ENCORE: the effect of nutrient enrichment on coral reefs. Synthesis of results and conclusions

Coral reef degradation resulting from nutrient enrichment of coastal waters is of increasing global concern. Although effects of nutrients on coral reef organisms have been demonstrated in the laboratory, there is little direct evidence of nutrient effects on coral reef biota in situ. The ENCORE experiment investigated responses of coral reef organisms and processes to controlled additions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) on an offshore reef (One Tree Island) at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. A multi-disciplinary team assessed a variety of factors focusing on nutrient dynamics and biotic responses. A controlled and replicated experiment was conducted over two years using twelve small patch reefs ponded at low tide by a coral rim. Treatments included three control reefs (no nutrient addition) and three + N reefs (NH4Cl added), three + P reefs (KH2PO4 added), and three + N + P reefs. Nutrients were added as pulses at each low tide (ca twice per day) by remotely operated units. There were two phases of nutrient additions. During the initial, low-loading phase of the experiment nutrient pulses (mean dose = 11.5 microM NH4+; 2.3 microM PO4(-3)) rapidly declined, reaching near-background levels (mean = 0.9 microM NH4+; 0.5 microM PO4(-3)) within 2-3 h. A variety of biotic processes, assessed over a year during this initial nutrient loading phase, were not significantly affected, with the exception of coral reproduction, which was affected in all nutrient treatments. In Acropora longicyathus and A. aspera, fewer successfully developed embryos were formed, and in A. longicyathus fertilization rates and lipid levels decreased. In the second, high-loading, phase of ENCORE an increased nutrient dosage (mean dose = 36.2 microM NH4+; 5.1 microM PO4(-3)) declining to means of 11.3 microM NH4+ and 2.4 microM PO4(-3) at the end of low tide) was used for a further year, and a variety of significant biotic responses occurred. Encrusting algae incorporated virtually none of the added nutrients. Organisms containing endosymbiotic zooxanthellae (corals and giant clams) assimilated dissolved nutrients rapidly and were responsive to added nutrients. Coral mortality, not detected during the initial low-loading phase, became evident with increased nutrient dosage, particularly in Pocillopora damicornis. Nitrogen additions stunted coral growth, and phosphorus additions had a variable effect. Coral calcification rate and linear extension increased in the presence of added phosphorus but skeletal density was reduced, making corals more susceptible to breakage. Settlement of all coral larvae was reduced in nitrogen treatments, yet settlement of larvae from brooded species was enhanced in phosphorus treatments. Recruitment of stomatopods, benthic crustaceans living in coral rubble, was reduced in nitrogen and nitrogen plus phosphorus treatments. Grazing rates and reproductive effort of various fish species were not affected by the nutrient treatments. Microbial nitrogen transformations in sediments were responsive to nutrient loading with nitrogen fixation significantly increased in phosphorus treatments and denitrification increased in all treatments to which nitrogen had been added. Rates of bioerosion and grazing showed no significant effects of added nutrients. ENCORE has shown that reef organisms and processes investigated in situ were impacted by elevated nutrients. Impacts were dependent on dose level, whether nitrogen and/or phosphorus were elevated and were often species-specific. The impacts were generally sub-lethal and subtle and the treated reefs at the end of the experiment were visually similar to control reefs. Rapid nutrient uptake indicates that nutrient concentrations alone are not adequate to assess nutrient condition of reefs. Sensitive and quantifiable biological indicators need to be developed for coral reef ecosystems. The potential bioindicators identified in ENCORE should be tested in future research on coral reef/nutrient interactions. Synergistic and cumulative effects of elevated nutrients and other environmental parameters, comparative studies of intact vs. disturbed reefs, offshore vs. inshore reefs, or the ability of a nutrient-stressed reef to respond to natural disturbances require elucidation. An expanded understanding of coral reef responses to anthropogenic impacts is necessary, particularly regarding the subtle, sub-lethal effects detected in the ENCORE studies.     

STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF A WATERSHED-SCALE SEDIMENT INFORMATION NETWORK

A "Watershed-Scale Sediment Information Network" (WaSSIN), designed to complement UNESCO’s International Sedimentation Initiative, was endorsed as an initial project by the World Association for Sedimentation and Erosion Research. WaSSIN is to address global fluvial-sediment information needs through a network approach based on consistent protocols for the collection, analysis, and storage of fluvial-sediment and ancillary information at smaller spatial scales than those of the International Sedimentation Initiative. As a second step of implementation, it is proposed herein that the WaSSIN have a general structure of two components, (1) monitoring and data acquisition and (2) research. Monitoring is to be conducted in small watersheds, each of which has an established database for discharge of water and suspended sediment and possibly for bed load, bed material, and bed topography. Ideally, documented protocols have been used for collecting, analyzing, storing, and sharing the derivative data. The research component is to continue the collection and interpretation of data, to compare those data among candidate watersheds, and to determine gradients of fluxes and processes among the selected watersheds. To define gradients and evaluate processes, the initial watersheds will have several common attributes. Watersheds of the first group will be: (1) six to ten in number, (2) less than 1000 km2 in area, (3) generally in mid-latitudes of continents, and (4) of semiarid climate. Potential candidate watersheds presently include the Weany Creek Basin, northeastern Australia, the Zhi Fanggou catchment, northern China, the Eshtemoa Watershed, southern Israel, the Metsemotlhaba River Basin, Botswana, the Aiuaba Experimental Basin, Brazil, and the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, southwestern United States.     

圆弧形凹陷地形表面覆盖层对入射平面SV波的影响

利用Fourier Bessel级数展开法，给出了表面具有覆盖层的圆弧形凹陷地形对入射平面SV波散射问题的一个解析解，并利用该解分析了不同深宽比凹陷地形表面覆盖层刚度和厚度对入射SV波的影响．结果表明，凹陷地形表面覆盖层的存在，即使厚度很薄，也会显著增加对入射SV波的放大作用，该放大作用可达到单一凹陷地形的2.5倍以上．覆盖层刚度和厚度的变化对入射平面SV波也具有很大影响．      

中国西南天山山前的晚新生代构造与地震活动

天山是研究现今陆内造山作用及过程、陆内变形、陆内强震及其预测等大陆动力学问题的理想实验场。西南天山和塔里木之间的新生代褶皱－逆断裂带基本上由一南冲弧形推覆构造系统和一向北反冲的构造系统组成，由北而南主要由以下4个运动学单元组成：（1）新生代复活的喀拉铁热克山－天山南脉古生代造山带，其快速变形和抬升可能起始于23－26Ma前，持续至13－16Ma前。（2）向南逆冲的西南天山前陆薄皮主冲断带，包括木兹杜克弧形薄皮推覆体和依柯冲断带，前者代表了向南薄皮逆掩的天山型岩系，地表主要表现为一系列的飞来峰群，在14Ma前曾有过大规模活动，最小缩短量约为20－35km，最小缩短速率为1．4－2．8mm/a；后者代表了向南叠瓦状薄皮逆冲推覆的前陆古生代基底（塔里木地台型沉积岩系）卷入构造，其西段在距今14Ma时曾有过强烈活动。两者共同组成了一复杂的双重构造；新生代地层也卷入变形。（3）喀什－阿图什弧形反冲褶皱－逆断裂带，由3排向北（天山）反冲的左阶雁列展布的第四纪地表滑脱褶皱组成，仅在大山口以西发育。该构造带形成于距今约1．4Ma以后。依什拉克喀拉乌尔断裂以南，博古孜河剖面的最小缩短速率约为5．8mm/a，翁库尔剖面的最小缩短速率约为8．6mm/a。（4）塔里木克拉通下盘块体，向北西方向缓倾，内部变形较小。里木块体西北存在明显的不均匀性，其学问基底高角度逆断裂和走滑断裂控制了盆地新生代沉积的厚度，导致西南天山前陆冲断带的地形地貌、地层、构造变形样式、变形时间以及变形缩短量沿走向的巨大差异性。迈丹－喀拉铁克断裂和阿图什断裂带均为岩石圈规模断裂，研究区的中强地震主要发生在这两条断裂带以及它们之间的西南天山前陆冲断带上。     

大洋深俯冲带流变性质及其地球动力学意义

在压力3 GPa, 温度1450～1600 K, 应变速率10-4～10-5 s-1条件下, 对深俯冲带和上地幔中两种重要岩石(榴辉岩和方辉橄榄岩)的流变性质进行了实验研究, 获得了榴辉岩在超高压条件下的流变参数, 应力指数为3.4, 活化能为480 kJ/mol, 活化体积为12 cm3/mol. 实验结果表明具有中等石榴石含量榴辉岩的流变强度与方辉橄榄岩的流变强度在上地幔浅部条件下基本相当, 是多晶绿辉石岩强度的2～3倍和多晶石榴石岩强度的一半. 随榴辉岩中石榴石含量的逐步增加, 岩石的整体流变强度也不断增大. 在实验研究基础上, 计算了不同板块汇聚速率条件下深俯冲大洋岩石圈在不同深度层次上的流变强度, 以及橄榄岩和榴辉岩上地幔流变强度随深度的变化. 研究表明, 俯冲洋壳从下覆的上地幔拆离出来最有可能发生在缓慢俯冲的热俯冲带中; 而快速俯冲的冷俯冲带, 俯冲地壳与上地幔之间在强度上是耦合的, 发生拆离的可能性不大. 过渡带是上地幔中除岩石圈地幔外的高强度和高黏度层.     

犹他州人面对未来

几乎75%的犹他州人居住在沃萨奇断层附近。地球科学家们已经证明这个断层一再发生7级或更大的强烈地震,而且将来会继续发生下去。犹他州努力增加公众对地震危险的意识,使得居民和团体领导人在未来地震中将采取行动来保护生命和减少损失。1847年当第一批疲倦不堪的摩门教移居者到达犹他州盐湖城的土地上时,他们宣布这就是选中的地方。然而,他们并不知道     

纪念陈光远教授(英文)

仅以此文悼念陈光远教授。陈光远教授毕生献身于地质科学 ,是一位卓越的地质学家。本人与中国同行的交往始于 1 973年 ,当时我应邀参加了华北地台古老变质岩系的地质旅行。后来我又多次访问中国 ,并于 1 996年在北京成功地主持召开了第三十届国际地质大会。陈光远教授是我有幸结识的杰出的中国同行之一 ,在我访问中国期间他曾带我参观考察了他多年从事研究工作的矿区。陈光远教授毕业于西南联大 ,并在瑞典获得副博士学位 ,回到祖国后一直致力于地质学教学与研究工作。他为中国矿产资源的开发做出了不朽的贡献 ,发表的成果及著作涉及金矿、铁矿等许多领域 ,尤其突出的是他编著的胶东金矿省矿物学填图图集开拓了找矿矿物学的新篇章。陈光远教授生前曾多次获奖 ,他的成果得到国际同行的赞誉。他是挪威、瑞典、芬兰、丹麦地质学会的终身会员 ,并被推选为俄罗斯科学院外籍院士。陈光远教授去世前正在与我合作进行有关植树造林防止水土流失的中加合作项目 ,他的去世也是该项目的巨大损失。可喜的是孙岱生教授及其同事将负起重任 ,完成陈光远教授未竟的事业。     

EVALUATION OF MODELS FOR ESTIMATION OF NET RADIATION FOR ALPINE SLOPING SURFACES

This paper describes and tests two models for estimating net radiation(or the radiation balance)on sloping surfacesof alpine environments.They are an empirical method based on the linear relationship between net radiation and globalsolar radiation and a flux-by-flux method involving the estimation of all the individual components of radiation budgetindependently.The results show that the empirical method is capable of predicting hourly net radiation on sloping sur-faces to within about±53 W m~(-2) under all sky conditions.During clear sky conditions,it could predict net radiation onslopes to within±58 W m~(-2) or 16% of the measured values.The flux-by-flux method,although it did not perform aswell as the empirical method,performed adequately and could give estimates of net radiation on slopes with root meansquare error of less than 74 W m~(-2)(20%)and a mean bias error of 27 W m~(-2)(7%).     

能源与全球环境

目前,“可再生能源”这个词已进入技术发展的阶段。我们目前利用的能源是不可再生的。我们生活在都市中。由于太阳光照射1小时的能量即可满足我们一年的能源需要,今后的能源利用必定要考虑太阳能。利用地球内部的热量梯度即地热能在今后亦是诱人的。原子能尤其是聚变能的潜力极大,但尚没有迹象表明,人类非得将精力消耗在利用裂变能上不可,尽管目前这方面的技术有被滥用的趋势。