Physical weathering of marbles caused by anisotropic thermal expansion

 Marbles as building stones as well as in their natural environments show complex weathering phenomena. The most important damage scenario is based on the highly anisotropic thermal expansion coefficient α of calcite, i.e. extreme expansion parallel and contraction normal to the crystallographic c-axis. Therefore, the rock fabric and especially the lattice-preferred orientation (texture) of calcite and/or dolomite as the predominant mineral phases in marbles have a significant influence on the mechanical weathering. The textures of marbles from five different locations vary from a more or less perfect prolate to moderate oblate shape of the [006] pole figure tensor. Accordingly, the texture-derived bulk thermal dilatation anisotropy covers a broad range from –0.048 to 0.680. The modelled thermal dilatations correlate with those obtained from experimental measurements. The difference in magnitude is basically explained by the microcrack fabrics which was not considered in the computations. All samples show a deterioration due to thermal treatment regardless of the strength of texture. The directional dependence of (a) the total magnitude of the thermal dilatation coefficient and (b) of the residual strain is highest in marbles with a strong texture, whereas the Carrara marble with a weak texture exhibits a uniform crack formation. The progressive loss of cohesion along grain boundaries due to dilatancy may serve as an example for the initial stage of physical weathering. Received: 10 February 1999 / Accepted: 16 October 1999     

Circular polarization by scattering from spheroidal dust grains

Large degrees of circular polarization at near-infrared wavelengths have been reported in the OMC1 star-forming region. This discovery, in combination with compelling evidence for the existence of non-spherical aligned grains in star formation regions, has prompted us to investigate scattering from spheroidal particles as a possible mechanism for the production of large circular polarization in reflection nebulae. We use a dipole calculation to model the small particle limit and a T -matrix code to treat arbitrarily sized particles. We find that size distributions of perfectly aligned spheroids, with only modest 2:1 axis ratios, are capable of producing circular polarization of up to 50 per cent when scattering unpolarized incident light. This is the case even for dielectric materials, such as 'astronomical silicate', as long as sufficient large particles are included in the size distribution. We consider the effects of particle alignment and find that spinning oblate spheroids should be much more efficient circular polarizers than equivalent prolate spheroids.     

Large-scale structure of galaxies in the Ophiuchus region

The large-scale structure around the Ophiuchus cluster of galaxies in the vicinity of the Galactic Centre ( l =05, b =95, cz =8500 km s⁻¹) is investigated on the basis of a galaxy survey and spectroscopic observations made for a 12°×17° area. The galaxy survey was performed using six ESO/SERC Sky Survey Atlas films, and 4021 galaxies were detected in total. Recession velocities were newly obtained for 179 galaxies to make the total number of galaxies in the survey area with known velocities 219.
In the distribution of bright galaxies, we identified seven new clumps of galaxies. Comparing the surface number density of bright galaxies with the Galactic extinction, which is estimated from the 100‐μm flux density in the IRAS Sky Survey Atlas, we demonstrate that the seven clumps are not spurious as a result of the inhomogeneity of the Galactic extinction. Among the seven clumps, two are found to be clusters and four to be groups on the basis of the histogram of recession velocities and the number of member galaxies. The Ophiuchus cluster, two newly identified clusters, and four groups are all concentrated at 9000 km s⁻¹. Field galaxies are also distributed centred at 8500 km s⁻¹. Hence field galaxies occupy a common three-dimensional region with galaxies in the clusters and groups, and altogether they form a large-scale structure of supercluster size. As opposed to the overdensity in the supercluster region, the mean number density of galaxies in the velocity range 0–5000 km s⁻¹ is only 25 per cent of the mean number density of the Universe, comparable with the density of the well-known Böotes void. Hence this nearby three-dimensional region in Ophiuchus is a void of galaxies also.     

A discussion on the mass loss formulae for OH/IR stars

It is found that the mass loss rate derived from S₂₅/S₁₂ is generally greater than that from the OH flux. This suggests an increasing loss rate with time. It is found that the gas-to-dust ratio decreases during the evolution Of OH/IR stars. An empirical relation between the gas-to-dust ratio and the dust mass loss rate is derived, leading to a formula for calculating the total mass loss rate directly from the IRAS 60 μm flux. OH/IR stars with silicate emission have a larger range of mass loss ratio, from 10⁻⁷ to 10⁻⁵ M/yr; those with silicate absorption, a smaller range between 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻⁴ M/yr. So a large increase in the mass loss rate takes place during the emission phase.     

基于FY-4A卫星遥感数据分析2021年3次沙尘暴特征

FY 4A上搭载的多通道扫描成像辐射计（AGRI）无论是时间分辨率还是空间分辨率与我国第一代静止气象卫星风云二号上搭载的扫描辐射计（VISSR）相比都有了明显的改进。本文基于FY 4A AGRI成像仪IDDI(红外差值沙尘指数)和新的昼夜沙尘遥感改进算法开展2021年中国北方沙尘过程连续遥感监测处理,并系统分析了2021年3个典型个例的沙尘暴特征和影响区域。结果表明：① 3次典型沙尘过程对我国北方各省份的影响面积总计最低达到260万km2以上,最高达到300万km2以上,4月14—17日的沙尘暴影响面积最大。②2021年沙尘高发区在新疆南部、甘肃河西走廊以北以及内蒙古西部。与2019、2020年同期相比,2021年我国北方沙尘发生频次更高、影响范围更大。③新一代FY 4A静止卫星对我国沙尘过程年际变化具备更加完整的监测能力。     

北京一次连续重污染过程的气象条件分析

2006年4月7—10日北京出现空气质量持续重污染,对当地生产和生活带来较大影响。从天气形势、气象要素、流场、大气稳定度等方面分析了这次重污染的形成及维持原因。结果表明,此次连续重污染过程是一次沙尘过程先后两次影响北京所造成。第一次为内蒙沙源地沙尘随西北气流南下影响北京的典型沙尘污染过程;第二次是移至下游的沙尘在“回流”天气形势下沿偏东风返回北京所造成,较为少见。这次重污染是混合型的,是沙尘和静稳气象条件共同作用的结果。     

拉萨一次浮尘天气过程分析

2007年1月15—17日拉萨地区出现了一次浮尘天气,造成空气质量污染,能见度下降;拉萨地区的生产、生活及交通运输受到了较大影响。应用欧洲中心客观分析场资料和逐日观测资料,主要从天气形势和气候特征分析了拉萨浮尘天气形成的原因和空气污染的局地气象条件。结果表明,由于冷暖空气在高原地区对峙,温度梯度和锋区加强;以及200hPa高空西风急流的影响,引发西藏地区大风,使干燥、疏松的地表形成扬沙、沙尘暴,大量的细小沙尘粒子随高空偏西气流携带至拉萨。加之拉萨本地低空处于弱辐合区,大气层结稳定,风速较小或静风,导致了拉萨浮尘天气形成。最后,给出了拉萨浮尘天气预报的思路,为拉萨浮尘天气的准确预报提供了一些参考信息。     

基于小波分解的沙尘天气发生日数预测组合模型研究——以2008—2016年策勒沙漠绿洲过渡带沙尘天气发生时序为例

新疆南疆地区是扬沙浮尘的主要高发区,风沙对当地生产生活影响严重。为揭示当地风沙天气变化特征并预测未来变化趋势,通过小波分解方法,将塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘的策勒沙漠 绿洲过渡带2008—2016年沙尘天气发生时序分解为平稳性波动项和非线性趋势项,根据两项数据的特性,针对性选取自回归(AR)模型和最小二乘支持向量机(LSSVM)进行变化趋势预测,最后利用加法原则重构实现沙尘天气发生日数时序预测。结果表明：研究区沙尘天气发生属于典型的春夏型,主要集中在3—9月,峰值出现在5月。组合模型预测值与实测值基本吻合,具有较高的预测精度（绝对误差为4.00 d, 均方根误差为3.76 d）,同时,其结果与AR模型、LSSVM模型预测结果相比较也显示出一定的优越性（组合模型相关系数相比AR、LSSVM分别提高了0.12、0.31）,具有较好的应用前景,可为研究区预防风沙灾害及指导实际生产生活提供科学依据。     

2006年两次影响北京的沙尘天气对比分析

利用卫星、再分析(NECP)、地面观测等多种资料,针对2006年3和4月影响北京的两次沙尘天气过程,就天气过程形势、云系演变以及沙尘传播和沉降进行分析.前者对北京上空的沙尘天气一扫而过,后者对北京的影响则是遍地黄沙.对比分析表明:1)强沙尘天气过程是蒙古气旋所引起的,沙尘天气起源于中蒙边境、内蒙古西部,在河套地区北部鄂尔多斯高原以及浑善达克沙地得到加强,并随着高空西北风将沙尘输送到华北、渤海、黄海北部一带.卫星遥感监测技术不仅可以有效地监测到沙尘天气的发展演变过程,也能有效地监测到沙尘的覆盖范围和沉降区;2)导致4月16～17日华北东部严重沙尘沉降现象的原因是地面冷锋静止于华北中部地区,距地面1 km以上的浮尘层稳定覆盖华北东部和渤海等广大区域的主要原因,是边界层中尺度涡旋对低空冷锋的阻挡作用;冷锋云系在东移发展过程中,受到日本海上空涡旋云系的顶推阻碍,其结构发生变型瓦解.     

2000年4月5～7日浑善达克沙地沙尘暴天气过程分析

利用内蒙古浑善达克沙地11个代表站的观测资料以及NCEP再分析资料，对2000年4月5－7日发生在我国华北地区的扬沙、沙尘暴天气过程进行 气象要素分析、环流特征分析以及物理量诊断分析，力图为今后沙尘暴的预报研究提供一定的科学依据。