Neotropical vegetation response to rapid climate changes during the last glacial period: Palynological evidence from the Cariaco Basin

We present new palynological information from the anoxic Cariaco Basin, off Venezuela, that provides insight into the response of northernmost South American vegetation to rapid climate changes between 68 and 28 ka, specifically during North Atlantic Heinrich events (HEs) and Dansgaard/Oeschger cycles. We defined three different vegetation modes: (1) an interstadial mode characterized by the highest pollen concentration and the maximum extension of semi-deciduous and evergreen forests; (2) a stadial mode characterized by increases of salt marshes, herbs, and montane forests; and (3) a Heinrich event mode characterized by the lowest pollen concentrations, abrupt increases of salt marshes, and decreased forest abundance. Similarly, indices of C4/C3 plants show increases during stadials with clear peaks during the onset of HEs, though grasslands did not become dominant during these periods. We alternatively propose that these expansions of C4 plants are associated with the expansion of coastal salt marshes. Our vegetation record suggests the prevalence of humid conditions during interstadials, dry and cold conditions during stadials, and dry and cold conditions together with changes in sea level during HEs. This new palynological evidence supports previous interpretations that main environmental changes in northernmost South America were driven by latitudinal displacements of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and sea-level changes.     

The contribution of the young Cretaceous Caribbean Oceanic Plateau to the genesis of late Cretaceous arc magmatism in the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador

The eastern part of the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador comprises thick buoyant oceanic plateaus associated with island-arc tholeiites and subduction-related calc-alkaline series, accreted to the Ecuadorian Continental Margin from Late Cretaceous to Eocene times. One of these plateau sequences, the Guaranda Oceanic Plateau is considered as remnant of the Caribbean–Colombian Oceanic Province (CCOP) accreted to the Ecuadorian Margin in the Maastrichtien.Samples studied in this paper were taken from four cross-sections through two arc-sequences in the northern part of the Cordillera Occidental of Ecuador, dated as (Río Cala) or ascribed to (Macuchi) the Late Cretaceous and one arc-like sequence in the Chogòn-Colonche Cordillera (Las Orquídeas). These three island-arcs can clearly be identified and rest conformably on the CCOP.In all four localities, basalts with abundant large clinopyroxene phenocrysts can be found, mimicking a picritic or ankaramitic facies. This mineralogical particularity, although not uncommon in island arc lavas, hints at a contribution of the CCOP in the genesis of these island arc rocks.The complete petrological and geochemical study of these rocks reveals that some have a primitive island-arc nature (MgO values range from 6 to 11 wt.%). Studied samples display marked Nb, Ta and Ti negative anomalies relative to the adjacent elements in the spidergrams characteristic of subduction-related magmatism. These rocks are LREE-enriched and their clinopyroxenes show a tholeiitic affinity (FeO_T–TiO₂ enrichment and CaO depletion from core to rim within a single crystal).The four sampled cross-sections through the island-arc sequences display homogeneous initial Nd, and Pb isotope ratios that suggest a unique mantellic source for these rocks resulting from the mixing of three components: an East-Pacific MORB end-member, an enriched pelagic sediment component, and a HIMU component carried by the CCOP. Indeed, the ankaramite and Mg-basalt sequences that form part of the Caribbean-Colombian Oceanic Plateau are radiogenically enriched in ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and contain a HIMU component similar to that observed in the Gorgona basalts and Galápagos lavas. The subduction zone that generated the Late Cretaceous arcs occurred far from the continental margin, in an oceanic environment. This implies that no terrigenous detrital sediments interacted with the source at this period. Thus, the enriched component can only result from the melting of subducted pelagic sediments.We have thus defined the East-Pacific MORB, enriched (cherts, pelagic sediments) and HIMU components in an attempt to constrain and model the genesis of the studied island-arc magmatism, using a compilation of carefully selected isotopic data from literature according to rock age and paleogeographic location at the time of arc edification.Tripolar mixing models reveal that proportions of 12–15 wt.% of the HIMU component, 7–15 wt.% of the pelagic sediment end-member and 70–75 wt.% of an East-pacific MORB end-member are needed to explain the measured isotope ratios. These surprisingly high proportions of the HIMU/CCOP component could be explained by the young age of the oceanic plateau (5–15 Ma) during the Late Cretaceous arc emplacement. The CCOP, basement of these arc sequences, was probably still hot and easily assimilated at the island-arc lava source.     

The use and performance of mesoscale models over the Indian region for two high-impact events

High-impact mesoscale weather events, occurring in different parts of India in all seasons, lead to major weather- and climate-related disasters. Several research groups and operational weather forecasting centres in India have adopted mesoscale models for research and operational usage. This paper reviews the work done by different groups with respect to two specific events, (1) unprecedented locally heavy rainfall near Mumbai (Santa Cruz) on 26 and 27 July 2005 and (2) the Orissa super-cyclone of 29 and 30 October 1999 from its incipient stage on 24 and 25 October 1999. Considerable variability in the prediction of the intensity and location of mesoscale heavy rainfall, as well as in the intensity and path of the super-cyclone, are found. In order to reduce uncertainty in dynamical prediction, it is necessary that the model dynamics, physics, resolution, boundary conditions and availability of data on land–ocean surface processes are tuned separately to the specific event types, such as heavy monsoon rainfall, tropical cyclone genesis and movement and severe local thunderstorms, as the processes controlling such types of events may require suitable treatments for their proper simulations through appropriate dynamics, physics and resolution.     

Impact of various synthetic vortices on cyclone track prediction

Sensitivity experiments are conducted for three cases of cyclones for investigating the impact of different vortex initialization schemes on the structure and track prediction of the cyclone using India Meteorological Department’s Limited Area Model. The surface wind and pressure profiles generated using Holland and Rankine initialization schemes differ from each other. These different generated profiles are compared with the actual data and the root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated between them. In case of the Holland vortex, ‘b’ is found to be equal to 1.5 and 2.0 respectively for two cases of very severe cyclonic storms in the Arabian Sea, namely 6–10 June 1998 and 16–20 May 1999 and 2.25 for the severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal. The ‘α’ parameter in Rankine’s scheme was found to be 0.5 for two cases and 0.4 for the third system. This shows that cyclones differ even if they attain the same intensity. The values of these parameters i.e. ‘b’ and ‘α’ are used for generating the synthetic wind data for individual cyclones and the same is used in the data assimilation system. The analysis and forecast generated for the above cases using the Holland scheme show that the simulated structure has characteristics closer to the actual storm; however, the Rankine scheme shows a weaker circulation. The mean track error for three cases in the Holland scheme is 93, 149, 257 and 307 km in 12-, 24-, 36- and 48-h forecast. The mean track errors for the Rankine scheme are 152, 274, 345 and 327 km, respectively, for the same period.     

关于黄土高原陆面过程及其观测试验研究

总结了国际上陆面过程及其试验研究的现状,分析了黄土高原陆面过程的特殊性和重要意义,探讨了黄土高原陆面过程试验研究中需要关注的一些重要科学问题。并且,对如何开展黄土高原陆面过程试验研究提出了一些初步思路。     

Response of Glacier and Lake Covariations to Climate Change in Mapam Yumco Basin on Tibetan Plateau during 1974–2003

The study of spatial and temporal covariances of glaciers and lakes would help us to understand the impact of climate change within a basin in Tibet. This study focuses on glacier and lake variations in the Mapam Yumco(玛旁雍错)Basin (covering 7 786.44 km2)by Integrationg series of spatial data from topographic maps and digital satellite images at four different times 1974, 1990, 1999,and 2003. The results indicate that (1) decreased lakes, retreated glaciers, enlarged lakes and advanced glaciers co-exist in the basin during the last 30 years; (2) glacier recession was accelerated in recent years due to the warmer climate; (3) lake areas in the basin are both reduced and enlarged by an accelerated speed with more water supplies from speeding melt glaciers or frozen ground in the last three decades.     

Structural and geochronological constraints on the tectono-thermal evolution of the Danba domal terrane, eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau

The Songpan-Ganze terrane of the Tibetan plateau is underlain by Neoproterozoic crystalline basement rocks of the Yangtze block. These basement rocks are exposed as a series of extensional tectonic domes that form a nearly north–south trending extensional belt more than 1000 km long in the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau. In the Danba area, detachment faults separate the basement core complexes (e.g., the Gezong and Gongcai complexes) from the Paleozoic strata which have been thinned or removed completely. The cover sequences have undergone upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies metamorphism to form the Danba schist and are overlain by the Triassic Xikang Group, a thick flysch sequence. Both the basement rocks and the Paleozoic rocks have undergone multiple stages of deformation and thus provide an excellent opportunity to study the tectono-thermal evolution of the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau. Two stages of deformation, corresponding to three generations of foliation (S₁, , and ), have been recognized on the basis of structural and microscopic observations. We selected amphibole and biotite separates associated with distinct generations of foliation for ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating using laser microprobe incremental heating technique to place numerical constraints on the major tectono-thermal events within the Danba area. The geochronogical results reveal an earliest metamorphic event at 258.6 ± 0.5 Ma (S₁ biotite) and 263.6 ± 0.8 Ma (S₁ amphibole), coinciding temporally with the mantle plume that produced the voluminous Emeishan flood basalts. The second event was a progressive extensional deformation first occurred at 159–166 Ma ( amphibole) responsible for the earlier tectonic doming of the crystalline basement, and then the final tectono-thermal overprint recorded by foliation and metamorphism locally in the core complexes at 47–58 Ma for the Gezong complex and 64–81 Ma for the Gongcai complex. This major post-orogenic extensional event is believed to be a consequence of collision between the North China and South China blocks. The apparent discrepancy of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages observed between localities suggests a slow cooling process associated with progressive uplift.     

基于LRIS-3D建立高分辨率DEM的方法及对比研究

在基于LRIS-3D系统建立高分辨率DEM基础上,以黄土高原丘陵沟壑区桥沟小流域为对象,利用GIS工具,以三维激光扫描系统扫描数据为基础数据,研究基于DEM的数字地形特征和水文特征的提取与分析方法。研究结果表明：与普通DEM相比,高分辨率DEM提取研究区平均坡度变小、坡度标准差变大,总体地形向平坦转化,坡面曲率增大,沟壑密度增大,更详细地描述了地表特征。对流域水文过程分析、特别是对流域汇流的参数确定及汇流模型的建立有积极作用。     

大陆下地壳流动:渠流还是层流?

大量的地质、地球物理、地球化学、实验和模拟资料证明大陆岩石圈存在壳内流层,目前创建了渠流和层流两种假说来解释大陆下地壳的流动规律和流动机理。渠流模式是指厚地壳、高地势的造山带或高原中、下地壳低粘度物质在地貌负荷的侧向压力梯度或剥蚀作用驱动下从山根向外侧向扩张。笔者在研究青藏高原的基础上于1992年提出的层流模式是指在大陆边缘俯冲板片脱水熔融和大陆内部地幔柱(枝)底辟上隆的热动力及其相关的重力驱动下的盆山地壳物质循环系统,盆地热软化下地壳物质在重力作用下顺层流向相邻的山根,盆地地壳减薄,造山带地壳加厚,加厚的下地壳部分熔融物质带动深层变质岩向上运动,热-重力派生的垂直主应力形成热隆伸展的变质核杂岩和低角度拆离断层,隆升的山体在重力势能作用下侧向扩张,盆山边界形成逆冲推覆和滑覆构造,同时遭受强烈的剥蚀作用,造山带源粗碎屑沉积物快速堆积在盆缘受下地壳拖曳的壳内有限俯冲坳陷带内。渠流构造和层流构造在大陆板内变形、中下地壳韧性挤出、造山带的挤压和伸展同步转换、中深变质岩的韧性变形及剥露过程、部分熔融及岩浆活动等方面存在相似之处,但是,在发育背景、产出部位、流层边界、流层规模、流动型式、流动体制、流动方向、流动物质、流动效应、流动时间、驱动力等方面存在本质的差异。渠流构造基本上可作为层流构造时空结构中的一个组成部分,层流的驱动力是热能和重力,而不是地表剥蚀作用和山体负荷作用。从全球角度来看,层流只是地球多级物质循环流动系统的一个组成部分。     

A Limb Correction Method for the Microwave Temperature Sounder 2 and Its Applications

The Microwave Temperature Sounder 2 (MWTS-2) is a cross-track radiometer that has 13 channels of sampling radiances emitted from different vertical levels of the atmosphere. Because of the varying scan angles of each field of view within a scan line, observations from the MWTS-2 are subject to strong scan-position-dependent features, i.e., the limb effect. When examining brightness temperatures (TBs), weather signals observed at every temperature-sounding channel are often concealed by scan-dependent patterns. This study, therefore, proposes a limb correction method to remove scan-dependent features so that the underlying weather signals can be uncovered. Limb-corrected TBs can be used to monitor large-scale patterns over the globe as well as extreme weather events such as typhoons. Limb-corrected TBs are also more correlated with atmospheric physical variables such as temperature and liquid water path.