Whale watching, the Buenos Aires Group and the politics of the International Whaling Commission

Whale watching is now reputed to be a $2 billion a year industry. This industry has the potential to impact the politics of whaling, specifically the moratorium on all commercial whaling in three ways: by creating political and economic counterweights to whalers, by countering claims about who may legitimately manage whales and to what end and by transforming views about whales and whaling both within whaling states and beyond. This article examines whale watching in Latin America and the Caribbean and the alliance of Latin American and Caribbean members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) known as the Buenos Aires Group (BAG). The BAG group has emerged as coherent group opposing the ending of the moratorium and championing the views of whale watchers. The article finds that whale watching creates a politically important interest group in an area lacking whaling operations; it argues that these regional opponents of whaling provide a counter weight to charges that opposition to whaling is exclusively the providence of rich, urban citizens of developed countries and draw upon politically powerful frames in justifying their opposition to the lifting of the moratorium. Finally, it finds limited evidence that whale-watching is associated with a rise in general concern for marine mammals in the region. There remains the question, however, of what the future of whale watching in the region will be over the longer term.     

西秦岭舒家坝地区泥盆纪舒家坝群碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄：源区特征与形成时代

以西秦岭舒家坝地区泥盆纪舒家坝群碎屑岩为研究对象,进行碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄研究,探讨其形成时代、物源组成和构造背景。所测样品最小锆石年龄组的年龄加权平均值为413Ma,代表了舒家坝群的沉积下限,结合前人研究的古生物资料将其形成时代限定为中泥盆世。所获碎屑锆石年龄可划分为4个谱段：震旦纪—古生代年龄谱段619~409Ma,峰值为445Ma;新元古代年龄谱段930~735Ma,峰值为849Ma;中元古代年龄谱段1760~1033Ma;新太古代—古元古代年龄谱段3095~2478Ma。综合研究认为,舒家坝群的物源具多元性,包括西秦岭北缘构造带、北祁连造山带东段和华北板块基底,其中北祁连造山带东段和西秦岭北缘构造带是舒家坝群沉积的主要物源区,且后者占主导地位。结合区域地质资料,根据其物源组成特征判断,舒家坝群形成于陆—陆或弧—陆碰撞后由挤压转换为伸展环境的局部裂陷盆地。     

哈长城市群城市韧性的时空格局演变及动态模拟研究

哈长城市群作为引领东北地区高质量发展的重要增长极,其城市韧性的提升对提高东北地区高质量发展的强韧性及可持续性具有重要意义。以2010—2018年哈长城市群11个地级市为例,基于"生态-经济-社会-工程"的评估框架构建城市韧性评价体系。采用熵权-TOPSIS评价模型对哈长城市群城市韧性进行综合测度,并运用ArcGIS空间分析工具、BP神经网络模型等方法探讨其时空格局演变规律及动态模拟。结果表明:①哈长城市群城市韧性整体水平较低;较高、高度韧性主要分布在核心地区,呈"点状零散"分布,低度、较低韧性主要分布在外围地区,呈"边缘广泛分布"的空间格局。②从其演化趋势类型特征看,2010—2018年,呈发散趋势的城市多于呈收敛趋势的城市,表明城市韧性在演化过程中空间差异呈逐渐增大趋势。③经济恢复力、工资收入、金融资本、公共资源保障、教育水平、交通设施水平等是影响哈长城市群城市韧性的主要因素。④在动态模拟方面,2020—2030年,城市韧性发展较缓慢,韧性等级逐渐降低,且以一级韧性和二级韧性为主,韧性等级较高的城市所占比重较少。在未来发展趋势上,城市韧性时空差异明显,东西方向上呈现"东高西低"态势,...     

大兴安岭中段二叠系大石寨组细碧岩的岩石学地球化学特征及其成因探讨

大兴安岭中段林西地区二叠纪大石寨组下部的细碧角斑岩建造记录了大石寨裂陷槽早期的发育历史，因而对其成因和构造环境的研究具有一定的意义。本文在详细地野外工作基础上，对二叠系大石组的细碧岩进行了较为系统的岩石学、元素地球化学及同位素地球化学研究。结果表明，细碧岩的岩石类型为玄武岩、玄武安山岩、安山岩、橄榄组安岩和粗安岩（或歪长粗面岩），属于拉斑玄武岩岩石系列；细碧岩的主量元素质量分数及变化范围类型似于N－MORB玄武岩；与正常洋中脊玄武岩相比较，细碧岩的LILE元素明显富集，HFSE元素的质量分数与大洋中脊玄武岩（N－MORB）相接近，Nb,Ta明显亏损；细碧岩的稀土元素分配模式具平坦型；（^87Sr/^86Sr)t为0．7013－0．7056。细碧岩形成于大石寨裂陷槽早期裂陷阶段弧后盆地局部扩张的构造环境；细碧岩是由拉斑玄武质岩浆在上升过程中热卤水的严重混染后喷出地表结晶而形成的。     

河南西峡含化石碎屑龟山组层位层序及时代探讨

信阳群龟山组横贯北秦岭南缘及桐柏山—大别山，西延入陕西，为地质结构上的关键层位，部分地段为重要赋矿层位，因其为一套罕见化石的碎屑岩，故对其地质时代看法颇异。近年我队在西峡八庙矿区工作时，在岩石薄片中见有多门类化石碎屑，并作了报道。作者在报道的基础上，吸收前人和近年某些有关信阳群和刘岭组（群）的工作成果，就龟山组的层位、层序及时代进行探讨，并与邻区、邻省的相关层位进行对比：认为含动物化石碎屑的龟山组（周进沟组）与陕西省的牛耳川组及桐柏山—大别山北坡的大部分龟山组及二郎坪群和部分苏家河群的时代大体相当，其时代归属暂置早奥陶世—早泥盆世     

西藏亚东淡色花岗岩Rb—Sr和Sm—Nd同位素研究——关于其年龄和源岩的证据

对西藏亚东淡色花岗岩Rb-Sr和Sm-Nd同位素的详细研究表明,亚东淡色花岗岩Rb-Sr和Sm-Nd同位素组成十分不均匀,其初始Sr值和ε-(Nd)(13 Ma)分别介于0.756～0.775和-11.6～-16.3。由于存在着显著的同位素变异,而难以获得其全岩Rb-Sr等时线年龄。但研究获得了12.9±0.95Ma矿物—全岩Rb-Sr等时线年龄,其锶初始值为0.7744±0.0008,该年龄可以与高喜马拉雅带其他淡色花岗岩的年龄对比。Rb-Sr和Sm-Nd同位素组成显示亚东淡色花岗岩的源岩很可能是聂拉木群副变质岩。年龄统计分析表明,喜马拉雅淡色花岗岩是在地壳伸展和快速隆起背景下形成的,因此它的形成年龄是碰撞造山后地壳强烈活动和快速隆起的重要标志。     

青海卡巴纽尔多地区上三叠统巴颜喀拉山群牙形石的发现及其意义

在青藏高原北部卡巴纽尔多湖-错坎巴昂日东湖一带上三叠统巴颜喀拉山群中首次发现牙形石Epigondolella sp.、Metapolygnathus communisti、Metapolygnathus spp.、Metapolygnathus primitius及有孔虫Gaudryina sp.、Jacullella sp.、Verneulinoides maurtii（Terquem）、Gaudryina triassica Trifonova、Ammodiscus sp.等。其中,Epigondolella与Metapolygnathus均为晚三叠世诺利期典型牙形石和常见类型,有孔虫亦显示为晚三叠世常见分子,从而为厘定该套地层时代提供了重要生物依据,对于该地区巴颜喀拉山群形成于早三叠世和中三叠世早期的观点有待于重新审视。     

藏东贡觉地区早—中三叠世马拉松多组火山岩锆石U-Pb年龄、地球化学特征及其对金沙江古特提斯碰撞时间的约束

金沙江结合带中保留有大量晚古生代—中生代的岩石与构造信息,是研究金沙江古大洋洋陆俯冲-陆陆碰撞演化过程的主要窗口。对贡觉地区早—中三叠世英安岩-流纹岩的锆石U-Pb年龄、全岩地球化学特征进行报道,并探讨其岩石成因与岩浆源区。获得4组长英质火山岩LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄,分别为246.2±1.7 Ma、245.5±0.7 Ma、244.7±0.6 Ma与246.2±0.5 Ma,一致指示贡觉地区马拉松多组火山岩的形成时代为245~246 Ma。地球化学分析显示,马拉松多组长英质火山岩具有高Si（SiO2=67.16%~74.62%）,高K（K2O=3.44%~5.94%）,贫Na（Na2O=1.75%~2.53%）,贫Mg（MgO=0.28%~1.04%）的特点。A/CNK值范围为1.07~1.41,总体属过铝质高钾钙碱性岩石。稀土元素配分曲线呈现出轻稀土元素明显右倾,重稀土元素相对平缓的"V"字形;大离子亲石元素Rb、K、Th相对富集,高场强元素Nb、Ta、Sr、Ti相对亏损,指示岩浆来源于古老地壳。研究认为贡觉地区马拉松多组长英质火山岩为金沙江古洋壳西向俯冲造陆背景下,幔源基性岩浆底侵下地壳部分熔融的产物,贡觉地区此时正处于俯冲到碰撞的转换阶段。结合区域地质资料与前人研究,认为金沙江结合带贡觉地区大致经历了二叠纪的俯冲消减、早三叠世俯冲-碰撞转换、中三叠世的陆陆碰撞与晚三叠世的后碰撞造山阶段,直到晚三叠世后期造山运动结束。     

GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LATE QUATERNARY PARAGLACIAL ROCK-SLOPE FAILURES ON SKIDDAW GROUP TERRAIN, LAKE DISTRICT, NORTHWEST ENGLAND

ABSTRACT. Eight relict rock-slope failures (RSFs) on Skiddaw Group terrain in the Lake District, northwest England, are described. Five of the failures are rockslides, one is a product of slope deformation, and two are compound features with evidence for sliding and deformation in different sectors. As none appears to have been overrun and modified by glacier ice it is concluded that they all post-date the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM ; c. 21 ± 3 cal. ka bp ). Slope stress readjustments resulting from glacial and deglacial influences are considered to have weakened the slopes, and application of the term paraglacial is appropriate. Permafrost aggradation and degradation, seismic activity and fluvial erosion are among processes that may have contributed to failure at certain sites. The failures are significant as potential debris sources during future ice advances, contributing to valley widening and cirque enlargement and, possibly, for acting as sites of cirque initiation. Previously, Skiddaw Group rocks have been regarded as homogeneous and of limited resistance to the weathering and erosion associated with Quaternary glacial, periglacial and fluvial processes. These characteristics and processes have been used to explain the steep smooth slopes and rounded hills that dominate Skiddaw Group terrain. Rock-slope failure has also helped shape this terrain and should be incorporated in future interpretations of landscape development.