The back-barrier and barrier depositional history of Romney Marsh,Walland Marsh and Dungeness,Kent, England

Previous stratigraphical investigations of Romney Marsh have tended to be local in scale, and this has hindered efforts to establish a unifying stratigraphical framework for this area. This paper addresses this problem, by describing the results of a 12-km transect across Romney Marsh, linking previously studied back- and fore-marsh sites (Horsemarsh Sewer and Broomhill respectively), and presenting additional pollen, diatom and radiocarbon data from an intermediate, mid-marsh site (Brookland). One main organic unit is recorded across much of Romney Marsh, although its age, altitude and composition varies. Microfossil and radiocarbon data from Brookland and elsewhere on Romney Marsh show that this organic unit accumulated under a general removal and return of marine conditions that took place between ca. 5100 and 2000 yr BP. A recently proposed model of barrier development is used to investigate the history of back-barrier sedimentation in Romney and Walland Marshes. This model suggests a three-phase life-history for gravel barriers, which consists of initiation, stability and breakdown. Although there are problems in relating back-barrier deposits directly to barrier dynamics, nevertheless the Romney Marsh data do, for the most part, agree with the expected number and sequence of sea-level tendencies predicted by this model. The back-barrier stratigraphical data suggest that initiation, stability and breakdown of the Dungeness foreland occurred between ca. 6000 and 5000 yr BP, 5000 and 2000 yr BP and 2000 yr BP and present, respectively.     

Impact of SST Anomaly Events over the Kuroshio-Oyashio Extension on the “Summer Prediction Barrier”

The "summer prediction barrier"(SPB) of SST anomalies(SSTA) over the Kuroshio–Oyashio Extension(KOE) refers to the phenomenon that prediction errors of KOE-SSTA tend to increase rapidly during boreal summer, resulting in large prediction uncertainties. The fast error growth associated with the SPB occurs in the mature-to-decaying transition phase,which is usually during the August–September–October(ASO) season, of the KOE-SSTA events to be predicted. Thus, the role of KOE-SSTA evolutionary characteristics in the transition phase in inducing the SPB is explored by performing perfect model predictability experiments in a coupled model, indicating that the SSTA events with larger mature-to-decaying transition rates(Category-1) favor a greater possibility of yielding a more significant SPB than those events with smaller transition rates(Category-2). The KOE-SSTA events in Category-1 tend to have more significant anomalous Ekman pumping in their transition phase, resulting in larger prediction errors of vertical oceanic temperature advection associated with the SSTA events. Consequently, Category-1 events possess faster error growth and larger prediction errors. In addition, the anomalous Ekman upwelling(downwelling) in the ASO season also causes SSTA cooling(warming), accelerating the transition rates of warm(cold) KOE-SSTA events. Therefore, the SSTA transition rate and error growth rate are both related with the anomalous Ekman pumping of the SSTA events to be predicted in their transition phase. This may explain why the SSTA events transferring more rapidly from the mature to decaying phase tend to have a greater possibility of yielding a more significant SPB.     

Three-dimensional analysis of the screening effectiveness of hollow pile barriers for foundation-induced vertical vibration

The study applies the three-dimensional boundary element method in frequency domain to investigate the screening effectiveness of circular piles in a row for a massless square foundation subject to harmonic vertical loading. Four types of piles were studied: steel pipe piles, concrete hollow piles, concrete solid piles and timber piles. A parametric study was undertaken to examine the effects of pile dimensions, operational frequency, and source distance on the screening effectiveness. The results showed that screening effectiveness of steel pipe piles is generally better than that of solid piles, and that a concrete hollow pile barrier can be ineffective due to its stiffness. The influence of pile length on screening effectiveness is more significant than that of pile spacing and the distance between the vibrating foundation and the pile barrier.     

Basin- and Mountain-Building Dynamic Model of “Ramping-Detachment-Compression” in the West Kunlun-Southern Tarim Basin Margin

Analysis of the deformation structures in the West Kunlun-Tarim basin-range junction belt indicates that sediments in the southwestern Tarim depression were mainly derived from the West Kunlun Mountains and that with time the region of sedimentation extended progressivdy toward the north. Three north-underthrusting （subducting）, steep-dipping, high-velocity zones （bodies） are recognized at depths, which correspond to the central West Kunlun junction belt （bounded by the Kiida-Kaxtax fault on the north and Bulungkol-Kangxiwar fault on the south）, Quanshuigou fault belt （whose eastward extension is the Jinshajiang fault belt） and Bangong Co-Nujiang fault belt. The geodynamic process of the basin-range junction belt generally proceeded as follows： centering around the magma source region （which largely corresponds with the Karatag terrane at the surface）, the deep-seated material flowed and extended from below upward and to all sides, resulting in strong deformation （mainly extension） in the overlying lithosphere and even the upper mantle, appearance of extensional stress perpendicular to the strike of the orogenic belt in the thermal uplift region or at the top of the mantle diapir and localized thickening of the sedimentary cover （thermal subsidence in the upper crust）. Three stages of the basin- and mountain-forming processes in the West Kunlun-southern Tarim basin margin may be summarized： （1） the stage of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous rampingrapid uplift and rapid subsidence, when north-directed thrust propagation and south-directed intracontinental subduction, was the dominant mechanism for basin- and mountain-building processes; （2） the stage of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene deep-level detachment-slow uplift and homogeneous subsidence, when the dominant mechanism for the basin- and mountain-forming processes was detachment （subhorizontal north-directed deep-level ductile shear） and its resulting lateral propagation of deep material; and （3） the stage of Neogene-pre     

Research on the temperature field of a partially freezing sand barrier with groundwater seepage

To study the distribution characteristics and variation regularity of the temperature field during the process of seepage freezing,a simulated-freezing test with seepage of Xuzhou sand was completed by using a model test developed in-house equipment.By means of three group freezing tests with different seepage velocities,we discovered the phenomenon of the asymmetry of the temperature field under the influence of seepage.The temperature upstream was obviously higher than that downstream.The temperature gradient upstream was also steeper than that downstream.With a higher seepage velocity,the asymmetry of the temperature field is more pronounced.The asymmetry for the interface temperature profile is more strongly manifest than for the main surface temperature profile.The cryogenic barrier section is somewhat"heartshaped".With the increasing velocity of the seepage flow,the cooling rate of the soil decreases.It takes much time to reach the equilibrium state of the soil mass.In our study,seepage flow velocities of 0 m/d,7.5 m/d,and 15 m/d showed the soilcooling rate of 4.35°C/h,4.96°C/h,and 1.72°C/h,respectively.     

Paralic parasequences associated with Eocene sea-level oscillations in an active margin setting: Trihueco Formation of the Arauco Basin, Chile

The Eocene Trihueco Formation is one of the best exposed successions of the Arauco Basin in Chile. It represents a period of marine regression and transgression of second-order duration, during which barrier island complexes developed on a muddy shelf. The strata are arranged in classical shoaling-upward parasequences of shoreface and beach facies capped by coal-bearing, back-barrier lagoon deposits. These fourth-order cycles are superimposed upon third-order cycles which caused landward and seaward shifts of the coastal facies belts. The final, punctuated rise in sea level is represented by shelf mudrocks with transgressive incised shoreface sandstones. Relative sea-level oscillations as revealed in the stratigraphy of the Trihueco Formation show a reasonable correlation with published Eocene eustatic curves.     

90年代全球环保浪潮对世界贸易的影响

本文阐述了90年代全球环保浪潮对世界贸易的影响，重点分析了新的环境和贸易政策对世界贸易的制约，绿色产业的发展及在优化世界贸易商品结构中的作用，“绿色壁垒”下发展中国家面临的新挑战。     

Tunable diode laser measurements of trace gases during the 1988 Polarstern cruise and intercomparisons with other methods

Measurements of NO₂, HCHO, and H₂O₂ were made by the highly specific method of mid infra-red absorption spectroscopy using tunable diode lasers (TDLAS) during the 1988 Polarstern expedition. The TDLAS data are compared to those obtained during the cruise using less direct methods. Southern Hemisphere NO₂ levels suggest nett photochemical destruction of O₃ in the boundary layer. Northern Hemisphere HCHO averaged 0.47±0.2 ppbv; the HCHO measurements are used in a simple calculation to estimate OH noontime maxima of 3–6×10⁶ cm^-3.     

Contrasting the Skills and Biases of Deterministic Predictions for the Two Types of El Nio

The tropical Pacific has begun to experience a new type of El Nio, which has occurred particularly frequently during the last decade, referred to as the central Pacific(CP) El Nio. Various coupled models with different degrees of complexity have been used to make real-time El Nio predictions, but high uncertainty still exists in their forecasts. It remains unknown as to how much of this uncertainty is specifically related to the new CP-type El Nio and how much is common to both this type and the conventional Eastern Pacific(EP)-type El Nio. In this study, the deterministic performance of an El Nio–Southern Oscillation(ENSO) ensemble prediction system is examined for the two types of El Nio. Ensemble hindcasts are run for the nine EP El Nio events and twelve CP El Nio events that have occurred since 1950. The results show that(1) the skill scores for the EP events are significantly better than those for the CP events, at all lead times;(2) the systematic forecast biases come mostly from the prediction of the CP events; and(3) the systematic error is characterized by an overly warm eastern Pacific during the spring season, indicating a stronger spring prediction barrier for the CP El Nio. Further improvements to coupled atmosphere–ocean models in terms of CP El Nio prediction should be recognized as a key and high-priority task for the climate prediction community.