Structural similarity and variety at the tips in a wide range of strike–slip faults: a review

Strike–slip faults are often accompanied by a variety of structures, particularly at their tips. The zones of additional fracturing are classified as tip‐damage zones. These zones can be subdivided into several different damage patterns based on the nature and orientation of faults and fractures developed. Damage zones at the ends of small strike–slip faults (mode II tips) develop wing cracks, horsetail splays, antithetic faults, synthetic branch faults and solution surfaces. Similar tip‐damage patterns are also commonly observed at larger (regional) scales, but with a dominance of faulting over tensile cracks and solution surfaces. Wing cracks and horsetail splays developed at small‐scale faults are replaced by normal faults in large‐scale faults. Antithetic faults and synthetic branch faults are observed at small and large scales. Thrust faults are developed at large scales, in a similar pattern to solution surfaces at a small scale. All these structures may show slightly different angular relationships to the master fault at small and large scale, but develop in response similar stress distribution and mechanics around the fault. Thus, mode II tip‐damage zones show similar patterns over a wide range of fault scales.     

Threshold velocity for wind erosion: the effects of porous fences

Porous fence is a kind of artificial windbreak that has many practical applications. The threshold wind velocities at different distances downwind from porous fences were measured and the corresponding characteristics of particle movement observed to assess their shelter effect. It is found that the fence’s porosity is the key factor that determines the resulting shelter effect. The area near a fence can be typically classified into five regions, each with a different mode of particle movement. Dense fences, and especially solid fences, favor the accumulation of sand upwind of the fences. Fences with porosities of 0.3–0.4 produce the maximum threshold wind velocity; those with porosities of 0.3–0.6 (depending on the fence height) provide the maximum effective shelter distance. It is confirmed that the fence porosities of 0.3–0.4 that have been proposed for practical application in previous research are the most effective for abating wind erosion.     

Control of dust emissions by geomorphic conditions, wind environments and land use in northern China: An examination based on dust storm frequency from 1960 to 2003

The degree to which dust emissions are controlled by geomorphic conditions, wind environments and land use was investigated using the dust storm frequency (DSF) and data from more than 300 meteorological stations throughout northern China. Our analysis showed that most dust emissions originated in gobi deserts that developed in piedmont alluvial fans of the Kunlun, Qilian and Helan mountains. Dust emissions are low from other gobi desert regions, such as the northern Gurbantunggut and eastern Taklimakan, where high vegetation coverage restrained dust emissions or where dust-size particles are not abundant after a long period of strong wind erosion. Sandy deserts with relatively high vegetation coverage or an extensive cover by mobile sands are not a major dust source. Although the highest dust emissions did not appear in regions with the highest wind energy, DSF trends in each region from 1960 to 2003 were closely related to local wind activity. DSF was low in regions with high levels of human activity, where the mean DSF from 1960 to 2003 did not exceed 4 days/year; even from the 1960s to the early 1970s, the period with the greatest DSF, frequency did not exceed 8 days/year, which indicates that extensive land use did not contribute to DSF. The low DSF in these areas might result from the fact that although land use could produce abundant fine soil fractions, vegetation coverage and soil moisture remained higher than in the gobi deserts of arid China, thereby decreasing dust-storm occurrence.     

Food Deserts in the Prairies? Supermarket Accessibility and Neighborhood Need in Edmonton,Canada*

The U.S. and U.K. literatures have discussed “food deserts,” reflecting populated, typically urban, low‐income areas with limited access to full‐service supermarkets. Less is known about supermarket accessibility within Canadian cities. This article uses the minimum distance and coverage methods to determine supermarket accessibility within the city of Edmonton, Canada, with a focus on high‐need and inner‐city neighborhoods. The results show that for 1999 both of these areas generally had higher accessibility than the remainder of the city, but six high‐need neighborhoods had poor supermarket accessibility. We conclude by examining potential reasons for differences in supermarket accessibility between Canadian, U.S., and U.K. cities.     

北京市地下水动态监测示范工程的建设和应用

北京市地下水动态监测示范工程是北京市科委的重大项目,从1999年开始建设,到2004年4月全面完成.本文详细介绍了该项目的建设及开发内容,以及在北京市地下水动态监测工作中的应用情况.     

伊敏五牧场区煤质特征及变质规律

伊敏五牧场区存在着从褐煤到贫煤完整的变质系列,其主要煤变质类型为接触变质.在本区煤系地层底部有一酸性侵入岩体,该侵入岩体是引起本区煤变质的直接热源,它提供了褐煤向烟煤转化的热动力.本区出现的隐爆角砾岩也是受热不均匀或热叠加造成煤类复杂多变的原因.区内构造十分发育,构造条件是煤变质的又一主要因素.研究该区煤变质规律对伊敏煤田及海拉尔褐煤盆地烟煤预测具有指导作用.     

浅谈 714C型天气雷达的中修

2003年民航哈尔滨空管中心航务气象台对 714C型天气雷达进行中修.在中修中共发现大小故障 86例,雷达的整体性能显著下降,大部分指标值低于标准值.同时在中修过程中,技术人员全面分析雷达出现故障的原因.电子仪器设备在储存、运输和工作中受气候环境、机械环境与电磁环境等因素的影响较大,其中温度、湿度、电源品质等要素的影响在哈尔滨机场体现得较为突出,机场供电经常在 320～ 460V之间波动,给雷达设备造成很大的损害,同时,恶劣的气候条件和工作状况加快了半导体器件、电阻器、电容器、继电器、接插件、及开关等元器件表面氧化、老化的进程、导致电参数退休.根据故障情况进行了综合分析.     

领导人才资源开发经营的实践与思考

人才资源是第一资源，谁拥有人才优势，谁就能抢占事业发展的制高点，因此，对人才资源开发与经营的效益要远远大于对其他资源开发的效益。对山西省气象局近几年来领导人才资源开发与经营的实践进行了详细的探讨和总结，指出领导人才资源开发与经营的基础环节是造拔优势年轻人才，中介环节是创新人才选拔机制，关键环节是优化配置人才资源。     

An algorithm for determination of aerosol opticalthickness from AVHRR imagery over oceans

Summary The uncertainty in aerosol size distributions is a main source of errors in aerosol optical thickness determined from satellite measurements. To reduce the errors resulting from the uncertainty in aerosol size distributions, we have performed sensitivity analyses. It is found the errors resulting from the uncertainty in aerosol size distribution can be considerably reduced by using the Junge power law to approximate the aerosol size distribution in an actual atmosphere, if the exponent value is determined at the same time. An iterative algorithm is then developed for the simultaneous determination of aerosol optical thickness and the exponent of the Junge power law over ocean areas from the upwelling radiances measured in AVHRR visible and near infrared channels. A number of numerical experiments are carried out to investigate the validity of the Junge power law approximation by assuming the aerosol size distributions in an actual atmosphere are bimodal with different mode parameters, and by using the actual aerosol size distributions determined at several places by Kaufman et al. (1994). The results show that the errors in determined aerosol optical thickness resulting from the Junge power law approach are significantly reduced. The iterative algorithm is investigated further by comparing the aerosol optical thickness deduced from satellite measurement with that observed by a sun photometer. Received October 10, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001