The role of sediment specific gravity and availability on cluster evolution

The objective of this experimental study was to account for the role of sediment availability and specific gravity on cluster formation and cluster geometric characteristics (spacing and size). To isolate the effects of sediment availability and specific gravity on cluster evolution, mono‐sized spheres were used to simulate the cluster evolutionary cycle. Overall, twelve experimental runs were carried out in the laboratory flume. Six of these tests were performed by using glass spheres (specific gravity, SG = 2·58) and the other six by employing an equal combination of glass and Teflon spheres (SG = 2·12) of the same diameter to evaluate the role of specific gravity on cluster evolution. The three sediment availability conditions that were investigated here simulated isolated gravel elements, pool–riffle sequences and densely packed gravel‐bed. An advanced image analysis technique was employed to track the evolution of cluster microforms and provide quantitative information about the size and shape of clusters and the number of clusters per unit area. The results of this study showed that: (1) sediment availability affects the architecture and size of cluster microforms; and (2) clusters consisting of mono‐sized sediments start disintegrating at twice the incipient conditions. By performing complementary tests for the isolated gravel elements case, it was found that the evolutionary cycle of individual clusters could be described as follows, in order of increasing stress: no cluster→two particle cluster→comet→triangle→rhomboid→break up. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rivers, chemical weathering and Earth's climate

We detail the results of recent studies describing and quantifying the large-scale chemical weathering of the main types of continental silicate rocks: granites and basalts. These studies aim at establishing chemical weathering laws for these two lithologies, describing the dependence of chemical weathering on environmental parameters, such as climate and mechanical erosion. As shown within this contribution, such mathematical laws are of primary importance for numerical models calculating the evolution of the partial pressure of atmospheric CO₂ and the Earth climate at geological timescales. The major results can be summarized as follow: (1) weathering of continental basaltic lithologies accounts for about 30% of the total consumption of atmospheric CO₂ through weathering of continental silicate rocks. This is related to their high weatherability (about eight times greater than the granite weatherability); (2) a simple weathering law has been established for basaltic lithologies, giving the consumption of atmospheric CO₂ as a function of regional continental runoff, and mean annual regional temperature; (3) no such simple weathering law can be proposed for granitic lithologies, since the effect of temperature can only be identified for regions displaying high continental runoff; (4) a general law relating mechanical erosion and chemical weathering has been validated on small and large catchments. The consequences of these major advances on the climatic evolution of the Earth are discussed. Particularly, the impacts of the onset of the Deccan trapps and the Himalayan orogeny on the global carbon cycle are reinvestigated. To cite this article: B. Dupré et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

昆仑山口西8.1级地震前青藏块体边界断层异常活动

系统分析了青藏块体边界断层的形变资料，研究了断层活动的动态过程及空间分布。结果表明，昆仑山口西8．1级地震前孕震影响范围达到青藏块体的周边地区；发震断层所在的构造带震前断层活动最为剧烈；加强对构造块体断层整体活动的宏观动态比较和分析，有助于判定未来强震发生的危险地段；震后应力将转移并集中到西秦岭构造带及其邻近地区。     

2001年11月14日昆仑山口西8.1级地震前地震活动性异常及其思考s

2001年11月14日在昆仑山口西发生了8.1级地震，震中位置为90.9E、36.2N．分析表明，8.1级地震前一些主要地震活动性异常都出现了，例如空区、条带、增强、平静和震群等，且与7级大震比较，这些前兆图象的演变具有类似的过程，所不同的是8.1级地震的前兆地震活动图象涉及的区域范围更大、地震震级更高，这为特大地震的前兆识别和预报提供了依据．最后回顾了对这次大震的粗略预测，并讨论了有关大震预测的某些问题．      

最不利设计地震动研究

实际记录到的真实地震动在工程结构的抗震研究、分析和设计中往往作为一种施加到结构上使结构振动，直至破坏的地震荷载．如何合理选择真实的地震动记录作为研究结构地震反应的输入，一直是国内外抗震研究和设计中引人关注的重要问题．本文首先提出了最不利设计地震动的概念；然后在收集到的国内外5000余条被认为有重要意义的地震动记录基础上，利用综合估计地震动潜在破坏势的方法，对４种场地类型分别给出了长周期、短周期和中周期结构的国内外最不利设计地震动；最后通过几类不同结构的地震反应分析，初步验证了本文所确定的最不利设计地震动的可靠性和合理性．      

沿岸上升流和沿岸急流的一个半解析理论

在考虑了陆架地形后，在垂直海岸的x z剖面上 ，对Boussinesq流体的非线性海洋运动方程求得了总动量守恒、温度守恒和位势涡度守恒的 普 适形式，进而得到流函数所满足的椭圆型二阶偏微分方程，在给定流体沿地形运动的条件下 ，算出问题的解. 计算结果表明，沿岸可以出现上升流也可以出现下沉流，它依赖于海洋的 大尺度背景条件. 计算所得的上升流、沿岸急流、温度的锋区结构与一些观测事实接近.     

水电解制氢设备在使用中应注意的问题

介绍GX-2型水电解制氢设备在使用过程中,对电解液的配制与氢气纯度分析应注意的问题。     

A Comparative Study of the Atmospheric Layers below First Lifting Condensation Level for Instantaneous Pre-Monsoon Thunderstorm Ocurence at Agartala(23°30′N,91°15′E) and Ranchi(23°14′N,85°14′E) of India

ＡＣｏｍｐａｒａｔｉｖｅＳｔｕｄｙｏｆｔｈｅＡｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｉｃＬａｙｅｒｓｂｅｌｏｗＦｉｒｓｔＬｉｆｔｉｎｇＣｏｎｄｅｎｓａｔｉｏｎＬｅｖｅｌｆｏｒＩｎｓｔａｎｔａｎｅｏｕｓＰｒｅ－ＭｏｎｓｏｏｎＴｈｕｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｒｍＯｃｕｒｅｎｃｅａｔＡｇａ...     

中国夏季降水异常空间模与副热带高压的关系

本文用1959～1994年6、7、8月全国范围47个5°×5°经纬度网格降水资料分析了夏季降水异常空间模的月际差异，并在此基础上用西太平洋副高指数及青藏高原指数#FKB#FS分析降水异常空间模与环流的关系，为检验环流指数与降水相关场的整体信度，还对8月份降水资料进行了Monte-Carlo检验。结果表明，夏季总降水异常的空间模在每一月份中并非表现得同样清楚，江淮流域与河套及华南的反相关在8月份表现得最清楚。而青藏高原中东部南北两侧的负相关在6月及8月很清楚，7月份次之。8月份西太平洋副高北界异常对江淮流域与河套及华南地区降水异常反相关的产生有很大作用。副高稳定偏北时，河套、华南易涝，江淮易旱。反之亦然。青藏高原指数#FKB#FS与逐月降水的相关分析表明，青藏高原上高压及低涡活动对高原中东部南北两侧负相关的产生有一定作用。当高压活动偏多时，北侧易旱、南侧易涝。并且6月及8月的作用较大，7月较小。另外，8月份副高活动对这一降水异常空间模的产生也有一定影响。     

EFFECTS OF TROPOPAUSE AND POTENTIAL VORTICITY ANOMALY ON FRONTOGENESIS*

A two-dimensional,semi-geostrophic numerical model incorporating the tropopause and stratosphere is used to investigate the effects of a positive potential vorticity anomaly and latent heat release on the frontogenetic process and the structure of the resulting frontal zone.It is demonstrated that(1) the inclusion of tropopause and stratosphere significantly changes the frontal structure only in the upper levels;(2) a clearly defined quasi-equivalent barotropic structure and a region of upward motion of finite width appear when a positive potential vorticity anomaly exists on the warm side of the maximum baroclinity in the lower troposphere,especially when it is located on the south edge of the baroclinic zone;(3) the above mentioned structure deteriorates as the frontogenesis proceeds in a dry atmosphere but can be maintained in a moist frontogenetic process with condensational heating;(4) the combination of a positive potential vorticity anomaly and the latent heat release is able to accelerate the frontogenesis significantly with the time needed to form an intense frontal zone reduced to less than 15 h.The results have significant theoretical importance in understanding the complex nature of frontal structure and frontogenesis,especially in understanding the dynamic structure of the subtropical frontal zone observed during early summer over East Asia.