Hydrological cycle and water balance estimates for the megadune–lake region of the Badain Jaran Desert,China

The hydrology and water balance of megadunes and lakes have been investigated in the Badain Jaran Desert of China. Field observations and analyses of sand layer water content, field capacity, secondary salt content, and grain size reveal 3 types of important natural phenomenon: (a) vegetation bands on the leeward slope of the megadunes reflect the hydrological regime within the sandy vadose zone; (b) seepage, wet sand deposits, and secondary salt deposits indicate the pattern of water movement within the sandy vadose zone; (c) zones of groundwater seeps and descending springs around the lakes reflect the influence of the local topography on the hydrological regime of the megadunes. The seepage exposed on the sloping surface of the megadunes and gravity water contained within the sand layer confirm the occurrence of preferential flow within the vadose zone of the megadunes. Alternating layers of coarse and fine sand create the conditions for the formation of preferential flows. The preferential flows promote movement of water within the sand layer water that leads to deep penetration of water within the megadunes and ultimately to the recharging of groundwater and lake water. Our results indicate that a positive water balance promotes recharge of the megadunes, which depends on the high permeability of the megadune material, the shallow depth of the surface sand layer affected by evaporation, the occurrence of rainfall events exceeding 15 mm, and the sparse vegetation cover. Water balance estimates indicate that the annual water storage of the megadunes is about 7.5 mm, accounting for only 8% of annual precipitation; however, the shallow groundwater per unit area under the megadunes receives only 3.6% of annual precipitation, but it is still able to maintain a dynamic balance of the lake water. From a water budget perspective, the annual water storage in the megadunes is sufficient to serve as a recharge source for lake water, thereby enabling the long‐term persistence of the lakes. Overall, our findings demonstrate that precipitation is a significant component of the hydrological cycle in arid deserts.     

实现数据库管理震源参数的探索

就如何利用数据库，结合Java、XML等手段对震源参数管理进行了一些探索，并给出了一些在一个实际系统中实现了的例子。     

Meteorological Office, Pune-411 005

Natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, tropicalcyclones, heat and cold wavewreak havoc and cause tremendous loss ofproperty all over the world. Most ofthe natural disasters are either dueto weather or are triggered due toweather related processes.Extreme weather events claimed thousands oflives and caused damage on vastscale. Recent super cyclone which affectedOrissa in 1999, Bangladesh cyclone of1970 and Hurricane Andrew in 1992 areexamples of some of the more damagingtropical cyclones which affected developingas well as the developed world. Heatand cold waves are also extreme events,which cause enormous losses in terms oflives lost and human discomfort and ailmentsarising out of them. The heat waveof 1995 and 1998 are still fresh in the mindof the Indian public. The estimated lossof human lives due to heat wave in 1998 was morethan 15,000. Economic losses asa result of these disasters and in particular inassociation with tropical cyclones haveincreased enormously over the last three decades.During 1961–1991, total loss oflives from drought alone was 1,333,728 overthe whole world. In terms of economiclosses, there is 8–10 fold increase from thebase figure of 1960. The socio-economicimpact of natural disaster is complex dependingupon the vulnerability of the placeand mitigation strategies that are put in place.Meteorology plays a crucial role in forewarningpeople about the severe/extremeweather systems and a constant endeavour by themeteorological services worldover has gone a long way towards minimizing thelosses caused by natural disasters.The paper summarises the natural disasterstatistics over south Asia and the possibleprediction strategies for combating theirsocio-economic impacts.     

Frictional heat generation and seismic radiation in a foam rubber model of earthquakes

Results from a study of stick-slip particle motion at the interface between two stressed foam rubber blocks indicate that normal vibrations and interface separation are an important part of the stick-slip process in foam rubber. The dimension of the dynamic slip pulse is small compared to the dimension of the model (approximately 10 cm vs. 200 cm) consistent with the abrupt-locking slip pulse model ofBrune (1970, 1976), andHeaton (1990). A comparison of frictional heat generation between stable-sliding and stick-slip foam rubber models indicates a linear relation between the temperature increase on the fault surface (for a given distance of slip) and the driving shear force for the stable-sliding model, while for the stick-slip model there is essentially no variation in frictional heat generation with an increase in shear stress. We performed experiments to investigate the ratio of normal motion to shear motion at different levels of normal stress in the stick-slip foam rubber model. Preliminary result indicate that the normal component of the particle motion increases more rapidly with increasing normal stress than the shear component. The phenomenon of interface separation and normal vibrations may thus explain some of the most frustrating problems in earthquake mechanics, e.g., the heat flow paradox, the long-term weakness of major active faults, and anomalousP-wave radiation.     

差分VLBI测量的一种实现方案

差分VLBI通过交替观测目标天体和参考天体,将共同的误差因素从观测量中扣除,能够实现高精度的相对定位,因而在深空探测中有重要作用。然而,差分VLBI高精度的实现要求目标天体和参考天体的角距很近,这大大限制了其应用。讨论设计了差分VLBI测量的一种实现方案,利用多颗参考源的观测内插出目标源的非几何时延修正,放宽了对目标源和参考源的角距限制。该方案在S波段对目标源非几何时延的修正精度可以达到1 ns水平。     

Geochemical Characteristics of Volcanic Rocks from ODP Site 794, Yamato Basin: Implications for Deep Mantle Processes of the Japan Sea

Deep mantle processes and the dynamic mechanism of magmatism in the Japan Sea Basin are important processes that have not been studied in detail. In this paper, systematic evaluation of basalt samples from the ocean drilling program Site 794 in the Japan Sea was performed, which included petrography, whole-rock major- and trace-element analysis, Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic composition, and electron microprobe analysis of plagioclase and clinopyroxene. These basalts belong to the tholeiitic series with porphyritic texture and massive Ca-rich plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and minor olivine phenocrysts. The basalts are characterized as flat rare earth elements and high-field-strength elements with remarkably low ratios of(La/Yb)N(0.75–2.51), significant positive anomalies of Ba, Sr, and Rb and no Eu anomaly(δEu = 0.99–1.36). The samples showed relatively high 87Sr/86Sr(0.70425–0.70522), 207Pb/204Pb(15.511–15.610), and 208Pb/204Pb(38.064–38.557) values and a low 143Nd/144 Nd ratio(0.51271–0.51295). The basalts from Site 794 can be divided into upper, middle, and lower volcanic rocks(UVR, MVR, and LVR) on the basis of their stratigraphic level. The MVR was geochemically derived from the depleted mantle, whereas the UVR and LVR originated from a nondepleted and relatively enriched mantle source with contributions from subducted Pacific plate fluid and sediments. Use of geothermobarometers indicates that the crystallization pressure for the UVR and LVR(6.25–11.19 kbar) was significantly higher than that of the MVR(3.48–5.84 kbar). The UVR and LVR may have been derived from the low-degree(5%–10%) partial melting of spinel lherzolite, while the MVR originated from a shallower mantle source with a high degree(10%–20%) of partial melting. In addition, the geochemical characteristics of the samples are consistent with a younger age(13–17 Ma) and the depleted composition of the MVR and an older age(17–23 Ma) and slightly enriched composition of the UVR and LVR. Therefore, temporal changes in the mantle source from old and enriched to young and depleted and subsequently to old and nondepleted may have been associated with progressive lithospheric extension and thinning, as well as at least two episodes of diverse asthenospheric upwelling and pull-apart tectonic motion in the Yamato Basin.     

Tides in the Tongan Region of the Pacific Ocean

Tidal levels and currents in the Tongan region of the Pacific were simulated using a two-dimensional frequency-domain finite element model. The eight major diurnal and semidiurnal tidal constituents were modeled successfully, using open boundary conditions taken from a global tidal model based on the Topex/Poseidon satellite altimeter. Comparison of model results with observations from the single tide gauge site in the area were later used to adjust the boundary conditions. The validity of omitting horizontal eddy viscosity from the finite element model was checked by running an equivalent finite difference model. The results show that although the submarine Tongan ridge does not appear to trap tidal energy, there are residual tidal currents and possible recirculations which are capable of influencing biological productivity around Tonga. The model results are reduced to a simple method for predicting tidal heights in outlying areas, based only on the tidal calendar for the capital, Nuku'alofa.     

东营凹陷下第三系深部碎屑岩储层次生孔隙垂向分布及成因分析

东营凹陷下第三系埋深大于 30 0 0 m的深部碎屑岩储层普遍发育 2～ 4个次生孔隙带 ,Φ=10 %～ 30 % ,K=0 .1× 10 - 3μm2～ 30× 10 - 3μm2 ,为中孔低渗低孔低渗油气储层。综合有机质热演化过程、成岩作用和构造断裂等分析 ,认为东营凹陷埋深大于 30 0 0m碎屑岩地层中 ,第一、二个次生孔隙带埋深在 30 0 0 m～ 390 0 m之间 ,其形成主要与有机质成熟过程释放有机酸对长石等颗粒的溶解有密切关系 ,在深大断裂附近储层同时受到大气淡水的影响 ,而深陷带包裹于暗色泥岩中的浊积砂岩的次生孔隙发育情况还与泥质岩异常压力带有关 ;第三个次生孔隙带埋深一般为 390 0 m～ 430 0 m,主要成因于粘土矿物转化造成的还原环境 ,同时受到硫酸盐热化学氧化还原反应的影响。这三个次生孔隙发育带对储集油气有效。第四个孔隙发育带埋深在 470 0 m以下 ,主要是构造成因的微裂缝 ,较难成为有效的油气储层。     

辽宁省积雪对自动气象站观测地气温差的影响

利用1971—2016年辽宁省61个气象站气温、地表温度、积雪日数和积雪深度资料,分析了积雪的保温作用及其对地气温差的影响。结果表明：更换自动站前后地表温度观测方式的差异导致地气温差显著增大,地气温差的增大程度受所在区域积雪日数、积雪深度的影响显著。在积雪期较长、积雪较厚的地区,积雪引起反照率增大,使得雪面温度降低,导致雪气温差减小,而雪的保温作用使得地气温差显著增大。因此,更换自动站前地（雪）气温差与积雪日数呈显著负相关,而更换自动站后地气温差与积雪日数呈显著正相关。各台站之间地气温差随积雪深度的变化系数差异较大,为0.045~0.858 ℃?cm^-1,在年平均积雪日数＜40 d、年平均极端积雪深度＜10 cm的区域,积雪的保温作用随积雪深度增大而显著增大;在年平均积雪日数＞40 d、年平均极端积雪深度＞10 cm的区域,10 cm以下的积雪对土壤保温作用随积雪深度增大显著,当积雪深度＞10 cm后,其保温作用随积雪深度增大的幅度明显减小。     

我国岩溶资源环境领域的创新问题

中国岩溶地区资源环境问题突出,制约着经济社会的发展。“十八大”以来国家大力推进科技创新和生态文明建设。科技创新不仅有助于解决和应对岩溶地区的资源环境问题,也将推动岩溶科学的发展,服务我国生态文明建设。今后的岩溶研究应当落实地球系统科学在岩溶学中的应用,发挥我国岩溶研究的地域优势,探索我国岩溶关键带的特征和重要过程;加强岩溶作用应对全球变化、岩溶碳汇速率和稳定性的研究,建立应对极端气候的长效机制;考虑古纬度和古气候对古岩溶形成的影响;深入探索微生物对深部碳酸盐岩岩溶形成的作用;系统梳理和总结我国第一期石漠化治理工程的经验和存在的问题,更好地指导下一步的治理工作;思考从南北方岩溶分界线的角度开展岩溶自然遗产地的申报工作;将现代大数据等技术运用到岩溶资源环境、水文地质研究中,做好地质灾害的预警预报和应对资源短缺问题的研究,服务国家需求。