黔北务川—正安—道真地区下二叠统大竹园组和梁山组孢粉学研究

文中材料采自黔北务川—正安—道真地区下二叠统大竹园组和梁山组。大竹园组孢粉化石类型单调,保存较差;而梁山组孢粉化石丰富,保存良好。孢粉组合特征为:(1)大竹园组包含丰富的Calamospora和Florinites及少量Torispora verrucosa,Gulisporites,Alisporites,Hamiapollenites和Striatopodocarpites,这一孢粉组合主要出现在上石炭统至下二叠统。按照大竹园组层位和孢粉化石特征,其地质时代应为早二叠世Asselian期—Artinskian期(相当于紫松期—隆林期)。(2)梁山组中可建立孢粉组合Laevigatosporites vulgaris-Gulisporites-Florinites ovalis,共计发现孢粉化石34属49种,其中蕨类植物孢子含量为51.6％～56.1％,裸子植物花粉含量为43.9％～48.4％。与大竹园组沉积时期相比,这一时期植被极为繁盛。根据孢粉组合特征,梁山组地质时代可能为早二叠世隆林期,即Kungurian期。     

中国及邻区印支运动特征及其意义

通过概要论述印支运动在中国及邻区的表现特征,探讨了印支运动的主要成矿作用,指出印支运动首次使长期以来游离于全球主要大陆外的扬子、中朝、塔里木等小陆块拼合在一起,为新生代大型聚煤盆地的形成奠定了基础,也为燕山期和喜马拉雅山期二次大规模的对流地幔输入大陆事件奠定了重要基础,使之成为中国及邻区大陆上最重要的成矿时期。     

Estimates of potential nitrate reductase activity in sediments: comparisons of two incubation methods and four inhibitors

Sediment samples, collected from a large shallow lake, Taihu, China, were incubated in two conditions (with and without air extraction) with regard to four soil enzyme’s inhibitors (dry and moist heat sterilizations, chloramphenicol and toluene) to estimate the potential nitrate reductase (Nar) activities. The objectives of paper were to define (1) whether to exclude air from the mixture of sediment and substrate solution prior to incubation was necessary, and (2) the efficacy of four inhibitors when assaying the enzyme. No significant difference between two incubation methods was found (P < 0.05), indicating that it is not necessary for estimating the potential Nar activity in the sediment to construct an initial anaerobic condition by air extractions prior to incubation. Toluene (1.0 mL/g sediment) and dry heat sterilization effectively and persistently inhibit the reduction of nitrate to nitrite during the incubation of 42 h. The authors concluded that both should be used as preferred inhibitors. In contrast, chloramphenicol (30 μg/g sediment) and moist heat sterilization inhibitors restrained nitrate reduction for <24 h only. In addition, it was found that no nitrite produced was substantially reduced in 24 h. Therefore, it should be needless for potential Nar activity estimation in the sediment to add 2,4-dinitrophenol to inhibit nitrite reductase.     

Investigating soil thermodynamic parameters of the active layer on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The soil thermodynamic parameters, including thermal conductivity, diffusivity and volumetric capacity within the active layer on the northern Tibetan Plateau, were calculated using the measured data of soil temperature gradient, heat flux, and moisture at four stations from October 2003 to September 2004. The results showed that the soil thermodynamic parameters exhibited clear seasonal fluctuation. The thermal conductivity and diffusivity in summer and autumn at Beiluhe, Kexinling, and Tongtianhe were larger than those in winter. The volumetric thermal capacity causes an opposite change; it was larger in autumn and winter than in summer. In spring, the soil thermal conductivity at the Kekexili station was larger than that in summer. Generally, fine-grained soils and lower saturation degrees in the topsoil might be a reason for the lower soil thermal conductivity in winter. For a given soil, soil moisture was the main factor influencing the thermodynamic parameters. The unfrozen water content that existed in frozen soils greatly affected the soil thermal conductivity, whose contribution rate was estimated to be 55 %. The thermodynamic parameters of frozen soils could be expressed as a function of soil temperature, volumetric ice content and soil salinity, while for the unfrozen ground the soil moisture content is the dominant factor for those thermal parameters. As for the soil thermal diffusivity, there exists a critical value of soil moisture content. When the soil moisture content becomes less than a critical value, the soil thermal diffusivity increases as the soil moisture content rises.     

Controlling factors of the δ 11B-pH proxy and its research direction

Significant boron isotope fractionation occurs in nature (?70 ‰ to +75 ‰) due to the high geochemical reactivity of boron and the large relative mass difference between ¹⁰B and ¹¹B. Since the 1990s, reconstruction of ancient seawater pH using the isotopic composition of boron in bio-carbonates (δ ¹¹B_carb), and then calculation of the past pCO₂ have become important issues for the international isotope geochemistry community, and are called the δ ¹¹B-pH proxy. Although many achievements have been made by this proxy, various aspects of boron systematics require rigorous evaluation. Based on the previous researches, mechanism of boron isotope fractionation, variation of boron isotope (δ ¹¹B) in nature (especially in bio-carbonates) and controlling factors of the δ ¹¹B-pH proxy, such as the dissociation constant of B(OH)₃ in seawater (pK_a), the δ ¹¹B of seawater (δ ¹¹B_SW), the boron isotopic fractionation factor between B(OH) ₄ ^? and B(OH)₃ (α _4–3), and the incorporated species of boron into bio-carbonates, are reviewed in detail and the research directions of this proxy are proposed. Generally, the controversy about pK_a, δ ¹¹B_sw, and α _4–3 is relatively less, but whether boron incorporated into bio-carbonates only in the form of B(OH) ₄ ^? remains doubtful. In the future, it is required that the physicochemical processes that control boron incorporation into carbonates be rigorously characterized and that the related chemical and isotopic fractionation be quantified. It is also necessary and important to establish a “best-fit empirically equation” between δ ¹¹B_carb and pH of seawater based on the precipitation experiments of inorganic or culture experiments of corals or foraminifera. In addition, extended application of the δ ¹¹B-pH proxy to the earlier part of the Phanerozoic relying on the Brachiopods is worthy of studying. Like other geochemical indicators, there are limiting factors of δ ¹¹B; however, it remains a very powerful tool in the reconstruction of past seawater pH at present.     

Satellite-based assessment of large-scale land cover change in Asian arid regions in the period of 2001–2009

Arid regions in Asia are commonly characterized by rapidly growing populations with limited land resources and varying rainfall frequencies under climatic change. Despite being one of the most important environmental challenges in Asia, the changing aridity in this region, particularly due to large-scale land cover change, has not been well documented. In this study, we used rainfall data and a new land heterogeneity index to identify recent trend in land cover changes in the Asian arid regions. The result indicates a significant decreasing trend of barren lands and an increasing trend of vegetated lands. Although the potential land cover change is commonly believed to be strongly sensitive to rainfall change, such sensitivity has not been observed during the nine-year period (2001–2009) analyzed. Through the analyses of two separate periods (2001–2005 and 2005–2009), the sensitivity of rainfall to land cover change in arid regions is found to be dependent on the initial spatial heterogeneity of vegetated land cover. The approach used and the findings in this study represent an important step toward better understanding of large-scale land cover change in the Asian arid regions, and have the potential to predict future land cover change under various climate change scenarios.     

Surface characterization of maize-straw-derived biochars and their sorption performance for MTBE and benzene

Biochars generated at various temperatures might show significant differences in sorption for organic contaminants. In this study, a series of biochars, generated from pyrolyzing maize straws at different temperatures, were systematically characterized. The characterization results showed that with increasing pyrolysis temperature, the surface areas, micropore areas and aromaticity of biochars were enhanced. Batch experiments were conducted to study methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and benzene sorption to biochars. The results indicated that the sorption capacity of benzene to biochars was higher than that of MTBE. The higher pyrolyzed temperature of biochars resulted in a stronger sorption affinity for target compounds, and the dominant sorption mechanisms varied for biochars pyrolyzed at different temperatures. The sorption to biochars pyrolyzed at 700 and 800 °C performed a high adsorption capacity, which indicated that they might be a promising sorbent to remove MTBE and benzene from water. Biochar pyrolyzed at 400 °C showed transitional sorption mechanisms from partition to adsorption for MTBE and benzene. Pore-filling was a possible sorption mechanism to biochars pyrolyzed at high temperature.     

Analysis of the microclimate and CO2 flux characteristics in arid desert wetland ecosystem in summer: A case study in Xihu desert wetland,Dunhuang, China

Xihu desert wetland is an important and unusual environment in China or even in the world. However, until now, little research has been focused on the microclimate and CO₂ flux characteristics in this area. This paper reports the characteristics of daily variations of microclimate and CO₂ flux in the Dunhuang Xihu desert wetland, based on data observed in the desert wetland during a period of continuous fine weather in summer 2012. Results indicate that the characteristics of the micrometeorology were significantly affected by the land–lake breeze during the study period, and updrafts were prevalent in this region. The friction wind speed and the vertical velocity were much greater than those in the Maqu grasslands. The energy budget was strongly imbalanced: the latent heat flux was significantly higher than the sensible flux. The daily mean values of total solar radiation and net radiation were larger than those in Maqu grasslands and Jinta oasis. There was a temperature inversion and inverse humidity gradient in the atmospheric surface layer at night. The desert wetland ecosystem was a carbon sink during the whole of the observation period, and the maximum rate of carbon absorption usually occurred at about 11:00 hr each day in this region.     

西秦岭成矿带中东段金矿床成矿规律和找矿预测

西秦岭近年来在新区发现新矿床和新类型金矿,矿床的地质特征表明金矿成矿受岩性、构造、岩浆活动的制约,许多金矿的地质、地球化学特征显示成矿与岩浆岩在时间和空间上关系密切;分析认为金矿主成矿时间为印支晚期-燕山早期,与区域大规模的岩浆活动在时间上一致;金矿主要有夕卡岩型、热液脉型和与岩浆活动有关的微细浸染型三种类型。矿石矿物元素组合显示由北而南成矿深度变浅、剥蚀程度较低;根据金、汞、锑矿床点和金、砷、锑、银元素分布特征,认为在北带岩体旁侧应注意寻找夕卡岩型和热液脉型金矿,中、南矿带在已知矿床深部注意寻找热液脉型金矿,有锑、汞矿点的区域注意深部及外围金矿的找矿;通过分析,最后圈定18处下一步重点工作区。     

西秦岭岷-礼成矿带岩浆活动与金矿成矿模式探讨

岷-礼成矿带发现较多大型金矿,同时在岩体内发现斑岩型钼矿。金矿床矿石中除有低温矿物外,还有黄铜矿、白钨矿等中-高温矿物,白钨矿在寨上金矿中是载金矿物之一;钼矿中也有黄铜矿、白钨矿矿物;金、钼、钨矿化分带有一定空间关系;金矿床地球化学、稳定同位素、放射性同位素和流体包裹体的研究表明成矿物质,成矿流体有深源特征;中川岩体群的岩石学、年代学、岩石化学、微量元素、稀土元素特征表明岩体为复式岩体,具有壳幔混源特征;据此建立成矿带内受印支-燕山期岩浆活动控制的金矿成矿模式。