Mid-Cretaceous Hothouse Climate and the Expansion of Early Angiosperms

The remarkable transition of early angiosperms from a small to a dominant group characterized the terrestrial ecosystem of the Cretaceous. This transition was instigated and promoted by environmental changes. Mid-Cretaceous is characterized by major geological events that affected the global environment. δ18O, palaeothermometer TEX86, and other climatic indices from marine sediments suggest rapid temperature increase during mid-Cretaceous despite occasional short cooling events. Simultaneously, terrestrial deposits in East Asia changed from coal-bearing to shale, then to red beds and evaporites. Plant assemblages and other paleoclimate indicators point to rapid aridification for mid-Cretaceous terrestrial environments. In addition, the wildfires were frequently spread all over the earth by the numerous charcoal evidence during the Mid-Cretaceous. Thus, we speculate that the seasonally dry and hot conditions of mid-Cretaceous created a fiery hothouse world. Early angiosperms increased in abundance and diversity and evolved from a few aquatic species to terrestrial herbaceous and then to the diversified flora of today. Angiosperms showed rapid physiological evolution in vein density and leaf area that improved photosynthesis and water absorption. These ecophysiological changes made early angiosperms well adapted to the hot and dry environment in mid-Cretaceous. Moreover, these physiological changes facilitated the fire–angiosperm cycles in mid-Cretaceous that likely further stimulated the early angiosperm evolution.     

Surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions derived from satellite-tracked drifter data

The muhiyear averaged surface current field and seasonal variability in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions are studied. The data used are trajectories and （1/4） ° latitude by （1/4） ° longitude mean currents derived from 323 Argos drifters deployed by Chinese institutions and world ocean circulation experiment from 1979 to 2003. The results show that the Kuroshio surface path adapts well to the western boundary topography and exhibits six great turnings. The branching occurs frequently near anticyclonic turnings rather than near cyclonic ones. In the Luzon Strait, the surface water intrusion into the South China Sea occurs only in fall and winter. The Kuroshio surface path east of Taiwan, China appears nearly as straight lines in summer, fall, and winter, when anticyclonic eddies coexist on its right side; while the path may cyclonically turning in spring when no eddy exists. The Kuroshio intrusion northeast of Taiwan often occurs in fall and winter, but not in summer. The running direction, width and velocity of the middle segment of the Kuroshio surface currents in the East China Sea vary seasonally. The northward intrusion of the Kuroshio surface water southwest of Kyushu occurs in spring and fall, but not in summer. The northmost position of the Kuroshio surface path southwest of Kyushu occurs in fall, but never goes beyond 31 °N. The northward surface current east of the Ryukyu Islands exists only along Okinawa-Amami Islands from spring to fall. In particular, it appears as an arm of an anti- cyclonic eddy in fall.     

Molecular identification of scallop planktonic larvae using species-specific microsatellites

The identification of scallop larvae is essential to understand the population structure and community dynamics and to assess the potential environmental impacts caused by scallop larvae released or escaped. However, the larvae identification by morphological characteristics is notoriously difficult, mainly due to the small size （usually being less than 150 μm） and vague morphological characteristics among different scallop species. A simple and accurate molecular method was developed to identify four economically farmed scallop species, the Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri, the noble scallop C. nobilis, the bay scallop Argopecten irradians and the Yesso scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis. The tests used the high degree of species-specific microsatellite markers, which was specified by transferability analyses, assessed by reference individuals and evaluated by BLAST searches. The sensitivity test indicated that the species-specific microsatellites were sensitive enough for the detection of 1% -2% larvae in mixed plankton samples. Larvae collected from scallop hatcheries and their effluents and from the artificially controlled crosses were well identified to the species/hybrid level. The results demonstrated that the one-step PCR-based assay was technically simple, inexpensive and robust in identification analyses, and also less sensitive to initial quality of template DNA extracted from the ethanol-preserved samples for several years.     

Landscape change in response to multiperiod glacial debris flows in Peilong catchment,southeastern Tibet

High-magnitude glacial debris flows in small basins in Himalayas have a significant impact on landscape.The Peilong catchment,a tributary of the Parlung Zangbo river in southeastern Tibet,was chosen as a case study of topographic response to multi-period glacial debris flows.There are few large debris flow records in the catchment before 1983,but four large-scale glacial debris flows with peak discharge up to 8195 m3/s blocked the river during 1983–1985 and in 2015.A combination of field survey,examination of historical records and interpretation of multi-period remote sensing images was used to assess triggering factors and geomorphic impact of the events.The results show that the debris flows during 1983 and 1985 may be attributed to seismic events in 1981 and 1982,while the event in 2015 resulted from large amount of landslide deposits caused by glacier retreat during 1993~2013 and high precipitation in 2015.In the upper-midstream broad valley,erosion and accumulation of the debris flows changed the channel morphology,resulting in course diversion.In the lower-midstream narrow valley,lateral erosion of debris flows induced a large number of landslides but had little impact on the channel longitudinal profile.The ability of massive glacial debris flows to change valley topography is more than ten times that of regular water flows.The landscape of the accumulation fan at the outlet of the valley is controlled by the interaction between the sediment transportation capacity of debris flows and erosional capacity of the main river.The sediment transport capacity of the Peilong river is greater than the delivery capacity of the Parlung Zangbo river,resulting in continuous aggradation of the confluence zone.     

Molecular evolution of nitrogen-containing compounds in highly mature organic matter: Implications for the hydrocarbon generation potential

Evaluating the hydrocarbon generation potential of highly mature organic matter is a key and critically challenging area of research in petroleum geochemistry. To explore this issue, we used negative ion electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry to investigate the molecular evolution of N-containing compounds in Carboniferous-lower Permian source rocks with a range of maturities in the northwestern Junggar Basin, China. The N₁ compounds formed...     

COATS:Comprehensive observation on the atmospheric boundary layer three-dimensional structure during haze pollution in the North China Plain

The North China Plain(NCP)is troubled by severe haze pollution and the evolution of haze pollution is closely related to the atmospheric boundary layer(ABL).However,experimental and theoretical studies on the physical-chemical processes of the ABL in the NCP are lacking,with many scientific problems to be addressed.To solve these problems,the Comprehensive Observation on the Atmospheric boundary layer Three-dimensional Structure(COATS)during haze pollution was carried out in the NCP from 2016 to...     

安徽齐云山丹霞地貌成因

According to the study of some local scholars (Peng Hua et al., 2000), over 400 sites of Danxia landform have been already discovered in China. Chen Guoda (1935), Zeng Zhaoxuan et al. (1978), Huang Jin et al. (1992; 1994; 1996) and Peng Hua et al. (1998; …     

AFLP analysis revealed differences in genetic diversity of four natural populations of Manila clam(Ruditapes philippinarum) in China

1 IntroductionManila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) is aworldwide distributed species. In China, it is foundfrom the northern to southern seashores (Wang etal., 1993; Zhuang, 2001). This species is eura-line with the salinity tolerance ranging from 20 to4…     

From China’s Heavy Precipitation in 2020 to a “Glocal” Hydrometeorological Solution for Flood Risk Prediction

The prolonged mei-yu/baiu system with anomalous precipitation in the year 2020 has swollen many rivers and lakes,caused flash flooding,urban flooding and landslides,and consistently wreaked havoc across large swathes of China,particularly in the Yangtze River basin.Significant precipitation and flooding anomalies have already been seen in magnitude and extension so far this year,which have been exerting much higher pressure on emergency responses in flood control and mitigation than in other years,even though a rainy season with multiple ongoing serious flood events in different provinces is not that uncommon in China.Instead of delving into the causes of the uniqueness of this year’s extreme precipitation-flooding situation,which certainly warrants in-depth exploration,in this article we provide a short view toward a more general hydrometeorological solution to this annual nationwide problem.A“glocal”(global to local)hydrometeorological solution for floods(GHS-F)is considered to be critical for better preparedness,mitigation,and management of different types of significant precipitation-caused flooding,which happen extensively almost every year in many countries such as China,India and the United States.Such a GHS-F model is necessary from both scientific and operational perspectives,with the strength in providing spatially consistent flood definitions and spatially distributed flood risk classification considering the heterogeneity in vulnerability and resilience across the entire domain.Priorities in the development of such a GHS-F are suggested,emphasizing the user’s requirements and needs according to practical experiences with various flood response agencies.     

GPS高程拟合方法精度分析

近年来人们往往利用GPS数据来确定大地高,但大地高不同于正常高,为此,利用多项式拟合与地球重力场模型相结合的数学方法,使GPS所测大地高通过这些数学模型直接转换为具有厘米精度的正常高,将该方法得到的正常高与单独利用多项式拟合和地球重力场模型得到的结果进行了比较,其差值的标准差为±38 cm。