LA CHINE EST-ELLE PLACEE ENTRE DEUX GRANDES FRACTURES DE LA CROUTE TERRESTRE ?

Hest bien clair que toute reponse a cette question, sera du plus haut interet pour les geologues de la Chine, vu que les resultats de la geodesie semblent bien indiquer que la croute terrestre est divisee en plusieurs blocs independants, juxtaposes et equilibres isostatiquement.     

Diagenetic K-feldspar pseudomorphs in the Triassic Buntsandstein sandstones of the Iberian Range, Spain

Early diagenetic K-feldspar in the Triassic Buntsandstein of the Iberian Range (Spain) occurs as pseudomorphs after detrital K-feldspar (Or<93) and plagioclase (Ab<96). These pseudomorphs are chemically pure (Or>99), untwinned, commonly heavily clouded by vacuoles and tiny inclusions, dark-luminescing and are composed of numerous fine euhedral crystals of K-feldspar. The latter property suggests that the pseudomorphs form via dissolution of detrital K-feldspar and plagioclase and precipitation of authigenic K-feldspar. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the authigenic K-feldspar is intermediate microcline.     

Palaeoenvironmental significance of Late Permian palaeosols in the South‐Eastern Iberian Ranges,Spain

The Late Permian (Wuchiapingian) Alcotas Formation in the SE Iberian Ranges consists of one red alluvial succession where abundant soil profiles developed. Detailed petrographical and sedimentological studies in seven sections of the Alcotas Formation allow six different types of palaeosols, with distinctive characteristics and different palaeogeographical distribution, to be distinguished throughout the South‐eastern Iberian Basin. These characteristics are, in turn, related to topographic, climatic and tectonic controls. The vertical distribution of the palaeosols is used to differentiate the formation in three parts from bottom to top showing both drastic and gradual vertical upwards palaeoenvironmental changes in the sections. Reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions based on palaeosols provides evidence for understanding the events that occurred during the Late Permian, some few millions of years before the well‐known Permian‐Triassic global crisis.     

Dynamics and role of the Durban cyclonic eddy in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight ecosystem

The semi-permanent Durban Eddy is a mesoscale, lee-trapped, cold-core cyclonic circulation that occurs off the east coast of South Africa between Durban in the north and Sezela, some 70 km to the south. When present, strong north-eastward countercurrents reaching 100 cm s^–1 are found inshore. It is hypothesised that the cyclone is driven by the strong south-westward flowing Agulhas Current offshore of the regressing shelf edge near Durban. Analysis of ADCP data and satellite imagery shows the eddy to be present off Durban approximately 55% of the time, with an average lifespan of 8.6 days, and inter-eddy periods of 4 to 8 days. After spin-up the eddy breaks loose from its lee position and propagates downstream on the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current. The eddy is highly variable in occurrence, strength and downstream propagation speeds. There is no detectable seasonal cycle in eddy occurrence, with the Natal Pulse causing more variability than any seasonal signal. A thermistor array deployed in the eddy centre, together with ship CTD data, indicates upward doming of the thermal structure in the eddy core associated with cooler water and nutrients being moved higher in the water column, stimulating primary production. Together with the use of satellite imagery, our findings indicate a second mechanism of upwelling, viz. divergent upwelling in the northern limb of the eddy. Satellite-tracked surface drifters released in the eddy demonstrated the potential for nutrient-rich eddy water to be transported northwards along the inshore regions of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight, thus contributing to the functioning of the bight ecosystem, as well as southwards along the KZN and Transkei coasts – both by the eddy migrating downstream and by eddy water being recirculated into the inshore boundary of the Agulhas Current itself.     

气候变暖背景下祁连山西部山区水循环要素的变化——以疏勒河干流上游山区为例

根据祁连山区西部托勒气象站与疏勒河上游昌马堡水文站、鱼儿红雨量站的气温、降水、径流等观测数据,对近50年来疏勒河山区流域气温、降水、径流等水循环要素的变化特征与趋势进行了分析.结果表明,近50年来祁连西部山区年平均气温呈持续上升的态势,并在1990年代中期后出现一个突变,突变后气温上升速率较突变前明显加快.从气温的季节变化上看,冬季升温的幅度明显大于其他各季,从气温的区域变化来看,中低山地带的气温升幅要大于中高山地带.分析结果还显示,祁连山区西部年降水量总体上亦呈增长的态势,但年际波动比较剧烈.少雨年主要在1990年代以前,多雨年在近20 a;从季节变化上看,夏季降水量变化比较稳定,增减趋势不明显,其他各季降水量均有明显的上升趋势,冬季降水量增幅明显.受降水与气温加速上升所带来的冰雪融水增加的影响,疏勒河出山径流的年平均与四季流量亦呈显著增加的态势.考虑到山区夏季降水并未增加,故占年径流量比重较大的夏季径流量的增加主要是冰雪融水的贡献.     

MESURES SISMIQUES PAR TRANSMISSION—APPLICATION AU GENIE CIVIL *

The new process of automatic determination of seismic velocities by well to well measurements (Bois et al., 1971, Geophysical Prospecting 19, 42-73) gives the possibility to increase the knowledge of oil reservoirs, by detecting large inhomogeneities between wells. It can also give useful informations on the mechanical properties of rocks in mining exploitation and civil engineering, by gallery to gallery measurements. An application of the method is given to the search for the proper location of an underground hydroelectric power plant, where the problem was to investigate the rock properties in a horizontal plane between two exploration galleries.     

Pollen-based reconstructions of Holocene vegetation and climatic change of Tibetan Plateau

A synthesis of Holocene pollen records from the Tibetan Plateau shows the history of vegetation and climatic changes during the Holocene. Palynological evidences from 24 cores/sections have been compiled and show that the vegetation shifted from subalpine/alpine conifer forest to subalpine/alpine evergreen sclerophyllous forest in the southeastern part of the plateau; from alpine steppe to alpine desert in the central, western and northern part; and from alpine meadow to alpine steppe in the eastern and southern plateau regions during the Holocene. These records show that increases in precipitation began about 9 ka from the southeast, and a wide ranging level of increased humidity developed over the entire of the plateau around 8-7 ka, followed by aridity from 6 ka and a continuous drying over the plateau after 4-3 ka. The changes in Holocene climates of the plateau can be interpreted qualitatively as a response to orbital forcing and its secondary effects on the Indian Monsoon which expanded northwards     

Ex situ echo sounder target strengths of ice krill Euphausia crystallorophias

Ice krill is the keystone species in the neritic ecosystem in the Southern Ocean,where it replaces the more oceanic Antarctic krill. It is essential to understand the variation of target strength(TS in d B re 1 m 2) with the different body size to accurately estimate ice krill stocks. However,there is comparatively little knowledge of the acoustic backscatter of ice krill. The TS of individual,formalin-preserved,tethered ice krill was measured in a freshwater test tank at 38,120,and 200 k Hz with a calibrated split-beam echo sounder system. Mean TS was obtained from 21 individual ice krill with a broad range of body lengths(L :13–36 mm). The length( L,mm) to wet weight( W; mg) relationship for ice krill was W =0.001 218×103 × L 3.53( R 2= 0.96). The mean TS-to-length relationship were TS3 8 k Hz =-177.4+57log 10( L),( R 2 = 0.86); TS 120 k Hz =-129.9+31.56 log 10( L),( R 2 =0.87); and TS 200 k Hz =-117.6+24.66log1 0( L),( R 2 =0.84). Empirical estimates of the relationship between the TS and body length of ice krill were established at 38,120,and 200 k Hz and compared with predictions obtained from both the linear regression model of Greene et al.(1991) and the Stochastic Distorted Wave Born Approximation(SDWBA) model. This result might be applied to improve acoustic detection and density estimation of ice krill in the Southern Ocean. Further comparative studies are needed with in situ target strength including various body lengths of ice krill.     

A helping hand: artificial nest site provisioning increases breeding success of a tropical seabird

Common white terns Gygis alba lay a single egg balanced on rocks or branches and consequently are at risk of low nesting success. A novel technique of hollowing out coconut husks and providing artificial nest sites was developed on Cousine Island, Seychelles. Our study aimed to critically assess whether common white tern nesting success differed between artificial and natural nest sites. For natural nest sites, nesting success and the stage of nest failure were also compared between seasons, nest heights, and tree species. Finally, we compared results from our study to those of a study conducted 10 years ago on the same island. Nesting success differed significantly between artificial nests and natural nests, with the success of artificial nests nearly double that of natural nests. Hatching success was similar for artificial and natural nests (65% and 52% respectively), suggesting coconut husks do not reduce egg losses, but rather provide secure perches for young chicks. Most natural nest failures occurred during the egg phase (70%), followed by the youngest chick phase (21%). Of the eggs that hatched in natural nests, 61% fledged successfully. Tree species and season significantly influenced nesting success for natural nests and nest height varied significantly between tree species. Higher nesting success was observed during the mixed seasonal period (50%) followed by the cooler, windier and drier South-East Monsoon season (33%). The hotter and more humid North-West Monsoon period had the lowest nesting success (20%). Comparisons of nesting success at natural and artificial nest sites with the earlier study did not differ significantly, despite a smaller population of common white terns being present on the island at that stage. Our results support the use of artificial nest sites to improve nesting success for this species and serve as a model for similar species currently under threat.     

Relating a recruitment shift of Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus Lönnberg) to large-scale environmental changes off Southern Chile

The SE Pacific stock of Patagonian grenadier (Macruronus magellanicus) showed evidence of an abrupt reduction in recruitment after 2000. This drop exceeded expectations from changes in the spawning stock biomass (SSB), indicating a change in the stock-recruitment relationship (S-R). We evaluated whether variability in recruitment could be explained by concurrent changes in three environmental indices: sea-surface temperature anomaly (SSTA); southern oscillation index (SOI); and latitudinal position of the west wind drift bifurcation (WWDL). Continuous and discrete effects of these indices were tested as covariates in linear log-log and non-linear Ricker's S-R models. Discrete effects represented regime shifts detected in SSTA (1998), SOI (1998) and WWDL (1995). While SSTA was the only continuous variable found to be significant, the discrete 1998 regime shift supported the most informative model. The best Ricker's model considered a discrete intercept change in the same year: 1998. Although a spurious correlation between SSTA and S-R changes is possible, SSTA may be reflecting major physical or biological changes relevant to M. magellanicus juveniles in the SE Pacific.