Relationships between landscape morphology,climate and surface erosion in northern Peru at 5°S latitude

The northern segment of the Peruvian Andes is affected by a twofold climate with measurable implications on landscapes and landscape dynamics. During ‘normal’ or ‘neutral’ years easterly winds bring rain from the Atlantic and the Amazon Basin to the Sierras, which results in a seasonal climate with rather low-intensity precipitations. In contrast, during the large-scale warm phase of the ENSO cycle, El Niños transfer moisture from the Pacific to the Peruvian coast by westerly winds and result in high-intensity precipitation. We investigate the effects of this twofold climate for the case of the Piura drainage basin at ca. 5°S latitude (northern Peru). In the headwaters that have been under the influence of the easterlies, the landscape is mantled by a thick regolith cover and dissected by a network of debris flow channels that are mostly covered by a thick layer of unconsolidated sediment. This implies that in the headwaters of the Piura River sediment discharge has been limited by the transport capacity of the sediment transfer system. In the lower segment that has been affected by high-intensity rainfall in relation to the westerlies (El Niños), the hillslopes are dissected by debris flow channels that expose the bedrock on the channel floor, implying a supply-limited sediment discharge. Interestingly, measurements at the Piura gauging station near the coast reveal that, during the last decades, sediment was transferred to the lower reaches only in response to the 1982–1983 and 1997–1998 El Niño periods. For the latter period, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) intensity images show that the locations of substantial erosion are mainly located in areas that were affected by higher-than-average precipitation rates. Most important, these locations are coupled with the network of debris flow channels. This implies that the seasonal easterlies are responsible for the production of sediment through weathering in the headwaters, and the highly episodic El Niños result in export of sediment through channelized sediment transport down to the coastal segment. Both systems overlap showing a partially coupled sediment production–delivery system.     

Near-Earth asteroid surface roughness depends on compositional class

Radar observations of 214 near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) reveal a very strong correlation of circular polarization ratio with visible-infrared taxonomic class, establishing distinct differences in the centimeter-to-several-decimeter structural complexity of objects in different spectral classes. The correlation may be due to the intrinsic mechanical properties of different mineralogical assemblages but also may reflect very different formation ages and collisional histories. The highest ratios are measured for groups associated with achondritic igneous rocky meteorites: the E class, whose parent body may be 3103 Eger, and the V class, derived from the mainbelt asteroid (and Dawn mission target) 4 Vesta.     

The Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey – II. A H i view of the Abell cluster 1367 and its outskirts

We present 21 cm H  i line observations of 5 × 1 deg² centred on the local Abell cluster 1367 obtained as part of the Arecibo Galaxy Environment Survey. One hundred sources are detected (79 new H  i measurements and 50 new redshifts), more than half belonging to the cluster core and its infalling region. Combining the H  i data with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) optical imaging, we show that our H  i selected sample follows scaling relations similar to the ones usually observed in optically selected samples. Interestingly, all galaxies in our sample appear to have nearly the same baryon fraction independently of their size, surface brightness and luminosity. The most striking difference between H  i and optically selected samples resides in their large-scale distribution: whereas optical and X-ray observations trace the cluster core very well, in H  i there is almost no evidence of the presence of the cluster. Some implications on the determination of the cluster luminosity function and H  i distribution for samples selected at different wavelength are also discussed.     

Calculating ground water transit time of horizontal flow through leaky aquifers

The calculation of ground water transit times is one important factor in ground water protection. In this paper, we present an analytical solution for the transit time for a Dupuit-type flow system applicable to saturated flow through a horizontal leaky aquifer discharging to a downgradient fixed-head boundary under steady-state conditions. We investigate the influence of leakage when comparing the resulting travel times of our model based on head-dependent leakage with the commonly used model with no leakage and a simplified model with constant leakage. The results show significant differences in the position of the water divide and transit time, suggesting that leakage cannot be ignored.     

Linkages between the North Pacific Oscillation and central tropical Pacific SSTs at low frequencies

The North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) recently (re-)emerged in the literature as a key atmospheric mode in Northern Hemisphere climate variability, especially in the Pacific sector. Defined as a dipole of sea level pressure (SLP) between, roughly, Alaska and Hawaii, the NPO is connected with downstream weather conditions over North America, serves as the atmospheric forcing pattern of the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), and is a potential mechanism linking extratropical atmospheric variability to El Ni?o events in the tropical Pacific. This paper explores further the forcing dynamics of the NPO and, in particular, that of its individual poles. Using observational data and experiments with a simple atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), we illustrate that the southern pole of the NPO (i.e., the one near Hawaii) contains significant power at low frequencies (7–10?years), while the northern pole (i.e., the one near Alaska) has no dominant frequencies. When examining the low-frequency content of the NPO and its poles separately, we discover that low-frequency variations (periods >7?years) of the NPO (particularly its subtropical node) are intimately tied to variability in central equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) associated with the El Ni?o-Modoki/Central Pacific Warming (CPW) phenomenon. This result suggests that fluctuations in subtropical North Pacific SLP are important to monitor for Pacific low-frequency climate change. Using the simple AGCM, we also illustrate that variability in central tropical Pacific SSTs drives a significant fraction of variability of the southern node of the NPO. Taken together, the results highlight important links between secondary modes (i.e., CPW-NPO-NPGO) in Pacific decadal variability, akin to already established relationships between the primary modes of Pacific climate variability (i.e., canonical El Ni?o, the Aleutian Low, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation).     

An assessment and interpretation of the observed warming of West Antarctica in the austral spring

We synthesize variability and trends in multiple analyses of Antarctic near-surface temperature representing several independent source datasets and spatially complete reconstructions, and place these into the broader context of the behavior of other components of the climate system during the past 30–50?years. Along with an annual-mean trend during the past 50?years of about 0.1°C/decade averaged over Antarctica, there is a distinct seasonality to the trends, with insignificant change (and even some cooling) in austral summer and autumn in East Antarctica, contrasting with warming in austral winter and spring. Apart from the Peninsula, the seasonal warming is largest and most significant in West Antarctica in the austral spring since the late 1970s. Concurrent trends in sea ice are independent evidence of the observed warming over West Antarctic, with the decrease in sea ice area in the Amundsen and Bellingshausen Seas congruent with at least 50% of the inland warming of West Antarctica. Trends in near surface winds and geopotential heights over the high-latitude South Pacific are consistent with a role for atmospheric forcing of the sea ice and air temperature anomalies. Most of the circulation trend projects onto the two Pacific South American (PSA) modes of atmospheric circulation variability, while the Southern Annular Mode lacks a positive trend in spring that would otherwise cause a cooling tendency. The largest circulation trend is associated with the PSA-1 mode, a wave-train extending from the tropics to the high Southern latitudes. The PSA-1 mode is significantly correlated with SSTs in the southwestern tropical and subtropical Pacific. The increased SSTs in this region, together with the observed increase in rainfall, suggest that anomalous deep convection has strengthened or increased the occurrence of the Rossby wave-train associated with PSA-1. This hypothesis is supported by results from two ensembles of SST-forced atmospheric general circulation model simulations. Finally, the implications of the seasonality, timing, and spatial patterns of Antarctic temperature trends with respect to interpreting the relative roles of stratospheric ozone depletion, SSTs and increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gasses are discussed.     

准噶尔盆地头屯河地区侏罗系沉积环境与构造意义

准噶尔盆地头屯河地区侏罗系陆相层序包含4种沉积:(1)冲积扇平原湿地中的砾石质河流沉积(八遭湾组),其特征提示在湿地中发育了规模不同的大河道(深3—5m,宽1OOm左右)及较小的分流或决口河道(深2m以下,宽6—30m)。(2)沙质低弯度河沉积,晚三工河、早西山窑、头屯河及齐古组沉积期的河流沉积属之。其特点是河道相与河间相间的界线清楚,提示河道在某一段时期固定于平原的特定地带;河道规模受古气候和构造的制约;气候干旱化和构造抬升(如头屯河组沉积时期),侵蚀基面降低,河流动力增加,因而河流规模变大,反之变小;晚头屯河组沉积期的干旱气候存在暂时性河道。(3)三角洲前缘沉积(河口中坝),见于八道湾、三工河及喀拉扎组中。(4)开阔湖相沉积,以三工河组厚的页岩层序为代表。 砂岩成分逆向反映源区剥蚀顺序。下侏罗统富含泥质岩屑,表示天山上古生界浅变质及沉积层系被剥蚀。自下而上,碎屑中稳定矿物增加,粒度变细,反映源区由于剥蚀而后退。中—上侏罗统砂岩成分演化方向不同于下侏罗统,可能与三工河组沉积末期盆地边缘构造回春有关。在Q-F-L三角图中,侏罗系样品大都落在构造区之间,反映陆相盆地充填物的混合来源。下—中侏罗统的煤既有原地生成,亦有重要的他生类型。     

西藏班公湖-怒江缝合带白垩系沉积特征及其构造意义

班公湖—怒江位于西藏中部 ,西起班公湖日土 (33.5°N ,79°E) ,向东经由措勤、尼玛、那曲至东部怒江带 ,走向近东西、其中部大致平行于北纬 32°线 ,延长大于 15 0 0km。该带蛇绿岩发育 ,是中生代板块缝合线 ,是南部拉萨地块与北部羌塘地块的分界线。其中段班戈地区白垩系地层发育 ,包括下白垩统底部川巴组 (K1c)、多巴组 (K1d)、郎山组 (K1l)和上白垩统江巴组 (K2 j)。川巴组为浅海相黑色页岩、泥岩、粉砂岩、砂岩、煤层和火山岩 ;多巴组为含有海侵夹层的陆相碎屑岩建造 ,海侵层为含园笠虫 (Orbitolinasp .)钙质砂岩 ;郎山组为浅海相—泻湖相台地型碳酸盐岩沉积 ;江巴组以陆相、厚层块状的砂砾岩红层为特征。本区白垩系层序的总体特征 ,是以海相火山岩—细碎屑岩为先导、经海陆过渡相碎屑岩和海相碳酸盐岩到陆相红层 ,形成于与B型俯冲作用有关的活动大陆边缘构造背景.