Paleoecological analysis of molluscan assemblages in two marl deposits in Waterloo Region, southwestern Ontario, Canada

Mollusc assemblages were studied in two marl deposits at Kitchener and Cambridge, in southwestern Ontario. Lacking datable terrestrial plant material, a chronology was determined by pollen analysis. Similarities in mollusc assemblages and changes allowed five equivalent mollusc assemblage zones to be identified in the two deposits, spanning approximately 12 to 7 ka. In total, 34 mollusc taxa were identified, with 19 common to both sites. Overall, the most abundant taxa were Valvata spp., Gyraulus parvus, Pisidium casertanum, and P. ferrugineum. Terrestrial molluscs (four taxa) were rare. Overall, cool, shallow water with abundant vegetation and quiet conditions were indicated. At around 9 ka, a marked decrease in mollusc abundance and diversity, but relatively stable percentages, is noted at both sites. We speculate this was caused by an increase in sedimentation rate, perhaps caused by a brief warming.Inconsistencies in assemblages at marl sites may be partly attributable to sampling, but a chance factor in dispersal is also suggested. A minimum of two sampling sites at a given sedimentation basin, nearshore and mid-basin, are recommended to maximize assessment of assemblages. More detailed data from living molluscs are needed to enhance paleoenvironmental interpretations.     

中国西北地区蒸发散量计算的遥感研究

自然陆面区域蒸发散的教育处是一个复杂的问题，在利用遥感资料求取地表特征参数的基础上，首先建立了2种极端条件下（裸露地表和全植被覆盖）的裸土蒸发和全植被覆盖蒸散计算模型，然后结合植被覆盖度给出非均匀陆面条件下的区域蒸发散计算方法，实测资料验算表明该模型具有较高的计算精度，最后利用该模型对我国西北5省区的蒸发散量进行了计算，并对该研究区蒸发散的特点进行了分析。     

西北地区城市规模分形结构的研究

本文利用分形理论和相空间概念，从理论的角度演绎推导出城市规模分形结构的一般模式，并以此为基础，结合西北地区自然，经济，社会状况，对五省萄城市规模分形结构进行初步分析，为深入研究其城市体系，制定城市，区域发展战略提供一定的参考。     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TROPICAL PACIFIC SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SUMMER RAINFALL OVER NORTHWEST CHINA

In this paper,the data of summer precipitation in Northwest China were expanded by means of EOF.According tomajor eigenvectors in expansion the area of Northwest China was divided into four natural rainfall regions.Amongthem the region of greatest precipitation variability is found over the East Qinghai-North Shaanxi region,includingEast Qinghai,Central and East Gansu,Ningxia and North Shaanxi.There is apparent teleconnection between the firstand second time-dependent coefficients in EOF expansion and the tropical Pacific SST in the corresponding period andearlier months.The variation of the east tropical Pacific SST in winter and spring is able to predict precipitation trend ofNorthwest China next summer.Moreover,in the El Nino years precipitation trend is opposite to the following year,andthe region from East Qinghai to North Shaanxi is most sensitive.     

A densely feathered ornithomimid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation,Alberta, Canada

A recently discovered articulated partial skeleton of Ornithomimus from the Upper Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada is remarkable in the extent and quality of preservation of integumentary structures including feathers. It is the first ornithomimid to preserve a tail bearing extensive plumaceous feathers that are slightly more elongate in comparison to those present on the remainder of the body. However, the underside of the tail and the hind limb distal to the middle of the femur appear devoid of plumage. Overall, the plumage pattern in Ornithomimus is similar to that of Struthio camelus (ostrich) and other large palaeognaths, indicating a probable function in thermoregulation. The specimen also preserves the body outline around the legs, including a skin contour anterior to the femur, analogous to skin webs in extant birds. Whereas the knee web of birds bridges the knee to the abdomen, in Ornithomimus it spans from the mid-femoral shaft to the abdomen, and is herein referred to as an anterior femoral web. This is the first report of such soft tissue structures in non-avian theropods. It may indicate that the resting position of the femur was positioned more anteroventrally in ornithomimids than in most theropods, and in that sense may have been transitional to the situation in modern birds.     

固结钻井液对湘西北页岩气储层的护壁机理研究

文中提出了一种液态离子固结剂,该处理剂能够有效提高页岩气井井壁的力学强度。通过开展室内实验以及进行相关分析,初步了解了添加液态离子固结剂的钻井液的基本性能,并探究了该体系钻井液对炭质页岩膨胀的抑制性以及对炭质页岩力学强度的影响。发现钻井液滤失量随液态离子固结剂含量的增加先减小后增大;在各配方钻井液中的压制岩心膨胀率明显低于在清水中的,但液态离子固结剂含量增加使得钻井液中的压制岩心膨胀率越来越高;各钻井液处理的岩粉所制成的剪切试样抗剪强度高于经清水处理的,随着液态离子固结剂含量的增加,试样抗剪强度总体上先升高再下降,且试样单轴抗压强度增大。实验结果表明,在适宜的含量范围内,液态离子固结剂有助于增强钻井液维护井壁稳定的能力。     

Modeling the Invasion of Holly (Ilex aquifolium): Spatial Relationships and Spread Trajectories

In this study, we investigated the environmental factors associated with the establishment of invasive English holly (Ilex aquifolium) and the spatiotemporal trajectories of its potential spread. We collected georeferenced presence and absence and demographic data of holly between 2011 and 2014 in Saint Edward State Park, Washington. We analyzed them through a spatially explicit framework that combines multiple logistic regression, cellular automata, and bivariate quadratic modeling. Results showed that the presence of holly is influenced by the proximity to evergreen coniferous vegetation and forest edge, distance to streams, forest structure, and slope direction. Our study confirmed that local environmental conditions, species characteristics, and vegetative and dispersal mechanisms play a significant role in determining the rate and success of holly establishment across the different phases of invasion. Invasive species management plans should consider both species characteristics and their habitat and the interactions among them when planning long-term strategies for control and eradication.     

Coccolithophore responses to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation in the East China Sea region of the Northwest Pacific from ad 1901 to 2013

A high‐resolution study of coccolithophores in a sediment core from the East China Sea (ECS) region of the Northwest Pacific revealed that fluctuations in coccolithophore assemblages responded well to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) during 1901–2013. Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica were the most dominant species, accounting for more than 97% of all the ten detected species. The variation of the two dominant species showed a significant positive correlation, and they both increased during peak values of the PDO. Decreased stratification and increased nutrient supplementation from the bottom water induced by lower sea surface temperatures in the ECS, which were associated with high PDO values, were responsible for the dominant coccolithophore increase. Similarly, the increase of Calcidiscus leptoporus also corresponded to low‐temperature and high‐nutrient conditions associated with the cold phase in the ECS (positive phase of the PDO). The responses of decadal C. leptoporus variations to changes in cold and warm phases of the PDO in the Northwest and Northeast Pacific indicate that C. leptoporus preserved in sediment cores represents a potential indicator for reconstructing phase changes of the PDO during ancient times.     

An Assessment of Surface and Atmospheric Conditions Associated with the Extreme 2014 Wildfire Season in Canada’s Northwest Territories

Weather and climate are major factors influencing worldwide wildfire activity. This study assesses surface and atmospheric conditions associated with the 2014 extreme wildfires in the Northwest Territories (NWT) of Canada. Hot and dry conditions led to the NWT experiencing the most severe wildfire season in its recorded history. The season included a record number of cloud-to-ground lightning flashes and set a record for area burned. Lightning was the dominant ignition source and accounted for about 95% of the wildfires. Prolonged periods of smoke led to dramatic reductions in visibility, frequent road closures, and reduced air quality resulting in numerous health alerts. Temporal and spatial patterns of lightning characteristics in 2014, derived from Canadian Lightning Detection Network data, were different from those in other years with, for example, far more positive flashes from 0600 to 1200?utc (midnight to 6:00 am local time). The highest fraction of positive cloud-to-ground flashes (43.1%) occurred in the smoke-dominated North Slave region, which was more than in the Dehcho, South Slave, or Sahtu regions. Mid-tropospheric atmospheric circulation over a large region that included the NWT was classified into the six most common summer patterns. Results showed that ridging and ridge displacements occurred more frequently during 2014 although lightning was associated with all circulation patterns. This study has advanced the understanding of the roles of weather, lightning, and mid-tropospheric circulation patterns associated with extreme wildfires in northwestern Canada.     

近半个世纪中国西北干湿演变及持续性特征分析

 利用1960-2007年中国西北地区248个气象台站的逐日降水、温度资料,通过降水和潜在蒸发均一化干湿指数,从年际演变、季节内变化以及持续性特征等方面较系统地揭示了近半个世纪来西北地区的区域性干湿演变事实,结果表明:在温度与降水双重因子驱动下西北地区的干湿演变特征同降水单一要素驱动下的干旱特征存在明显的差异,说明气候变暖对西北干旱化趋势的贡献程度比较显著;自20世纪90年代后期以来,西北各分区每年异常干旱月份发生概率呈增多趋势,而异常湿润月份发生概率除了北疆地区外,其它分区近10 a异常偏少,这种现象在西北东南部表现得尤为突出。从四季干湿变化来看,冬季表现为湿润化趋势,而春、夏、秋三季呈现出了干旱化趋势。另外西北东南部、青海高原东侧以及南疆地区自20世纪90年代以来,很少出现过持续性湿润事件,而持续性干旱事件却明显多于90年代以前,而且持续性干旱的最长持续时间长,强度大,北疆地区和青海高原48 a来持续性干湿事件发生频次、强度以及持续时间没有明显的趋势变化,而青海高原地区相比其它区域持续性干湿事件偏少,强度偏弱,最长持续时间也偏短。