AREMS/973模式系统对2004年中国汛期降水实时预报检验

2004年夏季5～8月，AREMS/973模式系统投入了业务运行，模式区域主要覆盖了中国大陆及周边临近地区，该模式系统基于中国气象局MICAPS/9210业务数据平台，每天2次、完全自动的实时预报24 h累积降水。作者主要对每日0000 UTC时起报的24 h累积降水预报场进行综合检验，由此对AREMS/973模式系统的24 h降水预报能力给予客观的评价。AREMS/973模式系统对于中国汛期降水具有很强的预报能力，其24 h 累积降水的月总降水分布很好地反应了汛期各时期主雨带的位置、强度及范围，同时该模式系统能够准确预报出独立降水事件的发生和发展，其中，长江中下游和东北地区预报降水与观测降水的时间位相吻合最好；除了5月和8月华北地区、5月西南东部地区、以及5月和6月长江中下游地区，AREMS/973模式系统预报的降水强度总体上弱于观测降水强度，且对于25 mm 以上量级的降水过程， 模式预报的降水范围小于观测降水范围。AREMS/973模式系统预报降水的能力随着降水量级的增大而减小，降水量级愈大，模式预报技巧愈低，对于50 mm 以上量级的降水过程，模式系统预报降水事件的发生概率类似于随机偶然事件的发生概率。5月，长江中下游地区降水预报略优于其他地区，其次是华南地区，6月雨带北移至江南和江淮地区，此时，长江中下游地区降水预报显著优于其他地区，7月末至8月华北雨季开始，降水预报最优区北移至华北地区，即AREMS/973模式系统降水预报最优区随着雨带的北移而北移，主雨带所在区域往往也是模式降水预报最优的地区。作者对此进行了初步探讨。     

What Kind of Assessment for What Kind of Geography? Advanced Placement Human Geography*

This article raises awareness of the recently introduced Advanced Placement course in Human Geography by describing the design and management of assessment in the course. Standards are maintained through the choice of assessment instrument, the development of test items, scoring, and grade‐setting. The article contributes to a deeper understanding of the opportunities and threats of standardized testing within geography.     

Global Measurement of Sea Surface Temperature from Space: Some New Perspectives

The measurement of global sea surface temperature (SST) from space is well established with 20 years of useful data already acquired, but the more stringent sampling requirements and the higher degree of accuracy now demanded for applications in both climate monitoring and operational oceanography are increasingly difficult to meet with the standard meteorological polar orbiting sensors that have been the basic sensors used for global SST mapping. The established methods and sensors for measuring SST, both in situ and in space, are reviewed, compared, and their major limitations are identified. Mention is made of phenomena which complicate an apparently simple measurement, including diurnal stratification, the presence of clouds and the contamination of the stratosphere by volcanic aerosols. Recent developments in remote sensing of SST are mentioned, noting the improved microwave sensors now becoming available, the calibrated infrared sensors planned for geostationary platforms, and weighing the benefits of merging these data. The conventional buoy-calibration of SST measurements from space is complicated by the variable thermal structure of the upper few metres of the ocean. The recent improvement of radiometers for ship deployment has led to better understanding of the thermal skin of the ocean which suggests a new approach for the validation of SST algorithms based on radiation transfer models. Finally, a future strategy is outlined for combining measurements from many types of sensor in order to achieve the required accuracy and sampling rate of SST data products, and to identify some of the remaining scientific challenges in this field.     

Seismic design of space steel frames using advanced methods of analysis

A rational and efficient seismic design methodology for regular space steel frames using an advanced time domain finite element method of analysis that takes into account geometrical and material nonlinearities is presented. Seismic loads are applied in the form of Eurocode 8 spectrum compatible real accelerograms along the two horizontal directions of the frame. The iterative design procedure starts with assumed member sections, continues with the response checks for the damage, ultimate and service limit states and ends with the adjustment of member sizes so as all the response checks to be satisfied for all limit states. Thus, the proposed design method deals with nonlinearities and member interactions at the global level and consequently separate member capacity checks through the interaction equations of Eurocode 3 or the usage of the conservative and crude q-factor of Eurocode 8 are not required. Two numerical examples dealing with the design of (a) a space three storey steel frame with one bay in both horizontal directions and (b) a space seven storey steel frame with two and three bays along its two horizontal directions are presented to illustrate the method and demonstrate its advantages.     

Sulfur-poor intense acid hydrothermal alteration: A distinctive hydrothermal environment

A fundamentally distinct, sulfide-poor variant of intense acid (advanced argillic) alteration occurs at the highest structural levels in iron oxide-rich hydrothermal systems. Understanding the mineralogy, and geochemical conditions of formation in these sulfide-poor mineral assemblages have both genetic and environmental implications. New field observations and compilation of global occurrences of low-sulfur advanced argillic alteration demonstrates that in common with the sulfide-rich variants of advanced argillic alteration, sulfide-poor examples exhibit nearly complete removal of alkalis, leaving a residuum of aluminum-silicate + quartz. In contrast, the sulfur-poor variants lack the abundant pyrite ± other sulfides, hypogene alunite, Al-leached rocks (residual “vuggy” quartz) as well as the Au-Cu-Ag ± As-rich mineralization of some sulfur-rich occurrences. Associated mineralization is dominated by magnetite and/or hematite with accessory elements such as Cu, Au, REE, and P. These observations presented here indicate there must be distinct geologic processes that result in the formation of low-sulfur advanced argillic styles of alteration.Hydrolysis of magmatic SO₂ to sulfuric acid is the most commonly recognized mechanism for generating hypogene advanced argillic alteration, but is not requisite for its formation. Low sulfur iron-oxide copper-gold systems are known to contain abundant acid-styles of alteration (e.g. sericitic, chloritic), which locally reaches advanced argillic assemblages. A compilation of mapping in four districts in northern Chile and reconnaissance observations elsewhere show systematic zoning from near surface low-sulfide advanced argillic alteration through chlorite-sericite-albite and locally potassic alteration. The latter is commonly associated with specular hematite-chalcopyrite mineralization. Present at deeper structural levels are higher-temperature styles of sodic-calcic (oligoclase/scapolite – actinolite) alteration associated with magnetite ± chalcopyrite mineralization. These patterns are in contrast to the more sulfur-rich examples which generally zone to higher pyrite and locally alunite-bearing alteration.Fluid inclusion evidence from the systems in northern Chile shows that many fluids contain 25 to >50 wt% NaCl_eq with appreciable Ca, Fe, and K contents with trapping temperatures >300 °C. These geological and geochemical observations are consistent with the origin of the low-sulfur advanced argillic assemblages from HCl generated by precipitation of iron oxides from iron chloride complexes from a high-salinity fluid by reactions such as 3FeCl₂ + 4H₂O = Fe₃O₄ + 6HCl + H₂. Such HCl-rich (and relatively HSO₄⁼-poor) fluids can then account for the intense acid, Al-silicate-rich styles of alteration observed at high levels in some iron-oxide-coppe-gold (IOCG) systems. The geochemical differences between the presence of sulfide-rich and sulfur-poor examples of advanced argillic alteration are important to distinguishing between system types and the acid-producing capacity of the system, including in the modern weathering environment. They have fundamental implications for effective mineral exploration in low-sulfur systems and provide yet another vector of exposed alteration in the enigmatic IOCG clan of mineral deposits. Furthermore, understanding the geochemistry and mineralogy of this distinct geologic environment has applications to understanding the acid generating capacity and deleterious heavy metals associated with advanced argillic alteration.     

峡东区上震旦统陡山沱组发现宏体化石

峡东区上震旦统陡山沱组顶部发现宏体化石,包括高级藻类和蠕虫类,共8属10种,其中有些分类未定的化石。这从形态学上证明了后生藻类植物的分化及第一次为后生动物在陡山沱期的存在提供了可信的证据。这是一次有突破性的发现。