Five-Stage Model of the Palaeozoic Crustal Evolution in Xinjiang

The great majority of the Palaeozoic orogenjc belts of Central Asia are of the intercontinental type, whose evolution always follows a five-stage model, i.e. the basal continental crust-extensional transitional crust-oceanic crust-convergent transitional crust-new continental crust model. The stage for the extensional transitional crust is a pretty long, independent and inevitable phase. The dismembering mechanism of the basal continental crust becoming an extensional continental crust is delineated by the simple shear model put forward by Wernike (1981). The continental margins on the sides of a gently dipping detachment zone and moving along it are asymmetric: one side is of the nonmagmatic type and the other of the magmatic type with a typical bimodal volcanic formation. In the latter case, however, they were often confused with island arcs. This paper discusses the five-stage process of the crustal evolution of some typical orogenic belts in Xinjiang.     

关于推行岩土工程专业体制的思考与实例

岩土工程专业体制的核心内涵,是强调岩土工程勘查,设计,施工,监测,监理５个环节的整体和统一性。岩土工程师,不仅要为建设工程设计提供地质资料,而且还要积极参与或争取主持整个岩土工程项目的设计与施工,本文以实例阐明了其可能性与必要性。     

Cassini SAR, radiometry, scatterometry and altimetry observations of Titan’s dune fields

Large expanses of linear dunes cover Titan’s equatorial regions. As the Cassini mission continues, more dune fields are becoming unveiled and examined by the microwave radar in all its modes of operation (SAR, radiometry, scatterometry, altimetry) and with an increasing variety of observational geometries. In this paper, we report on Cassini’s radar instrument observations of the dune fields mapped through May 2009 and present our key findings in terms of Titan’s geology and climate. We estimate that dune fields cover ∼12.5% of Titan’s surface, which corresponds to an area of ∼10 million km², roughly the area of the United States. If dune sand-sized particles are mainly composed of solid organics as suggested by VIMS observations (Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) and atmospheric modeling and supported by radiometry data, dune fields are the largest known organic reservoir on Titan. Dune regions are, with the exception of the polar lakes and seas, the least reflective and most emissive features on this moon. Interestingly, we also find a latitudinal dependence in the dune field microwave properties: up to a latitude of ∼11°, dune fields tend to become less emissive and brighter as one moves northward. Above ∼11° this trend is reversed. The microwave signatures of the dune regions are thought to be primarily controlled by the interdune proportion (relative to that of the dune), roughness and degree of sand cover. In agreement with radiometry and scatterometry observations, SAR images suggest that the fraction of interdunes increases northward up to a latitude of ∼14°. In general, scattering from the subsurface (volume scattering and surface scattering from buried interfaces) makes interdunal regions brighter than the dunes. The observed latitudinal trend may therefore also be partially caused by a gradual thinning of the interdunal sand cover or surrounding sand sheets to the north, thus allowing wave penetration in the underlying substrate. Altimetry measurements over dunes have highlighted a region located in the Fensal dune field (∼5° latitude) where the icy bedrock of Titan is likely exposed within smooth interdune areas. The hemispherical assymetry of dune field properties may point to a general reduction in the availability of sediments and/or an increase in the ground humidity toward the north, which could be related to Titan’s asymmetric seasonal polar insolation. Alternatively, it may indicate that either the wind pattern or the topography is less favorable for dune formation in Titan’s northern tropics.     

Distribution and interplay of geologic processes on Titan from Cassini radar data

The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper is providing an unprecedented view of Titan’s surface geology. Here we use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image swaths (Ta-T30) obtained from October 2004 to December 2007 to infer the geologic processes that have shaped Titan’s surface. These SAR swaths cover about 20% of the surface, at a spatial resolution ranging from ∼350 m to ∼2 km. The SAR data are distributed over a wide latitudinal and longitudinal range, enabling some conclusions to be drawn about the global distribution of processes. They reveal a geologically complex surface that has been modified by all the major geologic processes seen on Earth - volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, and erosion and deposition by fluvial and aeolian activity. In this paper, we map geomorphological units from SAR data and analyze their areal distribution and relative ages of modification in order to infer the geologic evolution of Titan’s surface. We find that dunes and hummocky and mountainous terrains are more widespread than lakes, putative cryovolcanic features, mottled plains, and craters and crateriform structures that may be due to impact. Undifferentiated plains are the largest areal unit; their origin is uncertain. In terms of latitudinal distribution, dunes and hummocky and mountainous terrains are located mostly at low latitudes (less than 30°), with no dunes being present above 60°. Channels formed by fluvial activity are present at all latitudes, but lakes are at high latitudes only. Crateriform structures that may have been formed by impact appear to be uniformly distributed with latitude, but the well-preserved impact craters are all located at low latitudes, possibly indicating that more resurfacing has occurred at higher latitudes. Cryovolcanic features are not ubiquitous, and are mostly located between 30° and 60° north. We examine temporal relationships between units wherever possible, and conclude that aeolian and fluvial/pluvial/lacustrine processes are the most recent, while tectonic processes that led to the formation of mountains and Xanadu are likely the most ancient.     

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.     

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。     

河南省煤系地层地震反射波发育特征

对河南省不同区域的煤系地层反射波发育特点进行分析研究、归类总结和正反演对比,建立了地震波-地质层位的对应关系,有利于解释人员从时间剖面上准确分辨出新生界、煤系地层和煤系基底反射波组,确定煤层反射波及煤层赋存状况,为类似地区的地震资料解释工作提供科学的指导。     

Geology and activity around volcanoes on Io from the analysis of NIMS spectral images

The last two successful flybys of Io by Galileo in 2001 (orbits I31, I32) allowed the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer to enrich its collection of IR spectral image cubes of the satellite. These data cover hemispheric portions of Io, several volcanic centers as well as their surroundings with a spatial resolution ranging from 2 to 93 km pixel⁻¹. They map thermal emission from the hot-spots and the distribution of solid SO₂ in the 1.0-4.7 μm spectral range. We obtain maps of SO₂ abundance and granularity from the NIMS data using the method of Douté et al. (2002, Icarus 158, 460-482). The maps are correlated to distinguish four different physical units that indicate zones of SO₂ condensation, metamorphism and sublimation. We relate these information with visible images from Galileo's Solid State Imaging System and with detailed mapping of the thermal emission produced by Io's surface. Our principal goal is to understand the mechanisms controlling how lava, pyroclastics and gas are emitted by different types of volcanoes and how these products evolve. The 800 km diameter white ring of fallout created by a violent “Pillanian” eruption during summer of 2001 is at least partly composed of solid SO₂ and has enriched preexisting regional deposits. Orange materials have been recently or are currently emplaced 240 km south from the main eruption site, possibly as sulfur flows. A similar event may have taken place in the past at Ababinili Patera (12.5° N, 142° W). Carefull study of SO₂ maps covering the Emakong region also suggests that sulfur forms the bright channel-fed flow emerging from the south eastern side of the caldera. Within the main caldera of Tvashtar Catena completely cooled patches of crust exist. Elsewhere, the caldera is still cooling from previous episodes of flooding. We confirm that Amirani emits constantly large amount of SO₂ gas by interaction of fresh lava with the volatiles of the underlying plains. Nevertheless SO₂ frost is not the major component of the bright white ring seen in the SSI images. Over the whole Gish Bar region, SO₂ frost seems barely stable and is constantly regenerated. The stability increases along gray filamentary structures which could be faults filled with materials having peculiar thermal properties. Northwest of Gish Bar Patera, a localized bright deposit shows an unusual spectral signature potentially indicative of H₂O molecules forming ice crystals or being trapped in a nonidentified matrix. The Chaac region may present a thickened old crust reducing the geothermal flux to levels lower than 0.5 W m⁻² and thus creating a cold trap for SO₂. Looking at the abundance and degree of metamorphose of SO₂, we establish the relative age of different flows and ejecta for the Sobo Fluctus. Finally the assumption that the white patches in visible images indicate SO₂ rich deposits is once again challenged. In the Camaxtli region we identify a topographically controlled compact white deposit showing only moderate SO₂ abundance. In contrast, we detect two spots of quite pure SO₂ ice on the gray flanks of Emakong. Furthermore, the close association of fumarolic SO₂ and red S₂ already noted for several volcanic centers is observed at Tupan.     

Probing the Formation and Evolution of early-type galaxies: the SAURON project

We are conducting a systematic study of a carefully selected sampleof nearby E/S0 galaxies and Sa bulges using the unique panoramic integral-fieldspectrograph SAURON, mounted at the WHT. The goal of the SAURON projectis to fully map the gaseous/stellar kinematics and the stellar populations of a representative sample of 80 early-type galaxies up to 1 Re,probing different environments (clusters, field). These data, used in combination with existing ground-based and HST observations, and fed to the theoretical machinery we have developed, will allow to determine theintrinsic dynamical structure of the galaxies. We will also measure the masses of central black holes, relate the internal dynamics to the ageand metallicity of the stellar populations, and establish the historyof metal enrichment as a function of Hubble type and environment. Some brief results on two targets observed during the SAURON campaign will serve as an illustration of the unique and high quality data we are currently gathering. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

东昆仑三维重力异常解释方法研究

小波变换是一种广泛应用的信号处理技术,它具有良好的时—频局部化特性。本文探讨了小波变换在分解重力异常中的应用。同时,利用计算机对重力资料的三维定量解释,进行了初步试算。通过东昆仑地区实际资料处理,认为这二种方法在重力资料处理解释中,具有快速、简捷的特点。