Astronomical calibration of the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary: Consequences for magnetic remanence acquisition in marine carbonates and the Asian loess sequences

We have compiled 19 records from marine carbonate cores in which the Matuyama-Brunhes boundary (MBB) has been reasonably well constrained within the astronomically forced stratigraphic framework using oxygen isotopes. By correlation of the δ¹⁸O data to a timescale based on astronomical forcing, we estimate astronomical ages for each of the MBB horizons. In all but one record the MBB occurs within Stage 19.

Most magnetostratigraphic sections in Asian Loess place the MBB within a loess interval. Since loess deposition is presumed to be associated with glacial intervals, loess horizons should correspond to even-numbered oxygen isotope stages. A glacial age for the MBB is at odds with the results presented here, which firmly place the MBB within interglacial Stage 19. Inconsistency among the many loess sections and between the loess and the marine records suggests that the magnetic interpretation of loess sections may be more complicated than hitherto supposed.

The mean of the Stage 19 age estimates for the MBB is 777.9 ± 1.8 (N = 18). Inclusion of the single Stage 20 age results in a mean of 778.8 ± 2.5 (N = 19). The astronomical age estimate of the MBB compares favorably with an (unweighted) mean of 778.2 ± 3.5 (N = 10) from a compilation of ⁴⁰Ar/39^Ar results of transitional lava flows. Combining the two independent data sets yields a grand mean of 778.0 ± 1.7 (N = 28).

The new compilation shows virtually no trend in placement of the MBB within isotope Stage 19 as a function of sediment accumulation rate. We interpret this to mean that the average depth of remanence acquisition is within a few centimeters of the sediment-water interface.

Separating the cores into two geographic regions (an Indo-Pacific-Caribbean [IPC] Group and an Atlantic Group) results in a significant difference in the position of the mid-point of the reversal with respect to the astronomical time scale. The data presented here suggest a difference of several thousand years between the two regions. This observation could be caused by systematic differences between the two regions in sedimentation rate within the interval of interest, systematic differences in remanence acquisition, or by genuine differences in the timing of the directional changes between the two regions.     

全球不同空间尺度陆地年降水的年代尺度变化特征

基于1951~2010年GPCC（Global Precipitation Climatology Centre）的逐月降水数据,利用集合经验模分解法（Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition,简称EEMD法）对全球、东西半球、五个大陆和四个典型干旱半干旱区等不同空间尺度年降水量的年代尺度特征进行了研究,区分了不同空间尺度上降水的年代际变化及其长期趋势。结果发现:（1）全球陆地平均降水既存在年代际的周期振荡,又存在长期变化的趋势,降水的年代际周期振荡的强度远大于降水的长期趋势,两者的共同作用使得全球陆地平均降水呈现以年代际周期振荡为主的特征。（2）在半球尺度,2000年以前,东、西半球具有明显相反的年代尺度变化特征,东半球变干（降水减少）,西半球变湿（降水增加）。（3）1951~2010年,欧亚大陆和非洲大陆与北美、南美和澳洲大陆的年代际振荡和趋势存在着一个近似反位相的关系;干旱化与干旱时段是完全不同的两个过程,两者所处的时段也不同;近10年（2001~2010年）全球五个大陆可能将进入一个相对湿润的时段。（4）四个典型干旱半干旱区降水的年代尺度变化具有明显的区域差异。总体来说,华北和北非与北美和中亚降水在长期趋势及年代际振荡上具有反位相的特征。华北和北非的年代际振荡具有近似的位相。在最近几十年,北美和中亚同处于湿润时段,但前者开始于1975年,后者开始于1985年。此外,中亚的第一个湿润时段（1959~1968年）却对应北美的干旱时段。     

毛乌素沙区1961-2016年降水特征

基于毛乌素沙区10个气象站1961-2016年观测资料,应用Mann-Kendall方法和t检验法对各气象站年降水量进行了突变检验,借助小波分析讨论了各气象站年降水量的周期特征,根据降水量等值线划分结果对整个研究区分区分析了年、季、月和日尺度上的降水变化特征,并在两个时段上分析了季节性降水的差异。结果表明：毛乌素沙区年降水量空间特征差异明显,东部亚区呈上升趋势,中西部亚区呈下降趋势,但变化趋势不显著且无突变发生;降水年内分配不均,干湿季分明,降水集中在5-9月,夏秋季降水占全年降水比重大,季、月和日尺度降水量存在梯度递减变化;年降水量的年际变化过程存在多重时间尺度的自相似结构;近26年的冬春季降水增加显著,但降水波动幅度小于前30年。     

中国西部干旱区生态环境演变过程

根据湖沼沉积、黄土沉积和冰积等地质记录，运用地理信息系统、遥感、生态景观学等方法．从万年、千年和百年及百年以下四个时间尺度对中国西部干旱区生态环境演变过程进行研究。结果表明，全新世以来，中国西部干旱区的气候变化经历了多次的相对暖干和相对冷湿交替变化，变化历程较为复杂。早全新世、中全新世、晚全新世气候特点因地因时而异，但总体特征以干旱化为主，280～350a来，降水量有明显的减少趋势，并表现出显著的周期性。但在近半个世纪以来，中国天山地区的气候变化特征表现为气温升高，降水量增加。总的来说，从20世纪80年代以来，新疆的气候趋于好转，植被覆盖状况改善明显，山地森林、草甸、人工绿洲的面积均呈增加趋势。研究结果还表明，在一定尺度的气候背景条件下，地表的植被覆盖对调节绿洲区域气候有着积极的作用，可增加局部地区的降水。     

Color map design for visualization in flood risk assessment

Visualizations of flood maps from simulation models are widely used for assessing the likelihood of flood hazards in spatial planning. The choice of a suitable type of visualization as well as efficient color maps is critical to avoid errors or bias when interpreting the data. Based on a review of previous flood uncertainty visualization techniques, this paper identifies areas of improvements and suggests criteria for the design of a task-specific color scale in flood map visualization. We contribute a novel color map design for visualizing probabilities and uncertainties from flood simulation ensembles. A user study encompassing 83 participants was carried out to evaluate the effects of this new color map on user’s decisions in a spatial planning task. We found that the type of visualization makes a difference when it comes to identification of non-hazardous sites in the flood risk map and when accepting risks in more uncertain areas. In comparison with two other existing visualization techniques, we observed that the new design was superior both in terms of task compliance and efficiency. In regions with uncertain flood statuses, users were biased toward accepting less risky locations with our new color map design.     

Magnitude-Intensity Relationships in the Ibero-Magrebhian Region

In this paper we present magnitude (Ms) – magnitude(mb) and magnitude-intensity relationships which areconsidered the most adequate in the Ibero-Maghrebianregion. This work is based on selected samples ofrecently revised events with magnitude mb assigned bythe Instituto Geográfico Nacional (I.G.N.) and Msassigned by I.S.C and N.E.I.C., and isoseismal mapsfrom 142 events. Using these data, we have obtainedone magnitude (Ms) – magnitude (mb) relationship, twomagnitude (mb and Ms) assignment relationships viaepicentral intensity (I₀), and ten magnitude (mb andMs) assignments relationships via macroseismicinformation: four using Ambraseys' methodology (1985)and six using the isoseismal area of degree III, IV and VI.According to the obtained results it could be concluded that historical magnitude assignment with lesser uncertainties are those obtained via macroseismic information using magnitude-intensity relationships with Ambraseys' methodology (1985). The magnitude-isoseismal area assignment relationships have, in most cases, great differences depending on the degree of the isoseismal area used. Magnitude assignments via epicentral intensity have the highest uncertainties. Geographic regionalization of the relationshipshas been studied but the highest correlations and statistical significance are obtained when we fit all the Ibero-Maghrebian region data.Finally we have used the results obtained in this workto assign magnitude to some important historicalearthquakes in the Ibero-Maghrebian region: the 1755Lisbon earthquake, the 1680 Málaga earthquake, the1829 Torrevieja earthquake and the 1884 Arenas del Reyearthquake. According to our relationships andmethodology we have assigned an Ms value of 9.3 ±0.6 to the 1755 Lisbon earthquake (its mb magnitudecannot be estimated due to the saturation of the mbscale), an mb value of 6.3 ±0.4 and an Ms valueof 6.9 ± 0.6 to the 1829 Torrevieja earthquake, anmb value of 6.2 ± 0.4 and an Ms value of 6.4 ±0.6 to the 1680 Málaga earthquake and an mb valueof 6.1 ± 0.4 and an Ms value of 6.5 ± 0.6 tothe 1884 Arenas del Rey earthquake.     

Mixed Land Use and Obesity: An Empirical Comparison of Alternative Land Use Measures and Geographic Scales

Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. Walkable neighborhoods, characterized as having the three Ds of walkability (population Density, land use Diversity, and pedestrian-friendly Design), have been identified as a potentially promising factor to prevent obesity for residents. Past studies examining the relationship between obesity and walkability vary in geographic scales of neighborhood definitions and methods of measuring the three Ds. To better understand potential influences of these sometimes arbitrary choices, we test how four types of alternative measures of land use diversity measured at three geographic scales relate to body mass index for 4,960 Salt Lake County adults. Generalized estimation equation models demonstrate that optimal diversity measures differed by gender and geographic scale and that integrating walkability measures at different scales improved the overall performance of models.     

喀斯特流域径流量时序演变特征分析——以贵州省为例

以贵阳水文站近45年年径流量序列为例,利用Mo r let 小波变换对喀斯特流域径流量时序演变特性进行了分析预测。结果表明: ( 1)贵阳水文站年径流主要存在4a和25a 两个时间尺度的周期变化,在这两种时间尺度下,径流演变呈现出较明显的丰、枯交替振荡。( 2) 2000年以后的10a左右,年径流量有由丰转为枯、逐步下降的趋势。( 3)年平均径流量的丰、枯周期变化主要受年平均降水量的影响;人类活动对喀斯特流域年径流量有增加和减小两方面的影响,总体上会使径流量略有增加。      

不同因素对人工岛波浪绕射影响研究

为研究人工岛尺度变化和波浪方向分布对人工岛绕射波浪的影响,基于MIKE21-BW模型应用数值方法模拟人工岛波浪绕射过程。数值结果与Briggs等的物理试验结果的对比表明两者吻合较好,验证了模型的适用性。在规则波条件时,圆形人工岛绕射波浪的数值结果与线性波浪绕射理论解基本一致;采用该模型分别模拟了6种尺度的圆形人工岛、单向不规则波和9种方向分布θ_(max)、4种谱峰周期条件时绕射波浪分布情况。分析结果表明,圆形人工岛绕射系数随着尺度的增加,掩护区绕射系数随之减小;θ_(max)在10°~45°范围内,随着θmax的增大,绕射系数随之增大,θ_(max)在45°~75°内绕射系数变化较小;随着谱峰周期的增加,绕射系数随之增大。研究成果既为相关规范的完善提供了基础,也为相关工程设计提供了参考。     

Statistics of Scalar Fields in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Based on Large-Eddy Simulations. Part II: Forced Convection

Forced convection in a quasi-steady atmospheric boundary layer is investigated based on a large-eddy simulation (LES) model. The performed simulations show that in the upper portion of the mixed layer the dimensionless (in terms of mixed layer scales) vertical gradients of temperature, humidity, and wind velocity depend on the dimensionless height z/z _i and the Reech number Rn. The peak values of variances and covariances at the top of the mixed layer, scaled in terms of the interfacial scales, are functions of the interfacial Richardson number Ri. As a result expressions for the entrainment rates, in the case when the interfacial layer has a finite depth, and a condition for the presence of moistening or drying regimes in the mixed layer, are derived. Profiles of dimensionless scalar moments in the mixed layer are proposed to be expressed in terms of two empirical similarity functions F _m and F _i , dependent on dimensionless height z/z _i , and the interfacial Richardson number Ri. The obtained similarity expressions adequately approximate the LES profiles of scalar statistics, and properly represent the impact of stability, shear, and entrainment. They are also consistent with the parameterization proposed for free convection in the first part of this paper.