Controls on deep critical zone architecture: a historical review and four testable hypotheses

The base of Earth's critical zone (CZ) is commonly shielded from study by many meters of overlying rock and regolith. Though deep CZ processes may seem far removed from the surface, they are vital in shaping it, preparing rock for infusion into the biosphere and breaking Earth materials down for transport across landscapes. This special issue highlights outstanding challenges and recent advances of deep CZ research in a series of articles that we introduce here in the context of relevant literature dating back to the 1500s. Building on several contributions to the special issue, we highlight four exciting new hypotheses about factors that drive deep CZ weathering and thus influence the evolution of life‐sustaining CZ architecture. These hypotheses have emerged from recently developed process‐based models of subsurface phenomena including: fracturing related to subsurface stress fields; weathering related to drainage of bedrock under hydraulic head gradients; rock damage from frost cracking due to subsurface temperature gradients; and mineral reactions with reactive fluids in subsurface chemical potential gradients. The models predict distinct patterns of subsurface weathering and CZ thickness that can be compared with observations from drilling, sampling and geophysical imaging. We synthesize the four hypotheses into an overarching conceptual model of fracturing and weathering that occurs as Earth materials are exhumed to the surface across subsurface gradients in stress, hydraulic head, temperature, and chemical potential. We conclude with a call for a coordinated measurement campaign designed to comprehensively test the four hypotheses across a range of climatic, tectonic and geologic conditions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

北方农牧交错区干旱特征变化及其对植被总初级生产力的影响

北方农牧交错区地处半湿润/半干旱生态脆弱过渡带,干旱是影响该区植被生产力的关键因素之一。探究干旱对植被总初级生产力的影响,对深刻理解气候变化下生态系统生产力变化响应特征及优化区域碳水循环具有重要意义。为了更好地了解水分限制区不同干旱特征对GPP影响,本研究以北方农牧交错区为例,基于长时间序列的标准化降水蒸散发指数(SPEI3,1900—2020年)和植被总初级生产力(GPP,1982—2018年)等数据,首先采用小波分析明确SPEI3与GPP强相关周期,在此基础上利用游程理论识别干旱特征,进而分析了北方农牧交错区干旱特征与GPP的变化趋势,最后厘定了不同干旱特征对GPP的影响。结果表明:(1) 1982—2018年北方农牧交错区SPEI3与GPP在半年周期和年周期存在显著相关关系,滞后效应随时间变化而变化;年际分析能够减弱滞后效应对SPEI3与GPP相关性的影响;(2) 1900—2020年北方农牧交错区干旱历时、干旱烈度和烈度峰值均呈现显著增加趋势,干旱烈度随着干旱历时和烈度峰值的增加而加剧,干旱特征高值区往往具有更强的增加趋势;(3) 1982—2018年北方农牧交错区GPP总体呈...     

2022年青海门源M_(S)6.9地震前地电阻率变化分析北大核心CSCD

分别运用原始曲线分析法和归一化速率方法分析门源地震震中300 km范围内3个地电阻率台站数据变化。从原始曲线来看,金银滩台EW道临震前2个月出现大幅突跳及保留年变形态的趋势下降(-3.3%);山丹台NS道趋势下降(-1.9%)、EW道趋势上升(3.1%);武威小西沟台NS道趋势下降(-3.3%)、EW道趋势上升(2.8%),震后EW道趋势转平。而3个地电阻率台站归一化速率曲线在门源地震前均出现超过阈值的现象,但各自归一化速率形态存在差异。整点值突跳变化和日均值、月均值曲线加速变化、转折变化,尤其是上升至高值阶段出现的转折变化均可作为异常形态进行分析,以上变化不明显时需结合归一化速率方法提取异常。     

From Hale–Bopp's Activity to Properties of its Nucleus

Because of the outstanding brightness of comet Hale–Boppreliable production rates of several moleculescould be measured over a wide range of heliocentric distances.The H₂O-activity of a comet is closelyconnected with the energy balance and the composition of itssurface. It is often assumed that more volatilemolecules originate from subsurface regions. The CO observationsprovided an important data base for abetter understanding of this matter. A thermal model has beenapplied to calculate gas production rates ofHale–Bopp. The strong obliquity of the spin axis causespronounced seasonal effects and, therefore, anasymmetry of water activity with respect to perihelion. By comparingmeasured and calculated rates properties of the nucleus have been derived.     

Bacteria‐sediment associations in an alpine,freshwater environment and their effects on particle size,density and settling velocity

This study measures the presence of bacteria‐sediment associations (BSAs) in an alpine, glacier‐fed watershed in the Southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. The impact of BSAs on the creation of flocculated particles and their settling velocity are quantified using a laser transmissometer. Results from the study indicate that BSAs are present in the watershed and vary over both space and time. The percentage of bacteria associated with sediment particles was found to range from < 1% to 40%. Major sources of planktonic bacteria such as agricultural land and wastewater treatment outflow co‐occur with large decreases in the BSA ratio. Laboratory analysis demonstrates that an increase in the concentration of bacteria was associated with a decrease in the volume concentration of small particles, and a decrease in both estimated density and measured settling velocity for particles in larger size classes; consistent with flocculated particles of increasing complexity arising from combinations of primary particles and/or BSAs. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions using laminated lake sediments in alpine, glacier‐fed systems benefit from a fuller understanding of the geomorphologic processes by which they formed. While bacteria are noted to enhance formation of flocculated particles in laboratory systems, their impact upon geomorphic processes in natural systems have yet to be fully explored. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE XIANSHUIHE FAULT ZONE

In order to analyze 3-dimensional movement and deformation characteristics and seismic risk of the Xianshuihe fault zone, we inverted for dynamic fault locking and slip deficit rate of the fault using the GPS horizontal velocity field of 1999-2007 and 2013-2017 in Sichuan-Yunnan region, and calculated annual vertical change rate to analyze the vertical deformation characteristics of the fault using the cross-fault leveling data during 1980-2017 locating on the Xianshuihe fault. The GPS inversion results indicate that in 1999-2007, the southeastern segment of the fault is tightly locked, the middle segment is less locked, and the northwestern segment is basically in creeping state. In 2013-2017, the southeastern segment of the fault is obviously weekly locked, in which only a patch between Daofu-Bamei is locked, and the northwestern segment is still mostly in creeping state, in which only a patch at southeastern Luhuo is slightly locked from surface to 10km depth. The cross-fault leveling data show that annual vertical change rate of the Zhuwo, Gelou, Xuxu and Goupu sites on the northwestern segment is larger, which means vertical movement is relatively active, and annual vertical change rate of the Longdengba, Laoqianning, and Zheduotang sites on the southeastern segment is small, which means the fault is locked, and the vertical movement changes little before and after the Wenchuan earthquake. Combining with the 3-dimensional movement and deformation, seismic activity and Coulomb stress on the Xianshuihe Fault, we consider the seismic risk of the southeastern segment is larger, and the Wenchuan earthquake reduced the far-field sinistral movement and the fault slip deficit rate, which may reduce the stress and strain accumulation rate and relieve the seismic risk of the southeastern segment.     

Effects of variation in loading protocol on the strength and deformation capacity of ductile reinforced concrete beams

Understanding the impact of prior earthquake damage on residual capacity is important for postearthquake damage assessment of buildings; however, interpretation of such impact is challenging when based on tests using traditional reversed‐cyclic loading protocols. A new loading protocol, consisting of a dynamic earthquake displacement history followed by quasi‐static reversed‐cyclic loading to failure, is presented as an alternative to traditional simulated seismic loading protocols. Data are analyzed from a set of 12 nominally identical ductile reinforced concrete beams that were tested by using variations of this protocol and traditional reversed‐cyclic and monotonic protocols. Differences in the cycle content of the earthquake displacement histories applied to the test specimens allowed for the effects of load history variation below 2.2% drift to be isolated. It is found that such variation had no effect on the beam deformation capacities. The effects of dynamic loading rates are also analyzed and compared against control quasi‐static specimens. Relative strength increases due to dynamic loading are found to be more significant at yield than at ultimate. Dynamic loading rates led to modest reductions in the beam deformation capacities, but the presence of causality between these variables remains uncertain.     

川滇块体东边界主要断裂带现今运动特征分析

基于2009年以来的GPS观测数据,利用块体模型和GPS剖面方法分别计算川滇块体东边界主要断裂带的滑动速度,并结合跨断裂带的区域应变时间序列分析断裂带现今的运动特征。结果表明:从速度场变化来看,2013—2015期的速度场在川滇块体东北部有东向增加的微弱变化;从滑动速率结果来看,鲜水河北段的左旋走滑运动有所增强,拉张运动有所增加;小江断裂带的左旋走滑运动普遍有微弱的增强;从去掉线性的区域应变时间序列结果来看,小江断裂带南段主张应变在2014年底出现了趋势性转折,值得进一步关注。     

陕西中南部现今断层滑动速率和闭锁深度反演

位于华北板块和扬子板块之间的陕西中南部由渭河盆地、秦岭造山带和汉中盆地构成,其新构造运动主要形式为山脉隆升、盆地断陷,因此以重复水准测量为手段的地壳垂直运动研究尤为重要.基于研究区1970年以来的多期精密水准测量数据,用GPS垂直运动速率约束的动态平差方法获得了区域垂直运动速度场.以此为基础,用倾滑位错模型、网格搜索方法反演了研究区主要断层倾滑速率和闭锁深度,结果显示:秦岭北缘断裂倾滑速率为2.25～4.53 mm·a~(-1),闭锁深度为7.7～10.0 km;华山山前断裂倾滑速率为2.35～2.71 mm·a~(-1);闭锁深度为2.8～5.0 km,反映了该断裂在华县大地震之后,可能还没有完全闭锁,发生大震的应变能积累条件不足;渭河盆地北缘断裂的倾滑动速率为2.0～2.5 mm·a~(-1),闭锁深度仅为3.0 km左右,说明该断裂以蠕滑运动为主;略阳断裂倾滑速率为3.02 mm·a~(-1),闭锁深度6.7 km,是陕南较活动的断裂.     

海水浓度对生物接触氧化法处理废水的影响

研究了海水浓度对生物接触氧化法处理废水的影响。结果表明,在淡水中添加海水超过35％时,生物接触氧化法去除废水的化学耗氧量(COD)的效果随着海水浓度的增加而降低．添加海水10％～25％时,COD的去除效果好,25％时COD最高总去除率可达87．8％．处理效果几乎与纯淡水的对照组(COD总去除率88．6％)等同。