17 resultados para Berm Crest


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With the variations of solar activity, solar EUV and X-ray radiations change over different timescales (e.g., from solar cycle variation to solar flare burst). Since solar EUV and X-ray radiations are the primary energy sources for the ionosphere, theirs variations undoubtedly produce significant and complicated effects on the ionosphere. So the variations of solar activity significantly affect the ionosphere. It is essential for both ionospheric theory and applications to study solar activity effects on the ionosphere. The study about solar activity variations of the ionosphere is an important part of the ionospheric climatology. It can enhance the understanding for the basic processes in the ionosphere, ionospheric structure and its change, ionosphere/thermosphere coupling, and so on. As for applications, people need sufficient knowledges about solar activity variations of the ionosphere in order to improve ionospheric models so that more accurate forecast for the ionospheric environments can be made. Presently, the whole image about the modalities of ionospheric solar activity variations is still unknown, and related mechanisms still cannot be well understood. This paper is about the effects of the 11-year change in solar activity to the low- and mid-latitude ionosphere. We use multi-type ionospheric observations and model to investigate solar activity effects on the electron density and ionospheric spatial structure, and we focus on discussing some related mechanisms. The main works are as follows: Firstly, solar activity variations of ionospheric peak electron density (NmF2) around 1400 LT were investigated using ionosonde observations in the 120°E sector. The result shows that the variation trend of NmF2 with F107 depends on latitudes and seasons. There is obvious saturation trend in low latitudes in all seasons; while in middle latitudes, NmF2 increases linearly with F107 in winter but saturates with F107 at higher solar activity levels in the other seasons. We calculated the photochemical equilibrium electron density to discuss the effects induced by the changes of neutral atmosphere and dynamics processes on the solar activity variations of NmF2. We found that: (1) Seasonal variation of neutral atmosphere plays an important role in the seasonal difference of the solar activity variations of NmF2 in middle latitudes. (2) Less [O]/[N2] and higher neutral temperature are important for the saturation effect in summer, and the increase of vibrational excited N2 is also important for the saturation effect. (3) Dynamics processes can significantly weaken the increase of NmF2 when solar activity enhances, which is also a necessary factor for the saturation effect. Secondly, solar activity variations of nighttime NmF2 were investigated using ionosonde observations in the 120°E sector. The result shows that the variation trends of NmF2 with F107 in nighttime are different from that in daytime in some cases, and the nighttime variation trends depend on seasons. There is linear increase trend in equinox nighttime, and saturation trend in summer nighttime, while the increase rate of NmF2 with F107 increases when solar activity enhances in winter nighttime (we term it with “amplification trend”). We discussed the possible mechanisms which affect the solar activity variations of nighttime NmF2. The primary conclusions are as follows: (1) In the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest region, the plasma influx induced by the pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) results in the change of the variation trend between NmF2 and F107 from “saturation” to “linear” after sunset in equinoxes and winter; while the recombination process at the F2-peak is the primary factor that affects the variation trend of NmF2 with F107 in middle latitudes. (2) The recombination coefficient at the F2-peak height reaches its maximum at moderate solar activity level in winter nighttime, which induces NmF2 attenuates more quickly at moderate solar activity level. This is the main reason for the amplification trend. (3) The change of the recombination process at the F2-peak with solar activity depends on the increases of neutral parameters (temperature, density et al.) and the F2-peak height (hmF2). The seasonal differences in the changes of neutral atmosphere and hmF2 with solar activity are the primary reasons for the seasonal difference in the variation trend of nighttime NmF2 with F107. Finally, we investigated the solar activity dependence of the topside ionosphere in low latitudes using ROCSAT-1 satellite (at 600 km altitude) observations. The primary results and conclusions are as follows: (1) Latitudinal distribution of the plasma density is local time, seasonal, and solar activity dependent. In daytime, there is a plasma density peak at the dip equator. The peak is obviously enhanced at high solar activity level, and the strength of the peak strongly depends on seasons. While at sunset, two profound plasma density peaks (double-peak structure) are found in solar maximum equinox months. (2) Local time dependence of the latitudinal distribution is due to the local time variation of the equatorial dynamics processes. Double-peak structure is attributed to the fountain effect induced by strong PRE. Daytime peak enhances with solar activity since the plasma density increases with solar activity more strongly at the dip equator due to the equatorial vertical drift, and its seasonal dependence is mainly due to the seasonal variations of neutral density and the equatorial vertical drift. In the sunset sector, seasonal and solar activity dependences of the latitudinal distribution are related to the seasonal and solar activity variations of PRE. (3) The variation trend of the plasma density with solar activity shows local time, seasonal, and latitudinal differences. That is different from the changeless amplification trend at the DMSP altitude (840 km). Profound saturation effect is found in the dip equator region at equinox sunset. This saturation effect in the topside ionosphere is realated to the increase of PRE with solar activity. Solar activity variation trend of the topside plasma density was discussed quantitatively by Chapman-α function. The result shows that the effect induced by the change of the scale height is dominant at high altitudes; while the variation trend of ROCSAT-1 plasma density with solar activity is suggested to be related to the changes of the peak height, the scale height, and the peak electron density with solar activity.

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The 3-D velocity images of the crest and upper mantle beneath the region of 112° -124°E, 28°-39°N including the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt are reconstructed by using 36405 P-wave arrivals of 3437 regional and 670 distant earthquakes during the period from 1981 to 1996, and gridding the area of 0.5° * 0.5°. The results of tomography demonstrate that: 1. The results of tomographic imaging show a broad heterogeneity in P wave velocity structure for the lithosphere beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. 2. In the Dabie orogenic belt, the velocity patterns in the crust are different among various tectonic units. The Dabie and Qinling orogenic belts are remarkable in the tomographic images, and in mm the Hongan and Dabie blocks in the Dabie orogenic belt are also imaged very distinguishably. 3. A velocity (about 5.9~6.0 km/s) layer exists in the Dabie block at depth between 15~25 km, which is coincident with the low-resistance layer at the depth of 12-23 km, being inferred to be the tectonic detachment zone and suggesting that the extension detachment structure was formed in the middle crust. Beneath the southern and northerm Dabie tectonic units, the north-dipping high-velocity (at level of 6.5 ~ 6.6 km/s) block was developed in the crust, which might be correlated with the UHP rockswith low content of the meta-ultramafic rocks. This result is in agreement with the geological observation on the surface. 4. The velocity image at 40 km depth reveals the features at the top of mantle and the configuration of the Moho discontinuity. The depth of the Moho changes slightly along the trend of the orogenic belt. It in Hongan block is less than 40 km, but it is different in the western and eastern parts of the Dabie block, the former is more than 40 km, and the latter less than or equal to 40 km. The remnant of the mountain root exists between the Shangcheng-Macheng fault and the line of Huoshan-Yuexi-Yingshan in the Dabie orogenic belt, and beneath the southern and northern Dabie tectonic units. However, the thickness of the Moho is about 40 km and there is no obvious changes, which suggest that the Dabie orogenic belt has been experienced quite in the gravity equilibration. The Moho's depth in the Sulu is less than 40 km. 5. There is a dipping slab-like high-velocity body in the uppermost mantle. It is sandwiched by slow velocities and exists beneath the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt in the range of depths between the Moho discontinuity and 110 km at least. This high-velocity body outlines a picture of the slab interpreted as the remnant of the Triassic subducted YZ. 6. The Sulu orogenic belt displays "crocodilian" velocity structure, the upper crust of the Yangtze thrusted over the Huabei crest, and the Huabei crust indented into the Yangtze crust, where the ancient subduction zone of the Yangtze lithosphere located. Based on the previous geological data, this structure is not related with the collision between the Yangtze and Sino-Korean Blocks, but caused by the sinistral offset of the Tan-Lu Fault. Studied on the velocity structure of the eastern Huabei lithosphere indicates: 1. The 'present-day' lithosphere of the eastern Huabei is between 40-100 km thick with greatly thinned lithosphere around the Bohai Sea. Generally, thickness of the lithosphere in this region decreased eastwards. 2. The attenuation of the lithosphere is attributed to the strongly uplift of the asthenosphere. In the area between the Taihang Mountains and the Tan-Lu Fault, there is a 'lever' with red low velocity belt, it is clearly defined, transverse continuity, depth between 100-150 km, local variations visible, and an upwards trend towards the Bohai Sea. Generally, the velocity structure in the mantle beneath the lithosphere displays irregular column-shape consisting of alternating high and low velocities, and when cold high velocity ancient lithosphere connects with the hot low velocity mantle materials forming precipitous compact structure. More heat pathways from the mantle occur towards the Tan-Lu Fault. 3. The strongly irregular characteristics of the contact between the asthenosphere and the lithosphere is induced by the long-term hot, chemical erosion and alteration on the contact. 4. There are still preserved high velocity lithosphedc root beneath Huabei with 'block-shape' distribution and surrounded by hot materials. Results of our studies indicate that the evolution models of the eastern China mantle are characterized by the direct contact between the uplifted lithosphere and the Huabei Craton accompanying the upwelling of the deep mantle materials. At the contact betwen the lithosphere and the asthenosphere, the upwelled mantle materials replaced and altered the lower lithosphere forming the metasome through the hot and chemical modifications impacted on the Craton lithosphere, and changed it into the lithosphere gradually, resulting in the lithospheric thinning. Thus, the lithospheric thinning is the result of the upwelling of the asthenosphere.