The Aleutian Low, storm tracks, and winter climate variability in the Bering Sea

Previous studies have found inconsistent results regarding how wintertime conditions in the Bering Sea relate to variations in the North Pacific climate system. This problem is addressed through analysis of data from the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis for the period 1950–2003. Composite patterns of sea-level pressure, 500 hPa geopotential heights, storm tracks and surface air temperature are presented for four situations: periods of strong Aleutian Low, weak Aleutian Low, warm Bering Sea air temperatures, and cold Bering Sea air temperatures. Winter temperatures in the Bering Sea are only marginally related to the strength of the Aleutian Low, and are much more sensitive to the position of the Aleutian Low and to variations in storm tracks. In particular, relatively warm temperatures are associated with either an enhanced storm track off the coast of Siberia, and hence anomalous southerly low-level flow, or an enhanced storm track entering the eastern Bering Sea from the southeast. These latter storms do not systematically affect the mean meridional winds, but rather serve to transport mild air of maritime origin over the Bering Sea. The leading indices for the North Pacific, such as the NP and PNA, are more representative of the patterns of tropospheric circulation and storm track anomalies associated with the strength of the Aleutian Low than patterns associated with warm and cold wintertime conditions in the Bering Sea.     

山东莒南地质公园发现小型兽脚类恐龙 足迹化石Minisauripus

在山东省莒南地质公园内发现6个小型恐龙足迹化石,被归入足迹属Minisauripus。化石产于下白垩统大盛群田家楼组．时代为早白垩世巴列姆（Barremian）-阿普特期（Apdan）。5个较大,长约6cm,产于下部“主”层面上,其中4个组成2节行迹：1个较小,长约3cm,位于“主”层面30cm之上的上部层面上。山东Minisauripus的特征是：足迹个体小（长3．1～5．6cm,宽2．0～3．7cm）,三趾型,略不对称;足迹纵长,各趾近平行,趾垫较清晰;趾末端较钝,但爪迹较尖。Ⅲ趾比Ⅳ趾略长,而Ⅳ趾比Ⅱ趾略长且窄。此外,步幅较长,足长与步长之比约为10：1。与四川、韩国Minisau却淞不同之处是：足迹个体较大,长约是它们的2倍。继中国四川和韩国之后,山东是Minisau而淞在全球的第三个发现点。     

Yeosu dinosaur track sites of Korea: The youngest dinosaur track records in Asia

Eighty two dinosaur trackways were newly discovered in Upper Cretaceous lacustrine deposits on islands in the vicinity of Yeosu, Korea. Most dinosaur tracks occur in marginal lake deposits with polygonal desiccation cracks. The dinosaur tracks at the Yeosu site include 65 ornithopod trackways, 16 theropod trackways and one sauropod trackway. The prevalence of ornithopod tracks and the limited occurrence of sauropod tracks at the Yeosu site evidently reflect decreased sauropod diversity in the Upper Cretaceous. All ornithopod trackways represent bipeds, and most of the ornithopod tracks are similar to Caririchnium from other sites of the Korean peninsula. All fossil wood specimens collected in the study area represent conifers (three species of cupressaceous and two species of taxodiaceous conifers, and a new species) except for one, which is a discotyledon. It is thus inferred that the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula was primarily covered with mesic forests with taxodiaceous trees during the Late Cretaceous. The K–Ar age of the Yeosu tracksite is determined as 81–65 Ma (Camapnian to Maastrichtian). It indicates that the Yeosu track site contains the last records of dinosaurs living in Asia. Consequently, semi-arid palaeoclimatic conditions, together with a large lake as a persistent water source and rich vegetation of gymnosperm trees as food, resulted in the preservation of abundant dinosaur tracks in the Upper Cretaceous on the Korean Peninsula.     

The first record of dinosaurs in the Dalmatian part (Croatia) of the Adriatic-Dinaric carbonate platform (ADCP)

The first discovery of dinosaur footprints on the Dalmatian part of the Adriatic-Dinaric carbonate platform (ADCP) is reported. They constitute the geologically youngest record of footprints on the ADCP. The trackbearing layer was formed in the intertidal environment and represents the final stage of a shallowing-upward cycle. Just below it, a heavy dinoturbated limestone layer can be observed. Microfacies analysis, incorporating evidence from benthic foraminifera and algae, indicates a Late Turonian–Early Coniacian age. The overall morphology and size of the footprints points to sauropod dinosaurs; they represent the largest forms recorded so far on the ADCP. This hints at a prolonged sauropod presence on the platform and to its Late Cretaceous connection to the continent rather than isolation.     

Dinosaur tracks from the Cretaceous of South Korea: Distribution, occurrences and paleobiological significance

Abstract   Abundant dinosaur fossils including dinosaur footprints, eggs and nests, teeth and bones have been found from the Cretaceous non-marine deposits of Korea. Among them, dinosaur tracks are the most distinctive, and some track sites are among the most famous in the world. Until now, 27 dinosaur track localities have been discovered from the Cretaceous strata in the Gyeongsang Basin and several small basins. Ornithopod tracks are most abundant at most Korean track sites, and most of them are identified as Caririchnium ; that is, large ornithopod footprints with wide hoof impressions. Most theropod tracks are found in Neungju Basin and they consist of various types of small or medium-sized bird-like footprints, and other large footprints. Sauropod tracks are also abundant in the Gyeongsang Basin. The sauropod tracks vary in size, shape, and pattern of trackway, and suggest that diverse sauropods existed in this area. These diverse tracks in South Korea suggest that various dinosaurs flourished at the margins of lakes distributed in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula during the Cretaceous.     

Pes shape variation in an ornithopod dinosaur trackway (Lower Cretaceous,NW Spain): New evidence of an antalgic gait in the fossil track record

Trackways can provide unique insight to animals locomotion through quantitative analysis of variation in track morphology. Long trackways additionally permit the study of trackmaker foot anatomy, providing more insight on limb kinematics. In this paper we have restudied the extensive tracksite at Barranco de La Canal-1 (Lower Cretaceous, La Rioja, NW Spain) focussing on a 25-m-long dinosaur (ornithopod) trackway that was noted by an earlier study (Casanovas et al., 1995; Pérez-Lorente, 2003) to display an irregular pace pattern. This asymmetric gait has been quantified and photogrammetric models undertaken for each track, thus revealing distinct differences between the right and the left tracks, particularly in the relative position of the lateral digits II–IV with respect to the central digit III. Given that the substrate at this site is homogenous, the consistent repetition of the collected morphological data suggests that differences recorded between the right and the left tracks can be linked to the foot anatomy, but more interestingly, to an injury or pathology on left digit II. We suggest that the abnormal condition registered in digit II impression of the left pes can be linked to the statistically significant limping behaviour of the trackmaker. Furthermore, the abnormal condition registered did not affect the dinosaur's speed.     

基于恐龙足迹重建攀西地区白垩纪恐龙动物群

攀西地区没有白垩纪恐龙骨骼化石记录,对该区白垩纪恐龙动物群组合的认识尚属空白。1991年,攀西地区首次发现了恐龙足迹,此后陆续发现了8个足迹点。这些足迹点共发现9种不同的非鸟恐龙足迹(6种非鸟兽脚类、1种蜥脚类和2种鸟脚类足迹),以及翼龙和龟类足迹。共11种足迹形态类型由185道行迹(与孤立足迹)组成,可能代表着同等数量的造迹者。其中飞天山组的组合多样性最强,小坝组和雷打树组较弱。这个相对全面的足迹数据库,为该地区白垩纪四足类的古生态学普查提供了动物群的组成信息,这在该缺乏骨骼化石的地区显得尤为重要。     

四川西昌盆地白垩纪恐龙足迹群的新发现

四川西昌盆地白垩系小坝组尚未发现骨骼化石记录,其白垩系恐龙动物群的信息全赖于足迹化石。2017年,在喜德县洛甘发现小坝组迄今最大型的恐龙足迹群。该足迹点保存了大量的兽脚类足迹。足迹保存条件较差,但具备了基本的形态学特征。总体来看,兽脚类足迹具有尺寸较小(8~13cm),中等中趾前凹(0.5~0.6)和第Ⅱ趾和第Ⅳ趾间较宽趾间角(70°~100°)的特征;少量足迹保存了跖骨垫。初步分析认为,洛甘兽脚类足迹与四川盆地夹关组的兽脚类足迹Eubrontes和Grallator形态类型相似,为两地在白垩纪中期具有类似的恐龙动物群的观点提供了新的证据。该发现对于西昌盆地的古气候、古地理和地层对比都具有重要的意义,足迹详细分类还有待进一步研究。     

Theropod assemblages and a new ichnotaxon Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp. nov. from the Jiaguan Formation,Lower Cretaceous of Guizhou Province,China

A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus, here named Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp nov. The theropod dominated locality also reveals the second report of the avian theropod ichnogenus Wupus, one of the largest avian traces currently known from the Lower Cretaceous. The Linjiang site provides evidence to support previous interpretations of a distinctive Lower Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnofauna that was widespread in China and East Asia and highlights the similarity between Lower Cretaceous theropod ichnotaxa in East Asia and those found in the Lower Jurassic both in East Asia and elsewhere. These similarities in turn create various ichnotaxonomic challenges familiar to researchers working on theropod tracks, and we recommend caution in the naming of new theropod ichnotaxa at the ichnogenus level.     

Sand-dust storms in China: temporal-spatial distribution and tracks of source lands

1 IntroductionSand-dust storms include both sand storms and dust storms[1]. When the visibility in local areas is greater than or equal to 50 m but less than 200 m, they are called severe sand-dust storms. When extremely severe sand-dust storm, the most severest type of sand-dust storm, occurs, the local instantaneous maximum wind speed can be greater than 25 m/s and a local visibility be less than 50 m or even descend to 0 m[2].Sand-dust storm is a critical environmental problem and is also a…