The influence of parent material on topsoil geochemistry in eastern England     

B. G. Rawlins  R. Webster  T. R. Lister 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2003,28(13):1389-1409

The topsoil of around 10 000 km² in eastern England has recently been sampled intensely at 4609 sites to characterize its geochemistry. The parent materials, which include both solid geology and Quaternary sediments, range in age from Permian to Holocene. The distributions of the concentrations of major and trace elements have been characterized geostatistically, and the role of parent material on their spatial structure (anisotropy) and their spatial relationships (coregionalization) have been investigated. Analysis of variance with the sites grouped by major parent material type showed that this classi?cation accounted for 14 to 48 per cent of the variance for the various elements. Global variograms of 13 elements (Al, As, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mo, Ni, P, Pb, Ti, and U) have been computed and modelled. Eleven of the variograms seem to comprise two structures, both of which we modelled with spherical functions, one of short range, 3·5 to 9 km, and the other with a range of 15 to 23 km. The models included a nugget variance, which varied from 27 per cent (for As, Fe, and Mg) to 63 per cent (for P) of the total. The long‐range structures are related to the separations of the major parent materials. The variograms of several elements showed appreciable anisotropy, most notably that of Mg. Anisotropy is evident at short ranges of less than 5 km. This accords with the geological structure of the beds which dip from west to east so that their outcrops are elongated from north to south. A linear model of coregionalization ?tted to the data emphasized several important geochemical associations, which we interpret. Elements commonly associated with clay minerals (Mg, Al) and the clay size fraction (Ti) are dominated by the long‐range structure of the coregionalization, whilst several trace elements (As, Cr, Ni and U) are spatially correlated with Fe over short distances, through adsorption of the former on the surfaces of Fe oxyhydroxides. The topsoil around large urban areas is enriched in lead, but it is not clear whether anthropogenic sources are responsible for this metal's anomalous spatial relationships with other elements. Crown copyright © 2003. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Of?ce. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Future Climate Impact on the Productivity of Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in Europe     

P. D. Jones  D. H. Lister  K. W. Jaggard  J. D. Pidgeon 《Climatic change》2003,58(1-2):93-108

The impact of future climate change on sugar beet yields is assessed over western Europe using future (2021–2050) climate scenario data from a General Circulation Model (GCM) and the Broom's Barn simulation model of rain-fed crop growth and yield. GCM output for the 1961–1990 period is first compared with observed climate data and shown to be reliable for regions west of 24° E. Comparisons east of this meridian were less reliable with this GCM (HadCM2) and so were omitted from simulations of crop yield. Climate change is expected to bring yield increases of around 1 t/ha of sugar in northern Europe with decreases of a similar magnitude in northern France, Belgium and west/central Poland, for the period 2021–2050. Averaged for the study area (weighted by current regional production), yields show no overall change due to changed climate. However, this figure masks significant increases in yield potential (due to accelerated growth in warmer springs) and in losses due to drought stress. Drought losses are predicted to approximately double in areas with an existing problem and to become a serious new problem in NE France and Belgium. Overall west and central Europe simulated average drought losses rise from 7% (1961–1990) to 18% (2021–2050). The annual variability of yield (as measured by the coefficient of variation) will increase by half, from 10% to 15% compared to 1961–1990, again with potentially serious consequences for the sugar industry. The importance of crop breeding for drought tolerance is further emphasised. These changes are independent of the 9% yield increase which we estimate, on the basis of work by Demmers-Derks et al. (1998), is the likely direct effect of the increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration by 2021–2050.  相似文献   

The thermal signature of subducted lithospheric slabs at the core–mantle boundary     

Catherine Mriaux  Amotz Agnon  John R. Lister 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1998,160(3-4):551-562

We study the thermal structure around a cold deformable lithospheric slab as it sinks to the core–mantle boundary and migrates along it. We present analytical results for the steady thermal structure established by a steady but spatially varying motion. The analysis gives a time-like criterion for the thermal signature of a cold slab to persist by the time that the slab moves along the core–mantle boundary. The model is used to assess the feasibility of a purely thermal origin for some of the observed seismic reflectors near the core–mantle boundary. Calculations of the time-like criterion show that the dynamical conditions in our model, namely the velocity and the thickness of the descending slab, are hard to reconcile with observations of subduction and seismic features. Seismic reflections and refractions from anomalously fast regions above the core–mantle boundary could be explained as thermal slabs if the thickness of the slab at subduction was larger than 200 km or somewhat less if the slab did not split at the core–mantle boundary. A simple thermal model also predicts from mineral physics a certain correlation between S- and P-wave velocity anomalies, which is not observed. However, a purely thermal origin cannot be ruled out if the slab is buckling. This process could be in agreement with the observations: the amplitude of the seismic anomalies, the vertical extent of high-gradient zones and the P versus S comparisons. Chemical heterogeneities and phase transformations remain alternative or complementary explanations.  相似文献   

A numerical modelling study of coastal flooding     

Kathleen L. McInnes  Graeme D. Hubbert  Debbie J. Abbs  Steve E. Oliver 《Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics》2002,80(1-4):217-233

Summary A coastal ocean model capable of modelling tides, storm surge and the overland flow of floodwaters has been further developed to include the flux of water from tributaries and the forcing from wave breaking that leads to wave setup in the nearshore zone. The model is set up over the Gold Coast Broadwater on the east coast of Australia. This complex region features a coastal lagoon into which five tributaries flow and is subject to flooding from extreme oceanic conditions such as storm surge and wave setup as well as terrestrial runoff. Weather conditions responsible for storm surge, waves and flooding include cyclones of both tropical and mid-latitude origin. Two events are modelled. The first is an east coast low event that occurred in April 1989. This event verified well against available observations and analysis of the model simulations revealed that wave setup produced a greater contribution to the elevated water levels than the storm surge. The second case to be modelled was tropical cyclone Wanda, responsible for the 1974 floods. Modelled water levels in the Broadwater were reasonably well captured. Sensitivity experiments showed that storm surge and wave setup were only minor contributors to the elevated sea levels and their contribution was confined to the earlier stage of the event before the runoff reached its peak. The contribution due solely to runoff exhibited a tidal-like oscillation that was 180° out-of-phase with the tide and this was attributed to the greater hydraulic resistance that occurs at high tide. A simulation of this event with present day bathymetry at the Seaway produced sea levels that were 0.3–0.4 m lower than the simulation with 1974 bathymetry highlighting the effectiveness of deepened Seaway channel to reduce the impact of severe runoff events in the Broadwater. Received October 16, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001  相似文献   

The simulation of fabric development during plastic deformation and its application to quartzite: fabric transitions     

G.S. Lister  M.S. Paterson 《Journal of Structural Geology》1979,1(2):99-115

Fabric transitions can arise in materials such as quartz in which more than one set of symmetrically equivalent glide systems must be considered. The external conditions, such as temperature and stress, affect the relative ability of different mechanisms to operate. Adopting the Taylor-Bishop-Hill analysis allows an approximation to the resulting effects in the choice of critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) values for glide on the different dislocation systems. Different CRSS values may be appropriate to simulating fabric development in different deformational environments.For any specific set of CRSS values, for a particular deformation, a set of reorientation trajectories can be defined for differently oriented crystals with respect to the instantaneous stretching axes. There is a basic number of pattern types, and deformation leads to c-axes populating specific end-orientations.The CRSS values on different glide systems can vary smoothly relative to one another, but abrupt changes result in the deformation fabrics at critical CRSS ratios. Quartz fabrics may thus be used to delineate regions subjected to particular conditions of temperature and strain-rate in deformed metamorphic terrains, provided that allowance can be made for other factors such as trace impurity content of quartz.  相似文献   

Western Palaearctic palaeoenvironmental conditions during the Early and early Middle Pleistocene inferred from large mammal communities,and implications for hominin dispersal in Europe     

Ralf-Dietrich Kahlke  Nuria García  Dimitris S. Kostopoulos  Frédéric Lacombat  Adrian M. Lister  Paul P.A. Mazza  Nikolai Spassov  Vadim V. Titov 《Quaternary Science Reviews》2011,30(11-12):1368-1395

Large-scale fluctuations in global climate and resulting changes in ecology had a profound effect on human evolution and dispersal. Though hominin remains are scarce, studies focussing on the more abundant records of fossil land mammal communities can contribute greatly to our knowledge of the palaeoenvironmental circumstances that influenced and directed the global spread of hominins. To produce a comprehensive and accurate account of the evolution of western Palaearctic habitat diversity between 2.6 and 0.4 Ma BP, information generated from large mammal communities from 221 key sites has been included in this study.The palaeoecological conditions of the western Palaearctic during the Early and early Middle Pleistocene were principally controlled by the following key factors: (1) a widespread trend of temperature decrease, (2) the periodicity of the global temperature record, (3) the intensity of single climatic stages, (4) the temporal pattern of climatic variation, (5) geographical position, and (6) the distribution of continental water resources. A general picture of the evolution of western Palaearctic habitat diversity saw the replacement of extensive forested terrain by an alternating sequence of varied savannah-like and forested habitats during the 2.6–1.8 Ma span, as well as an alternation between different types of predominantly open habitats between 1.8 and 1.2 Ma. Both of these processes were governed by 41 ka temperature periodicity. During the 1.2–0.9 Ma time span, irregular climatic fluctuations were more common and habitat variability increased. The subsequent 0.9–0.4 Ma interval, a period controlled by 100 ka periodicity, was by comparison more stable, with longer climatic cycles alternating between open and forested landscapes. During the entire Early and early Middle Pleistocene, assemblages of large mammal communities reveal a distinct trend of decreasing continentality between Eastern and South-Eastern Europe on the one hand, and South-Western and North-Western Europe on the other. This trend was due to the effect of the Atlantic Ocean, while in Southern Europe the relatively low continentality was balanced by influences from the Mediterranean Sea.When plotted against evidence of hominin occurrence, the data on western Palaearctic habitat diversity inferred from large mammal communities indicate clear environmental stimuli for the earliest human dispersal in Europe. These are: (1) a wide range of habitats, implying a high diversity of resources; (2) mild climates with low seasonality, implying a lack of strong environmental fluctuations. Around 1.8 Ma at the latest, hominins of African origin entered the western Palaearctic for the first time, taking advantage of the diversity of habitats and resources, particularly along large river systems. Their subsequent westward spread between 1.7 and 1.3 Ma was restricted to Mediterranean-influenced areas, which offered a high variability of habitats and relatively low seasonality. The increase in environmental diversity, which occurred from 1.2 Ma onwards, opened up South-Eastern and Eastern Europe for hominin occupation. According to the available records, North-Western and Central Europe were initially colonized during late Early to early Middle Pleistocene interglacials, when these regions experienced periods of low seasonality and considerable habitat diversity.  相似文献   

The Australia Telescope 20-GHz (AT20G) Survey: the Bright Source Sample     

Marcella Massardi  Ronald D. Ekers  Tara Murphy  Roberto Ricci  Elaine M. Sadler  Sarah Burke  Gianfranco De Zotti  Philip G. Edwards  Paul J. Hancock  Carole A. Jackson  Michael J. Kesteven  Elizabeth Mahony  Christopher J. Phillips  Lister Staveley-Smith  Ravi Subrahmanyan  Mark A. Walker  Warwick E. Wilson 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2008,384(2):775-802

The Australia Telescope 20-GHz (AT20G) Survey is a blind survey of the whole southern sky at 20 GHz (with follow-up observations at 4.8 and 8.6 GHz) carried out with the Australia Telescope Compact Array from 2004 to 2007.
The Bright Source Sample (BSS) is a complete flux-limited subsample of the AT20G Survey catalogue comprising 320 extragalactic     ) radio sources south of  δ=−15°  with      Jy. Of these, 218 have near simultaneous observations at 8 and 5 GHz.
In this paper we present an analysis of radio spectral properties in total intensity and polarization, size, optical identifications and redshift distribution of the BSS sources. The analysis of the spectral behaviour shows spectral curvature in most sources with spectral steepening that increases at higher frequencies (the median spectral index α, assuming   S ∝ν^α  , decreases from  α^8.6_4.8= 0.11  between 4.8 and 8.6 GHz to  α²⁰_8.6=−0.16  between 8.6 and 20 GHz), even if the sample is dominated by flat spectra sources (85 per cent of the sample has  α²⁰_8.6 > −0.5)  . The almost simultaneous spectra in total intensity and polarization allowed us a comparison of the polarized and total intensity spectra: polarized fraction slightly increases with frequency, but the shapes of the spectra have little correlation. Optical identifications provided an estimation of redshift for 186 sources with a median value of 1.20 and 0.13, respectively, for QSO and galaxies.  相似文献   

TeV J2032+4130: a not-so-dark accelerator?     

Y. M. Butt  J. A. Combi  J. Drake  J. P. Finley  A. Konopelko  M. Lister  J. Rodriguez  D. Shepherd 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2008,385(4):1764-1770

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GPU accelerated radio astronomy signal convolution     

Chris Harris  Karen Haines  Lister Staveley-Smith 《Experimental Astronomy》2008,22(1-2):129-141

The increasing array size of radio astronomy interferometers is causing the associated computation to scale quadratically with the number of array signals. Consequently, efficient usage of alternate processing architectures should be explored in order to meet this computational challenge. Affordable parallel processors have been made available to the general scientific community in the form of the commodity graphics card. This work investigates the use of the Graphics Processing Unit in the parallelisation of the combined conjugate multiply and accumulation stage of a correlator for a radio astronomy array. Using NVIDIA’s Compute Unified Device Architecture, our testing shows processing speeds from one to two orders of magnitude faster than a Central Processing Unit approach.  相似文献   

The WASP project in the era of robotic telescope networks     

D. J. Christian  D. L. Pollacco  I. Skillen  J. Irwin  W. I. Clarkson  A. Collier Cameron  N. Evans  A. Fitzsimmons  C. A. Haswell  C. Hellier  S. T. Hodgkin  K. Horne  S. R. Kane  F. P. Keenan  T. A. Lister  A. J. Norton  J. Osborne  R. Ryans  R. A. Street  R. G. West  P. J. Wheatley 《Astronomische Nachrichten》2006,327(8):800-802

We present the current status of the WASP project, a pair of wide angle photometric telescopes, individually called Super‐WASP. SuperWASP‐I is located in La Palma, and SuperWASP‐II at Sutherland in South Africa. SW‐I began operations in April 2004. SW‐II is expected to be operational in early 2006. Each SuperWASP instrument consists of up to 8 individual cameras using ultra‐wide field lenses backed by high‐quality passively cooled CCDs. Each camera covers 7.8 × 7.8 sq degrees of sky, for nearly 500 sq degrees of total sky coverage. One of the current aims of the WASP project is the search for extra‐solar planet transits with a focus on brighter stars in the magnitude range ∼8 to 13. Additionally, WASP will search for optical transients, track Near‐Earth Objects, and study many types of variable stars and extragalactic objects. The collaboration has developed a custom‐built reduction pipeline that achieves better than 1 percent photometric precision. We discuss future goals, which include: nightly on‐mountain reductions that could be used to automatically drive alerts via a small robotic telescope network, and possible roles of the WASP telescopes as providers in such a network. Additional technical details of the telescopes, data reduction, and consortium members and institutions can be found on the web site at: http://www.superwasp.org/. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)  相似文献