Ice stream influence on West Greenland Ice Sheet dynamics during the Last Glacial Maximum

This paper investigates the processes governing bedrock bedform evolution in ice sheet and ice stream areas in central West Greenland, and explores the evidence for a cross‐shelf ice stream at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). To the east of Sisimiut the formation of streamlined bedforms with high elongation ratios and high bedform density has been controlled by geological structure and topography in slow‐flowing ice sheet areas. At the coast, the effects of regional flow convergence, caused by coastal fjord orientation, routed ice into the Sisimiut/Itilleq area where it formed an ice stream onset zone. This funnelled ice into an offshore trough (Holsteinsborg Dyb), resulting in a southwesterly regional ice flow direction and the formation of a topographically routed ice stream (Holsteinsborg Isbrae). To the south of this, striae and bedform evidence show that local valley glaciers initially flowed east to west across the coast, but were later redirected by the Itilleq Fjord ice which turned southwestward due to diffluent flow and deflection by Holsteinsborg Isbrae. Roches moutonnées in this area have low elongation ratios and high bedform density, but do not provide unequivocal support for ice streaming, as they are a product of both bedrock structure and changes in ice flow direction, rather than enhanced flow velocities. Cosmogenic surface exposure ages limit maximum ice sheet surface elevation to ca. 755–810 m above sea level in this region. Such ice thickness enabled Holsteinsborg Isbrae to reach the mid/outer continental shelf during the LGM, and to contribute to the formation of a trough mouth fan and the Outer Hellefisk moraines. Initial deglaciation across this region was driven by rising sea level and increasing air temperatures prior to the Bølling Interstadial at ca. 14.5 cal. ka BP. Between 12 and 10 cal. ka BP both increased air and ocean temperatures post the Younger Dryas, and peak sea‐level rise up to the marine limit, caused accelerated thinning and marginal retreat through calving, although dating evidence suggests ice streams remained along the inner shelf/coast boundary until at least ca. 10 cal. ka BP, their longevity maintained by increased ice thickness and ice discharge. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Turbulent mixing in a rotating,stratified fluid

Abstract

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the effect of rotation on turbulent mixing in a stratified fluid when the turbulence in the mixed layer is generated by an oscillating grid. Two types of experiments were carried out: one of them is concerned with the deepening of the upper mixed layer in a stable, two-fluid system, and the other deals with the interaction between a stabilizing buoyancy flux and turbulence.

In the first type of experiments, it was found that rotation suppresses entrainment at larger Rossby numbers. As the Rossby number becomes smaller (Ro 0.1), the entrainment rate increases with rotation—the onset of this phenomenon, however, was found to coincide with the appearance of coherent vortices within the mixed layer. The radiation of energy from the mixed layer to the lower non-turbulent layer was found to occur and the magnitude of the energy flux was found to be increased with the rotational frequency. It was also observed that vortices are generated, rather abruptly, in the lower layer as the mixed layer deepens.

In the second set of experiments a quasi-steady mixed layer was found to develop of which the thickness varies with rotation in a fashion that is consistent with the result of the first experiment. Also the rotation was found to delay the formation of a pycnocline.     

The formation and evolution of an isolated submarine valley in the North Channel,Irish Sea: an investigation of Beaufort's Dyke

Beaufort's Dyke is a submarine depression located in the North Channel of the Irish Sea. With a maximum depth of 312 m, the dyke is one of the deepest areas within the European continental shelf. Integration and interpretation of 450 km of sparker seismic data and full‐coverage bathymetric data derived from multi‐beam echo sounder surveys allow for the investigation of the formation processes of Beaufort's Dyke and the evolution of geomorphological features within it. The dyke, formed by composite subglacial processes dominated by subglacial meltwater discharge, is interpreted as a tunnel valley. The regional isolation of Beaufort's Dyke may be explained by the bounding of the North Channel by the bedrock masses of Ireland and Scotland, coupled with the exploitation of structural weakness along a fault plane and presence of halite in the eroded substrate enhancing the erosive potential of the overlying glacier. Beaufort's Dyke has probably been maintained as an open feature by strong rectilinear tidal currents. The morphology of lunate sediment waves and a large parabolic bedform towards the south of the dyke contradict the observed dominant S–N mean hydrodynamic flow recorded within the North Channel, suggesting an alternative hydrodynamic regime either within the dyke or during bedform creation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ice marginal dynamics during surge activity,Kuannersuit Glacier,Disko Island,West Greenland

The Kuannersuit Glacier surged 11 km between 1995 and 1998. The surge resulted in the formation of an ice cored thrust moraine complex constructed by subglacial and proglacial glaciotectonic processes. Four main thrust zones are evident in the glacier snout area with phases of compressional folding and thrusting followed by hydrofracture in response to the build-up of compressional stresses and the aquicludal nature of submarginal permafrost and naled. Various types of stratified debris-rich ice facies occur within the marginal zone: The first (Facies I) comprises laterally continuous strata of ice with sorted sediment accumulations, and is reworked and thrust naled ice. The second is laterally discontinuous stratified debris-rich ice with distinct tectonic structures, and is derived through subglacial extensional deformation and localised regelation (Facies II), whilst the third type is characterised by reworked and brecciated ice associated with the reworking and entrainment of meteoric ice (Facies III). Hydrofracture dykes and sills (Facies IV) cross-cut the marginal ice cored thrust moraines, with their sub-vertically frozen internal contact boundaries and sedimentary structures, suggesting supercooling operated as high-pressure evacuation of water occurred during thrusting, but this is not related to the formation of basal stratified debris-rich ice. Linear distributions of sorted fines transverse to ice flow, and small stratified sediment ridges that vertically cross-cut the ice surface up-ice of the thrust zone relate to sediment migration along crevasse traces and fluvial infilling of crevasses. From a palaeoglaciological viewpoint, marginal glacier tectonics, ice sediment content and sediment delivery mechanisms combine to control the development of this polythermal surge valley landsystem. The bulldozing of proglacial sediments and the folding and thrusting of naled leads to the initial development of the outer zone of the moraine complex. This becomes buried in bulldozed outwash sediment and well-sorted fines through surface ablation of naled. Up-ice of this, the heavily thrust margin becomes buried in sediment melted out from basal debris-rich ice and subglacial diamicts routed along thrusts. These mechanisms combine to deliver sediment to supraglacial localities, and promote the initial preservation of structurally controlled moraines through insulation, and the later development of kettled dead ice terrain.     

Source of and potential bio-indicator for the heavy metal pollution in Ny-(A)lesund, Arctic

Three kinds of tundra plant samples including Dicranum angnstum(a type of boreal bryophyte) , PuccineUia phryganodes (a type of fringy p/ant),Salix polaris (a type of vascular plant) and surface soil were samples in 200 at Ny-Alesund of the Arctic.The levels of eight heavy metal elements (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Fe and Mn) and three metal-like dements (As, Se, Sr) in the plant and soil samples of the areas within previous coal mining activities are significantly higher than those of other areas.The relative accumulation of these elements in these tundra plant samples is consistent with the one in the soft samples, especially in the areas affected by previous coal-mining activities.Thus, the pollution is apparently from local coal mining activity.Dicranum angustum has the highest concentrations among those elements, and it can be a good bio-indicator for heavy metal pollution in Ny(A)lesund.Though Ny(A)lesund is less polluted by heavy metal than nearby Northern European human living areas, but much more than the tundras of the Alaska, Greenland and the Antarctic.     

Spatial variation in sap flow velocity in semiarid region trees: its impact on stand‐scale transpiration estimates

In this study, we aimed to clarify spatial variations in xylem sap flow, and to determine the impacts of these variations on stand‐scale transpiration (E) estimates. We examined circumferential and radial variations in sap flow velocity (F_d) measured at several directions and depths in tree trunks of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and native oak (Quercus liaotungensis), both of which have ring‐porous wood anatomy, in forest stands on the Loess Plateau, China. We evaluated the impacts of circumferential variations in F_d on stand‐scale transpiration estimates using a simple scaling exercise. We found significant circumferential variations in F_d in the outermost xylem in both species (coefficients of variation = 20–45%). For both species, F_d measured at the inner xylem was smaller than that of the outermost xylem and the F_d at the depth of > 10 mm was almost zero. The simple exercises showed that omitting circumferential variations in F_d affected the E estimate by 16–21%, which was less than the effects of omitting within‐tree radial and tree‐to‐tree variations in F_d in both species. These results suggest that circumferential variations in F_d can be a minor source of error for E estimates compared with within‐tree radial and tree‐to‐tree variations in F_d, regardless of the significant circumferential variations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of Active Earth Pressure for Limited Width of Soil Using Nonlinear Failure Criterion

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - When constructing a retaining wall adjacent to existing basements, the width of the soil mass can be limited. The traditional theories are not suitable for...     

古尔班通古特沙漠及周边区域冬季大气边界层高度对地表积雪的响应

古尔班通古特沙漠是中国唯一冬季存在长期积雪的沙漠,在此特殊地理环境下,沙漠及周边区域冬季雪深和边界层高度的时空变化特征和相互关系尚未明确。本文利用1980—2019年SMMR（Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer）、SSM/I（Special Sensor Microwave/Imager）、SSMI/S（Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder）被动微波遥感雪深数据、古尔班通古特沙漠腹地雪深观测数据和ERA5再分析资料（the Fifth Generation ECMWF Reanalysis）边界层高度数据,分析了沙漠及周边区域冬季雪深和边界层高度的时空变化特征与相互关系。结果表明：古尔班通古特沙漠及周边区域冬季雪深年均值为8.45 cm,整体呈现东北部和南部积雪较深,其他区域积雪较浅并呈现出由沙漠中心区域向四周逐渐减少的特点,雪深在古尔班通古特沙漠及其东北、南边的邻近区域呈升高趋势,剩余地区呈下降趋势。古尔班通古特沙漠及周边区域冬季边界层高度年均值为105.54 m,呈现东南部和西北部高,中心沙漠区域、东北部、西南部较低的特点,边界层高度在沙漠及周边区域升高而其他区域降低。古尔班通古特沙漠的冬季雪深和大气边界层高度时空变化整体呈负相关,其中93.17%以上的沙漠区域呈负相关,平均相关系数为-0.32,最大相关系数绝对值为-0.58,空间相关系数为-0.42（P<0.05）。     

琼东南盆地天然气水合物与浅层气共生体系成藏特征

继我国在神狐海域两次天然气水合物试采成功之后,近几年来在琼东南盆地的勘探证实了天然气水合物的存在,而且钻探表明其与浅层气具有复杂的共生关系.为揭示琼东南盆地深水区天然气水合物与浅层气共生体系成藏特征,结合岩心、测井及三维地震数据,阐明了天然气水合物与浅层气的空间分布特征,研究结果表明,天然气水合物主要赋存在海底以下200 m范围内的沙质沉积物中,且其形成过程与浅层气的垂向运移有关.对天然气水合物与浅层气共生体系成藏特征的深入分析表明,深部热成因气和浅部生物成因气是其重要的气体来源,第四系未固结沙层是良好的储层,且天然气水合物和浅层气共生体系的分布主要受深部气烟囱和断层的控制.浅层气藏为天然气水合物提供稳定的气源条件;第四系块体流沉积与含天然气水合物地层能有效地封堵浅层气的纵向运移,进一步促进浅层气的成藏.因此,天然气水合物的形成与浅层气的发育具有正反馈的相互作用关系,有利于形成更大规模的天然气水合物矿体和浅层气藏,具有良好的商业开发潜力.      

巴音戈壁盆地巴音戈壁组上段古盐度恢复及意义

巴音戈壁盆地巴音戈壁组上段泥岩是中国高放废物深地质处置的目标研究层位之一,目前缺乏对该地层湖相泥岩粘土矿物组合特征及古盐度影响因素的相关认识。文章应用全岩的B含量、Sr/Ba比值、Rb/K比值及Na+K质量分数等方法和X衍射测试分析技术对巴音戈壁组上段古盐度进行综合判别。分析得出：（1）巴音戈壁组上段以半深湖—深湖沉积环境为主,发育有厚层深灰色泥岩,以半深湖至深湖相沉积为主;（2）研究区目的层岩性结构为泥粉质,该段泥岩伊利石、蒙脱石、伊蒙混层发育较好,绿泥石和高岭石极少;（3）选取样品的Sr/Ba、Rb/K、B/Ga、Na+K值同Couch公式恢复的古盐度变化趋向相似,其水体以半咸水、微咸为主;（4）随着深度增加,TZK-1井、TZK-2井的古盐度呈规律变化,具有升高—降低特点,与伊利石含量的变化一致,并且古盐度变化与古气候及氧化还原的相关研究在该岩性段位耦合。综上表明：目标区古盐度的研究不仅有利于湖盆古沉积环境的恢复,而且有助于揭示古盐度的变化特征对粘土矿物组合特征及演化的影响,为后期深入研究粘土矿物对核素吸附性能及核素在泥岩中的迁移情况提供一定依据。