Self-sedimentation of phytoplankton blooms in the geologic record

Understanding the formation of laminated, organic-rich sediments is an essential topic for researchers interested in fossil fuels, biogeochemical cycles, Earth's environmental history and global change. Biologists have very recently demonstrated that some marine phytoplankton blooms actively govern their own sedimentation by the formation of sticky transparent gels that facilitate rapid aggregation, accelerated sinking and efficient export flux. Here we present fossil evidence of unfragmented, low-diversity phytoplankton assemblages preserved as sedimentary laminae and irregular flocs that are attributable to a similar phytoplankton-driven sedimentary mechanism we term ‘self-sedimentation’. The geological evidence suggests that self-sedimentation precludes significant heterotrophic grazing, propels the formation of some conspicuous hemipelagic sedimentary laminae and results in efficient carbon and opal flux to the sediments. We suggest that the self-sedimentation phenomenon may have broad implications for the geological history of biogeochemical cycling, oceanic ecological dynamics, and abrupt atmospheric/environmental change. Broader recognition of the self-sedimentation phenomenon as explicitly defined here is a prerequisite to testing these unconventional hypotheses.     

ADVANCES IN MEASURING TECHNIQUES OF BED LOAD

I.m~UCrIONBedloadisthesedimentwhichmovesalongtheriverbedintheformofrolling,slidingandsaltation.BedloadmaycreatemanyproblemsintheoperationandmaintenanceofnavigationchannelandinthedevelOPmentofhydroelectricity.Dataofbedloaddischargearealsorequiredinthedesignofreservoir,inwhichtheinflowbedloadareallactuallytrapped.Thewaysofbedloadmotionaredifferentfordifferentsizes.Thus,itisextremelydifficulttodeterminethebedloaddischargeaccurately.Manyequationshavebeenproposedtocalculatethebedloaddischarge.H…     

Physical universals in problem of precursor soliton generation

Six physical universals and two general relations in the problem of locally forced precursor soliton generation are found thcoretically in terms of the AfKdV equation derived by authors. These six universals and two general relations are examined by experiment and numerical calculation of two-layer flow based on the canonical character of the coefficients of tlie fKdV equations. From comparisons among the theoretical, numerical and experimental results, it is shown that they are in good agreement. There is not any free parameter in this theory, so the theory of the present paper can be used to predict thc wave properties of locally forced precursor soliton generation. Project supported hy Foundation of the State Education Commission for The Dynamics of Upper Ocean and grants of Physical Oceanography Laboratory of Ocean University of Qingdao.     

数据采集中特征点粗差定位方法的探讨

本文分析了特征点应满足的几种条件，给出了一次范围最小（Ｌ１）法，最小二乘法以及粗差探测法进行特征点粗差定位方法，并以模拟实例为例对它们进行了比较，得出了一些有意义的结论。     

金沙江下游白鹤滩水电站岩体结构的建造特征

拟建的白鹤滩水电站的坝基为峨眉山玄武岩。峨眉山玄武岩由火山熔岩类、火山碎屑熔岩类、火山碎屑岩类和沉积火山碎屑岩类所组成。火山熔岩又可划分为斜斑玄武岩、块状玄武岩和杏仁状玄武岩;火山碎屑岩包括集块岩、火山角砾岩以及凝灰岩;而沉积火山碎屑岩类则由沉火山角砾岩和沉凝灰岩所组成。不同类型岩石的结构构造、矿物成分和形成环境不同,导致它们的岩石力学性质和工程性能也不相同。块状玄武岩、斜斑玄武岩和沉积火山碎屑熔岩的抗压强度和抗风化能力都比较大,因而具有很好的工程地质稳定性;杏仁状玄武岩、火山碎屑熔岩的抗压强度稍低,但抗风化能力很好,因此也具有较好的工程地质稳定性;而火山碎屑岩包括火山角砾岩、凝灰岩的抗压强度和抗风化能力都很低,往往形成岩体中的软弱夹层,工程地质稳定性较差。     

Simulation Experiments of Land Surface Physical Processes and Ecological Effect over Different Underlying Surface

Based on the existing Land Surface Physical Process Models(Deardorff, Dickinson, LIU, Noilhan, Seller, ZHAO), a Comprehensive Land Surface Physical Process Model (CLSPPM) is developed by considering the different physical processes of the earth‘s surface-vegetation-atmosphere system more completely. Compared with SiB and BATS, which are famous for their detailed parameterizations of physical variables, this simplified model is more convenient and saves much more computation time. Though simple, the feas...     

表生风化作用下多年冻土土壤的理论粒径分布

The paper discusses the distinctive features of grain size distribution of permafrost soils formed under conditions of continental lithogenesis and cryogenic weathering of rocks. As a functional consequence of surface erosion of mineral particles, the log-normal distribution of the density function of grain size is derived confirmed for any conditions and sediment types.     

Controls on modern alluvial fan processes in the central Alps,northern Italy

Alluvial fan development in Alpine areas is often affected by catastrophic sedimentary processes associated with extreme ?oods events, causing serious risks for people living on the fans. Hazard assessment in these areas depends on proper identi?cation of the dominant sedimentary processes on the fans. Data from a set of 209 alluvial fans from the central Alps of Italy are presented in this paper and analysed with the help of various statistical techniques (linear regression, principal components analysis, cluster analysis, discriminant analysis and logistic regression). First, we used modern sedimentary facies and historical records (?ood events since 15th century), to distinguish between the two dominant sedimentary processes on alluvial fans: debris ?ows and stream?ows. Then, in order to analyse the main controls on past and present fan processes, 36 morphological, geological and land‐use variables were analysed. As with observations for arid‐environment fans, catchment morphology is the most in?uential factor in the study area, whereas geology and land use are minor controls. The role of climatic change and landsliding within the catchments also seems to be very important and is discussed. Statistical techniques also help in differentiating groups of alluvial fans by sets of controlling factors, including stage and type of evolution. Finally, by using discriminant analysis and logistic regression, we classi?ed alluvial fans according to the dominant sedimentary process, with a success rate ranging between 75 and 92 per cent. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

土壤的冷生构造及其对阿拉斯加土地利用的意义

Cryogenic structure (patterns made by ice inclusions) in seasonally frozen and permafrost-af-fected soils result from ice formation during freezing. Analysis of cryogenic structures in soils is essential to our understanding of the cryogenic processes in soils and to formulating land use management interpretations. When soils freeze, the freezing front moves downward and attracts water moving upward resulting in mainly horizontal lenticular ice formation. Platy and lenticular soil structures form between ice lenses in upper active layer. The reticular soil structure usually forms above the permafrost table caused by freeze-back of the permafrost. The upward freeze-back resulted in platy soil structure and the volume changes following the annual freeze-thaw cycle resulted in vertical cracks. The combined result is an ice-net formation with mineral soils embedded in the ice net. The upper permafrost layer that used to be a part of the active layer has an ice content exceeding 50% due to repeated freeze-thaw cycles over time. The mineral soils appear in blocks embedded in an ice matrix. The permafrost layer that never experienced the freeze-thaw cycle often consists of alternate layers of thin ice lens and frozen soils with extreme hard consistence and has relatively lower ice content than the ice-rich layer of the upper permafrost. Ice contents and thaw settling potentials associated with each cryogenic structure should be considered in engineering and land use interpretations.     

Physicochemistry and Mineralogy of Storm Dust and Dust Sediment in Northern China

Dust sediments collected from 1995 to 1998 in Beijing, Dunhuang, Inner Mongolia, Kashi, the Kunlun Mountains, Lanzhou, Ningxia, the Taklimakan Desert, and Xi‘an, China, were characterized in terms of their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Most aerosols and dust analysed ranged in texture from silty clay to clay loam. Their median particle diameters (Mds) generally ranged between 5 to 63μm,coinciding with those of loess from central China and the finest sand from northwestern China. The dust sediments were characterized by a predominance of SiO2 and Al2O3, followed by K2O. Their SiO2/Al2O3and K2O/SiO2 molar ratios ranged from 5.17 to 8.43 and from 0.009 to 0.0368, respectively. The mass concentration spectrum during a dust storm showed a single peak, rather than the triple peak generally observed under clear sky conditions. The dominant minerals were chlorite, illite, calcite, and dolomite.These physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were consistent with those of aeolian soils and loess in western and central China. The results suggest that aerosols and fine-gained fractions of dust sediments collected in northern China are mainly composed of soil material transported from the arid and semiarid regions of China and Mongolia by prevailing winds. The rate of deposition and properties of dust falling on eastern China were strongly influenced by meteorological conditions, season, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the sampling sites.