Prolonged Dry Episodes over North America: New Tendencies Emerging During the Last 40 Years

A disproportionate increase in precipitation coming from intense rain events, in the situation of general warming (thus, an extension of the vegetation period with intensive transpiration) and an insignificant change in total precipitation could lead to an increase in the frequency of potentially serious type of extreme events: prolonged periods without precipitation (even when the mean seasonal rainfall totals increase). This paper investigates whether this development is already occurring during the past several decades over North America south of 55°N, for the same period when changes in frequency of intense precipitation events are being observed. Lengthy strings of “dry” days without sizeable (>1.0 mm) precipitation were assessed only during the warm season (defined as a period when mean daily temperature is above the 5℃ threshold) when water is intensively used for transpiration and prolonged periods without sizable rainfall represent a hazard for terrestrial ecosystem's health and agriculture. During the past four decades, the mean duration of prolonged dry episodes (20 days or longer in southeastern Canada, 1 month or longer in the Eastern United States and along the Gulf Coast of Mexico and 2 months or longer in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico) has significantly increased. As a consequence, the return period of 1 month long dry episodes over the Eastern U.S. has been reduced more than twofold from 15 to 6~7 years. The longer average duration of dry episodes has occurred during a relatively wet period around most of the continent south of 55°N but is not observed over the Northwestern U.S. and adjacent regions of Southern Canada.      

2006年国家自然科学基金批准项目一览表(地球科学部分)

~~2006年国家自然科学基金批准项目一览表(地球科学部分)~~     

Late Pleistocene large mammal faunas from the Urals

The 121 local faunas of large mammals from Late Pleistocene sites of the South (56–51°N), Middle (59–56°N) and North (64–59°N) Urals have been studied. All local faunas were combined into eight chronological groups on the basis of radiocarbon dates and the evolutionary level of rodents present in them. On the basis of species composition analysis of the faunas, three chronological complexes have been distinguished: Mikulino, Early–Middle Valdai and Late Valdai. The first is characterized by the presence of Hystrix vinogradovi and Ursus thibetanus; the second, by the presence of a large form of horse (Equus (E.) cf. latipes), Crocuta crocuta, Ursus spelaeus and U. savini; the third, by the presence of a small horse (E. uralensis) and absence of U. spelaeus, U. savini and C. crocuta. The latter two complexes were represented by three geographical variants: southern (South Urals), northern (North Urals) and transitional (Middle Urals). Differences between theriocomplexes are related to changes in morphology and areas and extinctions of a series of species. The existence of chronological theriocomplexes and their geographical variants was determined by chronological and geographical change in structure of paleophytocoenoses. It should be noted that the role of human in changes of chronological complexes and species extinctions in the Late Pleistocene has not been demonstrated in the Urals. In the Urals U. savini probably became extinct at the end of the Middle Valdai, C. crocuta at the beginning of the last glacial maximum (LGM), U. spelaeus at the end of the LGM, Coelodonta antiquitatis at the beginning of the Preboreal and Megaloceros giganteus at the middle of the Atlantic.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene small- and large-mammal faunas from the Northern Urals

Data from the mammal fauna of the North Urals during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene are synthesised. Analysis of differentiation the degree of small- and large-mammal faunas during this time has been undertaken. Only differences of mammal species composition were significant between the Late Pleistocene and Holocene complexes, and within these complexes, the distinction between faunas was insignificant. The transition from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene complex small-mammal faunas occurred in the Middle Late Valdai due to expansion of the forest species. In large-mammal faunas, the process was recorded later (in Dryas 3-Early Holocene) because of the extinction of some species and others that changed their areas of occupation.     

Deformation properties of the lithosphere derived from data on recent crustal movements of the earth

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Isoseismals of the strongest Friuli aftershocks of September 1976

Summary Isoseismal maps of the three strongest Friuli aftershocks of September 1976 were compiled using the contributions from European countries within the shaken area. The characteristic features of the macroseismic fields are discussed.     

The response of the total electron content to the interplanetary magnetic sector boundary crossing

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Day-time ionospheric disturbances of corpuscular origin in the midlatitudeD-region

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An Stratigraphische Hiate gebundene Vererzungen in den Tschechoslowakischen Karpaten

During the course of the geotectonic development of the West Carpathians there were ore mineralisation periods, which are associated with different stratigraphical hiatuses. Hematite-magnetite ore was deposited in the first period between the Silurian and the Devonian. In both the Middle and the Upper Carboniferous, some stratiform siderite deposits originated, which were exploited in the vicinity of Dobiná and Mlynky during about the last 100 years. In the Permian, some haematite occurrences, fossil gold placers and uranium-bearing strata were formed, the last of which was exploited. Some minor haematite occurrences are widespread in the Lower Triassic. The same type of occurrence is known in the Upper Triassic and in the Lower Jurassic, too. In the Jurassic, small occurrences of manganese ore are known. Bauxite occurreces were found in the Middle and Upper Cretaceous, but they are very small. More important are the sedimentary manganese deposits, which were deposited in the Middle Eocene. These were exploited during the last 70 years. The fossil gold placers of the east Slovakian, Paleogene flysch series are very interesting from genetic point of view. The small kaoline, bauxite and silicate-nickel occurrences, which are associated with the alteration processes of basic rocks of different age, were found during the Miocene. The Quaternary period is well known for its gold placers, from which those of the Danube river as well as others were exploited in the past.

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Nach einem Vortrag gehalten auf der Tagung des Lagerstättenausschusses der G. D. M. B. und der S. G. A. in Clausthal am 4. / 5. April 1975     

Geological development of Jabal al Akhdar,Libya

The northern Cyrenaic headland situated north of 32 degrees latitude between Benghází and Tubruq was subject of a geological mapping. This paper draws attention to the results of this geological survey concerning Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary facies development, paleogeography, tectonic and geomorphologic evolution.The essential part of the investigated area corresponds to Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountains), a gently uparched plateau built of Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments (mostly limestones, subordinate dolomites and marls). These sediments were deposited at the southern margin of the Tethys sea and were moderately folded, mainly during the intra-Senonian (pre-Campanian) and early Ypresian intervals.From Middle Eocene till Middle Miocene, the area was subject to a slight warping followed by oscillating transgressions of a shallow sea.The youngest tectonic movements resulted in a gentle doming of the area associated with downfaulting of certain zones. Some prominent faults revealed rejuvenated activity, partly with movement inversion. Deep faulting probably controlled the paleogeographic and tectonic development of certain zones.The present gross geomorphology of Jabal al Akhdar roughly corresponds to its final uparching dated after the Middle Miocene. Topographic evolution of the northern slope of the mountains has been importantly influenced by marine erosion. Two broad littoral terraces bordered by cliffs were formed successively.

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Zusammenfassung Die nördliche Cyrenaica nördlich des 32. Breitengrades, zwischen Benghazi und Tobruk, wurde geologisch kartiert. Ergebnisse dieser Aufnahmen sind unten wiedergegeben und umfassen die fazielle Entwicklung der Oberkreide und des Tertiär sowie die paläogeographische, tektonische und geomorphologische Entwicklung.Der wesentliche Teil des untersuchten Gebietes liegt im Djebel el Akhdar. Er repräsentiert ein herausgehobenes Plateau, das sich aus Oberkreide und Tertiärsedimenten (meistens Kalke, untergeordnet Dolomite und Mergel) zusammensetzt. Diese Sedimente wurden am Südrand der Tethys abgelagert und sind vorwiegend während des Senon (Prä-Campan) und frühen Ypresien schwach verfaltet worden.Vom mittleren Eozän bis ins mittlere Miozän wurde das Gebiet teilweise gehoben und von oszillierenden Transgressionen einer Flachsee erfaßt.Die jüngsten tektonischen Bewegungen führten zu einer domartigen Aufwölbung und zu Bruchtektonik entlang bestimmter Zonen. Dabei wurden markante Störungen mehrfach regeneriert, wobei auch inverse Bewegungen nachgewiesen werden konnten. Tiefgreifende Lineamente kontrollierten wahrscheinlich die paläogeographische Situation wie auch die tektonische Entwicklung entlang bestimmter Zonen.Die augenblickliche geomorphologische Ausgestaltung des Djebel el Akhdar korrespondiert mit der zuletzt stattgefundenen Aufwölbung nach dem mittleren Miozän. Die topographische Entwicklung seines nördlichen Randes ist weitgehend beeinflußt durch marine Erosionen. Zwei breite Küstenterrassen — durch Steilküsten begrenzt — haben sich dabei sukzessive herausgebildet.

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Résumé La Cyrénaique septentrionale au Nord du 32ème parallèle, entre Benghazi et Tobrouk, a été l'objet d'un lever géologique. Les résultats donnés ici concernent le développement des facies au Crétacé supérieur et au Tertiaire, ainsi que l'évolution paléogéographique, tectonique et géomorphologique.La plus grande partie du territoire se trouve dans le Djebel el Akhdar, plateau soulevé composé de sédiments du Crétacé supérieur et du Tertiaire (la plupart des calcaires, plus rarement des dolomites et des marnes). Ces sédiments se sont déposés dans la bordure meridionale de la Téthys et furent faiblement plissés principalement au cours du Sénonien (Précampanien) et au début de l'Yprésien.De l'Eocène moyen au Miocène moyen, cette région fut en partie soulevée et soumise à des transgressions oscillatives de mer peu profonde.Les mouvements tectoniques les plus récents ont eu pour conséquence un faible bombement de la région accompagné d'affaissements de certaines zones le long de failles. Certaines failles importantes ont rejoué plusieurs fois, partiellement avec inversion de mouvement. Des failles profondes ont influencé l'évolution paléogéographique et tectonique de certaines zones.La géomorphologie générale actuelle du Djebel el Akhdar correspond grosso-modo a son bombement final d'après le Miocène moyen. L'évolution topographique du versant septentrional de la chaîne a été influencée d'une façon importante par des érosions marines. Il s'est formé successivement deux terraces littorales bordées de falaises.

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