再论洞穴石笋的沉积速率

通过对滇、黔、湘、桂洞穴石笋大型剖面的综合研究、,以代表性剖面和典型时（笋）段系统测年和沉积速率研究为例,初步认为,石笋沉积速率大小是气候演变、暖气候、冷气候的识别指标之一,沉积速率为10mm／100a以上是冰后（间冰）期温暖气候的沉积,趋于10mm／100a或以下者,是温暖期气候的冷转变,或冷期（阶）的沉积;1mm／100a左右是冰期寒冷气候的沉积,趋于1mm／100a或以上者是冰期寒冷气候的暖转变或间冰期的沉积;沉积速率极小,往往是冷气候显示,甚至是沉积间断,或是气候和地质、灾害事件的突变点。沉积速率具多变性,引用和识别时应避免以单一速率推算长时（笋）段年序和确定气候或地质事件的年代,不宜跨旋回计速,以避免遗漏沉积间断和气候、地质、灾害事件。石笋沉积间断很普遍,特别是寒冷的冰期气候间断更频繁,观测和测年表明,沉积间断时间累计占成笋期的28．92％～76．26％,全新世温暖气候的沉积间断时间累计,只占成笋期的13．80％以上。     

瓯江河口江堤控制线的研究

依据河口的河宽放宽率半理论公式,运用河势演变分析与用一维、二维数值模型的模拟等手段,从河道的防洪、河势、水流、航运等方面及其对环境影响的角度出发,对不同江堤控制线方案进行了比选与论证,提出了江堤控制线的推荐方案。     

中蒙地块的水平运动及应变特征

GPS观测结果显示中蒙块体的位移速率较小,块体各部分的位移方向存在差别,说明块体有差异活动但不显著。连续应变场的应变率参量值在10-8/a以下;主压应力轴方向为NE74.6°,与该区内的浅源强震震源机制解的P轴方向基本一致。由应变产生的贝加尔湖裂谷的裂开速率为4.71mm/a,最大主应变率为34.34×10-9/a,张应变主轴方向NW310.49°,垂直于裂谷走向;嫩江断裂带和萝北-营口断裂带为走滑兼挤压或拉张活动断裂,位移速率和应变率都较小,活动性不显著。2003年8月16日巴林左旗5.9级地震和2004年3月24日东乌珠沁旗6.4级地震均发生在由1999~2003年GPS资料得出的多种应变速率参量的相对高值带和应变率高梯度带上。     

湖北省经济对外开放度研究

改革开放以来,中国的对外开放水平不断提高,但各地区之间差异显著。文章采用1990～2002年的统计资料,对湖北省经济的对外开放度进行测定和分析。结果表明,自1990年以来,湖北省经济的对外开放度虽有了明显提高,但仍与东部沿海地区存在明显差异,且省域内部的差异也十分明显。据此,提出了进一步提高湖北省对外开放水平,推动其区域经济可持续发展的战略构想。     

Tectonic Evolution of the Middle Frontal Area of the Longmen Mountain Thrust Belt, Western Sichuan Basin, China

By analyzing the balanced cross sections and subsidence history of the Longmen Mountain thrust belt,China,we concluded that it had experienced five tectonic stages:(1)the formation stage (T3x) of the miniature of Longmen Mountain, early Indosinian movement, and Anxian tectonic movement created the Longmen Mountain;(2)the stable tectonic stage(J1)where weaker tectonic movement resulted in the Longmen Mountain thrust belt being slightly uplifted and slightly subsiding the foreland basin;(3)the intense tectonic stage(J2-3),namely the early Yanshan movement;(4) continuous tectonic movement(K-E),namely the late Yaushan movement and early Himalayan movement;and(5)the formation of Longrnen Mountain(N-Q),namely the late Himalayan movement. During those tectonic deformation stages, the Anxian movement and Himalayan movement played important roles in the Longmen Mountain'S formation.The Himalayan movement affected Longmen Mountain the most;the strata thrust intensively and were eroded severely.There are some klippes in the middle part of the Longmen Mountain thrust belt because a few nappes were pushed southeastward in later tectonic deformation.     

Kinematics of Convergence and Deformation in Luzon Island and Adjacent Sea Areas:2-D Finite-Element Simulation

The Luzon Island is a volcanic arc sandwiched by the eastward subducting South China Sea and the northwestward subducting Philippine Sea plate.Through experiments of plane-stress,elastic,and 2-dimensional finite-element modeling,we evaluated the relationship between plate kinematics and present-day deformation of Luzon Island and adjacent sea areas.The concept of coupling rate was applied to define the boundary velocities along the subduction zones.The distribution of velocity fields calculated in our models was compared with the velocity field revealed by recent geodetic (GPS) observations.The best model was obtained that accounts for the observed velocity field within the limits of acceptable mechanical parameters and reasonable boundary conditions.Sensitivity of the selection of parameters and boundary conditions were evaluated.The model is sensitive to the direction of convergence between the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea plates,and to different coupling rates in the Manila trench,Philippine trench and eastern Luzon trough.We suggest that a change of±15° of the di rection of motion of the Philippine Sea plate can induce important changes in the distribution of the computed displacement trajectories,and the movement of the Philippine Sea plate toward azimuth330° best explains the velocity pattern observed in Luzon Island.In addition,through sensitivity analysis we conclude that the coupling rate in the Manila trench is much smaller compared with the rates in the eastern Luzon trough and the Philippine trench.This indicates that a significant part of momentum of the Philippine Sea plate motion has been absorbed by the Manila trench;whereas,a part of the momentum has been transmitted into Luzon Island through the eastern Luzon trough and the Philippine trench.     

Developmental energetics of the southern pigfish (Teleostei: Congiopodidae)

The embryonic wet weight, dry weight, yolk volume, energy content, and oxygen consumption of the southern pigfish Congiopodus leucopaecilus (Richardson, 1846) were followed from fertilisation to yolk sac absorption, at 11.5°c and salinity of 34.5%6. Measurements of yolk energy and catabolic energy changes did not show any evidence of an energy deficit before the onset of feeding capability.     

Experimental Study on Complete Consolidation Behavior of Hong Kong Marine Deposits

The time-dependent feature of soft soils has gained intensive attraction in recent years. Due to the high water content and viscous property, the Hong Kong marine deposit (HKMD) frequently poses a challenge to geotechnical practice, particularly to the reclamation in Hong Kong. A key issue related to reclamation design, foundation construction and maintenance is excess settlement/deformation of the ground. Formation of HKMD typically goes through sedimentation and self-weight consolidation. A series of one-dimensional settling column consolidation tests, together with conventional oedometer tests were conducted on the HKMD. By normalizing parameter in settling stage, a unique global relationship of effective stress, σ_z′ and strain, ?_z could be established. Results reveal that the settling curve and settling rate are significantly affected by the sediment concentration in self-weight consolidation. After the primary self-weight consolidation, the settling rate is reduced in the “secondary self-weight consolidation.”     

Experimental Evaluation of Leaching Effects on the Compressibility of Marine Clay and its Strain Rate Dependency

This study investigated how leaching affects compressibility behavior of marine clay and its strain rate dependency based on laboratory tests using three pairs of specimens. Each pair of specimens consisted of leached and unleached samples with identical geotechnical properties except soil salinity. The behavior characteristics of the leached and unleached specimens were evaluated using several series of constant rate-of-strain (CRS) tests with differing strain rates. The results revealed that the compressibility of leached clay increased as its salinity decreased. However, void ratio, Atterberg limits, and preconsolidation pressure in leached samples were lower than those in unleached clay. The increased compressibility and decreased preconsolidation pressure may be induced from a weakening of the interparticle bonds in the leached soil skeleton. The CRS test results with differing strain rates revealed that higher strain rates corresponded with higher levels of effective stress and higher apparent preconsolidation pressure in both leached and unleached clays.     

Since turtles cannot talk: what beak movement sensors can tell us about the feeding ecology of neritic loggerhead turtles,Caretta caretta

Understanding the role that consumers play in an ecosystem requires knowledge about food selection and intake rates. However, such basic data are often difficult to obtain, particularly for marine animals that are not easy to observe. To overcome this problem, a beak movement sensor was employed on a free‐ranging loggerhead turtle in a neritic foraging habitat at the Domitian littoral (SW Italy). In combination with gastrointestinal content analysis from six turtles found dead in the same area we sought to identify which beak movement patterns were associated with which prey type, and to quantify the ingestion of the various prey types. Brachyuran crabs (100% occurrence), in particular Liocarcinus vernalis, and small molluscs (66% occurrence) were found most frequently in the stomach and intestine of the turtles. Beak movements revealed average ingestion rates of (mean ± SE) 0.27 ± 0.13 food items per minute and that feeding occurred predominantly during dives >4 m and during early morning and evening. Interestingly, the time spent feeding amounted to only 2.2% of the total observation time, whereas feeding‐associated dives added up to just above 10% of the total time. We thus established that loggerhead turtles in this area are specialised on brachyuran crabs, on which they prey with high success during the short time dedicated to foraging. This information strengthens our knowledge about turtle–prey and turtle–habitat interactions, which are essential data to delineate the role that turtles play in this and similar marine ecosystems. Moreover, since the same area is also intensively used by the regional bottom trawl fishery, our results have important conservation implications, because they clearly show the time of day and water depths for which fishing activity should be regulated to reduce the number of turtles that are currently being incidentally caught in this area.