Caledonian Low-Temperature Granulite-Facies Metamorphism in the West Kunlun Orogenic Belt—SHRIMP Chronological Evidence from Zircon

The West Kunlun orogenic belt is located at the conjunction of the paleo-Asian tectonic system and the Tethys tectonic system. Petrological and mineralogical studies of the Early Cambrian metamorphic surface crust in this region have shown that in case the metamorphism reached low-temperature granulate facies, the typical mineral assemblage is biotite-garnet-silimanite-K feldspar-plagioclase-quartz. The peak metamorphic temperatures are within the range of 720–740°C and the pressure is 0.6 GPa ±. Three types of metamorphic zircon have been detected in the metamorphic rocks: the complex inclusion-bearing type ; the early relic zircon inclusion-bearing type; and the inclusion-free type. SHRIMP age determination of these three types of metamorphic zircon have revealed that these zircons were formed principally during 400–460 Ma, indicating that pre-Cambrian metamorphic surface crust rocks underwent low-temperature granulite facies metamorphism during the Caledonian. In combination with the geological characteristics of this region, it is considered that when the oceanic basin was closed, there occurred intense intracontinental subduction (type A), bringing part of the Early Cambrian metamorphic basement in this region downwards to the lower crust. Meanwhile, there were accompanied with tectonic deformation at deep levels and medium- to high-grade metamorphism. This study provided important chronological and mineralogical evidence for the exploration of the evolutionary mechanism and process of the West Kunlun Early Paleozoic. Part of the results from the research project “ Research on the West Kunlun pre-Cambrian tectonic events” under the program “ Research on the important geological problems of China’ s pre-Cambrian” (No. 200113900070) sponsored by the China National Geological Surveying Bureau.     

Preliminary Rock-Slope-Susceptibility Assessment Using GIS and the SMR Classification

This paper aims to examine the impact of large-scale structuraladjustments (like the Greater Dhaka Flood Protection Project, GDFPP) on local living environment.It focuses the importance of environmental factors in flood hazard mitigation, and examines theenvironmental attitudes of the floodplain residents arising from the large-scale structural adjustments.Based on `perceived natural hazard research perspectives', this paper examines: (i) the reasons for persistentfloodplain occupation, and (ii) the importance of environmental factors in the choice, motivations and decision-makingof floodplain residents.This research used data collected from 300 households situated inthe eastern part of Dhaka. The face-to-face household survey data provided individuals' responses to a structuredquestionnaire on hazards and environment. Survey concerned urban floodplains, and looked fordata on housing, household characteristics, and residents' attitudes. Results of interview surveys wereused to: (i) explore the reasons of floodplain occupation, and (ii) residents' attitudes to tolerable levelof flood risk and willingness to accept environmental change resulting from the proposed structural embankments inthe eastern perimeter of Dhaka City, Bangladesh.Findings revealed that floodplain occupation (by theindividuals' decision-making) was a result of overall reaction to the Government's structuraladjustment policies that resulted from institutional, locational and socio-economic factors. The attitude survey results provided residents' perception to hazards and environment to be dependenton the socio-economic factors – but in a complex manner, many factors are interrelated.In addition to support for structural embankments, the study sample displayed a common concernand widespread environmental awareness. In terms of any `trade-off' between thebenefits (resources) from the embankments and costs (hazards) due to the detrimental impact on environment, the residents of Dhaka, despite some concern forsacrificing embankments for environment, tended to show a generalconsensus for embankments.     

Floodplain Residents' Preferences for Water Level Management Options in Flood Control Projects in Bangladesh

A maximum difference conjoint (MDC) model was part of a questionnaire toassess floodplain residents' preferences for the outcomes of water level managementinside an enclosed embankment system on the left bank of the Dhaleswari River, calledthe Compartmentalization Pilot Project (CPP)-Tangail. The outcomes were described as(a) varied flood depths in the rice field, (b) incidence of flooding on the courtyard andinside homes, (c) changes in floodplain and culture fisheries, and (d) varied conditionsof drainage congestion. Following a standard survey, the respondents from inside andoutside a completed section of the compartment (Cluster 1b) were shown profiles of these flood management outcomes and were asked to indicate for each profile the one most preferred and the one least preferred item. The results of the study indicated that the respondents had a clear preference for preventing flooding of their homes and courtyards and for an ideal water depth of 2 ft in the aman rice fields. At the same time, they also showed a strong concern about malfunctioning of sluices and to a lesser extent about the changes in the fish habitat. The successful application of the MDC as an approach to model tradeoffs among rural residents of Bangladesh shows that a relatively complex quantitative survey method, incorporating choice cards as pictograms, can be applied successfully even in a developing country.     

Hazard Zoning for Landslides Connected to Torrential Floods in the Jerte Valley (Spain) by using GIS Techniques

The Jerte Valley is anortheast-southwest tending graben located in the mountainous region of west central Spain (Spanish Central System). Mass movements have been a predominant shaping process on the Valley slopes during the Quaternary. Present day activity is characterized as either `first-time failure' (shallow debris slides and debris flows) or `reactivations' of pre-existing landslides deposits.A delineation of landslide hazard zoningwithin the Valley has been carried out by using the detailed documentation of a particular event (a debris slide and a sequel torrential flood, which occurred on the Jubaguerra stream gorge), and GIS techniques. The procedure has had four stages, which are: (1) the elaboration of a susceptibility map (spatial prediction) of landslides; (2) the elaboration of a map of `restricted susceptibility' in the particular case of slopes that are connected to streams and torrents (gorges); (3) the elaboration of a digital model which relates the altitude to the occurrence probability of those particular precipitation conditions which characterized the Jubaguerra event and (4) the combination of the probability model with the `restricted susceptibility map', to establish `critical zones' or areas which are more prone to the occurrence of phenomena that have same typology as this one.     

Origin and tectonic significance of a Mesozoic multi-layer over-thrust system within the Yangtze Block (South China)

In the Yangtze Block (South China), a well-developed Mesozoic thrust system extends through the Xuefeng and Wuling mountains in the southeast to the Sichuan basin in the northwest. The system comprises both thin- and thick-skinned thrust units separated by a boundary detachment fault, the Dayin fault. To the northwest, the thin-skinned belt is characterized by either chevron anticlines and box synclines to the northwest or chevron synclines to the southeast. The former structural style displays narrow exposures for the cores of anticlines and wider exposures for the cores of synclines. Thrust detachments occur along Silurian (Fs) and Lower Cambrian (Fc) strata and are dominantly associated with the anticlines. To the southeast, this style of deformation passes gradually into one characterized by chevron synclines with associated principal detachment faults along Silurian (Fs), Cambrian (Fc) and Lower Sinian (Fz) strata. There are, however, numerous secondary back thrusts. Therefore, the thin-skinned belt is like the Valley and Ridge Province of the North American Applachian Mountains. The thick-skinned belt structurally overlies the thin-skinned belt and is characterized by a number of klippen including the Xuefeng and Wuling nappes. It is thus comparable to the Blue Ridge Province of Appalachia.The structural pattern of this thrust system in South China can be explained by a model involving detachment faulting along various stratigraphic layers at different stages of its evolution. The system was developed through a northwest stepwise progression of deformation with the earliest delamination along Lower Sinian strata (Fz). Analyses of balanced geological cross-sections yield about 18.1–21% (total 88 km) shortening for the thin-skinned unit and at least this amount of shortening for the thick-skinned unit. The compressional deformation from southeast to northwest during Late Jurassic to Cretaceous time occurred after the westward progressive collision of the Yangtze Block with the North China Block and suggests that the orogenic event was intracontinental in nature.     

广西异常暴雨天气事件之异常指数初探

对广西异常暴雨天气事件之“异常指数”的设置进行了初步探讨，提出暴雨天气事件中过程日最大暴雨范围，过程持续时间，过程强降雨，特强降雨发生范围等四项异常分指数，然后统计同一过程分指数之和，得总指数，在此基础上分别选出了4－10月各月广西异常暴雨天气事件。     

2002年北半球大气环流特征及其对中国气候异常的影响

2002年春末夏初一次新的厄尔尼诺事件形成；1～12月北半球大气环流的主要特征表现为：中纬度地区纬向环流盛行，西太平洋副热带高压持续偏强偏西，我国大部地区气温偏高，降水呈南多北少分布；欧亚地区夏季500hPa位势高度距平场上，中高纬从西到东呈现为“ - ”分布形式，贝加尔湖地区为正距平中心，7月在贝加尔湖地区出现典型阻高；东亚夏季风偏强，南亚夏季风及热带对流指数偏弱；夏季赤道辐合带偏弱等。在上述大气环流的影响下，我国的天气气候发生了异常。     

华北汛期降水异常与100hPa高度场异常的关系

利用华北17站1951～2000年的逐月降水资料,与前期的100 hPa高度场(1958～1997年)求相关,找到了100 hPa高度场影响华北地区汛期降水的关键影响区为25°～35°N,85°～105°E,对应的关键影响时段为前一年3～5月.然后用SVD方法证实了前一年春季正是与华北汛期降水相关最显著的时段;而所选关键区正是处于一种范围更大的100 hPa高度场空间分布型的关键部位,而华北地区是关键区影响中国东部降水的最显著的区域之一.     

江淮流域夏季严重旱涝与大气季节内振荡

利用NCEP/NCAR的再分析资料和中国气象局国家气象中心提供的中国台站降水资料,分析研究了江淮流域大范围严重旱涝的20-70天大气季节内振荡(ISO)特征。结果表明,对应江淮流域严重涝年,200hPa青藏高原北部存在ISO气旋性环流,青藏高原南部存在ISO反气旋性环流;大气ISO流型在对流层中低层850hPa主要是我国长江以南、南海和西太平洋地区为大气ISO反气旋性环流,我国长江以北到日本地区的大气ISO气旋性环流,我国江淮流域位于这两个ISO涡旋西侧偏南气流和偏北气流的交汇处;旱年反之。利用向量经验正交展开方法得到,上述大气ISO环流型分别是旱涝年大气ISO流型的第一模态,并且涝年大气ISO流型的振幅强,旱年振幅弱。进一步分析揭示,严重洪涝(干旱)年分别对应对流层中上层江淮流域及其以北的中高纬度地区有强(弱)的大气ISO活动。中高纬度地区的大气ISO在严重洪涝年向南传播,与低纬度向北传播的大气ISO在江淮流域汇合;而在严重干旱年,虽然大气ISO可向北传播,但向南的传播却很不明显。     

长江巨洪的强信号探讨

分析了1900年以来长江3次巨洪的3个强信号：(1)太阳黑子活动，(2)厄尔尼诺事件，(3)青藏高原南部大震，它们对大气环流异常的影响分别称为日气作用、海气作用、地气作用，依据长江巨洪和3个强信号的基本事实，讨论了长江发生巨洪的统计规律，指出当3个强信号的出现时间互相重叠时，长江很可能发生巨洪，如果再叠加其它信号，长江发生巨洪的量级更大，这对长江巨洪的超长期预期具有重要的指示作用。