Geocryological characteristics of the upper permafrost in a tundra-forest transition of the Indigirka River Valley,Russia

Understanding geocryological characteristics of frozen sediment, such as cryostratigraphy, ice content, and stable isotope ratio of ground ice, is essential to predicting consequences of projected permafrost thaw in response to global warming. These characteristics determine thermokarst extent and controls hydrological regime—and hence vegetation growth—especially in areas of high latitude; it also yields knowledge about the history of changes in the hydrological regime. To obtain these fundamental data, we sampled and analyzed unfrozen and frozen surficial sediments from 18 boreholes down to 1–2.3 m depth at five sites near Chokurdakh, Russia. Profiles of volumetric ice content in upper permafrost excluding wedge ice volume showed large variation, ranging from 40 to 96%, with an average of 75%. This large amount of ground ice was in the form of ice lenses or veins forming well-developed cryostructures, mainly due to freezing of frost-susceptible sediment under water-saturated condition. Our analysis of geocryological characteristics in frozen ground including ice content, cryostratigraphy, soil mechanical characteristics, organic matter content and components, and water stable isotope ratio provided information to reconstruct terrestrial paleo-environments and to estimate the influence of recent maximum thaw depth, microtopography, and flooding upon permafrost development in permafrost regions of NE Russia.     

Recent air temperature changes in the permafrost landscapes of northeastern Eurasia

In the last two decades, climatic change has resulted in increased cryogenic activity in northeastern Eurasia, with adverse consequences for landscapes and socio-economic systems in the permafrost zone.The main purpose of this study was to assess the recent phases of warming, starting with Arctic warming. We performed a spatiotemporal analysis of climatic conditions during phases of maximum warming (i.e., 1935–1945, 1988–1995, and 2005–2009) in northeastern Eurasia and compared the magnitude of warming and its effect on permafrost among these critical periods. Our observations of permafrost landscape dynamics confirmed that the last two warming phases have played major roles in changing the environment.Data analysis has revealed regional patterns in the intensity of warming. Areas south of 60–62° latitude experienced no rise in air temperature during the Arctic warming period (1935–1945), whereas during 1988–1995, the center of warming shifted to the south of northeastern Eurasia. The last phase of warming (2005–2009) was characterized by maximum values of mean annual air temperature and the thawing index, and a decrease in the freezing index throughout northeastern Eurasia.     

Effects of the normal operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir on wetland inundation in Dongting Lake,China: a modelling study

Abstract

The operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is an important driver of the recent hydrological changes in the lowlands of Dongting Lake, China. Nevertheless, there has been no convincing study on the quantitative effects of the TGR regulation on the wetland inundation process. Here, the temporal and spatial patterns of the response of wetland inundation in Dongting Lake to the TGR regulation are addressed in detail using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, which can accurately reproduce the flooding and drying processes. The results show that temporal patterns of wetland inundation are altered by the TGR regulation, especially in the water pre-releasing period (May to early June) and the water storing period (late September to November). Spatially heterogeneous effects are also observed in Dongting Lake. These findings can help us to take measures at an early stage to effectively deal with the possible adverse effects of the normal operation of the TGR on Dongting Lake.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Porporato

Citation Lai, X., Jiang, J., and Huang, Q., 2013. Effects of the normal operation of Three Gorges Reservoir on wetland inundation in Dongting Lake, China: a modelling study. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (7), 1467–1477.     

探地雷达在多年冻土工程地质勘察中的应用效果研究

由于融土和冻土之间存在明显的电性差异,使探地雷达成为研究多年冻土的有效手段之一.本文结合工程实例,对探地雷达在青藏高原多年冻土工程地质勘察中的应用效果进行了现场试验研究.分析了探地雷达探测多年冻土的物理前提条件,总结了多年冻土主要地质要素的雷达图像特征和探地雷达在多年冻土工程地质勘察中的实际应用效果.研究表明融土与冻土的雷达图像特征存在明显差异:融土雷达反射波为低频强宽振幅的稀疏波,波形较杂乱;冻土反射波为高频低振幅细密波,波形较为规则;探地雷达可较为准确地划分地层、识别多年冻土上限、确定多年冻土分布范围,但尚不能有效确定多年冻土的含冰量;另外,探地雷达对细颗粒土的探测效果要明显好于粗颗粒土.文章还指出了现场探测和图像解译分析中需要注意的事项和下一步需要研究解决的问题,建议在开展现场探测工作之前先在有钻探资料或天然地质剖面处进行对比试验,搞清测区内主要地层的物性参数,掌握有效波和干扰波的分布规律,从而提高雷达探测结果的准确性和可靠性.     

基于GIS的桂西-滇东南地区锰矿资源潜力评价

在桂西-滇东南锰矿成矿条件分析的基础上,利用GIS栅格空间分析方法构建了与锰矿成矿相关的沉积盆地、同沉积断裂、沉积相、地层、岩性组合、数字地形特征、航磁异常等地质变量。首先,利用多元线性回归分析方法预测了研究区各网格单元的锰矿资源量,通过地质变量的筛选和组合构建了候选资源量预测模型组,为每个预测单元选择最优模型开展资源量预测;其次,利用证据权重法估算了研究区各网格单元的成矿有利度,根据锰矿资源量与地质变量之间的线性关系是否显著来筛选证据因子,在对地质变量二值化构建证据因子时既考虑锰矿床(点)的"数",又考虑锰矿床(点)的"量";最后,对成矿有利度与锰矿资源量预测结果进行乘法运算得到综合预测图,并结合成矿地质环境圈定了预测远景区。     

浅析在煤矿建设项目压覆矿产资源储量估算中的相关问题

通过估算,府谷县汇能煤矿工业场拟建项目共压覆煤层4层,其资源量98万t。     

青藏高原NOAA／NESDIS数字化积雪监测的评价

对１９９３／１９９４年青藏高原１６幅ＮＯＡＡ积雪监测的分析，评价了ＮＯＡＡ／ＮＥＳＤＩＳ积雪监测经的精度，证实本监测区域含５０个以上ＮＯＡＡ／ＮＥＳＤＩＳ网格单元时，该资料统计值才能满足ＷＣＲＰ监测雪盖率的精度要求。     

岩坡系统分析与可靠性评价

优势面分析原理是边坡工程地质问题的一种新的研究观点和模式。它认为岩坡稳定性以及破坏模式、边界条件受优势面的控制，将边坡隐定性评价问题转化为边坡优势面的寻找与优势分离体的确定。在边坡稳定性的定量评价和预测中运用了系统工程原理和可靠性分析的研究模式和方法，使确定性模型和非确定性模型达到了有机的结合，本文给出了三峡工程、马鞍山露采场等工程边坡研究成果的实例。     

高原冻土天然气水合物钻探低温泥浆基础液研究

在即将实施的青藏高原永久冻土层天然气水合物钻探中,泥浆体系的研究起着举足轻重的作用。通过对高原冻土天然气水合物的赋存环境特性和钻进取芯工艺技术特点的分析研究,以流体低温特性理论为指导,同时借鉴国外的先进经验,提出了以分解抑制法为基础进行低温泥浆体系设计的技术方案。以此为目的所开展的低温泥浆体系基础液的研究则是实施这一技术方案的关键工作。对具有较好低温抑制效果的卤盐、甲酸盐、有机醇三类基础液进行了较为详细的试验研究,对三类基础液在常温和低温条件下的凝固特性和流变特性变化规律有了新的认识,获得了三类基础液的凝固点随浓度变化的规律,为低温泥浆体系的研究打下了坚实的基础。     

多年冻土区天然气水合物研究综述

由于多年冻土区天然气水合物的潜在资源价值和对气候、环境的影响,各国纷纷开展了大量的研究,取得了很好的研究进展。本文主要分析了天然气水合物与多年冻土间的关系、多年冻土区天然气水合物的蕴藏情况以及典型多年冻土区天然气水合物研究现状。其结果表明多年冻土控制了天然气水合物形成的温压条件,且在多年冻土层间发现具自保护效应的天然气水合物。同时多年冻土可影响分散性土体中游离气体的聚集和迁移,多年冻土融化可提高孔隙水压力。目前多年冻土区天然气水合物的蕴藏情况的估算并不完整,各国仅对典型多年冻土区天然气水合物储量进行了初步的估算。天然气水合物储量估算结果表明,在美国阿拉斯加地区大约为1.0~1.2×1012 m3,加拿大马更些三角洲Beaufort海地区大约为1.6×1013 m3,俄罗斯西西伯利亚盆地250 m深度范围内可达1.7×1013 m3。我国青藏高原多年冻土区亟待搞清天然气水合物存在与否的直接证据和储量估算等关键问题。