50,000 years of vegetation and climate history on the Colorado Plateau, Utah and Arizona, USA     

Larry L. Coats  Kenneth L. Cole 《Quaternary Research》2008,70(2):322-338

Sixty packrat middens were collected in Canyonlands and Grand Canyon National Parks, and these series include sites north of areas that produced previous detailed series from the Colorado Plateau. The exceptionally long time series obtained from each of three sites (> 48,000 ¹⁴C yr BP to present) include some of the oldest middens yet discovered. Most middens contain a typical late-Wisconsinan glaciation mixture of mesic and xeric taxa, evidence that plant species responded to climate change by range adjustments of elevational distribution based on individual criteria. Differences in elevational range from today for trees and shrubs ranged from no apparent change to as much as 1200 m difference. The oldest middens from Canyonlands NP, however, differ in containing strictly xeric assemblages, including middens incorporating needles of Arizona single-leaf pinyon, far north of its current distribution. Similar-aged middens from the eastern end of Grand Canyon NP contain plants more typical of glacial climates, but also contain fossils of one-seed juniper near its current northern limit in Arizona. Holocene middens reveal the development of modern vegetation assemblages on the Colorado Plateau, recording departures of mesic taxa from low elevation sites, and the arrival of modern dominant components much later.  相似文献   

General patterns of circulation, sediment fluxes and ecology of the Palamós (La Fonera) submarine canyon, northwestern Mediterranean     

Albert Palanques  Emilio García-Ladona  Dami Gomis  Jacobo Martín  Marta Marcos  Ananda Pascual  Pere Puig  Josep-Maria Gili  Mikhail Emelianov  Sebasti Monserrat  Jorge Guilln  Joaquín Tintor  Mariona Segura  Antoni Jordi  Simn Ruiz  Gotzon Basterretxea  Jordi Font  Dolors Blasco  Francesc Pags 《Progress in Oceanography》2005,66(2-4):89

Currents, particle fluxes and ecology were studied in the Palamós submarine canyon (also known as the Fonera canyon), located in the northwestern Mediterranean. Seven mooring arrays equipped with current meters and sediment traps were deployed along the main canyon axis, on the canyon walls and on the adjacent slope. Additionally, local and regional hydrographic cruises were carried out. Current data showed that mean near surface and mid-depth currents were oriented along the mean flow direction (NE–SW), although at 400 and 1200 m depth within the canyon current reversals were significant, indicating a more closed circulation inside the canyon. Mean near-bottom currents were constrained by the local bathymetry, especially at the canyon head. The most significant frequency at all levels was the inertial frequency. A second frequency of about three days, attributed to a topographic wave, was observed at all depths, suggesting that this wave was probably not trapped near the bottom. The current field observed during the most complete survey revealed a meandering pattern with cyclonic vorticity just upstream from and within the canyon. The associated vertical velocity ranged between 10 and 20 m/day and was constrained to the upper 300 m. This latter feature, together with other computations, suggests that during this survey the meander was not induced by the canyon but by some kind of instability of the mean flow.In the canyon, suspended sediment concentration, downward particle fluxes, chlorophyll and particulate C and N were significantly higher up-canyon from about 1200 m depth than offshore, defining, along with the different hydrodynamics, two canyon domains: one from the canyon head to about 1200 m depth more affected by the canyon confinement and the other deeper than 1200 m depth more controlled by the mean flow and the shelf-slope front. The higher near-bottom downward total mass fluxes were recorded in the canyon axis at 1200 m depth along with sharp turbidity increases and are related to sediment gravity flows. During the deployment period, the increase in downward particle fluxes occurred by mid-November, when a severe storm took place. On the canyon walls at 1200 m depth, suspended sediment concentrations, downward particle fluxes, chlorophyll and particulate C and N were higher on the southern wall than on the northern wall inversely to the current’s energy. This could be caused by an upward water supply on the southern canyon wall and/or the mean flow interacting with the canyon bathymetry. In the swimmers collected by the sediment traps, the dominant species was an elasipod holothurian, which has not been recorded in other canyons or elsewhere in the Mediterranean, indicating particular speciation.  相似文献   

Surficial Hydrocarbon Seep Infauna from the Blake Ridge (Atlantic Ocean, 2150 m) and the Gulf of Mexico (690–2240 m)     

Christie A. Robinson  Joan M. Bernhard  Lisa A. Levin  Guillermo F. Mendoza  & Jessica K. Blanks 《Marine Ecology》2004,25(4):313-336

Abstract.  Infauna, including foraminifera and metazoans, were enumerated and identified from five types of seep habitats and two adjacent non-seep habitats. Collections were made with the deep submergence research vessel 'Alvin' from three areas of active seepage in the Gulf of Mexico (Alaminos Canyon [2220 m], Atwater Canyon [1930 m], and Green Canyon lease block 272 [700 m]) and on the Blake Ridge Diapir [2250 m], which is located off the southeastern coast of the United States. The seep habitats sampled included four types of microbial mats ( Beggiatoa , Thioploca , thin and thick Arcobacter ) and the periphery of a large mussel bed. Sediments under large rhizopod protists, xenophyophores, were sampled adjacent to the mussel bed periphery. A non-seep site, which was >1 km away from active seeps, was also sampled for comparison. Densities of most taxa were higher in the Gulf of Mexico seeps than in Blake Ridge samples, largely because densities in the thick microbial mats of Blake Ridge were significantly lower. Diversity was higher in the Thioploca mats compared to other microbial-mat types. Within an ocean basin ( i.e. , Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico) we did not observe significant differences in meiofaunal or macrofaunal composition in Beggiatoa versus Thioploca mats or thin versus thick Arcobacter mats. Foraminifera represented up to 16% of the seep community, a proportion that is comparable to their contribution at adjacent non-seep communities. In general, the observed densities and taxonomic composition of seep sites at the genus level was consistent with previous observations from seeps ( e.g. , the foraminifers Bolivina and Fursenkoina , the dorvilleid polychaete Ophryotrocha ).  相似文献   

A year in the physical oceanography of the Chukchi Sea: Moored measurements from autumn 1990–1991     

Rebecca A. Woodgate  Knut Aagaard  Thomas J. Weingartner 《Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography》2005,52(24-26):3116

Year-long time-series of temperature, salinity and velocity from 12 locations throughout the Chukchi Sea from September 1990 to October 1991 document physical transformations and significant seasonal changes in the throughflow from the Pacific to the Arctic Ocean for one year. In most of the Chukchi, the flow field responds rapidly to the local wind, with high spatial coherence over the basin scale—effectively the ocean takes on the lengthscales of the wind forcing. Although weekly transport variability is very large (ca. -2 to ), the mean flow is northwards, opposed by the mean wind (which is southward), but presumably forced by a sea-level slope between the Pacific and the Arctic, which these data suggest may have significant variability on long (order a year) timescales. The high flow variability yields a significant range of residence times for waters in the Chukchi (i.e. one to six months for half the transit) with the larger values applicable in winter.Temperature and salinity (TS) records show a strong annual cycle of freezing, salinization, freshening and warming, with sizable interannual variability. The largest seasonal variability is seen in the east, where warm, fresh waters escape from the buoyant, coastally trapped Alaskan Coastal Current into the interior Chukchi. In the west, the seasonally present Siberian Coastal Current provides a source of cold, fresh waters and a flow field less linked to the local wind. Cold, dense polynya waters are observed near Cape Lisburne and occasional upwelling events bring lower Arctic Ocean halocline waters to the head of Barrow Canyon. For about half the year, at least at depth, the entire Chukchi is condensed into a small region of TS-space at the freezing temperature, suggesting ventilation occurs to near-bottom, driven by cooling and brine rejection in autumn/winter and by storm-mixing all year.In 1990–1991, the ca. 0.8 Sv annual mean inflow through Bering Strait exits the Chukchi in four outflows—via Long Strait, Herald Valley, the Central Channel, and Barrow Canyon—each outflow being comparable (order 0.1–0.3 Sv) and showing significant changes in volume and water properties (and hence equilibrium depth in the Arctic Ocean) throughout the year. The clearest seasonal cycle in properties and flow is in Herald Valley, where the outflow is only weakly related to the local wind. In this one year, the outflows ventilate above and below (but not in) the Arctic halocline mode of 33.1 psu. A volumetric comparison with Bering Strait indicates significant cooling during transit through the Chukchi, but remarkably little change in salinity, at least in the denser waters. This suggests that, with the exception of (in this year small) polynya events, the salinity cycle in the Chukchi can be considered as being set by the input through Bering Strait and thus, since density is dominated by salinity at these temperatures, Bering Strait salinities are a reasonable predictor of ventilation of the Arctic Ocean.  相似文献   

河南云台山世界地质公园红石峡谷形成年代研究     

贾丽云  张绪教  杨东潮  李宗敏  樊克锋  宫程  陈洁  张晋喆 《地球学报》2014,35(5):635-642

地貌年代是地貌学研究的重要内容,红石峡谷作为云台山世界地质公园重要的地貌景观与地质遗迹资源,其形成年代的研究具有重要科学意义。本文对红石峡谷地貌特征进行了详细野外调查及研究,通过地貌对比及释光法测年对红石峡谷的形成年代、新构造运动对峡谷的控制作用进行了探讨。红石峡谷具有年轻河谷的地貌特征:平面展布明显受构造节理控制、横剖面呈现V型、纵剖面为上凸形;用热释光法(TL)测得红石峡谷谷肩河流相砂砾石层泥质胶结物年代为(374.86±31.86)ka B.P.;与谷肩宽谷同期发育的灰岩溶蚀裂隙中蚀余红土的年龄为(340.74±28.96)ka B.P.;控制红石峡形成的黑龙潭断裂其分支断裂中断层泥年代为(300.04±25.50)ka B.P.。据以上证据并与子房河阶地级序及年代的综合对比认为:红石峡谷主要受黑龙王庙断裂的控制,形成于中更新世中期(Qp2-2)451—(374.86±31.86)ka B.P.之后。本研究利用测年数据对红石峡谷形成年代进行了定量约束,对太行山南缘地貌与新构造运动的研究具有参考价值。  相似文献   

Block-supported cataclastic flow within the upper crust     

《Journal of Structural Geology》2013

Recent work from portions of the Sevier fold-thrust belt that have deformed primarily within the elastico-frictional regime, demonstrates that cataclastic flow can be subdivided into two types: matrix- and block supported. The two types may operate simultaneously within the same deforming material. However, their activity can vary spatially, temporally and across scales. Although block-supported cataclastic flow is a critical process in upper crustal deformation, it continues to be largely ignored and/or misunderstood, primarily because established concepts and definitions for cataclastic flow are chiefly based on matrix-supported cataclastic flow. Here, block-supported cataclastic flow is examined to better understand cataclastic flow in general and to explore its relationship with matrix-supported cataclastic flow.  相似文献   

Soil seed bank longevity of the exotic annual grass Bromus rubens in the Mojave Desert,USA     

《Journal of Arid Environments》2013

Although arid environments are often considered among the least invaded terrestrial biomes, the impacts of exotic plant species can be severe and long lasting. Bromus rubens (red brome) is an exotic annual grass species in the Mojave Desert known to outcompete native plant species, alter habitat, and promote accumulation of fuel that contributes to increasing fire frequency and severity. We assessed longevity of the exotic B. rubens seeds in the soil by burying seeds at four depths (0, 2, 5, and 10 cm) and recovering seeds 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after burial. Seed viability was reduced with greater burial depth and greater time since burial. A relatively small proportion of seeds retained viability for two years, suggesting that while the B. rubens seed bank can be large, it is relatively short-lived. Although B. rubens apparently relies more on the annual production, dispersal, and germination of seeds than on a long-lived seed bank for its annual recruitment, the numerous seeds produced by individual plants indicate that even a small proportion of seeds remaining viable for more than a year can aid recruitment from the seed bank and is an important factor in understanding population dynamics.  相似文献   

A meta-analysis of geochronologically relevant half-lives: what’s the best decay constant?     

《International Geology Review》2012,54(7):905-914

Twenty-first century advances in both the analytical procedures and instrumentation used in geochronology promise age accuracy better than ±1‰, but realizing this potential requires knowledge of decay constants (λ) that exceed this level. Given the paucity of improved recent measurements of λ, the community has experimented with hybrid methodologies utilizing data largely generated during the 1970s. In this article, we perform a systematic review of laboratory decay constant determinations relevant to geochronology (i.e. ⁸⁷Rb, ¹⁴⁷Sm, ¹⁷⁶Lu, ²³⁰Th, ²³²Th, ²³⁵U, and ²³⁸U), focusing on methodological consistency. For radioisotopes for which multiple studies are available, results are combined through a random effects model to yield the best available values and associated uncertainties. Unfortunately, despite its vital role in modern geochronology, only one experimental determination of ²³⁸U decay met our criteria for consideration, significantly limiting the ability to assess its reliability. Thus, utilizing λ₂₃₈ as an anchor for establishing other decay constants (e.g. ⁴⁰K, ¹⁷⁶Lu, and spontaneous ²³⁸U fission) places an unverified result at the core of geochronology. For geochronology to attain its greatest potential, more and better laboratory determinations of decay constants are required, along with a community methodology that permits us to continuously take advantage of new data.  相似文献   

中国山地环境气象研究进展   总被引：14，自引：0，他引：14       下载免费PDF全文

高登义  邹捍  周立波  刘宇 《大气科学》2003,27(4):567-590

中国山地环境气象学是研究中国山地与大气、自然环境之间相互作用的一门交叉学科.近数十年来,中国山地环境气象研究进展迅速.1960年以来,大气物理研究所多次参加中国科学院组织的山地综合科学考察,多学科的相互交叉促进了中国山地环境气象的研究,特别是在珠穆朗玛峰、天山托木尔峰和横断山脉山地环境气象、雅鲁藏布大峡谷环境气象研究等方面进展较快.为监测全球环境气象变化,中国气象局在青藏高原上设立了环境气象监测站.此外,在利用臭氧卫星资料研究青藏高原与臭氧分布、准两年振荡(QBO)信号、ENSO信号的关系方面也颇有进展.  相似文献   

Morphotectonics and Evolutionary Controls on the Pearl River Canyon System,South China Sea     

DING Weiwei  LI Jiabiao  LI Jun 《《地质学报》英文版》2013,87(Z1):552-553

  相似文献