Crustal and mantle strengths in continental lithosphere: is the jelly sandwich model obsolete?

The relative importance of the contribution of the lower crust and of the lithospheric mantle to the total strength of the continental lithosphere is assessed systematically for realistic ranges of layer thickness, composition, and temperature. Results are presented as relative strength maps, giving the ratio of the lower crust to upper mantle contribution in terms of crustal thickness and surface heat flow. The lithosphere shows a “jelly sandwich” rheological layering for low surface heat flow, thin to average crustal thickness, and felsic or wet mafic lower crustal compositions. On the other hand, most of the total strength resides in the seismogenic crust in regions of high surface heat flow, crust of any thickness, and dry mafic lower crustal composition.     

Experimental and theoretical study of stability of dense hydrous magnesium silicates in the deep upper mantle

Fluid-undersaturated experiments were conducted to determine the phase relations in the simplified peridotite system MgO-SiO₂-H₂O (MSH) at 11.0-14.5 GPa and 800-1400 °C. Stability relations of dense hydrous magnesium silicates (DHMSs) under fluid-undersaturated conditions were experimentally examined. From the fluid-absent experimental results, we retrieved thermodynamic data for clinohumite, phase A, phase E, and hydrous wadsleyite, consistent with the published data set for dry mantle minerals. With this new data set, we have calculated phase equilibria in the MSH system including dehydration reactions. The dehydration reactions calculated with lower water activities of 0.68-0.60 match the fluid-present experiments of this study above 11.0 GPa and 1000 °C, indicating that considerable amounts of silicate component were dissolved into the fluid phase. The calculated phase equilibria illustrate the stability of the post-antigorite phase A-bearing assemblages. In the cold subducting slab peridotite, phase A + enstatite assemblage survives into the transition zone, whereas phase A + forsterite + enstatite assemblage forms hydrous wadsleyite at a much shallower depth of about 360-km. The slab is subducted with no dehydration reactions occurring when entering the transition zone. The phase equilibria also show the high temperature stability of phase E. Phase E is stable up to 1200 °C at 13.5 GPa, a plausible condition in the mantle of relatively low temperature, i.e., beneath subduction zones. Phase E is a possible water reservoir in the mantle as well as wadsleyite and ringwoodite.     

Polymorphic phase transition in Superhydrous Phase B

We synthesized superhydrous phase B (shy-B) at 22 GPa and two different temperatures: 1200°C (LT) and 1400°C (HT) using a multi-anvil apparatus. The samples were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), single crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman and IR spectroscopy. The IR spectra were collected on polycrystalline thin-films and single crystals using synchrotron radiation, as well as a conventional IR source at ambient conditions and in situ at various pressures (up to 15 GPa) and temperatures (down to −180°C). Our studies show that shy-B exists in two polymorphic forms. As expected from crystal chemistry, the LT polymorph crystallizes in a lower symmetry space group (Pnn2), whereas the HT polymorph assumes a higher symmetry space group (Pnnm). TEM shows that both modifications consist of nearly perfect crystals with almost no lattice defects or inclusions of additional phases. IR spectra taken on polycrystalline thin films exhibit just one symmetric OH band and 29 lattice modes for the HT polymorph in contrast to two intense but asymmetric OH stretching bands and at least 48 lattice modes for the LT sample. The IR spectra differ not only in the number of bands, but also in the response of the bands to changes in pressure. The pressure derivatives for the IR bands are higher for the HT polymorph indicating that the high symmetry form is more compressible than the low symmetry form. Polarized, low-temperature single-crystal IR spectra indicate that in the LT-polymorph extensive ordering occurs not only at the Mg sites but also at the hydrogen sites.     

Environmental significance of C/C and O/O ratios of modern land-snail shells from the southern great plains of North America

¹³C/¹²C and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of aragonite shells of modern land snails from the southern Great Plains of North America were measured for samples from twelve localities in a narrow east-west corridor that extended from the Flint Hills in North Central Oklahoma to the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico, USA. Across the study area, shell δ¹⁸O values (PDB scale) ranged from −4.1‰ to 1.2‰, while δ¹³C values ranged from −13.2‰ to 0.0‰. δ¹⁸O values of the shell aragonite were predicted with a published, steady state, evaporative flux balance model. The predicted values differed (with one exception) by less than 1‰ from locality averages of measured δ¹⁸O values. This similarity suggests that relative humidity at the time of snail activity is an important control on the δ¹⁸O values of the aragonite and emphasizes the seasonal nature of the climatic information preserved in the shells. Correlated δ¹³C values of coexisting Vallonia and Gastrocopta suggest similar feeding habits and imply that these genera can provide information on variations in southern Great Plains plant ecology. Although there is considerable scatter, multispecies, transect average δ¹³C values of the modern aragonite shells are related to variations in the type of photosynthesis (i.e., C₃, C₄) in the local plant communities. The results of this study emphasize the desirability of obtaining isotope ratios representing averages of many shells in a locale to reduce possible biases associated with local variations among individuals, species, etc., and thus better represent the “neighborhood” scale temporal and/or spatial environmental variations of interest in studies of modern and ancient systems.     

Nine thousand years of upper montane soil/vegetation dynamics from the summit of Caratuva Peak,Southern Brazil

Biodiversity loss, climate change, and increased freshwater consumption are some of the main environmental problems on Earth. Mountain ecosystems can reduce these threats by providing several positive influences, such as the maintenance of biodiversity, water regulation, and carbon storage, amongst others. The knowledge of the history of these environments and their response to climate change is very important for management, conservation, and environmental monitoring programs. The genesis of the soil organic matter of the current upper montane vegetation remains unclear and seems to be quite variable depending on location. Some upper montane sites in the very extensive coastal Sea Mountain Range present considerable organic matter from the late Pleistocene and other from only the Holocene. Our study was carried out on three soil profiles (two cores in grassland and one in forest) on the Caratuva Peak of the Serra do Ibitiraquire (a sub-range of Sea Mountain Range – Serra do Mar) in Southern Brazil. The δ¹³C isotopic analyses of organic matter in soil horizons were conducted to detect whether C₃ or C₄ plants dominated the past communities. Complementarily, we performed a pollen analysis and ¹⁴C dating of the humin fraction to obtain the age of the studied horizons. Except for a short and probably drier period (between 6000 and 4500 cal yr BP), C₃ plants, including ombrophilous grasses and trees, have dominated the highlands of the Caratuva Peak (Pico Caratuva), as well as the other uppermost summits of the Serra do Ibitiraquire, since around 9000 cal yr BP. The Caratuva region represents a landscape of high altitude grasslands (campos de altitude altomontanos or campos altomontanos) and upper montane rain/cloud forests with soils that most likely contain some organic matter from the late Pleistocene, as has been reported in Southern and Southeastern Brazil for other sites. However, our results indicate that the studied deposits (near the summit) are from the early to late Holocene, when somewhat wetter and warmer conditions (since around 9000 cal yr BP) enabled a stronger colonization of the ridge of Pico Caratuva by mainly C₃ plants, especially grassland species. However, at the same time, even near the summit, the soil core from the forest site already presented the current physiognomy (or a shrubby/elfin or successional forest), indicating that the colonization of the neighboring uppermost saddles and valleys were probably populated mainly by upper montane forest species.     

相对湿度和PM2.5浓度对大气能见度的影响研究:基于小时资料的多站对比分析

为了全面分析浙江省不同区域能见度变化基本特征及影响机理,基于杭州、宁波、温州3个国家基本气象站2013-2014年逐时能见度观测资料,比较分析了3市能见度变化的基本特征。发现3市不同等级能见度出现频率基本一致,随着能见度等级的提高,出现频率逐渐降低;从能见度的日变化来看,07时（北京时）前后最低,之后缓慢上升,14-15时达到最高,随后逐渐下降;全年有两个能见度较低时段,分别出现在12月-次年2月和5-6月;总体而言,宁波能见度最优,杭州和温州大体相当。功率谱分析结果表明,3市能见度均有显著的日周期,高频波段呈现出多个显著谱峰,低频波段存在若干显著谱峰。进一步开展机理分析,发现相对湿度和PM_2.5浓度是调制大气能见度的关键因子,相对湿度增大、PM_2.5浓度升高导致能见度降低。在同一相对湿度等级下,初始阶段能见度随PM_2.5浓度的升高迅速降低,到达“拐点”之后降低速率趋于缓慢。在同一PM_2.5浓度水平下,相对湿度越大,能见度越低,说明水汽对能见度也有重要影响。基于相对湿度和PM_2.5浓度两个因子,采用非线性拟合方案构建了大气能见度定量统计模型,总体而言模型拟合效果较好。最后针对研究中存在的不足和未来值得进一步发掘的科学问题进行了讨论。     

Study of high temperature targets identification and temperature retrieval experimental model in SWIR remote sensing based Landsat8

For surface features in short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1.3–3.0 μm) in remote sensing imagery, pixel values depict the total energy including reflection and emission. For surface features at normal temperature in SWIR band, emission energy can be ignored. While for surface features at high temperature in SWIR band, emission energy is equal to or even higher than the reflection energy. So remote sensing imagery of SWIR band can be used to separate emission and reflection energy as well as to realize temperature retrieval of high temperature targets. In this study, the seventh band (SWIR band) of Landsat8 OLI remote sensing imagery is used to perform the theoretical model research for temperature retrieval of high temperature targets. In the meantime, it is also used with the corresponding observation experiment of synchronization satellite to check the theoretical model. The result shows that the radiant flux density for mixed pixels with high temperature targets is higher than adjacent pixels without high temperature targets. Thus, the high temperature pixels can be identified in SWIR band. The retrieval results of temperature and fractional area for high temperature targets are consistent with reality. In the study, the result illustrates that it is effective to identify high temperature targets in remote sensing imagery of SWIR band and the model is appropriate for temperature retrieval use.     

岩石中的压力影形成的实验观测研究

野外地质观察发现,在大陆地壳变质岩中可以广泛观察到围绕一个大的单晶或者硬质点的两端区域填充低粘度相物质形成的压力影。为了定量研究岩石材料中压力影的形成条件,本文利用高精度Paterson气体介质变形装置,对含有刚性球的圣卡罗橄榄石和洋中脊玄武岩(MORB)的混合物圆柱型样品进行了高温高压扭转变形试验。变形实验前样品的初始熔融均匀分布,比例为φ≈0.05,变形试件尺寸为D8.9mm×L5.5mm,内含8粒直径约1mm的刚性球。扭转变形试验温度为1473K,围压为300MPa,应变率为γ≈1×10~(-4)s~(-1),最大剪切变形为γ≈4。实验结果表明,岩石受到扭转力的作用产生变形之后,当局部剪切应变达到γ≈1时,可以在刚性球周围形成熔融富集带和熔融贫乏带,即压力影构造,围绕刚性球对称分布。由于熔融分布的不均一性,富集带熔融比例上升,最高可以达到φ_(high)=0.1~0.3,熔融贫乏带熔融比例下降,含量为φ_(low)=0.01~0.02。由于刚性球对其周围的压力分布的扰动区域大约为刚性球的尺度范围,因此,在离开刚性球一定距离后,熔融趋于均匀分布。     

高效液相色谱-电感耦合等离子体质谱联用检测土壤中的无机硒形态

土壤样品中亚硒酸盐Se(Ⅳ)和硒酸盐Se(Ⅵ)的形态分析中,提取剂的选择和检测方法是技术的关键。以往的提取剂容易导致硒形态发生转变或无法同时提取Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ),常用的氢化物发生原子荧光光谱法无法直接测定Se(Ⅵ),而是通过差减法得出Se(Ⅵ)含量。本文对比了不同提取剂的提取能力,确定使用0. 1 mol/L氢氧化钠溶液作为提取剂,在55℃超声萃取土壤样品30 min,提取液经高效液相色谱分离,电感耦合等离子体质谱检测,建立了土壤中Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ)的形态分析方法。采用Hamilton PRP X-100色谱柱,以6 mmol/L柠檬酸为流动相,pH=5. 5,在8 min内可完全分离Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ),两者的检出限分别为0. 15μg/L、0. 16μg/L,线性相关系数(r~2)均大于0. 999。以土壤为基体进行加标回收试验,Se(Ⅳ)和Se(Ⅵ)的回收率在84. 2%～95. 8%之间,相对标准偏差为1. 4%～5. 3%(n=6)。该方法简单快速,具有良好的精密度和准确度,适用于土壤中无机硒的形态分析。     

北极斯瓦尔巴、高亚洲和阿尔卑斯山冰川物质平衡对比研究

基于冰川物质平衡和平衡线高度数据,对北极斯瓦尔巴、高亚洲和阿尔卑斯山的冰川物质平衡变化和平衡线高度空间分布特征进行了对比分析,得出以下结论：（1）阿尔卑斯山冰川年均负物质平衡值最大,为-907 mm;斯瓦尔巴为-431 mm;高亚洲最小,为-264 mm。（2）高亚洲和斯瓦尔巴冰川物质平衡年振幅较小,年际变化较小;阿尔卑斯山冰川物质平衡年振幅较大,年际变化较大。斯瓦尔巴冰川物质平衡趋向正平衡,阿尔卑斯山和高亚洲冰川物质平衡趋向负平衡。（3）斯瓦尔巴内陆的冰川平衡线高度高于沿海地区,高亚洲冰川平衡线高度呈纬向地带性、经向地带性和区域地带性的分布规律,阿尔卑斯山的冰川平衡线高度主要受冰川所处海拔的影响。