Development of gullies and sediment production in the black soil region of northeastern China

Gully erosion is an important environmental hazard in the black soil region of northeastern China. It is a primary sediment source in the region which needs appropriate soil conservation practices. Gully incision in rolling hills typical of this region was monitored using real-time kinematic GPS to assess the rates of gully development and the resultant sediment production. From 2002 to 2005, gully heads in the study area retreated between 15.4 and 33.5 m, giving an average retreat rate of 8.4 m yr^− 1. Field measurements showed that total sediment production due to gully erosion during the three years ranged between 257 and 1854 m³ yr^− 1, which is equivalent to 326 to 2355 t yr^− 1, with gully-head retreat accounting for 0 to 21.7% (4.4% in average). The sediment delivery ratio was especially high during the summer rainy season (56% in average). Sediment production by ephemeral gullies and permanent gullies was 1.5 times greater than that from surface erosion. Gully heads retreated faster in the spring freeze–thaw period than in the summer. The stage of gully development could be identified based on short-term changes in the gully erosion rate.     

Modelling the runoff-sediment yield relationship using a proportional function in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, North China

Based on data observed at the 12 small watersheds in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, North China, the relationship between event runoff volume and sediment yield is examined. The results reveal that the runoff-sediment yield relationship at the inter-event timescale is mainly determined by the runoff-sediment concentration relationship at the intra-event timescale. In the study area, the sediment concentration tends to be stable when the flow discharge exceeds a certain critical value. Many factors that are important for determining the characteristics of low-magnitude events, such as flow discharge, particle size of fluvial sediment, and accumulation of loose material on land surfaces prior to a rainstorm, appear to have little importance for high-magnitude events. Consequently, mean sediment concentration tends to be stable for large flood events, suggesting a strong similarity between the two flow-sediment relationships at inter-and intra-event temporal scales. Furthermore, a proportional function is proposed to predict event sediment yield, and the correspondence between the predicted and observed sediment yields is examined. The performance of the model is good for high-magnitude events, especially extreme events. The applicability of the proposed model at the annual timescale is also discussed.     

Spatial and temporal variations of vegetation in Qinghai Province based on satellite data

This paper used five years (2001-2006) time series of MODIS NDVI images with a 1-km spatial resolution to produce a land cover map of Qinghai Province in China. A classi-fication approach for different land cover types with special emphasis on vegetation, espe-cially on sparse vegetation, was developed which synthesized Decision Tree Classification, Supervised Classification and Unsupervised Classification. The spatial distribution and dy-namic change of vegetation cover in Qinghai from 2001 to 2006 were analyzed based on the land cover classification map and five grade elevation belts derived from Qinghai DEM. The result shows that vegetation cover in Qinghai in recent five years has been some improved and the area of vegetation was increased from 370,047 km2 in 2001 to 374,576 km2 in 2006. Meanwhile, vegetation cover ratio was increased by 0.63%. Vegetation cover ratio in high mountain belt is the largest (67.92%) among the five grade elevation belts in Qinghai Prov-ince. The second largest vegetation cover ratio is in middle mountain belt (61.80%). Next, in the order of the decreasing vegetation cover ratio, the remaining grades are extreme high mountain belt (38.98%), low mountain belt (25.55%) and flat region belt (15.46%). The area of middle density grassland in high mountain belt is the biggest (94,003 km2), and vegetation cover ratio of dense grassland in middle mountain belt is the highest (32.62%), and the in-creased area of dense grassland in high mountain belt is the greatest (1280 km2). In recent five years the conversion from sparse grass to middle density grass in high mountain belt has been the largest vegetation cover variation and the converted area is 15931 km2.     

Sedimentary characteristics of paleo-aeolian dune sands of Salawusu Formation in the Salawusu River Valley

The Salawusu Formation of Milanggouwan section in Salawusu River Valley in-cludes 7 layers of paleo-mobile dune sands, and 4 layers of paleo-fixed and semi-fixed dune sands. Their structures have been observed and their grain size, surface textural features and several main chemical elements have been analyzed. The results showed that: 1) Some of the aeolian structural characteristics of these dune sands are similar to that of the recent dune sands. 2) They are also similar to the recent dune sands in grain size components, and parameters of Mz, σ, Sk and Kg, as well as in several main chemical components. 3) The scattergrams of Mz-σ and SiO2–Al2O3+TOFE and the probability curves of grain size showed that these paleo-dune sands are different from paleosols and fluvio-lacustrine facies, but are consistency with recent dune sands. 4) Quartz sands have well roundness and surface textural features such as dish-shaped pits, crescent-shaped pits, pockmarked pits, upturned cleavage plates, siliceous precipitates and siliceous crevasses, indicating that they had been carried for a long time by the wind. As the 11 layers of paleo-dune sands possess the aeolian characteristics in structure, grain size, surface textural features and chemical elements, the origin of their formation should be attributed to eolation.     

Full-scale tests of wind effects on a long span roof structure

Full-scale measurements are regarded as the most reliable method to evaluate wind effects on large buildings and structures. Some selected results are presented in this paper from the full-scale measurement of wind effects on a long-span steel roof structure during the passage of Typhoon Fanapi. Some fi eld data, including wind speed and direction, acceleration responses, etc., were continuously and simultaneously recorded during the passage of the typhoon. Comprehensive analysis of the measured data is conducted to evaluate the typhoon-generated wind characteristics and its effects on a long-span steel roof. The fi rst four natural frequencies and their vibration mode shapes of the Guangzhou International Sports Arena(GISA) roof are evaluated by the stochastic subspace identifi cation(SSI) method and comparisons with those from fi nite element(FE) analysis are made. Meanwhile, damping ratios of the roof are also identifi ed by the SSI method and compared with those identifi ed by the random decrement method; the amplitude-dependent damping behaviors are also discussed. The fullscale measurement results are further compared with the corresponding wind tunnel test results to evaluate its reliability. The results obtained from this study are valuable for academic and professional engineers involved in the design of large-span roof structures.     

新疆泥火山群地震前兆异常实时监测与预报的研究

基于网络技术的视频监控服务,实现了对新疆北天山地区3个泥火山点的实时监测,可在线实时查看泥火山活动情况,分析预报人员依据泥火山活动图像可开展地震预测研究。新疆艾其沟泥火山网络视频监控服务系统扑捉到了2次6级地震前火山液面明显的宏观异常变化现象,这说明基于宽带网络技术的网络视频监控服务,可实现互联网用户使用客户端远程软件连接服务器,实现在线实时查看泥火山活动情况的监控画面,并依据泥火山群地震观测网,捕捉泥火山群地震前兆异常。     

On the material invariant of 110°-conjugate angle of shear bands——Reply to Gomez-Rivas and Griera(2015)

After their experimental data were re-explained in terms of the maximum-effective-moment(MEM) criterion, Gomez-Rivas and Griera(2015) challenge the validity of the MEM-Criterion in terms of shear fractures, which have mixed up with shear fractures and shear bands. The two features are similar in appearance but different in deformation mechanism(s). The MEM-criterion proves that ?55? to ?1 are the maximum effective moment directions and the shear bands that formed by material-line(beddings or fabrics) rotation mechanism have a constant conjugate angle of 110?. Theoretically, the 55? or 110? is a material-invariant, and practically, a statistic-invariant or preferred direction with average deviation of ~10?. By this angle, shear bands can be easily recognized from shear fractures with conjugate angle never over 90?. The High-strain deformation in the lozenges usually predates the surrounding shear bands. Two stress states can not coexisted simultaneously in the same place and the resolving ?1′ normal to the related shear zone represents 0–100% deformation partitioning, depending on the original kinematic vorticity of the shear zones.     

The structural characteristics,age of origin,and tectonic attribute of the Erguna Fault,NE China

The Erguna Fault runs along the east bank of the Erguna River in NE China and is a large-scale ductile shear zone comprising granitic mylonites. This paper reports on the geometry, kinematic indicators, and 40Ar/39 Ar biotite ages of the granitic mylonites, to constrain the structural characteristics, forming age, and tectonic attribute of the Erguna ductile shear zone. The zone strikes NE and records a top-to-the-NW sense of shear. A mylonitic foliation and stretching lineation are well developed in the mylonites, which are classified as S-L tectonites. Logarithmic flinn parameters(1.18–2.35) indicate elongate strain which approximates to plane strain. Kinematic vorticity numbers are 0.42–0.92 and 0.48–0.94, based on the polar Mohr diagram and the oblique foliation in quartz ribbons, respectively, suggesting that the ductile shear zone formed under general shear, or a combination of simple and pure shear. According to finite strain and kinematic vorticity analyses, the Erguna Fault is a lengthening-thinning ductile shear zone that formed by extension. The deformation behavior of minerals in the mylonites indicates that the fault was the site of three stages of deformation: an initial stage of middle- to deep-level, high-temperature shear, a post-stress recovery phase of high-temperature static recrystallization, and a final phase of low-temperature uplift and cooling. The 40Ar/39 Ar plateau ages of biotite from the granitic mylonites are 106.16 ± 0.79 and 111.55 ± 0.67 Ma, which constrain the timing of low-temperature uplift and cooling but are younger than the ages of metamorphic core complexes(MCCs) in the Transbaikalia-northeast Mongolia region. Using measured geological sections, microtectonics, estimates of finite strain and kinematic vorticity, and regional correlations and geochronology, we conclude that the Erguna Fault is an Early Cretaceous, NNE-trending, large-scale, sub-horizontal, and extensional ductile shear zone. It shares a similar tectonic background with the MCCs, volcanic fault basins, and large and super-large volcanic-hydrothermal deposits in Transbaikalia-northeast Mongolia and the western Great Khingan Mountains, all of which are the result of overthickened crust that gravitationally collapsed and extended in the Early Cretaceous after plate collision along the present-day Sino-Russia-Mongolia border tract.     

云计算在地震行业信息网络服务中的框架研究与设计

云计算是当前信息网络服务技术研究的重要领域。很多机构、企业开始关注云计算,并评估自身建设云计算平台的可能性。本文通过对云计算技术发展及应用产品的研究,讨论云计算在地震行业信息网络服务中的作用和定位。结合地震行业信息网络服务应用现状,提出中国地震台网中心数据中心私有云平台的简要设计设想,为地震行业建设自有云计算服务平台提供参考模型。     

浙江外北山铝质A1型花岗岩成因：矿物学、年代学、地球化学及Hf同位素制约

外北山碱长花岗岩主要由条纹长石、更钠长石、石英和少量铁质黑云母组成,发育晶洞构造,晶洞由石英晶簇、钾长石充填。在岩石化学上,岩石富SiO2、K2O、FeO、F,贫Al_2O_3、MgO、CaO、P_2O_5;稀土元素组成上,富集REE(ΣREE变化范围为107.4×10~(-6)~330.71×10~(-6)),轻稀土分馏程度明显强于重稀土分馏,Eu负异常明显,稀土元素球粒陨石标准化配分曲线呈现"W"型四分组效应;微量元素上,富Rb、Th、Cs、U、Nb,贫Sr、Ba、P、Eu和Ti,显示出典型的铝质A型花岗岩特征。锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素定年表明,该岩体形成时代为96.2±0.8Ma。与东南沿海其它晚中生代A型花岗岩体相比,外北山碱长花岗岩具有明显偏高的Nb/Ta和较低的Y/Nb比值,属A1型花岗岩。综合分析表明,晚白垩世早期东南沿海岩石圈强烈伸展及多组断裂活化,引发铁镁质下地壳在高温低压贫水的条件下部分熔融产生花岗质岩浆,并在结晶分异过程中受到富F流体的交代作用,形成外北山富Nb的铝质A型花岗岩。