极地冰盖物质平衡的最新进展与未来挑战

准确地探明冰盖物质平衡状况,对于研究全球变暖背景下海平面变化具有重要的意义,自IPCC AR4(政府间气候变化专门委员会第四次报告)以来,极地冰盖物质平衡的研究取得了很大进展。本文总结并对比了用卫星测高(雷达测高和激光测高)、物质收支测量和重力测量等方法得到的冰盖物质平衡评估结果,综述了冰盖数值模拟研究在预测冰盖未来的变化趋势以及由此对海平面造成的影响等方面取得的进展,并立足于中国当前的极地冰盖物质平衡研究现状,提出了该研究所面临的挑战。     

利用MODIS可见光波段反演陆地气溶胶光学厚度

利用Herold等建立的地表反射率库及MODIS遥感影像研究城市区和非城市区典型地物在可见光红蓝波段地表反射率的比值特性。在此基础上,利用MODIS 1km分辨率遥感影像红蓝可见光波段实现了气溶胶光学厚度的反演,采用卫星过境时间前后半小时北京和香河AERONET站的气溶胶光学厚度观测平均值作为验证参考。结果显示,66.67%的反演结果处于±0.05±0.15τ的误差界限内,反演算法不受地表反射率的限制,而且只利用了可见光红蓝波段,避免缺少近红外波段数据的限制。     

Influence of fines content on the anti-frost properties of coarse-grained soil

This paper aims to determine the optimal fines content of coarse-grained soil required to simultaneously achieve weaker frost susceptibility and better bearing capacity. We studied the frost susceptibility and strength properties of coarse-grained soil by means of frost heaving tests and static triaxial tests, and the results are as follows:(1) the freezing temperature of coarse-grained soil decreased gradually and then leveled off with incremental increases in the percent content of fines; (2) the fines content proved to be an important factor influencing the frost heave susceptibility and strength properties of coarse-grained soil. With incremental increases in the percent content of fines, the frost heave ratio increased gradually and the cohesion function of fines effectively enhanced the shear strength of coarse-grained soil before freeze-thaw, but the frost susceptibility of fines weakened the shear strength of coarse-grained soil after freeze-thaw; (3) with increasing numbers of freeze-thaw cycles,the shear strength of coarse-grained soil decreased and then stabilized after the ninth freeze-thaw cycle, and therefore the mechanical indexes of the ninth freeze-thaw cycle are recommended for the engineering design values; and (4) considering frost susceptibility and strength properties as a whole, the optimal fines content of 5% is recommended for railway subgrade coarse-grained soil fillings in frozen regions.     

Determination of allowable subgrade frost heave with the pavement roughness index in numerical analysis

Frost heave is an upward swelling of soil during cryogenic conditions in cold regions. It is caused by the accumulation of ice crystals in subgrade soil, which grow upwards when freezing temperatures penetrate into the subgrade. This study establishes the allowable soil subgrade frost heave based on the roughness standard of asphalt pavement in China, and aims to balance the pavement design and frost heave resistance of subgrades in cold regions. We formulated a mechanical model of pavement supported by the boundary conditions of differential frost heave, based on the elastic layered system theory. The differential soil subgrade frost heave was modeled as a sinusoidal function, and the allowable frost heave and the roughness index were modeled as the displacement boundaries for the top and bottom of the pavement structure. Then the allowable frost heave was back-calculated according to the roughness standard. Numerical results show that the allowable frost heave depends on the pavement structure, material properties, the highway grade, and other factors. In order to ensure that the actual soil subgrade frost heave is lower than the allowable frost heave, pavement structures and materials need to be selected and designed carefully. The numerical method proposed here can be applied to establish the frost heave resistance of subgrade when the pavement structure and materials are determined.     

Frost heaving in ballast railway tracks

Frost heaving is a well-known phenomenon in cold regions, which may occur in wet clayey grounds during winter. Railway track upheaval occurring in cold regions during the winter is generally understood as frost heaving in the subgrade layer. However, it has been confirmed that upheaval due to frost heaving sometimes occurs in the ballast layer. This understanding has been observed in active railways in northern Japan. The samples collected from ballast and subgrade layers have been examined for frost heave susceptibilities and confirmed that ballast layers which contain fines may heave.     

Monitoring vegetation dynamics with medium resolution MODIS-EVI time series at sub-regional scale in southern Africa

Currently there is a lack of knowledge on spatio-temporal patterns of land surface dynamics at medium spatial scale in southern Africa, even though this information is essential for better understanding of ecosystem response to climatic variability and human-induced land transformations. In this study, we analysed vegetation dynamics across a large area in southern Africa using the 14-years (2000–2013) of medium spatial resolution (250 m) MODIS-EVI time-series data. Specifically, we investigated temporal changes in the time series of key phenometrics including overall greenness, peak and timing of annual greenness over the monitoring period and study region. In order to specifically capture spatial and per pixel vegetation changes over time, we calculated trends in these phenometrics using a robust trend analysis method. The results showed that interannual vegetation dynamics followed precipitation patterns with clearly differentiated seasonality. The earliest peak greenness during 2000–2013 occurred at the end of January in the year 2000 and the latest peak greenness was observed at the mid of March in 2012. Specifically spatial patterns of long-term vegetation trends allowed mapping areas of (i) decrease or increase in overall greenness, (ii) decrease or increase of peak greenness, and (iii) shifts in timing of occurrence of peak greenness over the 14-year monitoring period. The observed vegetation decline in the study area was mainly attributed to human-induced factors. The obtained information is useful to guide selection of field sites for detailed vegetation studies and land rehabilitation interventions and serve as an input for a range of land surface models.     

滇西思茅盆地景谷地区曼岗组石英颗粒表面特征及其指示意义

石英具有硬度大和化学稳定性高的特点,其颗粒表面特征能很好的反映沉积环境,通过扫描电镜观察石英表面微细特征是判别沉积环境行之有效的方法。思茅盆地白垩系曾一度被认为是陆相水成沉积,笔者通过野外识别及室内基础研究发现,景谷地区下白垩统曼岗组具有风成沉积特征,需对该套地层开展石英颗粒表面特征的系统研究来进一步确定其沉积相,研究结果表明:研究区曼岗组石英颗粒表面具有明显的风成特征,磨圆度高,普遍发育典型的蝶形撞击坑、新月形撞击坑、毛玻璃化表面,存在沙漠漆,极易与水成特征相区别;而其较强的溶蚀作用与沉淀作用则显示了当时干旱炎热的气候条件。在风成沉积确定的基础上,笔者再结合典型沉积构造,粒度分析、岩性特征等沉积特征进行综合分析,认为研究区曼岗组应属沙漠沉积。     

热带气旋"凤凰"（2014）的结构演变及其引起的海洋响应分析

利用日本多功能运输卫星（Multi-functional Transport Satellite,简称为MTSAT-2）逐小时云顶亮温资料、Climate Prediction Center Morphing Technique（CMORPH）逐3小时降水资料及南海北部的现场观测资料,对2014年第16号热带气旋"凤凰"的结构演变和远距离洋面上的海洋响应特征进行了研究。结果表明:高空环流形势场的变化主导了"凤凰"的移动方向,调整其云系结构;"凤凰"过境期间测站处气压和气温明显下降,风速和相对湿度有所增加,并伴随有多次阵性降雨过程,最大降雨量可达174 mm/h;"凤凰"引起的强混合的热泵作用导致测站处海洋混合层冷却加深,三个站位观测到的最大海表面降温分别为0.53 ℃（站位2）、0.50 ℃（站位4）、1.18 ℃（站位5）;"凤凰"期间海表面盐度下降,且强降盐过程与降水时段具有较好的时间一致性,降水时段内,三个站位观测到的表层最大降盐量分别为0.557 psu（站位2）、0.407 psu（站位4）、0.773 psu（站位5）。      

Last Glacial Maximum Sea Surface Temperatures: A Model-Data Comparison

In this study,the authors investigated changes in Last Glacial Maximum(LGM)sea surface temperature(SST)simulated by the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project(PMIP)multimodels and reconstructed by the Multiproxy Approach for the Reconstruction of the Glacial Ocean Surface(MARGO)project,focusing on model-data comparison.The results showed that the PMIP models produced greater ocean cooling in the North Pacific and Tropical Ocean than the MARGO,particularly in the northwestern Pacific,where the modeldata mismatch was larger.All the models failed to capture the anomalous east-west SST gradient in the North Atlantic.In addition,large discrepancies among the models were observed in the mid-latitude ocean,particularly with models in the second phase of the PMIP.Although these models showed better agreement with the MARGO,the latest models in the third phase of the PMIP did not show substantial progresses in simulating LGM ocean surface conditions.That is,improvements in the modeling community are still needed to describe SST for a better understanding of climate during the LGM.