Adventures in Data Analysis: The TAO Array and the 1997–1998 El Ni?o

Traditional undergraduate education in earth sciences does not emphasize data acquisition, analysis, or assessment. However, arrival of the information age dictates that earth sciences graduates be imbued with fundamental skills to organize, evaluate and process large data sets. Fortunately, the proliferation of remotely sensed data and its availability via the Internet provides many opportunities for earth science educators to meet these needs. Exercises to introduce students to data analysis have been designed utilizing data from the Tropical Atmosphere–Ocean (TAO) Array and the 1997–1998 El Niño episode in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The TAO Array is a grid of 69 buoys moored across the equatorial Pacific Ocean (8°N to 8°S and 95°W to 143°E) recording environmental data relevant to El Niño—Southern Oscillation (ENSO) processes. Data from the TAO Array is available in near-real-time (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/realtime.html) or as archived ASCII files (http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/data-delivery.html) providing daily (sometimes hourly) records of environmental parameters for each buoy in the grid. Student exercises in data analysis begin with downloading data from buoy locations, parsing the data into spreadsheets, and organizing data by environmental parameter into yearly and monthly data sets. Analyses of reconstructed data include calculations of long-term averages of environmental parameters, seasonal climatologies, monthly climatologies and calculation of long-term, seasonal, and monthly anomalies. Finally, monthly anomaly maps produced by students are loaded sequentially into GIF-animation software to create time-series images illustrating the progress and development of the 1997–1998 El Niño event.     

新疆古生代陆相火山-次火山岩型金矿成矿规律分析

新疆古生代陆相火山岩型金矿主要矿床式有阿希式,分布于西天山博罗科努西段,形成于晚泥盆世;石英滩式分布于东天山觉罗塔格,形成于早二叠世;马庄山式分布于塔里木板块北缘,形成于晚石炭世.通过成矿条件、成矿作用及矿床成因分析表明,上述金矿的成矿时代与含矿建造近于同时或略晚,属于陆相火山-次火山岩准同生Au-Ag成矿系列类型.     

滑体段采用m法模型的抗滑桩计算方法

在目前的抗滑桩设计计算方法中,多将抗滑桩与滑体间的作用力简化为已知荷载,而忽略了该力与桩位移直接相关的特点。对目前的计算模型进行了改进,采用m法模型模拟桩前滑体对桩的抗力,并分别对桩在滑面以上、以下的部分建立计算方程,应用幂级数法解得其位移及内力的表达式,再利用桩的上、下段在滑面处的变形协调条件,求得该截面的弯矩和剪力,最终得到整个桩的变形和内力以及桩、土之间的作用力。最后,分别应用该方法和有限元法对一算例进行计算,其结果吻合很好,证明了该方法的正确性。     

Statistical analyses of Global U-Pb Database 2017

The method of obtaining zircon samples affects estimation of the global U-Pb age distribution.Researchers typically collect zircons via convenience sampling and cluster sampling.When using these techniques,weight adjustments proportional to the areas of the sampled regions improve upon unweighted estimates.Here,grid-area and modern sediment methods are used to weight the samples from a new database of 418,967 U-Pb ages.Preliminary tests involve two age models.Model-1 uses the most precise U-Pb ages as the best ages.Model-2 uses the~(206)Pb/~(238)U age as the best age if it is less than a1000 Ma cutoff,otherwise it uses the~(207)Pb/~(206)Pb age as the best age.A correlation analysis between the Model-1 and Model-2 ages indicates nearly identical distributions for both models.However,after applying acceptance criteria to include only the most precise analyses with minimal discordance,a histogram of the rejected samples shows excessive rejection of the Model-2 analyses around the1000 Ma cutoff point.Because of the excessive rejection rate for Model-2,we select Model-1 as the preferred model.After eliminating all rejected samples,the remaining analyses use only Model-1 ages for five rock-type subsets of the database:igneous,meta-igneous,sedimentary,meta-sedimentary,and modern sediments.Next,time-series plots,cross-correlation analyses,and spectral analyses determine the degree of alignment among the time-series and their periodicity.For all rock types,the U-Pb age distributions are similar for ages older than 500 Ma,but align poorly for ages younger than 500 Ma.The similarities(500 Ma)and differences(500 Ma)highlight how reductionism from a detailed database enhances understanding of time-dependent sequences,such as erosion,detrital transport mechanisms,lithification,and metamorphism.Time-series analyses and spectral analyses of the age distributions predominantly indicate a synchronous period-tripling sequence of~91-Myr,~273-Myr,and~819-Myr among the various rock types.     

青海玉树断裂带地震落石的地震地质意义

2010年青海玉树Ms 7.1级大地震引发了一系列次生地质灾害,其中地震落石是除地震滑坡外沿断裂带及其邻侧最常见的现象。对玉树震区落石的调查发现,该区多处存在非常典型的多期地震落石分布现象,指示该区地震落石的发育与其他古地震现象类似,具有多期性和一定的原地复发性。实地调查表明,该区地震落石分布的主要特征为:多集中发育在活动断裂带附近的陡峭基岩斜坡下方,分布零散,且滚动较远,并常与古地震滑坡相伴生。初步获得的8个地震落石钙膜U系测年结果分布在距今6030±300a BP、4720±210a BP、3530±490~3560±280a BP、2010±160a BP、1090±70a BP、760±20a BP和230±20a BP年龄段,与该区古地震探槽和滑坡反映的地震事件比较吻合,进一步揭示玉树断裂带附近在全新世中晚期发生过多期可导致地表产生地震落石的事件。同时也说明,地震落石及其钙膜测年是特别值得进一步探索的潜在古地震研究方法或途径。     

The Eltanin asteroid impact: possible South Pacific palaeomegatsunami footprint and potential implications for the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition

Large asteroid impacts are rare, and those into the deep ocean are rarer still. The Eltanin asteroid impact around 2.51 ± 0.07 Ma occurred at a time of great climatic and geological change associated with the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary. Numerical models of the event indicate that a megatsunami was generated, although there is debate concerning its magnitude and the region‐wide extent of its influence. We summarise the existing evidence for possible Eltanin megatsunami deposits in Antarctica, Chile and New Zealand, while also examining other potential sites from several locations, mainly around the South Pacific region. In reviewing these data we note that these events were unfolding at the same time as those associated with the Pliocene–Pleistocene boundary and, as such, most of the geological evidence from that time has a climatic interpretation. The potential climatic and geological ramifications of the Eltanin asteroid impact, however, have failed to be considered by most researchers studying this time period. Although we are not advocating that all geological activity at that time is connected with the Eltanin asteroid impact, it raises interesting questions about the role potentially played by such catastrophic events in contributing to or even triggering epochal transitions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Screening the current soil drainage class map of Flanders (Belgium) for its predictive quality

The predictive quality of the current drainage class map of Flanders was evaluated using data from two monitoring networks: one with good spatial coverage but poor temporal coverage and another with better temporal but poor spatial coverage. We combine both networks to obtain 1678 point predictions for mean highest water (MHW) and mean lowest water (MLW) tables by applying time series modelling and total least squares regression. The resulting MHW and MLW point data set was used to evaluate the currency of the existing map and to identify regional differences. The quality of the current map is moderate, and large differences occur between regions. Especially the Campine region shows large and systematic differences, whereas the southeastern hills and chalk–loam region is relatively accurate. If more weight is given to errors in the wetter drainage classes, about 50% of the area of Flanders would benefit from remapping. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved spatial delineation of streambed properties and water fluxes using distributed temperature sensing

A new method was developed for analysing and delineating streambed water fluxes, flow conditions and hydraulic properties using coiled fibre‐optic distributed temperature sensing or closely spaced discrete temperature sensors. This method allows for a thorough treatment of the spatial information embedded in temperature data by creating a matrix visualization of all possible sensor pairs. Application of the method to a 5‐day field dataset reveals the complexity of shallow streambed thermal regimes. To understand how velocity estimates are affected by violations of assumptions of one‐dimensional, saturated, homogeneous flow and to aid in the interpretation of field observations, the method was also applied to temperature data generated by numerical models of common field conditions: horizontal layering, presence of lateral flow and variable streambed saturation. The results show that each condition creates a distinct signature visible in the triangular matrices. The matrices are used to perform a comparison of the behaviour of one‐dimensional analytical heat‐tracing models. The results show that the amplitude ratio‐based method of velocity calculation leads to the most reliable estimates. The minimum sensor spacing required to obtain reliable velocity estimates with discrete sensors is also investigated using field data. The developed method will aid future heat‐tracing studies by providing a technique for visualizing and comparing results from fibre‐optic distributed temperature sensing installations and testing the robustness of analytical heat‐tracing models. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time series analysis for evaluating hydrological responses of pore-water pressure to rainfall in a slope

Characterization of pore-water pressure at the soil–atmosphere interface is a major requirement in relation to slope instability. A rain-gauge and five piezometers (BH1–BH5) were installed on a slope located in a Korean military base. The upper slope (BH4, BH5) was covered with plastic sheets to prevent rainwater from percolating into the slope due to safety issues. Rainfall is matched by prompt changes in the pore-water pressure except at BH5. Due to the plastic cover, the pore water does not show any significant change in the early period by evapotranspiration. From correlation analysis, two wells (BH3, BH5) have longer memory effects due to matrix flow of past precipitation. Two principal components show hydrological responses of pore water to rainfall during intense rainfall, but PC2 does not indicate any important changes in low or no rainfall. This study suggests that correlation analysis with PCA can be a valuable tool for interpreting datasets consisting only of pore-water pressure.