Improved age constraint for pre‐ and post‐Anglian temperate‐stage deposits in north Norfolk,UK, from analysis of serine decomposition in Bithynia opercula

The ‘new glacial stratigraphy’ (NGS) of Britain postulates that deposits hitherto assigned to the Anglian glaciation in Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12 represent MIS 16, 12, 10 and 6. This controversial idea can be tested at Sidestrand in north Norfolk, where fossiliferous temperate‐stage deposits underlie the oldest and overlie the youngest of the glacial deposits. Previous work has considered biostratigraphy and amino acid dating of these temperate‐stage deposits, but did not achieve tight age constraint using the amino acid evidence alone. The total hydrolysable amino acid fraction in intra‐crystalline protein from Bithynia tentaculata opercula has previously been analysed for concentrations of serine and alanine. Statistical screening of these data gives alanine/serine ratios of 4.572 ± 0.114 for the Sidestrand Hall Member (beneath the glacial deposits) and 3.564 ± 0.091 for the Sidestrand Cliff Formation (overlying the glacial deposits). These ratios imply ages of MIS 13a and 11c, respectively, indicating the latest Cromerian and early Hoxnian interglacials and invalidating the NGS. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new genus of Tanyderidae (Insecta: Diptera) from Myanmar amber,Upper Cretaceous

A new genus and species, Similinannotanyderus lii gen. et sp. nov., is described from Myanmar amber. It differs from other genera of Tanyderidae based on special characters of wing venation and male genitalia. This new taxon broadens the diversity of Tanyderidae in the Cretaceous, and its morphological characters enhance our understanding of the development and evolution of the primitive crane flies.     

The sequence of sediment behaviour during wave-induced liquefaction

This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation of the complete sequence of sediment behaviour beneath progressive waves. The sediment was silty with d ₅₀ = 0.060 mm. Two kinds of measurements were carried out: pore-water pressure measurements (across the sediment depth), and water-surface elevation measurements. The process of liquefaction/compaction was videotaped from the side simultaneously with the pressure and water-surface elevation measurements. The video records were then analysed to measure: (i) the time development of the mudline, (ii) the time development of liquefaction and compaction fronts in the sediment and (iii) the characteristics of the orbital motion of the liquefied sediment including the motion of the interface between the water body and the sediment. The ranges of the various quantities in the tests were: wave height, H  = 9–17 cm, wave period, T  = 1.6 sec, water depth = 42 cm, and the Shields parameter = 0.34–0.59. The experiments reveal that, with the introduction of waves, excess pore pressure builds up, which is followed by liquefaction during which internal waves are experienced at the interface of the water body and the liquefied sediment, the sequence of processes known from a previous investigation. This sequence of processes is followed by dissipation of the accumulated excess pore pressure and compaction of the sediment which is followed by the formation of bed ripples. The present results regarding the dissipation and compaction appear to be in agreement with recent centrifuge wave-tank experiments. As for the final stage of the sequence of processes (formation of ripples), the ripple steepness (normalized with the angle of repose) for sediment with liquefaction history is found to be the same as that in sediment with no liquefaction history.     

A bed‐load transport model for rough turbulent open‐channel flows on plane beds

Data from flume studies are used to develop a model for predicting bed‐load transport rates in rough turbulent two‐dimensional open‐channel flows moving well sorted non‐cohesive sediments over plane mobile beds. The object is not to predict transport rates in natural channel flows but rather to provide a standard against which measured bed‐load transport rates influenced by factors such as bed forms, bed armouring, or limited sediment availability may be compared in order to assess the impact of these factors on bed‐load transport rates. The model is based on a revised version of Bagnold's basic energy equation i_bs_b = e_bω, where i_b is the immersed bed‐load transport rate, ω is flow power per unit area, e_b is the efficiency coefficient, and s_b is the stress coefficient defined as the ratio of the tangential bed shear stress caused by grain collisions and fluid drag to the immersed weight of the bed load. Expressions are developed for s_b and e_b in terms of G, a normalized measure of sediment transport stage, and these expressions are substituted into the revised energy equation to obtain the bed‐load transport equation i_b = ω G ^3·4. This equation applies regardless of the mode of bed‐load transport (i.e. saltation or sheet flow) and reduces to i_b = ω where G approaches 1 in the sheet‐flow regime. That i_b = ω does not mean that all the available power is dissipated in transporting the bed load. Rather, it reflects the fact that i_b is a transport rate that must be multiplied by s_b to become a work rate before it can be compared with ω. It follows that the proportion of ω that is dissipated in the transport of bed load is i_bs_b/ω, which is approximately 0·6 when i_b = ω. It is suggested that this remarkably high transport efficiency is achieved in sheet flow (1) because the ratio of grain‐to‐grain to grain‐to‐bed collisions increases with bed shear stress, and (2) because on average much more momentum is lost in a grain‐to‐bed collision than in a grain‐to‐grain one. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

八面河地区原油、烃源岩中甾类化合物的分布特征及其应用

对渤海湾盆地八面河地区31个分别形成于还原性咸化水体和淡水环境的页岩和泥岩样、20个油样中甾类化合物进行了剖析。结果表明该区烃源岩、原油中的甾类化合物异常丰富，主要包括C27－29规则甾烷、C28－304－甲基甾烷、甲藻甾烷以及芳香甾类；不同层段烃源岩中甾类化合物的分布各具特色，发育于牛庄洼陷南斜坡咸化水体的富藻类沙四段页岩富含4－甲基甾烷及甲藻甾烷，形成于淡水环境的沙三段泥岩中甲藻甾烷不太发育。烃源岩、原油中规则甾烷的分布型式明显有别于甲基甾烷，指示两类化合物可能来源于不同的藻类属种。甾类化合物的分布特征受控于古环境、生物先质种类及热成熟度等多种因素。不同层段甾类化合物的特征性分布使其成为该区油源岩确认的关键指标。结果还表明，甲基甾烷在油源岩识别中比规则甾烷具有更好的应用效果。依据甾类化合物，可判断埋深超过2700m的Es4烃源岩与原油具有较好的相关性，发育于牛洼洼陷南斜坡的未熟－低熟特殊烃源岩－富藻类页岩与原油没有可比性，该结论是对近期油源调查结果的进一步确认。     

Modelling sediment deposition and phosphorus retention in a river floodplain

Phosphorus (P) is one of the major limiting nutrient in many freshwater ecosystems. During the last decade, attention has been focused on the fluxes of suspended sediment and particulate P through freshwater drainage systems because of severe eutrophication effects in aquatic ecosystems. Hence, the analysis and prediction of phosphorus and sediment dynamics constitute an important element for ecological conservation and restoration of freshwater ecosystems. In that sense, the development of a suitable prediction model is justified, and the present work is devoted to the validation and application of a predictive soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) uptake and sedimentation models, to a real riparian system of the middle Ebro river floodplain. Both models are coupled to a fully distributed two‐dimensional shallow‐water flow numerical model. The SRP uptake model is validated using data from three field experiments. The model predictions show a good accuracy for SRP concentration, where the linear regressions between measured and calculated values of the three experiments were significant (r² ≥ 0.62; p ≤ 0.05), and a Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient (E) that ranged from 0.54 to 0.62. The sedimentation model is validated using field data collected during two real flooding events within the same river reach. The comparison between calculated and measured sediment depositions showed a significant linear regression (p ≤ 0.05; r² = 0.97) and an E that ranged from 0.63 to 0.78. Subsequently, the complete model that includes flow dynamics, solute transport, SRP uptake and sedimentation is used to simulate and analyse floodplain sediment deposition, river nutrient contribution and SRP uptake. According to this analysis, the main SRP uptake process appears to be the sediment sorption. The analysis also reveals the presence of a lateral gradient of hydrological connectivity that decreases with distance from the river and controls the river matter contribution to the floodplain. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing the feasibility of integrating remote sensing and in-situ measurements in monitoring water quality status of Lake Chivero,Zimbabwe

This work investigates the likelihood of integrating the cheap and readily-available broadband multispectral MODIS data and in-situ measurements in quantifying and monitoring water quality status of an inland lake within Upper Manyame Catchment in Zimbabwe. Specifically we used MODIS images to quantify inland lake chlorophyll_a concentrations, as a proxy for predicting lake pollution levels. The findings of this study show a high chlorophyll_a concentration of 0.101 ± 0.128 μg/L within the Lake. The results further demonstrated that the chlorophyll_a concentration levels did not significantly vary (p = 0.788) between sites, except among depths (p = 0.05). Further, prediction results based on the relationship between observed and predicted chlorophyll_a produced a high R² value of 0.89 and a root mean square error (RMSE) value of 0.003 μg/L. Moreover, the derived landuse maps of Upper Manyame Catchment indicated a significant variation in the percentage settlement in 1985, 1994 and 2010 change from 1985 to 2010. For instance, 8% increase in settlement in the period between 1994 and 2010 and over 12% increase from 1985 to 2010 and a decline in percent forest coverage (i.e. 9.8% in 1985 to 2.0% in the year 2010) in the catchment was observed. Overall, the findings of this study highlights the importance of free and readily-available satellite datasets (such as the multispectral MODIS and Landsat) in quantifying and monitoring water quality across inland lakes especially in data-scarce areas like Sub-Saharan Africa.     

长江上游土地利用变化与冲沟发生和演变

冲沟侵蚀是中国西部山区一个重要的环境问题。小流域研究表明，黄河和长江中的泥沙主要是冲沟侵蚀引起的。目前，长江上游80%的冲沟因被幼林草植被覆盖而处于非活跃期。到底这些冲沟系统是什么时候形成的？未来的暴雨和径流是否会激活这些冲沟系统？土地利用与景观结构对冲沟系统的发生、演变有何关系？基于这些问题，近几年来在中科院山地环境学“百人计划”和“国外引进杰出人才”项目及德国洪堡基金的资助下，中德科学工作者进行了合作研究。本文介绍了长江上游地区土地利用变化与冲沟发生、演变的部分研究成果。我们在西昌安宁河干暖河谷选择了两个冲沟系统一个位于西溪乡长山岭，一个位于大青梁子。为了定量评价土地利用对冲沟发育的影响，我们对研究小流域的航片、土壤剖面、泥沙堆积与土地利用历史等进行了详尽的综合对比分析。同时，对两个冲沟系统的大小和土壤流失的体积进行了详细的野外调查、测定和计算。据此，获得了研究流域的冲沟侵蚀速率。研究结果表明，长江上游数百年的持续景观演变，尤其是20世纪中期人为强烈的不合理农业垦殖和利用土地，造成了四川西南部大量冲沟系统的形成和发展，研究流域的冲沟侵蚀速率高达375t/hm2*a-1。采取成功的水土保持措施以控制冲沟侵蚀，对中国西南山地退化环境的生态修复具有重大实践意义。