Scaling the Anthropocene: How the stories we tell matter

Ongoing debates in the Earth, planetary, and social sciences examine the merits and implications of traces in the stratigraphic record that would indicate that humans are now one of the ‘great forces of nature’. Candidates for key marker horizons in such a stratal section include noted changes in carbon and nitrogen concentrations, plastics, radionuclides, and metals. Candidates for determining calendar age, include the tipping point in land cover from wildlands to agriculture and the first nuclear detonation. Here we offer a critical review of recent literature contributing to delineating an Anthropogenic stratum, by exploring their interpretation as initiating, sustaining, or indeed ending an Anthropocene epoch. We also offer a reflection on the layer not representing a new period, any more than, for instance, iridium marks a ‘meteoritic’ epoch between the Cretaceous and Palaeogene. We examine temporal scales for their accord with geological methods of definition and delineation, and for the opportunities and constraints each presents for understanding and responding to transformations in the Earth system. Our thesis is that increasingly fortified stances on the ‘right’ definition of the Anthropocene epoch follow traditions of linear and authoritarian historical accounts, and prevent discovering epistemes of human-environment interactions that are open for coexistence. The co-existence of many key transitions will sustain ongoing and fruitful deliberations over human-environment interactions that the Anthropocene proposal has initiated, promoting research that can work with the many scales, discourses, and narratives of environmental change.     

东中国海黑潮海洋锋的季节变化特征及其成因

利用高分辨率海洋和大气再分析资料研究了东中国海黑潮海洋锋的季节变化特征及其成因。研究表明,东海黑潮海洋锋存在明显的季节变化,从冬季到次年春季逐渐增强,并在春季达到最强,初夏以后强度逐渐减弱,9—10月达到全年最弱。通过诊断混合层热流量方程发现,东海黑潮区一年四季均表现为暖的温度平流,有利于海洋锋的形成和维持,该暖平流也存在季节变化并在春季达到最大,对海洋锋在春季达到最强起了重要作用。海气界面净热通量在秋冬季对海洋锋的形成有促进作用,有利于海洋锋增强,而在春夏季则起抑制作用,促进海洋锋消亡。温度垂直输送全年对海洋锋起一定程度的抑制作用。总之,在海温水平平流和海表净热通量的共同作用下导致海洋锋春季达到最强,而夏秋季海表净热通量和温度垂直输送作用的共同作用致使海洋锋减弱并最后消失。因此,海洋的动力和热力共同作用导致了东海黑潮海洋锋的季节变化,其中海温水平平流和海表净热通量对海洋锋的季节变化起主要作用,而温度垂直输送项对海洋锋的发展起抑制作用,但影响相对较小。     

Landscape pattern and transition under natural and anthropogenic disturbance in an arid region of northwestern China

There is a pressing need to determine the relationships between driving variables and landscape transformations. Human activities shape landscapes and turn them into complex assemblages of highly diverse structures. Other factors, including climate and topography, also play significant roles in landscape transitions, and identifying the interactions among the variables is critical to environmental management. This study analyzed the configurations and spatial-temporal processes of landscape changes from 1998 to 2011 under different anthropogenic disturbances, identified the main variables that determine the landscape patterns and transitions, and quantified the relationships between pairs of driver sets. Landsat images of Baicheng and Tekes from 1998, 2006 and 2011 were used to classify landscapes by supervised classification. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and variation partitioning were performed to identify the main driving forces and to quantify the unique, shared, and total explained variation of the sets of variables. The results indicate that the proportions of otherwise identical landscapes in Baicheng and Tekes were very different. The area of the grassland in Tekes was much larger than that of the cropland; however, the differences between the grassland and cropland in Baicheng were not as pronounced. Much of the grassland in Tekes was located in an area that was near residents, whereas most of the grassland in Baicheng was far from residents. The slope, elevation, annual precipitation, annual temperature, and distance to the nearest resident were strong driving forces influencing the patterns and transitions of the landscapes. The results of the variation partitioning indicated complex interrelationships among all of the pairs of driver sets. All of the variable sets had significant explanatory roles, most of which had both unique and shared variations with the others. The results of this study can assist policy makers and planners in implementing sustainable landscape management and effective protection strategies.     

Evolution of Siderian juvenile crust to Rhyacian high Ba-Sr magmatism in the Mineiro Belt,southern São Francisco Craton

Plutonic rocks from the Mineiro Belt, Brazil record a delayed onset of the transition from TTG to sanukitoid-type magmatism(high Ba-Sr), starting during the Siderian magmatic lull when little juvenile magma was added to the continental crust. Rocks mostly belong to the calc-alkaline series, meta-to peraluminous and originally "Ⅰ-type",meaning that oxidized magmas were formed by partial melting of subducted material. The temporal distribution and apparent secular changes of the magmas are consistent with the onset of subduction-driven plate tectonics due to an increase of the subduction angle and opening of the mantle wedge. New isotopic analyses(Sm-Nd whole rock and Lu-Hf in zircon)corroborate the restricted juvenile nature of the Mineiro Belt and confirm the genetic link between the Lagoa Dourada Suite,a rare ca. 2350 Ma high-Al tonalite-trondhjemite magmatic event, and the sanukitoid-type ca. 2130 Ma Alto Maranhao Suite. U-Pb dating of zircon and titanite constrain the crystallisation history of plutonic bodies; coupled with major and trace element analyses of the host rocks, they distinguish evolutionary trends in the Mineiro Belt. Several plutons in the region have ages close to 2130 Ma but are distinguished by the lower concentration of compatible elements in the juvenile high Ba-Sr suite.     

Dynamic land use change simulation using cellular automata with spatially nonstationary transition rules

The dynamic relationships between land use change and its driving forces vary spatially and can be identified by geographically weighted regression (GWR). We present a novel cellular automata (GWR-CA) model that incorporates GWR-derived spatially varying relationships to simulate land use change. Our GWR-CA model is characterized by spatially nonstationary transition rules that fully address local interactions in land use change. More importantly, each driving factor in our GWR model contains effects that both promote and resist land use change. We applied GWR-CA to simulate rapid land use change in Suzhou City on the Yangtze River Delta from 2000 to 2015. The GWR coefficients were visualized to highlight their spatial patterns and local variation, which are closely associated with their effects on land use change. The transition rules indicate low land conversion potential in the city’s center and outer suburbs, but higher land conversion potential in the inner near suburbs along the belt expressway. Residual statistics show that GWR fits the input data better than logistic regression (LR). Compared with an LR-based CA model, GWR-CA improves overall accuracy by 4.1% and captures 5.5% more urban growth, suggesting that GWR-CA may be superior in modeling land use change. Our results demonstrate that the GWR-CA model is effective in capturing spatially varying land transition rules to produce more realistic results, and is suitable for simulating land use change and urban expansion in rapidly urbanizing regions.     

模型揭示的浅水湖泊稳态转换影响因素分析

富营养化会导致浅水湖泊发生稳态转换,生态系统服务严重受损。磷是驱动湖泊发生稳态转换的重要环境因子,探究湖水磷浓度的变化规律是湖泊管理的关键。通过磷动力学模型,从影响湖水磷浓度的主要参数入手,探讨了每种参数变化对磷浓度的具体影响。结合前人研究结果,详细讨论了不同类型气候变化和人类活动对湖泊稳态转换时间、滞后时长、修复速率等的影响。研究认为,气候变化所导致的温度升高、光强减弱、风浪增强等和人类活动所导致的生物扰动、水位波动增强等因素变化虽不会改变湖泊稳态转换突变时间,但会推迟湖泊修复时间,造成突变阈值减小,滞后时间延长,稳态增大。在湖泊保护中要重点考虑主要外力驱动对湖泊稳态转换过程影响的区别,避免有害突变的发生。     

Household dependence on solid cooking fuels in Peru: An analysis of environmental and socioeconomic conditions

Solid fuel use is linked with adverse effects on the environment and human health. Yet, solid fuels remain an important energy source for households in developing countries. Even when country-level dependence on solid fuels is modest, there is often significant variation in within-country patterns of solid fuel use. This study examines a range of environmental and socioeconomic conditions to understand the relationship between them and household energy use within a country. While our results are derived from a study of regional patterns of solid fuel dependence in Peru, the contribution of this study is broad: variables that we include in our models of households’ fuel choice decisions are likely to shape such decisions in most developing countries. Our findings indicate that environmental conditions, such as elevation and forest cover, are associated with solid fuel use. Socioeconomic factors, including urbanization, poverty and female literacy, are similarly important. In addition, we identify nuanced links between types of female employment and indigenous population, on the one hand, and solid fuel use, on the other.     

台风Chanchu(0601)变性过程中的强度变化及环境场分析

利用非静力中尺度WRF模式模拟的台风Chanchu(0601)的输出资料,探讨了Chanchu减弱变性过程的强度及结构变化。分析结果表明:在台风Chanchu北移过程中,高层的暖心被破坏,强度快速减弱,眼壁对流发展高度降低,眼壁对流由对称结构演变为非对称,内核对流减弱。此减弱变性过程与惯性稳定度减小、垂直风切变增强、低层锋生等环境要素有关。惯性稳定度与台风强度变化一致,随着惯性稳定度降低,最大切向风减弱并不断外扩,Rossby变形半径增大从而潜热释放不集中难以维持台风强度,台风减弱;同时,内核区的高层暖心更易径向频散,从而高层暖心难以维持;环境的垂直风切变增强使台风的斜压性增强,台风垂直结构的倾斜度增大,对流发展高度降低;低层冷空气侵入台风中心趋于填塞,也利于台风强度减弱;台风登陆以后冷暖空气对比导致的锋生使得不稳定能量释放从而重新加强了Chanchu环流内的中低层对流活动,但较台风最强时刻而言对流强度减弱。总体减少的对流和降低的对流高度,导致潜热能释放减小,其向心输送也减少,不足以维持强暖心结构,最终使得台风减弱并变性。      

1961—2017年中国华东区域高空温度变化特征

利用中国华东六省一市13个探空站1961—2017年高空温度数据,对850 hPa、500 hPa、200 hPa高空温度的时间变化特征和空间变化特征进行分析,结果表明:1961—2017年中国华东区域对流层中下层增温趋势明显,向上增温趋势减弱,对流层顶增温趋势有所增强.850 hPa、500 hPa温度的年代际变化均...     

河流相沉积的河型转换特征与控制因素及其油气地质意义 ——以南苏丹Melut盆地Ruman地区坳陷期Jimidi组为例

河流相砂体是陆相含油气盆地的重要储层类型,其河型的时空转换不仅是研究盆地演化的直接证据,更是精准评价与预测油气储层的核心内容,已成为近年来国内外沉积研究的热点之一.以Melut盆地Ruman地区坳陷期Jimidi组为例,通过开展层序划分、岩相类型与岩相组合分析、高分辨率储层反演、以及砂体平面展布分析,结果表明:1)坳陷...