Analyses of the predicted changes of the global oceans under the increased greenhouse gases scenarios

A new climate model (ECHAM5/MPI-OM1) developed for the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology is used to study the climate changes under the different increased CO2 scenarios (B1, A1B and A2). Based on the corresponding model results, the sea surface temperature and salinity structure, the variations of the thermohaline circulation (THC) and the changes of sea ice in the northern hemisphere are analyzed. It is concluded that from the year of 2000 to 2100, un- der the B1, A1B and A2 scenarios, the global mean sea surface temperatures (SST) would increase by 2.5℃, 3.5℃ and 4.0℃ respectively, especially in the region of the Arctic, the increase of SST would be even above 10.0℃; the maximal negative value of the variation of the fresh water flux is located in the sub- tropical oceans, while the precipitation in the eastern tropical Pacific increases. The strength of THC de- creases under the B1, A1B and A2 scenarios, and the reductions would be about 20%, 25% and 25.1% of the present THC strength respectively. In the north- ern hemisphere, the area of the sea ice cover would decrease by about 50% under the A1B scenario.     

Pyrolysates of raw vitrinites and their residues after CS2-NMP solvent extraction and its significance for petroleum geology

Vitrinite is the main maceral in most huminites[1]. And it accounts for up to 50%―90% in coals of Jurassic Turpan-Hami Basin, with an average value of 70%[2]. And the character of vitrinite dominates the structure and hydrocarbon generation ability of co…     

Biodiversity and palaeoclimate of the Middle Jurassic floras from the Tiaojishan Formation in western Liaoning, China

The Middle Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in Beipiao City, western Liaoning comprises a variety of plant fossils including leaf impressions, compressions, permineralized rhizomes, fossil wood and dispersed spores and pollen grains. Impression and compression data suggest that the flora in the Tiaojishan Formation is dominated by Bennettitales, ferns and Nilssoniales, followed by ginkgophytes; conifers and sphenopsids are less common. Abundant permineralized rhizomes are referable to diverse taxa within fern families such as Osmundaceae and Cyatheaceae. Abundant and upright fossil stumps are common in the Tiaojishan Formation. They are well preserved with distinct growth rings and are predominatly conifers. The floristic signature of the Tiaojishan Formation indicates that subtropical to temperate warm and humid climates prevailed during the late Middle Jurassic in the Beipiao area. Growth ring pattern analysis of the fossil conifer wood demonstrates a consistent and distinct seasonal climate during this interval. The biodiversity of the remarkable Tiaojishan flora provides essential evidence for understanding the vegetation, palaeoclimate and environmental evolution of western Liaoning during the Middle to Late Jurassic.     

Concentration and flux of bioaerosol and environmental factors

The concentration and flux transportation of bioaerosol are analyzed using the data observed in Nanjing in July 1998. Some results are obtained: (i) the concentration and flux transportation of bioaerosol vary periodically with the cycle of the solar radiation and atmospheric turbulent intensity, (ii) The bioaerosol concentration is affected by both the bioaerosol flux transportation and the environmental factors. The bacterial concentration is obviously affected by the solar radiation while the fungi concentration is significantly affected by temperature.     

Analysis of condenser venting rates based on the air mass entransy increases

Condenser thermal performances, such as the back pressure and venting rate, are strongly affected by the tube arrangement. Condensers have three irreversible pro- cesses for the fluid flow, heat transfer and mass diffusion. The condenser venting rate is studied here based on an air mass entransy analysis. The air mass entransy increment rate for the steam and air mixture on the condenser shell side is expressed as a function of the distributed air mass fraction and the steam condensation rate to define the relationship between the condenser venting rate and the flow parameters. Condensers with three typical tube arrangements were analyzed numerically using the porous medium model. The results show that a bigger venting rate always corresponds to a smaller air mass entransy incre- ment rate. The air mass entransy generally decreases in the air concentration region and increases in the air cooling region under the combined action of the air diffusion and steam condensation. The numerical results indicate that the air cooling region of a condenser should be carefully designed and the cooling tubes should be properly arranged to guide the steam flow so as to weaken air concentration, and consequently to decrease the venting rate.     

Abnormally large short term and impending earthquake geomagnetic anomaly implies a possibility of earthquake pre warning

The study found that strong magnetic anomalies repeatedly took place before big earthquakes. Based on geomagnetic record analysis results,we discussed a possible pattern of the magnetic anomalies prior to earthquake. In meizoseismal area or epicenter,in a time period of 36 h to about 10 min before earthquake,the exceptional big geomagnetic change increases with the magnitude of earthquake. We calculated that,in a place of 1 km from the epicenter,the magnetic anomaly before destructive earthquakes of Ms 6～9 can reach to 102～104 nT(the magnitude of earth magnetic field is 104 nT) ,rather than the magnitude of 10 nT from seismomagnetic effect theories since 1960s. From this we speculated the abnormal magnetic ULF near epicenter before earthquake seems to be an "intermittent magnetic eruption". Accordingly,we proposed that geomagnetic induction earthquake alarm can be a new pre-warning method to surmount hardship in solving the puzzledom of earthquake imminent prediction.     

Some thoughts on seismotectonics of major earthquake occurrence zones in China

A major earthquake occurrence zone means a place where M≥6 events have occurred since the Holocene and similar shocks may happen again in the future. The dynamic context of the major earthquake occurrence zones in China is primarily associated with the NNE-directed push of the India plate,next with the westward subduction of the Pacific plate. The Chinese mainland is a grand mosaic structure of many crust blocks bounded by faults and sutures. When it is suffered from boundary stresses,deformation takes place along these faults or sutures while the block interiors remain relatively stable or intact. Since the Quaternary,for example,left slip on the Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang fault zone in southwestern China has produced a number of fault-depression basins in extensional areas during periods Q1 and Q2. In the Q3,the change of stress orientation and enhancement of tectonic movement made faults of varied trends link each other,and continued to be active till present day,producing active fault zones in this region. Usually major earthquakes occur at some special locations on these active fault zones. During these events,in the epicenter areas experience intensive deformation characterized by large-amplitude rise and fall of neighboring sections,generation of horst-graben systems and dammed rivers. The studies on palaeoearthquakes suggest that major shocks of close magnitudes often repeated for several times at a same place. By comparison of the Chi-Chi,Taiwan event in 1999 and Yuza,Yunnan event in 1955,including contours of accelerations and intensities,destruction of buildings,and in contrast to the Xigeda formation in southwestern China,a sandwich model is established to account for the mechanism of deformation caused by major earthquakes. This model consists of three layers,i. e. the two walls of a fault and the ruptured zone intercalated between them. This ruptured zone is just the loci where stress is built up and released,and serves as a channel for seismic waves.     

Rapid solidification of acoustically levitated Al-Cu-Si eutectic alloy under laser irradiation

Al-27%Cu-5.3%Si ternary eutectic alloy was melted using a YAG laser and then solidified while being acoustically levitated. A maximum undercooling to 195 K (0.24 TL) was achieved with a cooling rate of 76 K/s. The solidification microstructure was composed of (Al+θ+Si) ternary eutectics and (Al+θ) pseudobinary eutectics. During acoustic levitation, the (Al+θ+Si) ternary eutectics are refined and the (Al+θ) pseudobinary eutectics have morphological diversity. On the surface of the alloys, surface oscillations and acoustic streaming promote the nucleation of the three eutectic phases and expedite the cooling process. This results in the refinement of the ternary eutectic microstructure. During experiments, the reflector decreases with increasing alloy temperature, and the levitation distance always exceeds the resonant distance. Because of the acoustic radiation pressure, the melted alloy was flattened, and deformation increases with increasing sound pressure. The maximum aspect ratio achieved was 6.64, corresponding to a sound pressure of 1.8×104 Pa.     

Preparation and luminescence properties of YeO3：Er^3＋/TiO2 with high specific surface area

The three composites Y2O3 :Er3+ , Y2O3 :Er3+ /Yb 3+ andY2O3 :Er3+ /TiO2 were prepared using coprecipitation and sol-gel techniques. Their morphology, specific surface area, porosity, UV-vis. absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra were measured using SEM, TEM, surface analysis, UV-vis. absorption and photoluminescence spectrophotometry. SEM and TEM showed that samples prepared using coprecipitation were dispersed, while Y2O3 :Er3+ /TiO2 particles possessed a mesoporous surface and average diameter of ab...     

Interannual and interdecadal variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation spatial shift

The spatial shift of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is analyzed by using the Twentieth Century Reanalysis version 2 dataset and identifying NAO action centers directly on winter mean sealevel pressure (SLP) anomaly maps. The spatial shift of the NAO is characterized by four NAO spatial shift indices: the zonal and meridional shifts of the NAO southern and northern action centers. It is found that the zonal and meridional shift trends of the NAO action centers move along a path of southwest-northwest direction. Spectral analysis shows that the four NAO spatial shift indices have periodicity of 2-6 years and the NAO index has periodicity of 2-3 years in terms of high-frequency variations. On a decadal time scale, the NAO spatial shift indices are closely (positively) related to the NAO index, which is in agreement with previous studies of the relationship between the NAO index and the spatial shift of the NAO pattern. However, there is no relationship between the NAO index and the meridional shift of the northern action center on an interannual time scale. The significant relationship between the NAO index and the interannual variability of NAO spatial shift indices is very likely to be associated with synopticscale Rossby wave breaking, which generates surface pressure anomalies and thus affects the phase and pattern of the NAO. The correlations of winter westerly winds over 90°W-0° and the NAO index and the NAO spatial shift indices have a ’+ - + -’ structure from the Equator to the North Pole. Although there is close correlation between the NAO spatial shift indices and the strength of the zonal winds in the North Atlantic region, the effect of the zonal winds on the NAO spatial shift differs at different latitudes. Hence, the role of the zonal winds is probably a result of the NAO spatial shifts.