The “unrevealed casualties” of the Irish mortgage crisis: Analysing the broader impacts of mortgage market financialisation

Since 2008, extensive research has examined the impacts of mortgage market financialisation, particularly the socio-spatial patterns of mortgage defaults and foreclosures. However, these standard statistical indicators of mortgage difficulty only capture the ‘overt casualties’ of the crisis, overlooking the mass of households who meet their mortgage commitments, but do so at considerable cost to quality of life. The impacts of the crisis on these ‘unrevealed casualties’ has received insufficient attention within the literature. As such, this article develops a framework to assess mortgage stress levels using standard and atypical indicators of mortgage payment difficulty. This framework differentiates between the ‘overt’ and ‘unrevealed’ casualties and is applied through a case study of suburban Dublin mortgagors to examine the characteristics of these groups, determine the key factors driving their mortgage stress and assess how their attitudes towards homeownership are being reshaped. The results suggest the impact of the mortgage crisis is much larger than previously considered, affecting a more diverse range of suburban households, many of whom may be one financial or non-financial trigger event away from developing a more serious payments problem. Banks’ reckless lending practices are among the strongest predictors of mortgage stress, demonstrating how the failure to adequately regulate banking practices has had detrimental financial impacts for households at the suburban scale. Attitudes toward homeownership and its investment function are increasingly negative, demonstrating how the primary rationale for homeownership expansion (i.e. its potential for wealth creation) is being revaluated by mortgaged households in the wake of the crash.     

Intensification of the East Asian Monsoon in Southern China at about 300–400 kaBP Inferred from Eolian Deposits in the Middle-lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

In the East Asian monsoon region,eolian deposits widely distributed in the middle-lower reaches of the Yantgze River are among the best materials available for studies on Quaternary climate change in the subtropical zone of Southern China.Typical eolian deposits in this region include upper Xiashu Loess(XL) and underlying Vermiculated Red Soil(VRS) layers.In this paper,chronological and paleoclimatic studies are conducted on an eolian deposit sequence near Jiujiang(JJ) city in northern Jiangxi province.A magnetostratigraphic study,combined with optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) dating,is conducted on the JJ section and provides further evidence that eolian deposits in the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River have been formed since the late Early Pleistocene,and that the boundary age between the XL and VRS layers is about 300-400 kaBP.In grain-size records of the JJ section,the median grain-size and content of the 30 μm size fraction increase sharply after 300-400 kaBP,representing an East Asian winter monsoon intensification event.Further pollen analysis reveals differing pollen assemblages before and after 300-400 kaBP:there is an evident increase in plants adapted to grow in a warm humid environment after 300-400 kaBP,implying an increase in precipitation caused by intensification of the East Asian summer monsoon.Global ice volume and uplift of the Tibet Plateau(TP) are regarded as crucial factors influencing variations of the East Asian monsoon on a long-term scale.The deep-sea δ~(18)O record,which reflects variations in global ice volume,shows no obvious change after 300-400 kaBP.Moreover,the influence of global ice volume changes on the East Asian summer and winter monsoons is inverse;the global ice volume increase(decrease) implies a strengthened(weakened) winter monsoon and weakened(strengthened) summer monsoon.We therefore interpret the coupled intensifications of the East Asian summer and winter monsoons at about 300-400 kaBP to the uplift of the TP in the Middle Pleistocene.This climate event is also documented in eolian deposits from the southern margin of the Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP) and from the desert-loess transitional belt.However,it is not recorded in the loess-paleosol sequences from the central part of the CLP,thereby indicating differing climate responses to TP uplift in different regions,which requires further study.     

Convergence History of the Songliao and Jiamusi Blocks in the Eastern End of Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Detrital Zircons of Late Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks

Central Asian Orogenic Belt(CAOB) is one of the largest accretionary orogenic belts in the world. The eastern segment of CAOB is dominated by Paleozoic Paleo Asian Ocean tectonic regime, Mesozoic Paleo-Pacific tectonic regime and Mongolian-Okhotsk tectonic regime. The Songliao and Jiamusi blocks are located in the easternmost part of the CAOB and are the key region to solve the problem about overprinting processes of multiple tectonic regimes. It is generally believed that the Mudanjiang Ocean between the two blocks was finally closed in the Mesozoic, but the Paleozoic magmatism also developed along the Mudanjiang suture zone, while on both sides of the suture zone, there were comparable Paleozoic strata, indicating that the two blocks had converged during the Paleozoic, and the evolution history of the two blocks in the Late Paleozoic remains controversial. The Carboniferous-Permian terrestrial strata mainly developed in Binxian, Wuchang and Tieli on Songliao Block, Baoqing and Mishan on Jiamusi Block. Samples from the Songliao and Jiamusi blocks in the Late Carboniferous-Early Permian and Late Permian are collected for comparative analysis. The LAICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results show that the maximum depositional age of Middle Permian Tumenling Formation and Late Permian Hongshan Formation in Songliao Block is ～260 Ma, while that of Tatouhe Formation and Carboniferous strata in Jiamusi Block are ～290 Ma and ～300 Ma, respectively, which supports the previous stratigraphic division scheme. The age peaks of ～290–300 Ma, ～400 Ma, ～500 Ma appeared in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian strata of Jiamusi Block and the Middle Permian strata of Songliao Block. The age peak of ～500 Ma in the Middle Permian strata of Songliao Block may come from the Cambrian basement, Mashan Complex, of Jiamusi Block, while the age peaks of ～420–440 Ma in the Carboniferous strata of Jiamusi Block may come from the Silurian magmatic arc in Zhangguangcai Range in the eastern margin of Songliao Block, reflects the history that they had been potential sources of each other, indicating that they may have combined in the Paleozoic. The Hongshan Formation of Songliao Block in the Late Permian lacks the age peak of ～500 Ma, which indicate that Jiamusi Block was not the provenance of Songliao Block in the Late Permian, that is, there was a palaeogeographic isolation between the two blocks. Combined with the ～210 Ma bimodal volcanic rocks developed along the Mudanjiang suture zone reported previously, we believe that the oceanic basin between the Songliao and Jiamusi blocks should have been connected in Late Permian and reopened during Late Permian to Late Triassic.     

中国地质勘查周期及成因分析

本文开拓性地系统研究建国以来中国地质勘查周期,引入经济周期理论、工业化发展阶段理论、矿产品使用强度理论、政治决策因素、市场因素等对地质勘查周期进行了解释,试图理清多年来认识不清的问题。通过统计建国以来历年地质勘查投入、钻探工作量、见矿异常和发现矿产地等数据,划分了8次地质勘查工作周期。在对我国经济周期和财政周期研究的基础上,提出了地勘工作周期与经济和财政周期相对应的观点。此外,通过研究建国以来工业化进程和国家经济发展战略的选择,结合矿产品使用强度变化趋势,认为在重工业化发展阶段,矿产品使用强度处于高位,从而地勘投入处于高位;在农业、轻工业化发展阶段,地勘工作逐渐走弱。2013年后,随着我国进入工业化后期阶段,地勘工作处于新一轮弱势状态。地勘工作周期体现了长期国家发展战略主动选择、工业化进程与短期财政和经济波动双重叠加的特点,短期政策因素则常对地勘周期波动时有放大或熨平作用。     

北疆及邻区石炭-二叠纪花岗岩时空分布特征及其构造意义

北疆及邻区发育大量的花岗岩,其中石炭-二叠纪花岗岩较为突出。本文总结了该期花岗岩的时空分布特征。北疆及邻区不同构造单元石炭-二叠纪花岗岩特征不同,形成时代峰期也不一致。在阿尔泰,该期花岗岩主要集中在早二叠世(289～266Ma),晚石炭世出现一个明显的岩浆宁静期;西准噶尔可以分为早石炭世(340～320Ma)和晚石炭世—早二叠世(310～290Ma)两期,后一期较强,铝质A型花岗岩分布广泛是该地区的一个重要特征,形成时代集中在300Ma左右;东准噶尔地区石炭-二叠纪花岗岩多沿断裂带展布,岩浆活动从晚石炭世一直延续到早二叠世(320～270Ma),该地区最大的特点是发育多条碱性(A型)花岗岩带,在晚石炭世—早二叠世连续产出。西天山大致可以分为3期:早石炭世(355～345Ma)、早石炭世晚期—晚石炭世(335～305Ma)和二叠纪(300～255Ma)。早石炭世花岗岩主要集中在北天山,早二叠世花岗岩浆活动最为强烈,其中的碱性(A型)花岗岩不仅在南天山呈带状大面积分布,在北天山也有发育;东天山—北山是区内石炭-二叠纪花岗岩最为发育的地区,岩体数量多,分布面积广,锆石年龄主要集中在335～310Ma和300～270Ma,相对来说来东天山石炭纪花岗岩较多,北山二叠纪花岗岩较多。总体而言,北疆及邻区石炭-二叠纪花岗岩时代主要集中在晚石炭世—早二叠世,特别是早二叠世,整体展现出同步性,这个时期碱性岩最发育,可能揭示了不同构造背景下的伸展特点。这是整个中亚造山带及邻区大量的酸性和基性-超基性岩浆活动及暗示的伸展环境的一个缩影。     

深部找矿与蒋氏TEM双定源回线装置方案

双定源回线装置的水平场Hx,其强度大、均匀,有利于探测深部陡倾斜金属矿藏,并可用作远距离井中测量的场源。此方案可用于危机矿山的找矿工作。     

青藏高原和亚洲夏季风动力学研究的新进展

亚洲夏季风环流受海陆和伊朗高原—青藏高原大地形的热力作用调控.亚洲季风所释放的巨大潜热又对大气环流形成反馈.这种相互反馈过程十分复杂,揭示其物理过程对理解气候变化格局的形成和变化以及提高天气预报及气候预测的准确率十分重要.夏季北半球副热带对流层上层环流的主要特征是存在庞大的南亚高压(SAH)以及强大的对流层上层温度暖中心(UTTM).本文介绍了温度—加热垂直梯度(T-Q_Z)理论的发展,并用以揭示SAH和UTTM的形成机制.指出沿副热带欧亚大陆东部的季风对流潜热加热及其中西部的表面感热加热和高层长波辐射冷却是导致SAH和UTTM在南亚上空发展的原因.文中还介绍了Gill模型用于上部对流层研究的局限性及解决的办法.     

中国东部高空颠簸时空分布特征及其与热带中东太平洋海温的关系

本文利用1979～2014年NCEP-DOE日平均再分析资料和中国区域2375份航空器空中颠簸报告资料,研究中国东部区域高空颠簸的时空分布特征及其与热带中东太平洋海温异常（简称“海温异常”;空间范围:5°S～5°N,120°～170°W）的关系以及产生这种关系的可能原因。结果表明:中国东部地区高空颠簸与东亚副热带西风急流之间存在显著时空相关关系,其原因是高空纬向风引起的垂直风切变是构成高空颠簸时空分布的主导因素。中国东部夏季高空颠簸与海温异常存在正相关关系;冬季呈现南北两个正负相关区:以30°N为界,北部区域存在显著的负相关,南部区存在显著的正相关,在30°N急流轴附近区域无显著相关关系。海温异常影响中国高空颠簸时空分布的可能原因是海温变化引起对流层高层温度出现异常,进而影响温度的经向梯度,导致东亚副热带西风急流强度和位置出现异常（夏季,急流轴南侧出现西风异常;冬季,急流轴北侧出现东风异常,南侧出现西风异常）。高空纬向风的变化导致纬向风的垂直梯度和经向梯度出现异常,最终影响高空颠簸的时空分布特征。对流层高层温度的异常变化可能是由与热带海温异常相关的平流层水汽变化所引起。     

The Relationship Between Abnormal Meiyu and Medium-Term Scale Wave Perturbation Energy Propagation Along the East Asian Subtropical Westerly Jet

The East Asian subtropical westerly jet(EASWJ) is one of the most important factors modulating the Meiyu rainfall in the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin, China. This article analyzed periods of the medium-term EASWJ variation,wave packet distribution and energy propagation of Rossby waves along the EASWJ during Meiyu season, and investigated their possible influence on abnormal Meiyu rain. The results showed that during the medium-term scale atmospheric dynamic process, the evolution of the EASWJ in Meiyu season was mainly characterized by the changes of3-8 d synoptic-scale and 10-15 d low-frequency Rossby waves. The strong perturbation wave packet and energy propagation of the 3-8 d synoptic-scale and 10-15 d low-frequency Rossby waves are mostly concentrated in the East Asian region of 90°-150°E, where the two wave trains of perturbation wave packets and wave-activity flux divergence coexist in zonal and meridional directions, and converge on the EASWJ. Besides, the wave trains of perturbation wave packet and wave-activity flux divergence in wet Meiyu years are more systematically westward than those in dry Meiyu years, and they are shown in the inverse phases between each other. In wet(dry) Meiyu year, the perturbation wave packet high-value area of the 10-15 d low-frequency variability is located between the Aral Sea and the Lake Balkhash(in the northeastern part of China), while over eastern China the wave-activity flux is convergent and strong(divergent and weak), and the high-level jets are strong and southward(weak and northward). Because of the coupling of high and low level atmosphere and high-level strong(weak) divergence on the south side of the jet over the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin, the low-level southwest wind and vertically ascending motion are strengthened(weakened), which is(is not)conducive to precipitation increase in the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin. These findings would help to better understand the impact mechanisms of the EASWJ activities on abnormal Meiyu from the perspective of medium-term scale Rossby wave energy propagation.     

Recent advances in monsoon studies in China

This review provides a synopsis of the major progress that has been made in monsoon studies in China and to further bridge the gap between the Chinese and international meteorological community. It consists of seven major sections. After the introduction, the second section begins with the global monsoon systems and their seasonal variation, based on some new methods proposed in recent years. Besides, some major intraseasonal features of East Asian monsoon, including the onset of South China Sea summer monsoon are discussed. In the third section, we review the interactions between ENSO and the East Asian monsoon, focusing in particular on the results of Chinese meteorologists that indicate the influence of ENSO on the East Asian summer monsoon(EASM) is obviously different from that on the tropical monsoon. Besides the tropical Pacific,other ocean basins, such as the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, are also important to the East Asian monsoon, and this topic is discussed in the fourth section. In the fifth section, we address the role of land surface processes in East Asian monsoon. For example, we describe work that has shown more snow cover in spring on the Tibetan Plateau is followed by a weakened EASM and more summer rainfall in the Yangtze River valleys. The sixth section focuses on the influence of atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere(SH) on EASM, demonstrating how the signal from the SH is likely to provide new clues for the seasonal forecasting of summer rainfall in China. Finally, in the seventh section, we concentrate on the interdecadal variations of EASM. In particular, we look at a significant interdecadal variation that occurred at the end of the 1970 s, and how our understanding of this feature could affect forecasting ability.