A pleistocene mummified ostracod from the Wairarapa district

A mummified specimen of Scottia insularis Chapman is recorded from beds of Upper Nukumaruan age (Pleistocene) at Gladstone in the Wairarapa Valley. This is the first record of a mummified species from New Zealand.     

Responses of a Mediterranean soft bottom community to short-term (1993-1996) hydrological changes in the Rhone river

The polychaete fauna of muddy bottoms off the Rhone delta (NW Mediterranean) was seasonally sampled at two sites at 70 m depth, from 1993 to 1996. During this period, five severe flood events occurred. A clustering analysis (distance coefficient of Whittaker) and three way fixed factor ANOVAs (site x season x year) showed strong year-to-year changes in species density and community structure, changes that masked seasonal variations. Total density increased by a factor of 3 and density of most species significantly increased following the first flooding event. Changes in the community structure were due to the successive dominance of a few species. The opportunistic species, such as Cossura sp., Mediomastus sp. and Polycirrus sp., exhibited peaks in density 1-3 months after the flood. These peaks were followed by a drastic decline. For species with a long life span, such as Sternaspis scutata, a slower but continuous increase in density was observed which was maintained for several months. The density fluctuations of these species exhibited a good correlation with river flow with time lags of 1-2 years. The successional dynamics observed are explained according to the geographical origin of the floods and the biology and feeding ecology of species.     

Molecular ecological study of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Siganus spinus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. guttatus</Emphasis> from Okinawan waters based on mitochondrial DNA control region sequences

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced to examine the genetic variability and gene flow of juvenile Siganus spinus and S. guttatus. In total, 461 nucleotide sequences were obtained from 69 specimens of juvenile S. spinus from Okinawa Island and Ishigaki Island, in which 17 variable sites and 22 haplotypes were identified. Haplotype diversity (h) was high (0.9244 in Okinawa and 0.8984 in Ishigaki), whereas nucleotide diversity (π) was low (0.0063 in Okinawa and 0.0059 in Ishigaki). The two populations were not genetically distinct. Siganus guttatus, which do not form large schools at recruitment, in contrast S. spinus, were also analyzed by studying 152 individuals collected off Okinawa Island, Miyako Island, and Ishigaki Island. Of 476 nucleotide sequences, 50 were variable, and 42 haplotypes were identified. Genetic variability values were high (h = 0.8766 and π = 0.0151 in Okinawa; h = 0.9640 and π = 0.0192 in Miyako; h = 0.9161 and π = 0.0199 in Ishigaki). The Okinawa population was genetically isolated from the Miyako and Ishigaki populations. As a result, genetic diversity was high for each of these siganid populations despite their being target species for fisheries; however, the degree of inter-population gene flow was higher for S. spinus than S. guttatus, suggesting that these species exhibit different dispersal strategies.     

山东埠后古火山机构显微构造研究

埠后古火山机构由早白垩世陆相火山岩和次火山岩组成,铅、锌、铜、硫矿与后者有关。为了圈定火山通道的大致位置,在熔岩中采制定向切片,进行显微构造分析。通过变形、压密、阻挡、涡流等显微构造标志确定流动方位;利用长条状晶体的长轴方向确定流动线理。根据流动方位和流动线理圈出古火山口位置,进而指出在环火山颈的大断裂一侧,可能具区域找矿前景。     

东海陆架区地热研究

通过对东海陆架八口石油钻井岩岩芯采样，测定其热导率，并求取对应的地温梯度，据傅立叶定律计算单井的热流密度，在５６－８８．６０ｍＷ／ｍ＾２之间，填补了东海陆架热流值测定的空白。     

柯坪河流域地下水资源的有效利用方式探讨

柯坪河流域分布于新疆境内，包括苏巴什盆地、柯坪盆地和阿恰山前地区．柯坪河是柯坪县最大的河流，上游名为苏巴什河，下游与红沙河汇合后称阿恰河．盆地与山前平原由柯坪河串起，水资源沿途不断汇入，并在不同河段有反复出露入渗．流域内无高山冰川，中山区降水是水资源的唯一来源．流域内水质普遍较差，溶解性总固体含量由北西向南东逐渐增高，当地居民生活饮用水供水水质不能满足生活饮用水标准．根据当地的地下水水资源特点，采取合适的管理利用方式，可使得较低溶解性总固体含量地下水资源能够更有效的被利用．     

中国大陆科学钻探靶区深部温度预测

依据中国大陆科学钻探(CCSD)两口先导孔中地热测量和岩石样品热物性参数,对5000m深钻的可能钻遇温度进行了预测.先导孔中地温梯度介于1-26℃/km;岩石热导率变化为2.64-8.81W/(m@K),平均(3.4±1.26)W/(m@K);实测热流值为76-80mW/m2;30块岩石样品放射性生热率变化为(0.0-2.17)μW/m3,450m深度以上层平均(0.76±0.5)μW/m3,以下层段平均(0.48±0.2)μW/m3,生热率随深度递减,但变化趋势难以明确判定.分别对热流和热导率取上、下限,采用不同的生热率随深度的分布函数,区分考虑或不考虑热导率的温度相关性,分别计算出5000m深度内可能的温度分布剖面.计算结果表明,超深井于5000m垂直深度上的温度将达到110-140℃,2000m深度的探井钻遇温度将介于54-64℃.此外,考虑热导率的温度效应后预测的温度一般高于未考虑热导率温度效应5-8℃.     

Modeled Sverdrup flow in the North Atlantic from 11 different wind stress climatologies

In studies of large-scale ocean dynamics, often quoted values of Sverdrup transport are computed using the Hellerman–Rosenstein wind stress climatology. The Sverdrup solution varies, however, depending on the wind set used. We examine the differences in the large-scale upper ocean response to different surface momentum forcing fields for the North Atlantic Ocean by comparing the different Sverdrup interior/Munk western boundary layer solutions produced by a 1/16° linear numerical ocean model forced by 11 different wind stress climatologies. Significant differences in the results underscore the importance of careful selection of a wind set for Sverdrup transport calculation and for driving nonlinear models. This high-resolution modeling approach to solving the linear wind-driven ocean circulation problem is a convenient way to discern details of the Sverdrup flow and Munk western boundary layers in areas of complicated geometry such as the Caribbean and Bahamas. In addition, the linear solutions from a large number of wind sets provide a well-understood baseline oceanic response to wind stress forcing and thus, (1) insight into the dynamics of observed circulation features, by themselves and in conjunction with nonlinear models, and (2) insight into nonlinear model sensitivity to the choice of wind-forcing product.The wind stress products are evaluated and insight into the linear dynamics of specific ocean features is obtained by examining wind stress curl patterns in relation to the corresponding high-resolution linear solutions in conjunction with observational knowledge of the ocean circulation. In the Sverdrup/Munk solutions, the Gulf Stream pathway consists of two branches. One separates from the coast at the observed separation point, but penetrates due east in an unrealistic manner. The other, which overshoots the separation point at Cape Hatteras and continues to flow northward along the continental boundary, is required to balance the Sverdrup interior transport. A similar depiction of the Gulf Stream is commonly seen in the mean flow of nonlinear, eddy-resolving basin-scale models of the North Atlantic Ocean. An O(1) change from linear dynamics is required for realistic simulation of the Gulf Stream pathway. Nine of the eleven Sverdrup solutions have a C-shaped subtropical gyre, similar to what is seen in dynamic height contours derived from observations. Three mechanisms are identified that can contribute to this pattern in the Sverdrup transport contours. Along 27°N, several wind sets drive realistic total western boundary current transport (within 10% of observed) when a 14 Sv global thermohaline contribution is added (COADS, ECMWF 10 m re-analysis and operational, Hellerman–Rosenstein and National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) surface stress re-analysis), a few drive transport that is substantially too high (ECMWF 1000 mb re-analysis and operational and Isemer–Hasse) and Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) surface stresses give linear transport that is slightly weaker than observed. However, higher order dynamics are required to explain the partitioning of this transport between the Florida Straits and just east of the Bahamas (minimal in the linear solutions vs. 5 Sv observed east of the Bahamas). Part of the Azores Current transport is explained by Sverdrup dynamics. So are the basic path of the North Atlantic Current (NAC) and the circulation features within the Intra-Americas Sea (IAS), when a linear rendition of the northward upper ocean return flow of the global thermohaline circulation is added in the form of a Munk western boundary layer.     

Local meteorology in a northern Himalayan valley near Mount Everest and its response to seasonal transitions

An automatic weather station(AWS) has been installed at the Qomolangma Station of the China Academy of Sciences(QOMS) since 2005, in a northern Himalayan valley near Mount Everest, with an altitude of 4,270 m a.s.l.. Nine years of meteorological records(2006–2014) from the automatic weather station(AWS) were analyzed in this study, aiming to understand the response of local weather to the seasonal transition on the northern slopes of Mount Everest, with consideration of the movement of the subtropical jet(STJ) and the onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon(ISM). We found:(1) Both the synoptic circulation and the orography have a profound influence on the local weather, especially the local circulation.(2) Southwesterly(SW) and southeasterly(SE) winds prevail alternately at QOMS in the afternoon through the year. The SW wind was driven by the STJ during the non-monsoon months, while the SE was induced by the trans-Himalayan flow through the Arun Valley, a major valley to the east of Mount Everest, under a background of weak westerly winds aloft.(3) The response of air temperature(T) and specific humidity(q) to the monsoon onset is not as marked as that of the nearsurface winds. The q increases gradually and reaches a maximum in July when the rainy period begins.(4) The alternation between the SW wind at QOMS and the afternoon SE wind in the pre-monsoon season signals the northward shift of the STJ and imminent monsoon onset. The average interval between these two events is 14 days.