Trace elements and stable isotopic geochemistry of an Early Cambrian chert-phosphorite unit from the lower Yurtus Formation of the Sugetbrak section in the Tarim Basin

A chert-phosphorite unit from the Sugetbrak section in the Tarim Basin was analyzed for rare earth elements (Ce, Eu), redox sensitive proxies, and carbon isotopic compositions (δ¹³C_carb and δ ¹³C_org) in the lower Yurtus Formation of the Early Cambrian period. Redox sensitive element ratios (Th/U, V/Cr, Ni/Co, and V/Sc) were employed to determine the palaeoenvironmental conditions during this period. The ratios indicated that the depositional environment of the chert-phosphorite-black shale unit ranged from suboxic to anoxic. Negative Ce and positive Eu anomalies in the chert-phosphorite assemblages of the studied Yurtus Formation indicated the existence of a redox-stratified ocean, similar to that of South China. Overturn or upward expansion of the deep water-mass probably reached the shallow marine zone after the formation of the Yurtus phosphorites. The characteristics of the negative Ce anomaly may be due to phosphoritic inheritance from the Ce-depleted signature of the overlying water column. Subsequent hydrothermal inputs and reduced detrital supplies of the deep water caused by the upwelling affected certain redox sensitive elements in the sedimentary basin. δ ¹³C_carb and δ¹³C_org negative excursions in the Yurtus chert-phosphorite unit may be related to a transgression phase when episodic basinal upwelling moved ¹²C- and P-rich waters from the pelagic basin floor to the continental shelf. Although carbon isotopic compositions in the Yurtus chert-phosphorite assemblages may have suffered from diagenetic alteration, they can be used to probe diagenetic conditions. Multi-proxy geochemical studies indicated that the δ ¹³C_carb values of the Yurtus chert-phosphorite assemblages might be considered reflections of a predominantly suboxic environment that was subsequently affected by hydrothermal inputs due to the upwelling.     

拟建哈—佳铁路工程地震安评抗断参数研究——以依兰-伊通断裂为例

在对依兰-伊通断裂通河段晚第四纪活动参数获取的基础上,对该断裂的几何学特征和晚第四纪活动特征及有关拟建铁路地震安全的设防参数进行了探讨.研究结果表明,依兰-伊通断裂通河段总体走向N30-40°E,由3条断层组成,中支最新活动时代为全新世.该断裂未来发生7级地震时的水平位移量可能达2.2m左右,垂直位错量约为1.1m左右.该断裂全新世以来的活动性质表现为右旋走滑为主,兼具逆冲活动.根据探槽结果和野外地震地质调查得出断裂垂直位错约（1.0±0.2）m,右旋位错量约为（2.7±0.1）m,（1730-30）aB.P.以来的垂直滑动速率和水平滑动速率分别约为（0.57±0.11）mrn/a和（1.57±0.06）mm/a.未来100年内若遭遇地震,其最大水平位错量约2.87m,垂直位错值为1.04m.断层影响带宽度约为8m.该研究结果为拟建哈—佳铁路工程可能遭受的断层影响和抗震设防提供了一定的数据基础,也为地震安评中线状工程的抗断评价问题提供了一定的参考.     

Upper crustal structure under Jingtai–Hezuo profile in Northeastern Tibet from topography-dependent eikonal traveltime tomography

The Northeastern Tibetan plateau records Caledonian Qilian orogeny and Cenozoic reactivation by continental collision between the Indian and Asian plates. In order to provide the constraint on the Qilian orogenic mechanism and the expansion of the plateau, wide-angle seismic data was acquired along a 430 km-long profile between Jingtai and Hezuo. There is strong height variation along the profile, which is dealt by topography flattening scheme in our crustal velocity structure reconstruction. We herein present the upper crustal P-wave velocity structure model resulting from the interpretation of first arrival dataset from topography-dependent eikonal traveltime tomography. With topography flattening scheme to process real topography along the profile, the evenness of ray coverage times of the image area (upper crust) is improved, which provides upper crustal velocity model comparable to the classic traveltime tomography (with model expansion scheme to process irregular surface). The upper crustal velocity model shows zoning character which matches with the tectonic division of the Qaidam-Kunlun-West Qinling belt, the Central and Northern Qilian, and the Alax blocks along the profile. The resultant upper crustal P-wave velocity model is expected to provide important base for linkage between the mapped surface geology and deep structure or geodynamics in Northeastern Tibet.     

Semiannual and annual oscillations of sea level and their impact on asymmetry between El Niño and La Niña episodes

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we demonstrate that the asymmetry between El Niño and La Niña events recorded in sea level variation occurs only during extreme episodes of El Niño/Southern Oscillation. Second, we explain that the asymmetry is controlled by certain regular cycles which have time-variable amplitudes. Gridded maps of sea level anomaly that form a spatial-temporal time series (spatial resolution: 1° × 1°, sampling interval: 1 week) spanning the time interval from 14/10/1993 to 18/04/2012 were used. We examined those time series and found that certain regular harmonic signals (periods: 365, 182, 120, 90 and 62 days) are dominant terms of their temporal variability. By subtracting those oscillations from sea level anomaly data, residuals were determined. Using skewness and kurtosis as measures of asymmetry and nonlinearity — after adopting 10-year moving window — we found that the extreme El Niño 1997/1998 has been a dominant driving force of the asymmetry and nonlinearity of El Niño/Southern Oscillation since the end of 1993. In order to detect residual signals that are responsible for the asymmetry, we applied the Fourier Transform Band Pass Filter and found that there are two important oscillations remaining in the residual sea level anomaly data, i.e. the annual and semiannual ones with time-varying amplitudes. We hypothesize that temporarily uneven amplitudes have meaningful impact on the aforementioned asymmetry.     

顺义4.0级地震前兆异常特征与京区前兆监测网监测能力探讨

通过对北京地区现有定点地震前兆监测网进行清理,分析了现有定点专业前兆监测台站、观测点、群测点的数量及分布密度的现状。对１９９６年１２月１６日北京顺义ＭＳ４．０地震的短临异常特征进行了探讨,表明顺义ＭＳ４．０地震前在震中周围出现一个直径约３５ｋｍ的短临异常密集区域。从异常形态看,该区域中的异常大部分可能带有来自震源的信息。结合顺义地震短临异常点位分布特征,对北京地区前兆台网的密度问题进行了探讨。     

Seismic images under the Beijing region inferred from P and PmP data

In this study a new tomographic method is applied to over 1500 high-quality PmP (Moho reflected wave) travel-time data as well as over 38,500 high-quality first P-wave arrivals to determine a detailed 3D crustal velocity structure under Beijing and adjacent areas. Results of detailed resolution analyses show that the PmP data can significantly improve the resolution of the model in the middle and lower crust. After the PmP data are included in the tomographic inversion, our new model not only displays the tectonic feature appeared in the previous studies, but also reveals some new features. The Zhangjiakou-Bohai Sea fault zone (Zhang-Bo zone) is imaged as prominent and continuous low-velocity (low-V) anomalies in the shallower crust, while in the middle and lower crust it shows intermittent low-V anomalies extending down to the uppermost mantle. Furthermore, the pattern of low-V anomalies is different along the Zhang-Bo zone from the southeast to the northwest, indicating that there exist large differences in the dynamic evolution of Taihangshan and Yanshan uplifts and North China depression basin. Prominent low-V anomalies are visible under the source area of the 4 July 2006 Wen-An earthquake (M 5.1), suggesting that the occurrence of the Wen-An earthquake is possibly related to the effect of the crustal fluids probably caused by the upwelling of the hot and wet asthenospheric materials due to the deep dehydration of the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone. The fluids in the lower crust may cause the weakening of the seismogenic layer in the upper and middle crust and thus contribute to the initiation of the Wen-An earthquake. This is somewhat similar to the cause of the 1695 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake and the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in the region, as well as the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan and the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in India.     

Seasonal variations of stable isotope in precipitation and moisture transport at Yushu,eastern Tibetan Plateau

Precipitation δ 18O at Yushu, eastern Tibetan Plateau, shows strong fluctuation and lack of clear seasonality. The seasonal pattern of precipitation stable isotope at Yushu is apparently different from either that of the southwest monsoon region to the south or that of the inland region to the north. This different seasonal pattern probably reflects the shift of different moisture sources. In this paper, we present the spatial comparison of the seasonal patterns of precipitation δ 18O, and calculate the moisture transport flux by using the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis data. This allows us to discuss the relation between moisture transport flux and precipitation δ 18O. This study shows that both the southwest monsoon from south and inland air mass transport from north affected the seasonal precipitation δ 18O at Yushu, eastern Tibetan Plateau. Southwest monsoon brings the main part of the moisture, but southwest transport flux is weaker than in the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau. However, contribution of the inland moisture from north or local evaporation moisture is enhanced. The combined effect is the strong fluctuation of summer precipitation δ 18O at Yushu and comparatively poor seasonality.     

Modelling raindrop impact and splash erosion processes within a spatial cell: a stochastic approach

A new approach is proposed to simulate splash erosion on local soil surfaces. Without the effect of wind and other raindrops, the impact of free‐falling raindrops was considered as an independent event from the stochastic viewpoint. The erosivity of a single raindrop depending on its kinetic energy was computed by an empirical relationship in which the kinetic energy was expressed as a power function of the equivalent diameter of the raindrop. An empirical linear function combining the kinetic energy and soil shear strength was used to estimate the impacted amount of soil particles by a single raindrop. Considering an ideal local soil surface with size of 1 m × 1 m, the expected number of received free‐falling raindrops with different diameters per unit time was described by the combination of the raindrop size distribution function and the terminal velocity of raindrops. The total splash amount was seen as the sum of the impact amount by all raindrops in the rainfall event. The total splash amount per unit time was subdivided into three different components, including net splash amount, single impact amount and re‐detachment amount. The re‐detachment amount was obtained by a spatial geometric probability derived using the Poisson function in which overlapped impacted areas were considered. The net splash amount was defined as the mass of soil particles collected outside the splash dish. It was estimated by another spatial geometric probability in which the average splashed distance related to the median grain size of soil and effects of other impacted soil particles and other free‐falling raindrops were considered. Splash experiments in artificial rainfall were carried out to validate the availability and accuracy of the model. Our simulated results suggested that the net splash amount and re‐detachment amount were small parts of the total splash amount. Their proportions were 0·15% and 2·6%, respectively. The comparison of simulated data with measured data showed that this model could be applied to simulate the soil‐splash process successfully and needed information of the rainfall intensity and original soil properties including initial bulk intensity, water content, median grain size and some empirical constants related to the soil surface shear strength, the raindrop size distribution function and the average splashed distance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Upper Limit Size of Reservoir-Induced Earthquakes

We showed the relation between the magnitude of induced earthquake and the reservoir storage and dam height based on the global catalog from 1967 to 1989 compiled by Ding Yuanzhang （1989）. By multiplying reservoir storage with dam height, we introduced a new parameter named EE. We found that the cases with specific EE and magnitude do not exceed a limit. Based on the discussion of its physics, we called EE the equivalent energy. We considered this limit as the upper limit of magnitude for reservoir-induced earthquakes. The result was proved by the recent cases occurring in China. This size limitation can be used as a helpful consideration for reservoir design.     

嘉峪关地震台地电阻率观测效能评价

根据中国地震局电磁学科制定的<地电台站观测效能评估方案>,评估了嘉峪关地震台地电阻率观测效能,得到:嘉峪关地震台台址结构条件、电磁环境、台站观测系统符合地电阻率台站建设规范、观测方法标准等规定的技术要求;数字化地电阻率观测精度不低于3‰测值,保证了准确测量不低于1%地电阻率异常的指标需求;该台地电阻率观测对本区及附近中等以上地震有一定监测能力,并记录了对应远距离大震的1年尺度地电阻率异常,其观测数据在本区及附近地震监测、预报和地震科学研究及相关科学研究中有重要价值.