Palynology of Upper Cretaceous (uppermost Campanian–Maastrichtian) deposits in the South Yellow Sea Basin, offshore Korea

Forty-seven samples from Upper Cretaceous sections penetrated by the Kachi-1 and Inga-1 wells in the South Yellow Sea Basin have been analysed for their spore and pollen content. Thirty-five species of 18 spore genera and 54 species of 28 pollen genera are documented. One new monotypic genus, Diporocolpopollenites, and its type species, D. kachiensis sp. nov., are erected, and Dilwynites Harris, 1965, and its type species, D. granulatus Harris, 1965, are emended. There are also three new combinations: Ephedripites eocaenicus (Selling, 1944), E. praeclarus (Chlonova, 1961), and Retitricolpites anguloluminosus (Anderson, 1960). Two palynological zones are erected: anAquilapollenites attenuatus Assemblage Zone, which encompasses deposits that are considered to be latest Campanian–Early Maastrichtian in age, and an Aquilapollenites eurypteronus Assemblage Zone for sections that have been dated as Late Maastrichtian. The assemblages are typical of the Yenisey-Amur Subprovince of the Aquilapollenites (floral) Province. Lowland floodplain to shallow, commonly mesotrophic, lacustrine environments of deposition are indicated. The climate was probably wet subtropical, with rainfall being somewhat higher during the Late Maastrichtian than through the latest Campanian–Early Maastrichtian.     

An Early Cretaceous age for the Rajmahal traps, Panagarh area, West Bengal: palynological evidence

The discovery of traps in the subsurface Mesozoic succession of the Panagarh area, West Bengal, has drawn attention to their correlation with the traps in the Rajmahal Basin, Bihar. The objective of this paper is to assess the palynological dating of the intertrappean beds with the help of sequential first appearances of the stratigraphically important spore species Cicatricosisporites australiensis, Aquitriradites spinulosus, and Foraminisporis wonthaggiensis. C. australiensis, along with the first appearance of A. spinulosus, denotes the earliest Berriasian. This association is significant for recognition of the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. The lowest occurrence of F. wonthaggiensis indicates deposits of Berriasian–Valanginian age. The data on which these observations are based have been obtained from the intertrappean beds of the Rajmahal Formation in six boreholes: PGD-1A, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9A. Further palynological studies on boreholes PGD-4, 8 and 9A have indicated the approximate time-span for the duration of volcanic activity in the Panagarh area. This seems to have been initiated in the early Berriasian and continued into the Hauterivian, which is earlier than the volcanism associated with the Rajmahal traps in the Rajmahal Basin.     

Fire and Vegetation History from the Coastal Rain Forest of the Western Oregon Coast Range

High-resolution charcoal and pollen analyses were used to reconstruct a 4600-yr-long history of fire and vegetation near Taylor Lake in the wettest forests of coastal Oregon. Today, fires in these forests are rare because the season of ignition does not coincide with months of dry fuels. From ca. 4600 to 2700 cal yr B.P. fire episodes occurred at intervals of 140±30 yr while forest vegetation was dominated by disturbance-adapted taxa such as Alnus rubra. From ca. 2700 cal yr B.P. to the present, fire episodes have become less common, occurring at intervals of 240±30 yr, and fire-sensitive forest taxa, such as Tsuga heterophylla and Picea sitchensis, have become more prominent. Fire occurrence during the mid-Holocene was similar to that of the more xeric forests in the eastern Coast Range and suggests that summer drought was widespread. After ca. 2700 cal yr B.P., a decrease in fire episode frequency suggests that cooler conditions and possibly increased summer fog allowed the establishment of present-day Picea sitchensis forests within the watershed. These results provide evidence that fire has been an important disturbance agent in the Coast Range of Oregon, and variations in fire frequency and climate have led to the establishment of present-day forests.     

Paleolimnological evidence for increased landslide activity due to forest clearing and land-use since 3600 cal BP in the western Swiss Alps

Schwarzsee is located in the western Swiss Alps, in a region that has been affected by numerous landslides during the Holocene, as evidenced by geological surveys. Lacustrine sediments were cored to a depth of 13 m. The vegetation history of the lake's catchment was reconstructed and investigated to identify possible impacts on slope stability. The pollen analyses record development of forest cover during the middle and late Holocene, and provide strong evidence for regional anthropogenic influence such as forest clearing and agricultural activity. Vegetation change is characterized by continuous landscape denudation that begins at ca. 4300 cal. yrs BP, with five distinct pulses of increased deforestation, at 3650, 2700, 1500, 900, and 450 cal. yrs BP. Each pulse can be attributed to increased human impact, recorded by the appearance or increase of specific anthropogenic indicator plant taxa. These periods of intensified deforestation also appear to be correlated with increased landslide activity in the lake's catchment and increased turbidite frequency in the sediment record. Therefore, this study gives new evidence for a strong influence of vegetation changes on slope stability during the middle and late Holocene in the western Swiss Alps, and may be used as a case study for anthropogenically induced landslide activity.     

Hedonic Estimates of Lodging Rates in the Four Corners Region

In many industries, insufficient attention has been given to how location affects prices. One such industry is lodging. This article examines room rates for budget hotels and motels in four southwestern U.S. states during 1998. Using hedonic analysis, published prices are estimated for nearly 600 establishments belonging to six national chains. OLS regression uncovers how site attributes (pools, spas, and complimentary breakfasts) and situation attributes (temperature, interstate location, and specialization of the local economy) affect room rates. Prices for overnight stays during summer and winter seasons are examined. Differential effects of site and situation attributes on price heterogeneity are discussed.     

基于栅格累加法的塔里木盆地沙漠化分析

土地沙漠化是当今全球最严峻的环境问题之一,也是我国西北干旱区面临的主要生态环境问题。开展土地沙漠化动态研究有助于沙漠化灾害防治与国土资源空间开发。以2000-2018年MODIS-NDVI 1 km月数据为基础,运用栅格累加法与转移矩阵法对塔里木盆地土地沙漠化的变化速率、空间特征及其成因进行探索分析,结果表明:(1)土地沙漠化是一个具有年际波动和累积效应的动态变化过程;(2)栅格累加法具有较强的连续动态分析能力,能准确分析土地沙漠化变化速率、演变趋势、变化的空间特征,可以定量分析土地沙漠化原因;(3)塔里木盆地沙漠化退化主要是草地的退化,沙漠化改善则主要是林地和耕地的改善;(4)2000-2018年,塔里木盆地土地沙漠化整体呈极重度沙漠化逐级向非沙漠化变化的改善趋势,转移路径为:极重度沙漠化→重度沙漠化→中度沙漠化→轻度沙漠化→非沙漠化,改善区主要分布在绿洲区,恶化区主要在塔里木河中游与车尔臣河下游,土地沙漠化成因主要为人类活动。此文研究方法为土地沙漠化动态监测提供了一种新思路,其研究结果可为塔里木盆地国土资源开发和沙漠化治理提供理论依据。     

塔里木盆地阿克库勒凸起于奇地区哈拉哈塘组油气成藏机制

于奇地区是塔里木盆地塔河油区外围重要的油气勘探地区。研究结果表明:区内哈拉哈塘组油源主要来自阿克库勒凸起南部寒武系—下奥陶统烃源岩,油源充足,具有一定的勘探潜力;原油总体具有油质较轻、含硫量较低但含蜡量较高的特点;天然气属于典型的伴生气;圈闭类型主要为低幅度的构造圈闭,油气分布主要受低幅度背斜和断层所控制;区内储层至少发生了3次油气注入成藏期,即侏罗纪—白垩纪、古近纪古新世晚期—始新世和古近纪渐新世早期—新近纪中新世;成藏机制可归结为油气多期充注和多期次生成藏,燕山期为圈闭的形成与油气藏初步建立阶段,喜山期为圈闭的定型与油气藏重建阶段,成藏模式为它源-双向排烃-多期次生成藏或古生新储-双向排烃-多期次生成藏。     

Hydrocarbon Accumulation Mechanism of Sinian Reservoir in Anpingdian-Gaoshiti Structure,Middle Sichuan Basin

The Sinian reservior in Anpingdian (安平店)-Gaoshiti (高石梯) structure,Middle Sichuan (四川) basin,is of great importance to prospect for oil and gas.This article dissects the hydrocarbon accumulation mechanism of this area on the basis of comprehensive methods of organic geochemistry,fluid inclusion,modeling of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion from source rocks,and by combining structure evolutions and analyzing the key geologic features of hydrocarbon origin and trap.According to the fluid inclusion homogenization temperature analysis,there exist at least three stages of fluid charging in the Sinian reservoir.From Middle-Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous,oil cracked to gas gradually owing to high temperature at 200-220 ℃.The Sinian gas pool was mainly formed at the stage when natural gas in trap was released from water and paleo-gas pools were being adjusted.It was a process in which natural gas dissipated,transferred,and redistributed,and which resulted in the present remnant gas pool in Anpindian-Gaositi tectonic belt.The authors resumed such an evolution process of Sinian reservoir as from paleo-oil pools to paleo-gas pools,and till today's adjusted and reconstructed gas pools.     

塔里木盆地中央隆起带下奥陶统构造调整定量研究及其对油气成藏的影响

构造调整对油气藏起着重要的控制作用。采用定量方法研究构造调整强度及其对油气形成与调整的影响是对成藏研究定量化的有益探索。下奥陶统地层是塔里木中央隆起带的重要储层,具有统一的原始构造和沉积环境,而后期构造调整相差巨大,最终形成了塔中和巴楚地区在成藏及含油气性上的巨大差别,塔中为加里东晚期形成的古隆起,后期构造稳定,变动小;巴楚隆起经历了多期的构造变革和改造,一直到喜山期才最终定型。构造调整控制了烃源岩的发育和油气运移的方向,制约着油气藏的形成与改造,并最终决定了油气藏在时空上的分布。塔中隆起从加里东期开始到喜山期发生继承性成藏,油气兼聚,圈闭的发育制约油气藏的发现;巴楚则多为晚期成藏,聚气为主,喜山期形成的气藏是巴楚地区勘探的首选目标。     

Near-bed mass flux profiles in aeolian sand transport: high-resolution measurements in a wind tunnel

Vertical profiles of the streamwise mass flux of blown sand in the near-bed (< 17 mm) region are analysed from high-resolution measurements made using an optical sensor in a wind tunnel. This analysis is complemented by detailed measurements of mass flux and mean velocity profiles throughout the boundary layer depth (0·17 m) using passive, chambered sand traps of small dimensions and armoured thermal anemometers, respectively. The data permit a preliminary analysis of the relations between the observed forms of the profiles of near-bed fluid stress and horizontal mass flux within a carefully conditioned boundary layer. Profiles of mass flux density are found to be characterized by three regions of differing gradient with transitions at about 2 mm and 19 mm above the bed. The exponential decay of mass flux with height is confirmed for elevations above 19 mm, and when plotted as a function of u_*²/g (a parameter of mean vertical trajectory height in saltation), the gradient of mass flux in this region scales with the wake-corrected friction velocity (u), where u > 0·30 m s⁻¹. A separate near-bed region of more intense transport below 19 mm is identified which carries 80 per cent of the total mass flux. This region is evident in some previous field and wind tunnel data but not in profiles simulated by numerical models. Ventilated passive sand traps underestimate mass flux in this region by 37 per cent. At slow or moderate wind speeds a third significant region below 2 mm is observed. These regions are likely to be related to grain populations in successive saltation, low-energy ejections and intermittent bed contact, respectively. Optical measurements reveal locally high grain concentrations at some elevations below 5 mm; these heights scale with transport rate, mass flux gradient and wind speed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.