The response of ostracod shell chemistry to seasonal change in a Mediterranean freshwater spring environment

We established the relationships between water chemistry changes in a pool fed by a permanent spring and seasonal variations in trace-element contents (Sr & Mg) in the shells of the ostracod species Herpetocypris intermedia, based on monthly collections of ostracod and water samples. The water chemistry of the investigated pool (Maïques, Valëncia, Spain) was dominated by calcium and bicarbonate, and showed marked seasonal variation in alkalinity, Ca²⁺ content, Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios. Although the variability in the water chemistry was relatively low (~10% relative standard deviation over the entire period), the trace-element contents in the ostracod shells tracked the seasonal change in the water chemistry of Maïques pool. Moreover, due to the rapid renewal of H. intermedia population, this species is able torecord in its shells the evolution of the water chemistry at a monthly time scale. Our results also showed that, in the Maïques pool system, ostracod Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios increased with the decrease in water salinity.To our knowledge, this is the first geochemical study of ostracods dwelling in spring environments. The results of this study may be applied to paleohydrological reconstruction using ostracods preserved in sediments deposited around springs (i.e. travertine and tufa deposits).     

应用遥感数据研究中国植被生态系统与气候的关系

应用1982-1994年NOAA/AVHRR的归一化植被指数（NDVI）资料和587个气象台站的数据对我国不同类型植被生态系统和气候的关系进行研究，首先将我国的植被类型划分为21类，在此基础上分别研究了不同时间尺度下我国不同区域，不同植被类型和气候的关系。结果表明：在多年平均状态下，植被生态系统NDVI水平主要受水分条件的影响；年内变化上，温度对植被生态系统季相变化化起着比降水略大的作用，年降水量造成了植被季相响应的差异，在年际变化上，分别研究了4个季节和整个生长期尺度上的关系，一般情形为温度和降水对植被的年际波动起着大致相反的作用，不同植被类型在不同的生长时期（季节）对气候的变化响应方式也不同，发现在植被的生长期，我国南方和北方的植被生态系统对温度和降水的响应方式相反；同时存在2个植被-气候敏感区，分别为我国北方的典型草原到森林的过渡区和云南中部部分区域。     

THE CLASSROOM AS THE FIELD FOR STUDYING GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION

ABSTRACT. Recent attempts by U.S. politicians to reform the nation'sschools have shifted the goal of education to school accountability as assessed in standardized testing. Such an emphasis undermines geographical education in schools because of geography'ssuperficial representation in tests and in the social studies curriculum. Fieldwork done in the classroom can point to means of circumventing this dilemma. Collaborative fieldwork between college faculty members and public‐school teachers has the potential for adding geography to the social studies curriculum in a substantive way. Work conducted jointly by Hartwick College and the Oneonta (New York) Middle School exemplifies such a partnership.     

High precision glacial–interglacial benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca records from the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea

Glacial–interglacial variation in the marine Sr/Ca ratio has important implications for coral Sr thermometry [J.W. Beck et al., Science 257 (1992) 644–647]. A possible variation of 1–3% was proposed based on ocean models [H.M. Stoll and D.P. Schrag, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 62 (1998) 1107–1118]. Subsequently, studies have used fossil foraminifera to test this prediction [P.A. Martin et al., Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 1 (1999); H.M. Stoll et al., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 63 (1999) 3535–3547; H. Elderfield et al., Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. 1 (2000)]. But whether some component of foraminiferal Sr/Ca variation can be uniquely ascribed to seawater Sr variation is still not clear. To address this question, we developed cleaning and analysis techniques and measured Sr/Ca ratios on individual shells of the modern benthic foraminifer Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi. We showed that different size shells have different Sr/Ca ratios; however, samples with shell sizes of 355–500 μm appear to have normally distributed Sr/Ca ratios (1σ=1.8%). For multi-shell measurements (with estimated errors of 0.12–0.39%), the ratio varied by as much as 7.2±0.5% during the last glaciation for two Caribbean records at the same site and by 3.7±0.5% over the past 40,000 yr for one record from the Sierra Leone Rise in the eastern equatorial Atlantic. The two Caribbean records are very similar indicating that the behavior of shell Sr uptake was identical locally and that the shell Sr/Ca ratio faithfully reflects the local environment. The Atlantic record differs from the Caribbean records by as much as several percent. Thus, the foraminiferal Sr/Ca changes cannot be solely due to changes in seawater Sr/Ca unless the glacial deep ocean had spatial variation in Sr/Ca well in excess of the modern ocean. Certain similarities between the three records do exist. Notably, the rate of change of Sr/Ca is similar between 9 and 0 ka (−0.25%/kyr) and between 25 and 16 ka (+0.16%/kyr). This suggests that during these intervals, benthic foraminiferal Sr/Ca was affected by similar large-scale variables. One of these variables may be the average marine Sr/Ca ratio; however, comparison with model predictions [H.M. Stoll and D.P. Schrag, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 62 (1998) 1107–1118] suggests other factors must also be considered. The discrepancies between the two sites may be related to the different water mass histories for the Caribbean and eastern Atlantic. Our results suggest that variation of the seawater Sr budget only partially contributed to C. wuellerstorfi Sr/Ca records, while other significant factors still need to be quantified. At present we cannot confidently determine past seawater Sr/Ca variation from our foraminiferal records.     

Studies on40Ar/39Ar thermochronology of strike-slip time of the Tan-Lu fault zone and their tectonic implications

Samples of mylonite, ultramylonite and phyllonite were collected from 5 localities in the Anhui part of the Tan-Lu fault zone for⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronological studies. Among them 4 samples from 3 localities on the eastern margin of the Dabie orogenic belt yielded⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of 128 —132 Ma; and 2 samples from the western margin of the Zhangbalin uplift and eastern margin of the Bengbu uplift gave the same⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of 120 Ma. Isochron analyses and other lines of evidence suggest that the data are reliable. The data are interpreted as cooling ages of sinistral strike-slip deformation of the Tan-Lu fault zone. The younger ages from the north might be related to slower strike-slip rising. These results indicate that the large-scale left-lateral displacement in the Tan-Lu fault zone took place in the Early Cretaceous, rather than in Late Triassic (Indosinian) as proposed by some geologists. Therefore, this fault zone is an intracontinental wrench fault rather than a transform fault or suture line developed during formation of the Dabie orogenic belt.     

Quantitative measurements on the paleo-weathering intensity of the loess-soil sequences and implication on paleomonsoon

The loess-soil sequences in northern China provide a near continuous record of Quaternary paleoclimate. The pedogenetic intensity of the sequences is closely linked with the variations of the East Asian summer monsoon. In this study, 2181 samples from the Changwu and Xifeng loess sections are analyzed and two high-resolution paleo-weathering timeseries of the last 1.2 Ma are generated, using the ratio of CBD extractable free Fe₂O₃ (FeD) versus the total iron (FeT). This new index is compared with micromorphological features, low-frequency magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility, and the Rb/Sr ratio^[5,6]. The results suggest that the FeD/FeT ratio is able to better reflect the degree of soil development. Since the chemical weathering of loess in the Loess Plateau region mainly depends upon the summer precipitation and temperature under modern climate condition, which are closely associated with strength of summer monsoon, and the chemical weathering intensity of loess primarily reflects the variations of the summer monsoon circulation.     

Low Electrical Resistivity And Seismic Velocity At The Base Of The Upper Crust As Indicator Of Rheologically Weak Layer

Conductivity models were compiled in two geological provinces with thinsediments. The first province is the margin of the Precambrian East EuropeanPlatform. The second one is the Phanerozoic Rhenish Massif as a part of CentralGermany Hercinicum. In both provinces, a conducting layer was revealed at thebase of the upper crust by the magnetotelluric soundings. Its depth is around10 km in the East European Platform and around 15 km in the Rhenish Massif.The conductance of the layer reaches a few tens of Siemens in the first provinceand is almost an order of magnitude greater in the second one.A good correlation between the conductor and a seismic wave-guide (low-velocityzone) exists at the base of the upper crust. Simultaneous decrease of both electricalresistivity and seismic velocity, suggests an increase of porosity and permeability inpresence of saline water. The depth of rheological weak layer in the PhanerozoicRhenish Massif corresponds to the commonly accepted depth of the thermallyinduced brittle/ductile transition. Contrary similar layer in the Precambrian EasternEuropean Platform is much shallower than the thermally induced transition. Somenew mechanism should be considered.     

鲁东胶莱盆地青山组火山岩的^40Ar—^39Ar定年——以五莲分岭山火山机构为例

以五莲分岭山火山机构为例，运用高精度的^40Ar－^39Ar定年技术，对胶莱盆地青山组火山岩的形成年龄进行了精确测定。结果表明。青山组第一旋回中偏碱性富钾火山岩的形成年龄为109．9±0．6Ma，第二旋回酸性流纹质火山岩形成年龄为108．2±0．6Ma，据此确定胶莱盆地青山组火山岩应为早白垩世岩浆活动的产物。根据该组火山岩在空间上具有自西向东年龄渐新的演变趋势，表明中生代伊泽奈崎板块向欧亚板块碰撞俯冲应是制约区内火山活动的主要动力因素。     

南京直立人研究的新进展

简单地介绍了“南京直立人（猿人）综合研究专家组”近二年来的部份研究成果，如南京汤山葫芦洞内的地层可以分为4段；洞内的哺乳动物群可以分为时代不同的大洞动物群和小洞动物群；南京直立人的一号头骨与二号头骨层位不同，特征也不一；铀系测年也证明小洞的地层其年代在距今60万年-50万年间，大洞的地层年代在距今24万年-10万年间，大洞被堆石堆砾石层封闭的时间应在13万年-10万年间。从而补充和纠正了前人研究中的不足和错误。     

判断水淹程度的碳氧比能谱测井方法研究

碳氧比能谱测井方法是在套管井中用于划分油水层、确定含油水饱和度及岩性的一种有效方法。根据碳氧比能谱测井的原始谱线资料,提出了一种判断油层水淹程度的指数-水淹指数。通过实际资料验证,该指数对水淹程度有很好的判断作用,具有良好的应用前景。