Cretaceous length of day perturbation by mantle avalanche

These last 10 years, numerical models of mantle convection have emphasized the role of the 670 km endothermic phase change in generating avalanches that trigger catastrophic mass transfers between upper and lower mantle. On the other hand, scientists have emphasized the concomitance of large-scale worldwide geophysical and tectonic events, which could find their deep thermal roots in the huge mass transfers induced by the avalanches. In particular, the paleontological records show two periods of length of day (l.o.d.) shortening between 420 and 360, and 200 and 80 Myr BP. This last event is synchronous with a strong true polar wander and a global warming of the upper mantle. In order to study the potential effects of the avalanche on the main component of the Earth’s rotation, the Liouville equation has been solved and the l.o.d. evolution has been calculated from the perturbations of the inertia tensor. The results show that the inertia tensor of the Earth’s is mainly sensitive to the global transfers through the 670 km discontinuity. The l.o.d. perturbations will be synchronous with the global thermal effects of the avalanche. These theoretical results allow proposing a self-consistent physical mechanism to explain periods of the Earth’s rotation acceleration. Within this context, the l.o.d. shortening during the Cenozoic and Cretaceous brings one more clue to the possible participation of a mantle avalanche in generating the concomitant large scale events which have occurred during this very particular period of the Earth’s history.     

Mantle flow patterns at the Neyriz Paleo-spreading center, Iran

The mantle peridotites of Neyriz record two successive episodes of plastic deformations; the first one related to the igneous accretion of the lithosphere and the second one developed during the first stage of the emplacement of the peridotites. These two events have been distinguished on the basis of microstructural criteria. The diapiric pattern, particularly relevant to the mantle process beneath spreading ridges, features vertical flow lines and elliptic flow plane trajectories in a pipe and extends along the ridge axis about 5 km. These structures rotate to horizontal and diverge in every direction in a narrow transition zone, a few hundred meters thick, below the Moho discontinuity. Such a diapiric pattern has been recognized in a few places along the Neyriz paleo-ridge. A large amount of magma passed through these mantle diapirs that were probably the main zones feeding the overlying magma chamber. The most common pattern features very regular structures over several kilometers along the strike of the paleo-ridge: the flow plane dips away from the ridge axis, and the flow line is parallel to the spreading direction. This flow pattern is frozen during the gradual accretion of the lithospheric mantle away from the ridge in a steady-state spreading regime. A shear-sense inversion at just below the Moho is commonly observed, pointing to forced asthenospheric flow. The reconstructed orientation of the Neyriz paleo-spreading center is 105°, compatible with the geometry and orientation of harzburgite foliations and lineations and sheeted dikes.     

河北南部地区资源、环境、发展初析

河北南部地区山前平原区农业气候条件适于夏玉米的生长 ,黑龙港地区适于棉花的生长。本区水资源匮乏 ,地下水超采严重。浅层地下水超采模数为 8.0 1× 1 0 4 m3/( km2 ·a) ,深层地下水为 2 .5 8× 1 0 4 m3/( km2·a)。全区水资源利用的综合边际效益以廊坊市最高 ( 2 6.68元 /t) ,保定市最低 ( 1 4.85元 /t) ,两者之比为 1 .80。区内地下水降落漏斗与地面沉降等环境地质灾害频繁 ,1 998年浅层地下水漏斗区面积为 0 .5 4× 1 0 4 km2 ,深层地下水为 1 .5 9× 1 0 4 km2。地下水、粮食和蔬菜受到农药残留、过量化肥的污染。本区 2 0 1 0水平年外流域调水将占可供水量的 2 3.9% ,但缺水率仍达 36.2 %。若全区通过发展工程节水 (提高综合节水率 3.2 % )、实施适水种植 (冬小麦播种面积下调 7% ) ,利用水分胁迫处理 (减少一次灌溉 )等节水措施 ,则比 1 999年节水 1 7.2 %。     

分布式侵蚀预报模型中网格面积的选定——以黄土高原丘陵沟壑区为例

在分布式土壤侵蚀过程模型中 ,承载数据以及进行运算的最小单元 ,即基本地块的选取是非常关键的 ,它直接关系到模型的模拟精度和运算数据量。目前大多数分布式模型都采用平均布设矩形网格的方法 ,这种方法在基本网格的大小选取上存在着盲目性和不统一性。本文以黄土高原丘陵沟壑区为例 ,利用GIS和SPSS分析了黄土高原丘陵沟壑区属性均一的基本地块在面积上的统计规律 ,给出了基本地块选取的合理依据 ,以促进建立更好的分布式模型     

GIS专题数据综合的研究

随着GIS技术在各种应用领域的推广使用，各领域的专业数据与G1S的空间数据相结合，形成描述特定地理现象的各种专题数据。与GIS空间数据一样，专题数据的应用也由微观的、较为详细地描述小区域地理现象特征，转向宏观的、较为概略地描述较大范围地理现象特征，这是专题数据综合的主要任务。该文在讨论GIS专题数据类型及特征的基础上，着重分析了专题数据综合的基本类型，并提出了专题数据综合的概念模型，为GIS专题数据自动综合的实施提供理论依据和实施方案。