Paleoenvironmental inferences from diatom assemblages of the middle Miocene Shanwang Formation,Shandong, China

Diatoms were analyzed in a laminated sediment sequence from the middle Miocene, lacustrine Shanwang Formation, Shandong Province, eastern China, to reconstruct past conditions in the lake and evaluate relationships between inferred changes in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Changes in the diatom assemblages over the 22.9-m-long sediment sequence were used to assign 19 lithologic layers to five zones. In Zone 1, Aulacoseira cf. distans and Melosira youngi were dominant in diatomaceous laminations. In Zone 2, only a few Aulacoseira spp. and Cymbella spp. were found in the yellow-green mudstone samples. In Zone 3, benthic pennate taxa, such as Fragilaria, Pinnularia, and Cymbella dominated in parts of the laminites. In Zone 4, Aulacoseira taxa regained dominance, and in Zone 5, benthic diatoms were found in only one sample. Shifts in the diatom assemblages and other sedimentological evidence indicate a change in the water level from a relatively deep system (>8–12 m) to a mudflat, then fluctuating water levels (8–12 m), shallower conditions (4–8 m), and finally a terrestrial environment. Abundant Aulacoseira indicate not only cold water, but also wind-induced turbulence. Water depth fluctuations coincided with the aridity index, reflected by terrestrial plant fossils in the sediments. Water pH, total phosphorus (TP), and total organic carbon (TOC) reconstructions were undertaken using the European Diatom Database (EDDI), and results showed a correlation between fluctuating water levels and volcanic activity in Zone 3.     

Sensor position estimation and source ranging in a shallow water environment

Underwater acoustic transient signals are generated mechanically at known positions along a wharf. These signals are received by a wide aperture planar array of four underwater acoustic sensors, whose positions relative to the wharf are unknown. A method is described that enables the positions of the sensors to be estimated from accurate differential time-of-arrival measurements (with 0.1 /spl mu/s precision) as the signal wavefronts traverse the array. A comparison of the estimated positions with the nominal positions of the first three sensors, which form a 20-m-wide aperture horizontal line array, reveals a 2-cm displacement of the middle sensor from the line array axis. This slight bowing of the line array results in overranging (bias error of 3%) when the wavefront curvature method is used with the nominal collinear sensor positions to locate a static source of active sonar transmissions at a range of 59.2 m. The use of the spherical intersection method coupled with the estimated sensor positions of the line array provides an order of magnitude improvement in the range estimate (within 0.3% of the actual value). However, systematic ranging errors are observed when the sound propagation medium becomes nonstationary. Next, the differences in the arrival times of the direct path and boundary-reflected path signals at the middle sensor of the wide aperture line array are estimated using the differential phase residue of the analytic signal at the sensor output. These multipath delays are used to estimate the range and depth of the source. Although the average value of the multipath range estimates is within 0.5% of the actual value, the variance of the range estimates is 50 times larger when compared with the results of the spherical intersection and wavefront curvature methods. The multipath delay data are also processed to provide a reliable estimate of the temporal variation in the water depth enabling the tidal variation to be observed.     

地磁感应电流（GIC）的作用与评估

地磁感应电流（GIC）可能对各种人工长距离导电体造成影响与危害.地磁扰动产生的感应电场的强度与地磁场强度、地下电阻率结构相关，在导电系统内生成的GIC的强度则同时与导电系统的内在结构有关.计算了加拿大Manitoba省三个典型地区在2000年7月15日的一个强烈磁暴期间产生的感应电场.通过对地磁活动性的统计分析，估计加拿大魁北克电网可能经受的最大GIC达每相78A（一年一次）和234A（每十年一次）.     

The scramble for the Waste Lands: Tracking colonial legacies,counterinsurgency and international investment through the lens of land laws in Burma/Myanmar

This article traces the revenue category and legal concept of the Waste Land in Burma/Myanmar from its original application by the British colonial apparatus in the nineteenth century, to its later use in tandem with Burma Army counterinsurgent tactics starting in the 1960s, and finally to the 2012 land laws and current issues in international investment. This adaptation of colonial ideas about territorialization in the context of an ongoing civil war offers a new angle for understanding the relationship between military tactics and the political economy of conflict and counterinsurgent strategies which crucially depended on giving local militias—both government and nongovernment—high degrees of autonomy. The recent government changes, including the more civilian representation in parliament and its shift to engage with Western economies, raise questions regarding the future of the military, as well as local autonomy and the rural peasantry's access to land. As increasing numbers of international investors are poised to enter the Myanmar market, this article will revisit notions of land use and appropriation, and finally the role of the army and its changing relationship with Waste Lands.     

An evaluation of the statistical homogeneity of the Twentieth Century Reanalysis

The Twentieth Century Reanalysis (20CR) holds the distinction of having the longest record length (140-year; 1871–2010) of any existing global atmospheric reanalysis. If the record can be shown to be homogenous, then it would be the first reanalysis suitable for long-term trend assessments, including those of the regional hydrologic cycle. On the other hand, if discontinuities exist, then their detection and attribution—either to artificial observational shocks or climate change—is critical to their proper treatment. Previous research suggested that the quintupling of 20CR’s assimilated observation counts over the central United States was the primary cause of inhomogeneities for that region. The same work also revealed that, depending on the season, the complete record could be considered homogenous. In this study, we apply the Bai-Perron structural change point test to extend these analyses globally. A rigorous evaluation of 20CR’s (in)homogeneity is performed, composed of detailed quantitative analyses on regional, seasonal, inter-variable, and intra-ensemble bases. The 20CR record is shown to be homogenous (natural) for 69 (89) years at 50 % of land grids, based on analysis of the July 2 m air temperature. On average 54 % (41 %) of the grids between 60°S and 60°N are free from artificial inhomogenetites in their February (July) time series. Of the more than 853,376 abrupt shifts detected in 26 variable fields over two monthly time series, approximately 72 % are non-climate in origin; 25 % exceed 1.8 standard deviations of the preceding time series. The knock-on effect of inhomogeneities in 20CR’s boundary forcing and surface pressure data inputs to its surface analysis fields is implicated. In the future, reassessing these inhomogeneities will be imperative to achieving a more definitive attribution of 20CR’s abrupt shifts.     

Modification of the polyethylene glycol 6000 precipitation method for recovering human and indicator viruses from oysters and mussels

Human viruses are a common contaminant of shellfish affected by human sewage wastes. They are difficult to detect as they are not easily separated from shellfish tissue. This paper describes a modification of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation technique for recovery of enteroviruses and F‐specific bacteriophages from the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the green‐lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus). Modifications adopted were the use of only the digestive gland tissue for virus extraction, resuspension of the primary PEG pellet in 4 volumes of eluent, and the introduction of a secondary PEG precipitation to reconcentrate the virus containing extract. The recovery rate of the virus extraction process was not affected by introduction of the secondary concentration step (overall recovery remained at 60–70% of the virus input). The advantages of reduction of tissue residue in the extract, smaller final volume, and the ability to process 2–3 times the number of individual shellfish for the same effort, improve the practicality of the method.     

更新世末期西辽河上游地区古代环境研究

西辽河地区史前和历史时期文化发达,分别发育了小河西文化－兴隆洼文化－赵宝沟文化－红山文化－小河沿文化－夏家店下层文化－夏家店上层文化,这些文化的兴衰同环境的演变密不可分,旱作农业的起源有可能在西辽河地区。西辽河地区古代环境、与人类文明发生以及演变关系一直是研究的热点,本研究将采自赤峰地区红山水库厚度为155cm的自然剖面进行了测年、孢粉和粒度分析,得到晚更新世末期西辽河地区古植被以及古环境资料。粒度分析说明沉积环境可能为河漫滩。孢粉分析结果显示： 晚更新世末期进入全新世前,西辽河地区较现代温暖湿润,植被是草原植被,主要的植物是蒿属以及菊科的其他植物,河漫滩中生长有香蒲属植物,不远的山地分布有疏林,针叶树主要是松、云杉和铁杉,而阔叶树主要是桦木科、胡桃属、栎属和榆属。自下而上,将剖面分为4个孢粉组合带(Zone 1～4)。Zone 1(15280～14680cal. aB.P.)和 Zone 2(14680～14090cal.aB.P.),针叶树主要是云杉和铁杉,而阔叶树主要是桦木科和胡桃属植物; Zone 2,盘星藻大量增加; Zone 3(14090～13890cal.aB.P.),除了云杉和铁杉,松属也是主要的针叶树种类,此时香蒲的数量急剧增加; Zone 4分为2个亚带,即 Zone 4­1(13890～13670cal. aB.P.)和 Zone 4­2(13670～13110cal. aB.P.),Zone 4主要的针叶树为松－云杉,此时的阔叶树也变为落叶栎－榆属。在Zone 4­2,伴随着C/A值的增大,铁杉花粉消失。铁杉花粉消失在约13610cal. aB.P.,可能是由气候的干旱引起。相对温暖湿润的气候环境为农业的发生提供了丰富的野生资源,而后期环境趋于干旱,这可能是促使农业发生的一个因素。