Pelagic records from the Equatorial Ninetyeast Ridge and significant environmental events during the past 3.5 Ma

This paper presents pelagic records of planktic foraminifera, as well as data of stable isotope stratigraphy and carbonate stratigraphy since 3.5 Ma B.P. from site ODP758 in the Ninetyeast Ridge of the Indian Ocean. Based on these data, manifestations and related mechanisms of major tectonic and environmental events such as the rapid uplift of the Himalaya Mountains, “middle Pleistocene climatic transition” and “mid-Brunhes dissolution event” in the region are discussed. According to the analysis and comparison of various indices and changes in terms of foraminifera assemblage, paleotemperature, paleosalinity and themocline from site ODP758, the authors deduce that the paleoclimatic changes might correlate with the mid-Pleistocene transition at 1.4–1.7 Ma B.P. The changes of CaCO₃, mass accumulation rates (MAR) of CaCO₃ and non- CaCO₃ MAR indicate that the loaded terrigenous sediments increased at 1.7 Ma, which is in agreement with the uplift history of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau as shown by the available data. The last two changes coincide with the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, hence they are called “Qinghai-Tibet movement” (1.7 Ma), and the “Kunlun-Yellow River movement” (1.2–0.6 Ma). The changes of the CaCO₃ content, coarse fraction (> 150 μm) content and planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy show that strong dissolution of abyssal CaCO₃ occurred in the study region during 0.5–0.4 Ma. The event was consistent with the “mid-Brunhes dissolution event” in the sedimentary records of the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Nansha sea area of the South China Sea. __________ Translated from Geological Bulletin of China, 2007, 26(12): 1627–1632 [译自: 地质通报]     

Dynamics of the mid-ocean ridge plate boundary: Recent observations and theory

The global mid-ocean ridge system is one of the most active plate boundaries on the earth and understanding the dynamic processes at this plate boundary is one of the most important problems in geodynamics. In this paper I present recent results of several aspects of mid-ocean ridge studies concerning the dynamics of oceanic lithosphere at these diverging plate boundaries. I show that the observed rift valley to no-rift valley transition (globally due to the increase of spreading rate or locally due to the crustal thickness variations and/or thermal anomalies) can be explained by the strong temperature dependence of the power law rheology of the oceanic lithosphere, and most importantly, by the difference in the rheological behavior of the oceanic crust from the underlying mantle. The effect of this weaker lower crust on ridge dynamics is mainly influenced by spreading rate and crustal thickness variations. The accumulated strain pattern from a recently developed lens model, based on recent seismic observations, was proposed as an appealing mechanism for the observed gabbro layering sequence in the Oman Ophiolite. It is now known that the mid-ocean ridges at all spreading rates are offset into individual spreading segments by both transform and nontransform discontinuities. The tectonics of ridge segmentation are also spreading-rate dependent: the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge is characterized by distinct bulls-eye shaped gravity lows, suggesting large along-axis variations in melt production and crustal thickness, whereas the fast-spreading East-Pacific Rise is associated with much smaller along-axis variations. These spreading-rate dependent changes have been attributed to a fundamental differences in ridge segmentation mechanisms and mantle upwelling at mid-ocean ridges: the mantle upwelling may be intrinsically plume-like (3-D) beneath a slow-spreading ridge but more sheet-like (2-D) beneath a fast-spreading ridge.     

极性转换期间地球磁场形态学研究

本文对采自中国黄土高原西峰（35.7°N,107.6°E）和段家坡（34.2°N,109.2°E）两个剖面中黄土层L8和古土壤层S8的1281块定向古地磁样品做了详细的岩石磁学和古地磁学研究.证实了Matuyama-Brunhes（M-B）极性转换带位于L8的中下部.提出了下列观点:1.M-B极性转换过程与地球磁场方向变化相联系的持续时间为3600-4500a,而与地球磁场强度变化相联系的持续时间则为8000-9000a,即强度变化存在“超前和滞后” 效应;2.M-B转换场的形态是由三次快速倒转和一次不成功的倒转构成,或者说,转换场具有快速变换极性的振荡特征;3.M-B转换过程中地球磁场并不是以轴对称的非偶极子场为主,而是偶极子场至少与非偶极子场相当;4.中国黄土-古土壤沉积物所含磁性矿物的主要成分是磁铁矿,它是研究极性转换期间地球磁场详细结构的良好物质.     

碳中和目标下关键矿产在清洁能源转型中的作用、供需分析及其建议

在"碳中和"目标的驱动下，全球能源系统向清洁化、低碳化甚至无碳化发展已是大势所趋。针对向清洁能源转型的需求，采用了统计对比、分类汇总、综合分析等方法，分析研究了关键矿产在电池、电网、低碳发电和氢能等行业中的作用和需求。结合当前关键矿产产量的地理集中度高、项目开发周期长、资源质量下降等矿产供应和投资计划不能满足清洁能源转型的需求等问题，提出确保关键矿产多样性供应，推动价值链各环节的技术创新，扩大回收利用，增强供应链弹性和市场透明度，将更高的环境、社会和治理标准纳入主流程及加强生产者和消费者之间的国际合作等建议。     

Seasonal Diatom Variability and Paleolimnological Inferences – A Case Study

The seasonality of physical, chemical, and biological water variables is a major characteristic of temperate, dimictic lakes. Yet, few investigations have considered the potential information that is encoded in seasonal dynamics with respect to the paleolimnological record. We used a one-year sequence of diatoms obtained from sediment traps and water samples, as well as the sedimentary diatom record covering the past ca. 1000 years in Bates Pond, Connecticut (USA), to investigate which variables influence the seasonal distribution of diatoms and how this can be used for the interpretation of the fossil record. The seasonal patterns in diatom assemblages were related to stratification and, to a lesser extent, to nitrate, silica, and phosphorus. During mixing periods in spring and autumn, both planktonic and benthic species were collected in the traps, while few lightly silicified, spindle-shaped planktonic diatoms dominated during thermal stratification in summer. Changes in fossil diatom assemblages reflected human activity in the watershed after European settlement and subsequent recovery in the 20th century. A long-term trend in diatom assemblage change initiated before European settlement was probably related to increased length of mixing periods during the Little Ice Age, indicated by the increase of taxa that presently grow during mixing periods and by application of a preliminary seasonal temperature model. We argue that the analysis of seasonal diatom dynamics in temperate lakes may provide important information for the refinement of paleolimnological interpretations. However, investigations of several lakes and years would be desirable in order to establish a more robust seasonal data set for the enhancement of paleolimnological interpretations.     

The First Appearance of Cattle in Denmark Occurred 6000 Years Ago: An Effect of Cultural or Climate and Environmental Changes

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bones of contemporaneous Late Atlantic aurochs and early cattle in eastern Denmark are significantly different and provide information on the origin and feeding strategies of the earliest domestic cattle. The data show that the early cattle were feeding on grass right from the beginning 4000 cal. yr BC. In contrast, the youngest aurochs population primarily browsed and grazed from the dense forest floor resulting in rather negative δ¹³C values measured on bone collagen. The oldest aurochs have similar isotope values to the earlier cattle, whereas the youngest aurochs have similar values to Late Atlantic red deer from the same locality. As eastern Denmark was largely covered by forest, speculations on the origin of the grazing areas are many. The grass may have grown in openings in the forest, at the forest fringe, or more likely on the newly reclaimed coastal land areas exposed by the decreasing rate of eustatic sea‐level rise contemporaneously with isostatic uplift, during the Littorina transgressions. The stable isotope values do not indicate that leaf foddering of the early cattle was of importance.     

Synchrotron IR study of hydrous ringwoodite (γ-Mg2SiO4) up to 30 GPa

High-pressure synchrotron infrared (IR) absorption spectra were collected between 650 and 4,000 cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature for hydrous Mg-ringwoodite (γ-Mg₂SiO₄) up to 30 GPa. The main feature in the OH⁻ stretching region is an extremely broad band centred at 3,150 cm⁻¹. The hydrogen bond is strong for most protons and the most probable site for protonation is the tetrahedral edge. With increasing pressure, this band shifts downward while decreasing its integrated intensity until disappearance at a pressure of 25 GPa. Only one band at 2,450 cm⁻¹ and an absorption plateau persist with a maximum wavenumber of 3,800 cm⁻¹. This behaviour is reversible upon pressure release. We interpret this as a second-order phase transition occurring in hydrated Mg-ringwoodite at high pressure (beyond ∼ 25 GPa). This result is compatible with the observation by Kleppe et al. (Phys Chem Miner 29:473–476, 2002a) who suggested the presence of Si–O–Si linkages and/or partial increase in the coordination of Si. Beyond the phase transition, the protons are delocalized and their environment on the ringwoodite structure is probably quite different from that at low pressure. Data obtained in situ at high pressures and temperatures are needed to better understand the effect of protonation on the structure and to better constrain this phase transition.     

西北地区不同类型云的时空分布及其与降水的关系

利用1983年7月～2001年9月国际卫星云气候计划ISCCP D2的月平均资料，对西北不同区域不同类型云的云量和云水路径的时空分布及其与降水的关系进行了研究。结果表明:高原气候区是各种云出现最多的地区，特别是积状云的云量明显高于其他两区，但这些云的云水路径值低；西北地区大多数云云量的高值区出现在天山山区、北疆地区、陕西东南部和青藏高原的部分地区。高云和部分中云云量空间分布特征与降水有着较好的一致性:沿着天山—昆仑山—祁连山一带以及陕南和／或陇南地区是高值区，低值区在塔里木盆地—内蒙古西部戈壁沙漠—黄土高原西北部一带；绝大多数云类春夏季节云量维持较高，秋冬季节云量较少。云水路径值较大的层状云类的云量多寡与降水多寡相一致；积状云类和层积云类云量多少与降水没有一定的关系，在降水偏少时，这类云的云量大多与降水正常时相近，有些云的云量甚至比降水偏多时还要多。     

根据Dobson和TOMS资料分析北京和昆明大气臭氧总量变化特征

用约２０年 Ｄｏｂｓｏｎ和ＴＯＭＳ资料来分析北京（３９.９３°Ｎ，１１６.４０°Ｅ）和昆明 （２５.０２°Ｎ，１０２．６８°）两地大气臭氧总量的变化特征，结果表明：（１）在１９７９－２０００年间北京大气臭氧长期变化趋势是－０．６４２ ＤＵ／年，而昆明在１９８０－２０００年间的趋势是－０.００９ ＤＵ／年；（２）北京和昆明两地大气臭氧都有很强的季节内变化（尤其冬季更强），与季节性变化强度相当；（３）在北京和昆明，由记录较短的大气臭氧资料分析得到的长期变化趋势，与较长记录得到的结果有显著差异；（４）在北京（中纬度）和昆明（低纬度）大气臭氧都有显著的准两年振荡信号；（５）两个站点大气臭氧的年际变化主要由长期趋势项和准两年振荡信号组成；（６）Ｄｏｂｓｏｎ仪测量得到的臭氧总量与ＴＯＭＳ资料非常一致。     

东亚地区春冬季与夏季大气环流异常相互关系的研究

利用1951~2000年共50年的北半球500 hPa月平均高度距平场资料和奇异值分解技术（SVD），重点对东亚地区季节间大气环流异常的相互关系进行了初步探讨。结果表明，东亚地区季节间大气环流异常存在着较为密切的关联，并且这种明显的非同步联系具有时空相关显著的特点，尤其是夏季大气环流异常与其前冬和前春大气环流异常的联系更为密切。当前冬和前春北半球东亚大槽和北美大槽及蒙古高压偏强（或偏弱），极涡偏弱（或偏强），中高纬度盛行经向环流（或纬向环流），以及低纬和热带地区高度正距平（或负距平）明显时，则对应于夏季东亚地区西太平洋副高和鄂霍次克海阻高强度偏强（或偏弱），位置偏南（或偏北），贝加尔湖阻高强度也偏强（或偏弱），但位置偏西（或偏东）的大尺度环流形势出现。当春季北半球大气环流具有上述特点以及夏季鄂霍次克海阻高和西太平洋副高强度偏强（或偏弱），位置偏南（或偏北），且极涡较弱（较强）时，则东亚地区秋季大气环流对应于蒙古高压加强（或较弱），西太平洋副高减弱（或加强），并向南和向东移动（或移动较慢），极涡向南扩散（或扩散减弱），大气环流向冬季过渡加快（或减慢）。另外，大气环流异常还具有一定的持续性特征。