Biostratigraphic and aminostratigraphic constraints on the age of the Middle Pleistocene glacial succession in north Norfolk,UK

Considerable debate surrounds the age of the Middle Pleistocene glacial succession in East Anglia following some recent stratigraphical reinterpretations. Resolution of the stratigraphy here is important since it not only concerns the glacial history of the region but also has a bearing on our understanding of the earliest human occupation of north‐western Europe. The orthodox consensus that all the tills were emplaced during the Anglian (Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 12) has recently been challenged by a view assigning each major till to a different glacial stage, before, during and after MIS 12. Between Trimingham and Sidestrand on the north Norfolk coast, datable organic sediments occur immediately below and above the glacial succession. The oldest glacial deposit (Happisburgh Till) directly overlies the ‘Sidestrand Unio‐bed’, here defined as the Sidestrand Hall Member of the Cromer Forest‐bed Formation. Dating of these sediments therefore has a bearing on the maximum age of the glacial sequence. This paper reviews the palaeobotany and describes the faunal assemblages recovered from the Sidestrand Unio‐bed, which accumulated in a fluvial environment in a fully temperate climate with regional deciduous woodland. There are indications from the ostracods for weakly brackish conditions. Significant differences are apparent between the Sidestrand assemblages and those from West Runton, the type site of the Cromerian Stage. These differences do not result from contrasting facies or taphonomy but reflect warmer palaeotemperatures at Sidestrand and a much younger age. This conclusion is suggested by the higher proportion of thermophiles at Sidestrand and the occurrence of a water vole with unrooted molars (Arvicola) rather than its ancestor Mimomys savini with rooted molars. Amino acid racemisation data also indicate that Sidestrand is significantly younger than West Runton. These data further highlight the stratigraphical complexity of the ‘Cromerian Complex’ and support the conventional view that the Happisburgh Till was emplaced during the Anglian rather than the recently advanced view that it dates from MIS 16. Moreover, new evidence from the Trimingham lake bed (Sidestrand Cliff Formation) above the youngest glacial outwash sediments (Briton's Lane Formation) indicates that they also accumulated during a Middle Pleistocene interglacial – probably MIS 11. All of this evidence is consistent with a short chronology placing the glacial deposits within MIS 12, rather than invoking multiple episodes of glaciation envisaged in the ‘new glacial stratigraphy’ during MIS 16, 12, 10 and 6. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

9711号北上台风演变及暴雨过程的位涡诊断分析

通过对 971 1号台风登陆北上穿过山东造成山东特大暴雨过程的湿位涡的分析 ,并从湿位涡的角度研究了台风演变及山东特大暴雨的形成机制 ,揭示了冷空气在台风演变及暴雨过程中的重要作用。结果表明 :倾斜涡度发展是暴雨产生和台风加强的重要机制之一 ,暴雨产生在 θe线陡立密集区内 ;湿位涡在这次暴雨过程中对流层低层具有 MPV1 <0 ,MPV2 >0的特征 ,此次暴雨产生在负的MPV1等值线密集区中 ;对流层上部及平流层下部高位涡的下传使得低层斜压性增大 ,引起低层的对流稳定度减小 ,促使气旋性涡度发展 ,有利于位势不稳定能量的释放 ,使得暴雨增幅 ,导致台风的加强并演变为温带气旋。     

Typical basin-fill sequences and basin migration in Yanshan, North China--Response to Mesozoic tectonic transition

Basin-fill sequences of Mesozoic typical basins in the Yanshan area, North China may be divided into four phases, reflecting lithosphere tectonic evolution from flexure (T3), flexure with weak rifting (J1+2), tectonic transition (J3), and rifting (K). Except the first phase, the other three phases all start with lava and volcaniclastic rocks, and end with thick coarse clastic rocks and/or conglomerates, showing cyclic basin development rather than simple cyclic rift mechanism and disciplinary basin-stress change from extension to compression in each phase. Prototype basin analysis, based on basin-fill sequences, paleocurrent distribution and depositional systems, shows that single basin-strike and structural-line direction controlling basin development had evidently changed from east-west to northeast in Late Jurassic in the Yanshan area, although basin group still occurred in east-west zonal distribution. Till Early Cretaceous, main structural-line strike controlling basins just turned to northeast by north in the studied area.     

湖南汛期降水异常的时空分布特征研究

利用湖南19个测站23年(1959～2001年)4～9月的降水量资料，用EOF、REOF、小波分析对湖南汛期降水的特征场分布、分区特征、周期性和突变性等时空分布特征进行了诊断研究。研究结果表明：EOF分析得到的前三个典型场可以很好的反映湖南汛期降水空间分布的异常结构，即具有整体一致的空间结构，南北相反的空间结构，中部和周围地区相反变化的空间结构。旋转后的前6个空间模态可以较好地代表湖南汛期降水的6个异常敏感区：湘北、湘中、湘南、湘东南、湘西、湘东北。利用小波分析方法研究湖南汛期降水的周期性及其突变性发现，湖南汛期降水存在着明显的3年、7年和23年的特征时间尺度和周期性振荡；并且在今后相当长的一段时间内，湖南汛期的降水将逐年减少，并将转入干旱时期。     

Occurrence of the Indian genus Hemibos (Bovini, Bovidae, Mammalia) at the Early–Middle Pleistocene transition in Italy

The morphology of the horn-core structure and section shape of the Bos galerianus type specimen, as well as the general anatomy of the frontal and occipital areas of the skull, suggest that the skull is better attributed to the Indian genus Hemibos. This finding contributes to our understanding of faunal dispersal patterns into Europe at the Early–Middle Pleistocene transition.     

DEFORESTATION IN NORTHEAST THAILAND, 1975–91: RESULTS OF A GENERAL STATISTICAL MODEL

Using a general statistical model, this study attempts to characterise the trend of deforestation in the northeast region (Isan) of Thailand between 1975 and 1991, a period when the kingdom had sustained high rates of economic growth and steady increases in population. Using data obtained directly from government bodies on the 17 provinces comprising this heavily deforested region, the study examines the correlations between forest area and a set of six variables: population density, agricultural area, real per capita income, accumulated irrigated area, agricultural credit levels, and distance from Bangkok, the national political and economic centre. It also considers the effect of the two logging bans instituted in 1979 and since 1989. The study found a negative correlation between forest area and population density in particular, followed in ranking by agricultural credit, per capita income, the logging bans and distance from Bangkok. Viewed together with more recent data showing that rates of deforestation in the kingdom as a whole have slowed and appear to be stabilising, these results also suggest the beginnings in the 1990s of a forest transition – from an industrial to a post‐industrial stage in forest utilisation – in Thailand.     

High-T phase transition of synthetic ANaB(LiMg)CMg5Si8O22(OH)2 amphibole: an X-ray synchrotron powder diffraction and FTIR spectroscopic study

The synthetic amphibole Na_0.95(Li_0.95Mg_1.05)Mg₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂ was studied in situ at high-T, using IR OH-stretching spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. At room-T the sample has P2₁ /m symmetry, as shown by the FTIR spectrum. It shows in the OH region two well-defined and intense absorptions at 3,748 and 3,712 cm⁻¹, respectively, and two minor bands at 3,667 and 3,687 cm⁻¹. The main bands are assigned to the two independent O–H groups in the primitive structure. The two minor bands evidencing the presence of small amount of vacant A-site (^A□_0.05). With increasing T, these bands shift continuously and merge into a unique absorption at high temperature. A change as a function of increasing T is revealed by the evolution of the refined unit-cell parameters, whose trend shows a transition to C2/m at about 320–330°C. The spontaneous scalar strain, fitted with a tricritical 2–6 Landau potential, gives a T _c of 325(10)°C (β parameter = 0.27). Comparison with the second-order P2₁ /m ⇔ C2/m phase transition at 255°C for synthetic amphibole ^ANa_0.8^B(Na_0.8Mg_1.2)^CMg₅Si₈O₂₂(OH)₂ indicates that the substitution of Na with Li at the B-sites strongly affects the thermodynamic character and the T _c of the phase transition. The comparison of LNMSH amphiboles with cummingtonitic ones shows that the high-T thermodynamic behaviour is affected by A-site occupancy.     

岩浆-流体过渡和阿尔泰三号伟晶岩脉之成因

本文对新疆阿尔泰可可托海的三号伟晶岩形成的物理化学条件、特别是流体-熔融包裹体进行了研究，证明岩浆的确可以分出热液，对于三号伟晶岩脉来说，这种热液组分主要是NaCl－CO2－H2O流体。     

白钨矿的原位高压X射线衍射研究

使用金刚石对顶砧高压装置(DAC)和同步辐射光源,对天然白钨矿进行了原位高压能量色散X射线衍射(EDXD)研究,实验最高压力为16.0 GPa.在实验压力范围内观察到了一次白钨矿结构→钨锰铁矿结构的可逆相变:压力小于5.3 GPa时为白钨矿结构(I4_1/a),在5.3～12.3 GPa压力区间内为白钨矿结构与钨锰铁矿结构(P2/c)并存,大于12.3 GPa时完全相变为钨锰铁矿结构.从键长、配位数和配位多面体角度对白钨矿→钨锰铁矿结构的相变机制进行了解释.     

江西相山铀矿田中断裂与水相变耦合成矿——以邹家山矿床铀成矿作用分析为例

在已知成矿带和矿床中,随着找矿和开采的进行,已有的和新发现的资料积累越来越多.一个好的成矿理论,可以给这些资料较为统一的、合理的解释,还可能为老矿区(带)的深部和外围找矿指出一些新思路和新标志.据热液矿床水相变控矿理论,水相变可导致水的物理化学性质突变,使成矿物质被释放而成矿,在热液成矿作用中断裂降压引发水相变,是热液...