The role of porosity in the development of authigenic dolomite and palygorskite. An example in siliceous sandstones of continental origin in Western Spain

During the Tertiary, the Hercynian basement of the Iberian Peninsula was uneven due to Alpine tectonism which led to the development of a set of horsts and grabens forming its main geological structure. One of these grabens is the Ciudad Rodrigo Basin, located close to the Portuguese border. The south-western margin of this graben is filled with arkosic sandstones of continental origin that, once deposited, underwent important low-grade diagenetic processes related to the surface processes. The main diagenetic processes were hydrolysis, replacement by carbonate, and argillization to palygorskite. These three processes led to the differentiation of three main levels within the outcrops studied: (1) the Lower Level, where the original clayey sandstone outcrops, displaying fairly hydromorphic traits; (2) the Middle Level, where part of the clayey matrix has been replaced by dolomitic carbonate; and (3) the Upper Level, where palygorskite is the new neoformed clay. The change in porosity seems to have been the controlling factor, since it governs the dynamics of the solutions inside the rocks. These conditions changed from being diffusion-driven, at the start of the diagenesis, to flow-driven as porosity increased.     

Preliminary study on PAH degradation by bacteria from contaminated sediments in Xiamen Western Sea,Fujian, China

In order to estimate the biodegradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, bacterial strains were isolated from marine sediments in three heavily contaminated sites (Yuandang Lake, Dongdu Port and Aquacultural zones in Maluan Bay) in Xiamen Western Sea. The results show three bacterial strains, which used pyrene as the sole carbon source, were identified as strains of Aureobacterium sp.,Arthrobacter sp., Rhodococcus sp. The PAH-degrading bacteria isolated had a strong ability to degrade phenanhrene, fluoranthene and pyrene at different degradation rates. The highest degradation rate was observed when three PAH compounds were mixed with an individual strain in the medium. The three PAHs were degraded after one week with a degradation rate of 89.94 % for phenanthrene and 93.4 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene.In addition, after 25 days of incubation, the degradation rate was 99.98 % for phenanthrene and 99.97 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene. Optical density was measured to estimate bacterial growth during the degradation of PAHs. Highest levels of bacterial growth were observed with a three PAH mixture in the culture, suggesting that the concentration of PAHs influenced bacterial growth and the highest levels of degradation for most series were detected after one week of incubation.     

Burning for zebu: The complexity of deforestation issues in western Madagascar

This study takes a human-geographical approach to examine the crucial problem of deforestation in Madagascar. Current land-use practices on the west coast threaten the survival of the dry primary forest, which exists in a delicate ecological balance under a climate bordering on aridity. A shifting-agriculture system, encouraged by government policy aimed at expanding crop cultivation, is the major factor contributing to the reduction of forested land. The forest is set on fire and the burns used to cultivate maize. After three years, yields drop dramatically, and people search for new areas of forest to clear. The practice is likely to lead to the complete disappearance of the western forests if nothing is done to change the current situation. The main practitioners are migrant Tandroy from the south of Madagascar. They migrate for reasons related to widespread local poverty and cultural practices linked to their reverence for cattle. They destroy the forests less for immediate survival than in order to gain possession of as many zebu as possible, which for them is the only way to acquire social status. Because Androy, their home region, is too poor to permit such acquisitions, migration to and deforestation of the western forest becomes an attractive alternative. The sale of maize to private exporters at a high price provides profits that can be used to buy cattle. This cultivation contributes little to food production in Madagascar, and the Tandroy , motivated by cultural considerations, stand at the base of a chain of exploitation that ends overseas. Agricultural and conservation policies in Madagascar currently do not address cultural and economic complexities such as these.     

An exploratory spatial analysis of western medical services in Republican Beijing

In this paper, we reconstructed the spatial organization of Western medical services in Beijing city during the Republican period using a recently completed Republican Beijing GIS dataset. The primary objective is to explore the utility of spatial analytical methods, such as hotspot analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR), in studying the spatial patterns of Western medical services. Our study is successful in depicting the spatial structure of Western medical services in the city. In addition, our analysis offers a preliminary but holistic view of the spatial relationships between Western medical services in the city and traditional Chinese medicine, population distribution, temple locations and industry-commerce patterns.     

贵州西部两场典型暴雨个例对比分析

利用ECWMF数值预报产品资料、逐日客观分析资料、常规观测资料以及高密度区域气象自动站降水资料和物理量资料,对2011年6月中、下旬发生在贵州西部地区的两场暴雨天气过程进行对比分析。结果表明:①两场暴雨的发生,中低层均有西南低涡沿切变线东南移和强盛的西南暖湿气流,第1场有高原槽,第2场既有高原槽又有南支槽等天气条件的有效合理配置,以及较强的垂直上升运动和充足的水汽、能量条件,为暴雨产生提供充分的条件。②区域气象自动站降水资料显示,中小尺度天气系统演变对强降水落区有很好的指示意义。③WRF模式较准确地模拟出降水落区、强度以及700 hPa上西南涡沿切变线移动趋势,对类似暴雨短时临近预报具有重要的指示意义。     

ASTER数据在北方铝土矿预普查中的应用——以豫西渑池地区为例

ASTER数据的光谱和空间分辨率均具有一定优势,适合于中等比例尺的矿产预普查。为了探讨ASTER数据应用于铝土矿预普查的效果,通过对ASTER图像彩色合成、地质解译及异常信息提取,对豫西渑池地区的铝土矿进行了预普查试验。结果表明,在北方基岩裸露地区,应用ASTER数据圈定"赋矿影像单元"和提取铝土矿遥感找矿信息能获得较好的效果。     

北大西洋飓风频次与西半球的南极涛动的联系

To examine the zonal asymmetry of the Antarctic oscillation （AAO）, different portions of the AAO from June to October （JJASO） in the interannual variability of the Atlantic tropical hurricanes number （ATHN） are documented in this research. It follows that the AAO in the Western Hemisphere （AAOWH） is positively correlated with the ATHN, at 0.36 during the period of 1871-1998 and 0.42 during the period of 1949-98. After removing the linear regressions on the Southern Oscillation Index （SOI） in all time series, the above correlation coefficients are 0.25 and 0.30, respectively. The underlying mechanisms are studied through analyses of the atmospheric general circulation variability associated with the AAOWH. It turns out that the positive （negative） phase of JJASO AAOWH corresponds with several factors： decreased （increased） vertical zonal wind shear magnitude, low-level anomalous convergence （divergence）, high-level anomalous divergence （convergence）, and warmed （cooled） sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic. Therefore, the positive （negative） phase of JJASO AAOWH is favorable （unfavorable） to the tropical hurricane genesis.     

西北太平洋区域纬向风垂直切变的气候特征研究

西北太平洋区域纬向风垂直切变的变化是影响西北太平洋热带气旋生成和发展的一个重要的动力因子,弱的纬向风切变有利于热带气旋的发生、发展。文中将西北太平洋区域纬向风垂直切变幅度(MWS)定义为850与200 hPa的纬向风之差的绝对值,以研究MWS的气候特征。结果表明,西北太平洋区域的MWS有两个主要空间模态,第1空间模态表现为在15°N以南的热带西太平洋存在MWS东西向变化相反的两个区域,20°N附近的热带西太平洋MWS的变化与其以北海区的MWS的变化相反。第2空间模态表现为在热带太平洋140°E东、西的变化相反。研究了两个模态相关的大气环流特征,发现去掉强ENSO信号后,第1模态不但与低纬度大气环流有关,而且还与南、北半球中高纬度的大气环流有关,第2模态主要与热带西太平洋和北太平洋局地大气环流有关。另外,第1模态的时间系数与赤道东太平洋海温、西北太平洋台风生成频次有着密切联系;第2模态时间系数与西北太平洋台风活动频次联系密切。     

Is the meander growth in the Brazil Current system off Southeast Brazil due to baroclinic instability?

Temporally-growing frontal meandering and occasional eddy-shedding is observed in the Brazil Current (BC) as it flows adjacent to the Brazilian Coast. No study of the dynamics of this phenomenon has been conducted to date in the region between 22° S and 25°S. Within this latitude range, the flow over the intermediate continental slope is marked by a current inversion at a depth that is associated with the Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC). A time series analysis of 10-current-meter mooring data was used to describe a mean vertical profile for the BC-IWBC jet and a typical meander vertical structure. The latter was obtained by an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis that showed a single mode explaining 82% of the total variance. This mode structure decayed sharply with depth, revealing that the meandering is much more vigorous within the BC domain than it is in the IWBC region. As the spectral analysis of the mode amplitude time series revealed no significant periods, we searched for dominant wavelengths. This search was done via a spatial EOF analysis on 51 thermal front patterns derived from digitized AVHRR images. Four modes were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Modes 3 and 4, which together explained 18% of the total variance, are associated with 266 and 338-km vorticity waves, respectively. With this new information derived from the data, the [Johns, W.E., 1988. One-dimensional baroclinically unstable waves on the Gulf Stream potential vorticity gradient near Cape Hatteras. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 11, 323–350] one-dimensional quasi-geostrophic model was applied to the interpolated mean BC-IWBC jet. The results indicated that the BC system is indeed baroclinically unstable and that the wavelengths depicted in the thermal front analysis are associated with the most unstable waves produced by the model. Growth rates were about 0.06 (0.05) days⁻¹for the 266-km (338-km) wave. Moreover, phase speeds for these waves were low compared to the surface BC velocity and may account for remarks in the literature about growing standing or stationary meanders off southeast Brazil. The theoretical vertical structure modes associated with these waves resembled very closely to the one obtained for the current-meter mooring EOF analysis. We interpret this agreement as a confirmation that baroclinic instability is an important mechanism in meander growth in the BC system.     

近60年来渤海海域波候变化及其与东亚环流的联系

研究海洋的波候变化是了解海洋动力过程对气候变迁响应的关键。渤海所处特殊的地理位置,使其波候在长期风场变化影响下存在阶段性变化特征。文章采用1950~2011年NCEP再分析资料中的渤海海域10 m风场资料,利用SWAN模式模拟逐月渤海波浪的有效波高、波向、波周期,分析该海区波候的变化特征。分析结果显示:1950~2011年期间渤海海域的有效波高呈现下降的趋势;波向角度均呈现上升的趋势,波周期相对平稳,略有上升;有效波高平均下降0.3 cm/a,波向角度平均增加0.12°/a。有效波高在1968年前后显现突变点,波向角度约在1960年突变,波周期在1965年左右出现突变点。渤海波候变化与海气振荡密切相关,是大尺度的大气环流变异导致的结果,长期气候变化背景下,东亚环流天气系统的长期变化(包括东亚季风强度、夏季风北界的移动,西太平洋副热带高压面积与强度的变化、脊点位置西伸与北进,以及西风指数的强弱变化等),是影响和控制渤海海域波气长期变化的主要原因。