Analysis of atmospheric boundary ozone profiles in winter in hinterland of Taklimakan Desert

In order to reveal the variation characteristics of ozone (O₃) concentration in the atmosphere boundary layer over a desert in winter, an observation experiment was carried out in the Tazhong area by means of a tethered balloon during January 18–25, 2008. The vertical distribution of O₃ concentration and its correlation with temperature and humidity were analyzed based on experimental observation data and related data. Results show that: (1) The concentration of O₃ mainly ranges from 10 to 50 μg/L, with a maximum of 56.1 μg/L, minimum of 2.6 μg/L, and a daily average concentration of 34.4 μg/L. (2) O₃ profiles can be divided into three types: peak, uniform, and growth, where uniform accounts for the majority. (3) Temperature and moisture are influential on O₃ concentrations in atmospheric boundary layer. Temperature inversion and water vapor increase in an atmospheric boundary layer leads to a decrease of O₃. (4) O₃ concentration has an obvious daily change in Tazhong. It is lower at night, begins to increase after sunrise, and reaches a maximum at noon. The maximum appears at 17:00 BJT (Beijing Time), and the minimum appears at 08:00 BJT.     

不同因素影响下突发性强降雨对沙拐枣的危害——以塔里木沙漠公路防护林生态工程为例

塔里木沙漠公路防护林生态工程全长436 km,造林树种以抗逆性较强的沙拐枣(Calligo-num L.)、柽柳(Tamarix L.)、梭梭(Haloxylon Bunge)等优良防风固沙灌木为主,采用高矿化度地下水滴灌.2005年5月,公路沿线出现了罕见的突发性强降雨,由此引起的表层土壤盐分淋溶造成了沙拐枣大量死亡.本研究采用线路调查和随机抽样方法,在突发性强降雨后对塔里木沙漠公路防护林带内沙拐枣死亡率进行了调查,并对调查结果及其原因进行了分析,结果表明:沙拐枣死亡率(1)随林龄的增加而减小;(2)随矿化度的升高而增大;(3)垄间平沙地>过渡区>高大沙垄垄体;(4)林带中央>公路旁>林带外围.     

A high magnitude storm and flood in a hyperarid catchment,Nahal Zin,Negev Desert,Israel

In October 1991 a high magnitude rainstorm flood, estimated return period 40 years, occurred in Nahal Zin, a 1400 km² catchment in the hyperarid Negev Desert. The meso-scale structure of the storm was a curved squall line that developed from a thunderstorm in accordance with the topography of the catchment divide, by which it was strongly affected. Tropical moisture reached the area via the subtropical jet stream, in conjunction with a lower level northward intrusion of the Red Sea trough (RST-N) into the Mediterranean Sea. Rainfall, as measured at the few and sparse gauging stations, was much too small to account for the resulting large flood. Peak flow and other hydraulic characteristics of the flood were indirectly reconstructed. The techniques of palaeoflood hydrology used were based on sedimentological evidence of fine-grained flood sediments deposited in back-flooded tributaries, as well as on other stage indicators. The HEC-2 procedure was employed to determine water surface profiles. The spatial and temporal characteristics of the event were studied through a combination of rainstorm analysis, remote sensing, hydrological and sedimentological data; they jointly explain the magnitude and timing of tributary contributions producing the integrated flood in the main channel. The flood as reconstructed reveals a three-peak hydrograph: two peaks were generated by the same storm but had different floodwave arrival times in the main channel; the third resulted from a local rainstorm which occurred on the following day and covered only one tributary. The curved structure of the storm and its dynamics in relation to catchment orientation resulted in storm move- ment in tandem with the floodwave. The synchronous contribution from all main tributaries preserved evidence of the floodwave both in stage and volume by replacing the transmission losses in the sections with thick alluvium. Other high magnitude floods on record for the large Negev Desert catchments are caused by a cold upper air incursion associated with the RST-N. Most of them occur in the autumn and are caused by storms with high-intensity rainfall. This is in stark contrast with the flooding behaviour of the semi-arid zone further north, which is linked primarily to the core of the Mediterranean winter. The complexities involved in the generation of a large desert flood, as revealed by this study, illustrate the fallacy of applying routine hydrological modelling to such events, and underline the need to study the processes involved in adequate detail. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

腾格里沙漠南缘土门剖面末次间冰期5e的主量元素特征及其记录的古气候

腾格里沙漠南缘地处中国西北沙漠与黄土交错带,也是东亚冬季风与夏季风交替控制的过渡地带,其对全球气候变化十分敏感,是研究古气候与古生态的理想地点。选择该区域一典型剖面即"土门剖面"(TMS)为代表,通过野外考察、采样和室内采用X-射线荧光光谱仪进行主量元素测试,探讨了以该剖面主元素氧化物为气候代用指标指示的腾格里沙漠沙漠南缘末次间冰期5e(MIS5e)的古气候变化。年代相当于MIS5e的土门剖面末次间冰期5e层段(TMS5e)由16层风成砂、11层湖积黄土和5层湖相构成,记录了14.5个风成砂与湖相或和湖积黄土构成的沉积旋回与元素旋回。分析结果显示,该层段8种主量元素的含量高低依次为:SiO₂ >Al₂O₃ >CaO >TOFE(FeO+Fe₂O₃) >K₂O >MgO >Na₂O >TiO₂,平均值依次为64.11%、11.31%、5.15%、4.08%、2.37%、2.26%、2.01%、0.41%。这些主量元素在TMS5e层段的垂直方向上呈两组镜像对称变化:一组为SiO₂,其含量在风成砂层位显峰态,而在湖相和湖积黄土层位显谷态;另一组为Al₂O₃、TOFE、CaO、MgO、Na₂O、K₂O、TiO₂,它们在风成砂层位呈谷态,在湖相和湖积黄土层位显谷态。土门剖面TMS5e层段的主元素氧化物指示的MIS5e腾格里沙漠南缘的气候是不稳定的,经历了14.5次暖湿与冷干交替的气候波动,且可划分为TMS5e5(139~129.30 ka BP)、TMS5e4(129.30~124 ka BP)、TMS5e3(124~119.50 ka BP)、TMS5e2(119.5~116.5 ka BP)和TMS5e1(116.5~113.70 ka BP)等5个亚段,其在时代上与末次间冰期5eGRIP冰芯δ¹⁸O记录的5个阶段具有遥相关关系。该研究深化了对我国西北季风边缘区MIS5e古气候状况的了解,也为国际上仍有争议的"MIS5e气候是不稳定"的理论观点提供了有力的地质证据。     

古尔班通古特沙漠南部防护体系建成10 a来的生境变化与植物自然定居

 于2000—2009年对古尔班通古特沙漠南部防护体系内的生境变化与自然定居植物进行了系统观测和研究。结果表明,草方格及人工植被相结合的综合防护体系可以有效固定重大工程扰动地表。防护体系建成初期,土壤水分条件好于原始地表,为人工林的生长和植物自然定居创造了良好条件。防护体系建成10 a后,土壤理化性质得到有效改善,普遍形成了地衣结皮,但土壤水分出现了减少的趋势。在未经扰动的原始地表,总计有植物48种,其中短命植物30种。防护体系建成初期自然定居植物仅有8种,10 a后多达33种,其中短命植物达到21种。定居植物多度由初期的1.4株·m-2增加到10 a后的14株·m-2,其中短命植物占到自然定居植物总株数的85％,很少观测到自然定居的乔灌木。自然定居植物呈明显的差异性分布,与风向对种源的影响密切相关。随着草本植物的进入、生物结皮的形成和土壤水分的减少,人工植被的稳定性问题尚需进一步研究和探讨。     

《中国沙漠植物志》杨属（PopulusL．）植物增订

通过对中国沙区仍属植物标本整理、鉴定和文献考证，认为中国沙区有杨属（ＰｏｐｕｌｕｓＬ．）植物１７种、５变种和１变型；《中国沙漠植物志》记载的青甘小叶杨应由变种提升为种；额河杨、伊犁杨、光应银白杨、辽东小叶杨和菱叶小叶杨等２种、２变种和１变型《中国沙漠植物志》应予收录。     

毛乌素沙地15ka以来气候变化及沙漠演化研究

通过对毛乌素沙地东南缘的三道沟剖面进行沉积学分析,结合常规14C和光释光测年结果,并与已有研究进行对比,将毛乌素沙地15ka以来的演化过程分为4个阶段:15ka以前,处于末次冰期极盛期的后期,冬季风活动强烈,气候干冷、风蚀强烈,沙漠处于活化扩张阶段;15～6.33kaBP,气候逐渐回暖,风力减弱,但沙丘仍处于活化状态,期间可能有气候的暖湿波动;6.33～3.5kaBP,夏季风活动较强,冬季风活动较弱,气候总体温暖湿润,沙丘固定、沙漠退缩,其中又存在一些干冷波动,5kaBP前后气候曾发生突变;3.5kaBP以来,冬季风活动又逐渐增强,夏季风活动减弱,气候寒冷干燥,风沙活动增强。     

再论巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊水的补给来源、补给模式与高大沙山的形成机理

依据已有研究成果和最新调查资料, 在综述沙漠湖泊与高大沙山研究进展及存在问题的基础上, 深入探讨了巴丹吉林沙漠湖泊水的补给来源、补给模式及高大沙山的形成机理. 结果认为, 沙漠湖泊水和地下水的补给来源不是当地降水和周边雅布赖山-北大山的降水形成的地表洪水, 而是南部青藏高原(包括祁连山)现代大气降水、冰雪融水、高原湖水的远源补给. 补给模式为高原富含CO₂气体和CaCO₃的入渗水, 通过深大导水断裂通道形成的区域地下水流循环系统, 源源不断地自南向北运移到沙漠地带, 地下水在通过沙漠湖泊区弧形"叠瓦状"垂向导水构造断裂向上越流过程中被广泛分布的岩浆岩加热, 沿断层溢出地表形成湖泊群, 同时导致水中CO₂的释放和CaCO₃的沉积, 形成钙华体. 高大沙山的形成机理是深层地下热水向上越流补给了沙漠覆盖区, 在承压水头以下形成鼓丘状的沙漠地下水, 承压水头以上, 水蒸汽继续向上运移并被凝结在沙粒表面, 未被吸附凝结的热水蒸汽继续向上运移并被吸附在新沉积的沙粒表面, 形成湿砂层并接受更新的沙粒沉积, 如此反复循环, 则沙丘高度不断增加, 逐步形成高大的固定沙山.     

Normal faulting mechanisms in the Western Desert of Egypt

Egypt is recognized as a moderate seismicity region where earthquakes are distributed within several active regions. Owing to sparse distribution of both seismicity and seismic stations, mostly moderate-size Egyptian earthquakes were recorded by regional stations. One of such cases is the moderate-size earthquakes of moment magnitudes greater than 4.0 which struck the Western Desert of Egypt in 1998 and 1999. These events are the first instrumentally recorded earthquakes occurring in the area. In the present study, the source mechanism for these earthquakes was estimated using the waveform data recorded from one of the very broadband MedNet seismograph stations and polarities from the national short-period seismographs. An iterative technique was applied to find the best-fit double-couple mechanism by a grid search over strike, dip and rake. Regional synthetic seismograms were calculated by using f–k integration in the frequency range of 0.03–0.1 Hz. A crustal structure fitted to surface wave dispersion curves was used to compute Green’s function. Focal depths were determined through the grid search method for a range of source depths. Our results show a normal faulting mechanism with minor strike-slip component. The NNW trend has been chosen as a preferred rupture plane in consistence with surface and subsurface faults and microearthquake seismicity in the epicenteral area as well.     

The earliest well-dated archeological site in the hyper-arid Tarim Basin and its implications for prehistoric human migration and climatic change

The routes and timing of human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) are crucial for understanding the evolution of Tibetan populations and associated paleoclimatic conditions. Many archeological sites have been found in/around the Tarim Basin, on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Unfortunately, most of these sites are surface sites and cannot be directly dated. Their ages can only be estimated based on imprecise artifact comparisons. We recently found and dated an archeological site on a terrace along the Keriya River. Our ages indicate that the site was occupied at ~ 7.0–7.6 ka, making it the earliest well-dated archeological site yet identified in the Tarim Basin. This suggests that early human foragers migrated into this region prior to ~ 7.0–7.6 ka during the early to mid-Holocene climatic optimum, which may have provided the impetus for populating the region. We hypothesize that the Keriya River, together with the other rivers originating from the TP, may have served as access routes onto the TP for early human foragers. These rivers may also have served as stepping stones for migration further west into the now hyper-arid regions of the Tarim Basin, leading ultimately to the development of the Silk Road.