Nine requirements for the origin of Earth's life:Not at the hydrothermal vent,but in a nuclear geyser system

The origin of life on Earth remains enigmatic with diverse models and debates.Here we discuss essential requirements for the first emergence of life on our planet and propose the following nine requirements:(1)an energy source(ionizing radiation and thermal energy);(2)a supply of nutrients(P.K.REE.etc.);(3)a supply of life-constituting major elements;(4)a high concentration of reduced gases such as CH_4,HCN and NH_3;(5)dry-wet cycles to create membranes and polymerize RNA;(6)a non-toxic aqueous environment;(7)Na-poor water;(8)highly diversified environments,and(9)cyclic conditions,such as dayto-night,hot-to-cold etc.Based on these nine requirements,we evaluate previously proposed locations for the origin of Earth's life,including:(1)Darwin's "warm little pond",leading to a "prebiotic soup" for life;(2)panspermia or Neo-panspermia(succession model of panspermia);(3)transportation from/through Mars;(4)a deepsea hydrothermal system;(5)an on-land subduct ion-zone hot spring,and(6)a geyser systems driven by a natural nuclear reactor.We conclude that location(6)is the most ideal candidate for the o rigin point for Earth's life because of its efficiency in continuously supplying both the energy and the necessary materials for life,thereby maintaining the essential "cradle" for its initial development.We also emphasize that falsifiable working hypothesis provides an important tool to evaluate one of the biggest mysteries of the universe-the origin of life.     

The first fossil mayfly nymph (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from the British Isles

Mayflies are very rare in the British fossil record. The first nymph to be found, Schistonotorum wallisi gen. et sp. nov., is described from the non-marine Lower Cretaceous of southeast England. This Early Barremian find is from the Upper Weald Clay Formation at Smokejacks brickworks, Surrey. It is preserved as an adpression in concretionary sideritic ironstone from the upper insect bed exposed in the northeast face of the pit. The palaeoecological significance of this record is discussed.     

用混合源模型研究矿山地震震源机制

本文讨论了矿山地震的混合源机制问题，并根据内源矩张量分解的特点提出了一种较合理的点源混合机制以及拟合求解方法。这相当于利用Ｐ波初动振幅进行相对矩张量反演，对于区分双力偶事件和非双力偶事件是有意义的。在简化情况下，对１９８７年发生在门头沟煤矿的１５次事件进行了讨论，发现它们大多属于剪切事件。     

四川盆地宣汉渡口和重庆北碚下三叠统海相碳酸盐碳同位素组成与演化

早三叠世海水的碳同位素组成与演化是二叠纪-三叠纪生物群体灭绝事件之后全球生态萧条与重建时期地球碳循环的重要记录,为地学界长期高度关注。文中测试了四川盆地宣汉渡口和重庆北碚下三叠统及相邻地层258个海相碳酸盐样品的碳、氧同位素组成,以便探讨早三叠世海水的碳同位素组成与演化。这些样品对海水碳同位素组成具有不同的保存性,飞仙关组及嘉陵江组第一、三段保存较好,而嘉陵江组第二、四段保存较差。基于氧同位素可以更为敏感地反映海相碳酸盐成岩蚀变性的原理,在碳、氧同位素相关性分析的基础上,以δ¹⁸O<-7.5‰为剔除标准,筛选出近200个有效数据建立了碳同位素演化曲线,该曲线与前人在贵州建立的同期曲线具有很好的可对比性。曲线显示出海水碳同位素组成的巨大波动,变化幅度达8.55‰,包括2个完整的上升-下降旋回,第1个旋回由飞仙关组和嘉陵江组第一段组成,第2个旋回由嘉陵江组第二段、第三段和部分第四段组成,同时还包括若干短周期的次级旋回。利用曲线形态与前人建立的同期曲线进行了岩石地层与年代地层单位的对比,飞仙关组可大致与Induan阶对应,嘉一段可大致与Smithian亚阶对应,嘉二段、嘉三段和嘉四段下部可大致Spathian亚阶对应;绿豆岩作为下-中三叠统界线其位置可能偏高,下-中三叠统界线应该位于绿豆岩之下的嘉四段内部。早三叠世海水碳同位素组成高频率大幅度的波动指示了生物大灭绝后环境的不稳定性,其中菌藻类等微生物灾后过度繁盛,可能导致了有机碳在短时间内的快速埋藏和海水碳同位素的正漂移;而碳同位素大规模的负漂移可能与甲烷水合物释放带来的轻碳有关。研究认为,白云岩所在的地层段往往具有更高的δ¹³C值,这可能说明微生物活动、白云岩形成和海水δ¹³C值升高之间的有机联系。下三叠统的白云岩、尤其是嘉二段和嘉四段的白云岩可能是微生物成因的,嘉陵江组有机碳的生产和埋藏可能主要是与白云岩形成有关的微生物的贡献,具最高δ¹³C值的嘉二段的烃类在一定程度上可能具有自生自储的特点。     

Earthquake resistant building design codes and safety standards: The California experience

Seismologists and earthquake engineers have sought to understand and predict earthquakes and to develop better building designs to withstand them for well over a century. In the United States, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake provided the first real impetus for establishing building design codes and safety standards. Subsequent major California earthquakes in Santa Barbara (1925), Long Beach (1933), San Fernando (1971), Loma Prieta (1989), and Northridge (1994) each led to additional seismological understanding and engineering response in the form of enhanced building design codes. Nonetheless, the process to incorporate good seismic design and mitigation efforts has been slow, and by no means failsafe, especially in the Eastern U.S. where much of the building stock predates more recent design codes, and hence where a major earthquake could collapse large numbers of buildings. Even in the absence of catastrophe, it is still important to guard against a false sense of security.     

多元逐步回归分析应用于固化土强度与微结构参数相关性评价

用石灰固化不同含盐量的滨海盐渍土,固化后土微结构参数发生了变化,力学强度大幅度提高。多元逐步回归分析计算结果表明二者之间存在着良好的相关关系,颗粒粒度分维、颗粒定向分维、等效直径、扁圆度和面积比是对固化土力学强度影响较为显著的5个微结构参数。借助土微结构参数与强度间的相关性计算分析,从另外一个角度验证石灰对滨海盐渍土的固土作用。     

中央地质调查所奉命改组为中国科学院地质研究所的史实

中央地质调查所作为中华民国时期成立最早、规模最大、最具国际声誉的国家级研究机构,在南京解放后它的演变过程目前尚缺少详实而准确的文献资料。本文基于历史档案,结合有关文献,较为详细地梳理了1949～1951年中央地质调查所先后被南京市军管会文化教育委员会（1949年5月～1950年6月）、华东军政委员会教育部（1950年7月～1950年12月）、中国地质工作计划指导委员会（1951年1月3日～1951年5月6日）接管的过程。本文还整理了1949年11月1日中国科学院正式成立后,中央地质调查所全所工作人员一致希望隶属中国科学院的经过,以及最终于1951年5月7日奉命改组为中国科学院地质研究所的过程。     

兰州地震研究所发展的三段历史回顾

对兰州地震研究所的三段历史作回顾,分别为国家地震局、中国地震局兰州地震研究所的体制沿革变迁,中国科学院地球物理研究所;中国科学院兰州地球物理研究所观象台早期创建;兰州地震研究所硕士点早期阶段。     

δ13C food web analysis of a Texas sand dune community

Stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C) were determined for 31 plant and 16 animal species from a sand dune community on the south Texas coast. Plants and insects had similar δ¹³C values, forming two distinct groups, while herbivorous rodents formed a third intermediate group. This suggests that insects at the study site are specialists which feed on C₃ or C₄ plants, while the rodents are generalists, feeding on plants of both groups.     

春季沙尘对关中地区PM2.5 浓度影响的多尺度模拟研究

“一带一路”建设让古代丝绸之路的起点——西安成为世界焦点，西安的空气质量也是政府和公众关注的焦点。以2017年5月我国北方的一次强沙尘过程为例，首次利用中国科学院大气物理研究所气溶胶和大气化学模式系统IAP-AACM（Aerosol and Atmospheric Chemistry Model of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics）模拟关中地区细颗粒物（PM_2.5）的时空分布，并结合地面逐小时PM_2.5观测数据对沙尘气溶胶和PM_2.5模拟的关系进行深入探究。结果表明:加入沙尘组分对模拟关中地区PM_2.5时空变化特征作用显著，相关性可提升0.4～0.6，并且可以很好地再现强沙尘时段PM_2.5浓度骤增的过程；在强沙尘时段和一般时段，沙尘组分对PM_2.5的贡献分别为60%～80%和10%～30%；0.11°×0.11°高分辨率模拟有助于提升模式捕捉污染物时空变化的能力。