Effects of strong ground motion on the susceptibility of gully type debris flows

Typhoon Herb in 1996 caused widespread debris flows in central Taiwan. The 7.3 Chi-Chi earthquake on September 21, 1999, which also took place in central Taiwan, induced many landslides in the region. These landslides turned into debris flows when Typhoon Toraji struck Taiwan in 2001. This research selects three regions which suffered a ground motion class of 5, 6, and 7 on the Richter scale during the Chi-Chi earthquake as study areas. Air photos from 1997 and 2001 of these regions are used to map the gully-type debris flows that took place after Typhoons Herb and Toraji, respectively. The gullies adjacent to the debris flow, but without a trace of debris flows, are also mapped as the non-debris flow data. The topography, hydrogeology, and rainfall factors – where debris flow occurred and in which there was no occurrence of debris flows in these gullies were retrieved from DTM, geological maps, and iso-countour maps, and of rainfall through GIS processing. These characteristic are introduced into a probabilistic neural network to build a predicting model for the probability of the occurrence of debris flows. Three series of cross analyses are conducted to compare the probability of the occurrence of debris flows of the same dataset predicted by different prediction models. The results reveal that the susceptibility of debris flows was elevated after the Chi-Chi earthquake struck. The upsurge of susceptibility was more obvious for the regions that received a higher class of ground motion.     

Mosaic desert pavement influences water infiltration and vegetation distribution on fluvial fan surfaces

Desert pavements (DPs) are critical for maintaining ecological stability and promoting near-surface hydrological cycling in arid regions. However, few studies have focused on eco-hydrological processes of DPs in the ecological systems of fluvial fans. Although DP surfaces appear to be barren and flat, we found that the surfaces are characterized by surface mosaic patterns of desert pavement (mosaic DP) and bare ground (mosaic BG). We investigated the effects of mosaic DP on water infiltration and vegetation distribution at six sites in fluvial fans (one on a hillside and five within the sectors of fans) along a southwest belt transect in northern Linze County, in the central Hexi Corridor (China). We found significant differences in mosaic DP between the hillside and sector sites in terms of pavement thickness and vesicular horizon thickness (Av thickness), particle composition, and bulk density, although significant differences were absent for mass soil water content, gravel coverage, and surface gravel size. The mosaic DP inhibited water infiltration by the pavement layer, where the sorptivity (S), initial infiltration rate (i_int), steady-state infiltration rate (i_sat) and infiltration time (T) averaged 1.19 cm/min^-0.5, 0.64 cm/min, 0.13 cm/min and 12.76 min, respectively. Where the pavement layer was scalped, the S, i_int, and i_sat increased by 0.27 cm/min^-0.5, 0.52 cm/min, and 0.40 cm/min, respectively, and the T reduced by 7.42 min. Water infiltration was mainly controlled by the pavement layer thickness (+), Av thickness (−), surface gravel coverage (−), fine earth (+) and fine gravel (−) in the pavement layer. The DP surfaces only had a sparse covering of shrubs, but an abundance of herbs. Few shrubs were present on the mosaic DP, but a greater number of shrubs and herbs grew on the mosaic BG. It can be concluded that DPs can maintain vegetation stability for different surface mosaic patterns. This study deepens our understanding of the eco-hydrological cycle of DP landscapes in arid regions.     

The origin and response of zircon in eclogite to metamorphism during the multi-stage evolution of the Huwan Shear Zone,China: Insights from Lu–Hf and U–Pb isotopic and trace element geochemistry

The Huwan Shear Zone (HSZ) is an eclogite bearing transpressive wrench zone located along the Shangdan Suture that juxtaposes the Paleozoic Qinling and Mesozoic Hong'an–Dabie orogenic terrains. The region preserves a complex history that bridges the gap between adjacent orogenic terrains. Simultaneous in-situ trace element, U–Th–Pb and Lu–Hf‐isotope analysis of zircon grains from samples of the Xiongdian and Sujiahe eclogite identify a late Carboniferous to early Permian period of high pressure metamorphism, ca. 283 to 306 Ma. Zircon grains are observed to respond to metamorphic overprint via a two stage process: (1) An initial prograde stage of fluid catalyzed interface coupled dissolution–reprecipitation, involving exsolution of a non-ideal solid solution thorite (ThSiO₄) end member and loss of highly incompatible components (LREE and Pb), (2) A second stage of coupled zircon dissolution, coarsening, and new rim growth in equilibrium with garnet at high pressure conditions.We identify Proterozoic whole rock Sm–Nd and zircon grain Lu–Hf isotopic evidence which challenges the traditional interpretation that the Xiongdian and Sujiahe eclogite formed in response to early Paleozoic mantle melting and oceanic crust generation. We argue the Huwan Shear Zone contains no conclusive evidence of early/middle Paleozoic oceanic crust, but rather Proterozoic crustal components analogous to those found in the Northern Qinling Terrain and associated with formation of the Shangdan Suture. We present a simpler geodynamic model involving continuous convergence and accretion of terrains onto the southern margin of the North China Block during the Paleozoic Qinling and Mesozoic Dabie orogenies.     

Trend and extreme occurrence of precipitation in a mid‐latitude Eurasian steppe watershed at various time scales

The confounding effects of step change invalidate the stationarity assumption of commonly used trend analysis methods such as the Mann–Kendall test technique, so previous studies have failed to explain inconsistencies between detected trends and observed large precipitation anomalies. The objectives of this study were to (1) formulate a trend analysis approach that considers nonstationarity due to step changes, (2) use this approach to detect trends and extreme occurrences of precipitation in a mid‐latitude Eurasian steppe watershed in North China, and (3) examine how runoff responds to precipitation trends in the study watershed. Our results indicate that annual precipitation underwent a marginal step jump around 1995. The significant annual downward trend after 1994 was primarily due to a decrease in summer rainfall; other seasons exhibited no significant precipitation trends. At a monthly scale, July rainfall after 1994 exhibited a significant downward trend, whereas precipitation in other months had no trend. The percentage of wet days also underwent a step jump around 1994 following a significant decreasing trend, although the precipitation intensity exhibited neither a step change nor any significant trend. However, both low‐frequency and high‐frequency precipitation events in the study watershed occurred more often after than before 1994; probably as either a result or an indicator of climate change. In response to these precipitation changes, the study watershed had distinctly different precipitation‐runoff relationships for observed annual precipitations of less than 300 mm, between 300 and 400 mm, and greater than 400 mm. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

气候变暖对我国南方水稻可种植区的影响

利用我国南方稻区214站1961—2009年逐日气象资料,研究气候变化对南方水稻可种植区的影响。研究结果显示：气候变暖使南方稻区活动积温（日平均气温≥10℃）明显增加,49年增加了324.4℃?d。同时水稻生长季长度也明显延长,49年延长了17.9 d。双季稻可种植区北界明显北移,三季稻可种植区北界略有北移,20世纪60—80年代,双季稻可种植区仅限于长江以南地区,但21世纪初以来的10年双季稻可种植区北界移到长江以北,即向北推移近300 km,从而使新增双季稻可种植区扩展到四川东北部、贵州东部、重庆、湖北大部、安徽中部以及江苏南部。     

Application of Lithium Isotope Geochemistry to the Study of the Continental Geothermal System

The lithium-rich brine in salt lakes is the main raw material of the world’s lithium products, while the continental geothermal fluids with a high salinity often contain a high concentration of lithium. Continental geothermal system is the focus in the study of geothermal formation mechanism. However, less attention is paid to the system due to the complexity of lithology, and the application of lithium isotopes in this field has not been systematically recognized. The newest application and progress of lithium isotope geochemistry in continental geothermal research in recent years were discussed, the problems in this field were put forward, and future research methods and directions were expected. The study of continental geothermal fluids should attach great importance to the application of Li-B-Sr-U multi-isotopic method, and should also be combined with water-rock reaction experiments under different temperature conditions. Moreover, in the future, the research on continental geothermal system should pay more attention to the various sediment/rock lithium isotopic compositions and their spatio-temporal distribution characteristics in the regional or geothermal field’s scales, mineralogy of reservoir rock, and behaviors of lithium isotopes related to the formation of secondary minerals in the process of water-rock interaction, in order to reveal the complex process of fluid evolution in the geothermal system and provide scientific reference for the exploration, exploitation and utilization of lithium resources in the system.     

应用K指数和TOT指数作江苏中期降水预报的试验

用国家气象中心的T63和T106中期数值预报产品，计算所划定区域的K指数和TOT指数作为预报因子，并统计与江苏省9个代表站降水的相关。用逐步回归方法建立了江苏省4－7月第4－6天的PP降水预报方程36个、MOS降水预报方程108个，多级判别临界值144组。在此基础上经统计制作江苏省降水概率预报。     

冬小麦夏玉米土壤水分预报及优化灌溉模型

利用土壤水分平衡方程，结合河南省冬小麦和夏玉米的生长规律和1994～2000年冬小麦、夏玉米田实测土壤湿度资料，建立了河南省冬小麦、夏玉米土壤水分预报及优化灌溉的计算机模型。用1998～1999年郑州市麦田实测土壤湿度资料验证该模型模拟结果，未来10、20、30天土壤湿度相对误差分别为-7．3％～7．7％、-8．3％～6．8％、-7．6％～7．7％，表明利用该模型，可以较为准确地预报未来1个月的土壤水分变化，并可根据小麦、玉米不同发育期特点，给出以最高产量和最佳经济效益为目标的灌溉建议。     

南海东北部叶绿素a浓度对台风“风泵”和黑潮共同作用的响应

南海东北部是寡营养海域,夏季浮游植物叶绿素浓度较低,热带气旋"风泵"效应带来的上层海洋扰动可能引起表层浮游植物的显著增长。以往的研究通常关注热带气旋风应力和海洋中尺度涡对上层海洋浮游植物的影响,本文利用航次CTD、实测叶绿素a浓度、Argo温盐剖面和遥感数据,探讨了台风"风泵"和黑潮共同作用下真光层内浮游植物的变化特征及其成因。结果表明,2015年台风"莲花"过境1周后产生向吕宋海峡西北侧南海海域(A区)入侵的黑潮流套,该入侵的黑潮流套使台风前原有的气旋涡消失,抑制了台风产生的上升流对表层(0～40 m)营养盐供给,使次表层(60～90 m)营养盐富集,进而抑制了表层的叶绿素a增长,促进了次表层叶绿素a的增长;吕宋海峡西侧南海海域(B区)表层的浮游植物叶绿素a浓度增加不仅是源于叶绿素最大层浮游植物的向上输运,更是由于浮游植物的繁殖增长;A区台风引起的流套式的黑潮入侵,促进了B区台风后气旋式流场的形成,产生的持续增强的气旋涡为B区表层叶绿素持续增长提供了充足的营养盐供给。     

Variations in glacier volume and snow cover and their impact on lake storage in the Paiku Co Basin,in the Central Himalayas

Glaciers and snow cover are important constituents of the surface of the Tibetan Plateau. The responses of these phenomena to global environmental changes are sensitive, rapid and intensive due to the high altitudes and arid cold climate of the Tibetan Plateau. Based on multisource remote sensing data, including Landsat images, MOD10A2 snow product, ICESat, Cryosat-2 altimetry data and long-term ground climate observations, we analysed the dynamic changes of glaciers, snow melting and lake in the Paiku Co basin using extraction methods for glaciers and lake, the degree-day model and the ice and lake volume method. The interaction among the climate, ice-snow and the hydrological elements in Paiku Co is revealed. From 2000 to 2018, the basin tended to be drier, and rainfall decreased at a rate of −3.07 mm/a. The seasonal temperature difference in the basin increased, the maximum temperature increased at a rate of 0.02°C/a and the minimum temperature decreased at a rate of −0.06°C/a, which accelerated the melting from glaciers and snow at rates of 0.55 × 10⁷ m³/a and 0.29 × 10⁷ m³/a, respectively. The rate of contribution to the lake from rainfall, snow and glacier melted water was 55.6, 27.7 and 16.7%, respectively. In the past 18 years, the warmer and drier climate has caused the lake to shrink. The water level of the lake continued to decline at a rate of −0.02 m/a, and the lake water volume decreased by 4.85 × 10⁸ m³ at a rate of −0.27 × 10⁸ m³/a from 2000 to 2018. This evaluation is important for understanding how the snow and ice melting in the central Himalayas affect the regional water cycle.