Dynamic processes of a simple linear dune—a study in the Taklimakan Sand Sea, China

Samples of dune sands, surveys of the morphology and field measurements of wind velocity and direction of a simple linear dune in Taklimakan Sand Sea show that the airflow and sand flux vary with the change of wind direction on the dune surface. Decrease of the airflow stress on the lee flank does not result in much decrease of the sand flux because of the low threshold shear velocities and the airflow conditions. There are no significant relations between the sand flux on the lee flank and the angle of incidence of the airflow. The low threshold shear velocities and the maintenance of the sand flux at the lee flank are the main mechanisms keeping the linear shape of the dunes. Measurements of the sand flux shows that it reaches a maximum on the crest of the dune. The grain size of the transported sands has some differences compared to that of the dune surface. The sands transported are finer than that on the dune surface, but better sorted under the influence of the medium to low wind activity. The field experiment results exhibit that it is possible for the dunes to be shaped as linear dunes during the processes of accumulation and elongation.     

Mapping and assessing crop diversity in the irrigated Fergana Valley,Uzbekistan

Crop diversity (e.g. the number of agricultural crop types and the level of evenness in area distribution) in the agricultural systems of arid Central Asia has recently been increased mainly to achieve food security of the rural population, however, not throughout the irrigation system. Site-specific factors that promote or hamper crop diversification after the dissolvent of the Soviet Union have hardly been assessed yet. While tapping the potential of remote sensing, the objective was to map and explain spatial patterns of current crop diversity by the example of the irrigated agricultural landscapes of the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan. Multi-temporal Landsat and RapidEye satellite data formed the basis for creating annual and multi-annual crop maps for 2010–2012 while using supervised classifications. Applying the Simpson index of diversity (SID) to circular buffers with radii of 1.5 and 5 km elucidated the spatial distribution of crop diversity at both the local and landscape spatial scales. A variable importance analysis, rooted in the conditional forest algorithm, investigated potential environmental and socio-economic drivers of the spatial patterns of crop diversity. Overall accuracy of the annual crop maps ranged from 0.84 to 0.86 whilst the SID varied between 0.1 and 0.85. The findings confirmed the existence of areas under monocultures as well as of crop diverse patches. Higher crop diversity occurred in the more distal parts of the irrigation system and sparsely settled areas, especially due to orchards. In contrast, in water-secure and densely settled areas, cotton-wheat rotations dominated due to the state interventions in crop cultivation. Distances to irrigation infrastructure, settlements and the road network influenced crop diversity the most. Spatial explicit information on crop diversity per se has the potential to support policymaking and spatial planning towards crop diversification. Driver analysis as exemplified at the study region in Uzbekistan can help reaching the declared policy to increase crop diversity throughout the country and even beyond.     

全球气候变化下南海诸岛保护优先区识别分析

全球变化下,珊瑚礁保护区是保护生物多样性、增强珊瑚礁对气候变暖抵抗力的有效方式,而维持珊瑚礁弹性是其核心内容。针对珊瑚礁最具有威胁性的热压力因子,基于南海1982—2009年卫星观测海表面温度（SST）数据和CMIP5加拿大地球系统模式CanESM2模型预估的2006—2100年南海SST数据构建热压力强度模型,从维持珊瑚礁弹性的角度识别IPCC RCP 4.5和RCP 8.5情景下南海诸岛保护优先区。结果表明：RCP 4.5和RCP 8.5情景下13%左右的南海诸岛珊瑚礁识别为保护优先区。根据热压力强度与珊瑚抵抗力及避难所关系,西沙群岛七连屿和晋卿岛近年观测与未来预估的热压力强度均比较低,在保障其服务功能的基础上建议实施完全保护;东沙群岛东沙环礁和中沙环礁排洪滩近年观测急性热压力强度较高但未来预估热压力强度较低,建议实施50%禁止利用保护;中沙群岛黄岩岛近年观测和未来预估的急性热压力强度均比较低,建议实施50%多用途保护。南沙群岛有14%左右的珊瑚礁识别为保护优先区,根据其热压力强度可实施30%~100%禁止利用保护或30%~50%多用途保护。RCP 4.5和RCP 8.5情景下的南海诸岛保护优先区及保护对策,可为维持珊瑚礁生态弹性及应对全球气候变化提供重要的参考价值。     

The eastern extent of the Barents–Kara ice sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum based on seismic-reflection data from the eastern Kara Sea

We present sub-bottom profiling (sparker and Parasound) results from the eastern Kara Sea, on the Eurasian Arctic margin, which enable the identification of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice extent. The analysed profiles show that glacigenic diamicton is ubiquitous at the seafloor, east of about 95°E and 78°N. The eastern margin of this diamicton is expressed in a conspicuous morainic ridge at the entrance to the Vilkitsky Strait, and to the south the diamicton projection aligns with the LGM limit mapped at the north-western Taymyr. The bottom of the Voronin Trough further north is also covered with diamicton and has numerous erosional bedforms, indicating a streamlined flow of grounded ice along the trough. Accurate dating of the diamicton is not attainable, but the correlation of pre-diamict sediments to well-dated sections in the Laptev Sea, and available ¹⁴C ages from sediments on top of the diamicton, indicate its LGM age. These results support the palaeogeographic reconstruction that assumes the extension of the LGM Barents–Kara ice sheet as far east as Taymyr. This configuration implies that LGM ice blocked the drainage of the Ob and Yenisey rivers on the Kara shelf. This inference is consistent with the presence of large (>100 km wide) lenses of basin infill adjacent to the southern margin of the diamicton. However, the limited distribution of the eastern Kara ice lobe, not extending on Severnaya Zemlya, suggests that the ice was fairly thin and short-lived: insufficient for the accumulation of the gigantic proglacial lakes that occurred during earlier glaciations.     

A conjugate strike-slip fault system within the extensional tectonics of Western Turkey

Three main shocks M-1, M-2 and M-3 (17 October 2005 at 05:45 UTC, M _w 5.4; 17 October at 09:46 UTC, M _w 5.8 and 20 October at 21:40 UTC, M _w 5.9) and their associated aftershocks within the Gulf of S i ğac i k, 50 km southwest of Izmir, Turkey were studied in detail. A temporary seismic network deployed during the activity allowed the hypocentre of M-3 and subsequent aftershocks to be determined with high accuracy. A relative relocation technique was used to improve the epicentres of M-1 and M-2. All three main shocks have strike-slip mechanisms which agree with the linear trends of the aftershock locations. Two distinct zones were illuminated by the aftershock locations. The zones contain clear echelon patterns with slightly different orientations from the trend of the aftershock distribution. M-2 and M-3 ruptured along of the eastern rupture zone which aligns N45°E. However the strike direction of M-1 is not clearly identified. The alignment of the two rupture zones intersect at their southern terminus at an angle of 90°. The fault zones form conjugate pair system and static triggering is considered as a probable mechanism for the sequential west to east occurrence of M-1, M-2 and M-3. This earthquake sequence provides seismological evidence for conjugate strike-slip faulting co-existing within a region dominated by north–south extension and well-developed east–west trending normal faults.     

巴丹吉林沙漠南缘的植物固沙问题

在野外考察的基础上,选择13个典型样地,研究了巴丹吉林沙漠南缘植被组成、群落特征和植被格局。结果表明：调查的样地中有荒漠植物31种,其中灌木12种,多年生草本11种,一二年生草本8种。种群密度3 000—14 000株·hm^-2,优势种在群落中地位显著,群落稳定性较差;植被斑块面积小、最大斑块指数低。沙漠南缘年降水量虽然仅100 mm左右,但有霸王（Zygophyllum xanthoxylon）、红砂（Reaumuria soongarica）和沙蒿（Artemisia desertorum）等灌木和半灌木天然植物群落分布,有白刺（Nitraria tangutorum）和膜果麻黄（Ephedra przewalskii）灌丛沙堆,沙丘上生长着沙拐枣（Calligonum mongolicum）、沙鞭（Psammochloa villosa）等种群生存,且在沙漠延伸带流动沙丘上已成功建立了梭梭（Haloxylon ammodendron）人工固沙植被,表明在巴丹吉林沙漠南缘建立以乡土植物为主的固沙植被是可行的。在未来研究中,应在山水林田湖草沙生命共同体理念下加强从区域尺度上解析水、植被和沙的关系,系统了解生态系统的原真性、完整性和连通性及生态系统稳定性维持等问题,优化生态景观格局,确定生态保护目标和建设规模,同时要加强对乡土植物适应干旱风沙机制和扩繁保育技术研究,以便为区域生态建设和生态保护提供科技支撑。     

Analyses of organic and inorganic contaminants in Salton Sea fish

Chemical contamination of fish from the Salton Sea, a quasi-marine lake in Southern California, could adversely impact millions of birds using the Pacific Flyway and thousands of humans using the lake for recreation. Bairdiella icistia (bairdiella), Cynoscion xanthulus (orangemouth corvina), and Oreochromis spp. (tilapia) were sampled from two river mouths and two nearshore areas of the Salton Sea. Muscle tissues were analyzed for a complete suite of 14 trace metals and 53 pesticides. Fish muscle tissues had concentrations of selenium ranging between 1.89 and 2.73 microg/g wet weight. 4,4'-DDE accounted for 94% of the total DDT metabolites. Total DDTs ranged between 17.1 and 239.0 and total PCBs between 2.5 and 18.6 ng/g wet weight. PCB congeners 132, 138, 153, 168, and 180 comprised over 50% of the total PCBs. Given the potential implementation of a commercial fishing at the Salton Sea in the future, the presence of persistent organic pollutants and selenium warrants further research into the effects of these mixtures on fish populations, and on wildlife and humans consuming fish.     

南极威德尔海周边雪冰和大气气溶胶中的MSA,nssSO_4~(2-)浓度及其比率研究

分析了威德尔海周边雪冰和大气中ＭＳＡ和ｎｓｓＳＯ２－４浓度资料。结果表明,威德尔海是造成这一地区大气中高含量生物硫化物的“源”,其周边岛屿及冰架表层雪冰记载和反映了大气中生物硫化物的空间分布和季节变化特点。源区产出硫化物的强度存在显著差异：靠近南极半岛一侧高于靠近Ｆｉｌｃｈｎｅｒ－Ｒｏｎｎｅ冰架一侧。尽管诸多因素对输运和沉降过程发生影响,表层积雪ＭＳＡ和ｎｓＳＯ２－４浓度仍呈现出很有规律性的空间分布：随沉降地点离海距离和海拔高度的增加,浓度值递减;但在一定海拔之下,“高程效应”不显著。冰芯中ＭＳＡ浓度垂向分布显示出季节分配“滞后”现象,在表层表现为受天气条件制约的输运过程造成的相位差,在深层则归因于有待验证的“迁移”机制作用的结果。大气和雪冰样品对比研究结果表明,在类似威德尔海这样的高纬地区,大气中的ＳＯ２－４和ＭＳＡ“信号”在雪冰样品中会遭到不同程度的减弱。但就空间变化趋势和季节分布而言,表层雪冰仍是大气中组分（在本文是ＳＯ２－４和ＭＳＡ）的良好载体。十分接近的大气和雪冰ＭＳＡ对ｎｓｓＳＯ２－４（或ＳＯ２－４）比率证实,这两种大气组分在由大气洗净和沉降到冰雪过程中只发生微弱的分离作用。这也就是大气和雪冰中     

模型预测多次波衰减技术及其在莺歌海地区的应用

莺歌海盆地是中国海域新生代主要含油气盆地之一。盆地内超压沉积现象分布广泛,超温超压现象普遍。由于超温超压现象的存在,导致其多次波与有效波在速度上更接近,衰减难度更大。通过合理利用基于波动理论的多次波建模方法并组合其他方法有效衰减了浅水多次波。莺歌海地区的应用实例证明了该方法的有效性,不仅较好地衰减了多次波,提高资料信噪比,同时提高了地震数据的分辨率,改善了资料的波组特征。