Seismic images under the Beijing region inferred from P and PmP data

In this study a new tomographic method is applied to over 1500 high-quality PmP (Moho reflected wave) travel-time data as well as over 38,500 high-quality first P-wave arrivals to determine a detailed 3D crustal velocity structure under Beijing and adjacent areas. Results of detailed resolution analyses show that the PmP data can significantly improve the resolution of the model in the middle and lower crust. After the PmP data are included in the tomographic inversion, our new model not only displays the tectonic feature appeared in the previous studies, but also reveals some new features. The Zhangjiakou-Bohai Sea fault zone (Zhang-Bo zone) is imaged as prominent and continuous low-velocity (low-V) anomalies in the shallower crust, while in the middle and lower crust it shows intermittent low-V anomalies extending down to the uppermost mantle. Furthermore, the pattern of low-V anomalies is different along the Zhang-Bo zone from the southeast to the northwest, indicating that there exist large differences in the dynamic evolution of Taihangshan and Yanshan uplifts and North China depression basin. Prominent low-V anomalies are visible under the source area of the 4 July 2006 Wen-An earthquake (M 5.1), suggesting that the occurrence of the Wen-An earthquake is possibly related to the effect of the crustal fluids probably caused by the upwelling of the hot and wet asthenospheric materials due to the deep dehydration of the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone. The fluids in the lower crust may cause the weakening of the seismogenic layer in the upper and middle crust and thus contribute to the initiation of the Wen-An earthquake. This is somewhat similar to the cause of the 1695 Sanhe-Pinggu earthquake and the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in the region, as well as the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan and the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in India.     

8.4 ka以来纳木错湖芯介形类组合的环境变化意义

A 332-cm long lacustrine core was drilled in the Nam Co in the central-southern part of the Tibetan Plateau. From the core, 15 species of ostracods (Crustacea: Ostracoda), which belong to 6 genera have been identified. According to the variations of the ostracod assem-blages and the ostracods ecological features, which are sensitive to the changing environ-ment, three main stages can be distinguished as follows: Stage I was from 8400 to 6800 a BP, during which the climate was cold-humid, and the lake depth changed from shallow to deep. Stage II was from 6400 to 2500 a BP, during which the climate changed from warm-humid to cold-humid, and then to cold-dry. The lake depth gradually became deep. The shifting of cli-mate, from wet-cold to dry-cold during this period, had constructed the basis of present en-vironment in the Nam Co. Stage III was from 2500 a BP to the present, which showed a trait of lake depth increasing. At the earlier period of this stage, the climate kept as cold-dry as that in the former stage, but the salinity of the lake increased. At the later period of this stage, the degree of cold-dry was enhanced, and the activities of land surface runoff tended to be weakened. Our research also found that the peak values of ostracods with black shell was coherent with the maximum production of the ostracods, and agreed with the increasing sedimentary water dynamics. This indicated that the ostracods with black shell was simulta-neous with the high prolificacy of ostracod, and transported from other places. The abun-dance of Candona juvenile shells reflected the high mortality of that kind of ostracods under an unfavorable condition. This was probably a result of the rapid change of water dynamics of sedimentary environment.     

南北极全氟化合物的含量、分布及迁移

全氟化合物被广泛用于工业和日常生活中。近年来,发现该类化合物对人体和生物体有较大的毒性,由此引发了人们对其污染程度的高度关注。最近,从南极和北极的一些生物体内也检测出了全氟化合物。这表明该类化合物已经成为一种新的全球性的持久的有机污染物,因此,应该对其含量、分布、迁移和转化机制进行必要的研究。     

Deformation features of garnet-bearing granites from Huwan,western Dabie Mountains

Foliated garnet-bearing granite, usually associated with high pressure and ultrahigh -pressure (UHP) metamophic rocks, is a particular rock-type extensively exposed in the Mesozoic Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt of China. This study focuses on deformation features and SHRIMP zircon dating of foliated garnet granite in a high-pressure metamorphic unit from Huwan, western Dabie Mountains in order to resolve discrepancies in current versions of its petrogenesis and structural evolution. SHRIMP dating reveals a zircon age of 762 ± 15 Ma (MSWD=1.7) for Huwan granites, representing the Middle to Late Neoproterozoic age of intrusion and crystallization. Field and microstructural studies show that the Huwan granite body underwent multiple-stage deformation. The deformation was manifested by an early stage of rootless folding and imposition of relict foliation (S₁); an Indosinian main stage marked by imposition of north-dipping penetrative gneissosity (S₂) and development of ductile shear zones under NNE-SSW directed compression; and a final Indosinian stage of southward thrusting of the Huwan high-pressure unit. Shallow level extension prevailed after the Late Triassic, giving rise to south-dipping thrust faults and north-dipping normal faults. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40802046 and 40334037) and the Project of Science & Technology Research and Development from Sinopec (Grant No. P02009)     

Transformation relationship among different magnetic minerals within loess-paleosol sediments of the Chinese Loess Plateau

The dominant magnetic minerals and carriers of magnetic signals within the Chinese Loess Plateau are magnetite, maghemite, hematite, and goethite. In this study, we investigated the provenance and evolution of magnetic minerals during loess pedogenesis, using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical and electron microscopy, including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Our results reveal that single- and multiphase mineral assemblages among magnetic minerals in the loess-paleosol sequence have been formed. Partial oxidation of coarse eolian magnetite has occurred in the desert source area and the oxidation degree is enhanced after deposition of the dust upon the Chinese Loess Plateau. This mode of origin resulted in a microtexture consisting of an inner magnetite core surrounded by a hematite rim, and strongly affected the magnetic characteristics of the loess. Goethite coexists with hematite in the loess and paleosol, and nanometer-scale hematite is formed upon goethite rims via dehydration. Our study provides direct mineralogical evidence of the magnetic record and paleoclimatic implications of the loess-paleosol sequence of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40772032 and 40573054) and National Basic Research Program (Grant No. 2007CB815603)     

ENSO signals and their spatial-temporal variation characteristics recorded by the sea-level changes in the northwest Pacific margin during 1965–2005

Sea-level is closely linked to the Earth’s climate and its change is important as a metric for global and regional climate change. Identifying, extracting, and revealing such information through detailed analysis is the prerequisite for understanding the mechanisms of sea-level change. The monthly- average tide-change records reported and examined in this paper are from 10 tide gauge stations distributed in the northwest margin of the Pacific Ocean, registered during the period 1965-2005. In particular, we have utilized the Second Order Blind Identification (SOBI) method to identify and the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method to extract the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) signals imprinted in those tide gauge records; and subsequently, we have investigated the spatial-temporal characteristics of the extracted ENSO signals using wavelet analysis methods. The following results are obtained: (1) the ENSO events recorded by each tide gauge series are of different types and intensity, which show considerable temporal-spatial variation characteristics, with sea-level responses to ENSO signals remarkably stronger in low latitude areas than in medium-high latitude areas; (2) due to the influences of ocean currents, topographical conditions, and other factors, there exist variations in the type of relationship between the sea-level changes and the recorded ENSO events at different latitudes; (3) sea-level changes can also denote scale-variation characteristics of ENSO events, and particularly, since 1980s, all the tide gauges located south of Kanmen show intense responses to ENSO and the timescale of ENSO events extended gradually from around 4 years to 2–8 years, reflecting variations in the intensity and frequency of ENSO events; and (4) reverse changes of certain scale were noted before and after strong ENSO events recorded by sea-level changes, supporting the research findings about the interaction (mutual coupling and superimposition) between the probability of occurrence of strong ENSO events and their time scale.     

Evidence of multistage late Quaternary strong earthquakes on typical segments of Longmenshan Active Fault Zone in Sichuan,China

Investigation of offset landforms and trench excavation are important means to acquire the evidence of multistage activities of active faults. Here we present the result of fault trough investigation in Beichuan County and the Pingtong Town of Pingwu County along the Longmenshan Central Fault Belt, as well as the result from trench excavation at the platform foreslope in Hanwang Town of Mianzhu County on the Longmenshan Front Range Fault Belt. These results show that at least three fault activity events, in...     

Compositional characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkanes of the glaciers over the Tibetan Plateau and their environmental and climatic significances

We report on the concentration and compositional features of n-alkanes of natural and anthropogenic origins in the snow samples collected from the Qiyi glacier in the Qilian Mountains, the Yuzhufeng glacier in eastern Kunlun Mountains, the Xiaodongkemadi glacier in the Tanggula Mountains, and the Gurenhekou glacier in the Nyainqêntanglha Range. The results indicate a decrease in the total n-alkane concentration (T-HCs) from the northeast to the south over the Tibetan Plateau. The T-HCs in these studied areas were close to those in the Belukha and Sofiyskiy glacier, Russian Alati Mountains and the Dasuopu glacier in the Himalaya but were much higher than those in the Greenland ice sheet, suggesting that the mountain glaciers in the Asian continent may receive a higher loading of n-alkanes than the Greenland ice core. Moreover, the compositional characteristics of n-alkanes indicated that the n-alkanes in the studied areas were probably originated from the plant waxes as well as the fossil-fuel combustion exhaust, whereas the contribution from the lower organisms was small. In addition, the plant wax (C_n(wax)) and anthropogenic (non-C_n(wax)) contributions revealed that fast industrialization may have significant effects on the organic pollutant composition in glacier over the Tibetan Plateau and its circumference environment. Particularly, except for the Yuzhufeng glacier, the ΣnC₂₁ ⁻/ΣnC₂₂ ⁺ and (nC₁₅+nC₁₇+nC₁₉)/(nC₂₇+nC₂₉+nC₃₁) ratio decreased from the Qiyi glacier to the Gurenhekou glacier over the Tibetan Plateau, while the carbon preference index (CPI) values increased. These results indicate a decrease in terrigenous input while an increase in marine input from the northeast to the south over the Tibetan Plateau. These two ratios can be used as the climatic and environmental change indicators.     

宁夏数字地震观测网络项目之网络设计与综合评价

宁夏数字地震观测网络项目信息服务分项项目组作为整个网络系统集成组,在信息网络系统的建设过程中,依据不同地震观测项目对信道速率、连续率、实时性、网络延时等通信要素的不同要求,考虑到不同节点的基础通信条件的差异,在采用平面星型网络拓扑结构作为总的通信策略的同时,实地考察、科学分析、统一规划、综合布局,对不同类型的节点分别采用不同的通信信道组合策略作为节点的接入方式,采用以OSPF为主要路由协议的多路由协议集成,全面解决了宁夏数字地震观测网络项目的整体通信和路由融合问题,同时也为其他观测项目的数据传递和汇聚提供了可靠的通信网络平台。     

Effect of Poissonos ratio on stress state in the Wenchuan MS8.0 earthquake fault

The Wenchuan M_S8.0 earthquake occurred on the Longmenshan fault which inclines at a dip angle exceeding 60 degrees. Since most thrust earthquakes occur on faults with dip angles of about 30 degrees, it is enigmatic why the Wenchuan earthquake occurred on such a steep fault. In this study we use a simple finite element model to investigate how the stress state in the fault changes with the variation of Poisson's ratio. The results show that, with the Poisson's ratio in the fault increasing, the magnitudes of the principal stresses increase and the maximum shear stress decrease, and, especially, the angle between the maximum principal stress and the fault plane decreases, which will enhance the driving force to overcome the frictional resistance on the fault. The increase of Poisson's ratio in the fault may be an important factor to affect the occurrence of the fault earthquakes with large angles between maximum principal stress and fault plane.