Paleogene marine deposition records of rifting and breakup of the South China Sea: An overview

A compilation of available marine deposition data from offshore S-SE China reveals evidence of rifting and breakup of the South China Sea (SCS) during the Paleogene. Marine deposition started earlier in the Paleocene in the East China Sea (ECS)-Taiwan region before expanding southwestward into the SCS region in the middle Eocene. Our data indicate the existence of an elongated Paleogene China Sea in these areas stretching along the northeasterly structural belts, probably as part of the marginal western paleo-Pacific. The southwestward shift of marine influence in the middle Eocene was responding to a period of intensive rifting and subsidence in the SCS region, while the sea in the ECS-Taiwan region started to shrink and shoal after the late Eocene, likely associated with local breakup and initial spreading in the Taiwan-Taixinan Basin area. The accumulation of hemipelagic sediments at ODP 1148 and IODP U1435 from near the continent-ocean boundary and at many other shelf-slope sites was in response to a large-scale breakup 34 to 33 Ma ago, subsequently leading to the birth of the SCS in the Oligocene.     

Statistical downscaling of reference evapotranspiration in Haihe River Basin: applicability assessment and application to future projection

Future changes in reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) are of increasing importance in assessing the potential impacts on hydrology and water resources systems of more pronounced climate change. This study assesses the applicability of the Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) in projecting ET₀, and investigates the seasonal and spatial patterns of future ET₀ based on general circulation models (GCMs) across the Haihe River Basin. The results indicate that SDSM can downscale ET₀ well in term of different basin-averaged measures for the HadCM3 and CGCM3 GCMs. HadCM3 has a much superior capability in capturing inter-annual variability compared to CGCM3 and thus is chosen as the sole model to assess the changes in future ET₀. There are three homogeneous sub-regions of the Haihe River Basin: Northwest, Northeast and Southeast. Change points are detected at around 2050 and 2080 under the A2 and B2 scenarios, respectively. The Northwest is revealed to have a slight to strong increase in ET₀, while the Northeast and the Southeast tend to experience a pattern change from decrease to increase in ET₀.

EDITOR M.C. Acreman

ASSOCIATE EDITOR J. Thompson     

加勒比板块多学科研究综述及其对地震预测的启示

2010年1月12日海地M_W7.0地震打破了Enriquillo断层近240余年的地震平静期, 可能意味着加勒比地区新的活跃周期的到来。 本文通过收集该地区地质构造演化、 地球物理场、 发震构造、 震源物理、 运动学特征及应力场演化等方面的研究成果, 分析由于海地地震的发生所带来的区域地震危险性等相关认识的改变。 通过对多学科资料的梳理, 分析利用多学科研究成果开展加勒比地区地震危险性分析的基本思路, 以期为未来的中国大陆区域动力学模型构建、 地震预测预报研究提供基础参考。     

滇西南普洱强震群地区地壳形变的数值模拟

滇西南普洱一带地质构造复杂,中-强地震成群活动特征明显,地壳的形变特征与形变机制引起了地学界的广泛关注和深入研究。在参考、借鉴以往研究成果的基础上,本文构建了普洱一带包含活动断裂的二维板有限元模型,以GPS测量得到的块体年运动量作为模型区域的边界约束,模拟计算获得了普洱地区的构造形变空间分布,以NEE、NNW 2个方向、从数值模拟角度对普洱地区的水平形变特征和区域地壳垂直形变场进行了分析和探讨。结果表明:在青藏高原东南缘扩展、高原物质重力滑塌型南东向移动的动力学背景下,研究区内NEE向断裂的活动带动牵引NNW向断裂共轭运动,隆升性质的垂直形变场与60年的大区域水准测量结果相吻合,沿NNW向形变场的分布无规律,应是区域应力累积和震后调整双重作用的结果。沿NEE向形变场呈现了较明显的西部大于东部的分布图像,特别是西北部高值区对应了2014年景谷6.6级强震,最后对研究区的区域动力学问题进行了初步探讨。     

Differential physiological responses of the coastal cyanobacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synechococcus</Emphasis> sp. PCC7002 to elevated <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> at lag,exponential, and stationary growth phases

We studied the effects of expected end-of-the-century pCO₂ (1000 ppm) on the photosynthetic performance of a coastal marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 during the lag, exponential, and stationary growth phases. Elevated pCO₂ significantly stimulated growth, and enhanced the maximum cell density during the stationary phase. Under ambient pCO₂ conditions, the lag phase lasted for 6 days, while elevated pCO₂ shortened the lag phase to two days and extended the exponential phase by four days. The elevated pCO₂ increased photosynthesis levels during the lag and exponential phases, but reduced them during the stationary phase. Moreover, the elevated pCO₂ reduced the saturated growth light (Ik) and increased the light utilization efficiency (α) during the exponential and stationary phases, and elevated the phycobilisome:chlorophyll a (Chl a) ratio. Furthermore, the elevated pCO₂ reduced the particulate organic carbon (POC):Chl a and particulate organic nitrogen (PON):Chl a ratios during the lag and stationary phases, but enhanced them during the exponential phase. Overall, Synechococcus showed differential physiological responses to elevated pCO₂ during different growth phases, thus providing insight into previous studies that focused on only the exponential phase, which may have biased the results relative to the effects of elevated pCO₂ in ecology or aquaculture.     

Isolation of 12 microsatellite markers following a pyrosequencing procedure and cross-priming in two invasive cryptic species, Alexandrium catenella (group IV) and A. tamarense (group III) (Dinophyceae)

Alexandrium catenella (group IV) and Alexandrium tamarense (group III) (Dinophyceae) are two cryptic invasive phytoplankton species belonging to the A. tamarense species complex. Their worldwide spread is favored by the human activities, transportation and climate change. In order to describe their diversity in the Mediterranean Sea and understand their settlements and maintenances in this area, new microsatellite markers were developed based on Thau lagoon (France) samples of A. catenella and A. tamarense strains. In this study twelve new microsatellite markers are proposed. Five of these microsatellite markers show amplifications on A. tamarense and ten on A. catenella. Three of these 12 microsatellite markers allowed amplifications on both cryptic species. Finally, the haplotypic diversity ranged from 0.000 to 0.791 and 0.000 to 0.942 for A. catenella and A. tamarense respectively.     

青岛台体应变短周期气压系数变化原因探讨

青岛台体应变短周期(小于128 min)气压系数2018-01出现阶变，通过对观测系统、台站周边施工情况、监测环境等逐项现场核实，排除观测系统、周边施工的影响。利用离散小波变换和回归分析发现，钻孔水位的气压系数与体应变气压系数同步阶变，结合台站钻孔施工当天体应变钻孔水位变化、体应变趋势变化、其他相邻台站水位气压系数变化等数据认为，台站钻孔施工是导致体应变气压系数变化的原因，并定性分析其变化机理。     

Monitoring agricultural cropping patterns across the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin using MODIS-NDVI data

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) 16-day composite data product (MOD12Q) was used to develop annual cropland and crop-specific map products (corn, soybeans, and wheat) for the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin (GLB). The crop area distributions and changes in crop rotations were characterized by comparing annual crop map products for 2005, 2006, and 2007. The total acreages for corn and soybeans were relatively balanced for calendar years 2005 (31,462 km² and 31,283 km², respectively) and 2006 (30,766 km² and 30,972 km², respectively). Conversely, corn acreage increased approximately 21% from 2006 to 2007, while soybean and wheat acreage decreased approximately 9% and 21%, respectively. Two-year crop rotational change analyses were conducted for the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 time periods. The large increase in corn acreages for 2007 introduced crop rotation changes across the GLB. Compared to 2005–2006, crop rotation patterns for 2006–2007 resulted in increased corn–corn, soybean–corn, and wheat–corn rotations. The increased corn acreages could have potential negative impacts on nutrient loadings, pesticide exposures, and sediment-mediated habitat degradation. Increased in US corn acreages in 2007 were related to new biofuel mandates, while Canadian increases were attributed to higher world-wide corn prices. Additional study is needed to determine the potential impacts of increases in corn-based ethanol agricultural production on watershed ecosystems and receiving waters.     

基于小波变换与神经网络的石羊河流域夏季地温预测模型研究

地温变化在气候反馈效应中起着重要作用, 理解地温及其与影响因素之间的时空关系对预测全球温度变化至关重要。利用1998 - 2017年石羊河流域的逐日常规气象观测资料, 采用小波分析结合BP（Back Propagation）神经网络构建了石羊河流域夏季地温预报模型, 结果表明： 日平均地温预测效果在不同站点均为最佳, 其中预测值和观测值的相关系数均大于0.87, 3 ℃以内的预测概率均大于84%。其中, 民勤地区地温预测效果最好, 预测值和观测值的相关系数达到0.91, 3 ℃以内的预测概率达到86%。日最高地温的预测值与观测值的相关系数高于0.8, 但误差平方和、 标准差较大。永昌地区日最高地温的模拟效果最好, 3 ℃以内的预测概率达到83%。日最低地温的预测与观测值的平均相关系数高于0.66, 3 ℃以内的预报概率高于83%, 但预测值略低。其中, 武威地区日最低地温的预测效果最好, 预测值与观测值的相关系数为0.72, 3 ℃以内的预测概率达到94%。研究成果可为有效弥补干旱、 半干旱区地温观测资料缺失和探讨其与局地气候的关系提供一些参考。