Insights into the formation of rock varnish in prevailing dusty regions

The characteristics of rock varnish from the Campo de Piedra Pomez (CPP, Andes Argentina) provides new insights into the development of rock varnish under severe dusty conditions. The CPP varnish has been analysed using SEM‐EDAX and Raman techniques. The rock coating is tens of microns in thickness and under the microscope shows a micro to cryptocrystalline appearance and a general granular texture. Silica (quartz, cristobalite and amorphous silica) is the main phase forming these coverings followed by Al, K and Na compounds. Minor Fe oxides and Mn oxides are the source for the orange (Fe) and brown (Fe and Mn) hues of the coating. The results obtained for the CPP coating show that desert varnish developed under dusty circumstances does not have the appearance of typical rock varnish. Textural characteristics include high crystallinity and granular arrangement of the components. Moreover the absence of typical microlaminations is related to the presence of aeolian mineral grains which inhibit their development. The main mechanism of formation of rock varnish under such environmental circumstances is the direct incorporation of aeolian mineral grains into the varnish. However, other physicochemical processes are also required to explain the formation of varnish components such as amorphous silica or iron oxides phases. Although the development of the desert varnish may act as a protector of the underlying pyroclastic rock, the extreme and persistent windy conditions in the CPP field are high enough to weather and erode not only the rock coating but also the original ignimbrite. As other warm desert sites on Earth, the CPP area can also be considered as possible terrestrial analogue to Mars. Some environmental attributes might be similar to those expected on the Martian surface and thus, textural similarities between the CPP varnish and the rock varnish‐like coating of Mars are likely. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A 13‐year record of erosion on badland sites in the Karoo,South Africa

Land degradation in South Africa has been of concern for more than 100 years with both climate change and inappropriate land management (overgrazing) being proposed as primary drivers. However, there are few quantitative studies of degradation and, in particular, few of erosion by water. Badlands, taken here to be the landform which results from extreme erosion, have been notably neglected. We report on 13 consecutive years of erosion pin measurements of badland erosion on 10 study sites in the Sneeuberg uplands of the eastern Karoo in South Africa. The study sites are on Holocene colluvium which mantles footslopes. They have been subject to overgrazing for at least 100 years, c. 1850–1950. Currently they are lightly grazed by sheep. The area receives about 500 mm rainfall per year. The sites are remote, with only informal, farmer‐operated, daily raingauges nearby. The nearest sub‐daily raingauge is c. 55 km distant. Also we report on an analysis of the erosion pin data which focuses on establishing the origins and context of the badlands, including the relationship between study sites and adjacent valley‐bottom gully systems; compare erosion rates on our study sites with rates determined by erosion pins on other badland sites; and discuss the implications of these erosion rates for landscape development and off‐site impacts. Net erosion rates on the study sites are relatively high compared with global badland rates and range from 3.1 to 8.5 mm yr^‐1 which may be extrapolated to 53 to 145 t ha yr^‐1 (using a measured bulk density of 1.7 g cm^‐3). However, comparisons with badland sites elsewhere are difficult because of different measuring methodologies, lithologies, climate and dominant processes. Erosion rates on the study sites are strongly influenced by rainfall amounts and, in particular, by daily rainfall events which exceed ~10 mm: this is the threshold intensity at which runoff has been observed to commence on badlands. Of significance, but of lesser influence, is weathering, mainly by wetting and drying: this prepares bare surfaces for erosion. However, questions remain regarding the role of site characteristics, and of processes at each site, in determining between‐site differences in erosion rate. Crude extrapolation of current rates of erosion, in conjunction with depths of incision into the badlands, suggests that badland development started around 200 years ago, probably as a response to the introduction of European‐style stock farming which resulted in overgrazing. We assume, but cannot quantify, the additional influence of periods of drought and burning in the erosional history of the area. Intermittent connection of these badlands to valley‐bottom gullies and therefore to small farm dams and ultimately to large water storage reservoirs increases their impact on local water resources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于DEM-NDVI的高山植被带定量刻划

根据不同高山植被类型具有不同归一化植被指数响应的特点,通过对NDVI的分析来定量刻划高山植被带的海拔分布。首先,利用DEM、NDVI构建DEM-NDVI散点分布图;然后,结合地面调查资料与WorldView-2高分遥感影像对DEM-NDVI散点分布图进行统计回归分析;最后,利用分析结果定量刻划高山植被垂直分带结构。将该方法应用于四川卧龙大熊猫保护区的卧龙关沟,结果表明：① NDVI随海拔升高而呈“Z”字形变化;② DEM-NDVI散点图比样本点DEM-NDVI分布图能更完全地表达高山植被NDVI随高程变化的特征;③ 卧龙关沟东北坡高山植被带海拔高度为3255~4415 m,西南坡高山植被带海拔高度为3193~4473 m,与地面调查得到的区域代表植被的分布高度基本一致。     

疏勒河径流量与绿洲面积、农业产值及生态效益的关系

基于1954-2010 年疏勒河干流出山径流量、2000-2010年流域内灌区水资源供应量、灌区农作物种植类型、农作物及林草地面积等资料,通过建立系统动力学模型,探讨了气候变化背景下疏勒河径流量对绿洲的影响。结果表明:绿洲受径流量变化影响显著,若出山径流量按1954-2010 年变化趋势增加,绿洲面积、农业产值、生态效益将有不同程度增加; 若出山径流量减小,绿洲面积、农业产值、生态效益亦相应减小。2020年出山径流量较2010年分别减少5%、10%、15%时,绿洲面积和农业产值相应减小4.5%、8.9%、13.4%。在径流量不变情况下,若普及常规节水,林、草地面积均增加16%以上; 若普及高效节水,林、草地面积均扩大54.7%; 若提高渠系利用率到0.70,林草地面积扩大5%以上,总产值增加5.4%; 若提高渠系利用率到0.75,林草地面积增加12%以上,总产值增加12.2%。     

民勤荒漠绿洲过渡带灌丛沙堆形态特征及分布格局

以民勤荒漠绿洲过渡带为研究区,通过样方调查,研究了荒漠区、荒漠绿洲过渡区到绿洲内不同梯度生境中灌丛沙堆的形态特征及分布格局。结果表明:(1)3种生境中灌丛沙堆的形态呈极显著性差异(p<0.01);绿洲区灌丛沙堆的平均高度、底面积、纵横断面积和体积均最大,其次为荒漠区,过渡区最小。(2)过渡带3种生境灌丛沙堆的长、短轴之间均呈二次函数关系,但相关程度不同,过渡区相关性最高,相关系数达0.78;绿洲区相关性最低,相关系数为0.57;高度与底面积、体积与高度间均呈幂函数关系,相关系数均在0.59以上;(3)过渡区灌丛沙堆分布密度较大,呈聚集分布,而荒漠区及绿洲区沙堆分布密度较小,均呈随机分布。     

基于Pfafstetter规则的流域编码算法并行化方法

流域编码是以子流域划分进行流域相关研究的重要内容。Pfafstetter 流域编码以编码唯一、顾及流域拓扑关系及编码效率高等优点而被广泛采用。本文在流域相关研究的分析范围不断增大、数据精度越来越高的需求背景下,以Pfafstetter 编码为基础,对流域编码并行化方法进行研究。首先,分析了Pfafstetter 编码不全面和码位不一致的问题,改进了Pfafstetter 编码规则;然后,从数据并行的角度,讨论了并行计算环境下的数据划分及并行化策略,进而设计了流域编码并行算法;最后,利用长江中上游流域SRTM数据,在集群系统上对流域编码并行算法的正确性和并行性能进行了测试。实验结果表明,本文设计实现的流域编码并行算法可获取与实际较为一致的计算结果,且提高了编码计算效率,可为基于子流域划分的流域分析并行化提供参考。     

北极涛动低空大气环流特征及其与太阳活动的联系

通过北极涛动AO正负位相时期北半球1000 hPa月平均位势高度、位势高度距平和气温月距平图对比分析可知,北极区域异常增暖时期对应着AO负位相时期,而北极区域异常偏冷时期对应着AO正位相时期,说明北极区域气温异常变化是决定AO异常变化的重要因子.逐次滤波法分析可知,冬季1月北极涛动现象表现出十分清楚的与太阳活动密切联系的准110a世纪周期和准22a年代际周期,具体表现为：（1）冬季1月北极涛动现象具有十分清楚的与太阳活动密切联系的准110a世纪周期.准110a世纪周期对于北极涛动指数的方差贡献率达到44.4%,是冬季1月北极涛动现象最显著的世纪际变化特征.（2）谱分析结果表明,滤除准110a世纪周期变化以后的1月北极涛动指数具有显著的22a周期,其方差贡献率达到18.5%,乃仅次于准110a世纪周期之后北极涛动指数年代际变化重要特征.对比分析表明,太阳活动尤其是太阳磁场磁性指数变化与1月北极涛动22a周期变化呈密切的反相关关系,二者变化趋势基本相反,即多数情况当太阳磁性指数MI由最低值转为上升以后都可引起北极涛动AO由最高值转为下降;当太阳磁性指数MI由最高值转为下降以后都可引起北极涛动AO由最低值转为上升.综上所述,北极涛动的准110a世纪周期变化、22a年代际周期变化对于北极涛动方差贡献率达到62.9%,标志着太阳活动是北极涛动的重要驱动因子.     

3D simultaneous joint PP‐PS prestack seismic inversion at Schiehallion field,United Kingdom Continental Shelf

A workflow for simultaneous joint PP‐PS prestack inversion of data from the Schiehallion field on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf is presented and discussed. The main challenge, describing reasonable PS to PP data registration before any prestack or joint PP‐PS inversion, was overcome thanks to a two‐stage process addressing the signal envelope, then working directly on the seismic data to estimate appropriate time‐variant time‐shift volumes. We evaluated the benefits of including PS along with PP prestack seismic data in a joint inversion process to improve the estimated elastic property quality and also to enable estimation of density compared with other prestack and post‐stack inversion approaches. While the estimated acoustic impedance exhibited a similar quality independent of the inversion used (PP post‐stack, PP prestack or joint PP‐PS prestack inversion) the shear impedance estimation was noticeably improved by the joint PP‐PS prestack inversion when compared to the PP prestack inversion. Finally, the density estimated from joint PP and PS prestack data demonstrated an overall good quality, even where not well‐controlled. The main outcome of this study was that despite several data‐related limitations, inverting jointly correctly processed PP and PS data sets brought extra value for reservoir delineation as opposed to PP‐only or post‐stack inversion.     

Joint parameter estimation from magnetic resonance and vertical electric soundings using a multi‐objective genetic algorithm

Magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) has increasingly become an important method in hydrogeophysics because it allows for estimations of essential hydraulic properties such as porosity and hydraulic conductivity. A resistivity model is required for magnetic resonance sounding modelling and inversion. Therefore, joint interpretation or inversion is favourable to reduce the ambiguities that arise in separate magnetic resonance sounding and vertical electrical sounding (VES) inversions. A new method is suggested for the joint inversion of magnetic resonance sounding and vertical electrical sounding data. A one‐dimensional blocky model with varying layer thicknesses is used for the subsurface discretization. Instead of conventional derivative‐based inversion schemes that are strongly dependent on initial models, a global multi‐objective optimization scheme (a genetic algorithm [GA] in this case) is preferred to examine a set of possible solutions in a predefined search space. Multi‐objective joint optimization avoids the domination of one objective over the other without applying a weighting scheme. The outcome is a group of non‐dominated optimal solutions referred to as the Pareto‐optimal set. Tests conducted using synthetic data show that the multi‐objective joint optimization approximates the joint model parameters within the experimental error level and illustrates the range of trade‐off solutions, which is useful for understanding the consistency and conflicts between two models and objectives. Overall, the Levenberg‐Marquardt inversion of field data measured during a survey on a North Sea island presents similar solutions. However, the multi‐objective genetic algorithm method presents an efficient method for exploring the search space by producing a set of non‐dominated solutions. Borehole data were used to provide a verification of the inversion outcomes and indicate that the suggested genetic algorithm method is complementary for derivative‐based inversions.     

Derivative‐Assisted Classification of Fractured Zones Crossing a Deep Borehole

In this study, the derivative analysis using the derivative of drawdown with respect to log‐time was utilized to determine candidates for hydraulic conductor domains (HCDs). At a 500‐m deep borehole in the study site, the fractured rocks crossing the borehole were first classified in fractured and nonfractured zones by core logging and geophysical loggings, such as acoustic televiewing, density, and flow loggings. After conducting the hydraulic tests such as constant head withdrawal and recovery tests at the fractured zones and the nonfractured zones, the derivative analyses were carried out, of which the results were evaluated to determine the candidates for HCDs. For the nonfractured zones, the diagnostic plot has only a big hump indicating poor connection of the background fractures to the permeable geologic media, while those of the candidates for HCDs show various flow regimes. On the basis of these results, the candidates for HCDs among the fractured zones were determined. From discussion on the results, the combination of the spacing analysis and derivative analysis following a hydraulic test is recommended for determining the candidates for HCDs rather than other geophysical loggings.