Non-classical types of loess

The purpose of this contribution is to describe the sequence of physical and chemical processes resulting in the sediment-type named loess, a fine-grained sediment deposit of universal occurrence. Owing to historical causes, loess has been (and still is) implicitly linked to glacial/periglacial environments among most naturalists. However it is known today that most eolian dust is deflated from tropical deserts. Hence, that sequence of processes is more comprehensive than the former narrow cold scenario. Six examples of different “non-classical” cases (from South America and Europe) that fit well to the loess definition are developed: 1) volcanic loess in Ecuador: pyroclastic eruptions/valley wind/mountain praire/silica structuring; 2) tropical loess in northeastern Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay: deflation of river and fan splays/savanna/iron sesquioxide structuring; 3) gypsum loess in northern Spain: destruction of anhydrite/gypsiferous layers in a dry climate/valley wind/Saharian shrub peridesert/gypsum structuring; 4) trade-wind deposits in Venezuela and Brazil: deflation in tidal flats/trade wind into the continent/savanna/iron hydroxide structuring; 5) anticyclonic gray loess in Argentina: continental anticyclone on plains/anti-clockwise winds and whirls/steppe/carbonate structuring. All these non-classical types conform to the accepted loess definitions and they also share the most important field characteristics of loess such as grain size, friability, vertical or sub-vertical slopes in outcrops, subfusion and others. Other cases can probably be recognized when systematically scrutinized.     

OSL dating of glacial deposits during the Last Glacial in the Terskey-Alatoo Range, Kyrgyz Republic

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was applied to glacial and loess deposits in the north flank of the Terskey-Alatoo Range, Kyrgyz Republic, to elucidate the glacier chronology of the central Asian mountains during the Last Glacial. Moraines in five parts of study area were classified into four stages (Terskey Stages I–IV) based on their geographical position and elevation, and their moraine rock weathering. According to this classification, the oldest moraines (Terskey Stage I) were at 2100–2250 m a.s.l. and the second-oldest moraines (Terskey Stage II) were at 2400–2700 m a.s.l. Quartz samples from moraines of these two stages were used for OSL dating. The OSL ages of the quartz samples indicate that glacier expansion in the Terskey Stage II occurred between 21 and 29 ka BP.     

Mass flows and river response in rapid uplifting regions – A case of lower Yarlung Tsangpo basin,southeast Tibet,China

The fluvial geomorphology in tectonically active (particularly rapid uplift) regions often undergoes continuous change. The rapid uplift is coincident with high erosion rates; consequently, incised valleys are formed. Mass flows (for example, avalanches, landslides, and debris flows) in incised valleys can markedly influence fluvial processes and even reshape valley geomorphology. However, these processes and long-term evolution corresponding to mass flows require further clarification. Field campaigns were carried out in the region near the Yigong Tsangpo and Palong Tsangpo Rivers (hereafter the Yigong and Palong Rivers), the two largest tributaries of the lower Yarlung Tsangpo River, to examine the feedback between fluvial processes and mass flows. Remote sensing images from recent decades were used to compare the channel morphology before and after typical mass flows (particularly catastrophic ones). The morphology of the lower Yigong River has evidently been impacted by landslides, while that of the Palong River has mainly been shaped by glacial processes and debris flows. At present, the morphology of the latter consists of alternating sections of gorges and wide valleys, with a staircase-like longitudinal profile. The gorge sections exhibit single and deeply incised channels with a high-gradient channel bed and terraces. In contrast, the wide valley sections consist of lakes, braided or anabranching channels, gentle bed gradients, and thick alluvial deposits. Debris flows occur more frequently in gullies in the reaches of the gorge sections and rarely in gullies along the wide valley sections. The occurrence of mass flow events has resulted in an imbalance of the previous (quasi-)equilibrium in the river morphology; however, this has triggered negative feedback that is driving the transient river morphology to a new state of (quasi-)equilibrium.     

基于三差解检测与修复GPS载波相位周跳新方法

对飞行中初始化载波相位整周模糊度ＧＰＳ的动态差分定位而言,如果在整周模糊度初始化过程中发生载波相位周跳,将严重影响整周模糊度的确定,本文对已有的ＧＰＳ静态差分定位中通过三差解检测与修复周跳的方法进行了推广,提出了一种适合于解决Ｏｎ－Ｔｈｅ－Ｆｌｙ整周模糊度初始化过程中周跳问题的新方法。新方法保持了静态情况下原有方法的特点,分析和利用实采数据进行的检验表明,新方法是有效和实用的。     

Last Glacial snowlines in the Tibetan Plateau: an argument against an extensive coalescing icesheet

Two opposing theories are circulating with regard to the extent of the Last Glacial ice cover in the Tibetan Plateau. One says that only less than 20% of plateau was covered with ice, and another insists that the plateau be completely covered with an extensive coalescing icesheet. The extent of the ice cover is thought to be significant in shaping global climatic systems, and a further discussion on this issue may help to understand the earth's surface feedback mechanisms to the global climates. This paper focuses on the Last Glacial snowline reconstruction and uses the reconstructed snowline to argue against the existence of an extensive coalescing icesheet. The reconstructed Last Glacial snowlines suggest that the snowlines dropped 500–700 m in the western and northern marginal mountains and about 1000 m in the southern and eastern marginal mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. However, the magnitude of the snowline dropping decreases dramatically towards the interior of the plateau, from 300–400 m in those mountains adjacent to the marginal mountains to about 100 m in the driest area in the interior. This means that the snowlines were too high and associated glaciers were too limited to extend to the vast intermountainous basins. To be blamed are weakened summer monsoons and lowered condensation elevations, both of which were probably responsible for not bringing in an adequate amount of precipitation into the interior for developing an extensive coalescing icesheet. The relatively high radiation in these relatively low latitudes could be a major negative force to prevent the snow and ice from forming a coalescing icesheet. In contrast, the enhanced plateau blockade to the monsoons may have helped to significantly lower the snowlines and expand the glaciers in the outer slopes of the southern and eastern marginal mountains. The westerlies may have greatly helped those glaciers in the western and northern marginal mountains. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

塔里木盆地地球动力学演化与含油气系统旋回

论述了塔里木盆地的地球动力学演化过程,指出震旦-三叠纪和侏罗-第四纪是两个构造巨旋回．在这类旋回中,盆地经历了由伸展到聚敛的完整发育过程塔里木盆地的演化总体上表现为强伸展-聚敛-微伸展-强聚敛的特点盆地动力学旋回决定了油气的生运聚散过程．提出含油气系统旋口的概念．在分析寒武-奥陶系含油气系统旋回、石炭系-下二叠统含油气系统旋回和侏罗系含油气系统旋回的基础上,指出对含油气系统旋回的形成期与调整再分配期的研究更具实际意义．     

1961-2010年黑龙江省水稻延迟型冷害时空变化特征

利用1961-2010年黑龙江省62个气象站资料,基于5-9月平均气温和水稻冷害等级行业标准,利用累积距平和小波分析等方法分析水稻延迟型轻度、中度和严重冷害的空间分布特征及时间变化规律,以期为水稻延迟型冷害的研究提供基础。结果表明：1961-2010年黑龙江省水稻延迟型冷害主要集中发生在黑河、齐齐哈尔、哈尔滨东部、牡丹江西部和三江平原东部地区。1961-2010年黑龙江省水稻延迟型冷害存在明显的阶段性变化,1994年后转入新的较少发生阶段,2000年后黑龙江省水稻延迟型冷害发生明显减少。黑龙江省水稻延迟型轻度冷害和中度冷害存在21 a和9 a左右的变化周期,水稻延迟型严重冷害存在21 a左右的周期变化。     

BJ-RUC产品在小区供暖供回水温度预报的应用研究

利用气象部门快速更新的BJ-RUC(Beijing-Rapid UpdateCycle)数值预报系统获得的24 h逐时的室外温度预报资料,应用能量平衡原理,建立建筑物热损失方程和供热量方程,从而推导出室外温度和室内温度、供水、回水温度的预报模型。用此模型对2010年3月1—15日期间的供、回水温度进行预报模拟,与北京市海园物业供热单位实况值进行对比分析。检验结果表明,该模型模拟的室内温度与设计要求的室内温度(20℃)之间的均方根误差为0.25℃,海园物业室内温度监测点数值与20℃之间的均方根误差为1.53℃。模拟的供、回水温度与海园物业监测点供水温度的均方根误差分别为3.69℃和3.80℃。     

Response of a climate model to tidal mixing parameterization under present day and last glacial maximum conditions

Experiments with a climate model were conducted under present day and last glacial maximum conditions in order to examine the model’s response to a vertical mixing scheme based on internal tide energy dissipation. The increase in internal tide energy flux caused by a 120 m reduction in sea level had the expected effect on diffusivity values, which were higher under lower sea level conditions. The impact of this vertical diffusivity change on the Atlantic meridional overturning is not straightforward and no clear relationship between diffusivity and overturning is found. There exists a weak positive correlation between overturning and changes to the power consumed by vertical mixing. Most of the climatic response generated by sea level change was not related to alterations in the internal tide energy flux but rather to the direct change in sea level itself.     

Late Quaternary glaciation and equilibrium-line altitudes of the Mayan Ice Cap, Guatemala, Central America

The Sierra los Cuchumatanes (3837 m), Guatemala, supported a plateau ice cap and valley glaciers around Montaña San Juan (3784 m) that totaled ∼ 43 km² in area during the last local glacial maximum. Former ice limits are defined by sharp-crested lateral and terminal moraines that extend to elevations of ∼ 3450 m along the ice cap margin, and to ca. 3000-3300 m for the valley glaciers. Equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) estimated using the area-altitude balance ratio method for the maximum late Quaternary glaciation reached as low as 3470 m for the valley glaciers and 3670 m for the Mayan Ice Cap. Relative to the modern altitude of the 0°C isotherm of ∼ 4840 m, we determined ELA depressions of 1110-1436 m. If interpreted in terms of a depression of the freezing level during maximal glaciation along the modern lapse rate of − 5.3°C km^− 1, this ΔELA indicates tropical highland cooling of ∼ 5.9 to 7.6 ± 1.2°C. Our data support greater glacial highland cooling than at sea level, implying a high tropical sensitivity to global climate changes. The large magnitude of ELA depression in Guatemala may have been partially forced by enhanced wetness associated with southward excursions of the boreal winter polar air mass.