Variation in the number of days with heavy precipitation on the territory of Russia for the period of 1936–2000

Time variations in the number of days with heavy precipitation based on data of 93 stations on the territory of Russia are analyzed. Time series of precipitation, corrected by the elimination of main systematic errors of their measurement at the level of their diurnal sums, are used, when computing. The diurnal precipitation sum, exceeding the average long-term diurnal precipitation maximum by three times, was taken as the threshold quantitative criterion, defining “the day with heavy precipitation” concept. This value varies within 10–15 mm/day on the territory of Russia. Extremums fluctuate from 5 to 40 mm/day. Absolute values of linear trends of the annual number of days with heavy precipitation are comparatively small, they fluctuate within ±4 days on the whole territory of Russia. In relative terms, these variations are rather significant, reaching ±40% and more of the corresponding average value for 65 years. The comparison of the spatial distribution of characteristics of linear trends of the annual number of days with heavy precipitation and annual precipitation sum indicates their close conformity.     

二次离子质谱第四纪锆石年代学:台湾金瓜石英安岩定年

高精度第四纪年代学是第四纪研究的基础,对了解地球演化和发展非常关键。大型二次离子质谱(SIMS)锆石U-Th-Pb定年方法,集高空间分辨率、高精度、高效率和近无损分析等优势于一体,可以提取矿物微区中记录的丰富地质信息,在第四纪年代学研究中具有很大的应用潜力。文中对SIMS第四纪锆石原位微区年龄测定的基本原理、分析校正方法进行介绍,并报道我们测定台湾第四纪金瓜石英安岩锆石U-Pb年龄的结果((1.166±0.020)Ma)。     

A three-stage identification approach for hysteretic systems

This paper deals with the identification of the parameters of a smoothed hysteretic model which was proposed by Bouc and Wen with emphasis on restoring force hysteresis. The problem of estimating the parameters of this system on the basis of input-output data, possibly noise corrupted, is considered. Through the application of various simulated time histories from the hysteretic model, a three-stage systematic method of system identification was proposed. Four different methods of identification are arranged and conducted in this three-stage system identification. The first stage, a sequential regressional analysis is used to identify the equivalent linear system from which elastic or inelastic response can be identified. The identified parameters can be used in the stage when the system is in elastic response. In the second stage, both time domain least-squares method and Gauss-Newton method are applied. The convergence of the Gauss-Newton method can be guaranteed if the identified results from least-squares method are adopted as the initial values for Gauss-Newton method. In the third stage, the extended Kalman filtering technique is needed to identify the noise-corrupt data. Application of this algorithm to a SDOF non-deteriorating system is verified.     

Radium and barium at GEOSECS stations in the Atlantic and Pacific

²²⁶Ra and Ba show a general linear correlation in the oceanic water column within the uncertainties of the data: the slope of the line is about 4.6 nanomoles (nmoles) Ra/mole Ba, the intercept being at about 4 nmoles Ba/kg. This demonstrates the usefulness of Ba as a “chemical analogue” of Ra. Box-model calculations indicate that the average deep-water excess of Ra over Ba should be about 10% relative to the surface. This is consistent with the observations outside the deep northeast Pacific. However, the uncertainties in the data are such that the regional variation in the primary input cannot be resolved. In the deep waters of the North Pacific there is in fact a large excess of Ra relative to Ba. The one detailed profile presently available (204) can be explained consistently by a simple vertical advection-diffusion model.     

Carbon isotope geochemistry of Paleozoic oils from Big Horn Basin

Twenty crude oils from Paleozoic reservoirs in the Big Horn Basin. Wyoming were fractionated into light hydrocarbons, saturates, monoaromatics. diaromatics, polyaromatics-and-polars. and asphaltenes. Amounts and isotopic composition of each fraction were found to be internally consistent with the degree of maturation of the oil. confirming the established single source origin for these oils. A variation of approximately three per mil in the carbon isotopic composition of the whole oil and individual fraction was explained as being caused by maturation. The isotope-type-curves for these oils, the variations in isotopic composition as a function of compound group-type, were not found to be as simple as commonly believed. Other alteration processes, such as migration and deasphalting, might have influenced the pattern of the isotope distributions among fractions. The conservative nature of mass balance and subsequent isotope flows among various fractions of crude oil showed that the maturation of crude oil consists of consecutive processes leading from larger and more polar components into smaller and less polar components culminating in natural gas. Calculations were made to project the amount of condensates associated with the crude oils, and the amount of natural gas which had been generated from crude oils of a given maturity.     

226Ra in the Pacific Ocean

A total of 29 vertical Ra profiles has been measured from the Pacific as part of the GEOSECS program. These profiles are located on an east-west section along ～30°N, and a north-south section, close to the western boundary of the major basins in the western Pacific. Profiles from the northeast Pacific show a deep Ra maximum, with an excess concentration relative to the potential temperature and salinity. This maximum extends westward in the direction with decreasing Ra content, and finally vanishes completely in the northwest Pacific near Japan.Ra profiles along the western boundary show a mid-depth maximum around 3 km and a near-bottom minimum due to southward intrusion of the high-Ra Pacific Deep Water and a northward spreading of the low-Ra Antarctic Bottom Water. The contrast between the maximum and the minimum intensifies toward the south, where the benthic front has clearly separated these two water masses. Ra is thus a useful tracer for the studies of oceanic mixing and circulation in the Pacific.     

226Ra,210Pb and210Po in the Red Sea

Profiles of²²⁶Ra and dissolved²¹⁰Pb have been measured at several stations in the Red Sea. At one station in the central Red Sea an expanded profile was measured including²²⁶Ra and dissolved and particulate²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po. These profiles show several distinct features: (1)²²⁶Ra displays a mid-depth maximum of about 13 dpm/100 kg at about 500 m; (2) dissolved²¹⁰Pb concentrations are uniformly low at about 2 dpm/100 kg with little lateral or vertical variation; (3) the surface-water²¹⁰Pb excess which is commonly observed in low-latitude open ocean regions is entirely lacking; (4)²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po activities are essentially identical to each other in both particulate and dissolved phases although²¹⁰Po activities appear somewhat lower; (5) about 20% of the²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po in the water column residues on particulate matter.Assuming the atmospheric²¹⁰Pb flux to be in the dissolved form and at the lower level of the normal range i.e. 0.5 dpm/cm² yr, the residence time of the dissolved Pb is about 1.5 years. However, if the same atmospheric flux is entirely in particulate form, then the residence time of the dissolved Pb is about 5 years. The residence time of Pb in the particulate phase is less than 0.4 years if all the Pb is removed only by sinking particles.