Time-dependent stress change during failure of rocks

The energy balance of a solid subject to fracture has been explored using heat and mass transfer equations with regard to the volumetric and superficial components. In the suggested model, brittle fracture of a cracked solid considered as a heterogeneous two-phase medium is described by an equation analogous to the Griffith’s criterion for propagation of a single crack. The derived equation is used, together with estimates of relative change in specific interface area, to study the respective change of free strain energy and pressure in rocks associated with failure.     

城市形象资源和地域文化传统特色研究

城市是人类的一种社会组织结构形式,与其他任何组织形式一样,城市的发展也需要核心竞争力,核心竞争力依赖于城市核心资源系统的开发和创造。通过城市形象的塑造再创城市新型的核心资源,这已经是一个既成事实,城市形象可以在更高层次保护城市传统资源要素,使其发挥更大的作用。     

A spectrophotometric measurement of soil cation exchange capacity based on cobaltihexamine chloride absorbance

Among numerous methods for cation exchange capacity (CEC) determination for soils and sediments, the cobaltihexamine chloride method is frequently used due to its ability to measure CEC at soil pH. After exchange with Co(NH₃)₆³⁺ ions, CEC is estimated via the measurement of the Co remaining in solution. The modified method proposed allows a more rapid determination of CEC based on the measurement of the absorbance at 472 nm of the cobaltihexamine chloride solution before and after exchange. This method has been applied to various soil's horizons from four sites, selected to cover a wide range of CEC and pH values. The model obtained allows one to calculate CEC from absorbance at 472 nm with 95% confidence intervals. As CEC is of relevant meaning in agronomical and environmental purposes, and more recently in ecotoxicological studies, this modified method can be proposed as a rapid test for CEC evaluation.     

An essay on the interactions between climate and society

There has been increasing concern about the lack of involvement by social scientists and humanists in a global change program, although many social scientists are already directly involved in various aspects of research on environmental change, and their research interests are clearly central to a global change research agenda. Based on a historical review, the role of social science disciplines as well as social science institutes in an emerging multidecadal global change program is discussed. Both “plan of action” and “plan of inaction” are suggested to avoid potential pitfalls due to the rush development of a social science program into the existing global climate change problem.     

Climate changing characteristics of Zhangye City in Heihe River basin during 1968–2005

At present, researches on climate change of the Heihe River basin mainly focus on the relationship between basin climate change and regional water resources, regional desertification and dynamic climatic seasons of sandstorm, but less on climate change of oasis region, where there are more intense and frequent human activities. Based on data of precipitation, temperature, strong wind and dust events frequencies obtained from the six meteorological stations of Zhangye region in Heihe River basin, the features of climate change during 1968–2005 were carefully studied. Results show that the regional temperature rise rate exceeded the average level of China. The annual precipitation changed a little, but the precipitation had a slowly increasing trend in spring and winter. Frequencies of strong wind and sandstorm days show obviously descending trends, which had a close correlation with the regional temperature rise and the precipitation increase in spring and winter. Meanwhile, further human economic activities and exploitations to the oasis in the inland valley of arid regions also affected the climate change of this region, which has a sensitive and fragile eco-environment. __________ Translated from Journal of Desert Research, 2007, 27(6): 1048–1054 [译自: 中国沙漠]     

Holocene climate reconstructions of Ulungur Lake (Xinjiang,China) inferred from ostracod species assemblages and stable isotopes

In this paper, the data on the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes during the Holocene are presented and a discussion is made on a 225-cm-long sediment core from Ulungur Lake, located in Northwest China. The chronology is constructed from six AMS radiocarbon dates on the bulk organic matter. On the basis of the analysis of ostracod assemblages and the shell stable isotopes, the core is divided into three paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental evolution stages: 9 985–5 250 cal.aB.P. stage is the wettest phase of the core section. The climate changed from moderate-dry to cool-wet, and then to warm-wet in turn, and the lake level rose accordingly, showing the characteristic of a high lake level. 5 250–1 255 cal.aB.P. stage was the driest phase of the core sediment. The climate turned from the early warm-dry to the late warm-wet and the lake level fell and rose again. Finally, the 1 255 cal.aB.P. stage was the medium stage of the section. The temperature was low and then increased after the 1920s and the climate was dry. The whole climatic and environmental evolution records of Lake Ulungur were not only in agreement with the sporopollen record of the same core but also in agreement with the record of environmental changes of adjacent areas. It responded to regional environmental changes and global abrupt climate events, following the westerly climate change mode on 100-year-scale, primarily with cold-wet and warmdry characteristics. __________ Translated from Quaternary Sciences, 2007, 27(3):382–391 [译自:第四纪研究]     

上海市长江口及邻近海域地质调查现状及展望

海洋区域地质调查近年来逐渐得到重视,海洋地质调查技术的发展也为开展海洋区域地质调查奠定了基础。上海地区社会经济发展对地质工作的需求,为摸清上海市长江口及邻近海域的地质现状提出了必然要求。本文在系统整理长江口及邻近海域地质资料的基础上,重点分析了区内存在的重点地质问题和研究存在的问题,根据海洋地质调查的技术发展,结合国内相关地区的调查经验,对长江口及邻近海域内区域地质调查进行了展望,提出了采用综合物探技术、地质取样和测试分析进行综合地质环境调查的建议,并对具体采用的调查技术和调查内容进行了论述。     

CSU－RAMS模式在区域气侯模拟中的应用

将ＣＳＵ－ＲＡＭＳ（中尺度）数值模式改造成“区域气候数值模式”以及进行区域气候数值模拟的试验研究。说明将有限区域中尺度数值模式与ＧＣＭ模式嵌套应用到区域气候数值模拟研究上能够取得有意义的结果。它能在一定程度上改善ＧＣＭ模式的不足。可以更为细致地描述大气环流的变化特征,是了解区域气候变化的有效方法之一。     

Accelerating ground warming in the Canadian Prairie provinces: Is it a result of global warming?

The results of precision temperature logs made to depths of several hundred meters in some 80 wells in Western Canada, most of which are located in the Prairie Provinces, show evidence of warming at the ground surface in the 0.5 K to 3.5 K range (average=2.2±0.7 K, for 80 unevenly distributed sites). Modeling shows that this warming mostly pertains to this century and it has been most substantal in the last four decades if the ramp function of the linear increase of surface temperature is assumed. Using the step function model's increase of surface temperature (land clearing, forest fires, etc.) the calculated onset of warming would pertain mostly to the last two decades. Contour maps of ground temperatures currently and previously and a contour map of the ground warming magnitude dilineate a large regional character of the ground temperature change at the southern marigin of permafrost for the large area of the Prairie Provinces. In many cases however, the magnitude of ground warming is much larger than the magnitude of air warming. This is especially evident for the northern areas of Alberta in the boreal forest ecoprovince. The magnitude of ground warming is equal to the magnitude of surface air warming in southern Alberta in the grassland and aspen parkland ecoprovinces. The analysis of the temperature depth response to the surface warming from well data shows the integrated effect of surface air warming together with the increases in ground temperature due to natural terrain effects and other anthropogenical changes to the surface of the earth.     

Ostracode carbonate δ18O- and δ13C-signature of hydrological and climatic changes affecting Lake Neuchâtel,Switzerland, since the latest Pleistocene

Floating and grounded peat plateaus were studied in fens in the Yukon Territory (Canada). The peat deposit may be over 4 m thick and consists of a lower bed of aquatic peat overlain by humic fen peat, mesic fen peat and woody peat. Permafrost in the grounded peat plateaus is older than the 1200 year old White River Ash, whereas permafrost in the floating peat plateau is younger.Peat accumulation rates since 1200 years B.P. were greater in the fens (85–100 cm) than on the surface of the peat plateaus (25–55 cm). Where the peat plateau is free-floating, it will persist until the climate changes, causing the icy core to thaw. Where the peat plateau is frozen to the mineral substrate, it slowly drowns since the fen peat accumulates faster than the woody peat. This drowning results in degradation of the landform independently of the climate. Only degradation of floating peat plateaus can be used to identify climatic changes.This publication is the first paper in a series of papers presented at the session on Past Climatic Change and the Development of Peatlands at the ASLO and SWS Meetings in Edmonton, Canada, May 30–June 3, 1993. Dr. P. Kuhry and Dr S. C. Zoltai are serving as Guest Editors.