Episodic Events: Their Relevance to Ecology and Evolution

Abstract. An episodic event can be one of the many "episodes" forming a normal flow of related events. But it can also be an "incident" interrupting a trend and initiating a new one. Appreciation of contrasting meanings of apparently identical categories of phenomena is familiar to evolutionary biologists who, for instance, envisage evolution as the result of both gradual and punctuated events. Seasonal plankton blooms (both normal and noxious), species outbreaks, mass mortalities, and human predation are taken as examples of "episodes" that can influence and/or modify what we perceive as "normality". Recruitment is another example of an episodic event heavily conditioning both community structure and function, as recently highlighted by the so-called supply-side ecology. The reductionistic study of ecology. more linked to thermodynamics than to history, allowed the formulation of general ecological laws which, however, stem from the laws of thermodynamics. The totalizing value of such laws blurs appreciation of heterogeneity and change, so that many ecologists tend to be rather conservative, using a concept like "conservation" as an absolute paradigm to follow and to consider "change" as an a priori negative phenomenon. Episodes can have a "conservative" or "innovative" meaning, and are the driving force of the history of life. Their importance is recognized mainly when dealing with the history of organisms (evolutionary biology), whereas the assemblages of organisms ( i.e ., communities) are too often described and interpreted in an ahistorical context or in a too narrow time frame. Recognition of the importance of history in ecology (evolutionary ecology) can lead to a better understanding of environmental dynamics, albeit restricting the supposed predictive strength of ecology, a science timely integrating the reductionistic-thermodynamic approach with the holistic-historical one.     

Double-Pulse Laser-Driven Jets on OMEGA

A double-pulse laser drive is used to create episodic supersonic plasma jets that propagate into a low density ambient medium. These are among the first laser experiments to generate pulsed outflow. The temporal laser-intensity profile consists of two 1-ns square pulses separated by 9.6 ns. The laser is focused on a truncated conical plug made of medium Z material inserted into a high-Z washer. Unloading material from the plug is collimated within the cylindrical washer hole, then propagates into the low-Z foam medium. The resulting jet is denser than the ambient medium. Double-pulse jet evolution is compared to that driven by a single laser pulse. The total drive energy is the same for both jets, as if a source with fixed energy generated a jet from either one or two bursts. Radiographs taken at 100 ns show that a single-pulse jet was broader than the double-pulse jet, as predicted by hydrodynamic simulations. Since the initial shock creating the jet is stronger when all the energy arrives in a single pulse, the jet material impacts the ambient medium with higher initial velocity. Detailed comparisons between single- and double-pulsed jet rheology and shock structure are presented. 2-D hydrodynamic simulations are compared to the experimental radiographs. PACS: 52.30.−q 41.75.Jv 42.62.−b 42.68.Sq 47.40.−x 47.56.+r     

华北东南缘前寒武纪下地壳的生长和变质演化

华北陆块东南缘前寒武纪下地壳岩石主要以高级变质地体或麻粒岩地体和中生代闪长斑岩中(麻粒岩)捕虏体两种形式存在,它们为研究该区前寒武纪下地壳的形成和演化提供了极好的天然实验室。变质地体主要分布于霍邱和蚌埠地区,包括原"霍邱群"(霍邱杂岩)及"五河群"和"凤阳群"(五河杂岩)等。其中,霍邱杂岩主要由白云斜长片麻岩、石英岩、云母片岩、大理岩、变质砂岩、条带状铁建造(BIF)和斜长角闪岩等组成,但地表已被第四纪覆盖;五河杂岩主要含有石榴斜长角闪岩/榴闪岩、石榴麻粒岩、异剥钙榴岩、石榴斜长角闪片麻岩、花岗片麻岩、云母片岩、大理岩和变质砂岩等变质岩。相比较,五河杂岩大多出露地表,主要由变质的镁铁质和长英质火成岩以及表壳岩系组成,并伴生有古元古代片麻状钾长花岗岩和中生代花岗岩类,构成了"蚌埠隆起"。这些不同类型的变质岩常具有类似的峰期变质矿物,如石榴子石、单斜辉石、斜长石、金红石和石英等,结合其锆石U-Pb年龄,表明它们大多数都经历了古元古代高压麻粒岩相变质作用。综合的变质岩石学、岩石地球化学、Hf同位素及锆石U-Pb年代学研究表明,该区前寒武纪下地壳经历了幕式生长以及多阶段变质演化与改造。强烈的构造-热事件和变质改造时间主要集中于2.7~2.8Ga、2.5~2.6Ga、~2.1Ga、1.8~1.9Ga、390Ma和176Ma,而前寒武纪下地壳的形成时间≥2.1Ga。在综述、分析相关成果的基础之上,作者提出了华北东南缘前寒武纪下地壳变质岩石研究方面存在的重要科学问题与展望。     

Acoustic and optical variations during rapid downward motion episodes in the deep north-western Mediterranean Sea

An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was moored at the deep-sea site of the ANTARES neutrino telescope near Toulon, France, thus providing a unique opportunity to compare high-resolution acoustic and optical observations between 70 and 170 m above the sea bed at 2475 m. The ADCP measured downward vertical currents of magnitudes up to 0.03 m s⁻¹ in late winter and early spring 2006. In the same period, observations were made of enhanced levels of acoustic reflection, interpreted as suspended particles including zooplankton, by a factor of about 10 and of horizontal currents reaching 0.35 m s⁻¹. These observations coincided with high light levels detected by the telescope, interpreted as increased bioluminescence. During winter 2006 deep dense-water formation occurred in the Ligurian subbasin, thus providing a possible explanation for these observations. However, the 10-20 days quasi-periodic episodes of high levels of acoustic reflection, light and large vertical currents continuing into the summer are not direct evidence of this process. It is hypothesized that the main process allowing for suspended material to be moved vertically later in the year is local advection, linked with topographic boundary current instabilities along the rim of the ‘Northern Current’.     

山东东营凹陷幕式成藏的流体包裹体证据

利用流体包裹体综合分析技术,研究东营凹陷不同构造区带油气成藏方式。结果证明,不同构造区带成藏期古压力及成藏方式具差异性:北部陡坡带沙四段烃源岩上储层油气成藏主要分3期,成藏方式以间歇的幕式充注为主;中央背斜主要分2期,成藏方式以突发式的幕式充注为主;南部缓坡带仅1期,早期成藏方式以持续性充注为主。在凹陷南部缓坡带孔店组的储层中发现沸腾包裹体,分析认为成藏晚期发生过幕式充注,推测在沙四烃源岩下存在新的成藏体系。东营凹陷不同区带成藏模式的确定,可为在高勘探程度地区寻找隐蔽油气藏提供理论依据。     

东亚大陆大三角地震区的强震成组活动迁移图像分析

本文分析了1900—2008年东亚大陆大三角地震区7.5级以上大地震的地震活动时空图像, 认为: ① 1902—1974年东亚大陆大三角地震区的7.5级以上浅源地震成组活动的主体地区, 沿着大三角地震区的边界顺时针迁移, 到了1997—2001年开始转移到大三角地震区的内部; ② 对于整个大三角地震区而言, 近代7.5级以上浅源地震的震级(M)-时间(t)过程表明, 地震活动是活跃和平静交替出现的幕式过程; ③ 大三角地震区近代7.5级以上浅源地震的时空迁移图像的力学机制, 可能是地震区内地震断层应力转移和耦合的相互作用。     

陆相断陷湖盆T-R层序的特点及其控制因素--以东营凹陷古近系沙河街组三段层序地层为例

一般认为经典层序的湖(海)平面变化轨迹为正弦曲线,且可分出低位稳定、上升、高位稳定和下降4个阶段。按照Vail的层序地层学理论,每个三级层序由3个体系域组成,目前也有人认为划分出4个体系域更合适。但在断陷湖盆中,发育了一种特殊的层序,其湖平面变化呈折线,仅可分出上升阶段(T)和下降阶段(R),缺失稳定阶段,我们将此类层序称为T-R层序。潮湿气候条件下的幕式构造运动和沉积物快速充填是T-R层序形成的关键。层序发育的早期阶段,幕式构造运动产生新生可容空间,决定了T旋回的发育,形成了以深水泥岩、页岩等沉积为特征的湖侵域;晚期阶段,沉积物快速充填减少可容空间,决定了R旋回的演化,形成了以前积式砂体为特征的湖退域。T-R层序与油气勘探关系密切,湖侵域烃源岩发育,湖退域储层发育,并具有良好的生储盖组合条件。     

油气幕式成藏及其驱动机制和识别标志

连续稳态流动和周期性(幕式)瞬态流动是沉积盆地流体的 2种流动方式。幕式流体流动是压力和应力的作用引起地层周期性破裂或断裂、先存裂隙周期性开启的结果。幕式成藏是沉积盆地中油气与地层水组成的混相、不连续流体的多期次充注/聚集过程,超压顶界面附近、底辟和深断裂附近是幕式成藏的有利场所。与油气稳态连续聚集过程相比,幕式成藏更快,大 中型油气田可在较短的时间内形成,根据传统模式难以成藏的年轻圈闭可成为有效的勘探目标。幕式流体流动的主要特征是流体成份和流动过程的不连续性、流体流动过程中温度、压力的快速变化及流体流动的多期性和周期性。流体的时空非均质性、流体流动的瞬态温度响应和运移相态分异及其揭示的多期流体相互作用是幕式成藏的有效识别标志。     

How Episodic Coral Breakage Can Determine Community Structure: A South African Coral Reef Example

Abstract. Africa's southernmost coral reefs are situated in Natal Province, South Africa. The Natal coast is exposed to open Ocean swells and episodic storm swell conditions. Benthic communities on these reefs differentiated into three community types: shallow reefs (8–18 m) were dominated by alcyonacean corals and low-growing, massive Scleractinia; intermediate reefs (18–25 m) were dominated chiefly by branching and tabular Scleractinia of the genus Acropora (A. austera, A. clathrata); deep reefs were not dominated by corals but by sponges. Breakage and recovery experiments indicated that the difference in Acropora dominance between shallow and intermediate sites was caused by breakage in high swell conditions. Survival of experimentally produced A. austera fragments was significantly higher in intermediate than in shallow sites, where higher surge made re-attachment and regeneration unlikely. Also, colony morphology was adapted to differential surge conditions: colonies on the shallow reefs were smaller with shorter branches, while on intermediate reefs they were much bigger with long, widely spreading branches. Episodic breakage and low fragment survival due to high water-motion thus excluded branching corals from shallow reef sites.     

Granitoid events in space and time: Constraints from igneous and detrital zircon age spectra

The goal of this study is to evaluate the global age distribution of granitoid magmatism and juvenile continental crust production with U/Pb isotopic ages from igneous and detrital zircons, and with Nd isotopic data. Granitoid age peaks, which are largely defined by TIMS data, are narrow and precise in contrast to detrital peaks that are often broad and hump-shaped due to the larger uncertainties of SHRIMP and LAM-ICPMS data. Granitic age peaks do not always have detrital counterparts and vice versa. Possible contributing factors to this mismatch are removal of crustal sources by erosion, inadequate sampling of granitoids because of cover by younger rocks, or small age peaks hidden by large age peaks in detrital spectra.Seven igneous peaks are found on five or more cratons or continents (3300, 2700, 2680, 2500, 2100, 1900 and 1100 Ma) and seven detrital peaks occur on three or more continents (2785, 2700, 2600, 2500, 1900, 1650 and 1200 Ma). Nd isotope distributions suggest important additions of juvenile continental crust at 2700, 2500, 2120, 1900, 1700, 1650, 800, 570 and 450 Ma. Tight clusters of craton ages occur for Superior–Karelia, Sao Francisco–Nain, and Kaapvaal–Siberia in the early Archean and for Wyoming–Kaapvaal–Slave, Superior–Nain, and West Africa–Amazonia in the late Archean. The global 2700-Ma peak is not a simple spike, but involves several peaks between 2760 and 2650 Ma. Events older than 3700 Ma are limited to the Yilgarn, Slave, Nain and North China cratons, and events between 2600 and 2500 Ma are widespread only in East Asia, Central and East Africa, and India.Single, short-lived mantle plume events at 2700 and 1900 Ga (or any other time) cannot easily account for prolonged episodes of granitoid magmatism during the Precambrian. The causes of geographically widespread and geographically restricted events are probably not the same.