Functioning of intertidal flats inferred from temporal and spatial dynamics of O<Subscript>2</Subscript>, H<Subscript>2</Subscript>S and pH in their surface sediment

In this article, we describe the dynamics of pH, O₂ and H₂S in the top 5–10 cm of an intertidal flat consisting of permeable sand. These dynamics were measured at the low water line and higher up the flat and during several seasons. Together with pore water nutrient data, the dynamics confirm that two types of transport act as driving forces for the cycling of elements (Billerbeck et al. 2006b): Fast surface dynamics of pore water chemistry occur only during inundation. Thus, they must be driven by hydraulics (tidal and wave action) and are highly dependent on weather conditions. This was demonstrated clearly by quick variation in oxygen penetration depth: Seeps are active at low tide only, indicating that the pore water flow in them is driven by a pressure head developing at low tide. The seeps are fed by slow transport of pore water over long distances in the deeper sediment. In the seeps, high concentrations of degradation products such as nutrients and sulphide were found, showing them to be the outlets of deep-seated degradation processes. The degradation products appear toxic for bioturbating/bioirrigating organisms, as a consequence of which, these were absent in the wider seep areas. These two mechanisms driving advection determine oxygen dynamics in these flats, whereas bioirrigation plays a minor role. The deep circulation causes a characteristic distribution of strongly reduced pore water near the low water line and rather more oxidised sediments in the centre of the flats. The two combined transport phenomena determine the fluxes of solutes and gases from the sediment to the surface water and in this way create specific niches for various types of microorganisms.     

Effects of precipitation and landuse on runoff during the past 50 years in a typical watershed in the Loess Plateau, China

In the past century, great progress has been made worldwide in our understanding of forest-water relationship. The successful forestation programs implemented in China-which have improved the ecological environmental conditions-have gained the attention of many researchers and highlighted the relationship between forestation and water yields. The arid and semi-arid Loess Plateau has received attention from water engineers and eco-hydrological researchers in China because of a shortage in water resources. We selected one of the oldest stations conducting soil and water conservation experiments, the Xifeng soil and water conservation station, and chose the Nanxiaohe catchment and its paired catchments （Yangjiagou catchment and Dongzhuanggou catchment） as our research areas. Trends in precipitation, air temperature, streamflow over the past 50 years, and the effect of changing land use on streamflow were analyzed. The Mann-Kendall test showed that precipitation had a negative trend （downward trend）, whereas air temperature showed a positive trend （upward trend） from the past to present in the Nanxiaohe catchment. However, the trends seen in precipitation, air temperature did not contain any ＂jumping points.＂ The paired catchment approach is used to detect the effects of land cover change on hydrology in the Yangjiagou and the contrast catchment, i.e., Dongzhuanggou catchment in our study. The results showed a large change in land use in the Yangjiagou catchment from 1954 to 2008. An increase in forested land （from 0% to 40.08% from 1954 to 2008） and a reduction of bare land （from 51.26% to 5.50% from 1954 to 2008） accounted for a large part of the change in land use. However, the land use changed little in the contrast catchment. The comparison of streamfiow in the paired catchments showed that forestation reduced streamflow by 49.63% （or 6.5 mm） each year.     

Field Measurements and Numerical Simulations of the 2004 Tsunami Impact on the East Coast of Sri Lanka

This paper employs a numerical model of tsunami propagation together with documented observations and field measurements of the evidence left behind by the tsunami in December 2004, to identify and interpret the factors that have contributed to the significant spatial variability of the level of tsunami impact along the coastal belt of the eastern province of Sri Lanka. The model results considered in the present analysis include the distribution of the amplitude of the tsunami and the pattern of wave propagation over the continental shelf off the east coast, while the field data examined comprise the maximum water levels measured at or near the shoreline, the horizontal inundation distances and the number of housing and other buildings damaged. The computed maximum amplitude of the tsunami at water points nearest the shoreline along the east coast shows considerable variation ranging from 2.2 m to 11.4 m with a mean value of 5.7 m; moreover, the computed amplitudes agree well with the available field measurements. We also show that the shelf bathymetry off the east coast, particularly the submarine canyons at several locations, significantly influences the near-shore transformation of tsunami waves, and consequently, the spatial variation of the maximum water levels along the coastline. The measured values of inundation also show significant variation along the east coast and range from 70 m to 4560 m with a median value of 700 m. Our analyses of field data also show the dominant influence of the coastal topography and geomorphology on the extent of tsunami inundation. Furthermore, the measured inundation distances indicate no apparent correlation with the computed tsunami heights at the respective locations. We also show that both the computed tsunami heights and the measured inundation distances for the east coast closely follow the log-normal statistical distribution.     

青藏高原东北缘及周边地区基于程函方程的面波层析成像

利用"中国地震科学台阵探测"在南北地震带北段布设的670套宽频带地震台站记录到的面波资料,使用新近发展的程函方程面波层析成像方法,获得了青藏高原东北缘及周边地区12~60 s周期范围比以往成像结果具有更高分辨率的瑞利面波相速度分布图像.青藏高原东北缘的祁连褶皱系西段、秦岭褶皱系西段和松潘—甘孜褶皱系,在16~60 s周期范围内均显示出明显的低速异常分布,表明该地区的地壳力学强度较低,在强烈的构造应力作用下易发生形变.与西段不同,祁连褶皱系东段和秦岭褶皱系中段的相速度分布特征揭示,其中下地壳的速度明显高于高原内部区域.鄂尔多斯块体整体上表现为稳定块体具有的高速特征,但其西部边缘在中上地壳的速度比块体中部地区偏低,且存在一定的不均匀性.鄂尔多斯块体西北缘的临河断陷盆地和西缘的银川断陷盆地,在较短的周期范围内（12~20 s）表现为局部低速特征,但与银川断陷盆地不同,临河断陷盆地的低速特征可一直延续至60 s周期以上,表明该盆地下方地壳及上地幔速度明显偏低,可能与深部热作用有关.阿拉善块体与其北部地区的速度差异主要表现在中上地壳,这一现象值得今后进一步探讨.基于程函方程面波层析成像方法给出了青藏高原东北缘及周边地区高分辨率的成像结果,揭示了以往面波层析成像难以获得的深部细节特征,为该地区的深部构造研究提供了新的信息.     

利用地震折射和反射波资料研究银川盆地浅部结构和隐伏断裂

银川盆地是华北克拉通西部构造活动较为强烈的一个新生代断陷盆地.为了研究银川盆地的地壳浅部结构和活动断裂特征,我们利用2014年在银川盆地完成的深地震反射剖面数据,采用初至波层析成像方法得到了银川盆地高精度的基底P波速度结构和构造形态;考虑到仅根据速度结构剖面还难以确定断裂的准确位置、断层上断点埋深、断层的近地表构造组合样式等特征,研究中还采用浅层地震反射波勘探方法对银川盆地内的隐伏断裂和1739年平罗8.0级地震的地表破裂带浅部结构进行了高分辨率成像.研究结果表明：银川盆地与两侧地块的浅层P波速度结构和沉积盖层厚度差异较大,银川盆地总体呈现出明显的低速结构特征,盆地基底面起伏变化较大,基底最深处位于芦花台断裂和银川断裂之间的银川市下方,其深度约为7000~7200 m;贺兰山隆起区显示为明显的高速特征,地表出露中-古生代基岩地层,缺失新生代地层;鄂尔多斯地块西缘的浅层P波速度明显高于银川盆地,基底埋深相对较浅,推测其新生界地层厚度小于2500 m.浅层地震反射剖面揭示的地层反射界面形态和断裂的浅部构造特征非常清楚,黄河断裂、贺兰山东麓断裂、银川断裂和芦花台断裂不仅是错断盆地基底的断裂,而且还是第四纪以来的隐伏活动断裂,这些断裂的交替活动形成了"堑中堑"的盆地结构,并对银川盆地的形成、盆地内的新生代地层厚度和第四纪沉降中心具有重要的控制作用;在近地表这些断裂表现为由2~3条断层组成的"Y字形"断裂构造,且主断裂的最新活动可追踪至晚更新世末期或全新世,是构造继承性活动的结果.本文的研究结果不仅可为进一步分析银川盆地的基底结构、隐伏断裂特征和活动构造研究等提供新的地震学证据,而且还可为该区城市规划中避让活动断层提供科学依据.     

海底可控源电磁接收机及其水合物勘查应用

海洋可控源电磁法在国外已成为海底天然气水合物调查的有效手段之一.为实现我国海域深水条件下水合物的海洋可控源电磁探测,本文从方法原理出发,采用低功耗嵌入式控制、前端低噪声斩波放大、高精度时间同步和水声通讯等技术,设计并开发了由承压舱、玻璃浮球、采集电路、电场与磁场传感器、姿态测量装置、声学释放器、USBL定位信标、测量臂、水泥块等部件组成的海底可控源电磁接收机,实现了海洋微弱电磁场信号的高精度采集.海底可控源电磁接收机具有高可靠性、低噪声、低功耗和低时漂的特点.利用研制的海底可控源电磁接收机,在琼东南海域进行水合物勘查,采集得到了可靠的人工源电磁场数据.通过数据处理及反演,获得了研究区海底的电阻率模型,结合地震资料,对高阻异常体进行推断解释,其结果为天然气水合物钻探井位布置提供了电性依据.

     

福建及其邻区背景噪声面波群速度层析成像

基于福建及邻区108个宽频带地震台站2016年6月到7月两个月垂直和水平分量波形连续记录, 利用相位加权叠加算法提高信噪比, 计算得到108个台站对的高质量经验格林函数。 对所获取的经验格林函数, 采用时频分析的方法在1~20 s频段内量取了大量高质量的Rayleigh波和Love波群速度频散数据。 在此基础上, 采用基于射线追踪的二维层析成像方法反演得到了福建及其邻区1~20 s的Rayleigh波和Love波群速度分布。 分辨率测试结果表明群速度分布的分辨率能达50 km。 成像结果显示1~10 s的群速度分布与地壳中上部地质特征有很好的一致性, 区内的福州盆地和漳州盆地在浅层结构中表现出明显的低速异常。 长周期的群速度则揭示了漳州西北的高地热区内中下地壳低速体, 政和-大埔断裂两侧的速度差异, 表明其可能是一个深大断裂, 并呈现明显的东西差异。     

Comparison of the acid-base responses to CO2 and acidification in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

To investigate whether the biological toxicity of aquatic hypercapnia is due to the direct effects of CO2 or to the effects of acidification of seawater by CO2, the Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was subjected to seawater equilibrated with a gas mixture of air containing 5% CO2 (pH 6.18) or seawater acidified to the same pH with 1 N H2SO4. All the fish died within 72 h in the CO2 exposure group, whereas no mortality occurred in the acid group. Acid-base parameters as well as plasma ion concentrations were severely perturbed in the CO2 exposure group, whereas they were minimally affected in the acid group. These results clearly demonstrate that the mortality in the CO2 group is a direct result of the elevated levels of dissolved CO2 and not to the effects of the reduced water pH.     

Anthropogenic iodine-129 in seawater along a transect from the Norwegian coastal current to the North Pole

Variation in the concentrations of iodine-129 (129I, T1/2=15.7 Myr), a low-level radioactive component of nuclear fuel waste, is documented in surface waters and depth profiles collected during 2001 along a transect from the Norwegian Coastal Current to the North Pole. The surface waters near the Norwegian coast are found to have 20 times higher 129I concentration than the surface waters of the Arctic Ocean. The depth profiles of 129I taken in the Arctic Ocean reveal a sharp decline in the concentration to a depth of about 300-500 m followed by a weaker gradient extending down to the bottom. A twofold increase in the 129I concentration is observed in the upper 1000 m since 1996. Based on known estimates of marine transient time from the release sources (the nuclear reprocessing facilities at La Hague, France, and Sellafield, UK), a doubling in the 129I inventory of the top 1000 m of the Arctic Ocean is expected to occur between the years 2001 and 2006. As 129I of polar mixed layer and Atlantic layer of the Arctic Ocean is ventilated by the East Greenland Current into the Nordic Seas and North Atlantic Ocean, further dispersal and increase of the isotope concentration in these regions will be encountered in the near future.     

川滇地区壳幔地震各向异性研究进展

根据川滇地区已有的地震各向异性研究结果,利用体波、面波资料的结果,分析川滇地区不同构造尺度、不同深度的地震各向异性特征。对比不同方法研究川滇地区介质各向异性的特点,探讨了该地区的介质连续性及壳幔耦合状态。分析认为,地壳上地幔各向异性的差异表明,川滇地区具有复杂的地壳及上地幔形变机制。因此,对于川滇地区壳幔地震各向异性的深入理解,需在理论上和高密度数据资料基础上加强量化分析和综合研究。