Distinct brief major events in the Karoo large igneous province clarified by new Ar/Ar ages on the Lesotho basalts

Recent mineral separate ages obtained on the Karoo large igneous province (southern Africa) suggest that the province was built by several distinct magmatic pulses over a rather long period on the order of 5–6 Ma concerning the main erupted volume [Jourdan, F., Féraud, G., Bertrand, H., Kampunzu, A.B., Tshoso, G., Watkeys, M.K., Le Gall., B., 2005. The Karoo large igneous province: Brevity, origin, and relation with mass extinction questioned by new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age data, Geology 33, 745–748]. Although this apparently atypical province is dated in more detail compared to many other large igneous provinces, volumetrically important areas still lack sufficient high-quality data. The timing of the Karoo province is crucial as this event is correlated with the breakup activity of the Gondwana supercontinent. The Lesotho basalts represent a major lava sequence of the province, but have not yet been precisely dated by systematic analysis of mineral separates. We analyzed plagioclase separates from five lava flows encompassing the complete 1.4-km-thick Lesotho sequence from top to bottom using the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method. We obtained five plateau and mini-plateau ages statistically indistinguishable and ranging from 182.3 ± 1.6 to 181.0 ± 2.0 Ma (2σ). We derived an apparent maximum duration for this event of  0.8 Ma by neglecting correlated errors embedded in the age uncertainties.

A critical review of previous ages obtained on the Lesotho sequence [Duncan R.A., Hooper, P.R., Rehacek, J., Marsh, J.S., Duncan, A.R., 1997. The timing and duration of the Karoo igneous event, southern Gondwana. Journal of Geophysical Research 102, 18127–18138] shows that groundmass analyses are unreliable for high-resolution geochronology, due to alteration and ³⁹Ar recoil effects. Discrepancy between our ages and a previous plagioclase age at  184 Ma obtained by the later workers is tentatively attributed to the heterogeneity of the monitor used and/or cryptic excess ⁴⁰Ar. The current age database suggests that at least three temporally and spatially distinct brief major events (the Lesotho and southern Botswana lava piles and the Okavango dyke swarm) are so far recognized in the Karoo province. Identification of brief and volumetrically important Karoo magmatic events allows detecting the migration of the Karoo magmatism and potentially the stress regime that affected the southern African lithosphere at this time. A filtered compilation of 60 ages obtained with homogeneous intercalibrated standards suggests a shorter duration for the main pulses of the magmatism between 3 and 4.5 Ma, compared to a whole province duration of  10 Ma, between  182 and  172 Ma.     

我国早期的地震科学研究概述

我国早期的现代地震学研究，曾孕育于现代地质学中。用现代科学观点，最早调查研究现场大地震的年代，可追溯到1913年云南峨山7级地震考察。地震台站监测工作，是从1923年地质调查所派李善邦先生前去日本东京学习测震，并于1930年在北京西山郊区建造鹫峰地震观测台开始。最早的地震目录是1913年由上海黄司铎编的“法文中国地震表”。1921年翁文灏先生发表的“甘肃地震考”，首次将史料中的地震情形描述与罗西一福来氏烈度表加以对照，来确定地震烈度，从而提供了更详细、确切的“甘肃地震表”。1922年翁文灏在布鲁塞尔国际地质大会上宣读的“中国地质构造对于产生地震的影响”论文，曾引起与会者极大兴趣与关注，是最早论述我国地震地质和地震区域划分的文献。     

Effects of large organic material on channel form and fluvial processes

Stream channel development in forested areas is profoundly influenced by large organic debris (logs, limbs and rootwads greater than 10 cm in diameter) in the channels. In low gradient meandering streams large organic debris enters the channel through bank erosion, mass wasting, blowdown, and collapse of trees due to ice loading. In small streams large organic debris may locally influence channel morphology and sediment transport processes because the stream may not have the competency to redistribute the debris. In larger streams flowing water may move large organic debris, concentrating it into distinct accumulations (debris jams). Organic debris may greatly affect channel form and process by: increasing or decreasing stability of stream banks; influencing development of midchannel bars and short braided reaches; and facilitating, with other favourable circumstances, development of meander cutoffs. In steep gradient mountain streams organic debris may enter the channel by all the processes mentioned for low gradient streams. In addition, considerable debris may also enter the channel by way of debris avalanches or debris torrents. In small to intermediate size mountain streams with steep valley walls and little or no floodplain or flat valley floor, the effects of large organic debris on the fluvial processes and channel form may be very significant. Debris jams may locally accelerate or retard channel bed and bank erosion and/or deposition; create sites for significant sediment storage; and produce a stepped channel profile, herein referred to as ‘organic stepping’, which provides for variable channel morphology and flow conditions. The effect of live or dead trees anchored by rootwads into the stream bank may not only greatly retard bank erosion but also influence channel width and the development of small scour holes along the channel beneath tree roots. Once trees fall into the stream, their influence on the channel form and process may be quite different than when they were defending the banks, and, depending on the size of the debris, size of the stream, and many other factors, their effects range from insignificant to very important.     

Regional oceans governance mechanisms: A review

The development of regional governance for the protection of the environment, sustainable use of natural resources and conservation of its biodiversity is unquestionably a cornerstone of international environmental law and policy. With regard to marine and coastal issues, it has mainly been taking place through Regional Seas programmes, Regional Fishery Bodies and Large Marine Ecosystems mechanisms. Based on a similar geographical approach, however, these regional mechanisms raise concerns relating to their coordination and efficiency, and possibly overlap in what they aim to achieve. This paper provides a review of existing regional oceans governance mechanisms, assessing their individual and collective capacities to move towards ecosystem-based management, and highlighting options to make the regional landscape more coherent and effective.     

裂片石莼营养价值的评价及其多糖制备的初步研究

对采自福建的野生裂片石莼(Ulva fasciata)进行了分类学鉴定和营养价值评估;采用微波加热新方法,进一步研究了裂片石莼多糖提取工艺。研究结果表明,裂片石莼的总糖、粗蛋白质、总氨基酸和总脂含量分别为34.38%、27.60%、25.20%、11.70%;其必需氨基酸含量为10.0%,氨基酸比值系数分(SRC)=79.77;裂片石莼的重金属元素含量达到国家海藻制品的限量标准。研究结果还表明,通过正交实验优化微波加热提取工艺,与传统加热提取工艺相比,裂片石莼多糖的得率提高了21.35%,而耗能降低了58.51%。     

Natural disasters as the end of the insurance industry? Scalar competitive strategies, Alternative Risk Transfers, and the economic crisis

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has piqued interest in the insurance industry, and this scrutiny has led to assumptions that the industry has become unstable and unprofitable with the increased incidence of disasters in highly-insured regions of the world. This paper challenges that assumption by arguing that the insurance industry has responded by spreading risk through scaled and networked recovery schemes. We found that because of competitive strategies of risk-spreading and displacement arrangements, the industry has actually profited as a whole. Regional insurance companies have always relied on the higher financial scales of the reinsurance industry in Munich, Zurich, and London. But with claims reaching into the billions of dollars, the reinsurance industry itself has raised premiums, spread risk farther afield, and jumped scale by spreading risk to futures markets called Alternative Risk Transfers (ARTs). However, the recession beginning in 2008 has called into question the viability of using futures markets as insurance. It is shown through a media analysis of four major business publications (The Economist, The New York Times, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal) how the industry responded to the costs of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 hurricane seasons. Because geography is rather new to this literature, this paper also offers a broad review of the insurance industry.     

ICP-MS测定土壤中的As、Cr、Pb、Se、Cu和Zn

本文用电感耦合等离子质谱法(ICP-MS)测定了土壤的As、Cr、Pb、Se、Cu和Zn6种微量元素的质量分数,以In作为内标进行基体效应的补偿,方法快速灵敏,回收率为92.4%～106.8%,相对标准偏差小于5.0%,结果达到国家标准要求。     

大气折射指数的结构参数与北方5～9月降雨的强相关现象

基于中荷合作项目"建立关于荒漠化和粮食保障的中国能量与水平衡监测系统"(CEWBMS),在国家卫星气象中心和国家林业总局的支持下,乾安大孔径闪烁仪于1999年10月安装并正式运行.利用2000-2005年5～9月大孔径闪烁仪(LAS)观测的大气折射指数的结构参数Cn2,采用独立性检验,证实了Cn2的高低与未来32h是否出现降雨(晴雨)存在显著相关关系.结合乾安气象站的有关气象观测数据,初步选择Cn2白天值以及夜间值以Cn2的24 h变量作为预报依据,建立基于Cn2预报未来32h晴雨的预报流程;并利用2006年Cn2的观测数据,依照预报流程对2006年进行了回报预报试验,正确率为42/47.     

粤西沿海“4.20”特大暴雨特征分析

根据气象常规观测资料、湛江新一代天气雷达资料、CFL-08风廓线雷达资料及卫星云图,分析2012年4月20日粤西沿海特大暴雨的天气环流形势、能量场、对流不稳定度、水汽输送和辐合辐散等环境特征及物理量场特征。结果表明:这次暴雨过程粤西地区共经历两次强降水过程,分别是受飑线系统、以及高空槽和低空切变影响;西南低空急流的出现有利于粤西暴雨的形成、维持和发展;暴雨过程粤西上空垂直累积液水含量达25~30g/m2;暴雨期间风向随高度明显逆转,有冷平流输送;约2.0 km高度以下低空急流的下传和增强与暴雨的产生有密切关系;短时间内多普勒天气雷达的速度回波低层辐合区域远远大于辐散区域是可能产生强降水的标志。     

中国科技资源配置效率测度及其时空格局演变特征(英文)

According to the connotation and structure of science and technology resources and some relevant data of more than 286 cities at prefecture level and above during 2001–2010, using modified method—Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA), science and technology(ST) resource allocation efficiency of different cities in different periods has been figured out, which, uncovers the distributional difference and change law of ST resource allocation efficiency from the time-space dimension. Based on that, this paper has analyzed and discussed the spatial distribution pattern and evolution trend of ST resource allocation efficiency in different cities by virtue of the Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis(ESDA). It turned out that:(1) the average of ST resource allocation efficiency in cities at prefecture level and above has always stayed at low levels, moreover, with repeated fluctuations between high and low, which shows a decreasing trend year by year. Besides, the gap between the East and the West is widening.(2) The asymmetrical distribution of ST resource allocation efficiency presents a spatial pattern of successively decreasing from Eastern China, Central China to Western China. The cities whose ST resource allocation efficiency are at higher level and high level take on a cluster distribution, which fits well with the 23 forming urban agglomerations in China.(3) The coupling degree between ST resource allocation efficiency and economic environment assumes a certain positive correlation, but not completely the same. The differentiation of ST resource allocation efficiency is common in regional development, whose existence and evolution are directly or indirectly influenced by and regarded as the reflection of many elements, such as geographical location, the natural endowment and environment of ST resources and so on.(4) In the perspective of the evolution of spatial structure, ST resource allocation efficiency of the cities at prefecture level and above shows a notable spatial autocorrelation, which in every period presents a positive correlation. The spatial distribution of ST resource allocation efficiency in neighboring cities seems to be similar in group, which tends to escalate stepwise. Meanwhile, the whole differentiation of geographical space has a diminishing tendency.(5) Viewed from LISA agglomeration map ofST resource allocation efficiency in different periods, four agglomeration types have changed differently in spatial location and the range of spatial agglomeration. And the continuity of ST resource allocation efficiency in geographical space is gradually increasing.