Testing a new combined (U,Th)–He and U/Th dating approach on Plio-Pleistocene calcite speleothems

The geochronology of cave deposits in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa provides a timeframe essential for the interpretation of its fossils. The uranium-lead (U–Pb) and uranium-thorium disequilibrium (U/Th) dating of speleothems, mostly flowstones that underlie and blanket the fossil-bearing sediments, have been effective in this sense, but U–Pb is limited by the requirement of ∼1 ppm U concentrations and low common Pb contents, and U/Th has a c. 500 ka limit of applicability. Here we report age results for calcite-aragonite speleothems obtained using a new combined uranium-thorium-helium ((U,Th)–He) and U/Th dating routine. We reproduced within analytical uncertainty, the published U–Pb or U/Th ages for (a) flowstone in three drill core samples in the range 2000–3000 ka, (b) a flowstone hand sample taken at surface with an age of 1800 ka, and (c) five underground flowstone samples in the range 100–800 ka. Calcite retentivity for He under cave conditions is thus demonstrated. In the few cases where helium loss was observed in speleothems, only some of the subsamples were affected, and to varying degrees, suggesting loss by lattice damage not related to diagenetic processes, rather than volume diffusion. In the 100 to 800 ka range, the combined U/Th disequilibrium and (U,Th)–He method also yielded reliable values for initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) and (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios. Importantly, most subsamples had high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values, ranging from 1.0 to 19.7, although having low Th/U ratios. This is probably due to incorporation of Fe–Mn oxides-hydroxides dust, on which ²³⁰Th was previously adsorbed. Such samples are mostly not dateable by U/Th without the additional input from the He analysis. If not detected and corrected for, such high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values can lead to inaccurate U/Th and U–Pb ages. Our study shows that the incorporation of He analysis in U/Th dating has broad potential application, with four methods for calculating the ages, in carbonates from different environments where U-Pb or U/Th dating would not work.     

变频调速器在齐鲁石化供排水厂的推广与应用

近年来低压变频器已得到广大企业用户的认可,并显示出它的节能效果,文章介绍了变频器在齐鲁石化水厂的应用,对比改造前后的工作状况和在节能、节电、提高自动化水平及电路设计等方面的功能和特点.     

Storm catastrophes in the United States

A unique historical data set describing the 142 storms each producing losses in excess of $100 million in the United States during the 1950–89 period were analyzed to describe their temporal characteristics. The storms caused $66.2 billion in losses (in 1991 values), 76% of the nation's insured storm losses in this period. These extreme storm catastrophes (SCs) were most prevalent in the south, southeast, northeast, and central U.S., with few in and west of the Rocky Mountains. Storm incidences were high in the 1950s, low in the 1960s-early 1970s, and increased in the 1980s. Losses due to SCs peaked in the 1950s, again in the late 1960s, with a lesser peak after 1985. The areal extent of storm losses peaked after 1975 and was least in the 1960s. The temporal variations of the three storm measures (incidence, losses, and extent) did not agree except when they all peaked in the 1950s. Regionally-derived time distributions of SCs showed a marked north-south differences in the United States with a U-shaped 40-year distribution in the northern half of the nation, and a relatively flat trend until a peak in the 1980s in the southern regions. The temporal distributions of hurricane-caused catastrophes differed regionally with occurrences in the prime areas, the southern, southeastern, and northeastern U.S., each quite different. Temporal distributions of thunderstorm and winter storm catastrophes were regionally more uniform.     

新疆相对资源承载力评估模型构建及其实证分析

在分析了区域人地关系系统基础上构建区域PRED系统,相对资源承载力模型进行了4方面改进：（1）基于人地关系理论和可持续发展理论构建区域PRED系统模型,将人口、资源、环境、社会和经济各子系统相对资源承载力进行整合。（2）在自然资源子系统中加入了林业用地面积和建设用地面积两个重要指标,在环境资源子系统中加入了环境污染治理投资总额,并在社会资源了系统中加入了全社会固定资产投资总额这一指标。（3）提出了加权平方平均相对资源承载力模型,并利用该模型对新疆维吾尔自治区（以下简称新疆）2000-2014 年相对资源承载力进行。（4）结合脱钩理论对相对资源综合承载力与资源环境、社会经济因子之间的关系进行研究。结果表明：采用改进后的相对资源承载力模型得出评价结果更符合资源匹配度较差地区的实际情况;新疆各要素相对资源承载力平均水平由大到小的顺序是：平均自然资源承载力、平均综合承载力、平均环境资源承载力、平均社会资源承载力、平均经济资源承载力。研究期间一直处于富余状态,自然资源优势相对突出,但是环境资源、经济资源、社会资源劣势也很明显,新疆综合承载力与资源环境、经济社会要素的矛盾十分突出。     

植被生态用水结构及绿水资源消耗效用——以黄河三门峡地区为例

以黄河三门峡地区为研究对象,构建适用于流域尺度植被生态用水估算的生态水文模型,对三门峡地区20世纪50年代以来植被生态用水量进行了定量模拟,得到研究区植被生态用水时空结构差异.在此基础上,对三门峡地区不同植被类型绿水资源消耗效用进行了分析,提出该区域植被结构调整方案.结果表明:三门峡地区植被生态用水量自20世纪50年代以来,由于气候和土地利用状况的变化,总体呈现出降低-稳定-上升的趋势;生态用水空间结构主要表现在不同植被类型下生态用水量差异上:林地最大,其次为农作物、灌丛,草地最小;林地高效消耗比例最大,其次为草地和灌丛,农用地最小.基于不同植被类型绿水资源消耗效用分析,提出三门峡地区植被结构调整方案.在一定水资源消耗量状况下,减少无效和低效消耗量,增加高效消耗量,是缓解该地区生产、生活、生态用水矛盾,提高总体生态效益的重要途径.     

1953-2005年内蒙古东部产粮区气候变化特征研究

利用系统聚类分析和相关分析方法,根据1953--2005年内蒙古东部产粮区48个气象站的气象资料．进行了气候相似区划分;并得出各区在热量、水分的时间变化上具有较高的区域一致性。据此,以区域内各站点的温度、降水和日照时数的平均值作为区域热水光时间序列,分析了各气候要素变化特征及其对农业可能产生的影响。结果表明：各区域温度呈上升趋势,增温速率（平均增温为0．3-0．4℃／10a）高于中国平均增温速率（0．22℃／10a）,增温幅度呈从西向东递增的趋势,平均最低气温增幅最大,平均最高气温增温幅度与海拔呈正相关,尤以1988年以后变暖趋势最为明显;降水量基本呈减少趋势,年代际波动较大;20世纪90年代至今,内蒙古东部产粮区生长季降水明显减少,气温迅速升高,暖千化趋势表现明显,温差减小和日照时数减少,水热匹配格局发生改变,粮食产量出现减少趋势的可能性较大。     

西安地铁施工诱发地表沉降及对城墙的影响

以西安地铁2号线为背景,利用3种预测公式对实测地表沉降值进行拟合,得到了沉降槽形态参数。利用拟合参数,借鉴“刚度修正法”原理对地铁下穿城墙施工诱发其基础的沉降进行预测,并建立城墙的三维有限元模型,对城墙所能承受的极限变形能力和承载力进行量化分析,分析结果表明：Peck公式能较好地描述地表沉降特征;考虑后期蠕变和固结作用,盾构施工所诱发的城墙基础最大沉降量不得超过20 mm,期望对后期地铁施工引起地表沉降及其对建筑物的响应提供科学参考。     

钻孔揭露岩体构造特征确定露天采矿场推荐边坡角的方法应用探讨

文章从处理钻孔所揭露出的岩体构造资料入手,提出了位于类似热带地区的具有基岩露头少、堆积层厚大、矿体埋藏条件适宜露天开采等特征的矿床的露天采矿中确定推荐边坡角的一种方法。通过详细收集弱风化及未风化且节理开启或由方解石、石膏、粘土等软弱矿物充填的岩石的岩体构造特征,图解统计节理发育密度、节理与岩芯轴夹角随钻孔深度变化关系,并以相应钻孔深度倾角标准离差作修正,提出不同露天开采深度与稳定边坡角的关系。     

阳原盆地化稍营地区断层主要活动时期的研究

研究一个地区断层主要活动时期是了解地壳构造运动或断层发育历史的基础。本文仍沿用了传统研究法,并将同位素法和石英形貌法测年与显微构造分析法引进到研究断层主要活动时期的工作中,取得了能相互映正的结果,最后确定阳原盆地化稍营地区的断层经历过:元古代前;燕山期;6～9千万年;上新世——早更新世和最后一次较强烈活动在20—30万年以前等五次主要活动时期。     

我国西部地区湖泊水资源利用与湖水咸化状况分析

湖泊咸化是指湖水含盐量逐步增加．湖泊由淡水湖向咸水湖、再向盐湖和干盐湖的演化过程,这是我国西部干旱、半干旱地区湖泊普遍存在的一种现象。在大量调查的基础上,分析了我国西部干旱、半干旱地区近几十年来湖泊萎缩咸化的状况,湖泊变化的所产生的原因,并初步提出改善我国西部地区湖泊水资源利用的对策。