Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on streamflow in Western Iran

The Middle East region, where arid and semi‐arid regions occupy most of the land, is extremely vulnerable to any natural or anthropogenic reductions in available water resources. Much of the observed interannual‐decadal variability in Middle Eastern streamflow is physically linked to a large‐scale atmospheric circulation patterns such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). In this work, the relationship between the NAO index and the seasonal and annual streamflows in the west of Iran was statistically examined during the last four decades. The correlations were constructed for two scenarios (with and without time lag). The associations between the annual and seasonal streamflows and the simultaneous NAO index were found to be poor and insignificant. The possibility of streamflow forecasting was also explored, and the results of lag correlations revealed that streamflow responses at the NAO signal with two and three seasons delays. The highest Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.379 was found between the spring NAO index and the autumn streamflow series at Taghsimab station, indicating that roughly 14% of the variance in the streamflow series is associated with NAO forcing. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Triassic E-MORB-like basalts associated with porphyry Cu-deposits in the southern Yidun continental arc,eastern Tibet: Evidence of slab-tear during subduction?

It is generally believed that andesite–dacite–rhyolite suites and contemporary porphyry Cu deposits are related to subduction in active continental margin settings. However, it is still unclear which tectonic events result in the generation of porphyry Cu deposits and whether asthenospheric mantle material is involved in this process. Widespread andesitic–dacitic felsic intrusions associated with porphyry Cu deposits and rarer basalts have been identified in the Late Triassic southern Yidun arc (SYA) of eastern Tibet. However, few geochronological and geochemical data are available for these basalts, thereby hampering the development of geodynamic models for this magmatic event and the formation of related porphyry Cu deposits in the region. Here we present the first geochemical and SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry) zircon U–Pb data of Xiaxiaoliu basalts in the SYA. The age of the Late Triassic Xiaxiaoliu basalts (216.1 ± 2.8 Ma) is consistent with the timing of emplacement of voluminous porphyritic intrusions and the formation of Cu deposits within the SYA (peaking at 215–217 Ma). The Xiaxiaoliu basalts have E-MORB-like trace element patterns that are free of negative Nb–Ta anomalies, and have high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_(t) values, suggesting they were sourced from asthenospheric mantle without any arc-type influence. These observations, combined with the fact that some Late Triassic mineralized porphyritic intrusions within the SYA have adakitic affinities, suggest that the basalts and other igneous rocks and associated porphyry Cu deposits within the SYA were produced by tearing of a westward-dipping slab, triggering the upwelling of asthenospheric mantle material during subduction of the Garze–Litang Ocean crust.     

Control of syntectonic erosion and sedimentation on kinematic evolution of a multidecollement fold and thrust zone: Analogue modeling of folding in the southern subandean of Bolivia

Several analogue modeling studies have been conducted during the past fifteen years with the aim to discuss the effects of sedimentation and erosion on Foreland Fold and Thrust Belt, among which a few have analyzed these processes at kilometric scale (Malavieille et al., 1993; Nalpas et al., 1999; Barrier et al., 2002; Pichot and Nalpas, 2009). The influence of syn-deformation sedimentation and erosion on the structural evolution of FFTB has been clearly demonstrated. Here, we propose to go further in this approach by the study of a more complex system with a double decollement level. The natural study case is the Bolivian sub-Andean thrust and fold belt, which present all the required criteria, such as the double decollement level. A set of analogue models performed under a CT-scan have been used to test the influence of several parameters on a fold and thrust belt system, among which: (i) the spatial variation of the sediment input, (ii) the spatial variation of the erosion rate, (iii) the relative distribution of sedimentation between foreland and hinterland. These experiments led to the following observations:

• 1. The upper decollement level acts as a decoupling level in case of increased sedimentation rate: it results in the verticalization of the shallower part (above the upper decollement level), while the deeper parts are not impacted.
• 2. Similarly, the increase of the erosion rate involves the uplift of the deeper part (below the upper decollement level), whereas the shallower parts are not impacted.
• 3. A high sedimentation rate in the foreland involves a fault and fold vergence reversal, followed by a back-thrusting of the shallower part.
• 4. A high sedimentation rate in the hinterland favours thrust development toward the foreland in the shallower parts.

     

Characteristics of the Asian–Pacific Oscillation in Boreal Summer Simulated by BCC_CSM with Different Horizontal Resolutions

The summer Asian–Pacific Oscillation(APO) is a major teleconnection pattern that reflects the zonal thermal contrast between East Asia and the North Pacific in the upper troposphere. The performance of Beijing Climate Center Climate System Models(BCC CSMs) with different horizontal resolutions, i.e., BCC CSM1.1 and BCC CSM1.1(m), in reproducing APO interannual variability, APO-related precipitation anomalies, and associated atmospheric circulation anomalies, is evaluated.The results show that BCC CSM1.1(m) can successfully capture the interannual variability of the summer APO index. It is also more capable in reproducing the APO's spatial pattern, compared to BCC CSM1.1, due to its higher horizontal resolution. Associated with a positive APO index, the northward-shifted and intensified South Asian high, strengthened extratropical westerly jet, and tropical easterly jet in the upper troposphere, as well as the southwesterly monsoonal flow over North Africa and the Indian Ocean in the lower troposphere, are realistically represented by BCC CSM1.1(m), leading to an improvement in reproducing the increased precipitation over tropical North Africa, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the decreased precipitation over subtropical North Africa, Japan, and North America. In contrast, these features are less consistent with observations when simulated by BCC CSM1.1. Regression analysis further indicates that surface temperature anomalies over the North Pacific and the southern and western flanks of the Tibetan Plateau are reasonably reproduced by BCC CSM1.1(m), which contributes to the substantial improvement in the simulation of the characteristics of summer APO compared to that of BCC CSM1.1.     

2012/2013年冬季中国气温异常成因分析

2012/2013年冬季,我国平均气温为-3.8℃,较常年同期(-3.4℃)偏低0.4℃,就空间分布来看,我国东北、华北、黄淮、江淮和新疆北部气温较常年同期偏低。利用1951-2013年国家气候中心整理的全国160站月平均气温资料、英国Hadley中心全球海温资料、NCEP/NCAR再分析大气环流资料、德国不莱梅大学提供的海冰卫星遥感资料,通过EOF分析、回归分析、合成分析、相关分析方法研究了引起2012/2013年冬季我国气温异常的东亚中高纬大气环流异常,并从海洋环境要素异常的角度分析造成这种环流异常的原因。分析结果表明:2012/2013年冬季我国气温异常分布主要是由于北极涛动(AO,Arctic Oscillation)呈负位相,西伯利亚地区高度场异常偏高,东亚大槽明显偏深的环流形式引起的。而太平洋年代际振荡(PDO,Pacific Decadal Oscillation)负位相是引起西伯利亚高压强度偏强和东亚冬季风强度偏强的年代际海洋背景,前期9月海冰范围异常偏小是导致2012/2013年冬季AO呈现负位相及我国东北和新疆北部呈现异常低温的主要原因。     

Sulfur speciation with high performance liquid chromatography as a tool for El Chichón volcano,crater lake monitoring

The monitoring of sulfur species in crater lakes has proven to be useful for forecasting episodes of volcanic unrest in certain active volcanoes, including Poás, Costa Rica; Kusatsu-Shirane, Japan; and Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand. In this study, we have improved the current geochemical monitoring of El Chichón volcano through the setting of optimal high-performance liquid chromatography conditions (HPLC) for the analysis of S²⁻, SO₃²⁻, S₂O₃²⁻, S₄O₆²⁻ and SO₄²⁻ using a common chromatographic system. The procedure was applied to the analysis of lake samples taken in March, July and October of 2014 and April of 2015. The results were promising, since nearly all species were detected (with the exception of S₂O₃²⁻) in measurable amounts, including S²⁻ (<0.85–5.05 mg/L), SO₃²⁻ (<2.77–26.1 mg/L), S₄O₆²⁻ (108.27–303.82 mg/L) and SO₄²⁻ (489.58–676.26 mg/L). The spatial distribution of these species along the lakeshore showed zones of increased concentrations to the east and southeast of the lake, which provides information on the distribution of faults or cracks that feed hydrothermal fluids to the lake. This method thus provides additional information linked to the volcanic and hydrothermal activity of the volcano.     

皖南晚中生代花岗闪长岩地球化学:成岩成矿制约

皖南地区是铜、钼、金多金属成矿区,成矿与晚中生代花岗闪长岩类关系密切。近十年来,皖南花岗闪长岩的成因仍然存在分歧。本次报道了皖南花岗闪长岩全岩主、微量元素和锆石原位元素数据。皖南花岗闪长岩(Si O2=64.3%~70.8%)为高钾钙碱性、过铝质岩石,具有相似的埃达克岩特征:高Si O2、Sr/Y(17.1)和(La/Yb)N(14.9)比值,低Yb(1.72×10-6)和Y(18.4×10-6)含量。它们也具有较低Al2O3和Cr(3.40×10-6~10.0×10-6)含量、低Mg#(0.34~0.42)和Nb/Ta(9.6~13.3)值,高K2O和Ba(404×10-6)含量,高K2O/Na2O(0.89~1.55)、Th/La(0.27~0.51)和Th/U(2.79~7.49)比值。锆石原位地球化学特征显示其岩浆源区为低温(锆石Ti-in-zircon温度均值674℃)和高氧逸度(lgfO2集中在-21.4~-9.18,均值-16.4;锆石Ce4+/Ce3+平均值276)的陆壳。这些特征说明皖南花岗闪长岩可能起源于较年轻的加厚下地壳的部分熔融,并经历了斜长石、钾长石和铁镁矿物等结晶分异作用。它们可能形成于与古太平洋板块俯冲密切相关的大陆活动边缘弧至弧后拉张构造转换背景。本区大规模Cu、Mo、Au成矿作用与岩浆的高氧逸度密切相关,而锆石Ce4+/Ce3+可作为矿床勘探一个有效的指标。     

天山南麓库车晚新生代褶皱-冲断带

库车褶皱冲断带位于天山南麓,由近东西走向的多条构造带组成。三叠系暗色泥岩、侏罗系煤层、古近系库姆格列木组膏盐层和新近系吉迪克组膏盐层构成库车褶皱冲断带的区域性主滑脱面。褶皱冲断带底面由北向南逐渐抬高。褶皱冲断带主体发育盖层滑脱-冲断构造(薄皮构造),基底卷入型冲断构造(厚皮构造)见于北缘的根带。新生界膏盐层之上构造变形以滑脱褶皱为特色,之下以冲断构造为特色。库车褶皱冲断带是印度-亚洲碰撞远程效应下,(南)天山晚新生代造山过程的产物。褶皱冲断带构造变形的动力来源主要是造山楔向塔里木盆地推进所形成的挤压构造应力。褶皱冲断带构造变形的起始时间为约23Ma,构造变形具有阶段式加速的特点,已经识别出约23Ma、约10Ma、5~2Ma和1~0Ma共4个变形加速期。褶皱冲断带的演化过程为前展式,褶皱冲断带前锋向南推进的同时,后缘持续变形。     

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Europe Blocking and Their Impacts on Extreme Snowstorms: A Review

Large-scale, low frequency modes such as the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO)and blocking, have an important modulation on the northern hemisphere weather and climate. In this paper, the physical mechanism studies on inter-decadal and decadal variability of NAO and blocking were summarized. The relationship between NAO regime transitions and the interannual variability of NAO in winter during was examined by using a statistical approach. The time-space relationship between NAO and European blocking were discussed. Based on two extreme cold and snowstorm events, the impacts on local weather especially the extreme events within the life cycle (two weeks) of the NAO and blocking were further examined. It was found that the frequently occurrence of the Eurasian extreme snowstorm was closely related to the special combination of NAO and blocking regime. In addition, the development of theoretical modes for NAO and blocking was discussed and issues that remain to be solved were proposed.     

湘南荷花坪锡多金属矿床成矿年代研究

荷花坪锡多金属矿床是本世纪初在南岭中段湘南地区新发现的一个大型矿床,区内的锡多金属矿化产在王仙岭岩体东南内、外接触带,已发现有Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ和Ⅳ号4个主要锡多金属矿体。其中,Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅳ号矿体由早期矽卡岩型和晚期蚀变碎裂岩型矿石组成,Ⅲ号矿体则由独立产出的蚀变碎裂岩型矿石组成,且包含有部分碎裂花岗斑岩。以往研究已对Ⅳ号矿体中的矽卡岩型矿石和Ⅲ号矿体中含矿斑岩脉分别采用辉钼矿Re-Os法和锆石SHRIMP U-Pb法进行了测年,获得的年龄分别为224.0±1.9Ma和142±2Ma。本文补充了晚期蚀变碎裂岩型矿石的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar测年,结果显示,Ⅱ号矿体中蚀变碎裂岩型矿石白云母样品和石英样品的坪年龄分别为151.88±1.58Ma和155.39±7.04Ma;Ⅳ号矿体中蚀变碎裂岩型矿石石英样品的坪年龄为156.94±1.64Ma。结合前人研究资料综合分析,认为荷花坪矿区存在印支晚期(224Ma)、燕山早期(151~156Ma)和燕山晚期(142Ma)三期成矿作用,分别与区内印支期中粗粒含电气石黑云母花岗岩、燕山早期中粗粒黑云母花岗岩和燕山晚期花岗斑岩脉有关,不同期成岩、成矿作用的构造环境均为岩石圈的拉张伸展。湘南地区印支期(205~224Ma)基性岩浆活动及荷花坪矿床印支期成岩、成矿过程中均有幔源物质的参与,它们共同指示南岭地区中生代构造体制的转换或岩石圈伸展减薄可能始于印支主期(230~244Ma)之后的224Ma左右,即晚三叠世。