Periodic accumulation and destruction of aeolian erg sequences in the Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone, White Canyon, southern Utah, USA

The Permian Cedar Mesa Sandstone represents the product of at least 12 separate aeolian erg sequences, each bounded by regionally extensive deflationary supersurfaces. Facies analysis of strata in the White Canyon area of southern Utah indicates that the preserved sequences represent erg‐centre accumulations of mostly dry, though occasionally water table‐influenced aeolian systems. Each sequence records a systematic sedimentary evolution, enabling phases of aeolian sand sea construction, accumulation, deflation and destruction to be discerned and related to a series of underlying controls. Sand sea construction is signalled by a transition from damp sandsheet, ephemeral lake and palaeosol deposition, through a phase of dry sandsheet deposition, to the development of thin, chaotically arranged aeolian dune sets. The onset of the main phase of sand sea accumulation is reflected by an upward transition to larger‐scale, ordered sets which represent the preserved product of climbing trains of sinuous‐crested transverse dunes with original downwind wavelengths of 300–400 m. Regularly spaced reactivation surfaces indicate periodic shifts in wind direction, which probably occurred seasonally. Compound co‐sets of cross strata record the oblique migration of superimposed slipfaced dunes over larger, slipfaceless draa. Each aeolian sequence is capped by a regionally extensive supersurface characterized by abundant calcified rhizoliths and bioturbation and which represents the end product of a widespread deflation episode whereby the accumulation surface was lowered close to the level of the water table as the sand sea was progressively cannibalized by winds that were undersaturated with respect to their potential carrying capacity. Aeolian sequence generation is considered to be directly attributable to cyclical changes in climate and related changes in sea level of probable glacio‐eustatic origin that characterize many Permo‐Carboniferous age successions. Sand sea construction and accumulation occurred during phases of increased aridity and lowered sea level, the main sand supply being former shallow marine shelf sediments that lay to the north‐west. Sand sea deflation and destruction would have commenced at, or shortly after, the time of maximum aridity as the available sand supply became exhausted. Restricted episodes of non‐aeolian accumulation would have occurred during humid (interglacial) phases, accumulation and preservation being enabled by slow rises in the relative water table. Subsidence analysis within the Paradox Basin, together with comparisons to other similar age successions suggests that the climatic cycles responsible for generating the Cedar Mesa erg sequences could be the product of 413 000 years so‐called long eccentricity cycles. By contrast, annual advance cycles within the aeolian dune sets indicate that the sequences themselves could have accumulated in just a few hundred years and therefore imply that the vast majority of time represented by the Cedar Mesa succession was reserved for supersurface development.     

Structural architecture of a highly oblique divergent plate boundary segment

The Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland is a highly oblique spreading segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge oriented about 30° from the direction of absolute plate motion. We present a complete and spatially accurate map of fractures for the Reykjanes Peninsula with a level of detail previously unattained. Our map reveals a variability in the pattern of normal, oblique- and strike-slip faults and open fractures which reflects both temporal and spatial strain partitioning within the plate boundary zone. Fracture density varies across the length and width of the peninsula, with density maxima at the ends and at the northern margin of the zone of volcanic activity. Fractures with similar strike cluster into distinct structural domains which can be related to patterns of faulting predicted for oblique extension and to their spatial distribution with respect to volcanic fissure swarms. Additional structural complexity on the Reykjanes Peninsula can be reconciled with magmatic periodicity and associated temporal strain partitioning implied by GPS data, as well as locally perturbed stress fields. Individual faults show variable slip histories, indicating that they may be active during both magmatic and amagmatic periods associated with different strain fields.     

Net Energy Payback and CO2 Emissions from Three Midwestern Wind Farms: An Update

This paper updates a life-cycle net energy analysis and carbon dioxide emissions analysis of three Midwestern utility-scale wind systems. Both the Energy Payback Ratio (EPR) and CO₂ analysis results provide useful data for policy discussions regarding an efficient and low-carbon energy mix. The EPR is the amount of electrical energy produced for the lifetime of the power plant divided by the total amount of energy required to procure and transport the materials, build, operate, and decommission the power plants. The CO₂ analysis for each power plant was calculated from the life-cycle energy input data. A previous study also analyzed coal and nuclear fission power plants. At the time of that study, two of the three wind systems had less than a full year of generation data to project the life-cycle energy production. This study updates the analysis of three wind systems with an additional four to eight years of operating data. The EPR for the utility-scale wind systems ranges from a low of 11 for a two-turbine system in Wisconsin to 28 for a 143-turbine system in southwestern Minnesota. The EPR is 11 for coal, 25 for fission with gas centrifuge enriched uranium and 7 for gaseous diffusion enriched uranium. The normalized CO₂ emissions, in tonnes of CO₂ per GW_eh, ranges from 14 to 33 for the wind systems, 974 for coal, and 10 and 34 for nuclear fission using gas centrifuge and gaseous diffusion enriched uranium, respectively.     

A geochronological approach to understanding the role of solar activity on Holocene glacier length variability in the Swiss Alps

We present a radiocarbon data set of 71 samples of wood and peat material that melted out or sheared out from underneath eight presentday mid‐latitude glaciers in the Central Swiss Alps. Results indicated that in the past several glaciers have been repeatedly less extensive than they were in the 1990s. The periods when glaciers had a smaller volume and shorter length persisted between 320 and 2500 years. This data set provides greater insight into glacier variability than previously possible, especially for the early and middle Holocene. The radiocarbon‐dated periods defined with less extensive glaciers coincide with periods of reduced radio‐production, pointing to a connection between solar activity and glacier melting processes. Measured long‐term series of glacier length variations show significant correlation with the total solar irradiance. Incoming solar irradiance and changing albedo can account for a direct forcing of the glacier mass balances. Long‐term investigations of atmospheric processes that are in interaction with changing solar activity are needed in order to understand the feedback mechanisms with glacier mass balances.     

Retrieval of stratospheric O3 and NO2 vertical profiles using zenith scattered light observations

Daily zenith scattered light intensity observations were carried out in the morning twilight hours using home-made UV-visible spectrometer over the tropical station Pune (18‡31′, 73‡51′) for the years 2000–2003. These observations are obtained in the spectral range 462–498 nm for the solar zenith angles (SZAs) varying from 87‡ to 91.5‡. An algorithm has been developed to retrieve vertical profiles of ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from ground-based measurements using the Chahine iteration method. This retrieval method has been checked using measured and recalculated slant column densities (SCDs) and they are found to be well matching. O₃ and NO₂ vertical profiles have been retrieved using a set of their air mass factors (AMFs) and SCDs measured over a range of 87–91.5‡ SZA during the morning. The vertical profiles obtained by this method are compared with Umkehr profiles and ozonesondes and they are found to be in good agreement. The bulk of the column density is found near layer 20–25 km. Daily total column densities (TCDs) of O₃ and NO₂ along with their stratospheric and tropospheric counterparts are derived using their vertical profiles for the period 2000–2003. The total column, stratospheric column and tropospheric column amounts of both trace gases are found to be maximum in summer and minimum in the winter season. Increasing trend is found in column density of NO₂ in stratospheric, tropospheric and surface layers, but no trend is observed in O₃ columns for above layers during the period 2000–2003     

吉尔嘎朗图凹陷宝饶洼槽下白垩统层序地层与沉积体系

运用高分辨率层序地层学原理和方法,通过对钻井和地震资料的综合分析,在二连盆地吉尔嘎朗图凹陷下白垩统中识别出1个超长期基准面旋回(二级层序)SSC1和5个长期基准面旋回(三级层序):LSC1,LSC2,LSC3,LSC4,LSC5,分析了各旋回的发育特征。识别出五种类型的沉积体系:滨浅湖近岸水下扇、较深水湖浊积扇、滨浅湖扇三角洲、滨浅湖辫状河三角洲和河流沉积体系,并在等时地层格架内分析了各基准面旋回的沉积体系构成和储层砂体的发育情况。综合分析生、诸、盖条件后认为,在垂向上,LSC3旋回为本区最有利的储集层段,在平面上,本区的油气勘探应主要寻找宝饶构造带辫状河三角洲前缘砂体,主要储层砂体类型为前缘分流水道砂和前缘席状砂。     

黄骅坳陷扣村地区古近系沙三段高分辨层序地层分析

通过利用钻井、测井、地震等多种资料，以黄骅坳陷扣村地区古近系沙三段为例，详细论述了开展高分辨层序地层分析的研究流程、方法．在四级层序格架确定的基础上，叙述了以一般湖泛面和更小级别的岩性和结构层序单元界面的识别与类型的确定．指出通过露头、岩心、测井曲线和高分辨地震信息，可以确定短期旋回界面与超短期旋回界面．根据工区的特点选取主干剖面，建立高分辨率层序地层网络格架对比剖面，开展长、中、短期基准面旋回的分析、高分辨率层序地层的单砂体展布分析及其沉积微相研究．     

川西邛崃县白马庙气田上侏罗统蓬莱镇组高分辨率层序地层分析

以高分辨率层序地层学理论及其技术方法为指导,通过地表露头、岩心、测井和地震资料的综合分析,在白马庙气田上侏罗统蓬莱镇组识别出3类不同成因类型和发育规模的层序界面、3个级别的湖泛面,划分出2个长期、6个中期、38～40个短期基准面旋回层序,并对不同级次旋回层序的特征进行了详细讨论.同时,发现中期基准面旋回层序近顶部的薄层灰岩和钙质泥岩也是识别中期基准面旋回的重要标志之一.在此基础上,运用旋回等时对比法则对各级次旋回层序进行对比,建立了3个不同时间尺度的等时地层格架,认为开展高分辨率层序地层分析对深化白马庙气田蓬莱镇组气藏的勘探开发工作具有重要意义.     

新疆塔里木河流域平原区土地利用覆盖变化及其对生态环境影响分析

分析了塔里木河流域平原区近十余年土地利用覆盖变化和用水量的变化情况,对两者间的关系进行了研究,提出了为防止生态环境进一步恶化应采取的对策.     

冷暖事件对大气能量循环和纬向平均环流影响的模拟研究

利用中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学与地球流体力学数值模拟国家重点实验室新发展的GOALS 5全球海 陆 气耦合模式研究了暖事件 (ElNi no)和冷事件 (LaNina)对大气能量循环和纬向平均环流的影响 ,并用观测资料进行了对比分析。结果表明 :对于纬向平均资料来说 ,冷、暖事件在热带和副热带地区的大气环流相关量的反相变化特征非常清晰 ,中高纬度地区并不明显。此外 ,还发现 ,暖事件时定常涡动的经向热通量的变化是北半球对流层热带外地区温度异常的主要原因 ,而瞬变波的影响则起抵消作用。冷事件时定常波和瞬变波相互抵消的局地特征也依然存在 ,但瞬变波的影响有所增强。