杭州地磁台方位角的复测检验

通过实际观测,描述了杭州地磁台方位角的检验结果,通过复测检验有两点认识:一种新技术新方法的应用,须经过不同方法的严格比较检验,验收合格后方可推广应用;如果采用简接法测定观测墩的方位角,其精度不完全决定于天文或GPS的观测精度,在很大程度上取决于水平角的观测精度.为此建议用此法测定观测墩的方位角,须有合理的观测程序和严密的观测技术,与此同时,尚须具备高于方位角精度要求的高精度精密光学经纬仪.     

‘Thailand was a desert' during the mid‐Cretaceous: Equatorward shift of the subtropical high‐pressure belt indicated by eolian deposits (Phu Thok Formation) in the Khorat Basin,northeastern Thailand

The Tibetan Plateau is a key factor in controlling the present‐day climate and atmospheric circulation pattern in Asia. The pattern of atmospheric circulation after the uplift of the plateau is well known, whereas direct evidence is lacking regarding the nature of the circulation pattern prior to the uplift. The distribution of desert directly reflects the position of the subtropical high‐pressure belt, and the prevailing surface‐wind pattern recorded in desert deposits reveals the position of its divergence axis. Cretaceous eolian sandstone of the Phu Thok Formation is extensively exposed in the northern Khorat Basin, northeastern Thailand. We conducted a sedimentological study on this formation to reconstruct temporal changes in the latitude of the subtropical high‐pressure belt in low‐latitude Asia during the Cretaceous. Spatio‐temporal changes in the paleo‐wind directions recorded in the Phu Thok Formation reveal that the Khorat Basin mainly belonged to the northeast trade wind belt and subtropical high‐pressure belt was situated to the north of the Khorat Basin during the initial stages of deposition, shifted southward to immediately above the basin during the main phase of deposition, and then shifted northward again to the north of the basin during the final stages of deposition. The paleomagnetic polarity sequence obtained for the Phu Thok Formation comprises three zones of normal polarity and two of reversed polarity, correlating to chrons M1n to C34n of the geomagnetic polarity time scale. This result suggests that the Phu Thok Formation is mid‐Cretaceous in age (from c. 126 Ma to c. 99–93 Ma), similar to the age of eolian sandstone in the Sichuan Basin, southern China (the Jiaguan Formation). These results, in combination with paleo‐wind direction data, suggest the development of low‐latitude desert and an equatorward shift of the subtropical high‐pressure belt (relative to the present‐day) in Asia during the mid‐Cretaceous.     

Sources and depositional processes of tsunami deposits: Analysis using foraminiferal tests and hydrodynamic verification

Foraminiferal tests are commonly found in tsunami deposits and provide evidence of transport of sea floor sediments, sometimes from source areas more than 100 m deep and several kilometers away. These data contribute to estimates of the physical properties of tsunami waves, such as their amplitude and period. The tractive force of tsunami waves is inversely proportional to the water depth at sediment source areas, whereas the horizontal sediment transport distance by tsunami waves is proportional to the wave period and amplitude. We derived formulas for the amplitudes and periods of tsunami waves as functions of water depth at the sediment source area and sediment transport distance based on foraminiferal assemblages in tsunami deposits. We applied these formulas to derive wave amplitudes and periods from data on tsunami deposits in previous studies. For some examples, estimated wave parameters were reasonable matches for the actual tsunamis, although other cases had improbably large values. Such inconsistencies probably reflect: (i) local amplification of tsunami waves by submarine topography, such as submarine canyons; and (ii) errors in estimated water depth at the sediment source area and sediment transport distance, which mainly derive from insufficient identification of foraminiferal tests.     

Soft‐sediment deformation structures in Cretaceous non‐marine deposits of southeastern Gyeongsang Basin,Korea: Occurrences and origin

A variety of soft‐sediment deformation structures formed during or shortly after deposition occurs in the Cretaceous Seongpori and Dadaepo Formations of the southeastern Gyeongsang Basin exposed along coastal areas of southeastern Korean Peninsula for 0.5–2 km. These are mostly present in a fluvial plain facies, with interbedded lacustrine deposits. In this study, the features of different kinds of soft‐sediment deformation structures have been interpreted on the basis of sedimentology of structure‐bearing deposits, comparison with normal sedimentary structures, timing and mechanism of deformation, and triggering mechanisms. The soft‐sediment deformation structures can be classified into four morphological groups: (i) load structures (load casts, ball‐and‐pillow structures); (ii) soft‐sediment intrusive structures (dish‐and‐pillars, clastic dykes, sills); (iii) ductile disturbed structures (convolute folds, slump structures); and (iv) brittle deformation structures (syndepositional faulting, dislocated breccia). The most probable triggering mechanisms resulting in these structures were seismic shocks. These interpretations are based on the following field observations: (i) location of the study area within tectonically active fault zone reactivated several times during the Cretaceous; (ii) deformation structures confined to single stratigraphic levels; (iii) lateral continuity and occurrences of various soft‐sediment deformation structures in the deformed level over large areas; (iv) absence of depositional slope to indicate gravity sliding or slumping; and (v) similarity to the structures produced experimentally. The soft‐sediment deformation structures in the study areas are thus interpreted to have been generated by seismic shocks with an estimated magnitude of M > 5, representing an intermittent record of the active tectonic and sedimentary processes during the development and evolution of two formations from the late Early Cretaceous to the Late Cretaceous.     

Energy demands for seismic design against low‐cycle fatigue

A seismic design procedure that does not take into account the maximum and cumulative plastic deformation demands that a structure is likely to undergo during severe ground motion could lead to unsatisfactory performance. In spite of this, current design procedures do not take into account explicitly the effect of low‐cycle fatigue. Based on the high correlation that exists between the strength reduction factor and the energy demand in earthquake‐resistant structures, simple procedures can be formulated to estimate the cumulative plastic deformation demands for design purposes. Several issues should be addressed during the use of plastic energy within a practical performance‐based seismic design methodology. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of the weightiness of site effects on reinforced concrete (RC) building seismic behaviour: The Adra town example (SE Spain)

The damage distribution in Adra town (south‐eastern Spain) during the 1993 and 1994 Adra earthquakes (5.0 magnitude), that reached a maximum intensity degree of VII (European Macroseismic Scale (EMS scale)), was concentrated mainly in the south‐east zone of the town and the most relevant damage occurred in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings with four or five storeys. In order to evaluate the influence of ground condition on RC building behaviour, geological, geomorphological and geophysical surveys were carried out, and a detailed map of ground surface structure was obtained. Short‐period microtremor observations were performed in 160 sites on a 100m × 100m dimension grid and Nakamura's method was applied in order to determine a distribution map of soil predominant periods. Shorter predominant periods (0.1–0.3 s) were found in mountainous and neighbouring zones and larger periods (greater than 0.5 s) in thicker Holocene alluvial fans. A relationship T = (0.049 ± 0.001)N, where T is the natural period of swaying motion and N is the number of storeys, has been empirically obtained by using microtremor measurements at the top of 38 RC buildings (ranging from 2 to 9 storeys). 1‐D simulation of strong motion on different soil conditions and for several typical RC buildings were computed, using the acceleration record in Adra town of the 1993 earthquake. It is noteworthy that all the aforementioned results show the influence of site effects in the degree and distribution of observed building damage. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of surface characteristics on infiltration patterns in an arid shrub desert

Precipitation is often the sole source of water replenishment in arid and semi‐arid areas and, thus, plays a pertinent role in sustaining desert ecosystems. Revegetation over 40 years using mainly Artemisia ordosica and Caragana korshinskii at Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station near Lanzhou, China, has established a dwarf‐shrub and microbiotic soil crust cover on the stabilized sand dunes. The redistribution of infiltrated moisture through percolation, root extraction, and evapotranspiration pathways was investigated. Three sets of time‐domain reflectometry (TDR) probes were inserted horizontally at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 cm depths below the ground surface in a soil pit. The three sets of TDR probes were installed in dwarf‐shrub sites of A. ordosica and C. korshinskii community with and without a microbiotic soil crust cover, and an additional set was placed in a bare sand dune area that had neither vegetation nor a microbiotic soil crust present. Volumetric soil moisture content was recorded at hourly intervals and used in the assessment of infiltration for the different surface covers. Infiltration varied greatly, from 7·5 cm to more than 45 cm, depending upon rainfall quantity and soil surface conditions. In the shrub community area without microbiotic soil crust cover, infiltration increased due to preferential flow associated with root tunnels. The microbiotic soil crust cover had a significant negative influence on the infiltration for small rainfall events (～10 mm), restricting the infiltration depth to less than 20 cm and increasing soil moisture content just beneath the soil profile of 10 cm, whereas it was not as strong or clear for larger rainfall events (～60 mm). For small rainfall events, the wetting front depth for the three kinds of surface cover was as follows: shrub community without microbiotic soil crust > bare area > shrub community with microbiotic soil crust. In contrast, for large rainfall events, infiltration was similar in shrub communities with and without microbiotic soil crust cover, but significantly higher than measured in the bare area. Soil water extraction by roots associated with evapotranspiration restricted the wetting front penetration after 1 to 3 h of rainfall. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Remotely sensed assessment of water quality levels in the Pearl River Estuary, China

In this paper, a method of assessing water quality from satellite data is introduced. The composite pollution index (CPI) was calculated from measured chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nutrient concentration. The relationships between CPI and 240 band combinations of SeaWiFS water-leaving radiance were analyzed and the optimal band combination for estimating CPI was chosen from the 240 band combinations. An algorithm for retrieval of CPI was developed using the optimal band combination, (L₄₄₃ × L₅₁₀)/(L₄₁₂ + L₄₉₀). The CPI was estimated from atmospherically corrected SeaWiFS data by employing the algorithm. Furthermore, the CPI value range for each water quality level was determined based on data obtained from 850 samples taken in the Pearl River Estuary. The remotely sensed CPIs were then transferred to water quality levels and appropriate maps were derived. The remotely sensed water quality level maps displayed a similar distribution of levels based on in situ investigation issued by the State Ocean Administration, China. This study demonstrates that remote sensing can play an important role in water quality assessment.     

广东地震台站前兆观测系统防雷综合方法

雷击是地震前兆观测系统的主要危害,根据“九五”、“十五”期间在建设地震前兆观测系统时的防雷实践,介绍了有关防雷的综合方法,该方法在原有防雷方法的基础上进行了某些创新,实践表明,该综合方法对雷击尤其是感应雷起到了良好的防护效果。     

多层垂直对称轴横向各向同性介质精确走时计算

给出了计算多层垂直对称轴横向各向同性（VTI）介质精确射线路径和走时的方法,所用的体波相速度公式、群速度公式和Snell定律都是严格的显式解析公式. 任意基本波的射线路径和走时计算问题都可以转化成一个等效的透射问题,再用文中的公式来计算,具体实现方法用一个多次波和一个首波的实例给出. 最后分别用精确公式和Thomsen近似公式计算了相同模型相同基本波的走时曲线. 比较两者计算结果可发现, 近似公式反复使用会使误差积累,同时揭示了近似公式适用范围的局限性,强调了使用近似公式需要注意其适用范围的重要性.