Microscopic and environmental controls on the spacing and thickness of segregated ice lenses

The formation of segregated ice is of fundamental importance to a broad range of permafrost and periglacial features and phenomena. Models have been developed to account for the microscopic interactions that drive water migration, and predict key macroscopic characteristics of ice lenses, such as their spacings and thicknesses. For a given set of sediment properties, the temperature difference between the growing and incipient lenses is shown here to depend primarily on the ratio between the effective stress and the temperature deviation from bulk melting at the farthest extent of pore ice. This suggests that observed spacing between ice lenses in frozen soils, or traces of lenses in soils that once contained segregated ice, might be used to constrain the combinations of effective stress and temperature gradient that were present near the time and location at which the lower lens in each pair was initiated. The thickness of each lens has the potential to contain even more information since it depends additionally on the rate of temperature change and the permeability of the sediment at the onset of freezing. However, these complicating factors make it more difficult to interpret thickness data in terms of current or former soil conditions.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源区冰缘地貌的分布和演变过程

根据1985—1989年度的野外考察和定位重复测量、坑探、物探、砾向组构及地肮衣测年、室内分析等,总结出本区各类冰缘地貌空间分布特点和在发生学卜的联系与转化;分析了基岩寒冻风化速率、倒石堆、岩屑坡、石冰川的分布、运动特点和发育年代;讨论了冻疱和烛状冰型冻胀丘、泥流舌、石环和热喀斯特沉陷的分布、演变及成因;概述了沉积物室内分析得出的结果。     

Magnitude frequency study of rockfall in Co. Antrim,N. Ireland

Detailed observations of rockfall were kept on a weekly basis over a two year period. The results indicate that there is both a seasonal distribution of rockfall with maxima in February-March and November–December, and continuous small scale rockfall throughout the year. There appears to be some connection between rockfall and frost processes, while the peculiar geotechnical properties of the lava flows in county Antrim, in particular the presence of microfractures, would seem to be the main underlying cause for the observed activity.     

Soft-sediment deformation structures in Late Miocene–Pleistocene sediments on the pediment of the Mátra Hills (Visonta, Atkár, Verseg): Cryoturbation, load structures or seismites?

The studied area, built up by silty clayey and partly sandy sediments and paleosols, lies on the tectonically active Northern margins of the Pannonian Basin. Wavy, sagging load casts can be observed in the upper part of the Late Miocene alluvial complex and larger scale sagging load casts, flame structures, drops and pillows detected in its Quaternary cover were studied in detail, in order to understand the origins of soft sediment deformation which characterized this young sedimentary suite. Sedimentological, paleopedological and mineralogical observations suggest that:

1. One of the reasons for the soft-sediment deformation might have been the relatively low cohesive strength of the predominantly smectitic sediment covering a gentle slope similar to the actual landscape.

2. On such a surface, the down-slope gravitational component of the mud-blanket might easily have been sufficient to overcome its cohesive strength.

3. Frost action traceable in the studied formations might also have contributed to the observed deformation, particularly along the eroded top of the Late Miocene sediments.

Combined evidence from field observations and laboratory analyses support the idea that liquefaction–fluidization was of prime importance in bringing about the observed structures. In conclusion two alternative Quaternary/Holocene scenarios are proposed, which might have resulted in the unusual behaviour of the sediments/paleosols. One is a seismic event, the other is the combined effect of freeze–thaw cycles and of the sloping foothill position, which might have resulted in episodic downslope transport and the associated deformation of the eroded soil material when its water content surpassed a certain threshold. We accept that the anomalous abundance of soft-sediment deformation in this marginal position may be causally related to paleo-earthquakes, but the obvious complexity of the phenomenon requires caution. In case the proposed scenarios would not have been alternatives but acted simultaneously, the analysed phenomena were to be interpreted as the joint results of tectonics and climate change.     

Experimental frost and salt weathering of chalk—II

Experiments are described in which chalk cubes were soaked in solutions of either sodium chloride, sodium sulphate, or magnesium sulphate at concentrations of 5·5 per cent and 12·5 per cent, or in a mixed solution of sodium chloride and sodium sulphate or in distilled water. After removal of excess liquid, the cubes were subjected to six freeze–thaw cycles with temperatures ranging from either +15 to ?10°C or +15 to ?30°C. The results confirm that frost weathering can be enhanced by the presence of certain salts, but the extent of weathering was much less than that previously reported for samples frozen totally immersed in the same liquids. Evidence is presented which suggests that salt crystallization is the major weathering process operative when non–immersed samples are frozen but a combination of frost and salt weathering operates when fully immersed samples are frozen.     

An overview of the role of weathering in the production of quartz silt

Quartz silt is a widespread detrital sediment with large aeolian (loess) and alluvial silt deposits forming important components of many contemporary landscapes. Despite research findings which indicate that a range of opportunities exist for the comminution of quartz into silt particles within a wide variety of geomorphic environments (e.g. glacial grinding, fluvial comminution, aeolian abrasion, frost weathering, salt weathering, insolation weathering and deep weathering), the ‘glacial-aeolian’ hypothesis has traditionally been favoured as the most likely explanation for loess formation and loess is seen as primarily a Quaternary phenomenon. As a consequence there has been a tendency to underestimate sediment inputs into loess systems by geomorphological processes operating within pre-Quaternary environments. In particular, earth scientists may have considerably underestimated the role of weathering in global silt generation, as there are now many references to the existence of a patchy but widespread distribution of pre-Quaternary weathering profiles across the glacial and periglacial landscapes of the Northern Hemisphere (e.g. North America, British Isles, north and central Europe), landscapes within which many of the classical loess deposits are located. These observations suggest that weathering profiles may have covered large tracts of the Northern Hemisphere land surface prior to the Quaternary glaciations. This, in turn, may have important implications for quartz silt generation as: (1) experimental studies indicate that many weathering processes are capable of generating significant quantities of silt-sized debris, and (2) particle characteristics displayed by saprolitic material that has developed on quartz rich crystalline source rocks often include significant quantities of either silt-sized material, or quartz grains that are weakened by weathering derived microfractures. Thus, weathering profiles may represent ‘mines’ of actual and potential quartz silt, available for release into sedimentary systems when these profiles are subsequently reworked by geomorphological processes such as glacial, fluvial and aeolian erosion.     

1951-2016年秦巴山区霜期变化的时空特征分析

依据秦巴山区96个气象站点1951—2016年逐日最低气温数据,利用一元线性回归、M-K突变检验法和Cressman插值法分析了初、终霜日和霜期变化的时空特征,并对终霜日和霜期的变化趋势及其与海拔高度的关系进行了分析,结果表明:在时间变化上,秦巴山区平均初霜日呈现出推迟的趋势,且在1960年左右发生了显著突变,而平均终霜日则与之相反,表现出提前的趋势,平均霜期也呈现出显著的减少趋势,且在20世纪60年代中期至70年代末期间表现得十分明显;空间变化上,秦巴山区初霜日和霜期呈现出较大的南北差异,而终霜日则表现为较大的东西差异;在与海拔分布的关系上,秦巴山区部分地区终霜日和霜期的变化趋势有明显的海拔依赖性,表现为西部和中东部地区终霜日的变化趋势随海拔高度的增加而减少,北部地区霜期的变化趋势随着海拔高度的增加而减少。     

合肥城市发展对气候的影响

利用1968－1999年气象资料，选取肥西站作为对比站，分析了合肥市城市发展对气候的影响。结果表明：城区热岛效应使近30年城乡年平均气温差值升高到0.5℃，年平均最低气温差值升高到0.8-1.0℃，但白天受下垫面和云量影响，城市最高度增幅不明显。同时，热凫效应还使城区霜期缩短，30年来霜期缩短20－40天，城区干岛效应也使年降水量逐年相对减少（主要减少在汛期时段）。30年来年降水量相对减少60－200mm；城区空气日益干燥，每年的雾日数相对急剧减少，30年来减少10－20天。     

Frost jacking characteristics of screw piles in seasonally frozen regions based on thermo-mechanical simulations

In this paper, a thermo-mechanical model is proposed to simulate the frost jacking behaviour of screw piles subjected to frost heave, and the results are further validated by laboratory tests. The calculated results show that large multi-helix piles yield the least frost jacking when the freezing depth reaches half the embedment depth of pile. Based on the modified cylindrical shear method and individual bearing method, the optimal geometric parameters of screw piles are determined by a series of numerical calculations. The numerical approach is expected to serve as a reference for designing effective and economical pile types in practice.     

东北地区水稻霜冻灾害风险评估与区划

依据灾害系统理论,在综合考虑致灾因子自然属性和承灾体社会属性的基础上,建立风险评估模型,将传统的灾害研究方法与地理信息系统等现代技术手段相结合,利用1961—2010年东北地区182个气象站点逐日最低气温资料和1991—2006年172个水稻产区县（市）国土面积及社会经济资料,包括1981—2006年30个农业气象观测站水稻发育期资料,对东北地区水稻霜冻灾害风险进行评估。结果表明：东北地区可划分为高风险、次高风险、中等风险、次低风险和低风险5个水稻霜冻灾害风险区域。东北地区水稻霜冻灾害高风险区位于黑龙江省的黑河地区大部、伊春西部和吉林省的延边州西部、白山北部等地,而辽宁省的中南部等地风险较低。