Erosions on the southern Tibetan Plateau: Evidence from in-situ cosmogenic nuclides 10Be and 26Al in fluvial sediments

Investigating topographic and climatic controls on erosion at variable spatial and temporal scales is essential to our understanding of the topographic evolution of the orogen.In this work,we quantified millennial-scale erosion rates deduced from cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al concentrations in 15 fluvial sediments from the mainstream and major tributaries of the Yarlung Zangbo River draining the southern Tibetan Plateau (TP).The measured ratios of 26Al/10Be range from 6.33 ± 0.29 to 8.96 ± 0.37,suggesting steady-state erosion processes.The resulted erosion rates vary from 20.60 ± 1.79 to 154.00 ± 13.60 m Myr-1,being spatially low in the upstream areas of the Gyaca knickpoint and high in the downstream areas.By examining the relationships between the erosion rate and topographic or climatic indices,we found that both topography and climate play significant roles in the erosion process for basins in the upstream areas of the Gyaca knickpoint.However,topography dominantly controls the erosion processes in the downstream areas of the Gyaca knickpoint,whereas variations in precipitation have only a second-order control.The marginal Himalayas and the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin (YZRB) yielded significantly higher erosion rates than the central plateau,which indicated that the landscape of the central plateau surface is remarkably stable and is being intensively consumed at its boundaries through river headward erosion.In addition,our 10Be erosion rates are comparable to present-day hydrologic erosion rates in most cases,suggesting either weak human activities or long-term steady-state erosion in this area.     

Seasonal rainfall–runoff relationships in a lowland forested watershed in the southeastern USA

Hydrological processes of lowland watersheds of the southern USA are not well understood compared to a hilly landscape due to their unique topography, soil compositions, and climate. This study describes the seasonal relationships between rainfall patterns and runoff (sum of storm flow and base flow) using 13 years (1964–1976) of rainfall and stream flow data for a low‐gradient, third‐order forested watershed. It was hypothesized that runoff–rainfall ratios (R/P) are smaller during the dry periods (summer and fall) and greater during the wet periods (winter and spring). We found a large seasonal variability in event R/P potentially due to differences in forest evapotranspiration that affected seasonal soil moisture conditions. Linear regression analysis results revealed a significant relationship between rainfall and runoff for wet (r² = 0·68; p < 0·01) and dry (r² = 0·19; p = 0·02) periods. Rainfall‐runoff relationships based on a 5‐day antecedent precipitation index (API) showed significant (r² = 0·39; p < 0·01) correspondence for wet but not (r² = 0·02; p = 0·56) for dry conditions. The same was true for rainfall‐runoff relationships based on 30‐day API (r² = 0·39; p < 0·01 for wet and r² = 0·00; p = 0·79 for dry). Stepwise regression analyses suggested that runoff was controlled mainly by rainfall amount and initial soil moisture conditions as represented by the initial flow rate of a storm event. Mean event R/P were higher for the wet period (R/P = 0·33), and the wet antecedent soil moisture condition based on 5‐day (R/P = 0·25) and 30‐day (R/P = 0·26) prior API than those for the dry period conditions. This study suggests that soil water status, i.e. antecedent soil moisture and groundwater table level, is important besides the rainfall to seasonal runoff generation in the coastal plain region with shallow soil argillic horizons. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling the impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed,Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Tile drainage influences infiltration and surface runoff and is thus an important factor in the erosion process. Tile drainage reduces surface runoff, but questions abound on its influence on sediment transport through its dense network and into the stream network. The impact of subsurface tiling on upland erosion rates in the Le Sueur River watershed, USA, was assessed using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model. Six different scenarios of tile drainage with varying drainage coefficient and management type (no till and autumn mulch-till) were evaluated. The mean annual surface runoff depth, soil loss rate and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) for croplands, based on a 30-year simulation for the watershed with untiled autumn mulch-till (Scenario 1), were estimated to be 83.5 mm, 0.27 kg/m² and 86.7%, respectively; on no-till management systems (Scenario 4), the respective results were 72.3 mm, 0.06 kg/m² and 88.2%. Tile drains reduced surface runoff, soil loss and SDR estimates for Scenario 1 by, on average, 14.5, 8.1 and 7.9%, respectively; and for Scenario 4 by an estimated 31.5, 22.1 and 20.2%, respectively. The impact of tile drains on surface runoff, soil loss and SDR was greater under the no-till management system than under the autumn mulch-till management system. Comparison of WEPP outputs with those of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) showed differences between the two methods.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Maalim, F.K. and Melesse. A.M., 2013. Modelling impacts of subsurface drainage on surface runoff and sediment yield in the Le Sueur Watershed in Minnesota, USA. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 570–586.     

A model of regional fluid flow: Sand concentration factors and effective lateral and vertical permeabilities

Permeabilities of sand and shale differ by five to seven orders of magnitude. In the depositional pattern characteristic of the Gulf Coast, lenticular sand bodies occur randomly dispersed within a shale matrix, even though they can be grouped into stratigraphic sequences, contributing to net permeability of the sand-shale system and thus facilitating upward flow of pore water. In addition, a substantial lateral flow develops as fluid flow is directed toward sand bodies, thus concentrating fluid from a wide source area into sand bodies of limited lateral and vertical extent. Calculations reported here determine the effect of randomly distributed sands on both vertical and lateral permeabilities of composite sandshale systems. Effective permeabilities depend only on mean sand percent and local variance about the mean, because the effects of sand body shapes and their orientation and dip are not incorporated in the analysis. Results indicate that at a mean sand percentage of 20–50% a large lateral migration of fluid flow develops as sand bodies attract flow from a region two to seven times the radius of the sand body itself. For a mean sand percentage in excess of 50–60%, large vertical migration results and thus hydrocarbon trapping should not be expected for sand percentages in excess of 50–60%. Results of these calculations are in accord with observations that most larger oil accumulations on the Gulf Coast are found in regions having sandiness between about 20 and 50%.     

大质量年轻星体新的C18O(1-0)发射

利用紫金山天文台青海观测站13.7米的毫米波望远镜对74个大质量年轻星体或候选进行了C^18O(1-0)的谱线观测。在63个源中观测到了C^18O(1-0)发射，其中57个天体第一次探测到C^18O(1-0)谱线发射。根据谱线辐射温度（TR^*)和半宽（△V），利用LTE方法计算了每个测量源的C^18O(1-0)发射的光学厚度和C^18O(1-0)分子的柱密度。讨论了^13CO(1-0)和C^18O(1-0)的谱线强度比和积分强度比。     

非饱和土地基中复合多层波阻板对S波的隔离效应

基于弹性波在非饱和多孔介质与单相弹性介质中的传播理论,考虑在非饱和土地基中设置一定厚度的复合多层波阻板（复合多层波阻板以3层为例）,利用Helmholtz矢量分解定理,推导了非饱和土地基中S波通过复合多层波阻板的透射、反射振幅比的解析解。通过数值算例,分析了层间波阻板剪切模量和密度等物理力学参数对非饱和土地基中S波通过复合多层波阻板时传播特性的影响规律。结果表明：复合多层波阻板中层间波阻板材料的剪切模量和密度对透反射系数影响显著。复合多层波阻板是一种有效的隔振屏障,严格控制层间波阻板的剪切模量和密度可以获得最佳隔振效果,这为复合多层波阻板在地基振动控制领域中的应用提供理论指导。     

常州市地下水化学特征与成因分析

常州市是长江三角洲地区典型的工业化城市,多年来的快速发展对地下水环境产生了系列影响,地下水化学组分受到天然条件和人为活动的双重因素控制,现状地下水化学成因和影响因素亟需深入研究。本文在地下水赋存条件分析的基础上,综合采用统计分析、离子比值、主成分分析法对常州各层地下水化学特征和成因开展分析。结果表明,区域潜水水化学类型以HCO₃^-—Ca²⁺·Mg²⁺、HCO₃^-—Ca²⁺和HCO₃^-·Cl^-—Na⁺·Ca²⁺型为主,第Ⅰ承压水以HCO₃^-—Na⁺·Ca²⁺和HCO₃^-—Ca²⁺型为主、第Ⅱ承压水以HCO₃^-—Na⁺     

2022年1月8日青海门源6.9级地震的震源区结构特征和b值意义初探

2022年1月8日1时45分青海省门源县发生M_S6.9地震.本文基于青藏高原东北缘水平分辨率为0.3°的地震层析成像结果,获取了震源周边区域的地壳浅部构造信息,包括波速、泊松比以及估计的裂隙密度和饱和率的空间分布.结果表明:此次门源M_S6.9地震发生在P波和S波波速剧烈变化的区域,靠近高速体的边缘.泊松比和饱和率同样都显示,门源M_S6.9地震发生在高低值变化的过渡区.地震活动参数分析显示,震前冷龙岭断裂带的震源周边区域显示出了低b值、较低的a值和高a/b值的特征,与龙门山—岷山构造带强震之前的情况类似.裂隙密度在冷龙岭断裂两侧呈现出显著差异,北侧高于南侧,这可能是震后现场科考发现的断裂带地表破裂北侧高于南侧的构造成因.