辽西四合屯脊椎动物集群死亡事件：火山爆发的灾变记录

辽西北票以ConfuciusornisSinosauropteryxZhangheotherium为代表的四合屯脊椎动物组合发现于义县组下部湖相沉积中,时代为早白垩世Barremian中期(J—K界线144 Ma)或Valanginian晚期(J—K界线136 Ma)。化石包括鱼类、两栖类、爬行类、鸟类和哺乳类及无脊椎动物和被子植物,孔子鸟类群和具“羽毛”的小型兽脚类恐龙共生。野外发掘表明,化石完整地保存骨骼硬体及羽毛、食物、胃石、卵等软体及生理组织,确认多次非正常生物集群死亡事件。在四合屯发掘剖面上,含化石正常沉积的湖相页岩与火山喷发事件形成的沉凝灰岩互层,中酸性火山爆发形成的环境突变效应是导致脊椎动物集群死亡的主要原因。     

长江三峡库区全新世环境考古研究进展

充分利用长江三峡工程文物抢救性发掘的宝贵机会,通过对重庆市忠县中坝遗址、丰都县玉溪遗址等典型遗址和神农架大九湖泥炭地层环境考古研究,摸索出了一套利用年代学、沉积学、重矿物组分鉴定、锆石形态统计、地球化学和环境磁学方法辨别考古遗址地层中古洪水沉积的方法;建立了该区地表孢粉-气候的转换函数,并将其用于对神农架大九湖泥炭地层的研究,弄清了该区全新世以来环境演变的背景,并将自然沉积地层环境演变记录与典型考古遗址地层古洪水事件作了对比分析。遗址时空分布研究表明:长江三峡库区旧石器时代至宋代677处遗址时空分布总趋势是从西往东、从高往低逐渐增加的,遗址多沿江河分布,且在河流交汇处呈聚集状态,这与人类多选择河流1～2级阶地为生、河流交汇处鱼类资源丰富有关。研究表明:中坝遗址能延续5000a的原因一方面与其盐业遗址的属性有关,另一方面与其长期具有良好生态环境有关。从该遗址T0202探方出土近20万件动物骨骼的分类统计证明了这一点。7.6kaBP以来,水位在吴淞高程147.024m以上的古洪水至少在玉溪遗址T0403探方中留下了16次沉积记录。神农架大九湖297cm厚的泥炭及其148个孢粉样品和10个AMS14C测年数据表明,该泥炭地层为本项目提供了理想的全新世自然环境演变背景,尤其8.2kaBP前后的降温事件很明显,6.7～4.2kaBP为中全新世最适宜期,4.2kaBP前后由暖湿转为凉干,3.5～0.9kaBP季风降水整体较弱,0.9kaBP前后转为较凉湿。根据对中坝和玉溪两处遗址地层的研究,在8.2～6.7kaBP期间出现有10个古洪水层;在6.7～4.2kaBP全新世最适宜期遗址地层中出现有8个古洪水层;在3.5～0.9kaBP降水减少的时期,中坝遗址中仅出现2个洪水层(即西周时期的37-1和战国早期的第21层);在0.9kaBP以来降水较多的时期,中坝遗址中存在3个洪水层(即宋代中期的11C-1层、清代的5-1层和1981年的2B-2层)。这表明,8.2～6.7kaBP的洪水在三峡地区次数是最多的,6.7～4.2kaBP的洪水数量次之。长江三峡库区的这一古洪水发生规律或许可以解释长江中游的江汉平原在7.8～5.1kaBP期间遗址数量偏少的原因。     

Evolution Features of Depositional and Tectonic Setting from Late Paleozoic to Meso-Cenozoic in the Yong' an Basin

永安盆地发育在前泥盆纪基底之上,位于华夏块体南缘,沿NE向政和—大埔断裂带展布.利用层序地层学方法,辅之以野外调查,研究了永安盆地的地层序列和岩石组合:①对晚古生代至早三叠世地层格架及柱状剖面的分析表明,伴随海平面的升降,海相沉积序列具有阶段性,不同沉积相在盆地东、中、西区段分布不均,盆地沉积沉降中心大致位于龙岩和梅县地区;②对横贯盆区的地质剖面及盆内辅助剖面的研究表明,中—新生代,盆内以断块作用为主,改造了晚古生代地层,代之以断褶复合地层;③有机碳质层为盆地的海陆变迁作了时域界定,并且其赋存部位和形态也在空间上表征了盆地构造演化的力学机制.通过分析构造事件、古地理及物源区、深部构造、边界构造等盆地要素,研究了盆地的沉积构造环境演化及其应力机制,结果表明:①晚古生代,海进海退的快慢受控于不同时期构造事件的强弱变化,由此产生的沿岸隆起区的剥蚀以及拉张背景的山体风化剥蚀为盆地提供了物源,存在北、南两个物源区;中—新生代,盆地总体为火山活动背景下的山前及河湖相沉积环境.②盆地具有隆起—伸展构造发育的特点,主要经历了华力西期海陆交互相巨厚沉积阶段,印支期稳定的台地向活动大陆边缘转变阶段并伴随挤压隆升,以及印支期后中—新生代由挤压向拉张机制转换的构造改造阶段.以上认识为中国东南部盆地的薄弱基础研究提供了新的基础参考信息.     

宁夏地表湿润状况及极端干湿事件演变规律

利用宁夏1961—2004年月平均气温、月降水量资料,计算了地表湿润指数,以此为基础对宁夏地表湿润状况及极端干湿事件的分布特征进行了较为深入的研究。结果表明:近40多年来,宁夏大致经历了冷湿期、冷干期、暖干期;自20世纪60年代以来,宁夏年极端干旱频率有增加的趋势,极端湿年高频区逐渐缩小; 80年代以来,宁夏极端干旱年事件高频区明显扩大;不同气候型态下,极端干湿事件频率具有明显差异,冷干期极端干旱事件最多,极端湿润事件最少,冷湿期极端干旱频率最小,极端湿润频率最大。     

Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) recorded in the northern margin of Africa as possible oil and gas shale potential in Tunisia: An overview

Abstract

Significant attention has been given, during the last decade, to Palaeozoic unconventional oil and gas shale in northern Africa where the productive Palaeozoic basins are located. New tentative strategies shed light on Mesozoic unconventional plays represented by Cretaceous shale reservoirs. In most petroleum systems the proven Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events (OAEs), represented mainly by the Fahdene and Bahloul Formations, played the main role in hydrocarbon generation with good distribution. Their deposition was restricted to the early Aptian (Bedoulian), the early/late Albian, and the Cenomanian–Turonian transition. Additional black shales have been detailed for the first time in Tunisia which relate to the Valanginian Weissert and late Hauterivian Faraoni events. Biostratigraphic and complete geochemical reviews have been undertaken from published papers and unpublished internal reports to better assess these important source intervals. These black shale levels, pertaining to OAEs, were deposited in almost deep marine environments during short-lived periods of anoxia (ca. 2 Ma). In the course of this review, thickness, distribution, and maturity maps have been established for each level using well data from published sources.     

Meteorological Office, Pune-411 005

Natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, tropicalcyclones, heat and cold wavewreak havoc and cause tremendous loss ofproperty all over the world. Most ofthe natural disasters are either dueto weather or are triggered due toweather related processes.Extreme weather events claimed thousands oflives and caused damage on vastscale. Recent super cyclone which affectedOrissa in 1999, Bangladesh cyclone of1970 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 areexamples of some of the more damagingtropical cyclones which affected developingas well as the developed world. Heatand cold waves are also extreme events,which cause enormous losses in terms oflives lost and human discomfort and ailmentsarising out of them. The heat waveof 1995 and 1998 are still fresh in the mindof the Indian public. The estimated lossof human lives due to heat wave in 1998 was morethan 15,000. Economic losses asa result of these disasters and in particular inassociation with tropical cyclones haveincreased enormously over the last three decades.During 1961–1991, total loss oflives from drought alone was 1,333,728 overthe whole world. In terms of economiclosses, there is 8–10 fold increase from thebase figure of 1960. The socio-economicimpact of natural disaster is complex dependingupon the vulnerability of the placeand mitigation strategies that are put in place.Meteorology plays a crucial role in forewarningpeople about the severe/extremeweather systems and a constant endeavour by themeteorological services worldover has gone a long way towards minimizing thelosses caused by natural disasters.The paper summarises the natural disasterstatistics over south Asia and the possibleprediction strategies for combating theirsocio-economic impacts.     

Evidences for Incipient Hydrothermal Event(s) in the Central Indian Basin: A Review

1 IntroductionMetalliferous sediments and mounds occur in all majortectonic settings in the oceans (e.g., the Galapagos Rift,East Pacific Rise (EPR), Bauer Deep and Central Basin ofthe Pacific; Heath and Dymond, 1977). Further, massivesulphide deposits and high-temperature vents have beenreported along the mid-ocean ridges (MOR). In the IndianOcean, an inactive hydrothermal field and a hydrothermalplume site have been discovered along the Central IndianRidge (CIR). The SONNE Hydro…     

IS THE EXTREME SNOW DEPTH RECORD FOR NORDLAND,NORWAY RELIABLE?

A snow depth of 370 cm at Dunderlandsdalen in winter 1919–20 is the largest recorded at stations in Nordland, Norway. During the period 1895–1924, the average maximum annual value there was 150.4 cm; at other stations it ranged from 38.5 to 190.1 cm. The ratio of maxima at other stations to that at Dunderlandsdalen was particularly low in 1919–20. In Nordland generally, that winter's recorded precipitation was slightly above the 30‐year average, but at Dunderlandsdalen it exceeded the average by 34%. At all stations except Dunderlandsdalen, 26 Jan.–1 Feb. was a dry period; at Dunderlandsdalen, 51.7 mm was recorded. Only one day without snowfall was recorded at Dunderlandsdalen between early January and early February, but elsewhere there were few days with snowfall. The difference in snowfall frequency and snow depth at Dunderlandsdalen in 1919–20 from values recorded elsewhere in Nordland contrasts with the relationships in other winters between 1895 and 1924. No observations were made at Dunderlandsdalen in winter 1917–18. Two of the householders there died in 1916. A change of personnel making the observations may have been responsible for the data gap and for the anomalous 1919 data. Changes made to buildings or the recording site in 1917 or 1918 may have resulted in increased snow depths as a result of drifting. Maintaining a record of climatic extremes and their environmental consequences is important. Data must be accurate. In view of this, it would be sensible to regard the validity of the 370 cm Dunderlandsdalen maximum as doubtful.