Seasonal variations in infiltrability of moss‐dominated biocrusts on aeolian sand and loess soil in the Chinese Loess Plateau

Biocrust effects on soil infiltration have attracted increasing attention in dryland ecosystems, but their seasonal variations in infiltrability have not yet been well understood. On the Chinese Loess Plateau, soil infiltrability indicated by saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) of biocrusts and bare soil, both on aeolian sand and loess soil, was determined by disc infiltrometer in late spring (SPR), midsummer (SUM), and early fall (FAL). Then their correlations with soil biological and physiochemical properties and water repellency index (RI) were analysed. The results showed that the biocrusts significantly decreased K_s both on sand during SPR, SUM, and FAL (by 43%, 66%, and 35%, respectively; P < .05) and on loess (by 42%, 92%, and 10%, respectively; P <.05). As compared with the bare soil, the decreased K_s in the biocrusted surfaces was mostly attributed to the microorganism biomass and also to the increasing content of fine particles and organic matter. Most importantly, both the biocrusts and bare soil exhibited significant (F ≥ 11.89, P ≤ .003) seasonal variations in K_s, but their patterns were quite different. Specifically, the K_s of bare soil gradually decreased from SPR to SUM (32% and 42% for sand and loess, respectively) and FAL (29% and 39%); the K_s of biocrusts also decreased from SPR to SUM (59% and 92%) but then increased in FAL (36% and 588%). Whereas the seasonal variations in K_s of the biocrusts were closely correlated with the seasonal variations in RI, the RI values were not high enough to point at hydrophobicity. Instead of that, the seasonal variations of K_s were principally explained by the changes in the crust biomass and possibly by the microbial exopolysaccharides. We conclude that the biocrusts significantly decreased soil infiltrability and exhibited a different seasonal variation pattern, which should be carefully considered in future analyses of hydropedological processes.     

A two‐dimensional coupled hydromechanical discontinuum model for simulating rock hydraulic fracturing

Within the framework of our discontinuous deformation analysis for rock failure algorithm, this paper presents a two‐dimensional coupled hydromechanical discontinuum model for simulating the rock hydraulic fracturing process. In the proposed approach, based on the generated joint network, the calculation of fluid mechanics is performed first to obtain the seepage pressure near the tips of existing cracks, and then the fluid pressure is treated as linearly distributed loads on corresponding block boundaries. The contribution of the hydraulic pressure to the initiation/propagation of the cracks is considered by adding the components of these blocks into the force matrix of the global equilibrium equation. Finally, failure criteria are applied at the crack tips to determine the occurrence of cracking events. Several verification examples are simulated, and the results show that this newly proposed numerical model can simulate the hydraulic fracturing process correctly and effectively. Although the numerical and experimental verifications focus on one unique preexisting crack, because of the capability of discontinuous deformation analysis in simulating block‐like structures, the proposed approach is capable of modeling rock hydraulic fracturing processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological cycle and water balance estimates for the megadune–lake region of the Badain Jaran Desert,China

The hydrology and water balance of megadunes and lakes have been investigated in the Badain Jaran Desert of China. Field observations and analyses of sand layer water content, field capacity, secondary salt content, and grain size reveal 3 types of important natural phenomenon: (a) vegetation bands on the leeward slope of the megadunes reflect the hydrological regime within the sandy vadose zone; (b) seepage, wet sand deposits, and secondary salt deposits indicate the pattern of water movement within the sandy vadose zone; (c) zones of groundwater seeps and descending springs around the lakes reflect the influence of the local topography on the hydrological regime of the megadunes. The seepage exposed on the sloping surface of the megadunes and gravity water contained within the sand layer confirm the occurrence of preferential flow within the vadose zone of the megadunes. Alternating layers of coarse and fine sand create the conditions for the formation of preferential flows. The preferential flows promote movement of water within the sand layer water that leads to deep penetration of water within the megadunes and ultimately to the recharging of groundwater and lake water. Our results indicate that a positive water balance promotes recharge of the megadunes, which depends on the high permeability of the megadune material, the shallow depth of the surface sand layer affected by evaporation, the occurrence of rainfall events exceeding 15 mm, and the sparse vegetation cover. Water balance estimates indicate that the annual water storage of the megadunes is about 7.5 mm, accounting for only 8% of annual precipitation; however, the shallow groundwater per unit area under the megadunes receives only 3.6% of annual precipitation, but it is still able to maintain a dynamic balance of the lake water. From a water budget perspective, the annual water storage in the megadunes is sufficient to serve as a recharge source for lake water, thereby enabling the long‐term persistence of the lakes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that precipitation is a significant component of the hydrological cycle in arid deserts.     

The Late Cretaceous Klepa basalts in Macedonia (FYROM)—Constraints on the final stage of Tethys closure in the Balkans

The waning stage(s) of the Tethyan ocean(s) in the Balkans are not well understood. Controversy centres on the origin and life‐span of the Cretaceous Sava Zone, which is allegedly a remnant of the last oceanic domain in the Balkan Peninsula, defining the youngest suture between Eurasia‐ and Adria‐derived plates. In order to investigate to what extent Late‐Cretaceous volcanism within the Sava Zone is consistent with this model we present new age data together with trace‐element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data for the Klepa basaltic lavas from the central Balkan Peninsula. Our new geochemical data show marked differences between the Cretaceous Klepa basalts (Sava Zone) and the rocks of other volcanic sequences from the Jurassic ophiolites of the Balkans. The Klepa basalts mostly have Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic and trace‐element signatures that resemble enriched within‐plate basalts substantially different from Jurassic ophiolite basalts with MORB, BAB and IAV affinities. Trace‐element modelling of the Klepa rocks indicates 2%–20% polybaric melting of a relatively homogeneously metasomatised mantle source that ranges in composition from garnet lherzolite to ilmenite+apatite bearing spinel–amphibole lherzolite. Thus, the residual mineralogy is characteristic of a continental rather than oceanic lithospheric mantle source, suggesting an intracontinental within‐plate origin for the Klepa basalts. Two alternative geodynamic models are internally consistent with our new findings: (1) if the Sava Zone represents remnants of the youngest Neotethyan Ocean, magmatism along this zone would be situated within the forearc region and triggered by ridge subduction; (2) if the Sava Zone delimits a diffuse tectonic boundary between Adria and Europe which had already collided in the Late Jurassic, the Klepa basalts together with a number of other magmatic centres represent volcanism related to transtensional tectonics.     

Generation of continuous surface soil moisture dataset using combined optical and thermal infrared images

Surface soil moisture (SSM) is a critical variable for understanding water and energy flux between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface. An easy to apply algorithm for deriving SSM time series that primarily uses temporal parameters derived from simulated and in situ datasets has recently been reported. This algorithm must be assessed for different biophysical and atmospheric conditions by using actual geostationary satellite images. In this study, two currently available coarse‐scale SSM datasets (microwave and reanalysis product) and aggregated in situ SSM measurements were implemented to calibrate the time‐invariable coefficients of the SSM retrieval algorithm for conditions in which conventional observations are rare. These coefficients were subsequently used to obtain SSM time series directly from Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) images over the study area of a well‐organized soil moisture network named REMEDHUS in Spain. The results show a high degree of consistency between the estimated and actual SSM time series values when using the three SSM dataset‐calibrated time‐invariable coefficients to retrieve SSM, with coefficients of determination (R²) varying from 0.304 to 0.534 and root mean square errors ranging from 0.020 m³/m³ to 0.029 m³/m³. Further evaluation with different land use types results in acceptable debiased root mean square errors between 0.021 m³/m³ and 0.048 m³/m³ when comparing the estimated MSG pixel‐scale SSM with in situ measurements. These results indicate that the investigated method is practical for deriving time‐invariable coefficients when using publicly accessed coarse‐scale SSM datasets, which is beneficial for generating continuous SSM dataset at the MSG pixel scale.     

Thermal equation of state of natural tourmaline at high pressure and temperature

Synchrotron-based in situ angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction experiments were conducted on a natural uvite-dominated tourmaline sample by using an external-heating diamond anvil cell at simultaneously high pressures and temperatures up to 18 GPa and 723 K, respectively. The angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction data reveal no indication of a structural phase transition over the P–T range of the current experiment in this study. The pressure–volume–temperature data were fitted by the high-temperature Birch–Murnaghan equation of state. Isothermal bulk modulus of K ₀ = 96.6 (9) GPa, pressure derivative of the bulk modulus of \(K_{0}^{\prime } = 12.5 \;(4)\), thermal expansion coefficient of α ₀ = 4.39 (27) × 10^?5 K^?1 and temperature derivative of the bulk modulus (?K/?T) _P  = ?0.009 (6) GPa K^?1 were obtained. The axial thermoelastic properties were also obtained with K _a0 = 139 (2) GPa, \(K_{a0}^{\prime }\) = 11.5 (7) and α _a0 = 1.00 (11) × 10^?5 K^?1 for the a-axis, and K _c0 = 59 (1) GPa, \(K_{c0}^{\prime }\) = 11.4 (5) and α _c0 = 2.41 (24) × 10^?5 K^?1 for the c-axis. Both of axial compression and thermal expansion exhibit large anisotropic behavior. Thermoelastic parameters of tourmaline in this study were also compared with that of the other two ring silicates of beryl and cordierite.     

河南老湾金矿床上上河矿段矿床地质和成矿流体地球化学

河南桐柏老湾金矿床是桐柏-大别山(北坡)金银成矿带内大型造山带型金矿床之一。文章对该矿床的上上河矿段进行了矿床地质和成矿流体地球化学研究,旨在查明该矿段的流体成矿过程。根据矿脉穿插关系、矿石结构构造、矿物共生组合以及黄铁矿的粒度和晶形,将老湾金矿上上河矿段成矿过程划分为:石英粗粒自形黄铁矿(Ⅰ)、石英细粒半自形-他形黄铁矿(Ⅱ)、石英多金属硫化物(Ⅲ)及石英碳酸盐(Ⅳ)4个阶段。镜下观察显示,矿床中的包裹体类型有含CO_2包裹体(LH_2O+LCO_2+VCO_2)、纯CO_2包裹体(LCO_2+VCO_2)、液相包裹体(LH_2O+VH_2O)及少量含子晶包裹体(LH_2O+VH_2O+S)。第Ⅰ阶段、第Ⅱ阶段和第Ⅲ阶段均可见含CO_2包裹体、纯CO_2包裹体和液相包裹体,有时可见含CO_2包裹体与液相包裹体共存。流体包裹体显微测温结果表明,成矿流体可近似看做中温、低盐度、富CO_2的NaCl-H_2O-CO_2体系,纯CO_2包裹体和液相包裹体所代表的流体可能是由含CO_2包裹体所代表的Na Cl-H_2O-CO_2流体经不混溶形成的,三者在寄主矿物沉淀时,被同时捕获而共存。从第Ⅰ阶段到第Ⅳ阶段,成矿流体温度从303~379℃逐渐降低到138~195℃,盐度w(Na Cleq)从4.07%~9.59%逐渐降低到1.06%~2.74%。在成矿的第Ⅰ阶段成矿流体发生了不混溶作用,而在第Ⅱ阶段和第Ⅲ阶段流体中的CO_2起泡分离再次引发了不混溶作用。从第Ⅰ阶段到第Ⅲ阶段,成矿流体的δ18OH_2O从6.56‰~9.71‰经1.89‰~4.01‰变化到0.08‰,δDH_2O从-78.1‰~-64.2‰经-79.5‰~-76.3‰变化到-72.6‰,表明老湾金矿第Ⅰ阶段成矿流体主要为岩浆热液,第Ⅱ阶段成矿流体中有少量大气降水加入,第Ⅲ阶段成矿流体中大气降水的比例明显加大。     

川北旺苍唐家河剖面仙女洞组灰泥丘沉积特征及造丘环境分析

目前川北地区早寒武世微生物藻与古杯参与的生物礁(丘)发育特征存在较大争议。通过实测剖面与镜下分析,川北旺苍县鼓城乡唐家河剖面仙女洞组发育三期灰泥丘。对该剖面灰泥丘沉积特征进行精细研究认为:第一期灰泥丘发育在滑塌角砾灰岩之上,造丘生物主要为枝状和房室状附枝藻,主要岩性为砾屑灰岩、藻格架凝块灰岩和含云生物碎屑灰岩,发育丘基、丘核、丘盖和丘翼,后期演化为钙质砂泥岩结束生长。第二期生物丘发育在鲕粒滩间生屑灰岩之上,造丘生物主要为肾状藻,次为附枝藻,主要岩性为生物碎屑灰岩、藻格架凝块灰岩、漂浮砾岩和亮晶鲕粒灰岩,纵向上发育丘基、丘核、丘坪、丘盖和丘翼,最终再度沉积鲕粒灰岩。第三期灰泥丘发育在藻叠层灰岩之上,造丘生物为古杯和微生物藻,岩性主要为古杯灰岩、生物碎屑泥晶灰岩、藻格架凝块灰岩和藻叠层灰岩,发育丘基、丘核和丘盖。进一步分析三期灰泥丘的成丘环境认为第一期灰泥丘属于台缘斜坡环境内的斜坡灰泥丘低能沉积,经历三个演化阶段;第二期属于台地边缘灰泥丘,经历四期演化阶段;第三期为台缘高能鲕粒滩向陆一侧能量相对较低的台缘古杯灰泥丘沉积,经历三个演化阶段。剖面中灰泥丘多与鲕粒滩共存,构成丘滩复合体,为后期研究储集性能和油气富集关系具有重要的油气地质意义。     

中国东部7类暴雨异常环流型

近年来的研究发现,瞬变扰动天气图上的扰动场天气系统对区域暴雨的落区指示能力强于传统天气图上的总场天气系统。为供预报员在业务预报中参考,本文划分1998年发生在中国东部地区的41日次区域暴雨为7类扰动场天气系统。与区域暴雨相联系的7类异常环流型分别是:华南切变线、华南涡旋、华南倒槽、长江切变线与槽、沿江涡旋、华北涡旋和东北涡旋。无论是在对流层的垂直剖面上,还是在850 hPa水平分布上,扰动天气图上位势高度低值和风扰动辐合处并配合大的水汽扰动对应有区域暴雨,而传统天气图上的低值系统和高水汽区与暴雨之间存在位置上的偏移。由此建议,用实况大气变量和中期数值模式产品绘制扰动天气图有助于预报员确定区域暴雨落区。     

内蒙古东乌旗早二叠世超镁铁岩的发现及其构造意义

为研究东乌旗晚古生代地幔性质和造山演化特征,对在东乌旗西部首次发现的超镁铁岩—辉闪橄榄岩进行系统的岩相学和元素地球化学研究。东乌旗辉闪橄榄岩主要由橄榄石、角闪石、斜方辉石及少量斜长石、单斜辉石组成,SiO_2含量介于42.84%~43.96%、MgO(24.10%~26.10%)、Na_2O+K_2O(1.52%~2.32%,小于3.5%),低m/f(3.03~3.54)比值和高FeO~T(12.67%~14.33%)的含量、高Mg~#(76.42~79.20),属铁质超镁铁岩和拉斑玄武岩系列。岩石稀土总量较高(∑REE=39.57×10~(-6)~83.32×10~(-6)),轻稀土(LREE)相对于重稀土(HREE)明显富集[(La/Yb)_N=4.04~7.66],Eu异常不明显(δEu=0.90~0.95),稀土元素球粒陨石标准化配分模式表现为轻稀土相对富集的右倾型。岩石富集大离子亲石元素(LILE)Cs、Rb、Ba、Sr、K等,相对亏损高场强元素(HFSE)Nb、Ta,具明显的Nb、Ta、Ti负异常,而又有别于强烈Nb、Ta亏损的岛弧岩浆岩;相容元素Cr(769×10~(-6)~2480×10~(-6))、Ni(454×10~(-6)~901×10~(-6))含量较高;低Th/U(2.54~3.03)、Nb/U(3.40~12.85)比值和高La/Nb(2.60~3.63)、Ba/Nb(43.11~72.52)、Zr/Y(5.45~7.83)比值。综上,结合区域最新研究成果,我们认为辉闪橄榄岩来源于受俯冲流体交代的尖晶石相地幔橄榄岩部分熔融,上升过程中受地壳物质不同程度的混染,形成于早二叠世板内伸展构造体制,与古亚洲洋闭合之后板内非造山作用有关。这一认识填补了早二叠世幔源岩浆事件和非造山阶段超镁铁质岩石记录的空白。