南海南部SA09-040孔孢粉记录及古气候

依据南海低纬地区SA09-040孔高分辨率的孢粉记录,自下至上划分了4个孢粉组合带。从孢粉成分的变化,重建了22.25ka B P以来的植被与气候变化历史。结果表明:孢粉主要来源于婆罗洲和周围岛屿,孢粉1带(22.25～16.6ka B P),低山雨林植被发育,为暖热气候,从测年时间看,当时为末次冰期晚期。孢粉2带(16.6～10.82ka B P,为末次冰消期),植被以热带低山雨林和低地雨林为主,针叶的松数量较多,当时的气温比现在低。孢粉3带(全新世早期,10.82～6.43ka B P),植被以热带低山雨林和低地雨林为主,针叶松属数量减少,气温比前期升高,海平面也上升。孢粉4带(全新世中晚期,6.43ka B P至今),全新世中期为炎热、湿润的气候环境,全新世晚期可能与婆罗洲现今的植被景观相近,为热、湿的气候环境。     

大兴安岭中南段中生代成矿物质的深部来源与背景

大兴安岭是我国北方一个重要的多金属成矿带。本文从成矿的物质来源和构造作用两方面讨论大兴安岭的成矿系统。Sr、Nd、O、Pb同位素的研究显示大兴安岭成矿物质的深部来源,大兴安岭晚中生代壳幔混熔花岗质岩石组成及其构造环境的研究,表明它们是在板内非造山的伸展环境下形成的A型花岗岩。与南岭花岗岩及其成矿作用的对比研究,将加深对大兴安岭中生代成矿特征的认识。深部构造特征也进一步印证了大兴安岭的成岩-成矿的背景。     

Do predatory fish of benthic crustaceans vary between kelp and barren reef habitats in northeastern New Zealand?

Fish assemblages that included known predators of benthic crustaceans were compared between kelp and barren habitats in northeastern New Zealand using baited underwater video census methods. The benthic-feeding fish were observed in winter, spring/summer and autumn, as well as during night-time in spring/summer. Overall, the fish assemblages varied between barren and kelp habitat, being most marked in winter. Individual benthic-feeding species, such as grey mao mao (Scorpis lineolatus) and leatherjacket (Meuschenia scaber) were associated with barren habitat, while the spotted wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) was more strongly associated with kelp habitat. The results suggest that changes in habitats on coastal reefs affect populations of species that are benthic predators, which may in turn influence the distribution and abundance of their prey species, such as juvenile spiny lobsters.     

Structure and dynamics of demersal fish assemblages over three decades (1985–2012) of increasing fishing pressure in Guinea

In a context of growing fishing pressures and recommendations for an ecosystem approach to fisheries, there is a need to monitor changes in fish communities over time. In this study, we analysed data from scientific trawl surveys carried out on the continental shelf off Guinea between 1985 and 2012. We performed factorial analyses and calculated biodiversity indices to characterise the changes in the structure and composition of fish communities that occurred over the 28-year period in this area, particularly given intensive fishing activities. We show that, over the study period, fish communities on the Guinean shelf were structured primarily according to spatial factors, with temporal changes being less pronounced than expected. However, a temporal analysis of biodiversity indices and species dominance showed that the intensification of fishing had significant effects on the general ecological features of the fish assemblages under study. There was a decrease in fish density and in mean trophic level. In addition, there were changes in species dominance, whereby large, slow-growing species with high commercial value were gradually replaced by smaller, fast-growing species of lesser commercial interest. These results from field observations are in line with some conclusions from previous modelling studies in the same geographical area, and provide further support for the hypothesis of a progressive ‘ecosystem effect of fishing’ occurring in Guinean waters.     

Summer and winter differences in zooplankton biomass,distribution and size composition in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

Zooplankton biomass and distribution in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight were investigated in relation to environmental parameters during summer (January–February 2010) and winter (July–August 2010). Mean zooplankton biomass was significantly higher in winter (17.1 mg dry weight [DW] m^–3) than in summer (9.5 mg DW m^?3). In summer, total biomass was evenly distributed within the central bight, low off the Thukela River mouth and peaked near Durban. In winter, highest biomass was found offshore between Richards Bay and Cape St Lucia. Zooplankton biomass in each size class was significantly, negatively related to sea surface temperature and integrated nitrate, but positively related to surface chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen. Zooplankton biomass was significantly related to bottom depth, with greatest total biomass located inshore (<50 m). Distribution across the shelf varied with zooplankton size. Seasonal differences in copepod size composition suggest that a smaller, younger community occupied the cool, chlorophyll-rich waters offshore from the St Lucia upwelling cell in winter, and a larger, older community occurred within the relatively warm and chlorophyll-poor central bight in summer. Nutrient enrichment from quasi-permanent upwelling off Durban and Richards Bay appears to have a greater influence on zooplankton biomass and distribution in the bight than the strongly seasonal nutrient input from the Thukela River.     

Continuous versus event‐based sampling: how many samples are required for deriving general hydrological understanding on Ecuador's páramo region?

As a consequence of the remote location of the Andean páramo, knowledge on their hydrologic functioning is limited; notwithstanding, these alpine tundra ecosystems act as water towers for a large fraction of the society. Given the harsh environmental conditions in this region, year‐round monitoring is cumbersome, and it would be beneficial if the monitoring needed for the understanding of the rainfall–runoff response could be limited in time. To identify the hydrological response and the effect of temporal monitoring, a nested (n = 7) hydrological monitoring network was set up in the Zhurucay catchment (7.53 km²), south Ecuador. The research questions were as follows: (1) Can event sampling provide similar information in comparison with continuous monitoring, and (2) if so, how many events are needed to achieve a similar degree of information? A subset of 34 rainfall–runoff events was compared with monthly values derived from a continuous monitoring scheme from December 2010 to November 2013. Land cover and physiographic characteristics were correlated with 11 hydrological indices. Results show that despite some distinct differences between event and continuous sampling, both data sets reveal similar information; more in particular, the monitoring of a single event in the rainy season provides the same information as continuous monitoring, while during the dry season, ten events ought to be monitored. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Calculation of the visible-UV absorption spectra of hydrogen sulfide,bisulfide, polysulfides,and As and Sb sulfides,in aqueous solution

Recently we showed that visible-UV spectra in aqueous solution can be accurately calculated for arsenic (III) bisulfides, such as As(SH)₃, As(SH)₂S^- and their oligomers. The calculated lowest energy transitions for these species were diagnostic of their protonation and oligomerization state. We here extend these studies to As and Sb oxidation state III and v sulfides and to polysulfides S _n ^2- , n = 2–6, the bisulfide anion, SH^-, hydrogen sulfide, H₂S and the sulfanes, S _n H₂, n = 2–5. Many of these calculations are more difficult than those performed for the As(iii) bisulfides, since the As and Sb(v) species are more acidic and therefore exist as highly charged anions in neutral and basic solutions. In general, small and/or highly charged anions are more difficult to describe computationally than larger, monovalent anions or neutral molecules. We have used both Hartree-Fock based (CI Singles and Time-Dependent HF) and density functional based (TD B3LYP) techniques for the calculations of absorption energy and intensity and have used both explicit water molecules and a polarizable continuum to describe the effects of hydration. We correctly reproduce the general trends observed experimentally, with absorption energies increasing from polysulfides to As, Sb sulfides to SH^- to H₂S. As and Sb(v) species, both monomers and dimers, also absorb at characteristically higher energies than do the analogous As and Sb(III)species. There is also a small reduction in absorption energy from monomeric to dimeric species, for both As and Sb III and v. The polysufides, on the other hand, show no simple systematic changes in UV spectra with chain length, n, or with protonation state. Our results indicate that for the As and Sb sulfides, the oxidation state, degree of protonation and degree of oligomerization can all be determined from the visible-UV absorption spectrum. We have also calculated the aqueous phase energetics for the reaction of S₈ with SH^- to produce the polysulfides, S _n H^-, n = 2–6. Our results are in excellent agreement with available experimental data, and support the existence of a S₆ species.     

The kerogen type, depositional environment and maturity, of the Irati Shale, Upper Permian of Paraná Basin, Southern Brazil

Two samples from the upper and lower horizons of the Irati oil shale of the Paraná Basin, Brazil were sampled in a single borehole, and analysed using organic petrography and geochemistry. The results are interpreted in terms of the kerogen type, maturity and depositional environment of the two horizons.Organic petrography shows the oil-shales to be composed of a mineral groundmass, mainly clay minerals, carbonate and pyrite, associated, and sometimes impregnated, with fluorescing organic material and disseminated phytoclasts. Humic material is fairly rare and mostly present as very small particles. The liptinitic particles are mostly alginite (A and B), sporinite and more rarely resinite. Reflectance measurements (upper seam = 0.34% R₀; lower seam = 0.40% R₀) indicate an equivalent rank of lignite/sub-bituminous coal (ASTM), i.e. immature with respect to oil and gas generation. Different organic geochemical methods (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, solvent extraction, GC and GC-MS) demonstrate both samples to be immature, rich oil-shales (100–114 kg/ton) containing Type I kerogen, of a dominantly bacterially-degraded algal origin deposited in a lacustrine environment. The presence of Botryococcus suggests deposition under fresh/brackish water conditions.A tentative interpretation of the extract and vitrinite reflectance data suggests a maximum paleo-burial of between 1.3 and 2.8 km for the analysed section of the Irati Formation.     

Use of Air-Decks to Reduce Subdrillings in Escondida Mine

This paper aims to show the results and comparison obtained from blasting using overdrilled blastholes and blasting using a bottom of the blasthole located air-deck. The effect of using a blasthole air-deck, on medium to low hardness rock found in the western area of the Escondida pit, helped maintain the required grade level even after loading with heavy equipment. Additional benefits include satisfactory fragmentation of the blasted material.