Although conservation practices are designed to conserve water in semi‐arid areas, safely draining excess water is needed in humid areas. The objective of this paper is to review current watershed management approaches used in humid regions as exemplified by those used in Ethiopian highlands and then based on these findings propose more effective practices. Although current government sponsored practices primarily protect the hillsides, direct run‐off is generated from areas that become saturated on valley bottoms near rivers and on specific parts of the hillsides with degraded soils (or with highly permeable surface soils) and with perched water tables on slowly permeable horizons at shallow depths. In these areas, direct run‐off is increasing with deforestation and the soil degradation, demanding additional drainage ways that evolve in the form of gullies. Therefore, watershed management interventions for erosion control should prioritize revegetation of degraded areas, increasing sustainable infiltration, and rehabilitating gullies situated at saturated bottomlands.     

Infiltration-recharge through wadi beds in arid regions

Abstract

Groundwater recharge in arid regions is intermittent and usually occurs as a result of flood flow transmission losses in dry wadi channels. Hydrograph characteristics play a dominant role in determining the amount of channel abstraction in relation to the width of the wetted perimeter and the time of inundation, and the subsequent groundwater recharge. Large variations in the magnitude of channel losses result mainly from the diversity in inflow volumes. The magnitude of groundwater recharge in relation to bed transmission losses is dependent on flood volume and duration, soil moisture content and physical soil profile characteristics. Runoff volume and duration are the dominant factors influencing the cumulative infiltrated volume and recharge to shallow water tables. Taking into consideration the influence of various hydrological and channel characteristics, several regression equations are suggested to estimate the transmission losses from a wadi bed and the groundwater recharge.     

中国大陆及周边地区1900年以来的地震活动特征

根据中国大陆及周边地区１９００年以来Ｍ≥６．９级地震资料,着重分析地震活动的时空分布特征。结果表明：研究区地震活动具有分区,分期特征,整个时段可划分为３个活跃期（幕）、第Ⅰ、Ⅱ活跃幕持续时间分别在３９和３２年左右,第Ⅲ活跃幕已持续了２２年,目前尚未结束,还可能延续１０－１７年左右;在时空域内,地震活动出现了分区集中和地区间的交替迁移以及平静与活跃的交替现象。每个活跃幕内,地震活动以多周期轮回的迁移     

Hydrograph and unit hydrograph derivation in arid regions

Arid and semi‐arid regions expose special hydrological features that are distinctive from humid areas. Unfortunately, humid‐region hydrological empirical formulations are used directly in the arid and semi‐arid regions without care about the basic assumptions. During any storm rainfall in arid regions, rainfall, infiltration and runoff components of the hydrological cycle have impacts on water resources. The basis of the methodology presented in this paper is the ratio of runoff increment to rainfall increment during an infinitesimally small time duration. This is the definition of runoff coefficient for the same infinitesimal time duration. The ratio is obtained through rational, physical and mathematical combination of hydrological thinking and then integrated with the classical infiltration equation for the hydrograph determination. The parameters of the methodology are explained and their empirical estimations are presented. The methodology works for rainfall and runoff from ungauged watersheds where infiltration measurement can be performed. The comparison of the new approach with different classical approaches, such as the rational formula and Soil Conservation Service method, are presented in detail. Its application is performed for two wadis within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Displacements of the earth's surface in seismic regions

am amuuma u mua u nmu a a¶rt;uau nu, an u aua u -a.     

Realistic modelling of shelf-estuary regions

A very high-resolution modelling configuration was created for the estuary of Baía de Todos os Santos – BTS, Brazil (300 to 400 m), and adjacent coastal waters (600 to 1200 m). The adoption of a multi-corner domain approach allowed the variable spatial resolution required to resolve the shelf, the bay and their interactions. Seven years were simulated using realistic oceanic, atmospheric and riverine forcing. Model validation was done against observations showing the model skill to reproduce the thermohaline field, the tidal currents, as well as the variability of the free surface at tidal and sub-tidal time scales. The results provide the first representation of the tidal wave propagation along the bay, in terms of maps of amplitudes, phases and ellipses of the barotropic currents for the main tidal constituents. By analysing the residual currents at different depths, in terms of averages over the simulation period, several prominent structures were identified and named: (i) Salvador eddy (up to 0.2 m s⁻¹); (ii) St Antonio current (up to 0.45 m s⁻¹); (iii) Salvador current (up to 0.5 m s⁻¹); (iv) Itaparica eddy (up to 0.2 m s⁻¹); (v) Ilha dos Frades southern eddy (up to 0.1 m s⁻¹); and (vi) Ilha dos Frades northern eddy (up to 0.2 m s⁻¹). The model set-up proved to be highly efficient and robust simulating the BTS shelf-estuary region and such an approach may be suitable to other estuarine systems.

     

Variations in fractal characteristics of active regions and flares

A multifractal analysis of the Hα images for an active region has been performed; the singularity spectra and segmented images for a narrow range of fractal dimensions have been computed for them. The segmented images show the presence of singular areas where the singularity index takes on maximum values. These areas mark the active sites of flares.     

Delineation of precipitation regions using location and atmospheric variables in two Canadian climate regions: the role of attribute selection

The identification of homogeneous precipitation regions is essential in the planning, design and management of water resources systems. Regions are identified using a technique that partitions climate sites into groups based on the similarity of their attributes; the procedure is known as regionalization. In this paper the ability of four attribute sets to form large, coherent precipitation zones is assessed in terms of the regional homogeneity of precipitation statistics and computational efficiency. The outcomes provide guidance for effective attribute selection for future studies in Canada. The attributes under consideration include location parameters (latitude, longitude), distance to major water bodies, site elevation and atmospheric variables modelled at different pressure levels. The analysis is conducted in two diverse climate regions within Canada including the Prairie and the Great Lakes–St Lawrence lowlands regions. The method consists of four main steps: (i) formation of the attribute sets; (ii) determination of the preferred number of regions (selection of the c-value) into which the sites are partitioned; (iii) regionalization of climate sites using the fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm; and (iv) validation of regional homogeneity using L-moment statistics. The results of the attribute formation, c-value selection, regionalization and validation processes are presented and discussed in a comparative analysis. Based on the results it is recommended for both regions to use location parameters including latitude, longitude and distance to water bodies (in the Great Lakes region) to form precipitation regions and to consider atmospheric variables for future (climate change) applications of the regionalization procedure.     

Dissolved organic carbon in permafrost regions: A review

A large quantity of organic carbon(C) is stored in northern and elevational permafrost regions. A portion of this large terrestrial organic C pool will be transferred by water into soil solution(～0.4 Pg C yr~(-1))(1 Pg=10~(15) g), rivers (～0.06 Pg C yr~(-1)),wetlands, lakes, and oceans. The lateral transport of dissolved organic carbon(DOC) is the primary pathway, impacting river biogeochemistry and ecosystems. However, climate warming will substantially alter the lateral C shifts in permafrost regions.Vegetation, permafrost, precipitation, soil humidity and temperature, and microbial activities, among many other environmental factors, will shift substantially under a warming climate. It remains uncertain as to what extent the lateral C cycle is responding,and will respond, to climate change. This paper reviews recent studies on terrestrial origins of DOC, biodegradability, transfer pathways, and modelling, and on how to forecast of DOC fluxes in permafrost regions under a warming climate, as well as the potential anthropogenic impacts on DOC in permafrost regions. It is concluded that:(1) surface organic layer, permafrost soils,and vegetation leachates are the main DOC sources, with about 4.72 Pg C DOC stored in the topsoil at depths of 0–1 m in permafrost regions;(2) in-stream DOC concentrations vary spatially and temporally to a relatively small extent (1–60 mg C L~(-1)) and annual export varies from 0.1–10 g C m~(-2) yr~(-1);(3) biodegradability of DOC from the thawing permafrost can be as high as 71%, with a median at 52%;(4) DOC flux is controlled by multiple factors, mainly including vegetation, soil properties,permafrost occurrence, river discharge and other related environmental factors, and(5) many statistical and process-based models have been developed, but model predictions are inconsistent with observational results largely dependent on the individual watershed characteristics and future discharge trends. Thus, it is still difficult to predict how future lateral C flux will respond to climate change, but changes in the DOC regimes in individual catchments can be predicted with a reasonable reliability. It is advised that sampling protocols and preservation and analysis methods should be standardized, and analytical techniques at molecular scales and numerical modeling on thermokarsting processes should be prioritized.     

广西及邻区地震活动特征

介绍了自公元288年以来广西及邻区地震活动的时间、空间、主压应力方向等特征，对未来地震趋势的正确判断具有一定的作用。     

Displacement-based design of RC bridge columns in seismic regions

This paper presents a seismic design philosophy based on displacements rather than forces. By inverting the seismic design process, a rational method is established where member strength and stiffness depend on the target displacement. A comprehensive procedure for displacement-based design of cantilever bridge columns is presented and verified by dynamic inelastic time history analysis. Parameter studies are used to examine the influence of several variables within the possible design solution space.     

Intensity attenuation for active crustal regions

We develop globally applicable macroseismic intensity prediction equations (IPEs) for earthquakes of moment magnitude M _W 5.0?C7.9 and intensities of degree II and greater for distances less than 300?km for active crustal regions. The IPEs are developed for two distance metrics: closest distance to rupture (R _rup) and hypocentral distance (R _hyp). The key objective for developing the model based on hypocentral distance??in addition to more rigorous and standard measure R _rup??is to provide an IPE which can be used in near real-time earthquake response systems for earthquakes anywhere in the world, where information regarding the rupture dimensions of a fault may not be known in the immediate aftermath of the event. We observe that our models, particularly the model for the R _rup distance metric, generally have low median residuals with magnitude and distance. In particular, we address whether the direct use of IPEs leads to a reduction in overall uncertainties when compared with methods which use a combination of ground-motion prediction equations and ground motion to intensity conversion equations. Finally, using topographic gradient as a proxy and median model predictions, we derive intensity-based site amplification factors. These factors lead to a small reduction of residuals at shallow gradients at strong shaking levels. However, the overall effect on total median residuals is relatively small. This is in part due to the observation that the median site condition for intensity observations used to develop these IPEs is approximately near the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program CD site-class boundary.