Dust supply from river floodplains: the case of the lower Huang He (Yellow River) recorded in a loess–palaeosol sequence from the Mangshan Plateau

The Mangshan Plateau is located on the south bank of the Huang He (Yellow River) just west of the city of Zhengzhou, well outside the Loess Plateau in central China. Mixing models of the grain‐size data indicate that the loess deposits are mixtures of three loess components. Comparison of the mixing model with existing models established for a series of loess–palaeosol sequences from the Loess Plateau indicates that the Mangshan loess has been supplied from a proximal dust source, the Huang He floodplain, during major dust outbreaks. The high accumulation rates, the composition of the loess components, and especially the high proportions of a sandy loess component support this. Owing to the exceptionally high accumulation rates, the Mangshan grain size, magnetic susceptibility and carbonate records provide a high‐resolution archive of environmental and climate change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of Electric Currents Associated with Two M-Class Flares

Using one-minute cadence vector magnetograms from Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), we analyze the temporal behavior of derived longitudinal electric currents associated with two flares on July 26, 2002. One of the events is an M1.0 flare which occurred in active region NOAA 10044, while the other is an M8.7 flare in the adjacent region 10039. Rapid changes of magnetic fields in the form of flux emergence are found to be associated with both of these events. However, the temporal behavior of electric currents are very different. For the M1.0 flare, the longitudinal electric current density drops rapidly near the flaring neutral line; while for the M8.7 flare, the current density rapidly increases, confirming the picture of the current-carrying flux emergence. We offer a possible explanation for such a difference: magnetic reconnection at different heights for the two events, near the photosphere for the M1.0 flare, and higher up for the M8.7 flare.     

Prediction Test for the Two Extremely Strong Solar Storms in October 2003

In late October and early November 2003, a series of space weather hazard events erupted in solar-terrestrial space. Aiming at two intense storm (shock) events on 28 and 29 October, this paper presents a Two-Step method, which combines synoptic analysis of space weather–`observing’ and quantitative prediction – ‘palpating’, and uses it to test predictions. In the first step, ‘observing’, on the basis of observations of the source surface magnetic field, interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and ACE spacecraft, we find that the propagation of the shock waves is asymmetric and northward relative to the normal direction of their solar sources due to the large-scale configuration of the coronal magnetic fields, and the Earth is located near the direction of the fastest speed and greatest energy of the shocks. Being two fast ejection shock events, the fast explosion of extremely high temperature and strong magnetic field, and background solar wind velocity as high as 600 and 1000 km s⁻¹, are also helpful to their rapid propagation. According to the synoptic analysis, the shock travel times can be estimated as 21 and 20 h, which are close to the observational results of 19.97 and 19.63 h, respectively. In the second step, ‘palpating’, we adopt a new membership function of the fast shock events for the ISF method. The predicted results here show that for the onset time of the geomagnetic disturbance, the relative errors between the observational and the predicted results are 1.8 and 6.7%, which are consistent with the estimated results of the first step; and for the magnetic disturbance magnitude, the relative errors between the observational and the predicted results are 4.1 and 3.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the comparison among the predicted results of our Two-Step method with those of five other prevailing methods shows that the Two-Step method is advantageous in predicting such strong shock event. It can predict not only shock arrival time, but also the magnitude of magnetic disturbance. The results of the present paper tell us that understanding the physical features of shock propagation thoroughly is of great importance in improving the prediction efficiency.     

Microwave Type III Burst Group in the 1993 October 2 Flare

Microwave Type III bursts with positive frequency drifting rate were found by Stahli and Benz (1987) for first time. Type III events are especially interesting because they are well-known to be signatures of electron beams in coronal plasma, and they are effective means for diagnosting of source plasma. A microwave burst consisting of some microwave type III burst groups was registered at Beijing Astronomical Observatory with the 2545–2645–2840 MHz synchronous observing system. The distributions of frequency drifting rate, half power duration, and intensity for each impulse in the groups have been statistically analysed. From this analysis, some important parameters for the dynamic process in the flare are deduced and discussed.     

STRESS CORROSION CRACKING OF AISI 321 STAINLESS STEEL IN ACIDIC SEAWATER

ImooUonONSCCisoneofthemosttwortantcausoffailureofstaiuleSsstalequipmentandfacilitieS.Studiesonunh0refacilitiesshowedthatanaddicchloridesolutionfilmcouldbefo~onthescheeofstalandthatstaiuleSSstalisinaCtivedissolutionstateinaedicchloridesolutionopinetal.,l99O;Gnanamoorthyetal.,l99O).ltisgenerallythoughtxthatSCCcannotoimrwhenthematerialisinaCtiveanodicdissolutionstate,soitsomcewithresultingcasualties(0ldfieldetal.,l99O)arousedattentiont0it.SomeSCCmeCanisrnsproposedpeuang,l988,Newmanctal.,…     

台湾海峡西岸重力场变化梯度场图像分析

讨论了应用曲面拟合技术和利用离散的重力观测点的重力变化对特定研究区的重力场变化进行数值模拟以获取该区重力变化空间梯度场图像的具体方法;并应用该方法获得了2004年3月福建安溪3.6级地震前的重力变化空间梯度场图像,发现空间梯度场图像能清晰地反映出地震前重力场群体性变化的差异性;利用此方法对2005年6月~2006年3月间台湾海峡西岸重力场变化进行数值模拟,获得其空间梯度场图像。     

长诏断裂带垂直运动与地震关系初探

利用跨断层短水准资料分析了长诏断裂带断层活动特征，结果表明：长诏断裂带总体活动性质基本相同．分时段活动性质有所不同。断层各段多数以压性逆断为主，不同于历史地质考察结果。此外，长诏断裂带各断裂都具有分段活动特点。     

Sources of ore-forming fluids and metallic materials in the Jinwozi lode gold deposit,eastern Tianshan Mountains of China

This paper presents gas compositions and H-, O-isotope compositions of sulfide- and quartz-hosted fluid inclusions, and S-, Pb-isotope compositions of sulfide separates collected from the principal Stage 2 ores in Veins 3 and 210 of the Jinwozi lode gold deposit, eastern Tianshan Mountains of China. Fluid inclusions trapped in quartz and sphalerite are dominantly primary. H-and O-isotopic compositions of pyrite-hosted fluid inclusions indicate two major contributions to the ore-forming fluid that include the degassed magma and the meteoric-derived but rock ¹⁸O-buffered groundwater. However, H- and O-isotopic compositions of quartz-hosted fluid inclusions essentially suggest the presence of groundwater. Sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions show considerably higher abundances of gaseous species CO₂, N₂, H₂S, etc. than quartz-hosted ones. The linear trends among inclusion gaseous species reflect the mixing tendency between the gas-rich magmatic fluid and the groundwater. The relative enrichment of gaseous species in sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions, coupled with the banded ore structure indicating alternate precipitation of quartz with sulfide minerals, suggests that the magmatic fluid has been inputted to the ore-forming fluid in pulsation. Sulfur and lead isotope compositions of pyrite and galena separates indicate an essential magma derivation for sulfur but the multiple sources for metallic materials from the mantle to the bulk crust.

     

Virtual Huanghe River System： Framework and Technology

1 Introduction Huanghe (Yellow) River basin is located in 32°–42°N, 96°–119°E. The area of the catchment is more than 752,000km2. The river is 5464km long with a drop in elevation of 4830m. Among the whole area, the moun- tainous and stone area accounts for 29%, loess and hills area 46%, sandy area 11% and plain area 14%, respec- tively. Different natural landscapes exist in this area. The Huanghe River flows through the Loess Plateau, where the soil is eroded seriously (Wang, 2002;…