COOLING RATES, SKY VIEW FACTORS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTRA-URBAN AIR TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES

Intra‐urban cooling rates were monitored for a year in the centre of Göteborg on the Swedish west coast. Five sites with different building geometry ‐ from dense canyon to open space ‐ within a radius of 300 m were analysed. Results showed two modes of cooling during the night. In the first mode, the cooling was site‐dependent ‐the open space cooled the most and the dense canyon the least. In the second mode, which began about 3–4 hours after sunset, all sites cooled at the same rate. Our hypothesis is that in the early part of the evening both radiative divergence and sensible heat dominate the cooling. However, as the evening progresses, a spatially homogeneous inversion is established which controls the radiative cooling, making the cooling independent of both surface geometry and surface type. From April to November the sites cooled rapidly around sunset and the cooling slowly decreased during the rest of the night. However, between December and March, the cooling was less intense, with an almost constant rate during the entire night. It has been suggested that this might be the result of the draining of stored solar heat during the summer and a continuous flux of anthropogenic heating during the winter.     

Geographic variations in shell growth rates of the mussel Diplodon chilensis from temperate lakes of Chile: Implications for biodiversity conservation

The Chilean lake district includes diverse lentic ecosystems along ca. 700 km of the country (36°–43°S), including the “Nahuelbutan lakes”, “Araucanian lakes” and “Chiloe lakes”. This area is recognized as an important “hot spot” of benthic freshwater biodiversity in Southern South America. In Chilean temperate lakes, increased nutrient loads of P and N caused eutrophication, particularly in the Nahuelbutan Lakes. The freshwater Hyriidae mussel Diplodon chilensis (Gray, 1828) which is one of the most abundant species in Chilean temperate lakes, is known to be very susceptible to eutrophication. This species presents a clear reduction in its geographic ranges and is considered to be a threatened species in many Chilean lakes. In this study, we used a correlative approach to determine how eutrophication-driven changes in the food supply and in geographical parameters of different Chilean lakes affected the shell growth rates of D. chilensis. The results obtained from sclerochronological analyses of the mussel shells suggest an association with a group of environmental variables, including geographical types (negative), such as latitude and altitude, and limnological types (positive), especially phosphorous and turbidity. However, the D. chilensis populations under extreme conditions of turbidity in eutrophic and hypertrophic lakes are extinct or nearly so. The high positive correlation of the mean D. chilensis growth rates with orthophosphate (R=0.76; P<0.05), in relation to dissolved inorganic nitrogen, suggests that P is the major limiting factor of the primary productivity in Chilean temperate lakes. We discuss some implications of our results in terms of the conservation of biodiversity in temperate lake ecosystems at different taxonomic levels.     

A 3.5 Ga record of water-limited, acidic weathering conditions on Mars

The secondary mineral budget on Earth is dominated by clay minerals, Al-hydroxides, and Fe-oxides, which are formed under the moderate pH, high water-to-rock ratio conditions typical of Earth's near-surface environment. In contrast, geochemical analyses of rocks and soils from landed missions to Mars indicate that secondary mineralogy is dominated by Mg (± Fe, Ca)-sulfates and Fe-oxides. This discrepancy can be explained as resulting from differences in the chemical weathering environment of Earth and Mars. We suggest that chemical weathering processes on Mars are dominated by: (1) a low-pH, sulfuric acid-rich environment in which the stoichiometric dissolution of labile mineral phases such as olivine and apatite (± Fe–Ti oxides) is promoted; and (2) relatively low water-to-rock ratio, such that other silicate phases with slower dissolution rates (e.g., plagioclase, pyroxene) do not contribute substantially to the secondary mineral budget at the Martian surface. Under these conditions, Al-mobilization is limited, and the formation of significant Al-bearing secondary phases (e.g., clays, Al-hydroxides, Al-sulfates) is inhibited. The antiquity of rock samples analyzed in-situ on Mars suggest that water-limited acidic weathering conditions have more than likely been the defining characteristic of the Martian aqueous environment for billions of years.     

Study of the erosion rates in the upper Maracujá Basin (Quadrilátero Ferrífero/MG,Brazil) by the in situ produced cosmogenic 10Be method

The present work quantifies the erosive processes in the two main substrates (schists–phyllites and granites–gneisses) of the upper Maracujá Basin in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero/MG, Brazil, a region of semi‐humid tropical climate. Two measuring methods of concentration were used: (i) in situ produced ¹⁰Be in quartz veins (surface erosion rates) and (ii) ¹⁰Be in fluvial sediments (basin erosion rates). The results confirm that (i) erosion tends to be more aggressive close to the headwaters than in the lower parts of the basin and (ii) the region is now affected by dissection. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

断层旋性与地震危险性

文中以“平行同旋走滑断层减震”的观点论证了兰州、北京、昆明这些位于强震活动区的大城市今后百年内不会发生 6 .5级以上地震。以“平行异旋走滑断层加震”的观点解释了西南棱形块体北边界和南边界在发生大震方面相互促进的现象。对于由构造分段求震级来说 ,在遇到不同的横交断层作为分段点时 ,还需考虑将来发震时始破裂点的位置以及发震断层的旋性 ,不然就会造成对震级估计不足 ,继而成为抗震建设的潜在不安全因素。在主震后为了预报余震的强度 ,可应用物理学中的科里奥利力理论 ,应用时必须知道断层类型和旋性。对于走滑断层来说 ,左旋余震弱 ,右旋余震强。例如 1997年藏北玛尼 7.5级地震 ,余震仅为 5 .3级 ,震级偏小 ,因主震为左旋的缘故 ;1976年唐山 7.8级地震 ,余震可达 7.1级 ,因主震是右旋。对于逆断层来说 ,上盘错动方向在当地子午面左侧者余震强度大 ,在右侧者余震强度弱。据此讨论了 1999年台湾南投 7.6级大震余震强度达 7.1级是因为主震为逆断层 ,上盘向西错动。     

A model of the early evolution of karst aquifers in limestone in the dimensions of length and depth

A new model of the early evolution of limestone karst aquifers in the dimensions of length and depth is presented. In its initial state the aquifer consists of a rock massive with evenly spaced fractures of about 50 μm aperture widths with an hydraulic conductivity of 10⁻⁷ ms⁻¹. In addition to this a coarser network of prominent fractures with aperture widths of several 100 μm is also present. Boundary conditions of constant recharge 450 mm/year, or constant head from the input of allogenic streams are imposed. First the position of the water table in the aquifer is calculated, then dissolutional widening during a time step in all the fractures below the water table is found by use of the well-known nonlinear dissolution kinetics of limestone. This is iterated and the position of the water table as well as the fracture widths are found as a function of time. In the case of constant recharge to a karst plateau, the water table in any case drops to base level and conduits there propagate from the spring headwards. If constant head conditions are valid the position of the water table remains almost stable and conduits propagate along the water table from the input towards the spring. There is competition between conduit evolution along prominent fractures and along tight fissures close to the water table. In any case under constant head conditions one of these pathways wins, and early karst evolution is terminated by a breakthrough event with an explosive increase of the flow through the aquifer until constant head conditions break down. Depending on the boundary conditions of constant head or constant recharge or a combination of both it is possible to describe models of cave genesis, which have been derived from field evidence, such as the water table models of Swinnerton and Rhoades as well as the four-state model by Ford and Ewers (Can. J. Earth Sci., 15 (1978) 1783).     

On the Development of Meso-Scale Heavy Rain Parcels in China

Heavy rains occur in China frequently, which often bring us floods and serious disasters in the summer half-year. The meso-scale heavy rain parcels (MHRP) in the mid-latitude are usually developed in following cases:I.By the approaching, meeting and / or overlapping of different weather systems, when two or more different rainfall systems are getting to conjugate, some MHRPs could be developed, such as: 1) a new cold/warm front or squall line approaches an old front or squall, even when the old one is somewhat decrepit; 2) at the places where two or more synoptic systems with different characteristics are meeting together, such as the meeting of tropical cyclone with the cold airs coming from the mid- and / or high-latitudes, or the low latitude vortex meeting with the westerly trough; 3) at the intersections of some different weather systems, such as the intersection of drylines, squall lines or fronts moving from different directions; and 4) by the overlapping of rainfall parcels produced continuously     

不同晶形石盐沉积生长特征及对包裹体温度的影响

石盐晶体生长过程中捕获流体包裹体，利用冷冻测温法得到的均一温度信息与古水温存在良好的相关性。在部分地区，利用包裹体最大均一温度评价古气候时，温度数据与孢粉学反映的气候特征存在冲突，不同晶形的石盐沉积特征，及其晶体条纹内包裹体温度代表的地质含义需进一步探讨。笔者在分析经典测温数据的基础上，观察常温蒸发实验中漏斗晶和人字晶的形成及生长过程，分析了不同温度段均一温度与气温、水温之间的关系。结合现代气象记录数据，分析了最大均一温度评价气候时存在的局限性。研究认为：漏斗晶晶核形成与卤水表面，包裹体温度受温度和气压共同影响，漏斗晶在卤水底部绕核生长，漏斗晶外围包裹体温度对应水底温度，沉入水下后漏斗晶生长缓慢，包裹体最大温度可能代表年度最高温度，以此为指标评价气候得出的结论过于炎热；人字晶是多个漏斗晶之间的桥接部分，大部分形成于卤水蒸发将近结束之时，人字形条纹内包裹体温度受气温和地表温度共同影响，地表温度远大于气温是造成包裹体最高温度过高的主要原因。     

Trace metal composition of and accumulation rates of sediments in the Upper Gulf of Thailand

Sediment cores and grab samples were collected in the Upper Gulf of Thailand to determine sedimentation rates and to determine if metal concentrations reflect anthropogenic inputs.Accumulation rates of sediments in the Upper Gulf measured using the ²¹⁰Pb method, appear to vary from ca. 4 to 11 mm yr^?1. Sediment budgets suggest that little of the sediment delivered to the Upper Gulf by the major rivers is ultimately transported to the Lower Gulf. Metal concentrations in Upper Gulf sediments appear to be dominantly controlled by natural inputs.     

Fine upper crustal structure of Jiashi strong earthquake swarm region in Xinjiang inferred from high resolution seismic refraction profile data

Introduction Jiashi-Artux area in southwest Xinjiang is one of the most active earthquake provinces at pre-sent in Chinese mainland. In the last century, about 3/4 strong earthquakes in Chinese mainland hit this area, and especially from January 21 to April 16 in 1997, 7 earthquakes with the magnituderanging from 6.0 to 6.9 occurred in a very small area of 9 km×18 km near Jiashi (ZHU et al, 1998). It has never taken place before in Chinese mainland that a series of strong earthquakes shoo…