Decadal morphological evolution of the mouth zone of the Yangtze Estuary in response to human interventions

The morphology of the Yangtze Estuary has changed substantially at decadal time scales in response to natural processes, local human interference and reduced sediment supply. Due to its high sediment load, the morphodynamic response time of the estuary is short, providing a valuable semi-natural system to evaluate large-scale estuarine morphodynamic responses to interference. Previous studies primarily addressed local morphologic changes within the estuary, but since an overall sediment balance is missing, it remains unclear whether the estuary as a whole has shifted from sedimentation to erosion in response to reduced riverine sediment supply (e.g. resulting from construction of the Three Gorges Dam). In this paper we examine the morphological changes of two large shoals in the mouth zone (i.e. the Hengsha flat and the Jiuduan shoal) using bathymetric data collected between 1953 and 2016 and a series of satellite images. We observe that the two shoals accreted at different rates before 2010 but reverted to erosion thereafter. Human activities such as dredging and dumping contribute to erosion, masking the impacts of sediment source reduction. The effects of local human intervention (such as the construction of a navigation channel) are instantaneous and are likely to have already resulted in new dynamic equilibrium conditions. The morphodynamic response time of the mouth zone to riverine sediment decrease is further suggested to be >30 years (starting from the mid-1980s). Accounting for the different adaptation time scales of various human activities is essential when interpreting morphodynamic changes in large-scale estuaries and deltas. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

江苏盐城盐纺井地球化学异常信息提取及机理分析

依据江苏省盐城市纺织厂井Ca²⁺和Cl^-月均值浓度,利用从属函数和自适应阈值法对该井进行了地球化学异常信息提取与分析;结合波速比和地磁谐波振幅比数据,利用膨胀扩容模式开展了映震机理讨论。结果表明,2008～2016年Ca²⁺浓度出现6次从属函数异常和5次自适应阈值异常,Cl^-浓度出现4次从属函数异常和5次自适应阈值异常,较好地对应了台站200km范围内M_L≥4.0的地震。此外,根据波速比、地磁谐波振幅比和该井地下水地球化学成因等分析结果,判断Ca²⁺、Cl^-浓度在震前的快速上升与深部流体上涌有关。     

Merging multi-source precipitation products or merging their simulated hydrological flows to improve streamflow simulation

Satellite and reanalysis precipitation products are widely utilized for streamflow simulation, which is one critical hydrological application, especially for ungauged regions. Possible ways to improve streamflow simulation are investigated in this study by merging multi-source precipitation products, or directly merging streamflow simulated with different precipitation products. Two satellite-based precipitation products, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (3B42 Version 7) and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks-Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), and one reanalysis precipitation product, National Centers for Environment Prediction-Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (NCEP-CFSR) are selected. Bayesian model averaging (BMA) is used to merge multi-source precipitation estimates and streamflow simulations. The results show that merging multi-source precipitation products made little difference to improve streamflow simulation. Merging multi-source streamflow simulations using the BMA generally achieved better performance on streamflow simulation, indicating that this approach is more efficient than merging multi-source precipitation products.     

秦王川盆地西缘断裂活动性综合研究及盆地成因分析

秦王川盆地西缘断裂发育于陇中盆地地震构造区内部,本文对其进行了综合研究。浅层人工地震探测表明,该断裂在最小埋深130m处有显示,联合钻探结果表明该深度处为新近纪湖相沉积地层,泥岩层顶面向盆地方向呈斜坡状,槽探未揭露出断层。综合研究表明该断裂发育在新近纪地层内部,并未上穿第四纪沉积物,属于前第四纪隐伏断层。秦王川盆地在古近纪—新近纪山间泛湖盆的基础上,由于区域构造应力不均匀挤压抬升,形成山间负向地形,成为第四纪多变环境下河流堆积的拗陷盆地。秦王川盆地西缘断裂不具有控制中强地震空间分布的作用和形成地表破裂的能力,对盆地的构造稳定性不构成影响,亦不影响兰州新区的规划发展。     

Major advances in studies of the physical geography and living environment of China during the past 70 years and future prospects

The natural environment provides material essentials for human survival and development. The characteristics,processes, regional differentiation and forcing mechanisms of the elements of the natural environment(e.g. geomorphology,climate, hydrology, soil, etc.) are the main objects of research in physical geography. China has a complex natural environment and huge regional differentiation and therefore it provides outstanding reserach opportunities in physical geography. This review summarizes the most important developments and the main contributions of research in the physical geography and human living environment in China during the past 70 years. The major topics addressed are the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the evolution of its cryosphere, the development of fluvial systems, the acidification of the vast arid region of the Asian interior, variations in the monsoon and westerly climate systems on multiple timescales, the development of lakes and wetlands, the watershed system model, soil erosion, past human-environment interactions, biogeography, and physical geographic zonality. After briefly introducing international research developments, we review the history of research in physical geography in China, focusing on the major achievements and major academic debates, and finally we summarize the status of current research and the future prospects. We propose that in the context of the national demand for the construction of an ecological civilization, we should make full use of the research findings of physical geography, and determine the patterns and mechanisms of natural environmental processes in order to continue to promote the continued contribution of physical geography to national development strategies, and to further contribute to the theory of physical geography from a global perspective.     

The Research of the Activity of the Piedmont Fault on the Tangshankou Segment of the Yuguang Basin Southern Marginal Fault

The Yuguang basin is a half-graben basin in the basin-range tectonic zone in northwest Beijing, located at the northern end of the Shanxi graben system, and the Yuguang basin southern marginal fault (YBSMF) controls the formation of this basin. A linear fault escarpment has formed in the proluvial fan on the piedmont fault zone of the Tangshankou segment of YBSMF. A trench across this escarpment reveals three paleo-earthquake events on two active faults. One fault ruptured at about 9ka for the first time, and then faulted again at about 7.3ka, causing the formation and synchronous activity of another fault. Finally, they faulted for the third time, but we cannot determine the faulting time due to the lack of relevant surface deposition. The accumulative vertical displacement of these three events is about 8.1m. We estimate that the average recurrence period of the piedmont fault is about 1.7ka, and the average slip rate of the piedmont fault is about 1.6mm/a. We also estimate the reference magnitude of each event according to the empirical formula.     

A deep learning approach for detecting candidates of supernova remnants

Detecting supernova remnant(SNR) candidates in the interstellar medium is a challenging task because SNRs have weak radio signals and irregular shapes. The use of a convolutional neural network is a deep learning method that can help us extract various features from images. To extract SNRs from astronomical images and estimate the positions of SNR candidates, we design the SNR-Net model composed of a training component and a detection component. In addition, transfer learning is used to initialize the network parameters, which improves the speed and accuracy of network training. We apply a T-T plot(of the different brightness temperatures of map pixels at two different frequencies) to calculate the spectral index of SNR candidates. To accelerate the scientific computing process, we take advantage of innovative hardware architecture, such as deep learning optimized graphics processing units, which increases the speed of computation by a factor of 5. A case study suggests that SNR-Net may be applicable to detecting extended sources in the images automatically.     

Trophic Interaction in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Portunus rituberculatus</Emphasis> Polyculture Ecosystem Based on Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Analysis

Trophic interaction among various biomass groups in a swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus polyculture pond was investigated using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis. The polycultured animal species also included white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, short-necked clam Ruditapes philippinarum, and redlip mullet Liza haematochila. The mean δ¹³C value for all the biomass groups in polyculture ecosystem ranged from ?25.61‰ to ?16.60‰, and the mean δ¹⁵N value ranged from 6.80‰ to 13.09‰. Significant difference in the δ¹³C value was found between particulate organic matter (POM) and sediment organic matter (SOM) (P < 0.05), indicating that these two organic matter pools have different material sources. Assuming that a ¹³C-enrichment factor of 1.00‰ and a ¹⁵N-enrichment factor of 2.70‰ existed between consumer and prey, diets of the four cultured animals were estimated using a stable isotope mixing model. The estimated model results indicated that P. trituberculatus mainly feed on Aloidis laevis; L. vannamei mainly feed on shrimp feed; while A. laevis, R. philippinarum and L. haematochelia mainly feed on POM. Shrimp feed was also an important food source of R. philippinarum and L. haematochelia. The diets of P. trituberculatus, L. vannamei, R. philippinarum, and L. haematochila showed complementary effects in this polyculture ecosystem. Our finding indicated that the polyculture of these four organisms with suitable farming density could make an effective use of most of the food sources, which can make a highly efficient polyculture ecosystem.     

Characterizing the Mass Elevation Effect across the Tibetan Plateau

It is over 110 years since the term Mass Elevation Effect(MEE) was proposed by A. D. Quervain in 1904. The quantitative study of MEE has been explored in the Tibetan Plateau in recent years; however, the spatial distribution of MEE and its impact on the ecological pattern of the plateau are seldom known. In this study, we used a new method to estimate MEE in different regions of the plateau, and, then analyzed the distribution pattern of MEE, and the relationships among MEE, climate, and the altitudinal distribution of timberlines and snowlines in the Plateau. The main results are as follows:(1) The spatial distribution of MEE in the Tibetan Plateau roughly takes on an eccentric ellipse in northwestsoutheast trend. The Chang Tang Plateau and the middle part of the Kunlun Mountains are the core area of MEE, where occurs the highest MEE of above 11℃; and MEE tends to decreases from this core area northwestward, northeastward and southward;(2) The distance away from the core zone of the plateau is also a very important factor for MEE magnitude, because MEE is obviously higher in the interior than in the exterior of the plateau even with similar mountain base elevation(MBE).(3) The impacts of MEE on the altitudinal distribution of timberlines and snowlines are similar, i.e., the higher the MEE, the higher timberlines and snowlines. The highest timberline(4600–4800 m) appears in the lakes and basins north of the Himalayas and in the upper and middle reach valleys of the Yarlung Zangbo River, where the estimated MEE is 10.2822℃–10.6904℃. The highest snowline(6000–6200 m) occurs in the southwest of the Chang Tang Plateau, where the estimated MEE is 11.2059°C–11.5488℃.     

Effect of different biological solutions on microbially induced carbonate precipitation and reinforcement of sand

Abstract

Sporosarcina pasteurii is widely used in the application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) for various applications, such as ground reinforcement, erosion mitigation or stabilization of sand foreshore slopes. This study focuses on the effect of thallus resuspended by the fresh medium (RF) on urea hydrolysis, MICP, and sand reinforcement compared with untreated biological solutions (US) with high microbial concentration. The principle is investigated by tests on thallus resuspended by saline solution [NaCl (0.9%)] (RS) and supernatant (SS). The results indicate that the addition of the fresh medium is insignificant for promoting MICP and even has a slightly negative effect on urea hydrolysis and sand improvement for stationary phase bacteria. The ability of US to hydrolyze urea and MICP is derived from two sources: urease existing in the cell bodies and free urease existing in solution for lysis of partial cells, with urease in cells accounting for the majority. The preferable sand reinforcement of US is primarily due to the high amount of carbonate precipitation and formation of non-biological calcium carbonate located primarily in the pores. The results indicate that the preference of US in various engineering applications with lower cost for the realizable reinforcement.