Drought and institutional adaptation in the Great Plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan, 1914–1939

Agriculture in the southern Great Plains of Canada has been particularly vulnerable to prolonged episodes of drought. Using climate data and a precipitation minus potential evapotranspiration index, the extent of the region’s exposure to drought is examined. Between 1914 and 1917, the Dry Belt was particularly vulnerable to drought, whereas after 1928, a much larger region known as the Palliser Triangle covering most of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan was much more exposed to drought. These droughts provoked major institutional adaptation, in particular the establishment of the Special Areas Board by the Government of Alberta, and the creation of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration by the Government of Canada. Both organizations have proved to be relatively permanent public adaptations to the natural hazard of drought in the region. Moreover, these earlier experiences with prolonged drought as well as institution-building may be of value in helping the residents of the Palliser Triangle adapt to predicted climate changes in the future as well as anticipate some of the barriers to effective institutional adaptation.     

利用X射线衍射测定单斜辉石中硬玉组分含量

硬玉是单斜辉石中十分重要的端元组分,是单斜辉石分类的主要基础。利用x射线衍射分析确定的硬玉组分含量计算式为Jd(％)=[A-2.235]×25.741,其中Jd为硬玉组分百分含量,A为2—Theta角为30°(d=2.97)时峰值的相对强度Ⅰ与半高宽的乘积,其计算误差仅6.32％。     

Asymmetric vegetation responses to mid-Holocene aridity at the prairie-forest ecotone in south-central Minnesota

The mid-Holocene (ca. 8000-4000 cal yr BP) was a time of marked aridity throughout much of Minnesota, and the changes due to mid-Holocene aridity are seen as an analog for future responses to global warming. In this study, we compare the transition into (ca. 9000-7000 yr ago) and out of (ca. 5000-2500 yr ago) the mid-Holocene (MH) period at Kimble Pond and Sharkey Lake, located along the prairie forest ecotone in south-central Minnesota, using high resolution (∼ 5-36 yr) sampling of pollen, charcoal, sediment magnetic and loss-on-ignition properties. Changes in vegetation were asymmetrical with increasing aridity being marked by a pronounced shift from woodland/forest-dominated landscape to a more open mix of grassland and woodland/savanna. In contrast, at the end of the MH, grassland remained an important component of the landscape despite increasing effective moisture, and high charcoal influxes (median 2.7-4.0 vs. 0.6-1.7 mm² cm^− 2 yr^− 1 at start of MH) suggest the role of fire in limiting woodland expansion. Asymmetric vegetation responses, variation among and within proxies, and the near-absence of fire today suggest caution in using changes associated with mid-Holocene aridity at the prairie forest boundary as an analog for future responses to global warming.     

川滇密西西比河谷型铅锌矿床成矿流体来源研究:流体Na-Cl-Br体系的证据

应用流体包裹体滤液分析方法，测定了川滇7个MVT铅锌矿床成矿流体的Na,Cl,Br含量，结果表明成矿流体的x(Na/Br)和x(Cl/Br)的平均值分别为185和73，并与高度蒸发浓缩的残留海水的x(Na/Br)和x(Cl/Br)相近。成矿流体的Na,Cl含量呈正相关，在lgNa-lgCl图解中呈线性分布。根据这些事实以及矿床地质特征，认为原始成矿卤水起源于蒸发浓缩的残留海水，原始含矿卤水与富含有机质的大气降水混合导致矿质沉淀而成矿。     

Regional Stress Field and Seismic Dynamics Along the Border Zone Between Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi Provinces

The regional stress field and seismic dynamics along the border zone between Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi Provinces are studied based on the seismo-geological data, GPS measurement, and seismicity. The results show that: (1) the principal compressional stress of the stress field is oriented in NW-SE direction and the principal extensional stress is in NE-SW direction; (2) the WNW-ward compression and collision of the Philippine Sea Plate to the eastern coast of Taiwan Island are the most direct and most important dynamic source for preparation and occurrence of strong earthquakes in the Taiwan area and along the border zone between Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi Provinces.     

冀鲁豫交界区地下流体模糊熵值的变化与地震的关系

采用概率化预处理方法，把冀鲁豫交界区地下流体多种观测项目的观测值转化为概率值时间序列，然后计算其模糊从属函数。在此基础上计算该区地下流体构成的信息源系统的模糊熵值，分析了模糊熵值变化与1983年山东菏泽Ms 5.9地震和1985年河北任县Ms5.0地震的关系。结果显示，在这两次中强地震前分别有明显的减熵异常过程，并且一次比一次明显，中强地震都发生在低熵值处，震后恢复到高熵值的变化过程。这可能反映了地下流体构成的信息源系统在地震孕育和发生过程中的减熵有序变化。通过研究认为，该区模糊熵值减到0.907为发震前兆异常警戒线，并且离中强地震发生的时间越近，减熵过程越大；震级越大，减熵过程越明显，减熵时间越长。     

Isotope provinces, mechanisms of generation and sources of the continental crust in the Central Asian mobile belt: geological and isotopic evidence

The available geological, geochronological and isotopic data on the felsic magmatic and related rocks from South Siberia, Transbaikalia and Mongolia are summarized to improve our understanding of the mechanisms and processes of the Phanerozoic crustal growth in the Central Asian mobile belt (CAMB). The following isotope provinces have been recognised: ‘Precambrian’ (T_DM=3.3–2.9 and 2.5–0.9 Ga) at the microcontinental blocks, ‘Caledonian’ (T_DM=1.1–0.55 Ga), ‘Hercynian’ (T_DM=0.8–0.5 Ma) and ‘Indosinian’ (T_DM=0.3 Ga) that coincide with coeval tectonic zones and formed at 570–475, 420–320 and 310–220 Ma. Continental crust of the microcontinents is underlain by, or intermixed with, ‘juvenile’ crust as evidenced by its isotopic heterogeneity. The continental crust of the Caledonian, Hercynian and Indosinian provinces is isotopically homogeneous and was produced from respective juvenile sources with addition of old crustal material in the island arcs or active continental margin environments. The crustal growth in the CAMB had episodic character and important crust-forming events took place in the Phanerozoic. Formation of the CAMB was connected with break up of the Rodinia supercontinent in consequence of creation of the South-Pacific hot superplume. Intraplate magmatism preceding and accompanying permanently other magmatic activity in the CAMB was caused by influence of the long-term South-Pacific plume or the Asian plume damping since the Devonian.     

Meteoric diagenesis and dedolomite fabrics in precursor primary dolomicrite in a mixed carbonate–evaporite system

Dedolomitization is a common diagenetic process in shallow burial environments and is often associated with sulphates in mixed carbonate‐evaporite successions. In these settings, elevated Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺ ratios necessary for dedolomitization result from the dissolution of sulphate phases by the incursion of undersaturated groundwater. Reported dedolomite textures from other studies are varied, but the most prevalent is a rhombic texture interpreted to result from the partial to complete pseudomorphic replacement of secondary dolomite rhombs formed in the burial diagenetic realm. In this study of primary cryptocrystalline to finely crystalline dolomicrites in the Prairie Evaporite Formation of north‐eastern Alberta, dedolomitization has resulted in sutured to loosely packed mosaics of dedolomite that range from subhedral to distinctly euhedral (rhombic) crystal fabrics; however, no prior aggrading neomorphism producing dolomite rhombs is evident in the precursor dolomicrites. Non‐pseudomorphic dedolomitization of the dolomicrites results in textures that include rhombic dedolomite crystals with cloudy cores comprising remnant dolomicrite and clear rims. These textures are similar to those observed in the pseudomorphic dedolomitization of secondary dolomite rhombs. The Prairie Evaporite Formation of north‐eastern Alberta has experienced extensive karstification near the erosional margin of the sedimentary succession. Dedolomitization of dolomicrites occurs in marker beds within the Prairie Evaporite succession associated with evaporite karstification. Along with stratigraphic and petrographic considerations, stable isotope results support the interpretation of a shallow dedolomitization event influenced by meteoric waters derived from the basin margin. Negative δ ¹⁸O and low δ ¹³C values (averages of −13·6‰_VPDB and 0·5‰_VPDB, respectively) of the dedolomite, compared with those of the primary dolomicrite (averages of −6·0‰_VPDB and 1·2‰_VPDB, respectively), point to isotopically light diagenetic fluids. These results show that rhombic dedolomite textures can form through shallow, non‐pseudomorphic dedolomitization of dolomicrites by meteoric fluids in the presence of sulphates, with resulting textures that are similar to the pseudomorphic dedolomitization of secondary dolomite rhombs.     

华南滨海断裂带地震危险性的数学模拟

华南滨海断裂带是南海北部规模巨大的活动断裂，其地震危险性的确定将为地震几地震工程提供地质背景依据，应用二维有限元分析和正交设计法反演南海北部及其今近地区的构造应力场，探讨可能发震的危险地段。研究结果表明，滨海断裂带的某些地段，尤其是滨海断裂带被ＮＷ向断裂切割的部位有一定的地震危险性。南海北部地区最主要的地震威胁来自巴士系断裂带和珠江口盆地南缘的ＮＷＷ向断裂带，对华南滨海断理解带潜在的地震危险性不宜