The Hell Creek Formation and its contribution to the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction: A short primer

Although it represents but one geographic data point, the uppermost Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation (HCF), exposed in the upper Great Plains of the North American craton, remains the most studied source for understanding the final ∼1.5 Myr of the Mesozoic Era in the terrestrial realm. Because it lies conformably below the earliest Paleocene Fort Union Formation, and together these two units preserve a rich fauna and flora, much of what is understood about the terrestrial Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary comes from this sequence.The HCF has been reconstructed as an expansive, fluvially drained, low coastal plain, built out, to the west, against the Laramide Orogen, and to the east, against the ultimate transgression (Cannonball) of the Western Interior Sea. Its meandering rivers and moist soils supported a multi-tiered angiosperm-dominated flora and rich insect and vertebrate faunas, including dinosaurs, crocodilians, squamates, turtles, and mammals. A dramatic facies change representing the initiation of catastrophic flooding is preserved, within available levels precision, at the K–Pg boundary.High-precision stratigraphy has proven difficult in this lenticular fluvial system. Where present, the boundary can be recognized by the bipartite boundary claystone; otherwise, palynostratigraphy has proven a powerful tool. Numerical dates have been successfully obtained from in tonsteins at the boundary and above, in the Fort Union; however, these have proven elusive below the boundary within the HCF. The K–Pg boundary in this region is dated at 66.043 Ma (Renne et al., 2013). Magnetostratigraphic studies have been carried out in the HCF; although all but one have lacked numerical dates, these have been used for correlations of widespread, disjunct exposures and for the estimation of sedimentation rates.The palynoflora is largely homogenous through the HCF; at the K–Pg boundary, it shows an abrupt ∼30% extinction. This makes it a powerful tool for identification of the K–Pg boundary, although because the boundary is identified on absence of Cretaceous taxa rather than presence of earliest Paleocene taxa, several competing methods have been applied to identifying the K–Pg boundary using pollen.The macroflora, consisting largely of leaves, consists of three successive floras, showing increasing diversity through the HCF. The ultimate of these three floras undergoes an abrupt 57% extinction; taken as a whole, however, the macroflora undergoes a 78% extinction at the K–Pg boundary.The best data available for dinosaurs – including archaic Aves – show an abrupt extinction. By contrast, salamanders and other lissamphibians, as well as chelonians, cross the boundary virtually without perturbation. Squamates appear to have suffered significant extinctions at the K–Pg boundary, as did euselachians (elasmobranchs) and insects. Mammals suffered a 75% extinction; however, some of this figure cannot be shown to have occurred in less than the last 500 kyr of the Cretaceous, and thus has been potentially attributable to causes other than a bolide impact. Taken together, the survivorship patterns are concordant with the catastrophic inception of ubiquitous flooding characterizing the K–Pg boundary.While the key K–Pg boundary question in the HCF was once the rate of the biotic extinction, it has moved to the distinction between single-cause scenarios, with the Chicxulub bolide as agent of extinction, and multi-cause scenarios, uniting habitat partitioning, Deccan flood-basalt volcanism, climate change, competition, and bolide impact. Not every potential environmental perturbation need be a mechanism for the extinction: parsimony and the data continue to be concordant with a bolide impact as the single agent of the terrestrial K–Pg mass extinction.     

X射线衍射-红外光谱-扫描电镜表征超声辅助合成GdPO_4:Ce,Tb纳米材料形貌及光学性质

超声辅助方法是制备纳米材料的有效手段,可提高纳米材料的磁学、光学等特殊性能。本文在不同p H条件下超声辅助合成GdPO_4:Ce,Tb三元体系荧光粉,采用X射线粉末衍射、傅里叶变换红外光谱、扫描电镜、透射电子显微镜及光致发光荧光光谱分析方法对样品进行了表征。结果表明:①样品仅在p H=1时,才能生成规则的15 nm×104nm六方晶系纳米棒状正磷酸盐绿色荧光粉,晶体优先选择(102)及(200)晶面生长;p H1无法得到样品;p H1为颗粒状的正磷酸盐绿色荧光粉。②进一步验证了Gd、Ce、Tb三元体系中Ce~(3+)离子能量较高的5d组态将能量传递给Gd~(3+)离子,而Gd~(3+)离子的跃迁发射与Tb~(3+)离子的吸收峰有较大的光谱重叠,故传递途径是Ce~(3+)→Gd~(3+)→Tb~(3+);少量Ce~(3+)的引入可提高以GdPO_4基质发光材料的发光强度。此结果可为开发稀土材料提供理论依据。     

From river to shelf,anatomy of a high‐frequency depositional sequence: The Late Pleistocene to Holocene Tiber depositional sequence

The Late Pleistocene/Holocene Tiber delta succession represents the most recent and one of the best preserved, high‐frequency/low‐rank depositional sequences developed along the Latium continental margin of the Italian peninsula. Several previous studies have established a robust data set from which it has been possible to describe the stratigraphic architecture of the entire Tiber depositional sequence from the landward to seaward sectors and over a distance of 60 km. The Tiber depositional sequence shows many characteristics found in other Late Pleistocene to Holocene deltaic and coastal successions of the Mediterranean area. The stratigraphic architecture of the Tiber depositional sequence is controlled mainly by glacioeustasy, although factors such as tectonic uplift, volcanism and subsidence, exert an influence at a local scale. The resulting depositional model allowed discussion of some important points such as: (1) the genesis of the Tiber mixed bedrock‐alluvial valley, extending from the coastal plain to the innermost portion of the shelf, recording (i) multiple episodes of incision during relative sea‐level fall, and (ii) a downstream increase of depth and width of the valley during the base‐level fall and the subsequent base‐level rise; (2) the different physical expression of the Tiber depositional sequence boundary from landward to seaward, and its diachronous and composite character; (3) the maximum depth reached by the Tiber early lowstand delta at the end of the sea‐level fall is estimated at ca 90 m below the present sea‐level and not at 120 m as suggested by previous works; (4) the backward position of the Tiber late lowstand delta relative to the deposit of early lowstand; (5) the change of the channel pattern and of the stacking pattern of fluvial deposits within the Lowstand Systems Tract, Transgressive Systems Tract and Highstand Systems Tract. All of these features indicate that the Late Pleistocene/Holocene Tiber delta succession, even if deposited in a short period of time from a geological point of view, represents the result of the close interaction among many autogenic and allogenic factors. However, global eustatic variations and sediment supply under the control of climatic changes can be considered the main factors responsible for the stratigraphic architecture of this sedimentary succession, which has been heavily modified by human activity only in the last 3000 years.     

基本层序界面类型及其在岩石地层单位划分中的应用

基本层序在垂向上的重大转化面即为基本层序界面,由高到低可划分为旋回性基本层序/不显旋回性基本层序间界面(Ⅰ级界面)、旋回性基本层序/韵律性基本层序间界面(Ⅱ级界面)和向上变细粒序/向上变粗粒序间界面(Ⅲ级界面)。这些界面广泛发育于碎屑沉积岩中,因而是细分地质填图单位的重要选择界面。这一方案是对传统沉积序列分层及地质填图单位界面选择的重要补充,对指导中国造山带巨厚碎屑岩建造的地质填图单位划分、沉积相分析和区域地质研究具有重要意义。     

Design Method,Application and Time Alternative Mechanism of Flexible Use of Airspace

The flexible use of airspace and its practice are the key components of next generation air transportation system and the important technical support of reconstructing the national airspace in Europe, Japan and other countries. On the basis of overview and comprehensive cognition of the generation, implementation and aims of flexible use of airspace, the design methods of sector’s boundary changes were evaluated. Then, from the perspective of “sector-closed”, the effect on sector boundary changes was evaluated, and the time alternative mechanism in flexible use of airspace was revealed. The research shows that “Algorithm+Manual Dynamic Boundary Change” can be a method for better distribution and balancing the unbalanced traffic demand across regions, which will also promote the airspace development and capacity release. The flexible use of airspace based on ICTs realizes the replacement of the factor of space by the factor of time, which enhances the flexibility of airspace configuration and the changing of air routes to the maximun extent. The methods and applications of flexible use of airspace will be not only beneficial to establishing the whole national airspace system and utilization, but also to promoting geography research on airspace resources development and the studies on connection between air and land.     

内孤立波数值造波方法及其与理论和实验结果的比较

为评估不同内孤立波数值造波方法,本文基于Kd V、m Kd V和e Kd V三种理论模型,分别采用双推板、平板拍击和速度入射边界三种数值造波方法,对内孤立波进行了模拟,并将数值模拟结果与理论及实验结果进行对比和分析。结果表明:三种数值造波方法均能实现对内孤立波的模拟,但在造波效果及效率方面存在差异。速度入射边界法在造波效果及效率方面都比较好;平板拍击法的造波效果较好,效率略差;双推板法在造波效果及效率方面均略劣于以上两种方法。     

浅化波浪层流边界层流速分布特性的数值分析

建立了同时考虑波致雷诺应力和时均水平压强梯度影响的二阶波浪边界层数学模型,模型计算得到的浅化波浪层流边界层内瞬时流速剖面、振荡速度幅值和时均流速剖面均与水槽实验数据吻合较好,在此基础上探讨了浅化波浪边界层流速分布特性及其影响机制。随着波浪的浅化变形,边界层内时均流速剖面"底部向岸、上部离岸"的变化特征越来越明显。这是二阶对流项引起的波致雷诺应力和离岸回流引起的时均水平压强梯度共同作用的结果,在床面附近由波致雷诺应力占主导作用并趋于引起向岸流动,在上部区域由时均水平压强梯度占主导作用并趋于引起离岸流动。     

风浪和海洋飞沫对海表面拖曳系数和风廓线的影响

基于埃克曼理论,本文将波致应力和飞沫应力引入到海-气边界层的界面应力中,来研究海表面风浪和海洋飞沫对海-气边界层动量交换的影响,并得到修改后的埃克曼模型的理论解。波致应力是由风浪谱和波增长函数估计,并得到在中低风速下,波致应力、飞沫应力与湍流应力相比,对海表面拖曳系数和风廓线的影响非常小。当风速高于25米/秒时,海洋飞沫通过飞沫应力对海-气界面应力的作用远高于波致应力,以至于波致应力可以忽略。海表面拖曳系数在高风速下,随着风速的增大而减小。通过采用风浪谱的不同波龄,得到海洋飞沫的产生会导致海-气边界层风速的增加。最后,理论解与现场的观察数据进行了对比。对比后的数据表明,在中高风速下,飞沫对海-气边界层的影响远大于表面风浪。     

祁连山北缘酒西盆地新生代沉积通量变化对周缘山体构造隆升-风化剥蚀历史的响应

酒西盆地是青藏高原东北缘的一个内陆沉积盆地,发育了巨厚且连续的中-新生代地层,详细记录了盆地及周缘山地的构造、环境演变历史。本文在利用平衡剖面法恢复不同时期酒西盆地原始盆地边界基础上,通过盆地天然露头控制剖面和钻井资料的地层厚度,恢复了酒西盆地新生代各组沉积等厚图。根据不同时期盆地大小和沉积等厚图的计算,获得了酒西盆地新生代不同时期的沉积通量。结合前人对该区构造与古气候研究成果,认为古近纪持续干旱的气候条件下从火烧沟组(40.2~33.4 Ma)到白杨河组(30.9~23.8 Ma)盆地沉积通量增加主要由青藏高原持续挤压使祁连山快速构造隆升导致风化剥蚀量增加所致;中新世早期(疏勒河组弓形山段,23~14 Ma)虽然气候相对温暖,但此时祁连山构造带相对稳定,控制了物源区祁连山风化剥蚀量相对前期减小,使盆地沉积通量相对减小;中新世中期(疏勒河组胳塘沟段,14~8.3 Ma)盆地沉积通量增大可能是气候和构造共同作用的结果;中新世晚期以来(<8.3 Ma,疏勒河组牛胳套段-玉门组)盆地沉积通量呈阶段性大幅陡增,主要由祁连山晚新生代以来阶段性急剧构造隆升导致风化剥蚀量猛增所致。