The diagenetic geochemistry and contamination assessment of iron,cadmium, and lead in the sediments from the Shuangtaizi estuary,China

Sediment and pore water samples have been collected from the coastal tidal flat in the Shuangtaizi estuary, China, in order to investigate the geochemical behavior of iron, cadmium, and lead during diagenesis and to assess the degree of contamination. The calculated enrichment factors and geoaccumulation indices for separate elements show that anthropogenic activities have had no significant influence on the distribution of Fe and Pb in the study area, whereas the distribution of Cd has been closely influenced in this way. The high percentage of exchangeable Cd (average of 56.34%) suggests that Cd represents a potential hazard to benthic organisms in the estuary. The calculated diffusive fluxes of metals show that the most mobilized metal is Fe (9.22 mg m^?2 a^?1), followed by Cd (0.54 mg m^?2 a^?1) and Pb (0.42 mg m^?2 a^?1). Low Fe²⁺ contents in surface pore water, alongside high chromium-reducible sulfur contents, and low acid-volatile sulfur, and elemental sulfur contents at 0–25 cm depth in sediments show that Fe²⁺ is formed by the reduction of Fe oxides and is transformed first to a solid phase of iron monosulfides (FeS) and eventually to pyrite (FeS₂). The release of adsorbed Pb due to reductive dissolution of Fe/Mn oxides during early diagenesis could be a source of Pb²⁺ in pore water. From the relatively low total organic carbon contents measured in sediments (0.46–1.28%, with an average of 0.94%) and the vertical variation of Cd²⁺ in pore water, sulfide or Fe/Mn oxides (instead of organic matter) are presumed to exert a significant influence on carrying or releasing Cd by the sediments.     

Calibrating the GOCE accelerations with star sensor data and a global gravity field model

A reliable and accurate gradiometer calibration is essential for the scientific return of the gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE) mission. This paper describes a new method for external calibration of the GOCE gradiometer accelerations. A global gravity field model in combination with star sensor quaternions is used to compute reference differential accelerations, which may be used to estimate various combinations of gradiometer scale factors, internal gradiometer misalignments and misalignments between star sensor and gradiometer. In many aspects, the new method is complementary to the GOCE in-flight calibration. In contrast to the in-flight calibration, which requires a satellite-shaking phase, the new method uses data from the nominal measurement phases. The results of a simulation study show that gradiometer scale factors can be estimated on a weekly basis with accuracies better than 2 × 10⁻³ for the ultrasensitive and 10⁻² for the less sensitive axes, which is compatible with the requirements of the gravity gradient error. Based on a 58-day data set, scale factors are found that can reduce the errors of the in-flight-calibrated measurements. The elements of the complete inverse calibration matrix, representing both the internal gradiometer misalignments and scale factors, can be estimated with accuracies in general better than 10⁻³.     

The modeled atmospheric and oceanic response to the South China Sea SST anomaly

The sensitivity of the global atmospheric and oceanic response to sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) throughout the South China Sea (SCS) is investigated using the Fast Ocean-Atmosphere Model (FOAM). Forced by a warming SST, the experiment explicitly demonstrates that the responses of surface air temperature (SAT) and SST exhibit positive anomalous center over SCS and negative anomalous center over the Northern Pacific Ocean (NPO). The atmospheric response to the warm SST anomalies is characterized by a barotropical anomaly in middle-latitude, leading to a weak subtropical high in summer and a weak Aleutian low in winter. Accordingly, Indian monsoon and eastern Asian monsoon strengthen in summer but weaken in winter as a result of wind convergence owing to the warm SST. It is worth noting that the abnormal signals propagate poleward and eastward away in the form of Rossby Waves from the forcing region, which induces high pressure anomaly. Owing to action of the wind-driven circulation, an anomalous anti-cyclonic circulation is induced with a primary southward current in the upper ocean. An obvious cooling appears over the North Pacific, which can be explained by anomalous meridional cold advection and mixing as shown in the analysises of heat budget and other factors that affect SST.     

2011年全球重大天气气候事件及其成因

2011年,全球气温偏高,为有观测记录以来的第十个暖年,是近60年来出现拉尼娜事件的年份中全球气温最高的一年。2011年,全球热带气旋活动较常年偏少。4月,一次拉尼娜事件结束,9月又一次拉尼娜事件生成。年初,低温、寒流席卷亚洲大部,暴风雪频繁袭击北美地区。西欧和中国东部出现严重春旱。夏季,非洲东部经历了20世纪80年代以来最严重的干旱,而东南亚、巴基斯坦和中南美洲洪涝灾害严重。全球极端偏暖事件主要出现在欧洲西部和西北部、南亚南部、东亚中西部、北美东南部等地;极端偏冷事件主要出现在东亚、澳大利亚、非洲南部和美国东北部和西部等地。而南美中东部、东南亚及中国东南部、日本、澳大利亚北部、非洲西部等地出现了极端强降水事件。研究发现,2010／2011年拉尼娜事件和台风活动是导致东南亚洪涝出现的重要原因,而巴基斯坦洪涝主要与印度洋正位相偶极型海温分布有关。     

长江宜昌段水系沉积物镉高值带成因

应用贡献因子和富集因子等方法对长江宜昌段水系沉积物Cd的来源进行研究,结果表明：研究区内地层对宜昌段水系沉积物Cd的贡献由大到小依次为：震旦系>二叠系>泥盆系>志留系;前震旦系、寒武系、奥陶系、三叠系、侏罗系和白垩系地层则对长江宜昌段Cd高值带的形成有一定的削弱作用。利用贡献因子、富集因子和MapGIS空间分析综合研究表明,震旦系和二叠系含矿富Cd地层的风化产物是长江宜昌段Cd高值带的主要自然来源。区内锌矿、煤矿和磷矿开采过程中的尾砂、废水的堆积和排放是长江宜昌段Cd高值带的重要人为污染源。     

Detection of the Long Period Long Duration (LPLD) Events in Time-and Frequency-Domain

Long Period Long Duration (LPLD) signals are unusual seismic events that can be observed during hydraulic fracturing. These events are very similar in appearance to tectonic tremors sequences, which were first observed in subduction zones. Their nature is not well known. LPLD might be related to the productivity of the reservoir. Different methods of the LPLD events’ detection recorded during hydraulic fracturing are presented. The author applied two methods for LPLD detection–Butterworth filtering and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). Additionally, a new approach to LPLD events detection–instantaneous seismic attributes–was used, common in a classical seismic interpretation but not in microseismic monitoring.     

Analytical investigation of bidirectional ductile diaphragms in multi-span bridges

In the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Seismic Bridge Design Provisions,ductile diaphragms are identified as Permissible Earthquake-Resisting Elements(EREs),designed to help resist seismic loads applied in the transverse direction of bridges.When adding longitudinal ductile diaphragms,a bidirectional ductile diaphragm system is created that can address seismic excitations acting along both the bridge’s longitudinal and transverse axes.This paper investigates bidirectional ductile diaphragms with Buckling Restrained Braces(BRBs)in straight multi-span bridge with simply supported floating spans.The flexibility of the substructures in the transverse and longitudinal direction of the bridge is considered.Design procedures for the bidirectional ductile diaphragms are first proposed.An analytical model of the example bridge with bidirectional ductile diaphragms,designed based on the proposed methodology,is then built in SAP2000.Pushover and nonlinear time history analyses are performed on the bridge model,and corresponding results are presented.The effect of changing the longitudinal stiffness of the bidirectional ductile diaphragms in the end spans connecting to the abutment is also investigated,in order to better understand the impact on the bridge’s dynamic performance.     

The fish fauna of the Late Jurassic Solothurn Turtle Limestone (NW Switzerland)

The surroundings of Solothurn (NW Switzerland) have been known for their fossil marine turtles since the beginning of the nineteenth century. In more recent history, access to the fossil bearing layers i.e. the Rätschenbank (Kimmeridgian, Late Jurassic) has not been possible until 1986 when one of the old quarries in the area re-opened. A series of excavations from 1986 to 1989 provided new material and a unique opportunity to re-investigate the fish fauna of the Solothurn Turtle Limestone that has not been dealt with since Agassiz (1833–1844). Examination and classification of the Solothurn specimens, mainly jaw fragments and teeth, furnished 11 species in 6 major groups: chimaeras (Ischyodus), selachians (Hybodus, Paracestracion, Asteracanthus), semionotids (Lepidotes), pycnodontids (Gyrodus, Proscinetes), caturids and oligopleurids (Caturus, Callopterus, Ionoscopus), and aspidorhynchids (Belonostomus).     

VLBI软件相关处理机系统中的数据预处理方法

在绕月探测工程VLBI数据处理中心的软件相关处理机系统中，各VLBI观测站采集的原始数据必须经过预处理才能进行相关处理与条纹搜索等运算。处理机预处理模块对来自各个观测站的MARK5观测数据进行模式判别、寻找同步头、计算CRC校验码、时间同步等操作，生成时间长度为1min的标准Linux文件，并存放于硬盘阵列上，供相关处理和条纹搜索使用。预处理模块和软件相关处理模块、条纹搜索模块协调配合，保证了软件相关处理机系统在准实时和事后两种观测模式下的性能指标。