Reconstructing spatio-temporal patterns of debris-flow activity using dendrogeomorphological methods

Debris flows are a major threat in many parts of the Alps, where they repeatedly cause severe damage to infrastructure and transportation corridors or even loss of life. Nonetheless, the spatial behavior of past debris-flow activity and the analysis of areas affected during particular events have been widely neglected in reconstructions so far. It was therefore the purpose of this study to reconstruct spatio-temporal patterns of past debris flows on a forested cone in the Swiss Alps (Bruchji torrent, Blatten, Valais). The analysis of past events was based on a detailed geomorphic map (1:1000) of all forms related to debris flows as well as on tree-ring series from 401 heavily affected trees (Larix decidua Mill. and Picea abies (L.) Karst.) growing in or next to deposits. The samples were analyzed and growth disturbances related to debris-flow activity assessed, such as tangential rows of traumatic resin ducts, the onset of reaction wood or abrupt growth suppression or release.In total, 960 growth disturbances were identified in the samples, belonging to 40 different event years between A.D. 1867 and 2005. In addition, the coupling of tree-ring data with the geomorphic map allowed reconstruction of eleven formerly active channels and spatial representation of individual events. Based on our results we believe that before 1935, debris flows preferentially used those channels located in the western part of the cone, whereas the eastern part of the cone remained widely unaffected. The spatial representation of the 40 events also allowed identification of five different spatial patterns for debris flows at the study site.     

Patterns of resource use by livestock during and after drought on the commons of Namaqualand, South Africa

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of drought on grazing patterns of livestock in a communal rangeland in Namaqualand. Water points were the foci of almost all grazing routes even after the drought, and the areas away from the water points were less heavily utilized. The mountains could be regarded as key resource areas for livestock since the grazing intensity was higher in the elevated areas of the rangeland than on the surrounding low lying areas during and immediately after drought. Spatial patterns of resource use by livestock on the commons did not differ during the drought and post-drought period. The lengths of the daily grazing routes were similar for both periods. This may be a consequence of the weakness of animals during the drought when forage was scarce which prevented them from walking further. The size of home ranges of the herds did not change during the two monitoring periods. We attribute this to social reasons because herders try to avoid the mixing of herds. In the commons of Namaqualand, herders are also spatially constrained and this restricts their options to adapt to drought, and hence many animals died.     

COSMOGENIC 10BE-AGES FROM THE STORE KOLDEWEY ISLAND, NE GREENLAND

Earlier work in northeast Greenland has suggested a limited advance of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, this concept has recently been challenged by marine geological studies, indicating grounded ice on the continental shelf at this time. New ¹⁰Be‐ages from the Store Koldewey island, northeast Greenland, suggest that unscoured mountain plateaus at the outer coast were covered at least partly by cold‐based ice during the LGM. It is, however, still inconclusive whether this ice was dynamically connected to the Greenland Ice Sheet or not. Regardless of the LGM ice sheet extent, the ¹⁰Be results from Store Koldewey add to a growing body of evidence suggesting considerable antiquity of crystalline unscoured terrain near present and Pleistocene ice sheet margins.     

Determining magma flow in sills,dykes and laccoliths and their implications for sill emplacement mechanisms

Three-dimensional seismic data from the Faeroe-Shetland Basin provides detailed information on the relationships between sills, dykes, laccoliths and contemporaneous volcanic activity. The data shows that sills are predominantly concave upwards, being complete or partial versions of radially or bilaterally symmetrical forms that possess flat inner saucers connected to a flat outer rim by a steeply inclined sheet. Such morphologies are only partially modified by pre-existing faults. Sills can be sourced from dykes or the steep climbing portions of deeper sills. Both sills and dykes can provide magma to overlying volcanic fissures and sills can be shown to feed shallow laccoliths. Magma flow patterns, as revealed by opacity rendering, suggest that sills propagate upwards and outwards away from the magma feeder. As an individual sill can consist of several leaves emplaced at different stratigraphic levels, and as a sill or dyke can provide magma to volcanic fissures, other sills and laccoliths, the data suggests that neutral buoyancy concepts may not provide a complete explanation for the mechanism and level of sill emplacement. Instead, the data suggests that the presence of lithological contrasts, particularly ductile horizons such as overpressured shales may permit sill formation at any level below the neutrally buoyant level. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Ken Thomson–deceased, April 2007     

山东夏季降水量场预测模型研究及预测试验

从预测山东夏季降水场的需要出发，用山东1961－2001年夏季降水资料，研究了山东夏季降水的基本分布型式及其与北半球500hPa月平均高度、大气环流特征量及北太平洋海温之间关系。结果表明：不同的分布型存在不同的前期预测强信号。以这些强信号为主要预报因子结合考虑降水趋势振荡，构建出山东夏季降水场预测模型，并进行了预测试验。     

沙尘暴天气的归类判别分析预报模式

在大量分析了历史上 4 0年发生在内蒙古中西部地区的 37场沙尘暴天气过程的基础上 ,总结归纳了其大气环流特征 ,将他们划分成 4个环流类型。参考SaatyT .L .,提出的综合选优的方法[1] ,建立判别矩阵 ,然后计算归类判别预报 ,根据判别函数值判断实时待判样本的归属。参照归属类历史沙尘暴的天气形势和实况出现的范围以及强度作出沙尘暴天气预报 ,并设计了一个沙尘暴天气的归类判别分析预报模式。该模式已较成功地应用于 2 0 0 0年春季内蒙古地区的沙尘暴天气预报业务中 ,取得了较好的预报效果。实践证明 ,它是一个客观化、定量化和计算自动化的实用的预报模式 ,是我们目前作沙尘暴预报的重要技术手段之一。     

山东碳酸岩磷灰石的特征及其研究意义

鲁中隆起的北缘分布着100多个燕山期的碳酸岩体。本文详细研究了岩体中磷灰石的一些重要特征,包括晶体形态、物理性质、光学常数、晶胞参数、化学成分、包裹体及钕锶同位素组成等。并据所得资料对岩体的成因,成岩物质来源等问题进行探讨。     

Multifractal modeling and spatial point processes

The multifractal model can be applied to spatial point processes. It provides new, approximately power-law type, expressions for their second-order intensity and K (r) functions. The box-counting and cluster dimensions are different but mutually interrelated according to multifractal theory. This approach is used to describe the underlying spatial structure of gold mineral occurrences in the Iskut River area, northwestern British Columbia. The box-counting and cluster dimensions for the example are estimated to be 1.335±0.077 and 1.219±0.037, respectively. The relatively strong clustering of the gold deposits is reflected by the fact that both values are considerably less than the corresponding Euclidean dimension (=2).     

Cosmic-ray exposure histories of two Antarctic meteorites from Chinese collections and the Guangmingshan and Zhuanghe chondrites

In this paper, we report cosmic-ray exposure ages (3He, 21Ne, 38Ar) and gas retention ages (4He, 40Ar) of two Antarctic meteorites, and the Guangmingshan and Zhuanghe ordinary chondrites. The Antarctic meteorites (GRV98002 and GRV98004) were collected on …