Hydrocarbon lakes on Titan     

Giuseppe Mitri  Adam P. Showman  Ralph D. Lorenz 《Icarus》2007,186(2):385-394

The Huygens Probe detected dendritic drainage-like features, methane clouds and a high surface relative humidity (∼50%) on Titan in the vicinity of its landing site [Tomasko, M.G., and 39 colleagues, 2005. Nature 438, 765-778; Niemann, H.B., and 17 colleagues, 2005. Nature 438, 779-784], suggesting sources of methane that replenish this gas against photo- and charged-particle chemical loss on short (10-100) million year timescales [Atreya, S.K., Adams, E.Y., Niemann, H.B., Demick-Montelara, J.E., Owen, T.C., Fulchignoni, M., Ferri, F., Wilson, E.H., 2006. Planet. Space Sci. In press]. On the other hand, Cassini Orbiter remote sensing shows dry and even desert-like landscapes with dunes [Lorenz, R.D., and 39 colleagues, 2006a. Science 312, 724-727], some areas worked by fluvial erosion, but no large-scale bodies of liquid [Elachi, C., and 34 colleagues, 2005. Science 308, 970-974]. Either the atmospheric methane relative humidity is declining in a steady fashion over time, or the sources that maintain the relative humidity are geographically restricted, small, or hidden within the crust itself. In this paper we explore the hypothesis that the present-day methane relative humidity is maintained entirely by lakes that cover a small part of the surface area of Titan. We calculate the required minimum surface area coverage of such lakes, assess the stabilizing influence of ethane, and the implications for moist convection in the atmosphere. We show that, under Titan's surface conditions, methane evaporates rapidly enough that shorelines of any existing lakes could potentially migrate by several hundred m to tens of km per year, rates that could be detected by the Cassini orbiter. We furthermore show that the high relative humidity of methane in Titan's lower atmosphere could be maintained by evaporation from lakes covering only 0.002-0.02 of the whole surface.  相似文献   

Point pattern analysis of north polar crescentic dunes, Mars: A geography of dune self-organization     

Mark A. Bishop 《Icarus》2007,191(1):151-157

The geographic signature of dune distribution and self-organization as measured by the R-statistic offers a viewpoint on the geography of crescentic eolian systems and proposes an index from which to determine the degree of self-organization across a variety of spatial scales. Fields of simple dunes (dome, barchan, barchan-seif) are comparatively less regular in distribution than are those fields, or part thereof, that consist of compound (barchanoid) morphologies whose patterns are more highly regular.  相似文献   

Antarctic dry valleys: Microclimate zonation, variable geomorphic processes, and implications for assessing climate change on Mars     

David R. Marchant  James W. Head III 《Icarus》2007,192(1):187-222

The Antarctic Dry Valleys (ADV) are generally classified as a hyper-arid, cold-polar desert. The region has long been considered an important terrestrial analog for Mars because of its generally cold and dry climate and because it contains a suite of landforms at macro-, meso-, and microscales that closely resemble those occurring on the martian surface. The extreme hyperaridity of both Mars and the ADV has focused attention on the importance of salts and brines on soil development, phase transitions from liquid water to water ice, and ultimately, on process geomorphology and landscape evolution at a range of scales on both planets. The ADV can be subdivided into three microclimate zones: a coastal thaw zone, an inland mixed zone, and a stable upland zone; zones are defined on the basis of summertime measurements of atmospheric temperature, soil moisture, and relative humidity. Subtle variations in these climate parameters result in considerable differences in the distribution and morphology of: (1) macroscale features (e.g., slopes and gullies); (2) mesoscale features (e.g., polygons, including ice-wedge, sand-wedge, and sublimation-type polygons, as well as viscous-flow features, including solifluction lobes, gelifluction lobes, and debris-covered glaciers); and (3) microscale features (e.g., rock-weathering processes/features, including salt weathering, wind erosion, and surface pitting). Equilibrium landforms are those features that formed in balance with environmental conditions within fixed microclimate zones. Some equilibrium landforms, such as sublimation polygons, indicate the presence of extensive near-surface ice; identification of similar landforms on Mars may also provide a basis for detecting the location of shallow ice. Landforms that today appear in disequilibrium with local microclimate conditions in the ADV signify past and/or ongoing shifts in climate zonation; understanding these shifts is assisting in the documentation of the climate record for the ADV. A similar type of landform analysis can be applied to the surface of Mars where analogous microclimates and equilibrium landforms occur (1) in a variety of local environments, (2) in different latitudinal bands, and (3) in units of different ages. Documenting the nature and evolution of the ADV microclimate zones and their associated geomorphic processes is helping to provide a quantitative framework for assessing the evolution of climate on Mars.  相似文献   

Valley formation on martian volcanoes in the Hesperian: Evidence for melting of summit snowpack, caldera lake formation, drainage and erosion on Ceraunius Tholus     

Caleb I. Fassett 《Icarus》2007,189(1):118-135

Ceraunius Tholus, a Hesperian-aged volcano in the Tharsis region, is characterized by small radial valleys on its flanks, and several larger valleys originating near its summit caldera. All of these large valleys drain from near the lowest present portion of the caldera rim and down the flanks of the volcano. The largest valley debauches into Rahe Crater (an oblique impact crater), forming a depositional fan. Recent study of climate change on Mars suggests that many low-latitude regions (especially large volcanic edifices) were periodically the sites of snow accumulation, likely triggered by variations in spin orbital parameters. We apply a conductive heat flow model to Ceraunius Tholus that suggests that following magmatic intrusion, sufficient heating would be available to cause basal melting of any accumulated summit snowpack and produce sufficient meltwater to cause the radial valleys. The geometry of the volcano summit caldera suggests that meltwater would also accumulate in a volumetrically significant caldera lake. Analysis of the morphology and volumes of the largest valley, as well as depositional features at its base, suggest that fluvial erosion due to drainage of this summit caldera lake formed the large valleys, in a manner analogous to how valleys were formed catastrophically from a lake in Aniakchak caldera in Alaska. Moreover, the event which carved the largest valley on Ceraunius Tholus appears to have led to the formation of a temporary lake within Rahe Crater, at its base. The more abundant, small valleys on the flanks are interpreted to form by radial drainage of melted ice or snow from the outside of the caldera rim. Comparison of Ceraunius Tholus with the volcano-capping Icelandic ice sheet Myrdalsjokull provides insight into the detailed mechanisms of summit heating, ice-cap accumulation and melting, and meltwater drainage. These observations further underline the importance of a combination of circumstances (i.e., climate change to produce summit snowpack and an active period of magmatism to produce melting) to form the valley systems on some martian volcanoes and not on others.  相似文献   

Hydrologic processes at the urban residential scale     

Q. Xiao  E. G. McPherson  J. R. Simpson  S. L. Ustin 《水文研究》2007,21(16):2174-2188

In the face of increasing urbanization, there is growing interest in application of microscale hydrologic solutions to minimize storm runoff and conserve water at the source. In this study, a physically based numerical model was developed to understand hydrologic processes better at the urban residential scale and the interaction of these processes among different best management practices (BMPs). This model simulates hydrologic processes using an hourly interval for over a full year or for specific storm events. The model was applied to treatment and control single‐family residential parcels in Los Angeles, California. Data collected from the control and treatment sites over 2 years were used to calibrate and validate the model. Annual storm runoff to the street was eliminated by 97% with installation of rain gutters, a driveway interceptor, and lawn retention basin. Evaluated individually, the driveway interceptor was the most effective BMP for storm runoff reduction (65%), followed by the rain gutter installation (28%), and lawn converted to retention basin (12%). An 11 m³ cistern did not substantially reduce runoff, but provided 9% of annual landscape irrigation demand. Simulated landscape irrigation water use was reduced 53% by increasing irrigation system efficiency, and adjusting application rates monthly based on plant water demand. The model showed that infiltration and surface runoff processes were particularly sensitive to the soil's physical properties and its effective depth. Replacing the existing loam soil with clay soil increased annual runoff discharge to the street by 63% when climate and landscape features remained unchanged. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Investigating the use of spatial discretization of hydrological processes in conceptual rainfall runoff modelling: a case study for the meso‐scale     

H. Hellebrand  R. van den Bos 《水文研究》2008,22(16):2943-2952

In this study a simple modelling approach was applied to identify the need for spatial complexity in representing hydrological processes and their variability over different scales. A data set of 18 basins was used, ranging between 8 and 4011 km² in area, located in the Nahe basin (Germany), with daily discharge values for over 30 years. Two different parsimoniously structured models were applied in lumped as well as in spatially distributed according to two distribution classifications: (1) a simple classification based on the lithology expressed in three permeability types and (2) a more complex classification based on seven dominating runoff production processes. The objective of the study was to compare the performances of the models on a local and on a regional scale as well as between the models with a view to identifying the accuracy in capturing the spatial variability of the rainfall‐runoff relationships. It was shown that the presence of a specific basin characteristic or process of the distribution classification was not related with higher model performance; only a larger basin size promoted higher model performance. The results of this study also indicated that the permeability generally contained more useful information on the spatial heterogeneity of the hydrological behaviour of the natural system than did a more detailed classification on dominating runoff generation processes. Although model performance was slightly lower for the model that used permeability as a distribution classification, consistency in its parameter values was found, which was lacking with the more complex distribution classification. The latter distribution classification had a higher flexibility to optimize towards the variability of the runoff, which resulted in higher performance, however, process representation was applied inconsistently. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Microstructural evidence of low‐strain,time‐transgressive subglacial deformation     

N. K. Larsen  J. A. Piotrowski  J. Menzies 《第四纪科学杂志》2007,22(6):593-608

Microstructural analyses were used to investigate the formation of a macroscale‐massive till at Knud Strand in Denmark. More than 100 thin sections were examined and microstructures mapped and counted for quantitative comparison and interpretation. Microstructures indicative of both brittle (grain lineations, edge‐to‐edge crushed grains) and ductile (turbate structures) deformation are evenly distributed in vertical profiles through the till, suggesting that strain contributed to its formation. Discrete shears (grain lineations and plasmic fabric) probably accommodated most deformation, whereas rotational deformation was less prominent. The microshear geometry fits the predicted Coulomb–Mohr failure criterion, indicating that till behaves as a plastic material. Strain estimate of ca. 10¹ from micromorphological proxies is two–three orders of magnitude lower than expected if the till was subjected to pervasive deformation. A hybrid of lodgement and time‐transgressive deformation is envisaged as the till‐forming processes. Our data suggest that even abundant evidence of microscale deformation at continuing high levels of strain may only record the latest process of deposition and deformation and therefore not fully reflect the complexity of till genesis. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

An elastoplastic strainhardening model for soil allowing for hydraulic bonding–debonding effects     

Giuseppe Buscarnera  Roberto Nova 《国际地质力学数值与分析法杂志》2009,33(8):1055-1086

The paper presents a strainhardening constitutive model for unsaturated soil behaviour based on energy conjugated stress variables in the framework of superposed continua. The proposed constitutive law deals with hydro‐mechanical coupling phenomena. The main purpose is to develop within a consistent framework a model that can deal with possible mechanical instabilities occurring in partially saturated materials. The loss of capillary effects during wetting processes can, in fact, play a central role in unstable processes. Therefore, it will be shown that the bonding effects due to surface tensions can be described in a mathematical framework similar to that employed for bonded geomaterials to model weathering or diagenesis effects, either mechanically or chemically induced. The results of several simulations of common laboratory tests on partially saturated soil specimens are shown. The calculated behaviour appears to be in good qualitative agreement with that observed in the laboratory. In particular it is shown that volumetric collapse phenomena due to hydraulic debonding effects can be successfully described by the model. Finally, it will be highlighted the ability of the model to naturally capture the transition to a fully saturated condition and to deal with possible mechanical instabilities in the unsaturated regime. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

A reach‐scale biogeochemical model for temporary rivers     

Ourania Tzoraki  Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis  Anna Rosa Trancoso  Frank Braunschweig  Ramiro Neves 《水文研究》2009,23(2):272-283

The RS‐tempQ Model ( r each– s cale t emporary flow biogeochemical model) is a conceptual model that can describe the hydrologic, sediment transport and biogeochemical processes of temporary rivers at the reach scale. The model takes into account the expansion–contraction of the inundated area of the river. It simulates the sediment transport and the nutrient fluxes that are transferred to the coastal area due to the first flash flood and during extreme rain events. The RS‐tempQ Model simulates the in‐stream processes during the wet and dry cycles as the river corridor expands and contracts. The model was used to assess and quantify the hydrologic and geochemical processes occurring in a temporary river reach (Krathis River) in Greece. Since the conventional gauging techniques cannot measure the flow in rivers that are split into small braided streams, discharge measurements could not be obtained in order to calibrate and verify the model. Other field measurements such as infiltration losses and sediment accumulation were used for model calibration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

High-resolution record of tectonic and sedimentary processes in growth strata     

Stphane Pochat  Sbastien Castelltort  Gaël Choblet  Jean Van Den Driessche 《Marine and Petroleum Geology》2009,26(8):1350-1364

Growth strata are used to determine the kinematics of synsedimentary structures such as faults. Classical methods of analysis such as thickness versus throw plot consider that the available space created by fault slip in the hanging wall of faults is instantaneously filled up by sediments. This has lead many previous works to identify a cyclic activity for growth faults. Here we perform a careful analysis of the variation of strata thicknesses on each side of a very well documented normal growth fault in the Niger delta. We show that these thickness variations are induced by the alternation of sedimentary processes during continuous fault slip. Suspended-load processes induce either uniform or slightly variable thickness of a large majority of mudstone layers. Bedload processes result in a preferential thickening of sand layers in the hanging wall. These high quality data thus provide strong grounds for doubting the polycyclic growth diagnosed for some faults at the scale of sedimentary cycles and supports the notion that fault displacement rates can be very well behaved. Our study emphasizes the important conclusion that stable fault growth, and related displacement rates, can appear to be punctuated when viewed at the scale of sedimentary cycles. It follows that care should be taken when attempting to derive displacement rates on temporal scales equivalent to those of alternating sedimentological cycles.  相似文献