Eastward subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Indo-Myanmese arc revealed by teleseismic P-wave tomography

The deep structure of the eastward-subducting Indian plate can provide new information on the dynamics of the India-Eurasia collision. We collected and processed waveform data from temporary seismic arrays (networks) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, seismic arrays in Northeast India and Myanmar, and permanent stations of the China Digital Seismic Network in Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Sichuan. We combined these data with phase reports from observation stations of the International Seismological Center on the Indian plate and selected 124,808 high-quality P-wave relative travel-time residuals. Next, we used these data to invert the 3-D P-wave velocity structure of the upper mantle to a depth of 800 km beneath the eastern segment of the arcuate Himalayan orogen, at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The results reveal a high-angle, easterly dipping subducting plate extending more than 200 km beneath the Indo-Myanmese arc. The plate breaks off at roughly 96°E; its fragments have passed through the 410-km discontinuity (D410) into the mantle transition zone (MTZ). The MTZ beneath the Tengchong volcanic area contains a high-velocity anomaly, which does not exceed the Red River fault to the east. No other large-scale continuous subducted plates were observed in the MTZ. However, a horizontally spreading high-velocity anomaly was identified on the D410 in some regions. The anomaly may represent the negatively buoyant 90°E Ridge plate or a thickened and delaminated lithospheric block experiencing collision and compression at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tengchong volcano may originate from the mantle upwelling through the slab window formed by the break-off of the subducting Indian continental plate and oceanic plate in the upper mantle. Low-velocity upper mantle materials on the west side of the Indo-Myanmese arc may have supplemented materials to the Tengchong volcano.     

基于AMSR-E土壤湿度产品的LIS同化试验

由陆面信息系统 (Land Information System, 简称LIS) 通过NOAH陆面过程模型使用集合卡尔曼滤波开展AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System) 土壤湿度同化试验,得到2003年中国区域垂直深度为4层、水平空间分辨率为0.25°×0.25°的土壤湿度试验数据。使用农业气象观测站土壤相对湿度和国家生态系统野外科学观测研究站土壤体积含水量对试验结果进行检验,结果表明:同化过程整体上提高了陆面模型的模拟精度,草地生态系统模拟精度高于作物和森林生态系统;有效的同化过程依赖于AMSR-E土壤湿度的准确性;模拟出的土壤湿度空间分布特征与实际相符。同化试验得到的时空相对连续且精度相对准确的土壤湿度数据是气候变化和干旱监测的重要数据基础。     

The H.E.S.S. central data acquisition system

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is a system of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) located in the Khomas Highland in Namibia. It measures cosmic gamma rays of very high energies (VHE; >100 GeV) using the Earth’s atmosphere as a calorimeter. The H.E.S.S. Array entered Phase II in September 2012 with the inauguration of a fifth telescope that is larger and more complex than the other four. This paper will give an overview of the current H.E.S.S. central data acquisition (DAQ) system with particular emphasis on the upgrades made to integrate the fifth telescope into the array. At first, the various requirements for the central DAQ are discussed then the general design principles employed to fulfil these requirements are described. Finally, the performance, stability and reliability of the H.E.S.S. central DAQ are presented. One of the major accomplishments is that less than 0.8% of observation time has been lost due to central DAQ problems since 2009.     

一株H_5N_1亚型禽流感病毒株NA基因的克隆与序列分析

用RT-PCR方法从1个H5N1亚型禽流感病毒分离株A/Chicken/Guangdong/DH/1997扩增NA基因cDNA片段,将其克隆至pMD18-T载体,获得重组质粒pMD-NA,并对其核苷酸序列进行测定和分析。结果表明,该毒株的NA基因长度为1350bp,编码449个氨基酸,与其它H5N1亚型AIV分离株的核苷酸序列同源性为97.0%～99.4%,氨基酸序列同源性为97.7%～99.1%,提示禽流感病毒NA基因保守性较高。NA基因氨基酸序列的聚类分析表明该毒株与来自香港的A/Pheasant/HK/FY155/01和A/Ch/HK/FY150/01两个分离株处于同一进化枝,亲缘关系较近。     

Long-period variations of sea-level in Australasia

Summary. The ability of the Australian sea-level monitoring network is assessed in the investigation of long-period sea-level signals. Through the character of coastal long waves, seasonal variations in level and inter-annual level anomalies, the importance of the south coast of the Continent is identified as a coherent indicator of large-scale marine and atmospheric teleconnections. The source of the sea-level signal is investigated by the tracing of progressive features, by the numerical modelling of wind stress over the Southern Ocean, by the modelling of the effect of monsoonal rains over the Indian Ocean and the mass transport through the Indonesian Strait. These features are related to the ENSO cycle which for the first time is linked, inter alia , with Southern Ocean mechanisms.     

南极地区Es特性研究

Es是发生在电离层E层高度上的偶发电离增强结构,其电子密度最高可达E层背景电子密度的100倍以上。Es出现概率和强度全球分布不均,主要分布在中低纬度地区,极区也有较强Es出现并具有显著特点,极区Es的研究,对研究Es成因和物理机理具有重要科学意义。本文利用Syowa站（69.0°S,39.6°E）40余年的观测数据,选取临界频率和虚高两个参数,研究了南极地区Es强度特性、日变化、季节变化及长期变化特性。     

Is Comet C/1853 E1 (Secchi) extrasolar?

Comet C/1853 E1 (Secchi) has a hyperbolic orbit with eccentricity 1.01060 and perihelion outside of the Earth's orbit. Integrating the orbit with barycentric coordinates backwards to 50000 AU, the approximate edge of the Oort cloud, shows that the orbit remains hyperbolic. This is still true even if plutoids additional to Pluto are included in the integration. Nor does including Galactic tidal and disc effects and possible nongravitational forces change the orbit to a high eccentricity ellipse. Although certain factors, such as unknown massive plutoids, gravitational effects by interstellar gas clouds, or unmodelled nongravitational forces operating on the comet, could change this situation, the tentative conclusion that the origin of this comet is extrasolar remains the one most consistent with the observations (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)