A newly discovered impact crater in Titan's Senkyo: Cassini VIMS observations and comparison with other impact features

Senkyo is an equatorial plain on Titan filled with dunes and surrounded by hummocky plateaus. During the Titan targeted flyby T61 on August 25, 2009, the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard the Cassini spacecraft observed a circular feature, centered at 5.4° N and 341°W, that superimposes the dune fields and a bright plateau. This circular feature, which has been named Paxsi by the International Astronomical Union, is 120±10 km in diameter (measured from the outer edge of the crater rim) and exhibits a central bright area that can be interpreted as the central peak or pit of an impact crater. Although there are only a handful of certain impact craters on Titan, there are two other craters that are of similar size to this newly discovered feature and that have been studied by VIMS: Sinlap (Le Mouélic et al., 2008) and Selk (Soderblom et al., 2010). Sinlap is associated with a large downwind, fan-like feature that may have been formed from an impact plume that rapidly expanded and deposited icy particles onto the surface. Although much of the surrounding region is covered with dunes, the plume region is devoid of dunes. The formation process of Selk also appears to have removed (or covered up) dunes from parts of the adjacent dune-filled terrain. The circular feature on Senkyo is quite different: there is no evidence of an ejecta blanket and the crater itself appears to be infilled with dune material. The rim of the crater appears to be eroded by fluvial processes; at one point the rim is breached. The rim is unusually narrow, which may be due to mass wasting on its inside and subsequent infill by dunes. Based on these observations, we interpret this newly discovered feature to be a more eroded crater than both Sinlap and Selk. Paxsi may have formed during a period when Titan was warmer and more ductile than it is currently.     

欧盟《气候与能源2030政策框架》要点分析与启示

通过分析《气候与能源2030政策框架》（以下简称《框架》）方案要点,认为欧盟2030年的减排目标相对2020年承诺目标更为积极,可再生能源目标略高于之前官方预期。由于东欧国家的参与,欧盟一方面获得了这些国家盈余的排放配额,帮助欧盟作为一个整体实现减排目标;另一方面,成员国经济发展水平差异增大,导致欧盟施行相对积极的环境政策阻力加大,未来大幅调整减排目标的可能性不大。《框架》目标将可能对2020年后国际碳市场需求预估产生影响,未来国际碳市场的健康运行,将不仅需要欧盟外的发达国家提出具有雄心的减排目标,也需要欧盟提高减排目标,增加其对于国际减排配额的需求;此外,欧盟辅助实现40%减排目标的相关生产标准和措施,可能对未来全球自由贸易产生影响,其他国家尤其是对外贸易依存度较高的发展中国家需要密切关注相关动向。《框架》方案所提出的以应对气候变化引领和促进经济发展、采用组合目标且针对不同目标采取不同实现形式、展现制定目标的透明度、充分考虑成员国差异等提法和操作方式值得中国借鉴。     

The impact of opening the Arctic Northeast Passage on the global maritime transportation network pattern using AIS data

Six series of solute transport experiments were conducted with an objective to compare scale decency of fractional dispersion coefficient (Df) in space fra     

近百年鄱阳湖湿地格局演变研究

鄱阳湖是我国最大淡水湖和长江中游仅存的两个通江湖泊之一,重建其近百年自然通江的湖泊湿地演变过程,对于鄱阳湖湿地生态修复与保护具有重要意义.本研究基于两期历史时期地形图和遥感产品,构建了 1930s、1970s、1990s、2000s和2010s鄱阳湖湿地格局变化数据集,探究了土地利用方式改变和水文连通变化对鄱阳湖湿地变...     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合型纵向沙垄区近地层沙尘水平通量及粒度特征

利用BSNE梯度集沙仪采集塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地复合型纵向沙垄区近地层80m高度内秋季不同高度的沙尘物质,探讨沙尘天气下水平输沙通量差异及沙尘的粒度特征。结果表明：由于受到复合型纵向沙垄的影响,沙尘天气过程近地层沙尘水平通量并不遵循幂函数或指数函数分布,在20m以下随高度增加而降低,在32~63m随高度增加而增大,并且在24m和63m两个高度处出现转折点。各层沙尘平均粒径64~80μm,以极细沙为主,分选系数0.96~1.12,分选性中等偏差。粒径频率曲线呈双峰分布,主峰值出现在80~110μm,次峰值在10~12μm,反映了沙尘组成的复杂性,远源沙尘在各高度层的变化幅度较小,以局地和区域源为主。沙尘水平通量与沙尘粒度变化表明沙尘天气主导风速风向、强烈的上升运动及纵向沙垄是影响沙尘水平通量垂直差异的重要因素。     

基于TM数据的湿地变化分析—以磴口县为例

利用2001、2006、2010年的TM遥感图像,采用目视解译的方法对磴口县湿地面积进行提取,结合气象数据,并对其变化进行分析。结果表明,2000—2010年,磴口县年降水呈现不及30a(1981—2010年)平均值的年份明显偏多,7—8月平均气温逐年上升;除内陆滩涂面积有所减少外,河流水体、湖泊坑塘水体以及湿地植被面积都有不同程度的增加,变化速率分别为2.06%、0.85%和4.65%,以湿地植被面积增加最为迅速。     

Geomorphological significance of Ontario Lacus on Titan: Integrated interpretation of Cassini VIMS,ISS and RADAR data and comparison with the Etosha Pan (Namibia)

Ontario Lacus is the largest lake of the whole southern hemisphere of Titan, Saturn’s major moon. It has been imaged twice by each of the Cassini imaging systems (Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) in 2004 and 2005, Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) in 2007 and 2009 and RADAR in 2009 and 2010). We compile a geomorphological map and derive a “hydrogeological” interpretation of Ontario Lacus, based on a joint analysis of ISS, VIMS and RADAR SAR datasets, along with the T49 altimetric profile acquired in December 2008. The morphologies observed on Ontario Lacus are compared to landforms of a semi-arid terrestrial analog, which resembles Titan’s lakes: the Etosha Pan, located in the Owambo Basin (Namibia). The Etosha Pan is a flat-floored depression formed by dissolution, under semi-arid conditions, of a surface evaporitic layer (calcretes) controlled by groundwater vertical motions. We infer that Ontario Lacus is an extremely flat and shallow depression lying in an alluvial plain surrounded by small mountain ranges under climatic conditions similar to those of terrestrial semi-arid regions. Channels are seen in the southern part of Ontario Lacus in VIMS and RADAR data, acquired at a 2-years time interval. Their constancy in location with time implies that the southern portion of the depression is probably not fully covered by a liquid layer at the time of the observations, and that they most probably run on the floor of the depression. A shallow layer of surface liquids, corresponding to the darkest portions of the RADAR images, would thus cover about 53% of the surface area of the depression, of which almost 70% is located in its northern part. These liquid-covered parts of the depression, where liquid ethane was previously identified, are interpreted as topographic lows where the “alkanofer” raises above the depression floor. The rest of the depression, and mostly its southern part, is interpreted as a flat and smooth exposed floor, likely composed of a thick and liquid-saturated coating of photon-absorbing materials in the infrared. This hypothesis could explain its dark appearance both in the infrared and radar data and the persistence of channels seen on the depression floor over the time. Shorelines are observed on the border of Ontario Lacus suggesting past high-stand levels of the alkanofer table. The analogy with the Etosha Pan suggests that Ontario Lacus’ depression developed at the expense of a soluble layer covering the region. Dissolution of this layer would be controlled by vertical motions of the alkanofer table over the time. During flooding events, liquid hydrocarbons covering the depression floor would dissolve the surface layer, increasing progressively the diameter of the depression on geological timescales. During drought episodes, liquid hydrocarbons of the underground alkanofer would evaporate, leading to crystallization of “evaporites” in the pores and at the surface of the substratum, and to the formation of the regional soluble layer. The presence of specific landforms (lunette dunes or evaporites) is compatible with such evaporitic regional settings. Alternatively, but not exclusively, the surface soluble layer might have formed by accumulation on the ground of soluble compounds formed in the atmosphere.     

AVIATR—Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance

We describe a mission concept for a stand-alone Titan airplane mission: Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne Titan Reconnaissance (AVIATR). With independent delivery and direct-to-Earth communications, AVIATR could contribute to Titan science either alone or as part of a sustained Titan Exploration Program. As a focused mission, AVIATR as we have envisioned it would concentrate on the science that an airplane can do best: exploration of Titan??s global diversity. We focus on surface geology/hydrology and lower-atmospheric structure and dynamics. With a carefully chosen set of seven instruments??2 near-IR cameras, 1 near-IR spectrometer, a RADAR altimeter, an atmospheric structure suite, a haze sensor, and a raindrop detector??AVIATR could accomplish a significant subset of the scientific objectives of the aerial element of flagship studies. The AVIATR spacecraft stack is composed of a Space Vehicle (SV) for cruise, an Entry Vehicle (EV) for entry and descent, and the Air Vehicle (AV) to fly in Titan??s atmosphere. Using an Earth-Jupiter gravity assist trajectory delivers the spacecraft to Titan in 7.5 years, after which the AVIATR AV would operate for a 1-Earth-year nominal mission. We propose a novel ??gravity battery?? climb-then-glide strategy to store energy for optimal use during telecommunications sessions. We would optimize our science by using the flexibility of the airplane platform, generating context data and stereo pairs by flying and banking the AV instead of using gimbaled cameras. AVIATR would climb up to 14?km altitude and descend down to 3.5?km altitude once per Earth day, allowing for repeated atmospheric structure and wind measurements all over the globe. An initial Team-X run at JPL priced the AVIATR mission at FY10 $715M based on the rules stipulated in the recent Discovery announcement of opportunity. Hence we find that a standalone Titan airplane mission can achieve important science building on Cassini??s discoveries and can likely do so within a New Frontiers budget.     

复杂下垫面模拟域大气边界层非局地闭合模拟研究

在非局地闭合大气边界层模拟研究基础上,选取黑河实验研究资料（HEIFE）,利用二维模式对绿洲和沙漠交界地区的内边界层结构进行了模拟研究,模式考虑了两种下垫面条件下动力、热力特性的不同,并加入了湿度及水汽通量的预报。模拟结果表明:二维非局地闭合模式能得到合理的TIBL结构的基本特征,包括平均场、湍流场等,并能模拟给出一些由下垫面特性形成的大气现象,如沙漠地区逆湿现象的生消过程、绿洲的冷岛效应、绿洲与沙漠因热力差异而形成的局部环流形势等细致结构,符合沙漠站白天观测事实的典型特征。     

一种绘制等值线的新方法

在介绍地理信息系统（GIS）软件Mapinfo和三维绘图软件Surfer各自特点的基础上，探讨了将二者结合绘制等值线的基本思路，提出了绘制等值线的一种较实用的新方法。