Correlations between VIMS and RADAR data over the surface of Titan: Implications for Titan’s surface properties

We apply a multivariate statistical method to Titan data acquired by different instruments onboard the Cassini spacecraft. We have searched through Cassini/VIMS hyperspectral cubes, selecting those data with convenient viewing geometry and that overlap with Cassini/RADAR scatterometry footprints with a comparable spatial resolution. We look for correlations between the infrared and microwave ranges the two instruments cover. Where found, the normalized backscatter cross-section obtained from the scatterometer measurement, corrected for incidence angle, and the calibrated antenna temperature measured along with the scatterometry echoes, are combined with the infrared reflectances, with estimated errors, to produce an aggregate data set, that we process using a multivariate classification method to identify homogeneous taxonomic units in the multivariate space of the samples.In medium resolution data (from 20 to 100 km/pixel), sampling relatively large portions of the satellite’s surface, we find regional geophysical units matching both the major dark and bright features seen in the optical mosaic. Given the VIMS cubes and RADAR scatterometer passes considered in this work, the largest homogeneous type is associated with the dark equatorial basins, showing similar characteristics as each other on the basis of all the considered parameters.On the other hand, the major bright features seen in these data generally do not show the same characteristics as each other. Xanadu, the largest continental feature, is as bright as the other equatorial bright features, while showing the highest backscattering coefficient of the entire satellite. Tsegihi is very bright at 5 μm but it shows a low backscattering coefficient, so it could have a low roughness on a regional scale and/or a different composition. Another well-defined region, located southwest of Xanadu beyond the Tui Regio, seems to be detached from the surrounding terrains, being bright at 2.69, 2.78 and 5 μm but having a low radar brightness. In this way, other units can be found that show correlations or anti-correlations between the scatterometric response and the spectrophotometric behavior, not evident from the optical remote sensing data.     

The light curve of asteroid 2867 Steins measured by VIRTIS-M during the Rosetta fly-by

On 5 September 2008, the Rosetta spacecraft encountered the asteroid 2867 Steins on its way to the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This was the first of two planned asteroid fly-bys performed by the probe, the second fly-by being with the much larger asteroid 21 Lutetia in July 2010. The VIRTIS imaging spectrometer (IFOV 0.250 mrad, overall spectral range 0.25-5.1 μm) onboard Rosetta acquired data of Steins already before the closest approach phase, when the target was spatially unresolved, in order to obtain a light curve of the asteroid in the infrared spectral range extending up to 5 μm, that was never explored before. The VIRTIS light curve campaign started at 11:30 UTC onboard time, when the spacecraft was about 221,377 km away from the target, and ended at 17:58 UTC, at a distance of 20,741 km away from Steins. During this timeframe, the solar phase angle of the asteroid was roughly constant, ranging from 38.2° to 36.3°.Assuming the most recent value derived for the rotational period of Steins (Lamy et al., 2008), the VIRTIS observations covered slightly more than one rotation of the asteroid. In this interval, VIRTIS collected 8 hyperspectral cubes where Steins was captured 119 times, both in the visual and in the infrared range. Given the low signal and the unresolved appearance of the source, for which the instrument was not designed, only a small subset of wavelengths turned out to be suitable to sample the light curve. Nevertheless, in both the VIS and NIR ranges we find a similar trend, with two different maxima and minima during one rotational period, and amplitudes consistent with the results in the visual range obtained in previous works, including the data set acquired by the OSIRIS camera onboard Rosetta. We also report the presence of a new broad feature centered at approximately 0.81-0.82 μm, which is seen in the visual data throughout the rotation of the asteroid.     

Accelerating Oil and Gas Exploration in Western China by Studies of Formations of Hydrocarbon Accumulations in Superimposed Basins—A Preface

<正>The superimposed basins in the western region of China are a hot research topic for earth scientists home and abroad for their vast area and rich oil and gas resources.Their complex geological conditions and resultant great exploration difficulties have received much attention of the scientists.This issue presents the advances of several scholars in their long-term research on the mechanisms of oil and gas accumulation and the patterns of oil and gas distribution.These studies are part of the National 973 Project entitled "Mechanism of Oil and Gas Accumulation and     

Rapid Identification and Emergency Investigation of Surface Ruptures and Geohazards Induced by the M_s 7.1 Yushu Earthquake

<正>The rapid identification based on InSAR technology was proved to be effective in our emergency investigation of surface ruptures and geohazards induced by the Yushu earthquake.The earthquake-generating fault of the Yushu earthquake is the Yushu section of the Garze-Yushu faults zone.It strikes NWW-NW,23 km long near the Yushu County seat,dominated by left-lateral strike slip,and appearing as a surface rupture zone.The macroscopic epicenter is positioned at Guo-yang-yan -song-duo of Gyegu Town(33°03'11"N,96°51'26"E),where the co-seismic horizontal offset measured is 1.75 m.Geohazards induced by the Yushu earthquake are mainly rockfalls,landslides,debris flows, and unstable slopes.They are controlled by the earthquake-generating fault and are mostly distributed along it.There are several geohazard chains having been established,such as earthquake,canal damage,soil liquefying,landslide-debris flow,earthquake,soil liquefying,roadbed deformation,etc.In order to prevent seismic hazards,generally,where there is a visible surface rupture induced by the Yushu earthquake,reconstruction should be at least beyond 20 m,on each side,from it.Sufficient attention should also be given to potential geohazards or geohazard chains induced by the earthquake.     

Geological Evolution of Longhushan World Geopark in Relation to Global Tectonics

The South China fold belt has experienced a complex series of tectonic events that span 1.0 billion years of earth history. Longhushan (龙虎山) World Geopark is located on the Proterozoic suture between the Yangtze craton and Cathyasia block and highlights the long history of this belt. Collision of the Cathyasia and Yangtze cratons 1.0 billion years ago was associated with the formation of the Rodinian supercontinent where most of the planet's landmasses were amalgamated into one block. Jurassic through Early...     

REE and Sr-Nd Isotope Geochemistry for Yixian Fluorite Deposit,Western Liaoning Province,China,and Its Geological Implications

Up to now,there were no systematic studies of geochemistry and isotopic age for the Yixian(义县) fluorite deposit,western Liaoning(辽宁) Province,China.Based on the analysis of metallogenic geological setting,we studied the REE,Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopes.The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of fluorite are characterized by moderate LREE depletion(LREE/HREE=0.95-3.57,(La/Yb)N=0.08-2.84) and enrichment of Sr(146×10-6-596×10-6) and moderately positive Eu anomalies(δEu=1.10-1.34),which are similar to those of the ho...     

微体化石在地层识别中的几个实例

微体化石在解决地层的归属问题上发挥了重大作用,根据新发现的几丁虫将苏泰103井的"上震旦统陡山沱组"、都4井的"中下侏罗统象山群"、葛9井的"葛村组"地层修改归属于志留系,纠正了以前的错误地质结论。在草9井的钻进过程中,根据孢粉化石确定已钻至浦口组,推测油气目的层已钻过或缺失,提前473.03m终孔,节省了钻井费用,创造了无形产值。     

藏北日土县拉竹龙地区志留系

根据在西藏西北部日土县拉竹龙地区重新测量了西藏区调大队1984年所测的两个地层剖面——饮水河北岸剖面和兽形湖北岸剖面,在原来定为上奥陶统兽形湖组的底部发现了一套含笔石和几丁石化石的黑色页岩和炭质板岩,其中笔石Pristiograptus和几丁石Ancyrochitina brevicollis、Conochitina sp.为志留系兰多维列统Tely-chian阶的标准分子。同时在兽形湖组中也发现了大量兰多维列世的腕足类化石Hindella xizangensis和竹节石Gotlandellites sp.。证明了拉竹龙地区饮水河北岸和兽形湖北岸两个剖面均未出现真正的奥陶纪地层。通过所采集到的笔石、几丁石、腕足类、三叶虫、头足类、牙形刺、竹节石、珊瑚、遗迹化石的准确鉴定,重新修订了本地区志留系的划分和地层序列:自下而上依次为以笔石相为代表的兰多维列统饮水河组,以碎屑岩相为代表的兰多维列统兽形湖组,以碳酸盐沉积为主的文洛克统普尔错组和以碳酸盐岩相为主的罗德洛统至普里道利统野牛坡组。本区志留系目前发现的最低层位相当于兰多维列统Telychian阶的笔石带Spirograptusturriculatus带和Streptograptus crispus带,最高层位相当于欧洲和藏南壳相志留系的最高一个头足类化石带Kopaninoceras juncudum带或牙形刺组合Neoprioniodus latidentatus-Ligonodina siluria组合。     

碳酸盐岩碳同位素地层学研究中数据的有效性

碳酸盐岩碳稳定同位素组成数据能否有效地反应原始大洋的同位素组成是稳定同位素地层学研究成败的关键,因此,如何准确地判断碳同位素比值的有效性成为该稳定同位素地层学研究中的焦点问题之一。碳同位素值有效性受成岩作用、地层缺失、样品处理过程等多方面因素影响,但成岩作用是诸多因素中最普遍、最主要的,因而正确判别碳同位素值可靠性通常也就是对样品及其同位素组成经受成岩改造程度的评定。确保碳同位素测试结果可靠应主要把握前期严格选样和后期数据分析两个重要环节。前期选样包括野外和室内两步,是在宏观尺度上对数据可靠性的把握;后期数据分析则主要是在严格选样的基础上,利用碳(及附带的氧)同位素自身数据特征以及借助Mn、Fe、Sr等微量元素特征从元素级别的微观角度对同位素值有效性做出进一步判别。     

塔里木盆地寒武系层状硅质岩与硅化岩的元素、δ30Si、δ18O地球化学研究

塔里木盆地寒武系发育层状硅质岩和硅化岩,层状硅质岩主要发育于塔东下寒武统深水沉积相区;硅化岩发育于塔东上寒武统斜坡沉积区与西部台地区寒武系白云岩中。根据显微结构特征,可将硅化岩分为放射状硅化岩与交代残余结构硅化岩两种。分析结果表明,层状硅质岩在Al—Fe-Mn三元图中位于正常海水沉积硅质岩区内,在微量元素平均地壳标准化图解上显示平缓右倾的特征;层状硅质岩Si同位素组成护。δ30Si为0．99‰～1．4‰,O同位素组成δ18O为21．4‰～24．4‰,与沉积型硅质岩相吻合,指示了正常海水沉积成因。硅化岩区别于层状硅质岩的典型特征是具有高U异常的特征;罗西斜坡放射状硅化岩具有较高的微量元素和稀土元素含量（∑REE为18．8～96．9μg／g）与较低的Si、O同位素值（δ18O和δ30Si值分别为15．8‰和1．7‰）;西部台地区交代残余结构硅化岩具有较低微量元素和稀土元素含量（∑REE为0．58～2．61μg／g）与较高的δ30Si（1．0‰～3．8‰）、δ18O（21．6‰～27．0‰）值特征。盆地东西部硅化岩的地球化学差异可能与硅化流体的温度差异有关,罗西斜坡放射状硅化岩硅化温度相对更高;另一方面,硅化过程对h430SiO4选择性较高,因而形成的交代石英具有较高的铲勘值。根据古城4井硅化岩包裹体均一温度与交代石英的O同位素值计算得到交代流体的δ18O值为9．1‰,该值与酸性岩浆水的δ18O值相似,指示了硅化流体可能来自于岩浆或变质水;以δ18O值（9．1‰）作为西部台地区硅化流体的O同位素值,计算得到西部台地区硅化岩硅化流体温度为101．3～158．5℃。根据石英O同位素温度计计算的硅化流体温度呈东高西低的趋势,指示了硅化流体可能来自台地东部。