Magnetic field intensity study of the 1960 Kilauea lava flow, Hawaii, using the microwave palaeointensity technique

It is extremely valuable to study historic lava flows where the geomagnetic field at their time of extrusion is well known. In this study, two vertical sections, 16 m apart, have been sampled from the approximately 1 m thick 1960 Kilauea lava flow, Hawaii. Variations are seen in the rock-magnetic and palaeomagnetic properties between and within the two sections, indicating that there are small-scale lateral and vertical variations in the lava flow. The two sections showed different responses to microwave palaeointensity analysis. Section H6001 generally gave ideal linear behaviour on plots of natural remanent magnetization (NRM) lost against microwave-induced thermoremanent magnetization (T_M RM) gained, whilst the majority of samples from H6002 showed anomalous two-slope behaviour. When all plots were interpreted by taking the best-fitting line through all points, the flow mean intensity for H6001 was 31.6 ± 3.6 μT and that for H6002 was 37.1 ± 6.4 μT, compared with the expected intensity of 36 μT. Additional historic flows need to be studied in order to ascertain whether this behaviour is typical of all lava, and whether it is best to always interpret NRM lost/T_M RM gained plots by taking the line of best fit regardless of shape.     

Preliminary evaluations of FGOALS-g2 for decadal predictions

The Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model, Grid-point Version 2 (FGOALS-g2) for decadal predictions, is evaluated preliminarily, based on sets of ensemble 10-year hindcasts that it has produced. The results show that the hindcasts were more accurate in decadal variability of SST and surface air temperature (SAT), particularly in that of Nin o3.4 SST and China regional SAT, than the second sample of the historical runs for 20th-century climate (the control) by the same model. Both the control and the hindcasts represented the global warming well using the same external forcings, but the control overestimated the warming. The hindcasts produced the warming closer to the observations. Performance of FGOALS-g2 in hindcasts benefits from more realistic initial conditions provided by the initialization run and a smaller model bias resulting from the use of a dynamic bias correction scheme newly developed in this study. The initialization consists of a 61-year nudging-based assimilation cycle, which follows on the control run on 01 January 1945 with the incorporation of observation data of upper-ocean temperature and salinity at each integration step in the ocean component model, the LASG IAP Climate System Ocean Model, Version 2 (LICOM2). The dynamic bias correction is implemented at each step of LICOM2 during the hindcasts to reduce the systematic biases existing in upper-ocean temperature and salinity by incorporating multi-year monthly mean increments produced in the assimilation cycle. The effectiveness of the assimilation cycle and the role of the correction scheme were assessed prior to the hindcasts.     

Complexity analysis of the air temperature and the precipitation time series in Serbia

Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) was applied to the study of the effect of the topographical altitude of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) on a severe drought event which took place in eastern China from November 2008 to January 2009. Two simulations of this drought event were conducted: a control simulation (CNTRL run) using original model settings and a sensitive simulation (TOPO run), where no change other than to reduce the TP topography by 50 %. The results show that the CNTRL simulation validates RAMS by reproducing this drought event fairly accurately. However, as part of the TOPO simulation, the total heat flux showed a decrease over most parts of the TP, latent heat flux underwent a significant increase over the southeastern TP, contrary to sensible heat, and a universal decrease over eastern China; this led to an increase in precipitation over the southeastern TP and a decrease in precipitation over eastern China. The decrease of total heat flux over the TP is collocated with an anomalous anticyclonic circulation from the TP to the coasts of southeastern China. Changes in atmospheric circulation and low-level water vapor transport pathways were consistent with changes in precipitation. In general, reducing the topographical altitude of the TP worsens drought in eastern China and moreover causes a significant decrease in precipitation over southern China.     

东昆仑东段各玛龙闪长岩年代学、地球化学特征及成因分析

各玛龙地区位于东昆仑造山带东段南部, 该地区构造活动与岩浆活动强烈。本文以两件花岗闪长岩和两件英云闪长岩为研究对象, 开展LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学和岩石全岩元素组成研究, 探讨岩石成因类型和岩浆源区特征, 分析闪长岩的构造演化环境。研究结果表明: 两件具有代表性的闪长岩样品成岩年龄分别为405.3±1.1 Ma和405.8±1.2 Ma, 说明成岩时代为早泥盆世; 4件闪长岩样品具有高硅、高铝、高碱、贫钙、贫镁、弱过铝质特征, 属于弱过铝质高钾钙碱性系列岩石; 4件样品中未发育S型花岗岩的代表性矿物, 并且Rb/Sr值为0.32~0.43, 均小于0.9, A/CNK值为0.98~1.09, 均小于1.1, 符合I型花岗岩的地球化学特征; 通过分析La-La/Sm图解与(Zr+Nb+Ce+Y)-(Na₂O+K₂O)/CaO图解, 同时结合Nb/Ta、Zr/Hf、Nb/U、Rb/Sr、Ti/Y、Ti/Zr值, 可以得知各玛龙地区闪长岩是由地壳岩石部分熔融形成的, 并且可能伴有幔源物质的参与。结合前人研究及(Y+Nb)-Rb图解与Rb/30-Hf-Ta*3图解可知, 各玛龙地区闪长岩形成于早泥盆世东昆仑造山带的后碰撞伸展环境。

     

京西门头沟叶腊石泥岩矿物学特征

我国含煤地层共伴生矿物种类较多,资源量较大,其中京西门头沟石炭-二叠纪煤系中的叶蜡石泥岩比较罕见,具有重要的开发利用价值。利用偏光显微镜、X射线衍射（XRD）、红外光谱（IR）、热分析（TA）、电子探针（EPM）等测试手段,从矿物学角度对北京西山门头沟红庙岭组叶腊石矿物学特征进行研究。结果表明,研究区泥岩叶腊石与硬水铝石、硬绿泥石等矿物共生,偏光显微镜下叶腊石通常呈隐晶或微晶鳞片状,定向分布。基于微区电子探针化学分析计算得出的叶腊石晶体结构化学式为：Al_1.9965（Si_3.9982 O₁₀）（O₂H_2.0180）。根据沉积地质背景和共生矿物组合特征,推断叶腊石的形成温度在300℃左右,认为京西门头沟区叶腊石为高岭石受到构造应力影响形成的动力变质矿物。     

Modified DRASTIC assessment for intrinsic vulnerability mapping of karst aquifers: a case study

Groundwater in karstic aquifers can be dangerously sensitive to contamination. In this paper, DRASTIC assessment was modified and applied, for the first time, to address the intrinsic vulnerability for karst aquifers. The theoretical weights of two of DRASTIC’s parameters (aquifer media and hydraulic conductivity) were modified through sensitivity analysis. Two tests of sensitivity analyses were carried out: the map removal and the single parameter sensitivity analyses. The modified assessment was applied for the karst aquifers underlying Ramallah District (Palestine) as a case study. The aquifer vulnerability map indicated that the case study area is under low, moderate and high vulnerability of groundwater to contamination. The vulnerability index can assist in the implementation of groundwater management strategies to prevent degradation of groundwater quality. The modified DRASTIC assessment has proven to be effective because it is relatively straightforward, use data that are commonly available or estimated and produces an end product that is easily interpreted.     

南秦岭印支期花岗岩带的“地幔印记”

南秦岭印支期花岗岩带的岩石组合包括闪长岩、二长闪长岩、英云闪长岩、花岗闪长岩和花岗岩等,岩体内广泛存在镁铁质微粒包体和脉体。大量(超过50%)样品具有高Mg#(<0.76),高Cr(>100×10-6,最高为1600×10-6)、Sr(>500×10-6)、Ba(>1000×10-6)的"地幔印记(mantle signature)"。含石榴石基性岩部分重熔模型可以解释部分样品的高LREE、低HREE和高Sr低Y特征,但无法合理解释"地幔印记"的存在。简单的地幔上涌、减压熔融模型虽然可以产生幔源岩浆并解释基性-酸性岩浆混合现象,但与具"地幔印记"样品的Sr、Nd同位素富集(ISr=0.7054～0.7085;εNd(t)=-1.52～-9.17)和区域地质特征相矛盾。具"地幔印记"样品与高Mg埃达克岩和太古宙sanukitoid岩系的相似性表明它们可以由含水富集地幔的直接熔融形成。     

Local and synoptic mechanisms causing Southern California’s Santa Ana winds

The atmospheric conditions that lead to strong offshore surface winds in Southern California, commonly referred to as Santa Ana winds, are investigated using the North American Regional Reanalysis and a 12-year, 6-km resolution regional climate simulation of Southern California. We first construct an index to characterize Santa Ana events based on offshore wind strength. This index is then used to identify the average synoptic conditions associated with Santa Ana events—a high pressure anomaly over the Great Basin. This pressure anomaly causes offshore geostrophic winds roughly perpendicular to the region’s mountain ranges, which in turn cause surface flow as the offshore momentum is transferred to the surface. We find, however, that there are large variations in the synoptic conditions during Santa Ana conditions, and that there are many days with strong offshore flow and weak synoptic forcing. This is due to local thermodynamic forcing that also causes strong offshore surface flow: a large temperature gradient between the cold desert surface and the warm ocean air at the same altitude creates an offshore pressure gradient at that altitude, in turn causing katabatic-like offshore flow in a thin layer near the surface. We quantify the contribution of “synoptic” and “local thermodynamic” mechanisms using a bivariate linear regression model, and find that, unless synoptic conditions force strongly onshore winds, the local thermodynamic forcing is the primary control on Santa Ana variability.     

Palaeointensity record through the Lower Mammoth reversal from the Waianae volcano, Hawaii

The normal to reverse Lower Mammoth reversal (3.33 Ma) has been recorded in several sequences of lava from the Waianae Volcano, the Island of Oahu, Hawaii. 137 samples from 29 flows from the Pu'u Paheehee section have been the subject of a palaeointensity study using the microwave technique. Duplicate sister samples from the directional study of Herrero-Bervera and Valet (Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 171 (1999) 139–148) were used. Microwave demagnetisation was carried out on all samples and the directions compared to the published flow mean directions. Microwave palaeointensity experiments were carried out on all accepted samples using the 8.2 GHz and 14 GHz microwave systems. The perpendicular applied field palaeointensity method and a Coe analogue method were used. Eighty-four samples from 24 flows gave acceptable palaeointensity results. The results indicate that the geomagnetic field was low (mean 5.9±1.3 μT (N=7)) prior to the transitional directions. During the first stage of the reversal the field remains low. Results however could only be obtained from three transitional flows. The field then strongly recovers with very high intensity (70 μT) and reversed direction. After this the intensity decreases before the field becomes transitional again for a cluster of four flows. The field does not reduce as much as previously, rather it is about twice the pre reversal intensity. For the final section of reversed flows the intensity is more than twice the pre reversal mean value, 15.1±5.9 μT (N=7). Whilst some similarities are seen between this reversal and other reversals of different ages and locations there is not enough data at present to say whether there is any systematic behaviour.