The climate-population nexus in the East African Horn: Emerging degradation trends in rangeland and pastoral livelihood zones

Increasing climate variability and extreme weather conditions along with declining trends in both rainfall and temperature represent major risk factors affecting agricultural production and food security in many regions of the world. The rangelands of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in the East African Horn remain one of the world's most food insecure regions, yet have substantially increasing human populations predominantly dependent on pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods. We identify regions where substantial rainfall decrease between two periods interrupted by the 1998 El Nino event (1981–2012) in the East African Horn is coupled with human population density increases. Vegetation in this region is characterized by a variable mosaic of land covers, generally dominated by grasslands necessary for agro-pastoralism, interspersed by woody vegetation. Recent assessments indicate that vegetation degradation is occurring, adversely impacting fragile ecosystems and human livelihoods. Using AVHRR and MODIS vegetation products from 1981 to 2012, we observe changes in vegetation patterns and productivity over the last decade across the East African Horn. We observe vegetation browning trends in areas experiencing reduced main-growing season precipitation; these areas are also concurrently experiencing increasing population pressures. We also found that the drying precipitation patterns only partially statistically explain the vegetation browning trends, indicating that other factors such as population pressures and land use changes might be responsible for the observed declining vegetation condition. Furthermore, we show that the general vegetation browning trends persist even during years with normal rainfall conditions such as 2012, pointing to potential long-term degradation of rangelands on which approximately 10 million people depend. These findings may have implications for current and future regional food security monitoring and forecasting as well as for mitigation and adaptation strategies in a region where population is expected to continue increasing against a backdrop of drying climate trends and increased climatic variability.     

变质岩的变质序列分析──以辽河群为例

通过对辽河群岩石中主要变质矿物的观察和研究，以岩石的变形历史作为变质结晶作用的相对时标，确定了矿物生长的时序特征及其演化过程。发现变质与变形既是有密切联系的又是各自独立的地质作用，辽河期的变形作用存在明显的３个变形幕，而辽河期的变质作用是个连续的完整的过程，无明显的热波动。变质作用高峰和变形作用高峰存在时间差。     

大青山地区金地球化学特征

大青山地区出露地层主要是侏罗系中统兰旗组安山岩、安山质角砾熔岩、凝灰岩等;侵入岩为晚侏罗世二长花岗岩;断裂发育,岩石蚀变强烈。金地球化学特征表明,金主要富集在侏罗系中统兰旗组火山岩中。金的原生晕、次生晕异常特征和分布表明,破碎蚀变岩带就是金矿化蚀变带。通过野外地质调查已在三道盘—马家窝铺的安山岩和二长花岗岩中发现了5条金矿化带和29条金银矿脉。实践证明,在大青山地区进行金矿普查运用地球化学方法是有效的。     

建平地区太古宙变质杂岩构造变形及演化特征

建平地区太古宙变质岩石发育,地质构造复杂。近年研究表明:区内太古宙变质杂岩是由多期变质、变形的中酸性深成侵入岩和少量上壳岩组成,可划分出变质上壳岩组合、叶柏寿片麻岩、斜长片麻岩和二长片麻岩4个岩石单位。本文主要对区内太古宙变质杂岩的构造变形及构造演化进行讨论,初步确定了早期韧性变形阶段(鞍山期划分4个变形幕)和晚期脆性变形阶段(印支—燕山期)。构造层次由早期深部层次向晚期浅层演化;其变形由流动机制—压扁机制—弯曲机制—韧性剪切机制到剪切破裂机制的演化。     

Macrofaunal involvement in the sublittoral decay of kelp debris: the detritivore community and species interactions

The fauna associated with sea-bed accumulations of decomposing Laminaria saccharina has been studied by year-round SCUBA diving at two sites in the Clyde Sea area. Seasonal changes in density of 64 species are reported. In the autumn, large quantities of kelp are detached by storms. This weed carries with it to the sea bed a large part of its normal fauna. Additional species settle onto the weed from the plankton whilst others migrate onto it from the surrounding sea bed. Peak densities of associated species were recorded in autumn. Litter bag experiments in situ showed that, except during the summer, weed is lost from sea-bed accumulations at a faster rate when macrofaunal animals are excluded. The macrofauna therefore inhibits decomposition. The relative importance of interactive cropping by three macrodetritivores, Psammechinus miliaris (Echinodermata), Platynereis dumerilii (Polychaeta) and Gammarus locusta (Amphipoda) was studied by in situ containment of different species combinations. The presence of Gammarus with Psammechinus resulted in less weed being lost than when Psammechinus was isolated. This is because Gammarus selectively crops rotting weed, retarding frond disintegration by microbes. Platynereis retards microbial colonization of frond tissues ruptured during its feeding by repeated cropping of the same region. Weed would decompose very rapidly were it not for macrofaunal cropping. Macroalgal decay thus differs profoundly from that of vascular plants.     

Pyroclastic Flow Hazard at Volcán Citlaltépetl

Volcán Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) with an elevation of 5,675 m is the highest volcano in North America. Its most recent catastrophic events involved the production of pyroclastic flows that erupted approximately 4,000, 8,500, and 13,000 years ago. The distribution of mapped deposits from these eruptions gives an approximate guide to the extent of products from potential future eruptions. Because the topography of this volcano is constantly changing computer simulations were made on the present topography using three computer algorithms: energy cone, FLOW2D, and FLOW3D. The Heim Coefficient (), used as a code parameter for frictional sliding in all our algorithms, is the ratio of the assumed drop in elevation (H) divided by the lateral extent of the mapped deposits (L). The viscosity parameter for the FLOW2D and FLOW3D codes was adjusted so that the paths of the flows mimicked those inferred from the mapped deposits. We modeled two categories of pyroclastic flows modeled for the level I and level II events. Level I pyroclastic flows correspond to small but more frequent block-and-ash flows that remain on the main cone. Level II flows correspond to more widespread flows from catastrophic eruptions with an approximate 4,000-year repose period. We developed hazard maps from simulations based on a National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) DTED-1 DEM with a 90 m grid and a vertical accuracy of ±30 m. Because realistic visualization is an important aid to understanding the risks related to volcanic hazards we present the DEM as modeled by FLOW3D. The model shows that the pyroclastic flows extend for much greater distances to the east of the volcano summit where the topographic relief is nearly 4,300 m. This study was used to plot hazard zones for pyroclastic flows in the official hazard map that was published recently.     

Using the geologic setting of talc deposits as an indicator of amphibole asbestos content

This study examined commercial talc deposits in the U.S. and their amphibole-asbestos content. The study found that the talc-forming environment directly influenced the amphibole and amphibole-asbestos content of the talc deposit. Large talc districts in the U.S. have mined hydrothermal talcs that replaced dolostone. Hydrothermal talcs, created by siliceous fluids heated by magmas at depth, consistently lack amphiboles as accessory minerals. In contrast, mineable talc deposits that formed by contact or regional metamorphism consistently contain amphiboles, locally as asbestiform varieties. Examples of contact metamorphic deposits occur in Death Valley, California; these talc-tremolite deposits contain accessory amphibole-asbestos. Talc bodies formed by regional metamorphism always contain amphiboles, which display a variety of compositions and habits, including asbestiform. Some industrial mineral deposits are under scrutiny as potential sources of accessory asbestos minerals. Recognizing consistent relations between the talc-forming environment and amphibole-asbestos content may be used in prioritizing remediation or monitoring of abandoned and active talc mines.     

植被发育斜坡非饱和带大孔隙

在气候温湿的滑坡灾害易发区,根系通道、动物通道、干裂缝、管道及团聚体间的结构性孔隙等大孔隙普遍存在于斜坡非饱和带中.采用微观观察、化学分析和现场试验方法并结合相关学科的研究成果,分析大孔隙界定、大孔隙类型和主控因素、大孔隙三维空间结构及大孔隙时效稳定.不同测量方法的差异和大孔隙密度时空变异性是目前大孔隙定义缺乏统一性的原因.大孔隙尺寸不能作为唯一标准界定大孔隙,必须考虑其三维几何形态.多因素控制大孔隙的成因和类型,其中根系通道、裂缝和结构性孔隙对优先流有显著贡献.需从三维几何学和拓扑学方面进一步研究大孔隙三维结构.枯枝落叶层是大孔隙抵御环境因素扰动的重要屏障,但大孔隙域与周围基质域水量交换对大孔隙时效稳定是不利的.深入研究以上问题对植被发育斜坡优先流模型的改进和发展是重要的.