In-situ testing study on convection and temperature characteristics of a new crushed-rock slope embankment design in a permafrost region

For the purpose of enhancing air convection and controlling solar radiation, a new crushed-rock slope embankment design combined with a sun-shade measure is proposed. A newly designed embankment was constructed in the Tuotuohe section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and a field-testing experiment was carried out to determine its convection and temperature characteristics. The results show that distinct air convection occurred in the crushed-rock layer of the new embankment, especially in cold seasons, which was enhanced when it flowed upwards along the slope. This preliminarily indicated that the new design of the embankment slope was good for reinforcing air convection in the crushed-rock layer. The frequent fluctuations of the convection speed and the environmental wind speed were in good agreement, suggesting that the convection in the crushed rock primarily came from the ambient wind. It was also preliminarily determined that the new embankment had a better cooling effect and sun-shade effect for decreasing the temperature of the embankment slope compared with a traditional crushed-rock slope embankment, and the mean temperature difference between them was up to 1.7 °C. The mean annual temperature at the bottom boundary of the crushed-rock layer was obviously lower than that at the top boundary, and heat flux calculation showed that the shallow soil beneath the embankment slope was weakly releasing heat, all of which indicated that the new embankment slope design was beneficial to the thermal stability of the embankment. This study is helpful in providing some references for improved engineering design and maintenance of roadbeds in permafrost regions.     

First record and description of male Rhopalione sinensis Markham, 1990, from China,with remarks on genus Rhopalione Pérez, 1920(Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae)

The bopyrid isopod species Rhopalione sinensis Markham, 1990, is recorded for only the second time, from a new locality in China outside Hong Kong, the type-locality. This is also the fi rst fi nding of the male R. sinensis, which is herein described. Its host, Arcotheres sinensis(Shen, 1932) is a new record. A review of the four known species of Rhopalione Pérez, 1920, an updated diagnosis of the genus and a key to species are provided.     

The Lhasa Terrane: Record of a microcontinent and its histories of drift and growth

The Lhasa Terrane in southern Tibet has long been accepted as the last geological block accreted to Eurasia before its collision with the northward drifting Indian continent in the Cenozoic, but its lithospheric architecture, drift and growth histories and the nature of its northern suture with Eurasia via the Qiangtang Terrane remain enigmatic. Using zircon in situ U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic and bulk-rock geochemical data of Mesozoic–Early Tertiary magmatic rocks sampled along four north–south traverses across the Lhasa Terrane, we show that the Lhasa Terrane has ancient basement rocks of Proterozoic and Archean ages (up to 2870 Ma) in its centre with younger and juvenile crust (Phanerozoic) accreted towards its both northern and southern edges. This finding proves that the central Lhasa subterrane was once a microcontinent. This continent has survived from its long journey across the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean basins and has grown at the edges through magmatism resulting from oceanic lithosphere subduction towards beneath it during its journey and subsequent collisions with the Qiangtang Terrane to the north and with the Indian continent to the south. Zircon Hf isotope data indicate significant mantle source contributions to the generation of these granitoid rocks (e.g., ~ 50–90%, 0–70%, and 30–100% to the Mesozoic magmatism in the southern, central, and northern Lhasa subterranes, respectively). We suggest that much of the Mesozoic magmatism in the Lhasa Terrane may be associated with the southward Bangong–Nujiang Tethyan seafloor subduction beneath the Lhasa Terrane, which likely began in the Middle Permian (or earlier) and ceased in the late Early Cretaceous, and that the significant changes of zircon ε_Hf(t) at ~ 113 and ~ 52 Ma record tectonomagmatic activities as a result of slab break-off and related mantle melting events following the Qiangtang–Lhasa amalgamation and India–Lhasa amalgamation, respectively. These results manifest the efficacy of zircons as a chronometer (U–Pb dating) and a geochemical tracer (Hf isotopes) in understanding the origin and histories of lithospheric plates and in revealing the tectonic evolution of old orogenies in the context of plate tectonics.     

Spatial variations of the 660-km discontinuity in the western Pacific subduction zones observed from CEArray triplication data

We examined the spatial variation of velocity structures around the 660-km discontinuity at the western Pacific subduction zones by waveform modeling of triplication data.Data from two deep earthquakes beneath Izu-Bonin and Northeast China are used.Both events were well recorded by a dense broadband seismic network in China (CEArray).The two events are located at approximately the same distance to the CEArray,yet significant differences are observed in their records:(1) the direct arrivals traveling above t...     

CZChemDB and EarthChem: Advancing management and access of critical zone geochemical data

Multiple Critical Zone Observatories (CZO) have been established in recent years in the USA and other international settings to conduct collaborative research on processes that occur at and near Earth’s surface, also known as the Critical Zone (CZ). Data documentation and data sharing are two persistent problems facing the CZOs that impede the ability for cross-site comparisons and integrated analysis. In this study, a relational database was developed for CZ rock and regolith geochemical data – CZChemDB. There are a total of 24 interrelated tables in the database, each representing different aspects of CZ features. The main data group includes tables of locations, sites, samples, subsamples, preparation/treatments, laboratory-analysis and data values. The meta-data group includes tables of methods, references, and data quality. Lookup tables (variables, units, etc.) contain lists of “controlled” vocabularies. The CZChemDB is currently implemented in the MS Access database management system. It is expected to be integrated into the EarthChem portal by summer of 2011 for broader online accessibility and usability. This integration also complements the EarthChem’s global geochemistry database with CZ regolith data. The structure of the CZChemDB is simple, straightforward, and flexible so that it has potential to accommodate other chemical data collected from CZOs, such as pore fluid data. Furthermore, the development of CZChemDB represents the first attempt toward the standardization of geochemical data documentation and data sharing among CZOs. This effort will establish a model to bridge the connections between data acquisition, data management, data sharing, and data searching/discovering that are all essential but weak in terms of linkages within most geoscience research projects.     

Comparison between the Xishimen gold deposit and the Shihu gold deposit in western Hebei and analysis of the potential for ore exploration

The Xishimen gold deposit is located in the tectonic zone southeast to the Shihu gold deposit, both of which belong to the same orefield. Then, how is the prospecting potential for the Xishimen gold deposit? A com-parison was made between the Xishimen gold deposit and the Shihu gold deposit on the basis of their geological background of metallogenesis, geological characteristics of the ore deposits, the sources of ore-forming materials, etc. The results showed that both the deposits possess many similarities in the respects mentioned above. And their met-allogeneses can be compared. Therefore, there is great potential for ore prospection in the periphery or at the deep levels of the Xishimen gold deposit. Ore exploration should be well programmed on the basis of a better dissection of the tectonic setting of the orefield. A breakthrough in ore prospection of the Xishimen gold deposit will be of great instructive significance in regionally geological prospecting.     

Metallogenic characteristics of the region of Northwest Hebei and analysis of ore prospecting potential in its peripheries

The region of Northwest Hebei is an area where Au-Ag polymetallic ore depsits are concentrated in Hebei Province. There were divided the Au ore-concentrated region with the magmatic-metamorphic diamictite zone as the center and the perpheral cover-strata zone and Ag-polymetallic metallogenic zone along the line of Xuanhua-Songli-Chicheng. Research on mantle branch structure indicates that Au-Ag polymetallic ore-forming materials come mainly from the deep interior of the Earth. The ore-forming materials tend to migrate upwards through the multi-stage evolution of mantle plume, and are concentrated as ores in the favourable tectonic expansion zone of a mantle branch structure. As viewed in plane, from the center to the periphery and as viewed in space, from the lower part to the upper part there exists Au-Ag-Pb-Zn zonation, as evidenced by drilling data from a number of mines. So, there is still great potential for ore prospecting in the region of Northwest Hebei.     

澜沧江—湄公河流域跨界含水层研究

跨界含水层由位于不同国家的含水层组成,是地下水资源系统的重要组成部分。妥善管理并公平合理地利用跨界含水层,对促进可持续发展及国家之间的睦邻友好关系有着重要意义。通过分析澜沧江—湄公河流域水文地质条件,划定流域的跨界含水层系统,并对地下水资源与环境问题进行探索,提出跨界含水层综合评价指标体系,结合澜沧江—湄公河流域4个跨界含水层相关的指标进行了综合评价。本次研究,对管理澜沧江—湄公河流域跨界含水层,建设和谐的东南亚国际环境有着重要意义。     

四川广元上寺剖面上二叠统大隆组优质烃源岩发育主控因素初探

对四川广元上寺上二叠统剖面进行岩石学和地球化学分析,并利用Al/Ti值评估古生产力,而利用Mo、u、V、Cr、V/Cr和V/(V+Ni)来评估沉积环境,进而探讨烃源岩中有机质的积累与海洋初级生产力、沉积环境(氧化还原条件)以及沉积速率之间的关系.研究发现,在大隆组中部,TOC、过剩铝、Cu、Ni和Cd出现高值(TOC平...     

应用P—S曲线分析非线弹性地基上的欧拉——伯努利梁

在较大外荷载下,搁置在地基上的Bernoulli—Euler梁下部的土体会发生塑性变形。在使用有限差分法离散了文克勒地基梁（Winkler）的控制方程后,形成了线性代数方程组,然后调用计算机Fortran程序进行了求解。利用p-s曲线,通过迭代,使用有限差分法求解了考虑土体塑性的变基床系数的Winkler地基梁的位移。计算结果表明：通过p-s曲线和变基床系数的Winkler地基梁模型,可近似分析出地基在外荷载作用下是进入弹性阶段还是弹塑性阶段,并给出较为合适的地基沉降值。最后,讨论了算法的应用范围。