Glacier change and glacier runoff variation in the Tuotuo River basin,the source region of Yangtze River in western China

Glaciers in the Tuotuo River basin, western China, have been monitored in recent decades by applying topographical maps and high-resolution satellite images. Results indicate that most of glaciers in the Tuotuo River basin have retreated in the period from 1968/1971 to 2001/2002, and their shrinkage area is 3.2% of the total area in the late 1960s. To assess the influence of glacier runoff on river runoff, a modified degree–day model including potential clear-sky direct solar radiation has been applied to the glaciated regions of the river basin over the period 1961–2004. It was found that glacier runoff has increased in the last 44 years, especially in the 1990s when a two-thirds increase in river runoff was derived from the increase in glacier runoff caused by loss of ice mass in the entire Tuotuo River basin.     

Mapping susceptibility of rainfall-triggered shallow landslides using a probabilistic approach

To prepare a landslide susceptibility map is essential to identify hazardous regions, construct appropriate mitigation facilities, and plan emergency measures for a region prone to landslides triggered by rainfall. The conventional mapping methods require much information about past landslides records and contributing terrace and rainfall. They also rely heavily on the quantity and quality of accessible information and subjectively of the map builder. This paper contributes to a systematic and quantitative assessment of mapping landslide hazards over a region. Geographical Information System is implemented to retrieve relevant parameters from data layers, including the spatial distribution of transient fluid pressures, which is estimated using the TRIGRS program. The factor of safety of each pixel in the study region is calculated analytically. Monte Carlo simulation of random variables is conducted to process the estimation of fluid pressure and factor of safety for multiple times. The failure probability of each pixel is thus estimated. These procedures of mapping landslide potential are demonstrated in a case history. The analysis results reveal a positive correlation between landslide probability and accumulated rainfall. This approach gives simulation results compared to field records. The location and size of actual landslide are well predicted. An explanation for some of the inconsistencies is also provided to emphasize the importance of site information on the accuracy of mapping results.     

Experimental study on the deterioration and natural remediation of the Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the sea laver treatment acid practice and the upward seepage of pore water liquid

This study presents a laboratory study of the following two aspects: (1) the influence of sea laver treatment acid on the geoenvironmental properties of Ariake Sea tidal mud, and (2) the natural remediation effect on the sea laver treatment acid contaminated Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the upward seepage of pore water liquid in the mud. Firstly, the mechanisms of the transport of sea laver treatment acid in the Ariake Sea tidal mud and the generation mechanisms of the upward seepage flow in the Ariake Sea tidal mud are discussed. Secondly, a series of one-dimensional laboratory infiltration tests were carried out to investigate the deterioration of the Ariake Sea tidal mud caused by the sea laver acid treatment practice. Test results reveal that the acid treatment practice caused considerable change in the geochemical properties of the mud in terms of increase in sulfide content and decrease in pH value. After the treatment by the sea laver treatment acid, the sulfide content of the mud even exceeded the safe limit value for the benthos, which represents undesirable living condition for benthos. Thirdly, series of laboratory fresh seawater infiltration tests for the deteriorated Iida site mud were conducted to illustrate this natural remediation efficiency. It is found that with the infiltration of the fresh seawater, the sulfide content of the Iida site mud was considerably reduced and pH value increased to an acceptable range for benthos living in the tidal flat mud. With the increase in the infiltration time and the hydraulic gradient, the remediation efficiency could be increased.     

Timing of UHP metamorphism in the Hong’an area,western Dabie Mountains,China: evidence from zircon U–Pb age,trace element and Hf isotope composition

The Hong’an area (western Dabie Mountains) is the westernmost terrane in the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen that preserves UHP eclogites. The ages of the UHP metamorphism have not been well constrained, and thus hinder our understanding of the tectonic evolution of this area. LA-ICPMS U–Pb age, trace element and Hf isotope compositions of zircons of a granitic gneiss and an eclogite from the Xinxian UHP unit in the Hong’an area were analyzed to constrain the age of the UHP metamorphism. Most zircons are unzoned or show sector zoning. They have low trace element concentrations, without significant negative Eu anomalies. These metamorphic zircons can be further subdivided into two groups according to their U–Pb ages, and trace element and Lu–Hf isotope compositions. One group with an average age of 239 ± 2 Ma show relatively high and variable HREE contents (527 ≥ Lu_N ≥ 14) and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios (0.00008–0.000931), indicating their growth prior to a great deal of garnet growth in the late stage of continental subduction. The other group yields an average age of 227 ± 2 Ma, and shows consistent low HREE contents and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios, suggesting their growth with concurrent garnet crystallization and/or recrystallization. These two groups of age are taken as recording the time of prograde HP to UHP and retrograde UHP–HP stages, respectively. A few cores have high Th/U ratios, high trace element contents, and a clear negative Eu anomaly. These features support a magmatic origin of these zircon cores. The upper intercept ages of 771 ± 86 and 752 ± 70 Ma for the granitic gneiss and eclogite, respectively, indicate that their protoliths probably formed as a bimodal suite in rifting zones in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block. Young Hf model ages (T _DM1) of magmatic cores indicate juvenile (mantle-derived) materials were involved in their protolith formation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Distribution of the C37 tetra-unsaturated alkenone in Lake Qinghai, China: A potential lake salinity indicator

The alkenone unsaturation index U^K′₃₇ has been applied to reconstruct past temperature changes in both marine and lacustrine systems. However, few studies have addressed whether the relative abundance of the C_37:4 alkenone to the total C₃₇ production (%C_37:4) can reflect surface salinity changes in lacustrine systems. Here we present long-chain C₃₇ alkenone distribution patterns in surface sediments from Lake Qinghai, China. Surface sediments were sampled over a large range of surface salinity changes (1.7-25 g/l) within Lake Qinghai and its surrounding lakes, while temperature differences at these sampling locations should be relatively small. We have found that %C_37:4 varies from 15% to 49% as surface salinity decreases. We tentatively describe this %C_37:4-salinity link with a general linear regression: %C_37:4 = 53.4 (±7.8) − 1.73 (±0.45) × S (n = 28, r² = 0.62), although step-wise %C_37:4 changes in response to salinity variation may exist. U^K′₃₇ values vary between 0.10 and 0.16 at these sites and the inferred range of lake water temperature changes is ∼2-3 °C, suggesting that U^K′₃₇ largely reflects temperature signal across a large salinity range, consistent with previous findings that U^K′₃₇ can indicate temperature changes over a large diversity of environmental settings. We have also found that U^K′₃₇ values are correlated with salinity changes (r² = 0.4), and thus cannot exclude potential temperature effect on %C_37:4 and salinity effect on U^K′₃₇ in this study. However, even extreme estimates of temperature differences within the lake are still unable to explain the observed %C_37:4 changes. We therefore suggest that %C_37:4 could be used to infer past lake salinity changes at a regional scale.     

渤海湾盆地新生界生油岩系底界面温度分布

依据渤海湾盆地2000余口测温井的地温梯度数据、地层岩性描述、分层数据以及钻井资料,计算了该盆地各生油岩系底界面的温度。统计结果表明:渤海湾盆地沙河街组大部分凹陷区地层底界面温度介于90℃至150℃,目前仍具有大量生油的温度条件,而在隆起或一些凸起地区,该地层组段温度普遍小于90℃,未能达到生油的温度指标。东营组和孔店组地层也仍具有一定的生油温度条件。研究还表明:地层温度与地层界面埋深密切相关,温度随界面埋深的增大而升高,沉积厚度大的凹陷区地层界面温度大于沉积厚度小的凸起区或斜坡地带,说明地层界面埋深是决定地温高低的主要控制因素,而地温梯度对地层界面温度的影响相对较小。     

辽东湾凝析气田超压成因及侧向传递机制初探

位于辽东湾西部低凸起北端的JZ20-2超压凝析气田,离供烃中心较远,压力系数却达到1.56~1.7,这在我国东部裂谷盆地比较少见。经过综合分析,作者认为JZ20-2凝析气田异常高压的形成与其所处的特殊地质背景紧密相关,辽中凹陷沙河街组三段超压凝析油气沿不整合面、砂体输导通道向辽东湾西部低凸起的运移、充注和能量的侧向传递是JZ20-2凝析气田异常高压形成的根本原因,而上覆东营组二段下亚段-东营组三段巨厚的强超压泥岩封盖和辽西3号边界断层侧向遮挡共同构成的优越封闭环境是超压保存的必要条件。本文分析了该气田超压特征及其远距离超压侧向传递的成因机制,不仅有助于揭示辽东湾西部低凸起超压流体运移聚集的规律和成藏作用,而且可能提供了一个超压远距离侧向传递的典型实例。     

松辽盆地三肇凹陷葡萄花油层成藏模式初探

运用源控含油气系统理论与综合分析技术,按成藏“层次分析”方法,通过对生、储、盖、圈(闭)静态要素及其内生、排、运、聚、散(失)动态过程的综合研究,对松辽盆地中央坳陷的三肇凹陷葡萄花油层成藏条件进行探讨,提出了以次级凹陷为中心、不同类型的油气聚集带紧邻并围绕次级凹陷最低部位呈环带状分布的大型凹陷内成藏模式,并进一步提出永乐次级凹陷中心及其三级聚油环带及徐家围子次级凹陷以西为"网式"运聚特征;在凹陷级成藏模式的指导下,通过对大面积密井网开发区综合解剖,提出三级构造带中单个的局部构造圈闭(群)、单个的(局部构造——)岩性圈闭(群)控油和成藏规律,为认识本区基本控油单元、油水分布规律、油气勘探及扩大新探区提供重要的理论依据。     

Hydrometeorologische Ergebnisse aus Abflußmessungen im Bereich des Hintereisferners (Ötztaler Alpen) in den Jahren 1957 bis 1959

Zusammenfassung Während der Internationalen Geophysikalischen Jahre 1957 bis 1959 wurde an einer Pegelmeßstelle bei 2287 m Höhe der Abfluß vom Hintereis- und Kesselwandferner registriert. Im vorliegenden Arbeitsbericht sollen spezifischen Merkmale des Abflusses aus dem zu 58% vergleitscherten Einzugsgebiet 26,6 km²) im Zusammenhang mit den meteorologischen Beidingungen dargestellt werden.Der Jahresabfluß betrug im Haushaltsjahr 1957/58 1848 mm und im Haushaltsjahr 1958/59 1770 mm; bedingt durch den stark negative massenhaushat der Gletscher was die Gletscherspende mit 24% bzw. 20% des Jahresabflusses außergewöhnlich hoch. Der winterabfluß (Oktober bis März) betrug nur 5% bzw. 10% des Jahresabflusses; die drei Sommermonate Juli bis September Lieferten dagegen 76% bzw. 72%. Der größte Monatsabfluß wurde im August 1958 mit 575 mm, im Juli 1959 mit 559 mm registriert.Die Häufigkeitsverteilung der Tagesabflußmengen für das Jahr 1957/58 ließ eine Andauer des Niedrigwassers mit Tages-Mittelwerten kleiner als 18,8 l/s km² (0,5 m³/s) von 217 Tagen (Oktober bis Mai, 59% des Jahres) erkennen. Größere Tagesabflüsse als 225 l/s km² (6,0 m³/s) kamen nur im Juli und August vor. Als Maximum wurden Abflußwerte bis zu 640 l/s km² Gletscherfläche im Tagesmittel erreicht, entsprechen 55m Abflußhöhe von den Schnee- und Eisflächen. Der exponentielle Abfall der Abflußganglinie vom Herbst zum Minimum im Frühjahr deutet an, daß es sich bei Winterwasser vorwiegend um das verzögerte Abfließen von in den Gletschern zurückgehaltenem Schmelzwasser aus der vorangegangenen Ablationsperiode handelt. Das Ansteigen der Wasserführung nach dem Beiginn der Schneeschmelze im Frühjahr erfolgt wegen des Wiedergefrierens von Schmelzwasser und wegen des Retentionsvermögens der Schneedecke mit einiger Verzörgerung.Die unperiodischen Schwankungen im Abflußgang stehen in engem Zusammenhang mit Wettervorgängen, wobei Schneeniederschlägen die Größte Bedeutung zukommt, weil die hohe Albedo einer Neuschneedecke die Ablation auf den Gletschern tagelang fast völlig unterbrechen kann. Aus zweistündigen Mittelwerten wurde für die Monate Juni bis September der mittlere Tagesgang der Wasserführung ermittelt. Die Ursache für das frühere Eintreten des taglichen Abflußmaximums im Spätsommer durfte verminderte Abflußverzögerung sein. Die Beziehung zwischen den Abflußwerten der Pegel Steg-Hospiz und Vent läßt einen Jahresgang erkennen.

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Summary During the International Geophysical Years 1957–1959 the run-off from Hintereisferner and Kesselwandferner was recorded by a stream gauge installed at an altitude of 2287 m. a. s. 1. The annual run-off in relation to mass budget and precipitation has already been reported in [10, 11]. In the present report characteristic features of run-off from a catchment area (26.6 km²) glaciated to 58 per cent shall be discussed with regard to the meteorological conditions.In the budget years 1957/58 and 1958/59 the yearly run-off was 1848 mm and 1770 mm, respectively. Owing to the strongly negative mass budget of the glaciers the glacier quota of 24 per cent and of 20 per cent, respectively, of the annual run-off was exceptionally high. Winter run-off (October to March) amounting to 5 per cent and to 10 per cent, respectively, of the yearly run-off was only small while July to September supplied 76 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively. The maximum monthly run-off was recorded in August 1958 with 575 mm, and in July 1959 with 559 mm.The frequency distribution of the daily run-off in 1957/58 showed a period of low run-off during 217 days (October to May, 59 per cent of the year) with daily means below 18.8 l/s km² (0.5 m³/s). Daily run-off exceeding 225 l/s km² (6.0 m³/s) occurred only in July and August. Daily means exceeding 338 l/s km² (9.0 m³/s) were recorded only three times in July. The maximum daily means of run-off were up to 640 l/s km² of glacier surface which corresponds to 55 mm of run-off from the snow and ice surfaces. The highest two hourly mean value was 950 l/s km² of the glacier surface. The exponential decrease of the run-off curve from fall to the minimum in spring indicates that winter water consists mainly of the delayed run-off of melt water stored in the glaciers during the preceding ablation period. Owing to the refreezing of the melt water and to the storage capacity of the snow cover run-off is somewhat delayed after the snow melt has set in.The aperiodic variations in the run-off are closely related to weather conditions. Snow falls are of primary importance as the high albedo of a fresh snow cover may interrupt ablation on glaciers almost completely for days. The mean daily variation of run-off was determined from two-hourly mean values for the period June to September. The early occurrence of the daily run-off. The relation between the run-off values recorded at the water gauges Steg-Hospiz and Vent indicates and annual variation.

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Résumé Pendant les Années Géophysiques Internationales de 1957 à 1959 l'écoulement du Hintereisferner et du Kesselwandferner a été enregistré par un limnigraphe installé à une altitude 2287 m. Un rapport a déjà été présenté dans [10, 11] sur l'écoulement annuel en rapport avec le bilan hydrologique du bassin. Dans le présent rapoort il sera traité des caractères spécifiques de l'écoulement d'un bassin dont 58% sont recouverts par le glacier, les quels seront mis en rapport avec les conditions météorologiques.L'écoulement annuel au cours de l'année hydrologique 1957/58 a été de 1848 mm et dans l'année hydrologique 1958/59 de 1770 mm. L'eau libérée par la perte de substance glacière représente 24% pour 1957/58 et 20% pour 1958/59 de l'écoulement annuel. Les pourcentages extrêmement élevés doivent être attribués au bilan fortement négatif des glaciers. L'écoulement d'hiver (Octobre à Mars) représentant 5% pour l'année 1957/58 et 10% pour 1958/59 de l'écoulement annuel a été petit tandis que les trois mois d'été (Juillet–Septembre) fournissaient 76% (1957/58) et 72% (1958/59). L'écoulement mensuel le plus élevé a été enregistré en Aôut 1958 avec 575 mm, et, en Juillet 1959 avec 559 mm.La répartition des fréquences des écoulements journaliers pour l'année 1957/58 indique une période d'étiage de 217 jours (Octobre à Mai, 59% de l'année) avec valeurs journalières en dessous de 18.8 l/s km² (0.5 m³/s). Des écoulements dépassant 225 l/s km² (6.0 m³/s) n'ont été enregistrés qu'en Juillet et Aôut. Les moyennes journalières n'ont dépassé les 338 l/s km² (9.0 m³/s) que trois fois en Juillet. Les valeurs maximums des moyennes journalières d'écoulement se sont élevées à 640 l/s km² de la surface des glaciers, correspondant à 55 mm d'écoulement des surfaces de neige et de glace. La valeur maximum d'une moyenne de deux heures a été de 950 l/s km² de la surface des glaciers. La chute exponentielle de la courbe d'écoulement allant de l'automne au minimum enregistré au printemps indique que dans les cas d'étiage il s'agit de l'écoulement retardé des aux de fonte refenues dans les glaciers pendant la période d'ablation précédente. L'accroissement de l'écoulement après le comencement de la fonte de neige au printemps est retardé dans une certaine mesure par le regel des aux de fonte et la capacité de rétention de la couche de neige. Les variations apériodiques dans l'écoulement sont en relations étroites avec les conditions atmospheriques dont les chutes de neige sont de la plus grade importance car l'albédo élevé d'une couche de neige fraîche interrompt parfois et presque complétement l'ablation sur les glaciers pour des jours entiers.L'amplitude moyenne de la variation journalière de l'écoulement a été, pour les mois de Juin à Septembre, détérminée à la base des valeurs moyennes de deux heures. L'apparition précoce du maximum d'écoulement journalier en fin d'été est probablement due à la diminution du retardement de l'écoulement en cette période. La relation entre le valeurs d'écoulement des limnigraphes de Steg-Hospiz et de Vent met en évidence une variation annuelle.

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Die für diesen Bericht erforderliche weitere Bearbeitung der Abflußdaten und die Fertigstellung des Manuskriptes wurde dem Verfasser im Rahmen seiner Tätigkeit bei der Kommission für Glaziologie an der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften ermöglicht, wofür an dieser Stelle gedankt sei.