Time-dependent stress change during failure of rocks

The energy balance of a solid subject to fracture has been explored using heat and mass transfer equations with regard to the volumetric and superficial components. In the suggested model, brittle fracture of a cracked solid considered as a heterogeneous two-phase medium is described by an equation analogous to the Griffith’s criterion for propagation of a single crack. The derived equation is used, together with estimates of relative change in specific interface area, to study the respective change of free strain energy and pressure in rocks associated with failure.     

Changes in hydrogeological properties of the River Choushui alluvial fan aquifer due to the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, Taiwan

Changes in hydrogeological properties of the River Choushui alluvial fan aquifer before and after the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, Taiwan, have been identified using pumping tests. Three wells, SH2, YL2 and SC2, located in a compressional zone with high coseismic groundwater levels, were tested. The threshold of the aquifer deformation with respect to transmissivity (T) is greater than that with respect to storage coefficient (S). Decreases in the post-earthquake S are approximately 60% at SH2 and SC2, indicating aquifer compression after the Chi-Chi earthquake. Changes in the post-earthquake T range from 61% increase to 0.8% decrease. Moreover, results from anisotropy analysis of T at SC2 further illustrate that normal stresses induced by the Chi-Chi earthquake have consolidated soil particles. Soil particles dilated laterally after the earthquake, resulting in an increase of the equivalent T. The changes in hydrogeological properties have a considerable influence on spatiotemporal fluid pressure and horizontal groundwater movement, resulting in different amounts of drawdown during post-earthquake pumping.     

A spectrophotometric measurement of soil cation exchange capacity based on cobaltihexamine chloride absorbance

Among numerous methods for cation exchange capacity (CEC) determination for soils and sediments, the cobaltihexamine chloride method is frequently used due to its ability to measure CEC at soil pH. After exchange with Co(NH₃)₆³⁺ ions, CEC is estimated via the measurement of the Co remaining in solution. The modified method proposed allows a more rapid determination of CEC based on the measurement of the absorbance at 472 nm of the cobaltihexamine chloride solution before and after exchange. This method has been applied to various soil's horizons from four sites, selected to cover a wide range of CEC and pH values. The model obtained allows one to calculate CEC from absorbance at 472 nm with 95% confidence intervals. As CEC is of relevant meaning in agronomical and environmental purposes, and more recently in ecotoxicological studies, this modified method can be proposed as a rapid test for CEC evaluation.     

青藏高原西北缘祁漫塔格山中新世快速抬升 的磷灰石裂变径迹证据

对祁漫塔格山体不同海拔高度所取的9个磷灰石样品的裂变径迹分析结果表明,东昆仑西段中新世早中期为主要的隆升期且隆升速率较高,早期隆升速率为111m／Ma,晚期隆升速率为98m／Ma,总体隆升速率为100m／Ma。样品显示出磷灰石裂变径迹长度大致分2类,一类磷灰石裂变径迹长度为（12．21±10．20）-（13．75±0．30）μm,径迹长度分布图基本上为窄而对称的正态分布,反映具有快的剥露冷却速率,未受到后期热事件的干扰。另一类磷灰石裂变径迹长度为（11．88±0．33）～（13．32±0．27）μm,较前一类具有稍慢的剥露冷却速率,并且受到了后期热事件的干扰。     

西藏札达盆地控盆断裂有限元数值模拟

札达盆地是喜马拉雅构造带中的一个山间断陷盆地,其演化过程与盆地两侧的控盆构造密切相关。对控盆断裂的构造应力场进行模拟计算,将有助于进一步深化对本区构造控盆的认识。因此,在对盆地构造地质进行详细调查的基础上,结合本区的深部地质与地球物理资料,对札达盆地控盆断裂的构造应力场进行了模拟。计算结果表明,札达盆地的演化明显受盆地两侧边界断裂的控制,札达盆地是在整体南北向挤压应力的作用下,不同块体差异隆升作用的结果。其南侧的控盆断裂为北倾的正断层,北侧的控盆断裂为南倾的逆断层,二者共同形成了南降北升的翘板式断陷盆地运动过程,是喜马拉雅地块在陆内汇聚挤压构造环境中构造应力场调整的一种方式。     

An essay on the interactions between climate and society

There has been increasing concern about the lack of involvement by social scientists and humanists in a global change program, although many social scientists are already directly involved in various aspects of research on environmental change, and their research interests are clearly central to a global change research agenda. Based on a historical review, the role of social science disciplines as well as social science institutes in an emerging multidecadal global change program is discussed. Both “plan of action” and “plan of inaction” are suggested to avoid potential pitfalls due to the rush development of a social science program into the existing global climate change problem.     

Climate changing characteristics of Zhangye City in Heihe River basin during 1968–2005

At present, researches on climate change of the Heihe River basin mainly focus on the relationship between basin climate change and regional water resources, regional desertification and dynamic climatic seasons of sandstorm, but less on climate change of oasis region, where there are more intense and frequent human activities. Based on data of precipitation, temperature, strong wind and dust events frequencies obtained from the six meteorological stations of Zhangye region in Heihe River basin, the features of climate change during 1968–2005 were carefully studied. Results show that the regional temperature rise rate exceeded the average level of China. The annual precipitation changed a little, but the precipitation had a slowly increasing trend in spring and winter. Frequencies of strong wind and sandstorm days show obviously descending trends, which had a close correlation with the regional temperature rise and the precipitation increase in spring and winter. Meanwhile, further human economic activities and exploitations to the oasis in the inland valley of arid regions also affected the climate change of this region, which has a sensitive and fragile eco-environment. __________ Translated from Journal of Desert Research, 2007, 27(6): 1048–1054 [译自: 中国沙漠]     

Holocene climate reconstructions of Ulungur Lake (Xinjiang,China) inferred from ostracod species assemblages and stable isotopes

In this paper, the data on the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes during the Holocene are presented and a discussion is made on a 225-cm-long sediment core from Ulungur Lake, located in Northwest China. The chronology is constructed from six AMS radiocarbon dates on the bulk organic matter. On the basis of the analysis of ostracod assemblages and the shell stable isotopes, the core is divided into three paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental evolution stages: 9 985–5 250 cal.aB.P. stage is the wettest phase of the core section. The climate changed from moderate-dry to cool-wet, and then to warm-wet in turn, and the lake level rose accordingly, showing the characteristic of a high lake level. 5 250–1 255 cal.aB.P. stage was the driest phase of the core sediment. The climate turned from the early warm-dry to the late warm-wet and the lake level fell and rose again. Finally, the 1 255 cal.aB.P. stage was the medium stage of the section. The temperature was low and then increased after the 1920s and the climate was dry. The whole climatic and environmental evolution records of Lake Ulungur were not only in agreement with the sporopollen record of the same core but also in agreement with the record of environmental changes of adjacent areas. It responded to regional environmental changes and global abrupt climate events, following the westerly climate change mode on 100-year-scale, primarily with cold-wet and warmdry characteristics. __________ Translated from Quaternary Sciences, 2007, 27(3):382–391 [译自:第四纪研究]     

西藏冈底斯带石炭纪—二叠纪岛弧造山作用：火山岩及地球化学证据

系统研究了西藏冈底斯带石炭纪—二叠纪火山岩的时空分布、岩相学、元素及Sr、Nd、Pb 同位素地球化学和构造环境、源区性质,并与喜马拉雅带二叠纪火山岩进行了对比研究。冈底斯带石炭纪—二叠纪火山岩近东西向集中分布在冈底斯构造带中北部地带,空间上从东至西火山活动的强度和规模渐次减小,时间上从早至晚火山活动的强度和规模总体由弱到强。冈底斯带石炭纪—二叠纪火山岩形成于活动大陆边缘的岛弧构造环境,从早到晚岛弧造山作用经历了初始岛弧→早期岛弧→成熟岛弧的发展演变过程,火山岩浆来源于富集型地幔部分熔融作用,原始岩浆在形成和演化的过程中有俯冲洋壳及随带的深海沉积物和再循环进人地慢的地壳物质组分的强烈混染,明显不同于受地壳物质组分强烈混染的喜马拉雅带二叠纪陆缘裂陷型火山岩。综合研究冈底斯带及其邻区近年来的最新调查与研究成果,从北向南拟建了石炭纪—二叠纪冈底斯岛弧→雅鲁藏布江弧后裂谷盆地→喜马拉雅陆缘裂陷盆地的弧盆系时空结构演化模式,探讨了冈瓦纳大陆北缘石炭纪—二叠纪活动大陆边缘的岛弧造山作用与青藏高原古特提斯演化的耦合关系及其动力学机制,讨论了冈底斯带松多乡榴辉岩的形成过程。     

幔源CO_2释出机理、脱气模式及成藏机制研究进展

针对幔源CO2如何从地幔岩浆中脱出并进入沉积地层中形成CO2气藏聚集这一关键问题,总结了国内外研究进展和前缘方向。研究表明,地幔深部的碱性玄武岩浆和碱性岩浆才是深部流体和CO2等挥发份大量赋存、渗滤和释出的场所。浅成侵入岩、次火山岩和火山通道等是CO2释放和聚集的有利位置,岩浆期后和岩浆衰弱期的热液活动阶段是CO2大量释放和聚集的有利时期。幔源CO2进入沉积盆地中具有3种脱气模式,即沿岩石圈断裂直接脱气模式、热流底辟体脱气模式和壳内岩浆房-基底断裂组合脱气模式。CO2的固有物化性质决定其运移相态多样,具有运移和聚集过程同步的特征。只有在满足大量的化学消耗及地层水或原油的溶解和耗散之后才能形成CO2有效聚集。幔源CO2成藏和分布主要受岩浆气源体和气源断裂体系的控制。今后,在超临界CO2及其对油气运移聚集的作用、CO2与深大断裂及火山岩的关系、CO2脱气运移机制、CO与常规烃类油气的耦合差异成藏机制等方面仍需要进一步的研究和探索。