Dynamic processes of a simple linear dune—a study in the Taklimakan Sand Sea, China

Samples of dune sands, surveys of the morphology and field measurements of wind velocity and direction of a simple linear dune in Taklimakan Sand Sea show that the airflow and sand flux vary with the change of wind direction on the dune surface. Decrease of the airflow stress on the lee flank does not result in much decrease of the sand flux because of the low threshold shear velocities and the airflow conditions. There are no significant relations between the sand flux on the lee flank and the angle of incidence of the airflow. The low threshold shear velocities and the maintenance of the sand flux at the lee flank are the main mechanisms keeping the linear shape of the dunes. Measurements of the sand flux shows that it reaches a maximum on the crest of the dune. The grain size of the transported sands has some differences compared to that of the dune surface. The sands transported are finer than that on the dune surface, but better sorted under the influence of the medium to low wind activity. The field experiment results exhibit that it is possible for the dunes to be shaped as linear dunes during the processes of accumulation and elongation.     

壳幔混染作用——下扬子区早中生代玄武岩同位素地质特征

下扬子区中生代（231Ma）玄武质火山岩全岩εNd（t）值-8.62～1.92,87Sr/86Sr 值0.7074～0.7179，206Pb/204Pb值为17.786～18.323。岩石中含有前寒武纪捕虏晶锆石。研究表明玄武质岩石可能是由亏损地幔与元古宙地壳岩石混染作用的结果。     

扬子地台钾镁煌斑岩 Nd、Sr、Pb 同位素特征

扬子地台周缘钾镁煌斑岩 Nd、Sr同位素特征介于南非Ⅰ、Ⅱ型金伯利岩和西澳与北美钾镁煌斑岩两种变化趋势之间，不同岩区间同位素组成差异反映地台周边构造性质不同，Pb同位素特征表明晚太古代地幔岩石圈具U亏损特征。     

辽西中生代火山岩岩浆成因——稀土元素配分及同位素定量模式

本文通过对辽西及邻区中生代盆地火山岩稀土元素配分特征的研究及模拟运算，探讨了其岩浆成因及过程。结果显示南北岩区岩浆成因不同，南岩区岩源为MORB地幔和长期富集型幔熔融混合而成，北岩区为MORB和近期亏损型地幔熔融混合而成。     

Mineral inclusions in diamonds from the Sputnik kimberlite pipe, Yakutia

The Sputnik kimberlite pipe is a small “satellite” of the larger Mir pipe in central Yakutia (Sakha), Russia. Study of 38 large diamonds (0.7-4.9 carats) showed that nine contain inclusions of the eclogitic paragenesis, while the remainder contain inclusions of the peridotitic paragenesis, or of uncertain paragenesis. The peridotitic inclusion suite comprises olivine, enstatite, Cr-diopside, chromite, Cr-pyrope garnet (both lherzolitic and harzburgitic), ilmenite, Ni-rich sulfide and a Ti-Cr-Fe-Mg-Sr-K phase of the lindsleyite-mathiasite (LIMA) series. The eclogitic inclusion suite comprises omphacite, garnet, Ni-poor sulfide, phlogopite and rutile. Peridotitic ilmenite inclusions have high Mg, Cr and Ni contents and high Nb/Zr ratios; they may be related to metasomatic ilmenites known from peridotite xenoliths in kimberlite. Eclogitic phlogopite is intergrown with omphacite, coexists with garnet, and has an unusually high TiO₂ content. Comparison with inclusions in diamonds from Mir shows general similarities, but differences in details of trace-element patterns. Large compositional variations among inclusions of one phase (olivine, garnet, chromite) within single diamonds indicate that the chemical environment of diamond crystallisation changed rapidly relative to diamond growth rates in many cases. P-T conditions of formation were calculated from multiphase inclusions and from trace element geothermobarometry of single inclusions. The geotherm at the time of diamond formation was near a 35 mW/m² conductive model; that is indistinguishable from the Paleozoic geotherm derived by studies of xenoliths and concentrate minerals from Mir. A range of Ni temperatures between garnet inclusions in single diamonds from both Mir and Sputnik suggests that many of the diamonds grew during thermal events affecting a relatively narrow depth range of the lithosphere, within the diamond stability field. The minor differences between inclusions in Mir and Sputnik may reflect lateral heterogeneity in the upper mantle.     

GRADIENT DISTRIBUTION OF ACID RAIN IN THE SCENIC RESORT OF THE BAIYUN MOUNTAIN IN GUANGZHOU

1 INTRODUCTION Sitting in the central part of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou is one of the cities in China that are most polluted by acid rain. Broad attention has been brought to the problem. Since the early 1980s, a series of observation and studies h…     

CHARACTERISTICS OF ATMOSPHERIC HEAT SOURCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUMMER MONSOON ONSET OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND THE POSSIBLE MECHANISM RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS LATE OR EARLY ONSET

The characteristics of atmospheric heat source associated with the summer monsoon onset in the South China Sea (SCS) are studied using ECMWF reanalysis data from 1979 to 1993. A criterion of the SCS summer monsoon onset is defined by the atmospheric hea…     

Typical basin-fill sequences and basin migration in Yanshan, North China--Response to Mesozoic tectonic transition

Basin-fill sequences of Mesozoic typical basins in the Yanshan area, North China may be divided into four phases, reflecting lithosphere tectonic evolution from flexure (T3), flexure with weak rifting (J1+2), tectonic transition (J3), and rifting (K). Except the first phase, the other three phases all start with lava and volcaniclastic rocks, and end with thick coarse clastic rocks and/or conglomerates, showing cyclic basin development rather than simple cyclic rift mechanism and disciplinary basin-stress change from extension to compression in each phase. Prototype basin analysis, based on basin-fill sequences, paleocurrent distribution and depositional systems, shows that single basin-strike and structural-line direction controlling basin development had evidently changed from east-west to northeast in Late Jurassic in the Yanshan area, although basin group still occurred in east-west zonal distribution. Till Early Cretaceous, main structural-line strike controlling basins just turned to northeast by north in the studied area.     

Study of charge structure and radiation characteristic of intracloud discharge in thunderstorms of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The comprehensive observations on lightning discharges were conducted in Naqu area of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in summer of 2002. The electric structures of thunderstorms and the characteristics of lightning discharges at initial stage were analyzed by using the observation data. The results show that most of intracloud (IC) lightning flashes were polarities inverted in thunderstorms with tripole electric charge structure and occurred between negative charge region located in the middle of the thunderstorm and positive charge region located at the bottom of the thunderstorm. The radiation characteristics of discharge processes in cloud with longer lasting time involved in Cloud-to-Ground (CG) lightning flashes were similar to that of IC discharges.A lot of radiation pulses were produced in these discharge processes. Because the IC discharges took place at the bottom of thundercloud and were near the ground, they may produce more serious damage to equipment on the ground therefore should not be neglected in lightning protection.     

Development of joints and shear fractures in the Kuqa depression and its implication to regional stress field switching

The superimposed basin must have undergone the changes of regional stress field. Study on the nature and switch of regional stress field of superimposed basin is very useful to understanding its stress state and tectonic events during its formation and evolution. As sensitive markers of small stress changes, joint and shear fracture, characterized by consistency of orientation over wide area, can be used to reconstruct paleostress state and its evolution. Detailed observations and analysis on the orientations, geometrical patterns, sequences of joints and shear fractures and their chronological relation to faults and folds show that, the NEE-SWW systematic joints and NNW-SSE systematic joints developed in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata are much more prominent than NW-SE systematic joints and shear fractures with different orientations. And the NWW-SEE and NW-SE systematic joints formed later than NEE-SWW systematic joints but earlier than shear fractures with different orientations. According to the relationships between joint and shear fractures and stress, the NEE-SWW systematic joints are inferred to result from lateral weak extension caused by the late Cretaceous regional uplift, while the NNW-SSE and NW-SE systematic joints are interpreted as syn-tectonic deformation relating to strong N-S compression in the Neogene. But some conjugate shear fractures occur probably due to sinistral strike-slip faulting in the Kuqa depression. At the beginning of the Neogene, the stress field changed and the maximal principal stress σ1 switched from vertical to horizontal.