Numerical Simulation of the 1999 Yangtze River Valley Heavy Rainfall Including Sensitivity Experiments with Different SSTA

With the IAP/LASG GOALS model, the heavy rainfall of the summer of 1999 in the Yangtze River valley is simulated with observational sea surface temperature (SST). Comparing the simulations of 1999 with the corresponding ones of 1998 and the sensitivity experiments with different sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) at different ocean regions, the relationships between the floods in the Yangtze River valley and the SSTA in the Pacific and Indian Oceans are studied. The results show that the positive SSTA in the tropical Indian Ocean are a major contributor to the heavy rainfall and may be a very important index to predict the heavy rainfall over the Yangtze River valley in the summer. The simulations also show that the relationships between the SSTA in the tropical eastern Pacific and the heavy rainfall in the Yangtze River valley are very complicated, and the heavy rainfall in the Yangtze River valley can occur in both a decaying and an intensifying E1 Nino event and also in a La Nifia event. However, the different SSTA of different periods in the above three cases play different partd.     

云南东川地区层状地貌面的成因

在东川地区的山地及小江河谷的两侧山麓上部，分布着不同高度和不同规模的层状地貌面，对其成因仍有不同的认识。分歧主要表现在两个方面：一是高原隆升之前的初始地貌面是否是准平原型夷平面；二是山顶面之下的梯级层状地貌面的成因。本文从以下几个方面对上述问题进行讨论：(1)层状地貌面的地貌特征及其与侵蚀河谷体系的关系；(2)层状地貌面上堆积物的性质；(3)层状地貌面与断裂构造水平展布的关系；(4)相邻层状地貌面的空间过渡关系；(5)区域构造演化背景。作者认为在云贵高原抬升过程中，东川地区以挤压穹起隆升变形为主。不同海拔高度的层状地貌面具有多成因特性。山顶面及局部高原面是高原隆升之前古夷平面的残留。并遭到后期强烈的侵蚀改造。目前，尚缺乏足够证据证明高原隆升之前的古夷平面为准平原型夷平面。小江河谷两侧的梯级层状地貌面是侵蚀或剥蚀面，它们形成于高原隆升及初始地貌面解体之后，其梯级空间分布特征与区域性的阶段隆升有关。     

跨境旅游资源国际合作开发探讨--以黑龙江中俄边境段为例

由于区位的影响，边境地区往往具有发展旅游业的良好基础，但又因主权界线的划分，边境区域完整的资源系统常处于双控或多控状态而无法实现完整开发。因此，采取国际合作模式对跨境旅游资源加以开发是充分发挥边境区域资源优势，带动边境区域经济发展的必然选择，也是本文深入探讨的问题。最后，本文以中俄界江黑龙江边境区域旅游资源的实际开发为例，对跨境旅游资源国际合作开发模式予以简要论述。     

雅江流域碎石层动力触探试验研究

结合雅江流域上数个大中型工程实践，较系统地研究了雅江流域上碎石层动力触探试验数据，结果表明该区域碎石层可采用动力触探进行原位测试，并可按相关的规定和规范进行修正击数、查取承载力和变形模量。     

Rock Strength and Development of Glacial Valley Morphology in the Scottish Highlands and Northwest Iceland

Using data from the Scottish Highlands and northwest Iceland, the present study indicates that bedrock strength properties are an important control on the morphology of glacial valleys. Results indicate that on closely jointed metasedimentary bedrock of low rock mass strength, broad U‐shaped valleys are developed, whilst steeper sided, narrower cross‐profiles have been developed on igneous bedrock of high rock mass strength. Findings suggest it is the interplay of the mass strength of the subglacial bedrock and the dynamic properties of the eroding glacier that control valley morphological development. The implication is that realistic models of topographic development beneath ice sheets need to consider the rock mass strength properties of the eroded bedrock as well as the glaciological variables.     

The westerly fluctuation and water vapor transport over the Qilian-Heihe valley

The westerly fluctuation and the atmospheric water vapor transport over the Qilian-Heihe valley are analyzed and the results show that, in the water vapor transport stream field from Jun to September, this valley is in the westerly stream and the water vapor comes from westerlies water transport via the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. The net water vapor transport is less net import and different from most areas of the northwest China. The interannual changes in water vapor transport over the valley arise from the westerly fluctuation, and have a positive relationship to the interannual changes in westerly wind speed. The cold air actions from the Mongol low pressure are the primary system that controls the westerly water vapor transport. Its action chain is that, the Mongol low pressure is strengthened → the circulation meridionality will be increased → the cold air will move southwards → the westerly will be stronger → the wind convergence of direction and speed will be stronger → the water vapor convergence transport will be increased → the local water vapor content will be increased. The interannual changes in atmospheric water vapor transport over the valley rely mainly on the convergence transport, but the effect of advection transport is less. The interannual changes of strong or weak westerly affect mainly the convergence transport, and then make the atmospheric water vapor net transport increase or decrease over the Qilian-Heihe valley.     

The Nile Valley of Egypt: A Major Active Graben that Magnifies Seismic Waves

— The Nile valley and the Nile delta are part of the active rift that is probably connected with the Red Sea tectonism. This zone is characterized by small-to-moderate size earthquakes that have caused extremely severe damage to recent and historical constructions. The most vulnerable area along the Nile valley is the one of Cairo-Faiyoum. Small local and large distant earthquakes could be a source of huge socio-economic damage in this area. The loose soft alluvial sediments of the Nile Canyon are the main factor behind this potential damage because they may greatly amplify the ground motion, as demonstrated by strong ground motion modelling. The largest amplification is generally concentrated along the edges of the graben and occurs at frequencies between 1 Hz and 2 Hz. This may explain the huge damage caused by distant earthquakes during recent and historical times. The distribution of intensity values during the events of 1926 and 1992 is well correlated with the modelled spatial distribution of the spectral amplification.Dr. El-Sayed passed away in Mansoura on February 11, 2003.     

GPS monitoring and new data on slope movements in the Maratea Valley (Potenza,Basilicata)

Large-scale earth movements in the Maratea valley involving the inhabited area (Basilicata, Italy) have already been the object of scientific studies. These dislocate the outcropping clayey formations and the superimposed masses made up of detritus, carbonate units and large blocks, especially on the left side of the valley. Initial data on earth movements were obtained by the variation in distances monitored by an infrared distance-meter instrument (EDM), between 1983 and 1996.The present study brings out the results obtained by three successive high precision GPS monitoring campaigns undertaken between 1997 and 2000, on a grid of approximately 50 bench-marks. This process was supplemented by EDM monitoring carried out on a wider network of bench-marks than previously imposed. A comparison of different maps and other historical measurements complete the picture.The presence of sustained movements in correspondence with the outcropping clays in the lower part of the valley was confirmed, while such movements are drastically reduced on the detritus and large dislocated carbonate units and blocks, which occupy almost uninterruptedly the left side and the upper parts of the valley. Overall, the arrangement of the vectors allows us to achieve a first model of the on-going gravitational processes in the valley which appear to be attributable to a composite landslide: a spreading evolving lower-down into a large and deep flow. These processes should affect the dislocation of Carbonate Units on the so-called Sackung of Maratea, whose instability and causes are still being studied.     

CHRONOLOGY OF YICHANG GRAVEL LAYER BASED ON QUARTZ TI-LI CENTER ESR DATING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE INCISION TIMING OF THE THREE GORGES VALLEY

Uplift of Tibet Plateau and formation of Asian Monsoon greatly affect East Asian geomorphological evolution, climate change and environment systems. Thus, those phenomena also control the origin, size and direction of river systems. The Yangtze River, as the most important linkage between Tibet Plateau and the East Asian marginal seas, delivers large volumes of water, sediment, and associated chemicals from its headwater regions and tributaries to the East China Sea, significantly influencing sedimentary system evolution in its drainage basin. Therefore, the formation of the modern Yangtze River and its geological-time evolution history have been paid more and more attention to since the beginning of the last century. After debated for more than a century, the First Bend in Shigu area and the Three Gorges have been known as the key capture point of the Yangtze River's evolution history. In particularly, the Three Gorges incision period remains greatly controversial, which mainly focuses on Cretaceous period-Neogene period, early Pleistocene period, and late Quaternary period. The Yichang Gravel, just located downstream and outlet of the Three Gorges with an inverted triangle shape, is mainly distributed in western Jianghan Basin with over 1 000km². Because of its wide distribution and key geographical location, many typical profiles of Yichang Gravel have been the critical materials for studies on stratigraphic division, geomorphic evolution, and paleoenvironment change in middle Yangtze River Basin, especially on the Three Gorges incision history. Based on the previous field investigation, the Yichang gravel unconformably overlies the Cretaceous bedrocks and underlies the mid-Pleistocene vermicular red earth. In addition, studies on heavy mineral assemblages, Pb isotopic compositions of detrital K-feldspar grains, magnetic characteristics as well as pollen assemblage characteristics have showed that sediments in Yichang Gravel are mainly derived from upper Yangtze River Basin, such as Jinshangjiang drainage, Minjiang drainage, Jialingjiang drainage and Wujiang drainage. Based on the above comprehensive analysis, researchers demonstrated that the depositing time of Yichang Gravel can best constrain the Three Gorges incising time. The absolute altitude of Yichang Gravel exceeds 110m, and many thick sand lens are developed from top to bottom of the profiles. In this study, we applied the quartz Ti-Li center ESR dating method in Yichang Gravel to determine its absolute formation age, and then to constrain the minimum cutting-through time of Three Gorges. Eight samples(SXY-1, SXY-2, YC-1-4, LJY-1, LJY-2)were collected from the sand lens at depths of 4m, 19m, 40m, 51m, 63m, 75m, 83m and 99m respectively from the top of the profile. At the same time, in order to evaluate the residual dose of Ti-Li center after sunlight bleaching, we also sampled four modern surface Yangtze River sediments near Yichang Gravel for ESR measurement. The result shows that the quartz Ti-Li center ESR signal intensity of the 4 modern fluvial sediments samples are zero, which implies that the Ti-Li center ESR signal intensity of quartz in Yichang Gravel sand lens could be bleached to zero before the last burial. Thus, the above results indicate that the ESR dating results of this paper are reliable. The ESR absolute age from top to bottom of the profile is 0.73Ma BP,0.87Ma BP,0.98Ma BP,1.04Ma BP,1.05Ma BP,1.10Ma BP, 1.11Ma BP, 1.12Ma BP, respectively. The ESR dating results show that the Yichang Gravel began to deposit at about 1. 12Ma BP until 0. 73Ma BP, and the Ti-Li center ESR age indicates that the Yangtze River cut through Three Gorges area no later than 1.12Ma BP.     

Late Quaternary geomorphic evolution of the lower Narmada valley, Western India: implications for neotectonic activity along the Narmada–Son Fault

Geomorphic data combined with stratigraphic studies provide significant information to constrain timing and amount of fault movement. The lower Narmada valley lies astride the Narmada–Son Fault (NSF), an important ENE–WSW-trending tectonic element responsible for the current intraplate seismicity being experienced in the central part of the Indian plate. Varying nature and degree of tectonic movements along the NSF during Late Pleistocene and Holocene have produced four geomorphic surfaces in the lower Narmada valley: the alluvial plain (S₁), ravine surface (S₂), a gravelly fan surface (S₃) and the valley fill terrace surface (S₄). Two major phases of tectonic movements in a compressive stress regime are recorded along the NSF: slow synsedimentary subsidence of the basin during Late Pleistocene due to differential movement, followed by inversion of the basin during the Holocene marked by differential uplift along the NSF. The study suggests that the inversion of the basin is in response to the significant increase in the intensity of compressive stresses in the Indian plate mainly during the Early Holocene. The present incisive drainage and recent seismic activity indicate that the compressive stresses continue to accumulate along the NSF due to continued northward movement of the Indian plate.