Geoscience

Progress in Ocean Thermohaline Circulation Theory

Guan Yuping, research fellow of the Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Environmental Dynamics, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS, and Prof. Ruixin Huang of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, U. S. A., made new progress in the theoretical research of ocean thermohaline circulation in their joint hands. They reexamined the ocean thermohaline circulation by the new idea of mechanical energy (mainly from wind and tide) driving, and got a brand-new theoretical result, which was published on Journal of Physical Oceanography, 2008, 38(4). Their conclusion set a challenge for the theory of Stommel that is prevailing at present. One appraisal expert commented as follows, “The paper is reasonably interesting and useful even if it is not a great paper.”

Another “Golden Spike” in Stratotype Section Determined

Approved by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), one standard-stratotype section near Luoyixi Town, Guzhang County, Hunan, province China was determined as an international authoritative standard the “Golden Spike”, which falls within the stratotype for the base of Cambrian 7 about 503 million years ago. This Standard-stratotype Section is called Guzhangjie, featuring the sixth “Golden Spike” denominated by Chinese geographical name. The earth where human beings inhabited has a history of 4.9 billion years, and geologists use chronostratigraphic units (eonothem, erathem, system, series and stage) to help correlate rock sequences. The boundary of each stratotype has a globally recognized standard-stratotype section, and “Golden Spike” is one point on the section. It is determined by the expert team led by Peng Shanchi, research fellow of the institute. The Guzhangjie “Golden Spike” is also the second “Golden Spike” of Cambrian system determined by the team.

Science Reports on May 12 Earthquake Reliefs by S&T

Science carried an article on May 23 (vol.320，pp996-997) entitled Landslides, Flooding Pose Threats As Experts Survey Quake’s Impact, which reported in detail that the working team of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS took a risk to conduct scientific research in midst of the disaster areas. The team made field investigation and survey on major checked-up lakes formed during the May 12th earthquakes taken place in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, and carried out scientific appraisal on the possibility of the checked-up lakes to break and on the relevant dangerous areas that may emerge after flood overflowing, providing important basis for the disposal of the checked-up lakes.