Presence of Hippidion at two sites of western Argentina: Diet composition and contribution to the study of the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna

The composition of Hippidion diet, and possible changes that could relate to its extinction, were evaluated in the Argentinean-Chilean Central Andes, a Neotropical environment characterized by arid to semiarid conditions (Andean hot and cold deserts). Microhistological analyses were made on feces of Hippidion found at Los Morrillos (31°43′S–68°42′W, 3000 m a.s.l.) and Gruta del Indio (34°35′S, 68°22′W, 660 m a.s.l.). At Gruta del Indio the diet of Hippidion was based mainly on woody species. At Los Morrillos, it was based on herbaceous species.This flexibility in diet composition could be a relative adaptive advantage allowing a longer permanence of this species in comparison to others recorded in the region (such as Megatheriumand Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,000–9000 ¹⁴C BP are not evident. Given this evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of this horse.     

Oil-generation kinetics for organic facies with Type-II and -IIS kerogen in the Menilite Shales of the Polish Carpathians

The Menilite Shales (Oligocene) of the Polish Carpathians are the source of low-sulfur oils in the thrust belt and some high-sulfur oils in the Carpathian Foredeep. These oil occurrences indicate that the high-sulfur oils in the Foredeep were generated and expelled before major thrusting and the low-sulfur oils in the thrust belt were generated and expelled during or after major thrusting. Two distinct organic facies have been observed in the Menilite Shales. One organic facies has a high clastic sediment input and contains Type-II kerogen. The other organic facies has a lower clastic sediment input and contains Type-IIS kerogen. Representative samples of both organic facies were used to determine kinetic parameters for immiscible oil generation by isothermal hydrous pyrolysis and S₂ generation by non-isothermal open-system pyrolysis. The derived kinetic parameters showed that timing of S₂ generation was not as different between the Type-IIS and -II kerogen based on open-system pyrolysis as compared with immiscible oil generation based on hydrous pyrolysis. Applying these kinetic parameters to a burial history in the Skole unit showed that some expelled oil would have been generated from the organic facies with Type-IIS kerogen before major thrusting with the hydrous-pyrolysis kinetic parameters but not with the open-system pyrolysis kinetic parameters. The inability of open-system pyrolysis to determine earlier petroleum generation from Type-IIS kerogen is attributed to the large polar-rich bitumen component in S₂ generation, rapid loss of sulfur free-radical initiators in the open system, and diminished radical selectivity and rate constant differences at higher temperatures. Hydrous-pyrolysis kinetic parameters are determined in the presence of water at lower temperatures in a closed system, which allows differentiation of bitumen and oil generation, interaction of free-radical initiators, greater radical selectivity, and more distinguishable rate constants as would occur during natural maturation. Kinetic parameters derived from hydrous pyrolysis show good correlations with one another (compensation effect) and kerogen organic-sulfur contents. These correlations allow for indirect determination of hydrous-pyrolysis kinetic parameters on the basis of the organic-sulfur mole fraction of an immature Type-II or -IIS kerogen.     

T -distributed Random Fields: A Parametric Model for Heavy-tailedWell-log Data1

Histograms of observations from spatial phenomena are often found to be more heavy-tailed than Gaussian distributions, which makes the Gaussian random field model unsuited. A T-distributed random field model with heavy-tailed marginal probability density functions is defined. The model is a generalization of the familiar Student-T distribution, and it may be given a Bayesian interpretation. The increased variability appears cross-realizations, contrary to in-realizations, since all realizations are Gaussian-like with varying variance between realizations. The T-distributed random field model is analytically tractable and the conditional model is developed, which provides algorithms for conditional simulation and prediction, so-called T-kriging. The model compares favourably with most previously defined random field models. The Gaussian random field model appears as a special, limiting case of the T-distributed random field model. The model is particularly useful whenever multiple, sparsely sampled realizations of the random field are available, and is clearly favourable to the Gaussian model in this case. The properties of the T-distributed random field model is demonstrated on well log observations from the Gullfaks field in the North Sea. The predictions correspond to traditional kriging predictions, while the associated prediction variances are more representative, as they are layer specific and include uncertainty caused by using variance estimates.     

Haul-out pattern of itinerant male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) at Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands

The seasonal haul-out pattern of itinerant male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella ) was determined by regular counts at Mossman Peninsula, Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands, from 1996 to 2005. Small numbers of animals began to arrive at the beach in late December/early January (mean date 28 December Ø 15 days, n= 10). Peak numbers of animals ashore changed considerably between seasons. In 1996, 1998 and 2001, peak numbers were registered in March (6/3, 18/3 and 6/3, respectively). Numbers peaked in 1997, 1999 and 2005 at the end of January/beginning of February (26/1,2/2 and 28/1, respectively). In 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 peaks were registered in the third week of February (15/2, 22/2, 14/2 and 20/2, respectively). Peaks in numbers of seals ashore also varied between years, being minimum during 2001 (2531 individuals) and maximum during 2006 (16 610 individuals). In March 1998 the coasts of Laurie Island were surveyed by navigating inflatable boats near the shoreline; 18 haul-out places were identified. The big differences in peak numbers, as well as in the dates of peak events among years, suggest that local conditions could have an effect on the numbers of animals hauled out in a given year. It may therefore be difficult to predict trends from summer censuses in non-breeding places.     

韧性剪切变形对岩石地球化学行为的制约——以北阿尔金巴什考供韧性剪切带为例

韧性剪切变形对岩石地球化学行为的制约一直是地质学家们探讨的课题。本文以构成北阿尔金红柳沟——拉配泉俯冲碰撞杂岩带与北阿尔金地块边界的巴什考供斜向逆冲型韧性剪切带为例，通过对韧性剪切带内花岗岩变形前后不同变形强度构造岩的地球化学组成进行对比，确定等比线斜率，探讨韧性变形对岩石体积和成分变异的影响。计算结果表明，在糜棱岩化过程中，糜棱岩化花岗岩体积亏损21％，花岗质糜棱岩体积亏损31％。质量平衡计算结果和等比线图表明，韧；陛剪切作用导致SiO2，流失量最大，A12O3、K2O及Ba、Rb、Sr等都有不同程度的丢失，显示出较强的活动性，MnO、P2O5、Sc位于等比线上或附近，表现出相对的稳定性。岩石中活动组分的变异是流体渗滤作用引起的，不活动组分的变异是体．积亏损造成的。     

一次诱发山地灾害突发性暴雨数值模拟及诊断分析

应用MM5V3.5中尺度非静力数值模式对2003年7月14～15日发生在陕西省一次区域性暴雨过程进行数值模拟和诊断分析,结果发现,西太平洋副热带高压西侧的暖湿气流和新疆冷空气是这次暴雨的主要影响系统,充沛的水汽输送、能量的积聚和强烈的上升运动为暴雨的发生提供了充分的条件,700hPa低涡、切变线是暴雨形成的触发机制.模拟结果表明：涡度场和散度场及垂直上升运动互耦;特强辐合辐散柱的出现早于强涡度柱,而深厚的强气旋性涡柱则几乎与暴雨最强盛时期同时出现.     

风沙起电的风洞实验研究

利用大型风沙物理风洞实验装置 ,模拟铺沙地面在不同风速条件下对不同粒径的沙样和混合沙的起电电场、电位和荷质比作实验测量。结果表明 :存在风沙起电效应。风洞内电场多为负极性 ,最大电场达到 - 2 9kV·m- 1 ,导线电位可达 12 0mV。沙粒越细 ,起电越强 ,且随风速增加而增大     

Late Cenozoic transpressional ductile deformation north of the Nazca–South America–Antarctica triple junction

The southern Andes plate boundary zone records a protracted history of bulk transpressional deformation during the Cenozoic, which has been causally related to either oblique subduction or ridge collision. However, few structural and chronological studies of regional deformation are available to support one hypothesis or the other. We address along- and across-strike variations in the nature and timing of plate boundary deformation to better understand the Cenozoic tectonics of the southern Andes.Two east–west structural transects were mapped at Puyuhuapi and Aysén, immediately north of the Nazca–South America–Antarctica triple junction. At Puyuhuapi (44°S), north–south striking, high-angle contractional and strike-slip ductile shear zones developed from plutons coexist with moderately dipping dextral-oblique shear zones in the wallrocks. In Aysén (45–46°), top to the southwest, oblique thrusting predominates to the west of the Cenozoic magmatic arc, whereas dextral strike-slip shear zones develop within it.New ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar data from mylonites and undeformed rocks from the two transects suggest that dextral strike-slip, oblique-slip and contractional deformation occurred at nearly the same time but within different structural domains along and across the orogen. Similar ages were obtained on both high strain pelitic schists with dextral strike-slip kinematics (4.4±0.3 Ma, laser on muscovite–biotite aggregates, Aysén transect, 45°S) and on mylonitic plutonic rocks with contractional deformation (3.8±0.2 to 4.2±0.2 Ma, fine-grained, recrystallized biotite, Puyuhuapi transect). Oblique-slip, dextral reverse kinematics of uncertain age is documented at the Canal Costa shear zone (45°S) and at the Queulat shear zone at 44°S. Published dates for the undeformed protholiths suggest both shear zones are likely Late Miocene or Pliocene, coeval with contractional and strike-slip shear zones farther north. Coeval strike-slip, oblique-slip and contractional deformation on ductile shear zones of the southern Andes suggest different degrees of along- and across-strike deformation partitioning of bulk transpressional deformation.The long-term dextral transpressional regime appears to be driven by oblique subduction. The short-term deformation is in turn controlled by ridge collision from 6 Ma to present day. This is indicated by most deformation ages and by a southward increase in the contractional component of deformation. Oblique-slip to contractional shear zones at both western and eastern margins of the Miocene belt of the Patagonian batholith define a large-scale pop-up structure by which deeper levels of the crust have been differentially exhumed since the Pliocene at a rate in excess of 1.7 mm/year.     

介休井水位异常的调查与分析

从井孔周围地下水开采量变化、大气降雨补给量变化、农田灌溉用水量变化、矿井塌方、涌水、排水和地震活动等影响因素入手 ,对 1999年至 2 0 0 0年间介休井水位的 2次突降原因进行了调查。通过初步分析 ,表明介休井水位阶降型异常具有一定的震兆性质 ,其水位的缓慢上升与突然阶降意味着介休地区断裂活动在加速。其地震预测的意义是未来一段时间山西地震带内有发生MS≥ 5 0级地震可能