黄土高原沟谷地貌发育演化研究进展与展望

黄土沟谷是黄土地貌中最有活力、最具变化、最富特色的对象单元,黄土高原千沟万壑的地貌形态以及触目惊心的侵蚀状态也让区域内沟谷地貌的形成、发育及演化问题成为研究中焦点及前沿性科学问题。近年来,诸多学者采用地学测年法、特征表达法、监测模拟法力图实现对黄土沟谷发育演化进程中“过去-现代-未来”的科学认知。这些研究在相当程度上丰富了黄土沟谷发育过程的认知。本文梳理了黄土高原沟谷地貌演化相关研究的现状,并从黄土高原地貌演化、黄土沟谷发育、基于DEM的沟谷信息提取与表达等研究进行了系统的回顾、梳理与分析。此外,本文提出“黄土沟道剖面群组”概念与方法,试图从新的视角审视黄土沟谷地貌发育演化过程。沟道剖面在黄土沟谷发育演化进程中传递物质能量和累积地形动力,并通过径流节点的串联实现剖面群的连接与组合,形成独特的剖面“群组”模式;该沟道剖面群组是集黄土沟谷地貌特征与过程于一体的综合信息集成体,其三维空间结构是对黄土沟谷地貌发育演化的高度抽象与映射,并可望进一步丰富黄土高原数字地形分析理论与方法体系,为黄土高原黄土地貌成因机理与空间分异格局带来创新的认识。     

泥石流学科的发展和对策

泥石流研究首先要积极投身于国民经济建设主战场,并以泥石流综合防治为契机,促进山区生态经济系统的良性循环,使得根治泥石流灾害与社会、经济、生态环境协调发展。其次,要突破学科的前沿问题——泥石流起动理论和阻力规律。初步提出了实现目标的措施。     

基于葵花8卫星的上海市夏季对流初生预报研究

参考Mecikalski et al(2010a;2010b)提出的基于GOES系列卫星的对流初生预报方法,针对上海市夏季对流天气特征建立了基于高时空分辨率的静止气象卫星数据的上海市对流初生判识及预报方法。利用该方法对上海市的一次对流初生个例进行了分析,并对2016年7-8月的12次对流初生事件进行了预报试验,结果表明:方法提取的各个指标能够很好地体现对流初生过程中云团的发展变化特征并能剔除掉成熟对流云团边缘像元的干扰;在12次对流初生事件中,成功地预报了其中的11次,预报时间较对流初生时间平均提前了约30 min,但是对于局地弱对流过程该方法仍有一定的缺陷。     

DEM空间插值方法对土壤侵蚀模拟的影响研究——以USPED分析干热河谷典型冲沟为例

为探索不同空间插值方法得到的DEM如何影响土壤侵蚀模拟效果,本文选择金沙江干热河谷区典型冲沟为研究对象,利用野外测量高程数据,采用反距离加权(IDW)、析取克里格(DK)、局部多项式(LPI)和张力样条函数(ST)4种方法构建高精度DEM。基于USPED模型模拟冲沟的土壤侵蚀,对比不同空间插值方法的精度、土壤侵蚀的空间分布,采用相对差系数对比不同插值在土壤侵蚀研究中的相似性。结果表明：DEM空间插值的精度排序为ST相似文献   

Threshold criterion for debris flow initiation in seasonal gullies

A series of flume experiments were done to investigate the effect of grain composition on the critical gradient and discharge of debris flows initiated in seasonal gullies. The results indicated that the critical gradient and discharge for debris flow initiation decrease initially, and then increase as the mass content of fine particles (<2 mm) increases. As the mass content of fine particles increases, the angle of repose, permeability of widely graded gravel soils, and the incipient motion conditions of the coarse grains in non-uniform sediments decrease at first, and then increase. The mass content of fine particles of all inflection points is the same. The theoretical model based on the combination of hydrodynamic force and shear stress is more applicable to the prediction of the critical gradient for debris flow initiation. The critical discharge model considering the effect of non-homogeneity of the soil and the size of coarse and fine grains provides a more accurate prediction of debris flow initiation than other models based on the mean diameter.     

Soil erosion in the Anthropocene: Research needs

Soil erosion is a geomorphological and, at the same time, a land degradation process that may cause environmental and property damage, loss of livelihoods and services as well as social and economic disruption. Erosion not only lowers soil quality on‐site, but causes also significant sediment‐related problems off‐site. Given the large number of research papers on this topic, one might therefore conclude that we know now almost everything about soil erosion and its control so that little new knowledge can be added. This conclusion can be refuted by pointing to some major research gaps. There is a need for more research attention to (1) improved understanding of both natural and anthropogenic soil erosion processes and their interactions, (2) scaling up soil erosion processes and rates in space and time, and (3) innovative techniques and strategies to prevent soil erosion or reduce erosion rates. This is illustrated with various case studies from around the world. If future research addresses these research gaps, we will (1) better understand processes and their interactions operating at a range of spatial and temporal scales, predict their rates as well as their on‐site and off‐site impacts, which is academically spoken rewarding but also crucial for better targeting erosion control measures, and (2) we will be in a better position to select the most appropriate and effective soil erosion control techniques and strategies which are highly necessary for a sustainable use of soils in the Anthropocene. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of soil factors controlling ephemeral gully erosion on agricultural fields

The soil factor is crucial in controlling and properly modeling the initiation and development of ephemeral gullies (EGs). Usually, EG initiation has been related to various soil properties (i.e. sealing, critical shear stress, moisture, texture, etc.); meanwhile, the total growth of each EG (erosion rate) has been linked with proper soil erodibility. But, despite the studies to determine the influence of soil erodibility on (ephemeral) gully erosion, a universal approach is still lacking. This is due to the complex relationship and interactions between soil properties and the erosive process. A feasible soil characterization of EG erosion prediction on a large scale should be based on simple, quick and inexpensive tests to perform. The objective of this study was to identify and assess the soil properties – easily and quickly to determine – which best reflect soil erodibility on EG erosion. Forty‐nine different physical–chemical soil properties that may participate in establishing soil erodibility were determined on agricultural soils affected by the formation of EGs in Spain and Italy. Experiments were conducted in the laboratory and in the field (in the vicinity of the erosion paths). Because of its importance in controlling EG erosion, five variables related to antecedent moisture prior to the event that generated the gullies and two properties related to landscape topography were obtained for each situation. The most relevant variables were detected using multivariate analysis. The results defined 13 key variables: water content before the initiation of EGs, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, relative sealing index, two granulometric and organic matter indices, seal permeability, aggregates stability (three index), crust penetration resistance, shear strength and an erodibility index obtained from the Jet Test erosion apparatus. The latter is proposed as a useful technique to evaluate and predict soil loss caused by EG erosion. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geochemical characteristics of a pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust fragment from the Central Pontides in northern Turkey: Geodynamic implications on intra-oceanic subduction initiation

The Central Pontides (northern Turkey) is one of the key localities to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Palaeo- and Neotethyan oceans. It consists of the pre-Jurassic basement units, the Early Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous accretionary complexes, the widespread Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatics and the Late Jurassic to Tertiary cover units. The Early Cretaceous accretionary complex is represented by the Central Pontide Structural Complex and includes the Middle Jurassic oceanic units, which were metamorphosed during the Early Cretaceous. Apart from these oceanic units, a few metaophiolite and serpentinite fragments have been recognized within the basement units, which may represent the remnants of an older ocean. The pre-Middle Jurassic Devrekani Metaophiolite is the largest oceanic fragment and tectonically intercalated within/between the Devrekani Metamorphics and the Çangaldağ Metamorphic Complex. It is mainly composed of harzburgites, dunites with chromite veins and metagabbros, and cut by metabasaltic andesites and metadacites. Petrographically, the gabbro consists mainly of plagioclase and clinopyroxene, and displays phaneritic/porphyritic texture. In contrast, the metabasaltic andesite includes plagioclase and mica phenocrysts within a fine-grained groundmass. Also, the metadacite is composed predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and mica minerals. Two different magmatic groups belonging to completely different tectono-magmatic settings have been geochemically determined based on the immobile trace element systematics. The metadacites and metabasaltic andesites are akin to continental arc magmatics and characterized by negative Nb and Ta anomalies and depleted HFSE relative to Th and La contents. However, the metagabbro samples display the geochemical signatures of boninitic rocks and characterized by highly depletion in HFSEs and REEs relative to N-MORB. The Devrekani Metaophiolite in the Central Pontides may represent another remnant of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust generation and can be north-eastward continuation of the Permian-aged Almacık complex and the Boğazköy Metaophiolite fragment in the western Sakarya Composite Terrane. It may have been cut by intrusions of the extensive Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatism after its imbrication within the basement unit. The presence of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic units may indicate that the Paleozoic ocean may have survived as the Jurassic Intra-Pontide Ocean between the Scythian Platform and Sakarya Composite Terrane during the Mesozoic time. Thus, the Intra-Pontide Suture may normally include the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic remnants of the long-lived northward subducting Tethyan ocean.     

Runoff-generated debris flows: Observation of initiation conditions and erosion–deposition dynamics along the channel at Cancia (eastern Italian Alps)

In the Dolomitic region, abundant coarse hillslope sediment is commonly found at the toe of rocky cliffs. Ephemeral channels originate where lower permeability bedrock surfaces concentrate surface runoff. Debris flows initiate along such channels following intense rainfall and determine the progressive erosion and deepening of the channels. Sediment recharge mechanisms include rock fall, dry ravel processes and channel-bank failures. Here we document debris flow activity that took place in an active debris flow basin during the year 2015. The Cancia basin is located on the southwestern slope of Mount Antelao (3264 m a.s.l.) in the dolomitic region of the eastern Italian Alps. The 2.5 km² basin is incised in dolomitic limestone rocks. The data consist of repeated topographic surveys, distributed rainfall measurements, time-lapse (2 s) videos of two events and pore pressure measurements in the channel bed. During July and August 2015, two debris flow events occurred, following similarly intense rainstorms. We compared rainfall data to existing rainfall triggering thresholds and simulated the hydrological response of the headwater catchment with a distributed model in order to estimate the total and peak water discharge. Our data clearly illustrate how debris entrainment along the channel is the main contributor to the overall mobilized volume and that erosion is dominant when the channel slope exceeds 16°. Further downstream, sediment accumulation and depletion occurred alternately for the two successive events, indicating that sediment availability along the channel also influences the flow behaviour along the prevailing-transport reach. The comparison between monitoring data, topographical analysis and hydrological simulation allows the estimation of the average solid concentration of the two events and suggests that debris availability has a significant influence on the debris flow volume. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tidal effects on intra-continental earthquake initiation in the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas*

To investigate the tidal effects on intra-continental earthquake initiation in the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas, we selected over 1,500 focal mechanism solutions of inland earthquakes (epicenter locates at least 100 km to the coastlines) from Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) project and analyzed the p-values of tidal normal and shear stress as well as tidal Coulomb failure stress. For Coulomb failure stress calculation, we used Coulomb 3.40 software. We find that: (1) p-values of tidal stress change suggests a high tidal correlation of earthquake imitations with tidal normal stress change; (2) when tidal normal stress reached the local maximum values of compression and when tidal shear stress were closed to the positive peaks, earthquakes generated more frequently; (3) particular seismogenic environments such as strong continental plate interactions and the existence of fluids or rheologic substance possibly raise the tidal correlations and (4) higher sensitivity of earthquake initiation to earth tide presents along with higher seismicity, suggesting the rate of rain energy accumulation somehow has a dominating effect on the tidal correlation of earthquake initiation.