Tectonic control of fan size: the importance of spatially variable subsidence rates

We study the geophysical controls on the size of alluvial fans. Simple relationships between catchment characteristics, sediment yield, subsidence patterns and fan size are developed. As predicting fan size is essentially a conservation of mass problem, our analysis is general, applying to all types of fan landform. The importance of spatially variable subsidence rates has gone largely unrecognized in previous studies of modern fans. Here we stress that the distribution of subsidence rates in the depositional basin is a primary control on relative fan size. Both free coefficients in the oft-cited power-law correlation of fan area and catchment area can be shown to be set primarily by the tectonic setting, taken to include source area uplift rate and the subsidence distribution in the depositional basin. In the case of a steady-state landscape, relative fan size is shown to be independent of both climate and source lithology; only during times of significant departure from steady state can relative fan size be expected to vary with either climate or source lithology. Transients associated with (1) a sudden increase in rock uplift rate, (2) a sudden change in climate and (3) the unroofing of strata with greatly differing erodibilities may produce variation of relative fan areas with both climate and source lithology. Variation of relative fan size with climate or lithology, however, requires that catchment–fan system response to perturbations away from steady state is sensitive to climate and lithology. Neither the strength of transient system responses nor their sensitivity to climate or lithology are known at present. Furthermore, internal feedbacks can significantly dampen any climatic or lithological effect. Thus theoretical considerations of the importance of climatic and lithological variables are inconclusive, but suggest that climatic and lithological effects are probably of secondary importance to tectonic effects. Field data from an unsteady landscape in Owens Valley, California, support and illustrate theoretical predictions regarding tectonic control of fan size. Field data from Owens Valley allow, but do not prove, a secondary dependence on source lithology. In addition, the Owens Valley field data indicate no relationship between relative fan size and climate. Headward catchment growth and enhanced sediment bypassing of fans during times of increased sediment yield (glacial) are put forward as plausible explanations.     

GIS-based flood hazard mapping at different administrative scales: A case study in Gangetic West Bengal, India

This paper addresses the need for an efficient and cost-effective methodology for preparing flood hazard maps in data poor countries, particularly those under a monsoon regime where floods pose a recurrent danger. Taking Gangetic West Bengal, India, as an example and using available historical data from government agencies, the study compiled a regional map indicating hazard prone subregional areas for further detailed investigation, thereby isolating actual high risk localities. Using a GIS (Geographical Information System), a composite hazard index was devised incorporating variables of flood frequency, population density, transportation networks, access to potable water, and availability of high ground and maximum risk zones were mapped accordingly. A digital elevation model derived from high resolution imagery available in the public domain was used to calculate elevated areas suitable for temporary shelter during a flood. Selecting administrative units of analysis at the lowest possible scales – rural development blocks (regional) and revenue villages (subregional) – also ensures that hazard mapping is prepared in line with the existing rural planning and administrative authorities responsible for remedial intervention.     

Characteristics of teh seismic source stress field in teh joint region of Xianshuihe ,Long Monitoring the horizontal movement along the Shanxi faults

Twenty-two earthquakes (M _L=2.2–3.7) in the joint region of Xianshuihe, Longmenshan and An’ninghe faults are studied in this paper. The source mechanism solutions of these events are obtained using P-wave first motion method, and the characteristics of the source stress field and rupture in the joint region are summarized preliminarily with some results of other researchers. Being strongly extruded by the approximately horizontal regional stress with the direction from north-west to south-east and the effect of the complex tectonics in the region, the source stress field has complex and variable characteristics. The earthquakes mainly show normal or strike-slip faults in Yajiang, North-triangle and west of Chengdu-block areas, indicating that the vertical forces have been playing an important role in the source stress fields, while the earthquakes mainly show reverse or strike-slip faults in Baoxing-Tianquan area, with the horizontal components of the principal pressure stress axes identical to the south-west direction to which the shallow mass is moving. We think that the manifold combinations of earthquake faults are the micro-mechanism based upon which the large regional shallow crust mass has been moving continually.     

DORIS Contribution to ITRF2005

We examine the contribution of the Doppler Orbit determination and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) technique to the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF2005) by evaluating the quality of the submitted solutions as well as that of the frame parameters, especially the origin and the scale. Unlike the previous versions of the ITRF, ITRF2005 is constructed with input data in the form of time-series of station positions (weekly for satellite techniques and daily for VLBI) and daily Earth orientation parameters (EOPs), including full variance–covariance information. Analysis of the DORIS station positions’ time-series indicates an internal precision reaching 15 mm or better, at a weekly sampling. A cumulative solution using 12 years of weekly time-series was obtained and compared to a similar International GNSS Service (IGS) GPS solution (at 37 co-located sites) yielding a weighted root mean scatter (WRMS) of the order of 8 mm in position (at the epoch of minimum variance) and about 2.5 mm/year in velocity. The quality of this cumulative solution resulting from the combination of two individual DORIS solutions is better than any individual solution. A quality assessment of polar motion embedded in the contributed DORIS solutions is performed by comparison with the results of other space-geodetic techniques and in particular GPS. The inferred WRMS of polar motion varies significantly from one DORIS solution to another and is between 0.5 and 2 mas, depending on the strategy used and in particular estimating or not polar motion rate by the analysis centers. This particular aspect certainly needs more investigation by the DORIS Analysis Centers.     

成矿系统的结构与聚矿功能

成矿系统结构对成矿动力学条件的约束与促进,引起系统固有聚矿功能的巨大变异。成矿系统动力学包括：系统运转的动力组合、系统物质运动总方向和轨迹、矿质活动空间规模形态及单位空间中成矿微过程的频度。系统结构定性分析表明：系统结构的完善程度和成矿动力学条件的优劣与系统聚矿功能的强度正相关。系统结构完善程度可由结构紧致度（Ｉ）表征,系统聚矿功能可用标准富集量（Ｑｓ）反映,它是矿床储量（Ｑ０）经成矿难度系数（Ｃ）变换的归一化指标。经结构定性半定量分析,对成矿系统聚矿功能作出初步排序,具强烈非线性成矿特征的花岗岩浆成矿系统和环流热液成矿系统的聚矿功能最高     

苏北地区上前寒武系古地磁研究及我国南北方上前寒武系的对比

苏北地区上前寒武系发育一套厚约五千米以上以海相为主的未变质地层。由于其岩性和生物组合的特殊性及其所处地理和构造位置的重要性,被视为解决我国南北方上前寒武系衔接和对比的关键地区之一。近年来,本区上前寒武系在生物地层、岩石地层、同位素地质等方面已经取得了一些重要成果,但对它们在我国上前寒武系所处的位置仍持有不同意见。至今,尚未见到有关的古地磁文章发表。     

用TRMM/TMI估算HUBEX试验区的云中液态水

文中应用热带降雨测量卫星微波成像仪的微波遥感资料反演云中液态水。由于微波成像仪85.5 GHz通道对云中液态水非常敏感,通过离散纵坐标矢量辐射传输模式,运用迭代的方法可以有效地反演出陆地上空非降水云中的液态水路径。在淮河流域能量与水分循环试验中,分别运用微波成像仪85.5 GHz垂直极化单通道和微波成像仪85.5 GHz极化亮温差两种方法来估算陆地上空的云中液态水路径,反演结果与地基微波辐射计的测量结果是较为一致的。当地表比辐射率或地表温度误差较大时,用极化亮温差法估算云中液态水路径相对较好,尤其是对于低云,因为该方法对地表温度不敏感。     

Processing of high-frequency multibeam echo sounder data for seafloor characterization

Processing simultaneous bathymetry and backscatter data, multibeam echosounders (MBESs) show promising abilities for remote seafloor characterization. High-frequency MBESs provide a good horizontal resolution, making it possible to distinguish fine details at the water-seafloor interface. However, in order to accurately measure the seafloor influence on the backscattered energy, the recorded sonar data must first be processed and cleared of various artifacts generated by the sonar system itself. Such a preprocessing correction procedure along with the assessment of its validity limits is presented and applied to a 95-kHz MBES (Simrad EM 1000) data set. Beam pattern effects, uneven array sensitivities, and inaccurate normalization of the ensonified area are removed to make possible further quantitative analysis of the corrected backscatter images. Unlike low-frequency data where the average backscattered energy proves to be the only relevant feature for discriminating the nature of the seafloor, high-frequency MBES backscatter images exhibit visible texture patterns. This additional information involves different statistical distributions of the backscattered amplitudes obtained from various seafloor types. Non-Rayleigh statistics such as K-distributions are shown to fit correctly the skewed distributions of experimental high-frequency data. Apart from the effect of the seafloor micro-roughness, a statistical model makes clear a correlation between the amplitude statistical distributions and the signal incidence angle made available by MBES bathymetric abilities. Moreover, the model enhances the effect of the first derivative of the seafloor backscattering strength upon statistical distributions near the nadir and at high incidence angles. The whole correction and analysis process is finally applied to a Simrad EM 1000 data set.     

地下流体化学动态频谱分析及应用初探

地震观测数据受各种周期性因素影响,其动态曲线表现为周期性变化特征,是大小不同的周期和非周期因素相互作用的结果。利用MATLAB工具包编程幅频分析和滤波程序,以福州乌鸦咀泉水氧的模拟观测数据为例。对其幅频谱特征和震例进行初步探讨。