Vertical distribution of living mangrove foraminifera from KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Modern foraminiferal assemblage zones can be used to reconstruct palaeo sea levels when applied to fossil foraminifera down a sediment core. Previous intertidal foraminiferal studies have predominantly focused on assemblages in surface sediments (0–1 cm), with the rationale that surface assemblages reflect the modern-day environment. Foraminifera live infaunally and therefore there is a need to document the infaunal vertical distribution of living foraminifera to fully capture the modern environment. Infaunal foraminiferal populations may compositionally differ from or be similar to those in the uppermost 1 cm of a core sample, but abundance is variable vertically, making it very complex to reconstruct and interpret past sea levels. This can have implications for the choice of assemblages to use as modern analogues for past sea-level reconstructions. This study documents the vertical infaunal distribution of living foraminifera, to allow for more informed interpretations of palaeo-reconstructions in mangrove environments. The down-core vertical distribution and abundance of living foraminifera, along with grain size and organic content, were documented using sediment cores along an elevational transect. Nine taxa were recorded as living at the time of collection, six of which were restricted to the top 4 cm. The majority of these were calcareous and found in the cores situated closer to the intertidal channel. Therefore, we argue that the diversity of living calcareous and agglutinated foraminifera could be restricted by grain size, with coarser grain sizes associated with lower species diversity. The findings suggest that foraminiferal species inhabiting the top 4 cm represent deeper living foraminiferal populations. Therefore, the top 4-cm interval can be used to establish a modern training set upon which reconstructions can be based. The findings from this study will provide guidance on the use of South African mangrove environments for future sea-level reconstructions.     

利用纳米透射X射线显微成像技术研究页岩有机孔三维结构特征

页岩纳米级孔隙的三维结构特征直接决定页岩气微观渗流机理,是完善页岩储层流动模型亟需解决的核心问题。本文以龙马溪组页岩有机孔样品(直径约7μm)为研究对象,分别利用同步辐射纳米CT和实验室纳米CT重建有机孔三维空间结构,针对两个装置获得的孔隙结构参数进行对比研究,结果表明:(1)龙马溪组页岩有机孔样品呈蜂窝状,孔隙度约60%,连通性较好;孔径分布呈双峰模式,集中于60~150nm和500~1400 nm;孔径大于500 nm的孔隙对样品的总孔隙度贡献较大。(2)同步辐射纳米CT与实验室纳米CT结果相较,孔隙度和孔隙总数两参数基本一致,喉道总数和喉道半径偏差较大;孔径分布和配位数分布规律虽然类似,但具体数值存在明显差异,值得进一步深入比较分析和研究。(3)纳米CT方法在页岩纳米孔隙三维结构表征方面存在阈值划分难度大与扫描视场过小的问题,可从切片重构算法、三维数据处理、表征单元体三方面进行改进。     

Stratigraphic reconstruction of the Strzelecki Group outcrops in west Gippsland: new data on the present-day thickness and amount of erosion

The Lower Cretaceous Strzelecki Group forms the basement to the eastern part of the Gippsland Basin, but is exposed in the west and forms spectacular outcrops, especially along the coastal area between San Remo and Inverloch. The coastal area is highly faulted and lacks stratigraphic markers so matching sections in different fault blocks based only on lithology has not been possible. A combination of mapping, detailed logging, vitrinite reflectance measurements and palynology were used to determine the present-day thickness of the coastal sections and the amount of erosion that occurred during the Late Cretaceous. A total thickness of about 1500 m is inferred between Harmers Haven and Inverloch but because of the amount of faulting and probable repeated sections, the true thickness of Strzelecki Group exposed in the coastal outcrops is only about 300 m. Based on palynology and vitrinite reflectance results, the reconstructed Strzelecki Group stratigraphy has been subdivided into three distinct ‘bio-blocks’, with an eroded section estimated to range from 1.5 km (0.3–2.6 km at ±95% confidence limits) to 2.7 km (2.2–3.1 km at ±95% confidence limits).     

FDEM-flow3D: A 3D hydro-mechanical coupled model considering the pore seepage of rock matrix for simulating three-dimensional hydraulic fracturing

A hydro-mechanical coupled model that can simultaneously consider the pore seepage of a rock matrix and the fracture seepage is proposed to simulate three-dimensional hydraulic fracturing. This model appropriately takes into account the fluid leak-off into the surrounding rock matrix from the fracture. Several examples are given to validate the seepage algorithms and the coupled model. The results suggest that this model can solve problems involving pore seepage and fracture seepage through simple pure fracture seepage. Moreover, it can reproduce the fluid pressure distribution and the crack initiation and propagation and consider the fluid loss during hydraulic fracturing.     

生态水文阈值在中国沙区人工植被生态系统管理中的意义

中国北方风沙区是全球沙漠化发展和生态退化最为严重的地区之一。利用植被固沙是遏制沙化土地扩张和生态重建与恢复的主要途径,但人工植被的稳定维持是可持续性风沙治理所长期面临的挑战。作为人工植被生态系统管理的依据,对生态水文阈值的认识及界定具有重要的理论和实践意义。本文以固沙植被中人工种植的灌木和乔木（仅限东部沙区）的盖度与深层土壤水分含量互馈互调作用的长期变化为依据,基于对中国不同气候带沙区典型人工植被系统生态和水文过程的模拟,通过建立生态水文模型初步界定了不同沙区适宜于人工植被生态系统管理的生态水文阈值,对现有沙区固沙植被的生态系统管理和未来风沙区植被建设具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Crop cover reconstruction and its effects on sediment retention in the Tibetan Plateau for 1900–2000

Geographically explicit historical land use and land cover datasets are increasingly required in studies of climatic and ecological effects of human activities. In this study, using historical population data as a proxy, the provincial cropland areas of Qinghai province and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) for 1900, 1930, and 1950 were estimated. The cropland areas of Qinghai and the TAR for 1980 and 2000 were obtained from published statistical data with revisions. Using a land suitability for cultivation model, the provincial cropland areas for the 20th century were converted into crop cover datasets with a resolution of 1 × 1 km. Finally, changes of sediment retention due to crop cover change were assessed using the sediment delivery ratio module of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (In- VEST) model (version 3.3.1). There were two main results. (1) For 1950–1980 the fractional cropland area increased from 0.32% to 0.48% and land use clearly intensified in the Tibetan Plateau (TP), especially in the Yellow River–Huangshui River Valley (YHRV) and the midstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River and its two tributaries valley (YRTT). For other periods of the 20th century, stability was the main trend. (2) For 1950–1980, sediment export increased rapidly in the Minhe autonomous county of the YHRV, and in the Nianchu River and Lhasa River basins of the YRTT, which means that sediment retention clearly decreased in these regions over this period. The results of this assessment provide scientific support for conservation planning, development planning, or restoration activities.     

我国海洋法律体系的重构——以海权为中心

在反思我国现有海洋法律体系的基础上,指出海洋法律体系的构建必须着眼未来,运用评价法学的法伦理原则和理性主义的建构思路加以阐发,建立以维护和发展海权为核心的,以海洋基本法主要内容的,国家和地方海洋法律法规相结合的,国际法和国内法相衔接的多层次、立体化的现代法律体系。     

基于GATE的正电子发射断层成像仿真研究

探讨利用GATE仿真软件,来模拟正电子发射断层成像的扫描过程,并进行图像重建研究。介绍了GATE仿真过程中,若干关键参数的设置及计算方法:包括PET探测器的结构设置,被扫描物体的空间结构与活度分布设置,γ光子检测过程中探测器性能参数设置。此外,还讨论了从光子计数数据生成正弦图,以及随后的图像重建过程。作为示例,对西门子公司的Inveon小动物PET扫描仪的进行了仿真成像,成功获得了图像。     

H型钢桩作灾区地基承载桩具抗震减震性能的优势分析

地基处理好坏是建筑物是否牢固的前提,当前,国内地基处理的方式多种多样,不同的地基处理方式所涵盖的技术含量不尽相同,施工工艺不尽相同,应用领域不尽相同,用高频液压振动锤施工H型钢桩作为中小学校建筑、或其他建筑物的承载桩,可有效防止地震对建筑物地基的影响和对建筑物的破坏,从而能有效地减少人民生命财产损失。     

Glacier reconstruction and mass‐balance modelling as a geomorphic and palaeoclimatic tool

The reconstruction of former mountain glaciers has long been used to examine the implications of rapid climate shifts, for example at the last glacial–interglacial transition, and for evaluating asynchronous behaviour of mountain glaciers compared with mid‐latitude ice sheets during the Late Quaternary. Glacier reconstruction has also been used as a source of palaeoclimatic information, based on the recognition of empirical relationships between glaciers and climate. This paper reviews the application and implications of a recently revised method of glacier reconstruction (Carr and Coleman, 2007 ), based around glaciological principles of mass‐balance. This study examines how this approach can be used to test geomorphological interpretations of former mountain glaciation and also to infer precipitation fields at sites of former glaciation. Sites of Younger Dryas niche and icefield glaciation in the British Isles demonstrate how this method can verify interpretations of marginal glaciation and begin to understand the different behaviour of outlet glaciers within the same environmental regime. Examination of a site of former niche glaciation in Southern Africa demonstrates how glacier reconstruction may be used to infer annual and seasonal precipitation values and strongly supports the idea that winter precipitation in Lesotho and SE South Africa was substantially greater than present‐day values during the last glacial cycle. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.