Impact of Controllable Factors on Export Performance of SMEs in Jordan

Exporting is of great interest for SMEs in Jordan from both microeconomic and macroeconomic perspective.The objective of this study was to identify to what extent specific internal factors contribute to export success of SMEs in Jordan.This study hypothesized that export performance of SMEs is directly affected by three groups of internal factors.These include firm characteristics,managerial characteristics,and marketing strategy.A multiple case approach is used to conduct this research and a structured interview is developed to collect the data directly from the participants.A pattern matching approach was used to test the hypotheses.The results show that export performance is positively affected by firm characteristics,managerial characteristics,and marketing strategy.Additionally,the demographic characteristics of managers and adaptation of distribution channels are unlikely to have an influence on export performance.This was unexpected,because of the plenty of empirical evidences in the literature that support the impact of these variables on export success.

Variations in evaporation from water surfaces along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert over nearly 60 years and influencing factors

Based on meteorological data collected over nearly 60 years(1960-2017)from four national meteorological stations along the margins of the Badain Jaran Desert,this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in evaporation from water surfaces and identified the dominant controlling factors.Methods used included linear trend analysis,linear tendency estimation,the departure method,the rank correlation coefficient-based method,and Multiple Linear Regression(MLR).Results indicate notable spatiotemporal differences in evaporation distribution and evolution.Spatially,average annual evaporation exhibited a pronounced altitude effect,decreasing at a rate of about 8.23 mm/m from east to west with increasing altitude.Temporally,annual evaporation showed significant upward trends after 1996 at the northeastern(Guaizi Lake)and western(Dingxin)margins,with rates of 132 mm/10a and 105 mm/10a,respectively.Conversely,along the northwestern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins of the desert,an evaporation paradox was observed,with annual evaporation trending downward at rates of 162 mm/10a and 187 mm/10a,respectively,especially after 1987.The dominant factors controlling evaporation varied spatially:Average annual temperature and relative humidity influended the western margin(Dingxin),average annual temperature was the key factor for the northeastern margin(Guaizi Lake),and average wind speed was crucial for the northern(Ejina Banner)and southern(Alxa Right Banner)margins.

Development characteristics and controlling factors of fractures in lacustrine shale and their geological significance for evaluating shale oil sweet spots in the third member of the Shahejie Formation in the Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin

Natural fractures are critical for shale oil and gas enrichment and development. Due to the extremely high heterogeneity of shale, the factors controlling the formation of internal fractures, especially horizontal fractures, remain controversial. In this study, we integrate thin section analysis and microcomputed tomography(CT) data from several lacustrine shale samples from the third member(Es3) of the Shahejie Formation, Qikou Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, to assess the fractures in detail. The goal is to reveal the development characteristics, controlling factors, and geological significance for evaluating sweet spots in a shale oil play. The fractures in the Es3contain high-angle structural and horizontal bed-parallel fractures that are mostly shear and extensional. Various factors influence fracture development,including lithofacies, mineral composition, organic matter content, and the number of laminae. Structural fractures occur predominantly in siltstone, whereas bed-parallel fractures are abundant in laminated shale and layered mudstone. A higher quartz content results in higher shale brittleness, causing fractures, whereas the transformation between clay minerals contributes to the development of bedparallel fractures. Excess pore pressure due to hydrocarbon generation and expulsion during thermal advance can cause the formation of bed-parallel fractures. The density of the bed-parallel and structural fractures increases with the lamina density, and the bed-parallel fractures are more sensitive to the number of laminae. The fractures are critical storage spaces and flow conduits and are indicative of sweet spots. The laminated shale in the Es3with a high organic matter content contains natural fractures and is an organic-rich, liquid-rich, self-sourced shale play. Conversely, the siltstone, massive mudstone, and argillaceous carbonate lithofacies contain lower amounts of organic matter and do not have bed-parallel fractures. However, good reservoirs can form in these areas when structural fractures are present and the source, and storage spaces are separated.

Spatial-temporal heterogeneity and controlling factors of evapotranspiration in Nujiang River Basin based on Variable Infiltration Capacity(VIC)model

Land surface evapotranspiration(ET)is a critical component in the hydrological cycle but has not well been understood in data-scarce areas especially in river basins,like Nujiang River(NRB)which is characterized by large elevation gradient and different vegetation zones with complex processes of water and energy exchange.The quality of ET from optical remote sensing is constrained by cloud cover which is common in the NRB in the monsoon seasons.To understand factors controlling the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of ET in NRB,we employed the Variable Infiltration Capacity(VIC)hydrological model by parameter optimization with support of quality controlled remote sensing ET product and observed river runoff series in the river.The modeled ET has increased during 1984-2018,which might be one of the reasons for the runoff decrease but precipitation increase in the same period.ET increase and runoff decrease tended to be quicker within altitudinal band of 2000-4000 m than in other areas in NRB.We observed that ET variation in different climatic zones were controlled by different factors.ET is generally positively correlated with precipitation,temperature,and shortwave radiation but negatively with relative humidity.In the Tundra Climate(Et)zone in the upper reach of NRB,ET is controlled by precipitation,while it is controlled by shortwave radiation in the snow climate with dry winter(Dw)zone.ET increase is influenced by the increase of temperature,wind speed,and shortwave radiation in the middle and downstream of NRB with warm temperate climate,fully humid(Cf)and warm temperate climate with dry winter(Cw).

Enrichment model and major controlling factors of below-source tight oil in Lower Cretaceous Fuyu reservoirs in northern Songliao Basin,NE China

Based on the geochemical,seismic,logging and drilling data,the Fuyu reservoirs of the Lower Cretaceous Quantou Formation in northern Songliao Basin are systematically studied in terms of the geological characteristics,the tight oil enrichment model and its major controlling factors.First,the Quantou Formation is overlaid by high-quality source rocks of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation,with the development of nose structure around sag and the broad and continuous distribution of sand bodies.The reservoirs are tight on the whole.Second,the configuration of multiple elements,such as high-quality source rocks,reservoir rocks,fault,overpressure and structure,controls the tight oil enrichment in the Fuyu reservoirs.The source-reservoir combination controls the tight oil distribution pattern.The pressure difference between source and reservoir drives the charging of tight oil.The fault-sandbody transport system determines the migration and accumulation of oil and gas.The positive structure is the favorable place for tight oil enrichment,and the fault-horst zone is the key part of syncline area for tight oil exploration.Third,based on the source-reservoir relationship,transport mode,accumulation dynamics and other elements,three tight oil enrichment models are recognized in the Fuyu reservoirs:(1)vertical or lateral migration of hydrocarbon from source rocks to adjacent reservoir rocks,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon generated is migrated vertically or laterally to and accumulates in the adjacent reservoir rocks;(2)transport of hydrocarbon through faults between separated source and reservoirs,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon migrates downward through faults to the sandbodies that are separated from the source rocks;and(3)migration of hydrocarbon through faults and sandbodies between separated source and reservoirs,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon migrates downwards through faults to the reservoir rocks that are separated from the source rocks,and then migrates laterally through sandbodies.Fourth,the differences in oil source conditions,charging drive,fault distribution,sandbody and reservoir physical properties cause the differential enrichment of tight oil in the Fuyu reservoirs.Comprehensive analysis suggests that the Fuyu reservoir in the Qijia-Gulong Sag has good conditions for tight oil enrichment and has been less explored,and it is an important new zone for tight oil exploration in the future.

Differences in hydrocarbon accumulation and controlling factors of slope belt in graben basin: A case study of Pinghu Slope Belt in the Xihu sag of the east China Sea Shelf basin(ECSSB)

The Pinghu slope belt in the Xihu sag of the East China Sea Shelf Basin(ECSSB) is a crucial hydrocarbon production area in eastern China. However, due to the complex geological conditions, publications have lacked comprehensive research on the spatial-temporal coupling relationships of primary factors that impact hydrocarbon accumulation in the Pinghu slope belt. Furthermore, the hydrocarbon distribution patterns and the controlling factors across different study areas within the same slope belt are not yet fully understood. This study extensively utilized three-dimensional seismic data, well logging data,geochemical analysis, fluorescence analysis, and oil testing and production data to address these issues.Following a “stratification and differentiation” approach, the study identified seven distinct hydrocarbon migration and accumulation units(HMAU) in the Pinghu slope area based on the structural morphology characteristics, hydrocarbon source-reservoir-cap rock patterns, hydrocarbon migration pathways, and hydrocarbon supply range. Detailed analysis was conducted to examine the hydrocarbon distribution patterns and controlling factors within each migration and accumulation unit across different structural units, including high, medium, and low structural components. All data sources support a “southern-northern sub-area division, eastern-western sub-belt division, and variations in hydrocarbon accumulation” pattern in the Pinghu slope belt. The degree of hydrocarbon accumulation is controlled by the factors of structural morphology, hydrocarbon generation potential of source rocks, the spatial position of source slopes, fault sealing capacity, and sand body distribution. Furthermore, different coupling patterns of faults and sand bodies play a pivotal role in governing hydrocarbon enrichment systems across various migration and accumulation units. These observations indicate that three hydrocarbon accumulation patterns have been established within the slope belt, including near-source to far-source gentle slope with multiple hydrocarbon kitchens in the XP1-XP4 zones, near-source to middle-source gentle slope with dual-hydrocarbon kitchens in the XP5 zone, and near-source steep slope with a single hydrocarbon kitchen in the XP6-XP7 zones. These findings contribute to enhancing the theoretical system of hydrocarbon accumulation in the slope belt.

Baoziwan-Majiashan Area of Jiyuan Oilfield Analysis of Reservoir Characteristics and Main Control Factors in Long 4 5 Section

Based on the sheet, scanning electron microscope and high pressure mercury analysis method, this paper takes Jiyuan oilfield-Ma Jia mountain district 4 5 sandstone reservoir as the research object, from the reservoir petrology, pore type and porosity, permeability, the system analyzed the reservoir characteristics and its control factors. The results show that the sandstone in the 4 5 section of Baoziwan-Majiashan area of Jiyuan oilfield is fine in size and high in filling content. The pore types were dominated by intergranular pores and dissolved pores, with a low face rate. The reservoir property is relatively poor, with mean porosity of 11.11% and mean permeability of 1.16 × 10−3 µm2. In the low porous, low otonic background, the development of relatively high pore hypertonic areas. Compaction and cementation should play a destructive role in reservoir properties, and dissolution should play a positive role in reservoir properties. Compaction adjusts the migration of clay minerals and miscellaneous bases in the original sediment in the study area, greatly reducing the porosity and permeability of the reservoir;the development of the cement cement, carbonate cementation and some quartz secondary compounds reduces the storage space;the dissolution effect, especially the secondary dissolution pores of the reservoir, which obviously improves the properties of the reservoir.

Spatial and temporal variations and controlling factors of potential evapotranspiration in China:1956-2000

Based on the climatic data of 580 stations in China during 1956 and 2000, potential evapotranspiration are calculated using the Penman-Monteith Method recommended by FAO. The spatial and temporal distributions of the potential evapotranspiration over China and the temporal trends of the regional means for 10 major river basins and whole China are analyzed. Through a partial correlation analysis, the major climate factors which affect the temporal change of the potential evapotranspiration are analyzed. Major results are drawn as follows： 1） The seasonal and annual potential evapotranspiration for China as a whole and for most basins show decline tendencies during the past 45 years; for the Songhua River Basin there appears a slightly increasing trend. 2） Consequently, the annual potential evapotranspirations averaged over 1980-2000 are lower than those for the first water resources assessment （1956-1979） in most parts of China. Exceptions are found in some areas of Shandong Peninsula, western and middle basins of the rivers in Southwest China, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region as well as the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, which may have brought about disadvantages to the exploration and utilization of water resources. 3） Generally, sunshine duration, wind speed and relative humidity have greater impact on the potential evapotranspiration than temperature. Decline tendencies of sunshine duration and/or wind speed in the same period appear to be the major causes for the negative trend of the potential evapotranspiration in most areas.

Differential Hydrocarbon Enrichment and its Main Controlling Factors in Depressions of the Bohai Bay Basin Differential Hydrocarbon Enrichment and its Main Controlling Factors in Depressions of the Bohai Bay Basin

Significant differential hydrocarbon enrichment occurs in depressions in a petroliferous basin.There are multiple depressions in the Bohai Bay Basin, and each depression as a relatively independent unit of hydrocarbon generation, migration and accumulation, contains significantly different hydrocarbon generation conditions and enrichment degree. On the basis of previous documents and a large number of statistical data, this work comparatively analyzed the differential hydrocarbon enrichment and its major controlling factors in depressions of the Bohai Bay Basin. The results show that depressions in the Bohai Bay Basin have various hydrocarbon enrichment degrees, and can be categorized into four types, namely enormously oil-rich, oil-rich, oily and oil-poor depressions. In general, the enormously oil-rich and oil-rich depressions are distributed in the eastern part of the basin along the Tan-Lu and Lan-Liao faults, whereas depressions in the western part of the basin are poor in hydrocarbons. Moreover, the vertical distribution of hydrocarbons is also highly heterogeneous, with Pre-Paleogene strata rich in hydrocarbons in the northern and western depressions, Paleogene strata rich in hydrocarbons in the entire basin, and Neogene strata rich in hydrocarbons in the off-shore areas of the Bohai Bay Basin. From early depressions in onshore areas to the late depressions in offshore areas of the Bohai Bay Basin, the source rocks and source-reservoir-cap rock assemblages gradually become younger and shallower, and the hydrocarbon resource abundance gradually increases. Hydrocarbon supplying condition is the key factor constraining the hydrocarbon enrichment for different depressions,while the main source-reservoir-cap rock assemblage, sufficient hydrocarbons and the transportation capacity of faults control the vertical distribution of hydrocarbons. The main factors controlling hydrocarbon enrichment are different for different layers. The hydrocarbon supplying condition of source rocks is the key controlling factor, whereas the source-reservoir configuration, the main sourcereservoir-cap rock assemblages, and the fault transportation are the main factors of hydrocarbon enrichment in the Paleogene, Paleogene and Neogene, respectively.

Origin and controlling factors of chlorite coatings—an example from the reservoir of T_3x Group of the Baojie area,Sichuan Basin,China

The study of the chlorite coatings always attracts scholars in China and other countries because the chlorite coatings play an important role in the preservation of residual primary pores in sandstone reservoirs.At present,the study of the origin and the controlling factors is relatively few.The occurrence,time of formation,genesis,controlling factors,and the mechanism of chlorite coatings inhibiting quartz overgrowths were studied in detail with thin section and SEM analysis.Samples were from the sandstone reservoirs of the T3x Group in the Baojie area,the transitional zone from the middle to the south of Sichuan Basin.The results indicate that the chlorite coatings on the walls of the pore spaces are oriented perpendicular to grain surfaces in the form of isopachous(even-thickness) grain-coating,while the chlorite coatings at the contacts between adjacent detrital grains are arranged with a preferred orientation tangential to the surface of detrital grains.The chlorite coatings were formed in the eogenetic stage.They were formed by recrystallization of Fe-rich clay films during the syndepositional period,and chlorite cements would be recrystallized after the coatings’ formation.The formation of chlorite coatings was mainly controlled by the depositional environment,provenance conditions,and diagenetic environment.The presence of chlorite coatings could result in the preservation of primary pores in deeply buried sandstone reservoirs by effectively inhibiting quartz overgrowths and the development of compaction and pressure solution.

Spatial-Temporal Distribution, Geological Characteristics and Ore-Formation Controlling Factors of Major Types of Rare Metal Mineral Deposits in China

Rare metals including Lithium(Li),Beryllium(Be),Rubidium(Rb),Cesium(Cs),Zirconium(Zr),Hafnium(Hf),Niobium(Nb),Tantalum(Ta),Tungsten(W)and Tin(Sn)are important critical mineral resources.In China,rare metal mineral deposits are spatially distributed mainly in the Altay and Southern Great Xingán Range regions in the Central Asian orogenic belt;in the Middle Qilian,South Qinling and East Qinling mountains regions in the Qilian-Qinling-Dabie orogenic belt;in the Western Sichuan and Bailongshan-Dahongliutan regions in the Kunlun-Songpan-Garze orogenic belt,and in the Northeastern Jiangxi,Northwestern Jiangxi,and Southern Hunan regions in South China.Major ore-forming epochs include Indosinian(mostly 200-240 Ma,in particular in western China)and the Yanshanian(mostly 120-160 Ma,in particular in South China).In addition,Bayan Obo,Inner Mongolia,northeastern China,with a complex formation history,hosts the largest REE and Nb deposits in China.There are six major rare metal mineral deposit types in China:Highly fractionated granite;Pegmatite;Alkaline granite;Carbonatite and alkaline rock;Volcanic;and Hydrothermal types.Two further types,namely the Leptynite type and Breccia pipe type,have recently been discovered in China,and are represented by the Yushishan Nb-Ta-(Zr-Hf-REE)and the Weilasituo Li-Rb-Sn-W-Zn-Pb deposits.Several most important controlling factors for rare metal mineral deposits are discussed,including geochemical behaviors and sources of the rare metals,highly evolved magmatic fractionation,and structural controls such as the metamorphic core complex setting,with a revised conceptual model for the latter.

Air-sea carbon fluxes and their controlling factors in the Prydz Bay in the Antarctic

The Prydz Bay in the Antarctic is an important area in the Southern Ocean due to its unique geographic feature. It plays an important role in the carbon cycle in the Southern Ocean. To investigate the distributions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and surface seawater and its air-sea exchange rates in this region, the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition （CHINARE） had set up several sections in the Prydz Bay. Here we present the results from the CHINARE-XVI cruises were presented onboard R/V Xue/ong from November 1999 to April 2000 and the main driving forces were discussed controlling the distributions of partial pressure of carbon dioxide. According to the partial pressure of carbon dioxide distributions, the Prydz Bay can be divided into the inside and outside regions. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide was low in the inside region but higher in the outside region during the measurement period. This distribution had a good negative correlation with the concentrations of ehlorophyll-a in general, suggesting that the partial pressure of carbon dioxide was substantially affected by biological production. The results also indicate that the biological produetion is most likely the main driving force in the marginal ice zone in the Southern Ocean in summer. However, in the Antarctic divergence sector of the Prydz Bay （about 64°S）, the hydrological processes become the controlling factor as the sea surface partial pressure of carbon dioxide is much higher than the atmospheric one due to the upwelling of the high DIC CDW, and this made the outside of Prydz Bay a source of carbon dioxide. On the basis of the calculations, the CO2 flux in January （austral summer） was -3.23 mmol/（m^2 · d） in the inner part of Prydz Bay, i.e. , a sink of atmospheric CO2, and was 0.62 mmol/（m^2 · d） in the outside part of the bay, a weak source of atmospheric CO2. The average air-sea flux of CO2 in the Prydz Bay was 2.50 mmol/（m^2 · d）.

Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of CO2Fluxes and Their Climate Controlling Factors for a Subtropical Forest in Ningxiang

In this study, the diurnal and seasonal variations of CO2 fluxes in a subtropical mixed evergreen forest in Ningxiang of Hunan Province, part of the East Asian monsoon region, were quantified for the first time. The fluxes were based on eddy covariance measurements from a newly initiated flux tower. The relationship between the CO2 fluxes and climate factors was also analyzed. The results showed that the target ecosystem appeared to be a clear carbon sink in 2013, with integrated net ecosystem CO2exchange（NEE）, ecosystem respiration（RE）, and gross ecosystem productivity（GEP） of-428.8, 1534.8 and1963.6 g C m^-2yr^-1, respectively. The net carbon uptake（i.e. the-NEE）, RE and GEP showed obvious seasonal variability,and were lower in winter and under drought conditions and higher in the growing season. The minimum NEE occurred on12 June（-7.4 g C m^-2d^-1）, due mainly to strong radiation, adequate moisture, and moderate temperature; while a very low net CO2 uptake occurred in August（9 g C m^-2month^-1）, attributable to extreme summer drought. In addition, the NEE and GEP showed obvious diurnal variability that changed with the seasons. In winter, solar radiation and temperature were the main controlling factors for GEP, while the soil water content and vapor pressure deficit were the controlling factors in summer. Furthermore, the daytime NEE was mainly limited by the water-stress effect under dry and warm atmospheric conditions, rather than by the direct temperature-stress effect.

Controlling Factors of Organic Nanopore Development: A Case Study on Marine Shale in the Middle and Upper Yangtze Region, South China

The Upper Ordovician Wufeng-Lower Silurian Longmaxi and the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi shales are the major targets for shale gas exploration and development in China.Although the two organic-rich shales share similar distribution ranges and thicknesses,they exhibit substantially different exploration and development results.This work analyzed the nanopore structures of the shale reservoirs in this region.Pore development of 51 shale samples collected from various formations and locations was compared using the petromineralogical,geochemical,structural geological and reservoir geological methods.The results indicate that the reservoir space in these shales is dominated by organic pores and the total pore volume of micropores,mesopores,macropores in different tectonic areas and formations show different trends with the increase of TOC.It is suggested that organic pores of shale can be well preserved in areas with simple structure and suitable preservation conditions,and the shale with smaller maximum ancient burial depth and later hydrocarbongeneration-end-time is also more conducive to pore preservation.Organic pore evolution models are established,and they are as follows:①Organic matter pore development stage,②Early stage of organic matter pore destruction,and③late stage of organic matter pore destruction.The areas conducive to pore development are favorable for shale gas development.Research results can effectively guide the optimization and evaluation of favorable areas of shale gas.

Distribution pattern of marine flagellate and its controlling factors in the central and north part of the Huanghai Sea in early summer

A survey was carried out in the central and north part of the Huanghai Sea (34.5° -37.0°N, 120.5°-124.0°E) during June 12-27, 2000. It was found that the abundance of marine flagellate ranged from 45 to 1 278 cell/ml, 479 cell/ml in average. Flagellate was more abundant in the central part than in the north part of Huanghai Sea, and the abundance decreased with the increasing distance from the coast, showing a similar distribution pattern with isotherm. Vertically, high density of flagellate was always presented in the bottom of thermocline, and formed a dense accumulation in the central area of the Huanghai Sea Cold Water Mass. The effects of physical and biological factors on the distribution of marine flagellate in early summer were discussed. Water temperature (especially the existence of thermocline) rather than salinity showed significant effect on the distribution pattern of marine flagellate in the Huanghai Sea in early summer. When comparing the abundance of marine flagellate with that of other microorganisms, it revealed a comparatively stable relationship among these organ-hisms, with a ratio of heterotrophic bacteria: cyanobacteria: flagellate: dinoflagellate: ciliate being 105 :103:102:101:100.

Production Characteristics and the Control Factors of Surface Wells for Relieved Methane Drainage in the Huainan Mining Area

Based on the production data of a large number of surface drainage wells in the Huainan mining area,the present study shows that four types of typical production characteristics for relieved methane wells are recognized,of which the stable type for production and gas concentration is the most dominate,as determined by a comprehensive study on the volume and concentration of drained gases, as well as the stress changes of rocks influenced by mining.Some influence factors for the productive differences of the drainage wells were also been discussed.The results indicate that protective coal-seam mining has a significant effect on overlying strata,which promotes the development of pores and fractures of coal reservoirs for methane desorption and migration;however,the production and the stability of drainage wells are affected by deformation and damage of the overlying strata.The second distribution of strata stress is caused by mining engineering,and if the stress load is larger than the carrying capacity of the extraction well,the gas production would be influenced by the drainage well that has been damaged by rock movement.Furthermore,the case damage occurs first in the weak, lithologic interface by its special mechanical properties.The stability of drainage wells and the production status are also influenced by the different drilling techniques,uneven distribution of gas concentration,and combination of gob gas and methane from the protected layer.

Gully erosion spatial modelling: Role of machine learning algorithms in selection of the best controlling factors and modelling process

This investigation assessed the efficacy of 10 widely used machine learning algorithms(MLA)comprising the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO),generalized linear model(GLM),stepwise generalized linear model(SGLM),elastic net(ENET),partial least square(PLS),ridge regression,support vector machine(SVM),classification and regression trees(CART),bagged CART,and random forest(RF)for gully erosion susceptibility mapping(GESM)in Iran.The location of 462 previously existing gully erosion sites were mapped through widespread field investigations,of which 70%(323)and 30%(139)of observations were arbitrarily divided for algorithm calibration and validation.Twelve controlling factors for gully erosion,namely,soil texture,annual mean rainfall,digital elevation model(DEM),drainage density,slope,lithology,topographic wetness index(TWI),distance from rivers,aspect,distance from roads,plan curvature,and profile curvature were ranked in terms of their importance using each MLA.The MLA were compared using a training dataset for gully erosion and statistical measures such as RMSE(root mean square error),MAE(mean absolute error),and R-squared.Based on the comparisons among MLA,the RF algorithm exhibited the minimum RMSE and MAE and the maximum value of R-squared,and was therefore selected as the best model.The variable importance evaluation using the RF model revealed that distance from rivers had the highest significance in influencing the occurrence of gully erosion whereas plan curvature had the least importance.According to the GESM generated using RF,most of the study area is predicted to have a low(53.72%)or moderate(29.65%)susceptibility to gully erosion,whereas only a small area is identified to have a high(12.56%)or very high(4.07%)susceptibility.The outcome generated by RF model is validated using the ROC(Receiver Operating Characteristics)curve approach,which returned an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.985,proving the excellent forecasting ability of the model.The GESM prepared using the RF algorithm can aid decision-makers in targeting remedial actions for minimizing the damage caused by gully erosion.

Micro-geological causes and macro-geological controlling factors of low-resistivity oil layers in the Puao Oilfield

Low-resistivity oil layers are often missed in logging interpretation because of their resistivity close to or below the resistivity of nearby water layers. Typical low-resistivity oil layers have been found in the past few years in the Putaohua reservoir of the Puao Oilfield in the south of the Daqing placanticline by detailed exploration. Based on a study of micro-geological causes of low-resistivity oil layers, the macro-geological controlling factors were analyzed through comprehensive research of regional depositional background, geological structure, and oil-water relations combined with core, water testing, well logging, and scanning electron microscopy data. The results showed that the formation and distribution of Putaohua low-resistivity oil layers in the Puao Oilfield were controlled by depositional environment, sedimentary facies, diagenesis, motive power of hydrocarbon accumulation, and acidity and alkalinity of reservoir liquid. The low-resistivity oil layers caused by high bound-water saturation were controlled by deposition and diagenesis, those caused by high free-water saturation were controlled by structural amplitude and motive power of hydrocarbon accumulation. Those caused by formation water with high salinity were controlled by the ancient saline water depositional environment and faulted structure and those caused by additional conductivity of shale were controlled by paleoclimate and acidity and alkalinity of reservoir liquid. Consideration of both micro-geological causes and macro-geological controlling factors is important in identifying low-resistivity oil layers.

A comparative study of the main factors controlling geohazards induced by 10 strong earthquakes in Western China since the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008

Determining the main controlling factors of earthquake-triggered geohazards is a prerequisite for studying earthquake geohazards and post-disaster emergency response.By studying these factors,the geomorphic and geological factors controlling the nature,condition,and distribution of earthquake-induced geohazards can be analyzed.Such insights facilitate earthquake disaster prediction and emergency response planning.The authors combined field investigations and spatial data analysis to examine geohazards induced by seismic events,examining ten earthquakes including the Wenchuan,Yushu,Lushan events,to elucidate the main control factors of seismic geohazard.The authors observed that seismic geohazard occurrence is usually affected by many factors,among which active nature of the seismogenic fault,seismic peak ground acceleration(PGA),topographic slope and geomorphic height differences,and distance from the fault zone and river system are the most important.Compared with strike-slip earthquakes,thrust earthquakes induce more high-altitude and high-speed remote landslides,which can cause great harm.Slopes of 0°–40°are prone to secondary seismic geohazards,which are mainly concentrated 0–6 km from the river system.Secondary geohazards are not only related to seismogenic fault but also influenced by the associated faults in the earthquake area.The maximum seismic PGA and secondary seismic geohazard number are positively correlated,and the horizontal and vertical ground motions play leading and promoting roles in secondary geohazard formation,respectively.Through the research,the spatial distribution of seismic geohazards is predicted,providing a basis for the formulation of emergency response plans following disasters.

Spatial variability and its main controlling factors of the permafrost soil-moisture on the northern-slope of Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The soil moisture movement is an important carrier of material cycle and energy flow among the various geo-spheres in the cold regions.Thus, this research takes the north slope of Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a case study.The present study firstly investigates the change of permafrost moisture in different slope positions and depths. Based on this investigation, this article attempts to investigate the spatial variability of permafrost moisture and identifies the key influence factors in different terrain conditions. The method of classification and regression tree(CART) is adopted to identify the main controlling factors influencing the soil moisture movement. The relationships between soil moisture and environmental factors are revealed by the use of the method of canonical correspondence analysis(CCA). The results show that: 1) Due to the terrain slope and the freezing-thawing process, the horizontal flow weakens in the freezing period. The vertical migration of the soil moisture movement strengthens. It will lead to that the soil-moisture content in the up-slope is higher than that in the down-slope. The conclusion is contrary during the melting period. 2) Elevation, soil texture, soil temperature and vegetation coverage are the main environmental factors which affect the slopepermafrost soil-moisture. 3) Slope, elevation and vegetation coverage are the main factors that affect the slope-permafrost soil-moisture at the shallow depth of 0-20 cm. It is complex at the middle and lower depth.