Barchans of Minqin: Morphometry

The barchans on the border of Minqin oasis, China, were surveyed. Our data reconfirmed that the height of slipface is proportional to the width of horns and the baseline can be roughly described by parts of an ellipse and a parabola. We attempted to study dune geomorphology using the theory of differential geometry. The geometrical characteristics of the brink can be quantitatively determined by its curvature and torsion.     

Physical and chemical environments of abnormal vitrinite reflectance evolution in the sedimentary basins

Based on the tested data of pressure and vitrinite reflectance of some wells in sedimentary basins, abnormal high pressure is regarded as not the only factor to retard the increase of vitrinite reflectance (R _o). Apart from the types of the organic matter, the physical environment (temperature and pressure) and chemical environment (fluid composition and inorganic elements) will result in the abnormal vitrinite reflectance values in the sedimentary basins. This paper tested trace elements and vitrinite reflectance data from the the abnormal high pressure and normal pressure strata profiles, respectively, and found that the acidic and lower salinity starta are favorable for the increase of R _o. By discussing the corresponding relationship between the contents of some trace elements in the mudstone and the vitrinite reflectance values, the typical trace elements were found to suppress and/or catalyze the vitrinite reflectance of organic matter, while the elements of Ca, Mn, Sr, B, Ba and P may result in the retardation of R _o. However, elements of Fe, Co, Zn, Ni and Rb may catalyze the organic matter maturation. This study is conductive to the organic maturation correction, oil and gas assessment and thermal history reconstruction by the paleothermometry. Translated from Acta Geologica Sinica, 2006, 80(11): 1760–1769 [译自: 地质学报]     

Crustacean zooplankton distribution patterns and their biomass as related to trophic indicators of 29 shallow subtropical lakes

A comparative limnological study was carried out to present a snapshot of crustacean zooplankton communities and their relations to environmental factors to test whether there is a consistent relationship between crustacean biomass and trophic indicators among lake groups with similar trophic conditions. The study lakes showed a wide range of trophic status, with total phosphorus (TP) ranging from 0.008 to 1.448 mg L⁻¹, and chlorophyll a from 0.7 to 146.1 μg L⁻¹, respectively. About 38 species of Crustacea were found, of which Cladocera were represented by 25 taxa (20 genera), and Copepoda by 13 taxa (11 genera). The most common and dominant species were Bosmina coregoni, Moina micrura, Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Cyclops vicinus, Thermocyclops taihokuensis, Mesocyclops notius and Sinocalanus dorrii. Daphnia was rare in abundance. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that except for four species (D. hyalina, S. dorrii, C. vicinus and M. micrura), almost all the dominant species had the same preference for environmental factors. Temperature, predatory cyclopoids and planktivorous fishes seem to be the key factors determining species distribution. TP was a relatively better trophic indicator than chlorophyll a to predict crustacean biomass. Within the three groups of lakes, however, there was no consistent relationship between crustacean biomass and trophic indicators. The possible reason might be that top-down and bottom-up control on crustaceans vary with lake trophic state. The lack of significant negative correlation between crustacean biomass and chlorophyll a suggests that there was little control of phytoplankton biomass by macrozooplankton in these shallow subtropical lakes.     

A new approach of selecting real input ground motions for seismic design: The most unfavourable real seismic design ground motions

This paper presents a new way of selecting real input ground motions for seismic design and analysis of structures based on a comprehensive method for estimating the damage potential of ground motions, which takes into consideration of various ground motion parameters and structural seismic damage criteria in terms of strength, deformation, hysteretic energy and dual damage of Park & Ang damage index. The proposed comprehensive method fully involves the effects of the intensity, frequency content and duration of ground motions and the dynamic characteristics of structures. Then, the concept of the most unfavourable real seismic design ground motion is introduced. Based on the concept, the most unfavourable real seismic design ground motions for rock, stiff soil, medium soil and soft soil site conditions are selected in terms of three typical period ranges of structures. The selected real strong motion records are suitable for seismic analysis of important structures whose failure or collapse will be avoided at a higher level of confidence during the strong earthquake, as they can cause the greatest damage to structures and thereby result in the highest damage potential from an extended real ground motion database for a given site. In addition, this paper also presents the real input design ground motions with medium damage potential, which can be used for the seismic analysis of structures located at the area with low and moderate seismicity. The most unfavourable real seismic design ground motions are verified by analysing the seismic response of structures. It is concluded that the most unfavourable real seismic design ground motion approach can select the real ground motions that can result in the highest damage potential for a given structure and site condition, and the real ground motions can be mainly used for structures whose failure or collapse will be avoided at a higher level of confidence during the strong earthquake. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Subsidence history and forming mechanism of anomalous tectonic subsidence in the Bozhong depression, Bohaiwan basin

The Bozhong depression of the Bohaiwan basin belongs to a family of extensional basins in East China, but is quite different from other parts of the basin. The Cenozoic subsidence of the depression is controlled by a combination of lithospheric thinning and polycyclic strike-slip movements. Three episodic rifts have been identified, i.e. Paleocence-early Eocene, middle-late Eocene and Oligocene age. The depression underwent syn-rift and post-rift stages, but two episodic dextral movement events of the strike-slip faults modify the subsidence of the Bozhong depression since the Oligocene. The early dextral movement of the Tan-Lu fault associated with crustal extension resulted in accelerated subsidence during the time of deposition of the Dongying Formation with a maximum thickness of 4000 m. A late reactivation of dextral movement of the Tan-Lu fault began in late Miocene (about 12 Ma), which resulted in the intense subsidence of Minghuazhen Formation and Quaternary. In addition, dynamic mantle convection-driven topography also accelerated the post-rift anomalous subsidence since the Miocene (24.6 Ma). Our results indicate that the primary control on rapid subsidence both during the rift and post-rift stages in the Bozhong depression originates from a combination of multiple episodic crustal extension and polycyclic dextral movements of strike-slip faults, and dynamic topography.     

河南范县M_L4.7级地震的启示

2006年4月9日,在河南省范县(35o40’N,115o24’E)发生ML4.7级地震,地震的宏观震中位于河南省范县的王楼乡、辛庄乡以及濮阳县的濮城镇,震中烈度Ⅴ度。地震的有感范围较大,南起山东省的曹县,北至河北省的大名,西起河南省的濮阳县,东到山东省的郓城县,总面积大约10000余km2。地震虽然没有造成人员伤亡,但是却使许多没有抗震性能的农村房屋和校舍遭到严重破坏,     

白云鄂博碳酸岩墙的稀土和微量元素地球化学及对其成因的启示

根据矿物组成白云鄂博矿区的碳酸岩岩可墙可分为白云石型、白云石－方解石共存型和方解石型三种类型。REE和微量元素地球化学表明，这三类碳酸岩岩墙为碳酸岩浆演化不同阶段的产物，白云石型和白云石－方解石共存型对应于早期岩浆阶段，其（La/Nd)n、(La/Yb)n比值随稀土总量的增加而增大，方解石型则对应于碳酸岩浆演化的晚期热液阶段，其稀土总量明显富集，但其（La/Nd)n、(La/Y)n和（La/Yb)n比值随稀土总量的增加却有减小的趋势，热液阶段也是白云鄂博稀土矿化的主要阶段。     

9210工程地市(县)级数据传输处理本地化的若干问题

经过一年多的业务运行，我们发现MICAPS系统在数 据传输处理 中存在不尽完善的地方，造成数值预报产品残缺不全；由于数据传输处理未作配置本地化或 配置本地化不完善，致使数值预报产品和实况资料的分析范围、等值线间距、时效、层次等 不能满足本地预报业务工作的需要。针对上述存在的问题，本文介绍了资料传输、处理有关 配置文本本地化的方法。使数值预报产品有用率在原有基础上增加了约一倍。     

利用强震记录分析场地的地震反应

利用唐山近场强震记录对如何分析场地反应进行研究，分析比较了多种方法:线性反演法、传统的谱比法以及接收函数法．通过比较研究，发现各种方法都能给出土层场地的卓越周期，但每种方法给出的场地反应不完全相同．其中，传统的谱比法与线性反演法的结果较为接近，而接收函数法的结果则同其它两种方法的结果相差较大．在线性反演法中，给出了Ｓ波的品质因子QS，QS 在0.5～32Ｈz范围内与频率有关:QS（f）＝67 f 1.1．      

Seismo-tectonic divisions of strong earthquakes with M S≥7.0 and their tectonic geomorphology along Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault zone

Seismo-tectonic areas of historical strong earthquakes with M _S≥7 along Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault zone are divided, and their individual fault-pattern and tectonic geomorphology are analyzed. Those strong-earthquake areas are located in some special parts of the fault zone, where the major branch-faults of the fault zone form left stepping, parallel, and fork-like patterns. In the strong-earthquake areas structurally complicated basins are developed, such as pull-apart basins in fork-like area, in double stepping area, and in stepping and fork-like areas. Foundation item: Chinese Joint Seismological Science Foundation (9507424). Contribution No. 2001A003, Institute of Crustal Dynamics, China Seismological Bureau.