Report of the International Astronomical Union Division I Working Group on Precession and the Ecliptic

The IAU Working Group on Precession and the Equinox looked at several solutions for replacing the precession part of the IAU 2000A precession–nutation model, which is not consistent with dynamical theory. These comparisons show that the (Capitaine et al., Astron. Astrophys., 412, 2003a) precession theory, P03, is both consistent with dynamical theory and the solution most compatible with the IAU 2000A nutation model. Thus, the working group recommends the adoption of the P03 precession theory for use with the IAU 2000A nutation. The two greatest sources of uncertainty in the precession theory are the rate of change of the Earth’s dynamical flattening, ΔJ₂, and the precession rates (i.e. the constants of integration used in deriving the precession). The combined uncertainties limit the accuracy in the precession theory to approximately 2 mas cent⁻². Given that there are difficulties with the traditional angles used to parameterize the precession, z_A, ζ_A, and θ_A, the working group has decided that the choice of parameters should be left to the user. We provide a consistent set of parameters that may be used with either the traditional rotation matrix, or those rotation matrices described in (Capitaine et al., Astron. Astrophys., 412, 2003a) and (Fukushima Astron. J., 126, 2003). We recommend that the ecliptic pole be explicitly defined by the mean orbital angular momentum vector of the Earth–Moon barycenter in the Barycentric Celestial Reference System (BCRS), and explicitly state that this definition is being used to avoid confusion with previous definitions of the ecliptic. Finally, we recommend that the terms precession of the equator and precession of the ecliptic replace the terms lunisolar precession and planetary precession, respectively.     

断层相关褶皱理论在准噶尔盆地南缘山前带构造研究的应用

利用断层相关褶皱的构造几何分析方法，对准噶尔盆地南缘山前复杂构造带内基于地震剖面进行了构造解析，搭建了中、东段的构造轮廓和构造组合样式，认为东段阜康断裂带主要表现为至地表的推覆逆掩。由于位移量大部分转移至地表，阜康断裂带的前陆部分无喜山期构造带；西段造山带内的挤压往前陆方向传递过程中以前列式不断释放其位移量，造成在纵向上呈现三排主要的断层相关褶皱带。根据正演平衡地质剖面制作技术对山前复杂构造区地震剖面反射波的构造识别进行了模拟与探讨。     

Weathering process at the natural fission reactor of Bangombé

 The uranium deposits in the basin of Franceville (Gabon) host the only natural fission reactors known in the world. Unique geological conditions favoured a natural fission reaction 2 Ga ago. This was detected by anomalous isotopic compositions of uranium and rare earth elements (REE), which are produced by the fission reaction. In total, 16 reactor zones were found. Most of them are mined out. The reactor zone of Bangombé, is only 10–11 m below the surface. This site has been influenced by surface weathering processes. Six drill cores have been sampled at the site of the reactor zone of Bangombé during the course of the study and only one drill core (BAX 08) hit the core of the reactor. From these data and previous drilling campaigns, the reactor size is estimated to be 10 cm thick, 2–3 m wide and 4–6 m long. The migration of fission products can be traced by the anomalous isotope ratios of REE because of the fission process. The ¹⁴⁹Sm/¹⁴⁷Sm ratio close to the reactor zone is only 0.28 (normal: 0.92) because of the intense neutron capture of ¹⁴⁹Sm and subsequent transmutation, whereas ¹⁴⁷Sm is enriched by the fission reaction. Similar changes in isotopic patterns are detectable on other REE. The isotope ratios of Sm and Nd of whole rock and fracture samples surrounding the reactor indicate that fission-genic REE migrated only a few decimetres above and mainly below the reactor zone. Organic matter (bitumen) seems to act as a trap for fission-genic REE. Additional REE-patterns show less intense weathering with increasing depth in the log profile and support a simple weathering model. Received: 26 November 1999 · Accepted: 2 May 2000     

在社会发展的层面上认识“数字地球”

 本文讨论了“数字地球”的有关问题。指出“数字地球”是人类社会及其活动在网络空间的延伸和拓展,是信息技术带来的社会发展趋势。关于“数字地球”的讨论不应局限在空间信息技术领域,而应该在社会发展的层面上认识它     

企鹅珍珠贝人工苗生长的初步观察

为了解企鹅珍珠贝生长规律，观察了壳高2.5～5.0mm的出池幼苗，按月测量其生长参数和成活率，以及环境因子。结果表明，企鹅珍珠贝生长最快的月份为7～11月和次年4～6月，壳长，壳高和壳宽月均增加量分别为3.8～13.0mm、4.7～11.2mm、2.3～3.8mm，月成活率97.8%～98.6%。企鹅珍珠贝生长最慢月份是11月至次年3月。     

Interpretation of aeromagnetic data across the central crystalline shield area of Nigeria

Summary. A residual map of the total magnetic field (above 25 000 nT base) is presented for a portion of the central crystalline shield area of Nigeria and overlapping small portions of the Chad basin and the Benue rift (8°30'−12° 00'lat, and 7°−10°30' long). The map (based on a dataset digitized from recently released aeromagnetic sheets of Nigeria) leads to four results. (1) A magnetic boundary, evident on the map, separates the Younger Granite complexes into two groups. The groups are petrologically different, and the boundary may be a fault line with uplift to the south. (2) South of the boundary the map is dominated by a system of sub-parallel anomalies striking NE–SW, possibly representing major tectonic trends, and a set of fractures through which the Younger Granite complexes were intruded. The trend of the system parallels the Benue rift and lineaments in the oceanic crust off West Africa. (3) Negative magnetic anomalies lie over most of the known ring complexes, and over some suspected buried ring complexes and other intrusions. (4) 2½-and 3-D modelling shows that the larger complexes extend to 12 km depth, and the smaller ones to 6 km. They have nearly vertical sides, and magnetization contrasts range from 0.3 to 0.5 A m⁻¹.     

用素土桩挤密法处理陇东湿陷性黄土地基

素土桩挤密地基由桩间挤密土和回填素土夯实的桩体组成，它是一种人工“复合地基”。其作用是通过素土桩挤密法提高地基土的密实度，从而对湿陷性黄土达到消除浅部或深部的部分或全部湿陷性的作用，并改善地基承载能力，减少地基变形。本文通过现场单桩、群桩单元体轻便触探、小环刀深层取样、开剖取样等方法对场地地基土挤密前、后干重度和压实系数进行了对比分析，判定用素土桩挤密法处理陇东湿陷性黄土地基的可行性。     

AREAL DIFFERENTIATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF OASIS AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEM IN THE SHIYANG RIVER BASIN

On the basis of the study on areal differentiation of the natural environment of oasis agriculture ecosystems in the Shiyang River Basin, this paper comparatively analyzes the natural productivities, water economic benefits, production efficiency, ecological stabilities and developmental conditions of the Wuwei Oasis agricultural ecosystem in the middle reaches of the river basin and the Minqin Oasis agricultural ecosystem in the lower reaches. Under a same management level and investment of . material and energy, primary productiveness and economic benefits of the former are higher than those of the latter. Construction directions of Wuwei and Minqin oases should be different in order to alleviate the water- use contradiction between the middle and lower reaches. The construction objective of Wuwei Oasis should be efficient irrigated farming production system and Minqin Oasis should become a mixed forestry-pastoral-farming ecosystem taking ecological protection as its major function.     

Dynamical History of the Earth–Moon System

Differential equations describing the tidal evolution of the earth's rotation and of the lunar orbital motion are presented in a simple close form. The equations differ in form for orbits fixed to the terrestrial equator and for orbits with the nodes precessing along the ecliptic due to solar perturbations. Analytical considerations show that if the contemporary lunar orbit were equatorial the evolution would develop from an unstable geosynchronous orbit of the period about 4.42 h (in the past) to a stable geosynchronous orbit of the period about 44.8 days (in the future). It is also demonstrated that at the contemporary epoch the orbital plane of the fictitious equatorial moon would be unstable in the Liapunov's sense, being asymptotically stable at early stages of the evolution. Evolution of the currently near-ecliptical lunar orbit and of the terrestrial rotation is traced backward in time by numerical integration of the evolutional equations. It is confirmed that about 1.8 billion years ago a critical phase of the evolution took place when the equatorial inclination of the moon reached small values and the moon was in a near vicinity of the earth. Before the critical epoch t _cr two types of the evolution are possible, which at present cannot be unambiguously distinguished with the help of the purely dynamical considerations. In the scenario that seems to be the most realistic from the physical point of view, the evolution also has started from a geosynchronous equatorial lunar orbit of the period 4.19 h. At t < t _cr the lunar orbit has been fixed to the precessing terrestrial equator by strong perturbations from the earth's flattening and by tidal effects; at the critical epoch the solar perturbations begin to dominate and transfer the moon to its contemporary near-ecliptical orbit which evolves now to the stable geosynchronous state. Probably this scenario is in favour of the Darwin's hypothesis about originating the moon by its separation from the earth. Too much short time scale of the evolution in this model might be enlarged if the dissipative Q factor had somewhat larger values in the past than in the present epoch. Values of the length of day and the length of month, estimated from paleontological data, are confronted with the results of the developed model.