Preliminary results of measuring the crustal deformation in Qinghai-Xizang area using GPS technique

GPS repetition measurement tbta in Qinghai-Xizatlg (Tibetan) area in 1992 and 1994 have been used to determine the change rates of seven bascline vectors of Lhasa-Wenquan, etc. It is the first time to obtain the direct observation results of the large-scale crustal horizontal motions in this area. Thesc preliminary results also for the first time provide the direct observation evidence for some important geophysical and geological viewpoints, such as the northward gradual reduce of the effect of the northward push-pressing to Eurasian continent by Indian Plate in the Qinghai-Xizang area, having a southward strike slip movement of the Chuan-Dian diamond block, etc.     

Paleoclimatic significance of grain size of loess-palaeosol deposit in Chinese Loess Plateau

Particle size analysis for samples from three last glacial cycle loess-palaeosol profiles along a northwestsoutheast transection on the Chinese Loess Plateau has been carried out. The paleoclimatic significance of grain size indices has been obtained by analyzing the fraction content variations and their comparisons with global ice volume and solar radiation variations. The results show that (i) paleoclimatic significance of the grain size indices of loess-palaeosol deposit is different with grain size fraction content and sampling points in Chinese Loess Plateau; (ii) the sub-coarse grain fraction is a good proxy index of East Asia winter monsoon strength and therefore can be used to detect the global climate changes; (iii) the content of sub-fine and fine grain fractions is influenced by both the input of sub-coarse grain fraction and pedogenesis; (iv) the sub-coarse fraction exhibits a negative relationship with the sub-fine and fine fractlon. Project supported by the 9.5 major project of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the open grant of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Last Glacial snowlines in the Tibetan Plateau: an argument against an extensive coalescing icesheet

Two opposing theories are circulating with regard to the extent of the Last Glacial ice cover in the Tibetan Plateau. One says that only less than 20% of plateau was covered with ice, and another insists that the plateau be completely covered with an extensive coalescing icesheet. The extent of the ice cover is thought to be significant in shaping global climatic systems, and a further discussion on this issue may help to understand the earth's surface feedback mechanisms to the global climates. This paper focuses on the Last Glacial snowline reconstruction and uses the reconstructed snowline to argue against the existence of an extensive coalescing icesheet. The reconstructed Last Glacial snowlines suggest that the snowlines dropped 500–700 m in the western and northern marginal mountains and about 1000 m in the southern and eastern marginal mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. However, the magnitude of the snowline dropping decreases dramatically towards the interior of the plateau, from 300–400 m in those mountains adjacent to the marginal mountains to about 100 m in the driest area in the interior. This means that the snowlines were too high and associated glaciers were too limited to extend to the vast intermountainous basins. To be blamed are weakened summer monsoons and lowered condensation elevations, both of which were probably responsible for not bringing in an adequate amount of precipitation into the interior for developing an extensive coalescing icesheet. The relatively high radiation in these relatively low latitudes could be a major negative force to prevent the snow and ice from forming a coalescing icesheet. In contrast, the enhanced plateau blockade to the monsoons may have helped to significantly lower the snowlines and expand the glaciers in the outer slopes of the southern and eastern marginal mountains. The westerlies may have greatly helped those glaciers in the western and northern marginal mountains. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rhyolitic fallout and pyroclastic density current deposits from a phreatoplinian eruption in the eastern Aegean Sea, Greece

The Kos Plateau Tuff consists of pyroclastic deposits from a major Quaternary explosive rhyolitic eruption, centred about 10 km south of the island of Kos in the eastern Aegean, Greece. Five main units are present, the first two (units A and B) were the product of a phreatoplinian eruption. The eruption style then changed to `dry' explosive style as the eruption intensity increased forming a sequence of ignimbrites and initiating caldera collapse. The final waning phase returned to phreatomagmatic eruptive conditions (unit F). The phreatomagmatic units are fine grained, poorly sorted, and dominated by blocky vitric ash, thickly ash-coated lapilli and accretionary lapilli. They are non-welded and were probably deposited at temperatures below 100°C. All existing exposures occur at distances between 10 km and 40 km from the inferred source. Unit A is a widespread (>42 km from source), thin (upwind on Kos) to very thick (downwind), internally laminated, dominantly ash bed with mantling, sheet-like form. Upwind unit A and the lower and middle part of downwind unit A are ash-rich (ash-rich facies) whereas the upper part of downwind unit A includes thin beds of well sorted fine pumice lapilli (pumice-rich facies). Unit A is interpreted to be a phreatoplinian fall deposit. Although locally the bedforms were influenced by wind, surface water and topography. The nature and position of the pumice-rich facies suggests that the eruption style alternated between `wet' phreatoplinian and `dry' plinian during the final stages of unit A deposition.Unit B is exposed 10–19 km north of the inferred source on Kos, overlying unit A. It is a thick to very thick, internally stratified bed, dominated by ash-coated, medium and fine pumice lapilli in an ash matrix. Unit B shows a decrease in thickness and grain size and variations in bedforms downcurrent that allow definition of several different facies and laterally equivalent facies associations. Unit B ranges from being very thick, coarse and massive or wavy bedded in the closest outcrops to source, to being partly massive and partly diffusely stratified or cross-bedded in medial locations. Pinch and swell, clast-supported pumice layers are also present in medial locations. In the most distal sections, unit B is stratified or massive, and thinner and finer grained than elsewhere and dominated by thickly armoured lapilli. Unit B is interpreted to have been deposited from an unsteady, density stratified, pyroclastic density current which decelerated and progressively decreased its particle load with distance from source. Condensation of steam during outflow of the current promoted the early deposition of ash and resulted in the coarser pyroclasts being thickly ash-coated. The distribution, texture and stratigraphic position of unit B suggest that the pyroclastic density current was generated from collapse of the phreatoplinian column following a period of fluctuating discharge when the eruptive activity alternated between `wet' and `dry'. The pyroclastic density current was transitional in particle concentration between a dilute pyroclastic surge and a high particle concentration pyroclastic flow. Unidirectional bedforms in unit B suggest that the depositional boundary was commonly turbulent and in this respect did not resemble conventional pyroclastic flows. However, unit B is relatively thick and poorly sorted, and was deposited more than 19 km from source, implying that the current comprised a relatively high particle concentration and in this respect, did not resemble a typical pyroclastic surge.     

新生代全球变冷与青藏高原隆升的关系

文中综合分析可以影响新生代全球变冷的四种原因,提出青藏隆升对新生代大气ＣＯ２浓度降低起主导作用,对新生代全球气温的降低起关键控制作用。这种作用是通过青藏高原隆升加剧全球硅酸盐岩和碳酸盐岩的化学风化、有机碳埋藏、植物的光合作用来实现的。而且,青藏高原隆升有可能同洋流改变和行星轨道参数变化于第三纪末至第四纪共同对新生代全球变冷起控制作用。因此,目前首先解决的科学目标应该是：精确刻划青藏高原隆升时代和幅度,并确定青藏高原隆升对新生代全球变冷的贡献,确定一种以青藏高原隆升为主导作用的控制新生代全球变冷的综合模式。     

QINGHAI-XIZANG SURFACE LONG-WAVE RADIATION PARAMETERIZATION WITH ITS CLIMATIC CALCULATION*

In the context of August 1982- July 1983 radiation balance data of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, detailed study is made of the relation between the active-surface temperature and surface temperature, proposing two parameterization schemes on surface long-wave radiation(SLWR)of the form U=kδσ(T₀+273)⁴ and U=δσ[(T₀+273)⁴+△T)]⁴, where k and △T are indicated by parameterization equations, separately, others being in conventional notation. Retrieved verification shows the two formulae to be of the same fitting accuracy with the mean relative error of 3.6% and suitable for computing instantaneous and mean flux density, alongside analyzed daily and annual variations of k and △T. Eventually. SLWR in the target area is investigated and its climatic characteristics examined.     

SIMULATION OF MONTHLY CLIMATIC MEAN FIELD IN JANUARY AND JULY IN QINGHAI-XIZANG PLATEAU AND NORTHWESTERN CHINA

In this paper,we simulate the regional climate in summer and winter in northwestern part ofChina and the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau with regional climate model(MM4)nested with GFDLdata,and compare the simulated results with observed data and GFDL data.The results show thatthe regional model reproduces the regional climate systems,such as the high pressure on theplateau and the low pressure in the north of the plateau in winter,the warm-low pressure over theplateau and pressure ridge in south and north of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in summer.Theseregional climate features could not be distinguished by the GCM.The simulations of precipitationdistribution are reasonable.But differences between the simulated and observed precipitationvalues in some places are obvious.The precipitation in south of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau isunderestimated,and in north of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,the precipitation is overestimated.The simulation of height field is better than temperature field.     

NUMERICAL EXPERIMENT OF MEDIUM-RANGE CHANGE OF THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH Ⅰ. THE INFLUENCE OF THE HEATING SOURCE OVER TIBET PLATEAU

The medium-range change of the subtropical high of June 1979 and its influences of the heating sources over Tibet Plateau are studied by using a global circulation spectrum-model. The analyses of the simulation results show that the heating sources over Tibet Plateau play an important role in the process of frontogenesis. the intensity of frontal zone and the upper-tropospheric westerly jet associated with it. When there are heating sources over Tibet Plateau. both the frontal zone and westerly jet are stronger. There are very important mutual relations between the sensible heating and latent heating. After the sensible heating and latent heating are isolated.it departs much from reality that the significance of them are studied     

CHINA’S FOUR MAJOR METEOROLOGICAL SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS

China lies in East-Asian monsoon region,which is one of the well-known active monsoon zones around the world.Monsoon anomaly results in frequent natural disasters,such as drought,torrential rain and flood.In 1998,joint intensified observations for 4 major meteorological scientific experiments have been carried out over Chinese major monsoon affected areas.A number of valuable data have been obtained and some observational facts have come out after initial analysis.The present paper is to give an introduction to the 4 major meteorological scientific experiments conducted in 1998 in China.including its origin and scientific goals,implementation and planning,equipment and progress,and initial findings from the important observational facts.It aims to provide a comprehensive report on the progress of the above experiments for those who are interested in.     

Decadal trend of climate in the Tibetan Plateau—regional temperature and precipitation

The Tibetan Plateau has one of the most complex climates in the world. Analysis of the climate in this region is important for understanding the climate change worldwide. In this study, climate patterns and trends in the Tibetan Plateau were analysed for the period from 1961 to 2001. Air temperature and precipitation were analysed on monthly and annual time scales using data collected from the National Meteorological Centre, China Meteorological Administration. Nonlinear slopes were estimated and analysed to investigate the spatial and temporal trends of air temperature and precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau using a Mann–Kendall method. Spatial analysis of air temperature and precipitation variability across the Tibetan Plateau was undertaken. While most trends are local in nature, there are general basinwide patterns. Temperature during the last several decades showed a long‐term warmer trend, especially the areas around Dingri and Zogong stations, which formed two increasing centres. Only one of the stations investigated exhibited decreasing trend, and this was not significant. Precipitation in the Tibetan Plateau has increased in most regions of the study area over the past several decades, especially in the eastern and central part, while the western Tibetan Region exhibited a decreased trend over the same period. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.