Response of the Rhine–Meuse fluvial system to Saalian ice-sheet dynamics

A new reconstruction of the interaction between the Saalian Drente glaciation ice margin and the Rhine–Meuse fluvial system is presented based on a sedimentary analysis of continuous core material, archived data and a section in an ice-pushed ridge. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) was applied to obtain independent age control on these sediments and to establish a first absolute chronology for palaeogeographical events prior to and during the glaciation. We identified several Rhine and Meuse river courses that were active before the Drente glaciation (MIS 11-7). The Drente glaciation ice advance into The Netherlands (OSL-dated to fall within MIS 6) led to major re-arrangement of this drainage network. The invading ice sheet overrode existing fluvial morphology and forced the Rhine–Meuse system into a proglacial position. During deglaciation, the Rhine shifted into a basin in the formerly glaciated area, while the Meuse remained south of the former ice limit, a configuration that persisted throughout most of the Eemian and Weichselian periods. An enigmatic high position of proglacial fluvial units and their subsequent dissection during deglaciation by the Meuse may partially be explained by glacio-isostatic rebound of the area, but primarily reflects a phase of high base level related to a temporary proglacial lake in the southern North Sea area, with lake levels approximating modern sea levels. Our reconstruction indicates that full 'opening' of the Dover Strait and lowering of the Southern Bight, enabling interglacial marine exchange between the English Channel and the North Sea, is to be attributed to events during the end of MIS 6.     

利用EP/TOMS气溶胶指数分析中国和韩国的沙尘天气过程

利用 EP/TOMS卫星反演气溶胶指数、卫星云图和天气形势,研究了沙尘天气对大气气溶胶的贡献以及中国和韩国沙尘天气过程的强度及其演变。结果表明,TOMS气溶胶指数高值对应着沙尘天气的出现地区,可以判别和监测大规模沙尘天气,而且TOMS气溶胶指数能结合卫星云图、大气环流分析,对沙尘天气的影响范围和传输路径进行有效地预报。另外气溶胶指数能排除云的影响并准确地检测到云覆盖的地区。     

Rate of late Quaternary ice-cap thinning on King George Island, South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica defined by cosmogenic 36Cl surface exposure dating

Glacial landforms on the Barton and Weaver peninsulas of King George Island in the South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica were mapped and dated using terrestrial cosmogenic ³⁶Cl methods to provide the first quantitative terrestrial record for late Quaternary deglaciation in the South Shetland Islands. ³⁶Cl ages on glacially eroded and striated bedrock surfaces range from 15.5±2.5 kyr to 1.0±0.7 kyr. The ³⁶Cl ages are younger with decreasing altitude, indicating progressive downwasting of the southwestern part of the Collins Ice Cap at a rate of ∼12 mm yr⁻¹ since 15.5±2.5 kyr ago, supporting the previously published marine records for the timing and estimate of the rate of deglaciation in this region.     

Two-stage growth of porphyroblastic biotite and garnet in the Barrovian metapelites of the Imjingang belt, central Korea

Porphyroblastic biotite and garnet in the Barrovian metapelites of the Imjingang belt, Korea, were investigated to unravel the sequence and mechanism of mineral growth. Poikiloblastic biotite contains straight inclusion trails (S_i) discontinuous to the major foliation, and develops clear zones at the grain margin. These microstructures suggest an initial growth of biotite between two contractional deformations (D_n−1 and D_n) followed by an overgrowth during D_n. Although garnet poikiloblasts contain variable S_i patterns, their major growth is likely to have occurred during D_n on the basis of compositional relationships among variable garnet types. Early poikiloblasts of both minerals were formed by chemical replacement of the matrix that consisted mainly of chlorite, muscovite and quartz. Subsequent growth of biotite was governed by a crack-filling mechanism, and was accompanied by the production of extensional cracks inside or around biotite, providing fluid pathways. The overgrowth of garnet was favoured at the biotite–garnet interface, and the consequence was a partial replacement of inclusion-poor garnet after biotite subsequent to D_n. In addition, clear zones and pressure shadows as well as the matrix around biotite porphyroblasts were replaced by garnet, suggesting an inheritance of various pre-existing microstructures in the S_i pattern of garnet. Further attention is thus required for any attempt to delineate the microstructural interaction between deformation and metamorphism, particularly in a sample containing early-grown porphyroblasts. Microstructural evidence for the two-stage growth of biotite and garnet is present up to the kyanite zone, indicating that this growth mechanism is prevalent during progressive metamorphism of Barrovian metapelites.     

A New Video and Digital Camera System for Studies of the Dynamics of Microtopographic Features on Tidal Flats

A newly developed video and camera system for tidal flat microtopographic studies is presented. It consists of a SONY handy cam placed in an underwater housing mounted on a frame about 70?cm above the sediment surface. A rectangular surface area of 30?×40?cm is imaged by the camera. The camera records video sequences and/or digital images at predetermined time lapses. The total number of images is about 540, and a similar number of 10-second long video sequences can be recorded. The camera is programmed with a PC before deployment, and the total deployment time depends on the time lapse between recordings. The camera is connected to an external power supply (12?volt), and a halogen projector pointing towards the sediment surface ensures that the system is operable on a 24-hours scale. The system has been tested in the Danish Wadden Sea. It has proved to be a very useful tool in studies of topographic effects of erosion and deposition sequences, and for studies of benthic organisms-sediment interactions. The test site was further equipped with sensors for water and seabed measurements, which proved to be indispensable regarding the interpretation of recorded image time-series.     

Characteristics and Nonlinear Growth of the Singular Vector Related to a Heavy Rainfall Case over the Korean Peninsula

In this study,singular vectors related to a heavy rainfall case over the Korean Peninsula were calculated using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) adjoint modeling system.Tangent linear and adjoint models include moist physical processes,and a moist basic state and a moist total energy norm were used for the singular-vector calculations.The characteristics and nonlinear growth of the first singular vector were analyzed,focusing on the relationship between the basic state and the singular vector.The horizontal distribution of the initial singular vector was closely related to the baroclinicity index and the moisture availability of the basic state.The temperature-component energy at a lower level was dominant at the initial time,and the kinetic energy at upper levels became dominant at the final time in the energy profile of the singular vector.The nonlinear growth of the singular vector appropriately reflects the temporal variations in the basic state.The moisture-component energy at lower levels was dominant at earlier times,indicating continuous moisture transport in the basic state.There were a large amount of precipitation and corresponding latent heat release after that period because the continuous moisture transport created favorable conditions for both convective and nonconvective precipitation.The vertical propagation of the singular-vector energy was caused by precipitation and the corresponding latent heating in the basic state.     

Influence of Tropical Cyclone Landfalls on Spatiotemporal Variations in Typhoon Season Rainfall over South China

This study examined the impact of tropical cyclone (TC) landfalls on the spatiotemporal variations in the rainfall over South China for the period 1957–2005. The target region was selected to show the noteworthy contribution of TC landfalls to the total rainfall during the typhoon season (July–October). Two prevailing spatial variations in the rainfall were obtained from an EOF analysis. The first EOF mode displays singlesign variability over South China with an explained variance of 23.4%. The associated t...     

Depth distribution of Calanus finmarchicus and C. glacialis in relation to environmental conditions in the Barents Sea

Stage composition and vertical distribution of copepodids of Calanus finmarchicus and C. glacialis are described during spring and summer in Atlantic and Arctic waters, respectively. The two species co-occurred in the region of the Polar Front, both in moderate to high population densities. Ontogenetic migration, meaning that the migration range becomes progressively wider with advancing stage, was found in both species. The present study also revealed that C. finmarchicus had modifications in its ontogenetic vertical distribution. The standing crop of phytoplankton, predominantly Phaeocystis pouchetii , appeared to influence the degree of stage-specific segregation. Both low and high food concentrations tended to increase the vertical distribution of the instars. On the other hand, a narrow subsurface stratum of abundant phytoplankton led to an aggregation of copepodids at this depth. In the region of the Polar Front, where the two species co-occur, C. glacialis had a deeper distribution than C. finmarchicus , thus creating a bimodal vertical distribution pattern within the uppermost 200 m.     

Igneous Petrology of the Synorogenic Fongen-Hyllingen Layered Basic Complex, South-Central Scandinavian Caledonides

The 160 km² Caledonian Fongen-Hyllingen complex is an extremelydifferentiated, layered, basic intrusion, synorogenically emplacedat 5–6 kb in the allochthonous Trondheim nappe complex,situated in the Trondheim region of Norway. A zone of gabbroic rocks without rythmic layering usually occursalong the margin and a supposed feeder to at least part of thecomplex is preserved. A wide variety of magmatic sedimentarystructures are present in the c. 10,000 m thick sequence ofrhythmically layered rocks which vary from olivine-picotitecumulates at the base to quartz-bearing ferrosyenites at thetop. Mineral compositions, fractionation trends, and the compositionof feeder rocks suggest a tholeiitic parent. Mineral compositions cover extreme ranges. Olivine varies fromFo_86·2 to Fo_0·2 with a hiatus between about Fo₇₁and Fo₆₁. Plagioclase ranges from An_79·5 to An_1·5,albite coexisting with orthoclase microperthite in the finaldifferentiates. Cumulus Ca-poor pyroxene (Wo_2.4En_66.8Fs_30.8-Wo_2·0En_17·0Fs_81·0)first shows sporadic inversion from pigeonite at the Fe-richcomposition of Fs₆₇ and the final Ca-poor pyroxenes are replacedby magmatic grunerite which reaches an Mg: Fe ratio of 12:88.Ca-rich pyroxenes (Wo_44·7En_43·8Fs_11·5-Wo_47·0En₀Fs_53·0)are highly calcic and have a slight Ca-minimum in the earlystages, unrelated to the disappearance of Ca-poor pyroxene.Calcic amphibole, a constant intercumulus phase in most of thecomplex, becomes a cumulus phase in the later stages and variesfrom titanian-pargasite to ferro-edenite. Magnetite and ilmenitejoin the cumulate assemblage at Fo₅₅ and ilmenite persists intothe final quartz-bearing ferrosyenite where it shows replacementby sphene. Apatite, biotite, zircon, quartz, K-feldspar andallanite join the final extreme differentiates in the namedsequence. The fractionation trend is, in many respects, transitionalbetween those typical of the tholeiitic and calc-alkaline series,and is interpreted as reflecting crystallization under moderate,increasing P_H2O. Cryptic layering shows several reversals to higher temperatureassemblages with increasing stratigraphic height. Successivereversals are to irregular compositions and measured in termsof olivine composition, can be up to about 30 mole per centFo. The minimum stratigraphic thickness to include the entirefractionation range is reduced to about 2200 m after ‘removal’of the compositional overlaps due to the reversals. Thus roughlythree-quarters of the present cumulate stratigraphic sequencerepresents magma replenishment. A mechanism involving the mixingof fresh magma batches with the residual, differentiated magmafrom the previous influx, is envisaged. The periodic influxof fresh magma took place into a chamber which was probablyclosed to the exit of material.     

朝鲜平南盆地埃迪卡拉系-下寒武统地层碳同位素特征

中朝古陆(华北古陆)平南盆地位于朝鲜半岛中部,广泛发育新元古界-古生界地层。根据化石记录,一般认为燕滩群(自下而上包括飞狼洞组和棱里组)主体属于埃迪卡拉系,黄州(超)群坪山组和中和组主体属于下寒武统。然而,该套地层记录的新元古界-古生界界线处在什么位置,燕滩群是否记录冰期事件(如,Gaskiers冰期),尚有争议。本文对这些地层开展了碳、氧同位素分析。结果表明,飞浪洞组δ13C值从底部+2‰开始,在+2‰和+6‰之间变化,最上部为+2‰;棱里组从下到上从0降至-7‰;坪山组在-3.1‰~0‰之间变化;中和组基本上在-1.2‰~+1.9‰范围变化。这些数据表明,原先认为有冰碛岩的飞浪洞组可能没有记录Gaskiers冰期;棱里组δ13C值与Gaskiers或Marinoan等冰期不可对比,而可能对应于埃迪卡拉系最末期的负漂移。通过将平南盆地燕滩群-黄州群地层碳同位素值变化趋势与国际地层对比,明确地层时代属于埃迪卡拉系末期-下寒武统;由于不存在明确的的不整合,燕滩群-黄州群地层可以作为这一时期连续剖面。我们认为黄州群坪山组底部含磷、含金属硫化物黑色板岩可以作为界线标志层。