Contribution of non-pollen palynomorphs to the paleolimnological study of a high-altitude Andean lake (Laguna Verde Alta,Venezuela)

This paper evaluates the potential usefulness of non-pollen palynomorphs or NPPs (microfossils other than pollen and spores present in palynological preparations) contained in lake sediments in the paleolimnological reconstruction of high altitude environments (>4,000 m) from the Venezuelan Andes. A synthetic, quantitative approach is employed, instead of the classical analytical and mostly qualitative approach commonly used so far for NPPs. The main sources of variation are the Pediastrum–Botryococcus alternation and the relationship between these two algae and animal remains such as Acari legs, postabdomina of Cladocera, mandibles of other invertebrates, and an unknown type called LVA-1. Other significant microfossils are remains of Rivularia-type and turbellarian oocytes, including Gyratrix. The sequence initiates around 15,000 calibrated years before present (cal BP) with the deglaciation of the lake catchment, high water levels and still cold climates. A phase of lower lake levels was recorded between about 12,000 and 6,000 cal BP. Temperatures increased by around 9,000 and 7,000 cal BP, and then decreased until 6,000 cal BP. Since that time, both lake levels and temperature increased again and stabilized at about 4,000 cal BP, when they reach modern-like values. These results show a good agreement with previous studies based on pollen, diatom and oxygen isotope analyses, and provide additional paleoecological information, as for example the possibility of a previously unrecorded Younger Dryas signal. The inclusion of quantitative NPP analysis in routine paleolimnological studies using synthetic methods is thus recommended. Possible future improvements are suggested, mainly those related with the development and use of NPP modern analogs.     

Optimizing Ore–Waste Dig-Limits as Part of Operational Mine Planning Through Genetic Algorithms

Dig-limit optimization is an operational decision making problem that significantly affects the value of open-pit mining operations. Traditionally, dig-limits have been drawn by hand and can be defined as classifying practical ore and waste boundaries suiting equipment sizes in a bench. In this paper, an optimization approach based on a genetic algorithm (GA) was developed to approximate optimal dig-limits on a bench, given grade control data, equipment constraints, processing, and mining costs. A case study was conducted on a sample disseminated nickel bench, in a two destination and single ore-type deposit. The results from using the GA are compared to hand-drawn results. The study shows that GA-based approach can be effectively used for dig-limit optimization.     

发展海洋循环经济浅析

文章从分析我国海洋经济发展存在的问题入手,尝试借鉴循环经济的理念,探讨海洋经济可持续发展的实现途径。通过对发展海洋循环经济的内涵、原则和实现途径等内容的探索式研究,提出发展海洋循环经济的对策与建议。     

2001年1月2 6日印度古杰拉特(Gujarat)Ｍem>Ssub>7.8地震时空破裂过程

从全球数字地震台网的长周期记录中,选择了震中距小于90的27个台站的54个P波震相和44个S波震相资料．首先,用波形反演方法确定了2001年1月26日印度古杰拉特(Gujarat)ＭS7.8地震的地震矩张量、震源机制、震源时间函数和时空破裂过程等震源参数．通过矩张量反演,并根据Kutch Mainland断层的走向、地震烈度的空间分布、余震震源的空间分布和震害的空间分布,确认2001年1月26日印度古杰拉特ＭS7.8地震的发震断层的走向为92、倾角为58、滑动角为62,即一走向近东-西向、断层面向南倾斜、以逆冲为主的左旋-逆断层．这次地震所释放的地震矩为3.51020 Nm,矩震级ＭW＝7.6．然后,借助合成地震图,采用频率域求谱商的方法,得到了依赖于台站方位的27个P波震源时间函数、22个S波震源时间函数以及平均的P波震源时间函数和S波震源时间函数．对震源时间函数的分析表明,这次地震是一次连续的破裂事件,开始比较急遽,但结束比较迟缓,总持续时间约19 s．最后,以所提取的P波和S波震源时间函数为资料,采用时间域的反演技术得到了断层面上滑动的时空分布．滑动量在断层面上的静态分布表明,断层面上的最大滑动量约为7 m．断层面上的最大应力降约为30 MPa,平均应力降约为7 MPa．滑动量大于0.5 m的区域在走向方向长85 km,在断层面倾斜方向宽约60 km(相应地,在深度方向约51 km)．破裂向东扩展约50 km,向西扩展约35 km．滑动量大于0.5 m的区域的主要部分呈椭圆形,其长轴取向与断层滑动方向一致．表明此区域破裂扩展的方向即是断层错动的方向．这种现象对于走滑断层情形是多见的,但对逆冲断层情形却少见．断层面上初始破裂点以东、以上部分面积大于初始破裂点以西、以下部分的面积,这是破裂非对称性的表现,表明破裂具有自西向东、自下向上单侧破裂的特征．从滑动率随时空变化的快照可以看出,滑动率在第4 s达到最大值,此时滑动率约为0.2 m/s,滑动基本上发生在破裂起始点及其周围．从第6 s开始,起始点的破裂基本结束,破裂开始向外围扩展．破裂向西的扩展速度明显小于向东的扩展速度．在第15 s,这种环形的扩展基本结束．自16 s以后,主要是一些零星的破裂点分布在破裂区的外围．从滑动量随时空变化的快照看,破裂自起始点开始后,逐渐向四周扩展．主要的破裂(滑动量大于5 m的区域)在6～10 s,具有明显的自西向东、向上的单侧破裂特征．在第11～13 s,破裂的西端向西、向下有所扩展．整个破裂过程持续约19 s．在整个破裂过程中的平均破裂速度约为3.3 km/s．     

激光荧光遥感系统在地物识别上的应用研究

应用我国自行研制组装的激光荧光遥感系统,测试了包括岩石、土壤、植物、水体以及人工建筑材料在内的各种样品的激光诱导荧光光谱。研究结果表明,应用地物荧光峰的位置、强度及它们的组合指标,不仅能区分上述各基本类型的地物,而且还能往下级单元续分。还表明,激光荧光遥感系统具有相当广泛的应用前景,在某些方面可望超过当前常用的、以反射光谱为基础的被动式遥感。     

On the Retrieval of Volcanic Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from GOME Backscatter Measurements

We focus on the retrieval of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions from an analysis of atmospheric UV backscatter spectra obtained by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) spectrometer on board the ESA European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-2). Here, the last major eruptions of Mt. Etna on Sicily (Italy) in July/August 2001 and October/November 2002 provided an excellent opportunity to study the retrieval of SO₂ columnar amounts from ground-based, LIDAR and satellite measurements. Our study shows that the bulk of emitted SO₂ was confined in the troposphere, mainly between 700 hPa and 400 hPa which is confirmed by trajectory analysis, by LIDAR observations and AVHRR observations. The area of influence of Mt. Etna eruptions ranges from the Western Saharan Desert to Greece and the near east states and even down to the basin of Tschad, Africa. Our analysis revealed that information about the plume height of volcanic eruptions and aerosol parameters is necessary for a reliable quantitative retrieval of SO₂ from space-borne sensor data at periods perturbed by volcanic eruptions.     

Comparison of surface variables from ERA and NCEP reanalysis with station data over eastern China

This study compared precipitation, mean air temperature (MAT) and mean sea level pressure (MSLP) from two widely used reanalysis datasets (ERA-40 and NCEP) with those from observed stations across eastern China. The evaluation was based on a comparison of both temporal and spatial variability and included several assessment criteria such as the mean values, normalized root mean square error, Mann–Kendall test, empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and probability density functions. The results showed that both the ERA-40 and NCEP datasets could capture temporal and spatial variability of the observed precipitation, MAT and MSLP over eastern China. The results showed that the two reanalysis datasets performed better for MAT and MSLP than for precipitation. Overall, the two reanalysis datasets revealed reasonable agreement with observations according to the evaluation. ERA-40 was better at capturing the temporal and spatial distributions for these three variables than NCEP, especially for MAT and MSLP. NCEP tended to overestimate the annual precipitation for both mean and extreme values, while ERA-40 tended to underestimate it, particularly for extreme values. The two reanalysis datasets performed better in the east and northeast regions of the study area than in other regions for capturing the temporal variability of MAT and MSLP. ERA-40 was poor at capturing the temporal variability of precipitation in northeastern China. According to the trend analysis, the two reanalysis datasets showed lower trends for MAT and precipitation and higher trends for MSLP. Both ERA-40 and NCEP had larger explained variances for the first two EOFs than the observed precipitation. This implies that both reanalysis datasets tend to simulate a more uniform spatial distribution for precipitation in the study area.     

Development and evaluation of a storm surge warning system in Taiwan

An operational storm surge forecasting system aimed at providing warning information for storm surges has been developed and evaluated using four typhoon events. The warning system triggered by typhoon forecasts from Taiwan Cooperative Precipitation Ensemble Forecast Experiment (TAPEX) has been executed with two storm surge forecasting scenarios with and without tides. Three numerical experiments applying different meteorological inputs have been designed to assess the impact of typhoon forcing on storm surges. One uses synthetic wind fields, and the others use realistic wind fields with and without adjustments to the initial wind fields for the background circulation. Local observations from Central Weather Bureau (CWB) weather stations and tide gauge stations are used to evaluate the wind fields and storm surges from our numerical experiments. The comparison results show that the accuracy of the storm surge forecast is dominated by the track, the intensity, and the driving flow of a typhoon. When the structure of a typhoon is disturbed by Taiwan’s topography, using meteorological inputs from real wind fields can result in a better typhoon simulation than using inputs from synthetic wind fields. The driving flow also determines the impact of topography on typhoon movement. For quickly moving typhoons, storm forcing from TAPEX is reliable when a typhoon is strong enough to be relatively unaffected by environmental flows; otherwise, storm forcing from a sophisticated typhoon initialization scheme that better simulates the typhoon and environmental flows results in a more accurate prediction of storm surges. Therefore, when a typhoon moves slowly and interacts more with the topography and environmental flows, incorporating realistic wind fields with adjustments to the initial wind fields for the background circulation in the warning system will obtain better predictions for a typhoon and its resultant storm surges.     

高应力区砂岩加卸载条件下能量变化规律及损伤分析

根据高应力区砂岩三轴压缩试验和峰前卸围压试验的结果,分析了砂岩在不同应力路径下的能量变化规律。试验结果表明,相同围压下,峰前卸围压试验的各能量指标(总吸收能、弹性应变能、耗散能)均小于三轴压缩试验,能量变化特征与其初始应力路径密切相关,且随围压的增大而增大。峰前储存的弹性应变能比耗散能多,耗散能只在临近峰值点处才迅速增加。能量的耗散会导致岩石产生损伤,并且使岩性劣化、丧失强度,从能量角度定义的损伤变量,可以得出结论:开始卸荷低围压下的损伤变量大于高围压下,临近破坏时高围压下的损伤变量大于低围压下;卸围压使岩样束缚减小,加速了损伤的发展,岩样所受的应力状态愈趋不平衡。因此,基于能量的角度来表征岩石的损伤演化更符合实际。