Irregular western margin of the Yangtze block as a cause of variation in tectonic activity along the Longmen Shan fault zone,eastern Tibet

On 12 May 2008 and 20 April 2013, respectively, the devastating magnitude 7.9 (Wenchuan) and magnitude 7.0 (Ya’an) earthquakes struck the southwestern Longmen Shan fault zone (LMSFZ), the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. These events were notable because they occurred in a heavily populated area and resulted in severe damage and loss of life. Here we present an integrated analysis of potential field anomalies and a crustal-scale seismic reflection image to investigate the crustal structure and some tectonic relationships associated with these devastating events. Our results show that the western margin of the Yangtze crustal block possesses an irregular margin that extends westward beyond the LMSFZ to the northeast and merges gradually with the LMSFZ to the southwest. We interpret this variation in deep structure to create a lateral heterogeneity in the local stress regime that explains the observed variations in fault geometry and slip distribution, as well as seismicity, of the LMSFZ. This structural complexity results in a differential build-up of stress as the Tibetan Plateau is being extruded eastward. Thus, the results of this research can help identify potential natural hazard zones and focus efforts on hazard mitigation.     

Temperature changes on the Tibetan Plateau during the past 600 years inferred from ice cores and tree rings

The climatological signal of δ¹⁸O variations preserved in ice cores recovered from Puruogangri ice field in the central Tibetan Plateau (TP) was calibrated with regional meteorological data for the past 50 years. For the period AD 1860–2000, 5-yearly averaged ice core δ¹⁸O and a summer temperature reconstruction derived from pollen data from the same ice core were compared. The statistical results provide compelling evidence that Puruogangri ice core δ¹⁸O variations represent summer temperature changes for the central TP, and hence regional temperature history during the past 600 years was revealed. A comparison of Puruogangri ice core δ¹⁸О with several other temperature reconstructions shows that broad-scale climate anomalies since the Little Ice Age occurred synchronously across the eastern and southern TP, and the Himalayas. Common cold periods were identified in the 15th century, 1625–1645 AD, 1660–1700 AD, 1725–1775 AD, 1795–1830 AD, 1850–1870 AD, 1890–1920 AD, 1940–1950 AD, and 1975–1985 AD. The period 1725–1775 AD was one of the most prolonged cool periods during the past 400 years and corresponded to maximum Little Ice Age glacier advance of monsoonal temperate glaciers of the TP.     

Effect of a thermokarst lake on soil physical properties and infiltration processes in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

Changes in the hydrological processes in alpine soil constitute one of the several key problems encountered with studying watershed hydrology and ecosystem stability against the background of global warming. A typically developing thermokarst lake was chosen as a subject for a study using model simulation based on observations of soil physical properties, infiltration processes, and soil moisture. The results showed that the selected thermokarst lake imposed certain changes on the soil infiltration processes and, with the degree of impact intensifying, the initial infiltration rate decreased. The greatest reduction was achieved in the area of moderate impact. However, the stable infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration gradually increased in the surface layer at a depth of 10 and 20 cm, both decreasing initially and then increasing, which is correlated significantly with soil textures. Moreover, the cumulative infiltration changed in line with steady infiltration rate. Based on a comparative analysis, the Horton model helps better understand the effect on the soil infiltration processes of the cold alpine meadow close to the chosen thermokarst lake. In conclusion, the formation of the thermokarst lake reduced the water holding capacity of the alpine meadow soil and caused the hydraulic conductivity to increase, resulting in the reduction of runoff capacity in the area of the thermokarst lake.     

ON THE LAYER-ZONE OF ALPINE MEADOW ON THEQINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU

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作物生产潜力变化的区域差异——以陕西省为例

作物生产潜力变化具有明显的区域差异性,亟需针对不同地理单元实施有效应对措施和调控策略。选择陕西省三大地理单元（陕北高原、关中盆地和秦巴山区）为研究对象,运用全球生态区模型（GAEZ）分析了陕西省不同地理单元作物生产潜力变化趋势,探讨了不同作物生产潜力变化的区域差异,辨识出影响不同作物生产潜力变化的主要因素,结果显示：（1） 1980—2015年间,陕西省玉米生产潜力总量增加了150.55×10⁴ t,小麦生产潜力总量则下降了402.69×10⁴ t。（2） 关中盆地的玉米和小麦生产潜力皆最大,陕北高原次之,秦巴山区的玉米和小麦生产潜力皆最小;陕北高原和秦巴山区的玉米生产潜力皆表现出先增加后减小再增加的变化趋势,关中盆地的玉米生产潜力则先减小后增加再减小;关中盆地和秦巴山区的小麦生产潜力都呈下降趋势,陕北高原的小麦生产潜力则有所提高。（3） 土地利用变化呈现减产效应,这一效应在关中盆地尤为显著,其次为陕北高原;气候变化导致玉米生产潜力增加,使小麦生产潜力下降;气候变化对不同地理单元的影响也不相同,在陕北高原表现为增产效应,在关中盆地和秦巴山区则为减产效应。（4） 在陕北高原,气候变化的增产效应是玉米和小麦生产潜力提高的主要原因,气候变化对玉米生产潜力的影响大于对小麦的影响,耕地向草地、林地和建设用地的转化是降低作物生产潜力最主要的土地利用变化因素;在关中盆地,作物生产潜力的变化主要是受气候变化的影响,小麦受气候变化的影响较玉米为大,以建设用地占用耕地为特征的土地利用变化对玉米生产潜力的影响大于对小麦的影响;在秦巴山区,土地利用变化是玉米生产潜力变化的主要原因,而小麦生产潜力的变化主要受气候变化影响。     

基于RS和GIS的青藏高原草地生态系统土壤水分保持功能及其经济价值评估——以生长季为例

根据生态系统服务功能理论,利用RS和G IS技术,以土壤含水量为基础因子,对青藏高原区草地生态系统的土壤水分保持功能及其价值的动态变化过程进行有效评价,以直接的货币形式反映出青藏高原主要草地类型的土壤水分保持功能的大小。通过计算和分析发现:(1)由于草地类型分布面积、单位面积保持量的影响,各种类型草地提供的土壤水分保持功能及其价值贡献率有较大差异,按照大小依次为:高寒草原类、高寒草甸类,高寒荒漠类、高寒草甸草原类和温性山地草甸类;(2)草地对土壤水分保持量及其价值呈现出较强的阶段性变化过程;(3)由于各种草地类型所处地理区域不同、草地本身各种自然特点和整体生态功能的不同,青藏高原草地生态系统提供的土壤水分保持功能及其经济价值呈现出明显的地域分布规律:自西北至东南逐渐降低。应该说,由于青藏高原地域、地理和独特气候等原因所致,本文计算得出的青藏高原草地生态系统土壤水分保持功能及其价值的具体数值不一定十分准确,但是能在一定程度上反映出土壤水分保持功能的强大及其在生长季中随时间变化的动态过程和基本规律(这种规律性结论与前人研究结论一致),这是一种在区域尺度上揭示草地生态系统土壤水分保持功能及其价值动态变化过程的方法尝试,这也是对动态评估生态服务功能的一种有益尝试。     

A comprehensive evaluation of tourism climate suitability in Qinghai Province, China

Qinghai Province is an important component of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. Scientific evaluation of the suitability of Qinghai’s climate for tourism can contribute to overcoming obstacles posed by climate on sustainable tourism development in Qinghai Province, including disparities between the low and high seasons, high altitude health concerns, and weather events. A tourism climate suitability evaluation model of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is constructed (Tourism Climate Suitability Index, or TCSI), and tourism climate suitability is comprehensively evaluated for Qinghai Province from climate data from 1960 to 2009. Results show that: (I) There is clear distributional characteristics of spatial-temporal variability of TCSI values in Qinghai Province. (II) Tourism climate suitability in Qinghai Province has significant seasonal and regional differences. The year is divided into a very suitable period (July and August), suitable tourism periods (from April and October), less suitable periods (From Nov to Mar). June to August is the most suitable tourism period in Qinghai. Qinghai Province is divided into five levels of tourism climate suitability: most suitable regions, very suitable regions, suitable regions, less suitable regions, and unsuitable region. (III) The key factor which influences regional differences in tourism climatic suitability is atmospheric oxygen. And the key factors which chiefly influence seasonal differences of tourism climate suitability are temperature and humidity, the wind chill factor, and barrier weather.     

青藏高原古人类的艺术创作——基于中更新世手脚印形态分析

在第二次青藏科考过程中,作者在西藏自治区拉萨市邱桑村的古泉华沉积上新发现了由5个手印和5个脚印组成 “岩面艺术” （parietal art）。对这一“岩面艺术”进行解剖学测量、3D 模型模拟、铀系测年和手脚印形态分析后,得到以下认识：① “岩面艺术”是在泉华没有成岩之前由古人类有意压上去的;② “岩面艺术”所在岩层的U/Th年代为226~169 ka B.P.,这其中包含一个手指印岩层的表面直接年龄（207~188 ka B.P.）;③ 这一发现是迄今为止发表的古人类在青藏高原上活动的最早记录之一,也为古人类适应高寒、低氧环境提供了新的证据;④ 此岩面艺术是目前世界上已知的最古老的艺术,上面的手印也是古人类留下的最早的手印;⑤ 这一原始的岩面艺术表明,创作它的古老人种可能具有一定的认知和空间感知能力,此岩面艺术的发现也将有可能改写人类艺术史,并且加深我们对已消失的古人类认知水平的认识。     

地面不同垄沟形式对径流调控机制的研究

在干旱缺水、水土流失严重的黄土高原地区,地面垄沟是控制侵蚀、保持水分的有效措施。而不同垄沟形式将直接影响沟中径流量和土壤水分状况。本文设计了两种不同垄上覆盖材料和三种不同垄沟比的6组试验处理,通过2002与2003年降水季节的连续田间试验观测。结果表明:覆膜垄沟(MR)的临界产流降雨量低于不覆膜垄沟(ER),约为不覆膜垄沟(ER)的10%,两种垄沟的临界产流降雨量分别为0.4mm、4.6mm。覆膜垄沟(MR)的径流效率远高于不覆膜垄沟(ER),覆膜垄沟(MR)与土垄的平均径流效率分别在45%~70%与5%~6%之间变化。     

青藏高原高寒草地净初级生产力(NPP)时空分异

基于1982-2009 年间的遥感数据和野外台站生态实测数据,利用遥感生产力模型(CASA模型) 估算青藏高原高寒草地植被净初级生产力(NPP),分别从地带属性(自然地带、海拔高程、经纬度)、流域、行政区域(县级) 等方面对其时空变化过程进行分析,阐述了1982 年以来青藏高原高寒草地植被NPP的时空格局与变化特征。结果表明:① 青藏高原高寒草地NPP多年均值的空间分布表现为由东南向西北逐渐递减;1982-2009 年间,青藏高原高寒草地的年均总NPP为177.2×10¹² gC·yr^-1,单位面积年均植被NPP为120.8 gC·m^-2yr^-1;② 研究时段内,青藏高原高寒草地年均NPP 在112.6~129.9 gC·m^-2yr^-1 间,呈波动上升的趋势,增幅为13.3%;NPP 增加的草地占草地总面积的32.56%、减少的占5.55%;③ 青藏高原多数自然地带内的NPP呈增加趋势,仅阿里山地半荒漠、荒漠地带NPP呈轻微减低趋势,其中高寒灌丛草甸地带和草原地带的NPP增长幅度明显大于高寒荒漠地带;年均NPP增加面积比随着海拔升高呈现"升高—稳定—降低"的特点,而降低面积比则呈现"降低—稳定—升高"的特征;④ 各主要流域草地年均植被NPP均呈现增长趋势,其中黄河流域增长趋势显著且增幅最大。植被NPP和盖度及生长季时空变化显示,青藏高原高寒草地生态系统健康状况总体改善局部恶化。