Evaluation of the integrated multi-satellite retrievals for global precipitation measurement over the Tibetan Plateau

The availability of high-resolution satellite precipitation measurement products provides an opportunity to monitor precipitation over large and complex terrain and thus accurately evaluate the climatic, hydrological and ecological conditions in those regions. The Global Precipitation Measurement(GPM) mission is an important new program designed for global satellite precipitation estimation, but little information has been reported on the applicability of the GPM’s products for the Tibetan Plateau(TP). The object of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the Integrated Multi-Satellite Retrievals for GPM(IMERG) Final Run product under different terrain and climate conditions over the TP by using 78 ground gauges from April 2014 to December 2017. The results showed the following:(1) the 3-year average daily precipitation estimation in the IMERG agrees well with the rain gauge observations(R~2=0.58, P0.01), and IMERG also has a considerable ability to detect precipitation, as indicated by a high probability of detection(78%-98%) and critical success index(65%-85%);(2) IMERG performed better at altitudes from 3000 m to 4000 m with a small relative bias(RB) of 6.4%. Precipitation change was not significantly affected by local relief;(3) the climate system of the TP was divided into four climate groups with a total of 12 climate types based on the K?ppen climate classification system, and IMERG performed well in all climate types with the exception of the arid-desert-cold climate(Bwk) type. Furthermore, although IMERG showed the potential to detect snowfall, it still exhibits deficiencies in identifying light and moderate snow. These results indicate that IMERG could provide more accurate precipitation data if its retrieval algorithm was improved for complex terrain and arid regions.     

Formation and evolution of the tertiary carbonate reefs in the Madura Strait Basin of Indonesia

Analysis of 2D seismic data over 4 500 km in length from the Madura Strait Basin in the East Java Sea reveals seismic reflection characteristics of reefs and associated sedimentary bodies, including asymmetrical or symmetrical dome reflections, slope progradational reflections, chaotic reflections and discontinuous strong reflections inside the reef, which onlap the flank of the reef. It is concluded that the developmental paleo-environment of most reefs is mainly conducive to shallow marine carbonate platform facies and platform margin facies, based on well core data, variations in seismic facies and strata thickness. The formation and evolution of all reefs are primarily influenced by the tectonic framework of the Madura Strait Basin. Platform margin reefs are principally controlled by two types of structures: one is a series of E-W trending Paleogene normal faults, and the other is an E-W trending Neogene inversion structures. In addition, wave actions, tidal currents and other ocean currents play an accelerated role in sorting, rounding and redeposition for the accumulation and evolution of reefs. Tertiary reefs in the MSB can be divided into four types: 1) an open platform coral reef of Late Oligocene to Early Miocene, 2) a platform margin coral reef controlled by normal faults in Late Oligocene to Early Miocene, 3) a platform margin Globigerina moundreef controlled by a “hidden” inversion structure in Early Pliocene, and 4) a platform margin Globigerina mound-reef controlled by thrust faults in the early Pliocene. Patterns of the formation and evolution of reefs are also suggested.

     

Preparation of pure gum raw materials-low brown algae application

Octenylsuccinate starch ester, also called pure gum, is non-toxic and odourless modified starch which is widely used in many food fields. This study synthesized pure gum in a reaction kettle using the low molecular weight trehalose and octenyl succinic acid. An orthogonal test was carried out to find how the reaction factors affect the synthetization of octenylsuccinic acid polysaccharide ester and to optimize the reaction at single factor level. The optimal products were obtained using 1:2 of octenylsuccinic acid:alginic acid, catalysed by 0.1% p-toluenesulfonic acid catalyst for 1.5 h at 200℃ under vacuum conditions.The gained product contains up to 46% of seaweed gel monoesters. The degree of esterification of the polysaccharide is controlled by the use of the small-molecule trehalose. Compared with the traditional methods, our process can reduce raw material cost and improve emulsification stability of pure gum. These all can significantly improve the market competitiveness of pure gum products.     

Luminescence dating of sand–loess sequences and response of Mu Us and Otindag sand fields (north China) to climatic changes

The sand–loess transition zone in north China is sensitive to climate change, and is an ideal place to investigate past environmental changes. However, past climate change at millennial–centennial timescales in this region has not been well reconstructed because of limited numerical dating. Alternations of sandy loam soils with aeolian sand layers in the Mu Us and Otindag sand fields, which lie along the sand–loess transition zone, indicate multiple intervals of dune activity and stability. This change is probably a response to variations of the East Asian monsoon climate during the late Quaternary. The single aliquot regeneration (SAR) optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating protocol, which has been successfully applied to aeolian deposits worldwide, is applied to these two sand fields in this study. The OSL ages provide reliable constraints for reconstruction of past climate changes at suborbital timescale. Sections in both sand fields contain aeolian sand beds recording millennial‐scale episodes of dry climate and widespread dune activation, including episodes at about the same time as Heinrich Event 5 and the Younger Dryas in the North Atlantic region. These results demonstrate the potential of aeolian sediments in semi‐arid north China to record millennial‐scale climatic events, and also suggest that dry–wet climate variation at the desert margin in China may be linked to climatic change elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere, through atmospheric circulation. This article was published online on 27 November 2008. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected (16 December 2008). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

永城市浅层地下水污染分布特征及来源识别

为有效管理和保护永城市浅层地下水资源,维系水资源可续利用,必须查明其污染物的分布特征和来源。在对永城市浅层地下水采样分析的基础上,结合分析城市发展带来产业布局改变及土地利用类型分布对其造成的影响,研究其主要污染组分的来源及分布特征。结果表明：城市第二产业(工矿业)发展,GDP的增长与浅层地下水中ρ(SO^2-₄)、ρ(NO^-₃)上升存在相关性,城市工业及人口密集区与污染严重区位置趋于一致。浅层地下水污染的最主要来源是SO^2-₄含量的上升,除了直接导致水质变差外,还会间接改变水文地球化学作用的强度,造成原本难溶的碳酸盐和硅酸盐的溶解量增大,使得ρ(TDS)进一步上升而改变水质。其次,NO^-₃、COD也是浅层地下水主要的污染来源,其部分来源工业废水,部分来源于农业上农药和化肥的过量使用。     

Equal strain consolidation for stone columns reinforced foundation

Column consolidation and deformation are considered by assuming that the quantity of water flowing through the disturbed soil zone into the column is not equal to that flowing out from the column and the difference between them is equal to the volume change of the column. In addition, three patterns of distribution of the horizontal permeability of soil in the disturbed zone are also considered to account for the disturbance effect of columns construction on the surrounding soil. These three patterns include the constant distribution pattern (Pattern I), the linear distribution pattern (Pattern II) and the parabolic distribution pattern (Pattern III). By incorporating the aforementioned characteristics into the analyses, the governing equations containing two variables (i.e. the average excess pore-water pressures within the column and within the entire foundation at any depth) for the consolidation of a composite foundation are derived. The solutions of the governing equations are then obtained using a new initial condition derived from the assumption of equal strain and the equilibrium condition. On the basis of the solutions for excess pore-water pressures, the average degree of consolidation of a composite foundation is obtained and discussed. Finally, a comparison is made of some available solutions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ME／EXOSAT银道扫描数据的直接解调成像

利用对象重建的直接解调方法，我们对EXOSAT卫星ME探测器银道扫描观测数据进行了重新分析，研究了在以往的分析中难以分辨的几个天区中的分立X射线源．利用Bootstrap方法，我们对成像结果进行了统计误差分析，给出了点源位置和流强的误差．     

广义相对论效应对脉冲星γ射线辐射的影响

本文研究了广义相对论效应和量子力学效应对中子量γ射线辐射的影响．通过选择磁偶极矩以及观察者视线与磁轴之间的夹角这两个观测量作为参量，我们数值计算了从中子星表面发射的、传播方向沿着磁场的光子的逃逸能量．我们得到，在磁偶极矩较小时，量子力学效应不重要，而广义相对论效应使逃逸能量显著降低；当磁偶极矩很大时，两个效应几乎相抵消，光子的逃逸能量几乎不受它们的影响．我们讨论这些结果在脉冲星γ射线谱上的意义．     

地质科技档案的管理与完善

文章提出了如何更好地管理地质科研档案的途径,以及合理管理档案的措施,希望能对地质科技档案的收集与管理起到一定的借鉴作用.     

A concept for providing warning of earth impacts by small asteroids

The atmospheric detonation of a 17 m-asteroid above Chelyabinsk, Russia on 2013 February 15 shows that even small asteroids can cause extensive damage. Earth-based telescopes have found smaller harmless objects, such as 2008 TC3, a 4 m-asteroid that was discovered 20h before it exploded over northeastern Sudan (Jenniskens, 2009). 2008 TC3 remains the only asteroid discovered before it hit Earth because it approached Earth from the night side, where it was observed by large telescopes searching for near-Earth objects (NEO’s). The larger object that exploded over Chelyabinsk approached Earth from the day side, from too close to the Sun to be detected from Earth. A sizeable telescope in an orbit about the Sun-Earth L1 (SE-L1) libration point could find objects like the “Chelyabinsk” asteroid approaching approximately from the line of sight to the Sun about a day before Earth closest approach. Such a system would have the astrometric accuracy needed to determine the time and impact zone for a NEO on a collision course. This would give at least several hours, and usually 2–4 days, to take protective measures, rather than the approximately two-minute interval between the flash and shock wave arrival that occurred in Chelyabinsk. A perhaps even more important reason for providing warning of these events, even smaller harmless ones that explode high in the atmosphere with the force of an atomic bomb, is to prevent mistaking such an event for a nuclear attack that could trigger a devastating nuclear war. A concept using a space telescope similar to that needed for an SE-L1 monitoring satellite, is already conceived by the B612 Foundation, whose planned Sentinel Space Telescope could find nearly all 140 m and larger NEO’s, including those in orbits mostly inside the Earth’s orbit that are hard to find with Earth-based telescopes, from a Venus-like orbit (Lu, 2013). Few modifications would be needed to the Sentinel Space Telescope to operate in a SE-L1 orbit, 0.01 AU from Earth towards the Sun, to find most asteroids larger than about 5 meters that approach the Earth from the solar direction. The spacecraft would scan 165 square degrees of the sky around the Earth every hour, finding asteroids when they are brightest (small phase angle) as they approach Earth. We will undertake Monte Carlo studies to see what fraction of asteroids 5 m and larger approaching from the Sun might be found by such a mission, and how much warning time might typically be expected. Also, we will check the overall coverage for all Earth-approaching NEO’s, including ground-based observations and observations by the recently-launched NEOSSat, which may best fill any gaps in coverage between that provided by an SE-L1 telescope and ground-based surveys. Many of the objects as large as 50 m, like the one that created Meteor Crater in Arizona, will not be found by current NEO surveys, while they would usually be seen by this possible mission even if they approached from the direction of the Sun. We should give better warning for future “Bolts out of the blue.”