The long-term stability of a possible aqueous ammonium sulfate ocean inside Titan

We model the thermal evolution of a subsurface ocean of aqueous ammonium sulfate inside Titan using a parameterized convection scheme. The cooling and crystallization of such an ocean depends on its heat flux balance, and is governed by the pressure-dependent melting temperatures at the top and bottom of the ocean. Using recent observations and previous experimental data, we present a nominal model which predicts the thickness of the ocean throughout the evolution of Titan; after 4.5 Ga we expect an aqueous ammonium sulfate ocean 56 km thick, overlain by a thick (176 km) heterogeneous crust of methane clathrate, ice I and ammonium sulfate. Underplating of the crust by ice I will give rise to compositional diapirs that are capable of rising through the crust and providing a mechanism for cryovolcanism at the surface. We have conducted a parameter space survey to account for possible variations in the nominal model, and find that for a wide range of plausible conditions, an ocean of aqueous ammonium sulfate can survive to the present day, which is consistent with the recent observations of Titan's spin state from Cassini radar data [Lorenz, R.D., Stiles, B.W., Kirk, R.L., Allison, M.D., del Marmo, P.P., Iess, L., Lunine, J.I., Ostro, S.J., Hensley, S., 2008. Science 319, 1649-1651].     

Response of sandstone to atmospheric heating during the STONE 5 experiment: Implications for the palaeofluid record in meteorites

A 1 cm thick sandstone disk exposed to atmospheric re-entry on the heat shield of a spacecraft (the STONE 5 experiment) shows alteration of fluid inclusions compared to a control sample. The sandstone contained inclusions in quartz grains, feldspar grains and calcite cement before flight. After flight, inclusions in the feldspar were all decrepitated, few inclusions in calcite survived intact and they yielded widely varying microthermometric data, and the quartz inclusions also yielded disturbed microthermometric data. The quartz becomes less affected with depth below the surface, and extrapolation suggests would be unaffected at a depth of about 2 cm. These data show that fluid inclusion data from meteorites must be treated with caution, but that a genuine fluid record may survive in the interior portions. The possibility of thermal sterilization to 2 cm depth also implies that small meteorites may be unsuitable vehicles for the transfer of microbial life from one planetary body to another. As the interiors of larger meteorites tend to have very low porosity and permeability, microbial colonization would be difficult, and the potential for panspermia is accordingly low.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠石油公路沿线风沙活动的气候环境

塔克拉玛干沙漠石油公路沿线风沙活动是由塔木盆地内热能释放与冷空气入侵相互作用的结果。冷期,盆地内冷高压逆温作用较强,地面热能不足,使得风力和风沙活动强度弱;暖期,盆地内热源剧增,每当热能源饱和遇到冷空气入侵诱导,导致了强风及强风沙活动天气。可见,区内风沙活动及风成景观的塑造过程,主要是在暖干期进行的。     

Thermal and tectonic evolution of the southern Alps (northern Italy) rifting: Coupled organic matter maturity analysis and thermokinematic modeling

The Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB) is one of the most petroliferous basins on the northern margin of the South China Sea. Knowledge of the thermal history of the PRMB is significant for understanding its tectonic evolution and for unraveling its poorly studied source-rock maturation history. Our investigations in this study are based on apatite fission-track (AFT) thermochronology analysis of 12 cutting samples from 4 boreholes. Both AFT ages and length data suggested that the PRMB has experienced quite complicated thermal evolution. Thermal history modeling results unraveled four successive events of heating separated by three stages of cooling since the early Middle Eocene. The cooling events occurred approximately in the Late Eocene, early Oligocene, and the Late Miocene, possibly attributed to the Zhuqiong II Event, Nanhai Event, and Dongsha Event, respectively. The erosion amount during the first cooling stage is roughly estimated to be about 455–712 m, with an erosion rate of 0.08–0.12 mm/a. The second erosion-driven cooling is stronger than the first one, with an erosion amount of about 747–814 m and an erosion rate between about 0.13–0.21 mm/a. The erosion amount calculated related to the third cooling event varies from 800 m to 3419 m, which is speculative due to the possible influence of the magmatic activity.     

Effects of mass loss for highly-irradiated giant planets

We present calculations for the evolution and surviving mass of highly-irradiated extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) at orbital semimajor axes ranging from 0.023 to 0.057 AU using a generalized scaled theory for mass loss, together with new surface-condition grids for hot EGPs and a consistent treatment of tidal truncation. Theoretical estimates for the rate of energy-limited hydrogen escape from giant-planet atmospheres differ by two orders of magnitude, when one holds planetary mass, composition, and irradiation constant. Baraffe et al. [Baraffe, I., Selsis, F., Chabrier, G., Barman, T.S., Allard, F., Hauschildt, P.H., Lammer, H., 2004. Astron. Astrophys. 419, L13-L16] predict the highest rate, based on the theory of Lammer et al. [Lammer, H., Selsis, F., Ribas, I., Guinan, E.F., Bauer, S.J., Weiss, W.W., 2003. Astrophys. J. 598, L121-L124]. Scaling the theory of Watson et al. [Watson, A.J., Donahue, T.M., Walker, J.C.G., 1981. Icarus 48, 150-166] to parameters for a highly-irradiated exoplanet, we find an escape rate ∼¹⁰² lower than Baraffe's. With the scaled Watson theory we find modest mass loss, occurring early in the history of a hot EGP. In this theory, mass loss including the effect of Roche-lobe overflow becomes significant primarily for masses below a Saturn mass, for semimajor axes ?0.023 AU. This contrasts with the Baraffe model, where hot EGPs are claimed to be remnants of much more massive bodies, originally several times Jupiter and still losing substantial mass fractions at present.     

Processes affecting deposition of sediment in a small, morphologically complex lake

Devil Lake is morphologically complex as a result of Pleistocene glacial erosion of the Frontenac Axis of the Canadian Shield. In order to assess the processes causing highly variable sedimentation in the lake, we monitored currents, suspended sediment and temperature in the lake before and during autumn overturn in 2002. Strong summer thermal stratification (stability number to 0.11 s^–1 declining with the approach of overturn) was insufficient to prevent a dynamic response in the hypolimnion to wind forcing. Superimposed on a gradual increase in suspended sediment concentration in the last weeks of stratification from less than 2 g/l to about 30 g/l were shorter-term rises lasting up to several days. Associated with these events was an increase in particle size of the sediment from a mode of 40–50 to 150–200 m ascribed to flocculation from primary particles. These events culminated in rapid (<1 h) clearing of the water associated with strong, sustained winds over the lake, especially from the southwest. After overturn, the events were more frequent, and flocculation was unable to develop as well in the more vigorous circulation. However, currents in the hypolimnion occurred throughout the period before, during and after overturn with speed related to wind speed, but direction largely independent of wind direction. The results represent an approach to understanding the nature of sedimentary processes and thus to strengthening the use of sedimentary records as proxy in environmental and paleoenvironmental assessment.     

汶泗河冲洪积扇松散层现场热响应试验数据分析及应用——以兖州市南郊试验场为例

现场热响应试验是获取岩土体热物性参数的主要方法之一,可为试验场区地源热泵工程地埋管换热器类型及长度的选择,浅层地热能评价和开发利用提供基础数据。该文系统介绍了现场热响应试验的目地任务、试验装置、原理、内容和步骤,数据处理方法,并以位于汶泗河冲洪积扇中上流地区的兖州市南郊试验场松散层现场热响应试验为例,介绍了试验场区水文地质条件,试验过程、试验数据分析及应用。     

Study of a thermal drill head for the exploration of subsurface planetary ice layers

The recently discovered water vapor plumes on Saturn's moon Enceladus, the polar caps of planet Mars and the possible ice volcanism on the Jovian satellites call for suitable techniques to explore deep ice layers of the solar system bodies. This paper presents a novel approach to deliver scientific probes into deeper layers of planetary ice. Several existing locomotion concepts and techniques for such probes are presented. After studying the mathematical framework of the melting locomotion process, melting tests with different head forms were done to evaluate the influence of the head's geometry on the melting process. This work led to a novel concept of a thermal drill head, using heat and mechanical drill in combination to penetrate the ice. We compare the performance of such a hybrid concept versus the melting penetration alone by a mathematical model and tests in ice with a prototype of the melting drill head.     

Changes in active eolian sand at northern Coachella Valley, California

Climate variability and rapid urbanization have influenced the sand environments in the northern Coachella Valley throughout the late 20th century. This paper addresses changes in the spatial relationships among different sand deposits at northern Coachella Valley between two recent time periods by using satellite data acquired from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). The approach employed here, involving multispectral thermal infrared (TIR) data and spectral mixture analysis, has shown that the major sand deposits can be spatially modeled at northern Coachella Valley. The “coarse-grained (quartz-rich) sand” deposit is associated with active eolian sand, and the “mixed sandy soil” and “fine-grained (quartz-rich) sand” deposits are associated with inactive eolian sand. The fractional abundance images showed a significant decrease between 2000 and 2006 in the percentage of active sand in the major depositional area for fluvial sediment, the Whitewater River, but also in two downwind areas: the Whitewater and Willow Hole Reserves. The pattern of the active sand appears to be related to variations in annual precipitation (wet and dry years) and river discharge in the northern Coachella Valley. We suggest here that recent human modifications to the major watercourses that supply sand affect the capability of fluvial deposition areas to restore sediments over time and consequently the responses of the sand transport system to climate change, becoming more sensitive to dry years where areas of active sand may shrink, degrade, and/or stabilize faster. The approach utilized in this study can be advantageous for future monitoring of sand in the northern Coachella Valley for management of these and similar environments.     

利用磷灰石裂变径迹资料反演合肥盆地古地温和估计沉降率与剥蚀率

利用合肥盆地内６个磷灰石裂变径迹样品资料,反演模拟了该盆地自侏罗纪晚期以来各时代地层古地温变化,估算了沉降率与剥蚀率．模拟结果与其他地质资料推论一致,它揭示出该盆地南北两地存在不同的构造变化和受热史,反映了大别山构造发展对盆地南北两地区影响的差异．盆地南部靠近大别山地区的晚侏罗世地层在白垩纪早期埋藏温度曾大于１２０℃;早白垩世后期的构造抬升（剥蚀率约１３０ｍ／Ｍａ）使温度降至３０—４０℃;自白垩纪后期始,该地区一直处于动荡的但总体为持续抬升的构造环境中．盆地北部地区晚侏罗世与早白垩世早期地层在白垩纪期间埋藏温度曾达到和超过１００℃,但随后的大幅度构造抬升（剥蚀率约１９０ｍ／Ｍａ）使其温度降至３０—６０℃;第三纪早期,局部区域的裂陷（沉降率约６０ｍ／Ｍａ）使温度又升至８０℃左右．指出合肥盆地构造演化大体可分形成、隆升、局部裂陷和再隆升４个阶段．