土壤质量评价国外研究进展

土壤是人类赖以生存的根本资源。土壤质量涉及到动植物生产力,大气、水的质量和人类的健康,随着人们对自然资源和环境保护意识的增强,越来越多的国家和地区已将土壤质量评价工作作为实现可持续发展的一个重要方面。通过土壤质量评价,了解土壤管理和利用的现状,为土壤质量的改善及可持续利用提供理论依据和技术支撑。根据国外近10年的研究,总结了主要的评价指标体系和评价方法。评价指标主要包括土壤物理、化学和生物性质3个方面的指标。评价方法分为定性和定量评价,定量评价应用较广,包括土壤质量指数、土壤质量模型、多元线性回归、相对土壤质量法等。掌握和了解国外相关研究的动态,对于开展土地质量地球化学评估及土地的分等定级工作有着重要的意义。     

Provenance of sandstones from the Neoproterozoic Bombouaka Group of the Volta Basin,northeastern Ghana

The provenance and tectonic setting of sandstones from the Bombouaka Group of the Voltaian Supergroup, in the northeastern part of Ghana, have been constrained from their petrography and whole-rock geochemistry. Modal analysis carried out by point-counting sandstone samples indicates that they are quartz arenites. The index of compositional variability values and SiO₂/Al₂O₃, Zr/Sc, and Th/Sc values indicates that the sediments are mature. The sandstones are depleted in CaO and Na₂O. They are, however, enriched in K₂O, Ba, and Rb relative to average Neoproterozoic upper crust. These characteristics reflect intense chemical weathering in the source region as proven by high weathering indices (i.e., CIA, PIA, and CIW). In comparison with average Neoproterozoic upper crust, the sandstones show depletion by transition metals and enrichment by high field strength elements. They generally show chondrite-normalized fractionated light rare-earth element (LREE) patterns (average La_N/Sm_N = 4.40), negative Eu anomalies (average Eu/Eu* = 0.61), and generally flat heavy rare-earth elements (HREE) (average Gd_N/Yb_N = 1.13). The sandstones have La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co, Th/Co, Th/Cr, and Eu/Eu* ratios similar to those of sandstones derived from felsic source. Mixing calculations using the rare-earth elements (REE) suggests 48% tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite and 52% granite as possible proportions for the source of the sandstones. Both the petrographic and whole-rock geochemical data point to a passive margin setting for the sandstones from the Bombouaka Group.     

Exact reconstruction with directional wavelets on the sphere

A new formalism is derived for the analysis and exact reconstruction of band-limited signals on the sphere with directional wavelets. It represents an evolution of a previously developed wavelet formalism developed by Antoine & Vandergheynst and Wiaux et al. The translations of the wavelets at any point on the sphere and their proper rotations are still defined through the continuous three-dimensional rotations. The dilations of the wavelets are directly defined in harmonic space through a new kernel dilation, which is a modification of an existing harmonic dilation. A family of factorized steerable functions with compact harmonic support which are suitable for this kernel dilation are first identified. A scale-discretized wavelet formalism is then derived, relying on this dilation. The discrete nature of the analysis scales allows the exact reconstruction of band-limited signals. A corresponding exact multi-resolution algorithm is finally described and an implementation is tested. The formalism is of interest notably for the denoising or the deconvolution of signals on the sphere with a sparse expansion in wavelets. In astrophysics, it finds a particular application for the identification of localized directional features in the cosmic microwave background data, such as the imprint of topological defects, in particular, cosmic strings, and for their reconstruction after separation from the other signal components.     

On the reoccurrence of site specific response

The period and amplitude variations of local peaks in the Fourier amplitude spectra of free-field strong ground motion recorded at five stations in San Fernando Valley of metropolitan Los Angeles, California, are described, searching for peaks that reoccur during different earthquakes. The data suggest that some local peaks reoccur (about 50% of the time), during shaking by small local earthquakes (peak ground velocities, v_max<10–20 cm/s). During large strong motion amplitudes (v_max>20 cm/s), these peaks are shifted towards longer periods (by nonlinear response of soils) or disappear. The data also suggest that densification and settlement of soil, minutes and hours following the strong shaking may contribute towards fluctuations in the effective stiffness of the shallow surface layers.     

大气臭氧与气溶胶垂直分布的高空气球探测

本文给出了1993年9月12日利用高空科学气球在河北省香河地区探测到的大气臭氧和气溶胶的垂直分布。结果发现:(1) 大气臭氧的数密度在整个对流层较低(～10[12]mol/cm3)，并从地面到对流层顶略有下降；对流层顶以上开始快速增加，极值层高度在～24 km，其值为4.78×10[12]mol/cm3；臭氧分压有类似的分布特征，极值146×10[-4]Pa，位于同一高度；(2) 在平流层低层，臭氧分压有一个次极值62×10[-4]Pa，位于15～16 km；(3) 0～30 km大气气溶胶数密度呈现出三个峰值:143，8和1.1 个/cm[3]，分别位于近地面、5 km和21 km；（4）气溶胶的数密度谱在对流层为双模态；在平流层，次峰消失。同时，我们还与其他观测结果作了比较分析。     

Mapping nonlinear shallow-water tides: a look at the past and future

Overtides and compound tides are generated by nonlinear mechanisms operative primarily in shallow waters. Their presence complicates tidal analysis owing to the multitude of new constituents and their possible frequency overlap with astronomical tides. The science of nonlinear tides was greatly advanced by the pioneering researches of Christian Le Provost who employed analytical theory, physical modeling, and numerical modeling in many extensive studies, especially of the tides of the English Channel. Le Provost’s complementary work with satellite altimetry motivates our attempts to merge these two interests. After a brief review, we describe initial steps toward the assimilation of altimetry into models of nonlinear tides via generalized inverse methods. A series of barotropic inverse solutions is computed for the M tide over the northwest European Shelf. Future applications of altimetry to regions with fewer in situ measurements will require improved understanding of error covariance models because these control the tradeoffs between fitting hydrodynamics and data, a delicate issue in coastal regions. While M can now be robustly determined along the Topex/Poseidon satellite ground tracks, many other compound tides face serious aliasing problems. In memory of Christian Le Provost     

Effect of snow cover on pan-Arctic permafrost thermal regimes

This study quantitatively evaluated how insulation by snow depth (SND) affected the soil thermal regime and permafrost degradation in the pan-Arctic area, and more generally defined the characteristics of soil temperature (T_SOIL) and SND from 1901 to 2009. This was achieved through experiments performed with the land surface model CHANGE to assess sensitivity to winter precipitation as well as air temperature. Simulated T_SOIL, active layer thickness (ALT), SND, and snow density were generally comparable with in situ or satellite observations at large scales and over long periods. Northernmost regions had snow that remained relatively stable and in a thicker state during the past four decades, generating greater increases in T_SOIL. Changes in snow cover have led to changes in the thermal state of the underlying soil, which is strongly dependent on both the magnitude and the timing of changes in snowfall. Simulations of the period 2001–2009 revealed significant differences in the extent of near-surface permafrost, reflecting differences in the model’s treatment of meteorology and the soil bottom boundary. Permafrost loss was greater when SND increased in autumn rather than in winter, due to insulation of the soil resulting from early cooling. Simulations revealed that T_SOIL tended to increase over most of the pan-Arctic from 1901 to 2009, and that this increase was significant in northern regions, especially in northeastern Siberia where SND is responsible for 50 % or more of the changes in T_SOIL at a depth of 3.6 m. In the same region, ALT also increased at a rate of approximately 2.3 cm per decade. The most sensitive response of ALT to changes in SND appeared in the southern boundary regions of permafrost, in contrast to permafrost temperatures within the 60°N–80°N region, which were more sensitive to changes in snow cover. Finally, our model suggests that snow cover contributes to the warming of permafrost in northern regions and could play a more important role under conditions of future Arctic warming.     

Estimating the Probable Maximum Precipitation by Physical Methods Using Satellite and Radiolocation Observation Data: Case Study of the Middle Urals

Water Resources - The study considers the methods for evaluating the maximal possible daily storm rainfall (MPR) in the Middle Ural based on a combination of ground, aerological, satellite, and...