Stability of methane clathrate hydrates under pressure: Influence on outgassing processes of methane on Titan

We have conducted high-pressure experiments in the H₂O-CH₄ and H₂O-CH₄-NH₃ systems in order to investigate the stability of methane clathrate hydrates, with an optical sapphire-anvil cell coupled to a Raman spectrometer for sample characterization. The results obtained confirm that three factors determine the stability of methane clathrate hydrates: (1) the bulk methane content of the samples; (2) the presence of additional gas compounds such as nitrogen; (3) the concentration of ammonia in the aqueous solution. We show that ammonia has a strong effect on the stability of methane clathrates. For example, a 10 wt.% NH₃ solution decreases the dissociation temperature of methane clathrates by 14-25 K at pressures above 5 MPa. Then, we apply these new results to Titan’s conditions. Dissociation of methane clathrate hydrates and subsequent outgassing can only occur in Titan’s icy crust, in presence of locally large amounts of ammonia and in a warm context. We propose a model of cryomagma chamber within the crust that provides the required conditions for methane outgassing: emplacement of an ice plume triggers the melting (if solid) or heating (if liquid) of large ammonia-water pockets trapped at shallow depth, and the generated cryomagmas dissociate surrounding methane clathrate hydrates. We show that this model may allow for the outgassing of significant amounts of methane, which would be sufficient to maintain the presence of methane in Titan’s atmosphere for several tens of thousands of years after a large cryovolcanic event.     

The photochemical products of benzene in Titan’s upper atmosphere

The Cassini spacecraft detected benzene high in Titan’s atmosphere as well as the presence of large mass positive and negative ions. Previous work has suggested that these large mass ions could be composed of fused-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds. These fused-ring PAHs, such as naphthalene and anthracene, are usually the result of high temperature processes that may not occur in Titan’s thin, cold, upper thermosphere. Here we suggest that a different class of aromatic compounds, polyphenyls, may be a better explanation of the data. Polyphenyls can grow to be large polymeric structures and could condense to form the aerosols seen in Titan’s cloud and hazes. They have similar properties to fused-ring PAHs (for example, electron affinity, ionization potential) and could be the negative ion species seen in the CAPS instrument data from the Cassini spacecraft.     

2005—2018年北京市外来人口迁移特征与影响因素分析

外来人口是大型或超大型城市人口结构的重要组成部分,研究特定城市外来人口的迁移特征及其影响因素不仅有助于从迁入地视角发现以特定城市为目标的人口迁移规律,对新城镇化背景下的城市化建设与发展也具有重要的现实意义。本文以北京市为例,通过收集2005—2018年的公安机关外来人口登记数据,对外来人口在不同年份的市级迁出地空间分布格局进行了研究,并利用空间回归模型对人口迁移的影响因素进行了分析,得到如下发现：① 北京市外来人口的迁出地在市级尺度下表现出明显的空间聚集效应,且聚集效应逐年增强;外来人口迁出地空间分布基本稳定,热点迁出地分布主要集中在河北-天津和河南省南部-湖北省北部2个主要聚集簇中;② 影响人口向北京迁移的主要变量为各迁出地的人口规模、交通时间、人均收入、高等教育水平、人口密度等,其中人口规模和人均收入对人口迁移的影响较为稳定,而高等教育水平和人口密度的影响分别从2010年和2014年后才开始显现,交通时间对人口迁移的障碍性作用虽然有所下降,但对人口迁移的影响变化不大;③ 空间误差项持续显著,表明迁出地的人口迁出量可能受相邻地市的社会文化等其他变量的影响。     

基于傅里叶级数的中国沿海地区Tm模型精化研究

本文采用中国沿海地区13个探空站2010~2014年实测地表温度T_s与平均温度T_m数据,利用傅里叶级数分析法精化中国沿海地区T_m模型,并将2015年探空站实测T_m数据与精化模型进行对比检验。结果表明,精化模型在T_m探测方面具有更高的计算精度,其计算大气可降水量的误差概率分布趋近于正态分布,具有较强的稳定性。     

角动量守恒定律适用于地球核幔体及其与岩石圈之间的相对运动吗？──与盖保民先生商榷

对《地球演化》一书中的某些重要论点提出质疑。认为运用角动量守恒原理应考虑其适用条件，这一定律不适用于地球核幔体；核幔体与岩石圈之间能否作相对运动尚有待证实；地壳运动的总趋势是逐渐减弱而不是逐步增强。     

Evolution of neotectonic activity of East Anatolian Fault System (EAFS) in Bingöl pull-apart basin,based on fractal dimension and morphometric indices

This study is an attempt of a semi-automatic geomorphological GIS analysis based on morphometric indices. In the study, 10-m-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are used to assess the neotectonic signals regarding the recent topographic developments and to attach additional significance to active tectonics in the Bingöl basin area. The methodology incorporates the determination of the structural similarities of the faults in the basins using fractal concepts and the application of four morphometric indices (Stream Power Index (SP), Multi-resolution Index of Valley Bottom Flatness (MRVBF), Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) and Valley Width-to-Height Ratio (Vf)). In order to detect the deviation from spatial randomness of the applied indices, the weighted correlation coefficient Moran’s I is used and the results are interpreted at a confidence interval of 99%. The spatial distribution of integrated index values is evaluated with the tectonically active fault zones in order to determine the probable activity and the structural deformation in the basin.The applied methodology reveals that the fractal analysis of the fault lines and the spatial analysis of the morphometric indices proved to be effective tools in analyzing the tectonic influence of the fault system on the basin area. Within the basin area, a relatively lesser degree of tectonic activity is observed, in contrast with the high tectonic activity outside the basin.     

Trends of urban air pollution in Zhengzhou City in 1996–2008

Urban air pollution is a commonly concerned environmental problem in the world.Identification of air quality trend using long-term monitoring data is helpful to understand the effectiveness of pollution control strategies.This study,using data from six monitoring stations in Zhengzhou City,analyzed the changing trend in concentrations of SO 2,NO x /NO 2 and TSP/PM 10 in 1996-2008,based on non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope estimator,and evaluated the comprehensive air pollution level using Multi-Pollutant Index(MPI).It was found that the concentration of each pollutant exceeded obviously the World Health Organization(WHO) guideline value,but the changing trend varied:SO 2 and NO 2 were significantly increased mainly due to an increase in coal consumption and vehicle number,while NO x,TSP and PM 10 decreased.The air pollution was serious,and differed markedly among the three functional regions:it is the most severe in the Industrial and Residential Area(IRA),followed by the Transportation Hub and Business District(THBD),and then the High-tech,Cultural and Educational Area(HCEA).Different from NO 2 concentration that had a similar change trend/rate among the function regions,the change rate of PM 10 concentration differed spatially,decreased much more obviously in THBD than other two regions.For the whole city,the comprehensive air pollution level declined gradually,illustrating that the air quality in Zhengzhou was improved in the last decade.     

Characterization of zonal winds in the stratosphere of Titan with UVES

Titan has been observed with UVES, the UV-Visual Echelle Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope, with the aim of characterizing the zonal wind flow. We use a retrieval scheme originally developed for absolute stellar accelerometry [Connes, P., 1985. Astrophys. Space Sci., 110, 211-255] to extract the velocity signal by simultaneously taking into account all the lines present in the spectrum. The method allows to measure the Doppler shift induced at a given point by the zonal wind flow, with high precision. The short-wavelength channel (4200-5200 Å) probes one scale height higher than the long-wavelength one (5200-6200 Å), and we observe statistically significant evidence for stronger winds at higher altitudes. The results show a high dispersion. Globally, we detect prograde zonal winds, with lower limits of 62 and 50 m s⁻¹ at the regions centered at 200 and 170 km altitude, but approximately a quarter of the measurements indicates null or retrograde winds.     

地理国情普查成果应用实践与探索

分析了地理国情普查和监测的内涵、意义及其成果、产品,并针对当前的热点问题,对地理国情普查成果的应用进行了探索,为确立测绘地理信息部门新的发展方向奠定了良好的研究基础。     

On the linear elastic responses of the 2D bonded discrete element model

The bonded discrete element model (DEM) is a numerical tool that is becoming widely used when studying fracturing, fragmentation, and failure of solids in various disciplines. However, its abilities to solve elastic problems are usually overlooked. In this work, the main features of the 2D bonded DEM which influence Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus, and accuracy when solving elastic boundary value problems, are investigated. Outputs of numerical simulations using the 2D bonded DEM, the finite element method, a hyper elasticity analysis, and the distinct lattice spring model (DLSM) are compared in the investigation. It is shown that a shear interaction (local) factor and a geometric (global) factor are two essential elements for the 2D bonded DEM to reproduce a full range of Poisson's ratios. It is also found that the 2D bonded DEM might be unable to reproduce the correct displacements for elastic boundary value problems when the represented Poisson's ratio is close to 0.5 or the long-range interaction is considered. In addition, an analytical relationship between the shear stiffness ratio and the Poisson's ratio, derived from a hyper elasticity analysis and applicable to discontinuum-based models, provides good agreement with outputs from the 2D bonded DEM and DLSM. Finally, it is shown that the selection of elastic parameters used the 2D bonded DEM has a significant effect on fracturing and fragment patterns of solids.