The Important Role Played by Atmospheric Angular Momentum in the Non-linear Prediction of the Variations in the Length of Day

The variation in the length of day has complicated time-varying characteristics and the traditional method for linear time series analysis is always difficult to obtain good effect of prediction. If the non-linear artificial neural network technique is adopted to predict the variation in the length of day, the topological structure of the network model is determined by the least square error method. By taking into account the close relation between the variation in the length of day and the general circulation of atmosphere, the axial sequence of atmospheric angular momentum is introduced into the forecasting model of neural network. The results show that the forecast accuracy is significantly improved by taking advantage of the combination of the length of day and the atmospheric angular momentum sequence in comparison with the individual adoption of the data of the length of day.     

Climate impacts: temperature and electricity consumption

Natural Hazards - One of the aspects of climate change is temperature rise. Temperature rise or fluctuations affect human economic activities and electricity consumption. This paper estimates the...     

Geological characteristics of the Qiaoyue Seamount and associated ultramafic-hosted seafloor hydrothermal system (～52.1°E,Southwest Indian Ridge)

Hydrothermal vent incidence was once thought to be proportional to the spreading rate of the mid-ocean ridges (MORs). However, more and more studies have shown that the ultraslow-spreading ridges (e.g., Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR)) have a relatively higher incidence of hydrothermal venting fields. The Qiaoyue Seamount (52.1°E) is located at the southern side of segment #25 of the SWIR, to the west of the Gallieni transform fault. The Chinese Dayang cruises conducted eight preliminary deep-towed surveys of hydrothermal activity in the area during 2009 and 2018. Here, through comprehensive analyses of the video and photos obtained by the deep-towed platforms, rock samples, and water column turbidity anomalies, a high-temperature, ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal system is predicted on the northern flank of the Qiaoyue Seamount. We propose that this hydrothermal system is most likely to be driven by gabboric intrusions. Efficient hydrothermal circulation channels appear against a backdrop of high rock permeability related to the detachment fault.     

Drying increases organic colloidal mobilization in the karst vadose zone: Evidence from a 15-year cave-monitoring study

Understanding the hydrological processes of colloids within the karst vadose zone is vital to the security of karst groundwater and providing appropriate paleohydrological explanations of colloid-facilitated metals in speleothem. This study addresses the mobilization mechanisms driving colloidal organic matter (COM) transport in the karst vadose zone using a 15-year long monthly monitoring dataset from a cave drip point (HS4) in Heshang Cave, Qingjiang Valley, China. Variations in COM concentrations were reported as the fluorescence difference values of raw and filtered (<0.22 μm) samples at an excitation wavelength of 320 nm and emission wavelength of ~400 nm. A fluorescence humification index (HIX) lower than 0.8 and an autochthonous index (BIX) higher than 1.2 indicated that the origin of COM was mainly from the karst vadose zone, rather than the soil zone. The COM concentration varied from 0.001 to 0.038 Raman Unit (RU), with evident seasonal fluctuations. Rising limbs for COM values occurred prior to rising limbs within a dripwater hydrograph; moreover, the COM peak values corresponding to the beginning of the increasing hydrograph generally suggested that the mobilization of COM reflected the movement of the air–water interface (AWI) in the karst vadose zone rather than rainfall intensity or flow velocity. COM peak values were positively correlated with the antecedent drying duration and negatively correlated with HIX values. These phenomena may be explained by the increased amount of organic matter that was aggregated and absorbed on the surface of carbonate in the karst vadose zone during a longer drying duration. Moreover, the longer drying duration was also beneficial to autochthonous biological activity, which subsequently decreased the HIX value of the organic matter in the karst vadose zone. The movement of AWI and the drying duration are both controlled by the outside weather conditions. This study is therefore conducive to evaluating the security of karst groundwater in response to climate change, and challenges prevailing paleoclimate interpretations of colloid-facilitated metal abundance timeseries reported from speleothems.     

Exploring the stemflow dynamics and driving factors at both inter- and intra-event scales in a typical subtropical deciduous forest

Numerous efforts have been made to understand stemflow dynamics under different types of vegetation at the inter-event scale, but few studies have explored the stemflow characteristics and corresponding influencing factors at the intra-event scale. An in-depth investigation of the inter- and intra-event dynamics of stemflow is important for understanding the ecohydrological processes in forest ecosystems. In this study, stemflow volume (F_V), stemflow funnelling ratio (F_R), and stemflow ratio (F_%) from Quercus acutissima and Broussonetia papyrifera trees were measured at both inter- and intra-event scales in a subtropical deciduous forest, and the driving factors, including tree species and meteorological factors were further explored. Specifically, the F_V, F_R and F_% of Q. acutissima (52.3 L, 47.2, 9.6%) were lower than those of B. papyrifera (85.1 L, 91.2, 12.4%). The effect of tree species on F_V and F_% was more obvious under low intensity rainfall types. At the inter-event scale, F_V had a strong positive linear correlation with rainfall amount (G_P) and event duration (D_E) for both tree species, whereas F_R and F_% had a positive logarithmic correlation with G_P and D_E only under high-intensity, short-duration rainfall type. F_R and F_% were mainly affected by wind speed and the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity under low-intensity, long-duration rainfall type. At the intra-event scale, for both tree species, the mean lag time between the start of rainfall and stemflow was the shortest under high-intensity, short-duration rainfall type, while the mean duration and amount of stemflow after rain cessation were the greatest under high-amount, long-duration rainfall type. The relationship between stemflow intensity and rainfall intensity at the 5-min interval scale also depended greatly on rainfall type. These findings can help clarify stemflow dynamics and driving factors at both inter- and intra-event scales, and also provide abundant data and parameters for ecohydrological simulations in subtropical forests.     

GIS-based Mineral Prospectivity Mapping of Seafloor Massive Sulfide on Ultraslow-spreading Ridges: A Case Study of Southwest Indian Ridge 48.7°–50.5° E

With the depletion of mineral resources on land, seafloor massive sulfide deposits have the potential to become as important for exploration, development and mining as those on land. However, it is difficult to investigate the ocean environment where seafloor massive sulfide deposits are located. Thus, improving prospecting efficiency by reducing the exploration search space through mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM) is desirable. MPM has been used in the exploration for seafloor deposits on regional scales, e.g., the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Arctic Ridge. However, studies of MPM on ultraslow-spreading ridges on segment scales to aid exploration for seafloor massive sulfide have not been carried out to date. Here, data of water depth, geology and hydrothermal plume anomalies were analyzed and the weights-of-evidence method was used to study the metallogenic regularity and to predict the potential area for seafloor massive sulfide exploration in 48.7°–50.5° E segments on the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. Based on spatial analysis, 11 predictive maps were selected to establish a mineral potential model. Weight values indicate that the location of seafloor massive sulfide deposits is correlated mainly with mode-E faults and oceanic crust thickness in the study area, which correspond with documented ore-controlling factors on other studied ultraslow-spreading ridges. In addition, the detachment fault and ridge axis, which reflect the deep hydrothermal circulation channel and magmatic activities, also play an important role. Based on the posterior probability values, 3 level A, 2 level B and 2 level C areas were identified as targets for further study. The MPM results were helpful for narrowing the search space and have implications for investigating and evaluating seafloor massive sulfide resources in the study area and on other ultraslow-spreading ridges.

     

Plate convergence in the Indo-Pacific region

The Indo-Pacific convergence region is the best target to solve the teo remaining challenge s of the plate tectonics theory,i.e.,subduction initiation and the driving force of plate tectonics.Recent studies proposed that the Izu-Bonin subduction initiation belongs to spontaneous initiation,which implies that it started from extension,followed by low angle subduction.Numerical geodynamic modeling suggests that the initiation of plate subduction likely occurred along a transform fault,which put the young spreading ridge in direct contact with old oceanic crust.This,however,does not explain the simultaneous subduction initiation in the west Pacific region in the Cenozoic.Namely,the subduction initiations in the Izu-BoninMariana,the Aleutian,and the Tonga-Kermadec trenches are associated with oceanic crusts of different ages,yet they occurred at roughly the same time,suggesting that they were all triggered by a maj or change in the Pacific plate.Moreover,low angle subduction induces compression rather than extension,which requires external compression forces.Given that the famous Hawaiian-Emperor bending occurred roughly at the same time with the onset of westward subductions in the west Pacific,we propose that these Cenozoic subductions were initiated by the steering of the Pacific plate,which are classified as induced initiation.Induced subduction initiation usually occurs in young ocean basins,forming single-track subduction.The closure s of Neo-Tethys Oceans were likely triggered by plume s in the south,forming northward subductions.Interestingly,the Indian plate kept on moving northward more than 50 Ma after the collision between the Indian and Eurasian continents and the break-off of the subducted oceanic slab attached to it.This strongly suggests that slab pull is not the main driving force of plate tectonics,whereas slab sliding is.     

基于相关分析和自适应遗传算法的盐渍化建模变量和参数优选

机器学习结合遥感等其他数据反演土壤盐分含量（Soil Salt Content, SSC）较少关注对模型精度影响较大的建模特征变量和模型参数的优选。本文基于自适应遗传算法（Adaptive Genetic Algorithm, AGA）同步优选建模特征变量和模型参数的支持向量回归（Support Vector Regression, SVR）算法反演三工河流域2016年SSC,并分析其在不同土地利用类型的分布特征。建模特征变量和模型参数的同步优选及实验设计如下：首先基于Landsat 8 OLI和SRTM高程数据提取7类共40个盐渍化相关因子,经相关分析初步筛选出候选特征变量,分别代入AGA、遗传算法（Genetic Algorithm, GA）和格网搜索算法（Grid Search, GS）同步优选SVR的建模特征变量和模型参数,并建立盐渍化监测模型（AGA-SVR、GA-SVR、GS-SVR）。结果表明：① AGA-SVR精度最优,GA-SVR次之,GS-SVR最差,相较于GS-SVR,AGA-SVR的R²/RMSE提高了44.65%;② 三工河流域非、轻度、中度、重度盐渍地和盐土的面积占比分别为42.83%、11.02%、15.88%、9.22%、21.05%;③ 草地和未利用地主要以非盐渍地和盐土为主,耕地和林地中非盐渍地分布比例均为最大;不同土地利用类型的SSC均值和标准差均呈现未利用地>草地>耕地>林地的规律。本研究的建模特征变量和模型参数的优选方法可在一定程度上提高盐渍化监测的精度。关键词：盐渍化;遗传算法;机器学习;特征优选;参数优化;土壤盐分含量;土地利用;相关分析     

构架航线对无人机影像区域网平差精度影响分析

与三角翼相比,无人机航摄影像像幅小、模型连接性差、质量轻、航摄时姿态不稳定;这些因素导致无人机航摄影像成图精度较差。为了解决该问题,传统航测方法在每两张航摄影像间布设大量控制点,增强模型刚性;GPS辅助空中三角测量通过提高曝光点的点位精度,可以减少控制点的个数,但是由于无人机像幅小,控制点约束范围小,因而仍然需要大量的控制点。针对以上问题,文章在GPS辅助空中三角测量的基础上,通过布设架构航线,进而实现增加影像之间的重叠度,增强模型刚性的目的,从而实现在减少控制点个数的同时,保证无人机航摄影像区域网平差精度的提高。实验表明,该方法与单纯的依赖GPS辅助空三技术相比,在精度相近的基础上能够减少约50%的控制点布设数量,大大减少了外业工作量。     

Enhanced orbit determination for BeiDou satellites with FengYun-3C onboard GNSS data

GPS Solutions - A key limitation for precise orbit determination of BeiDou satellites, particularly for satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO), is the relative weak geometry of ground stations....