Landscape change and sandy desertification in arid areas: a case study in the Zhangye Region of Gansu Province, China

The Zhangye Region of Gansu Province is an important agricultural base in arid northwestern China. During the twentieth century, especially in the last five decades, the region has experienced sandy desertification. To document the status and causes of this deterioration, satellite images, meteorological and socioeconomic data to assess landscape change from 1993 to 2002 were interpreted and analyzed. The results show that during the intervening 9-year period the area of sandy lands has increased by 642.2 km², which consist of aeolian sand dune (357.1 km²) and potential sandy land (216.3 km²). Although the development and reversion of sandy desertification co-exist, the sandy desertification in this area seems serious and is attributable to the irrational use of water and land.     

Variability in the vertical hyporheic water exchange affected by hydraulic conductivity and river morphology at a natural confluent meander bend

River confluences and their associated tributaries are key morphodynamic nodes that play important roles in controlling hydraulic geometry and hyporheic water exchange in fluvial networks. However, the existing knowledge regarding hyporheic water exchange associated with river confluence morphology is relatively scarce. On January 14 and 15, 2016, the general hydraulic and morphological characteristics of the confluent meander bend (CMB) between the Juehe River and the Haohe River in the southern region of Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China, were investigated. The patterns and magnitudes of vertical hyporheic water exchange (VHWE) were estimated based on a one‐dimensional heat steady‐state model, whereas the sediment vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_v) was calculated via in situ permeameter tests. The results demonstrated that 6 hydrodynamic zones and their extensions were observed at the CMB during the test period. These zones were likely controlled by the obtuse junction angle and low momentum flux ratio, influencing the sediment grain size distribution of the CMB. The VHWE patterns at the test site during the test period mostly showed upwelling flow dominated by regional groundwater discharging into the river. The occurrence of longitudinal downwelling and upwelling patterns along the meander bend at the CMB was likely subjected to the comprehensive influences of the local sinuosity of the meander bend and regional groundwater discharge and finally formed regional and local flow paths. Additionally, in dominated upwelling areas, the change in VHWE magnitudes was nearly consistent with that in K_v values, and higher values of both variables generally occurred in erosional zones near the thalweg paths of the CMB, which were mostly made up of sand and gravel. This was potentially caused by the erosional and depositional processes subjected to confluence morphology. Furthermore, lower K_v values observed in downwelling areas at the CMB were attributed to sediment clogging caused by local downwelling flow. The confluence morphology and sediment K_v are thus likely the driving factors that cause local variations in the VHWE of fluvial systems.     

Hydrological cycle and water balance estimates for the megadune–lake region of the Badain Jaran Desert,China

The hydrology and water balance of megadunes and lakes have been investigated in the Badain Jaran Desert of China. Field observations and analyses of sand layer water content, field capacity, secondary salt content, and grain size reveal 3 types of important natural phenomenon: (a) vegetation bands on the leeward slope of the megadunes reflect the hydrological regime within the sandy vadose zone; (b) seepage, wet sand deposits, and secondary salt deposits indicate the pattern of water movement within the sandy vadose zone; (c) zones of groundwater seeps and descending springs around the lakes reflect the influence of the local topography on the hydrological regime of the megadunes. The seepage exposed on the sloping surface of the megadunes and gravity water contained within the sand layer confirm the occurrence of preferential flow within the vadose zone of the megadunes. Alternating layers of coarse and fine sand create the conditions for the formation of preferential flows. The preferential flows promote movement of water within the sand layer water that leads to deep penetration of water within the megadunes and ultimately to the recharging of groundwater and lake water. Our results indicate that a positive water balance promotes recharge of the megadunes, which depends on the high permeability of the megadune material, the shallow depth of the surface sand layer affected by evaporation, the occurrence of rainfall events exceeding 15 mm, and the sparse vegetation cover. Water balance estimates indicate that the annual water storage of the megadunes is about 7.5 mm, accounting for only 8% of annual precipitation; however, the shallow groundwater per unit area under the megadunes receives only 3.6% of annual precipitation, but it is still able to maintain a dynamic balance of the lake water. From a water budget perspective, the annual water storage in the megadunes is sufficient to serve as a recharge source for lake water, thereby enabling the long‐term persistence of the lakes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that precipitation is a significant component of the hydrological cycle in arid deserts.     

AEKF在星敏感器低频误差补偿中的应用

高分辨率对地观测卫星需要精确的姿态信息来满足后续对地定位等工作,因此姿态确定精度十分重要。星敏感器的低频误差是影响卫星姿态确定精度的重要因素之一,主要是由空间周期性的热环境变化引起的。为进一步提高卫星姿态确定精度,对星敏感器的低频误差产生机理即星敏感器主光轴做周期性扰动进行了分析,设计了星敏感器低频误差补偿方案,建立了考虑星敏感器低频误差在内的组合定姿模型,利用拓维卡尔曼滤波(AEKF)对低频误差进行补偿,并引入RTS平滑滤波进一步提高姿态确定精度。仿真实验表明,设计的星敏感器低频误差补偿方案能有效对其进行补偿,提高卫星姿态确定精度。     

风云卫星数据服务评价指标的验证分析

简述了目前我国风云卫星数据服务以及气象服务效益评估业务的现状,利用层次分析法提出风云卫星数据服务评价的6个1级指标和19个2级指标。设计了风云卫星数据服务评测量表,并采用分半信度、因子分析等方法对量表作信度和效度分析,结果表明所设计的评测量表具有良好的信度和效度,确定了包括服务平台易用性、服务流程规范性、服务响应及时性、服务内容完整性、服务工作主动性、服务宣传广泛性等6个方面的风云卫星数据服务评价指标。     

贵州西北部基性侵入岩锆石U-Pb年代学、岩石地球化学特征 及其与铅锌成矿关系初探

贵州西北部发育多处基性侵入岩,总体规模较小(约0.25 Km2),多沿深大断裂侵位,出露于铅锌矿点外围,本文对猫猫厂、凉山两处矿点附近的儿马冲和白岩庆两地小型基性侵入岩进行了重点研究。侵入岩主要岩性为细粒辉长岩,造岩矿物主要为拉长石、普通辉石。SiO2范围为49.60-51.09 wt%,MgO从3.88-4.27 wt %,TiO2为3.69-3.85 wt %。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年结果为268.3±7.4 Ma,显示岩浆侵位于二叠纪。基性侵入岩的微量元素蛛网图呈OIB型特征,富集大离子亲石元素（LILE）、轻稀土元素（LREE）,亏损重稀土元素（HFEE）,相对亏损高场强元素（Nb,Ta）,有Sr、Y亏损,Pb富集。(87Sr/86Sr)i范围0.706749～0.707069,(143Nd/144Nd)i范围0.512313～0.512363,εNd(t)范围0.2～1.2;源区熔融深度处于石榴石橄榄岩相深度,可能经历了1-3 %的部分熔融,处于亏损石榴石二辉橄榄岩相向原始石榴石二辉橄榄岩相的过渡区。成岩过程中发生了单斜辉石、斜长石等矿物分离结晶,受到了有限的地壳混染作用,未经历明显的AFC过程。地壳物质在地幔源区中的加入可能是造成地幔富集的主要原因。侵入岩与成矿作用之间的关系,主要通过两方面所表现。一方面是二者间构造活动上的耦合性。另一方面是基性岩在成矿过程中可能发挥了重要的化学屏障层作用。     

The effect of slight to minor biodegradation on C<Subscript>6</Subscript> to C<Subscript>7</Subscript> light hydrocarbons in crude oils: a case study from Dawanqi Oilfield in the Tarim Basin,NW China

Light hydrocarbons (LHs) are one of the main petroleum fractions in crude oils, and carry much information regarding the genetic origin and alteration of crude oils. But secondary alterations—especially biodegradation—have a significant effect on the composition of LHs in crude oils. Because most of the LHs affected in oils underwent only slight biodegradation (rank 1 on the biodegradation scale), the variation of LHs can be used to describe more the refined features of biodegradation. Here, 23 crude oils from the Dawanqi Oilfield in the Tarim Basin, NW China, eleven of which have been biodegraded to different extents, were analyzed in order to investigate the effect of slight to minor biodegradation on C₆–C₇ LHs. The study results showed that biodegradation resulted in the prior depletion of straight-chained alkanes, followed by branched alkanes. In slight and minor biodegraded oils, such biodegradation scale could not sufficiently affect C₆–C₇ cycloalkanes. For branched C₆–C₇ alkanes, generally, monomethylalkanes are biodegraded earlier than dimethylalkanes and trimethylalkanes, which indicates that branched alkanes are more resistant to biodegradation, with the increase of substituted methyl groups on parent rings. The degree of alkylation is one of the primary controlling factors on the biodegradation of C₆–C₇ LHs. There is a particular case: although 2,2,3-trimethylbutane has a relative higher alkylation degree, 2,2-dimethylpentane is more resistant to biodegradation than 2,2,3-trimethylbutane. 2,2-Dimethylpentane is the most resistant to biodegradation in branched C₆–C₇ alkanes. Furthermore, the 2-methylpentane/3-methylpentane and 2-methylhexane/3-methylhexane ratios decreased steadily with increasing biodegradation, which implies that isomers of bilateral methyl groups are more prone to bacterial attack relative to mid-chain isomers. The position of the alkyls on the carbon skeleton is also one of the critical factors controlling the rate of biodegradation. With increasing biodegradation, Mango’s LH parameters K1 values decrease and K2 values increase, the values of n-heptane and isoheptane decrease, and the indices of methylcyclohexane and cyclohexane increase. LH parameters should be applied cautiously for the biodegraded oils. Because biodegraded samples belong to slight or minor biodegraded oils, the values of n-heptane and isoheptane from Dawanqi Oilfield can better reflect and determine the “Biodegraded” zone. When the heptane value is 0–21 and the isoheptane value is 0–2.6, the crude oil in Dawanqi Oilfield is defined as the “Biodegraded” zone.     

Characteristic and Geological Significance of Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures(MISS) in Terrestrial P-T Boundary in Xingyang,Western He’nan Province

Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures (MISS) are primary sedimentary structures that arise syndepositionally from microbial community activity. Especially valuable are MISS for the analysis of early Archean (and extraterrestrial) deposits. However, most reports of MISS have focused on the Precambrian and Phanerozoic mass extinction marine sediments, and only a few and terrestrial MISS have been studied. The MISS presented in this paper, which mainly consists of mat growth feature, mat destruction feature and mat decay feature, are well preserved in terrestrial clastic rocks around the P-T boundary in Xiyang area, western Henan. Large U ridges, oriented sand quartz, mica grains and thin clayey laminae arranged parallel to bedding plane are the main features visible under the microscope. Several lines of evidence indicate that the Xingyang MISS are of biogenic origin. Abundant MISS in Xingyang may indicate the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems and proliferation of microbial mats immediately after the severe Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Study aiming at MISS helps to analyze their space distribution in the globe and to probe into links between microbial proliferation and environmental stresses following the end-Permian mass extinction in terrestrial ecosystems.