Scientific Advances and Weather Services of the China Meteorological Administration’s National Forecasting Systems during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was the first Winter Olympics in history held in continental winter monsoon climate conditions across complex terrain areas,there is a deficiency of relevant research,operational techniques,and experience.This made providing meteorological services for this event particularly challenging.The China Meteorological Administration(CMA)Earth System Modeling and Prediction Centre,achieved breakthroughs in research on short-and medium-term deterministic and ensemble numerical predictions.Several key technologies crucial for precise winter weather services during the Winter Olympics were developed.A comprehensive framework,known as the Operational System for High-Precision Weather Forecasting for the Winter Olympics,was established.Some of these advancements represent the highest level of capabilities currently available in China.The meteorological service provided to the Beijing 2022 Games also exceeded previous Winter Olympic Games in both variety and quality.This included achievements such as the“100-meter level,minute level”downscaled spatiotemporal resolution and forecasts spanning 1 to 15 days.Around 30 new technologies and over 60 kinds of products that align with the requirements of the Winter Olympics Organizing Committee were developed,and many of these techniques have since been integrated into the CMA’s operational national forecasting systems.These accomplishments were facilitated by a dedicated weather forecasting and research initiative,in conjunction with the preexisting real-time operational forecasting systems of the CMA.This program represents one of the five subprograms of the WMO’s high-impact weather forecasting demonstration project(SMART2022),and continues to play an important role in their Regional Association(RA)II Research Development Project(Hangzhou RDP).Therefore,the research accomplishments and meteorological service experiences from this program will be carried forward into forthcoming highimpact weather forecasting activities.This article provides an overview and assessment of this program and the operational national forecasting systems.

Primary antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from patients with dyspeptic symptoms in Beijing: A prospective serial study

AIM:To determine the resistance patterns of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) strains isolated from patients in Beijing and monitor the change of antibiotic resistance over time.METHODS:In this prospective,serial and crosssectional study,H.pylori cultures were successfully obtained from 371 and 950 patients(never receiving eradication) during 2009-2010 and 2013-2014,respectively.Resistance to amoxicillin,clarithromycin,metronidazole,levofloxacin,tetracycline,and rifampicin was determined by Epsilometer test.RESULTS:The resistance rates of isolates obtained during 2009-2010 were 66.8%,39.9%,34.5%,15.4%,6.7%,and 4.9% to metronidazole,clarithromycin,levofloxacin,rifampicin,amoxicillin and tetracycline,respectively; and the corresponding rates for isolates during 2013-2014 were 63.4%,52.6%,54.8%,18.2%,4.4% and 7.3%,respectively.The resistance rates to clarithromycin and levofloxacin were significantly increased after four years.In 2009-2010,14.6% of H.pylori isolates were susceptible to all tested antibiotics,with mono(33.7%),double(28.3%),triple(16.7%),quadruple(6.2%),quintuple(0.3%) and sextuple resistance(0.3%) also being detected.In 2013-2014,9.4% were susceptible to all tested antibiotics,and mono(27.6%),double(28.4%),triple(24.9%),quadruple(7.3%),quintuple(2.3%) and sextuple resistance(0.1%) was also observed.More multiple resistant H.pylori isolates were found during 2013-2014.Gender(to levofloxacin and metronidazole),age(to levofloxacin) and endoscopic findings(to clarithromycin) were independent factors influencing antibiotic resistance.CONCLUSION:H.pylori resistance to commonly used antibiotics in Beijing is high with increased multiple antibiotic resistance.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in urban soil from Beijing, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （EPA-PAHs） in the urban surface soils from Beijing were determined using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. It is significantly complementary for understanding the PAHs pollution in soil of integrated Beijing city on the basis of the information known in the outskirts. The total concentration of 16 EPA-PAH was from 0.467 to 5.470 μg/g and was described by the contour map. Compound profiles presented that the 4-, 5- and 6-ring PAHs were major compositions. The correlation analysis showed that PAHs have the similar source in the most sampling sites and BaP might be considered as the indicator of PAHs. Characteristic ratios of anthracene （An）/（An＋ phenanthrene （Phe））, fluoranthene （Flu）/（Flu/ pyrene （Pyr）） and benzo[a]pyrene （BaP）/laenzo[g,h,i]perylene （BghiP） indicated that the PAHs pollutants probably mainly originated from the coal combustion and it was not negligible from vehicular emission. The level of PAHs in our study area was compared with other studies.

Molecular Characterization of Drug-Resistant Beijing Family Isolates of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis from Tianjin,China

Objective Tuberculosis remains a severe public health issue, and the Beijing family of mycobacterium tuberculosis （M. tuberculosis） is widespread in East Asia, especially in some areas in China, like Beijing and Tianjin. This study aimed at determining the mutation patterns of drug-resistant Beijing strains of M. tuberculosis isolated from Tianjin, China. Methods A total of 822 M. tuberculosis isolates were screened for drug resistance by an absolute concentration method and the genotype was identified by PCR. 169 drug-resistant isolates of the Beijing family were analyzed for the potential mutations in the rpoB, katG, inhA promoter region and in rpsL, rrs and embB genes, which are associated with resistance to rifampin （RFP）, isoniazid （INH）, streptomycin （SM） and ethambutol （EMB） respectively by PCR and DNA sequencing. Results Fifty-eight out of 63 RFP-resistant isolates were found to carry the mutations within the 81-bp RFP resistance determining region （RRDR） of the rpoB gene and the most frequent mutations occurred at codon 531 （44.4%）, 526 （28.6%）, and 516 （7.9%） respectively. 16 mutation pattems affecting 12 different codons around the RRDR of rpoB were found. Of 116 INH-resistant isolates, 56 （48.3%） had the mutation of katG 315 （AGC→ACC） （Ser→Thr）, 3 （2.6%） carried S315N （AGC→AAC） and 27 （16.0%） had the mutation of inhA-15A→T. 84 out of 122 SM-resistant isolates （68.9%） displayed mutations at the codons 43 or 88 with AAG→AGG （Lys→Arg） of the rpsL gene and 22 （18.0%） with the mutations at positions 513A→C, 516C→T or 905 A→G in the rrs gene. Of 34 EMB-resistant isolates, 6 had mutation with M306V （ATG→GTG）, 3 with M306I （ATG→ATT）, 1 with M306I （ATG→ATA）, 1 with D328Y （GAT→TAT）, 1 with V348L （GTC→CTC）, and 1 with G406S （GGC→AGC） in the embB gene. Conelusion These novel findings extended our understanding of resistance-related mutations in the Beijing strains of M. tuberculosis and may provide a scientific basis for development of new strategies for diagnosis and control of tuberculosis in China and other countries where Beijing strains are prevalent.

Distribution and Source Apportionment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from Atmospheric Particulate Matter PM2.5 in Beijing

A total of 11 PM2.5 samples were collected from October 2003 to October 2004 at 8 sampling sites in Beijing city. The PM2.5 concentrations are all above the PM2.5 pollution standard （65 μg m^-3） established by Environmental Protection Agency, USA （USEPA） in 1997 except for the Ming Tombs site. PM2.5 concentrations in winter are much higher than in summer. The 16 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） listed as priority pollutants by USEPA in PM2.5 were completely identified and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） with variable wavelength detector （VWD） and fluorescence detector （FLD） employed. The PM2.5 concentrations indicate that the pollution situation is still serious in Beijing. The sum of 16 PAHs concentrations ranged from 22.17 to 5366 ng m^-3. The concentrations of the heavier molecular weight PAHs have a different pollution trend from the lower PAHs. Seasonal variations were mainly attributed to the difference in coal combustion emission and meteorological conditions. The source apportionment analysis suggests that PAHs from PM2.5 in Beijing city mainly come from coal combustion and vehicle exhaust emission. New measures about restricting coal combustion and vehicle exhaust must be established as soon as possible to improve the air pollution situation in Beijing city.

Spatial variability of organochlorine pesticides (DDTs and HCHs) in surface soils from the alluvial region of Beijing,China

The spatial variability in the concentrations of 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane （HCH） and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis-（p-chloro- phenyl） ethane （DDT） in surface soils was studied on the basis of the analysis of 131 soil samples collected from the surface layer （0-20 cm depth） of the alluvial region of Beijing, China. The concentrations of total HCHs （including α-,β-, γ-, and δ-isomers） and total DDTs （including p,p＇-DDT, p,p＇-DDD, p,p＇-DDE, and o,p＇-DDT） in the surface soils tested were in the range from nondetectable to 31.72 μg/kg dry soil, with a mean value of 0.91, and from nondetectable to 5910.83 μg/kg dry soil, with a mean value of 32.13, respectively. It was observed that concentrations of HCHs in all soil samples and concentrations of DDTs in 112 soil samples were much lower than the first grade （50 μg/kg） permitted in ＂Environment quality standard for soils in China （GB 15618-1995）＂. This suggests that the pollution due to organochlorine pesticides was generally not significant in the farmland soils in the Beijing alluvial region. In this study, the spatial distribution and trend of HCHs and DDTs were analyzed using Geostatistical Analyst and GS＋（513）. Spatial distribution indicated how these pesticides had been applied in the past. Trend analysis showed that the concentrations of HCHs, DDTs, and their related metabolites followed an obvious distribution trend in the surface soils from the alluvial region of Beijing.

Ambient noise as the new source for urban engineering seismology and earthquake engineering: a case study from Beijing metropolitan area

In highly populated urban centers, traditional seismic survey sources can no longer be properly applied due to restrictions in modern civilian life styles. The ambient vibration noise, including both microseisms and microtremor, though are generally weak but available anywhere and anytime, can be an ideal supplementary source for conducting seismic surveys for engineering seismology and earthquake engineering. This is funda- mentally supported by advanced digital signal processing techniques for effectively extracting the useful information out from the noise. Thus, it can be essentially regarded as a passive seismic method. In this paper we first make a brief survey of the ambient vibration noise, followed by a quick summary of digital signal processing for passive seismic surveys. Then the applications of ambient noise in engi- neering seismology and earthquake engineering for urban settings are illustrated with examples from Beijing metro- politan area. For engineering seismology the example is the assessment of site effect in a large area via microtremor observations. For earthquake engineering the example is for structural characterization of a typical reinforced con- crete high-rise building using background vibration noise.By showing these examples we argue that the ambient noise can be treated as a new source that is economical, practical, and particularly valuable to engineering seis- mology and earthquake engineering projects for seismic hazard mitigation in urban areas.

In-Situ SHRIMP U-Pb Dating of Xenotime Outgrowth on Detrital Zircon Grains from the Changzhougou Formation of the Ming Tomb District, Beijing

SHRIMP U-Pb dating of diagenetic xenotime from sedimentary rocks has provided age constraints for sedimentary diagenesis （McNaughton et al., 1999; Fletcher et al., 2000; England et al., 2001; Rasmussen et al., 2004; Vallini et al., 2007）. Xenotime （YPO4） may grow during early diagenesis, typically being present as a trace constituent in siliciclastic sedimentary rocks （Rasmussen, 2005）, in the form of syntaxial outgrowths on detrital zircon grains. Diagenetic xenotime occurs in a wide variety of rock types, including conglomerate,

Molecular Epidemiological Analysis of Group A Streptococci Isolated from Children in Chaoyang District of Beijing, 2011:emm Types, Virulence Factor Genes and Erythromycin Resistant Genes

Group A streptococcus （GAS） causes a wide range of diseases in the human population. GAS diseases are more common in children than in adults, with clinical manifestations ranging from pharyngitis and impetigo to invasive infections and post streptococcal sequelae, such as acute rheumatic fever and acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis[1]. GAS harbors a host of virulence factors that contribute to its complex pathogenicity and differences in the disease severity and frequency. M protein, one of the major virulence factors, is encoded by the emm gene induces a type of specific host immune response and confers antiphagocytic properties.

Epidemiological Characteristics of An Outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Dongcheng District of Beijing From March to May 2003

Objective To describe epidemiologic features of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Dongcheng District, Beijing occurred in a period between March and May 2003. Methods Data of SARS cases notified from Dongcheng District Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC )and supplemented by other channels were collected. Clinicians and officials of local hospitals were interviewed in groups and medical records of fatal cases of SARS were reviewed to verify the diagnosis. Stored serum specimens of the patients were detected for IgG antibody against SARS Co-V by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All the data were input into dataset files by Microsoft Excel-2000 software and analyzed with SPSS version 10.0 software. Results Outbreak of SARS in Dongcheng District started on March 14, 2003 with a peak in mid- and late April, and dropped in early May. A total of 572 reported cases were collected during this period in Dongcheng District, Beijing, and 99 of them were excluded from SARS, because of diagnosis of common cold, regular pneumonia, measles and rubella, etc. Actually, 473 SARS cases, which included 390 (82.5%) probable cases and 83 (17.5%) suspect cases, were analyzed. About 90% of the probable cases were positive for IgG antibody. Attack rate of SARS in permanent residents of Dongcheng District was 28.3 per 100 000. Forty-one of them died, with a case-fatality rate of 8.7%. Persons were all susceptible to infection of SARS Co-V, with the highest proportion at ages of 20-50 years, which accounted for 68.7% of the total cases. Average age of the patients at their onset was 40.7 years. No gender difference in SARS cases was found. Number of SARS cases in health-care workers (HCWs) accounted for 18.0% and that in retired workers accounted for 15.4% of the total cases. Cases occurred in all 10 sub-districts of Dongcheng, with the highest in Beixinqiao and Andingmen Sub-districts. Totally, 230 of the 572 notified cases (40.2%) were hospitalized at local hospitals under the jurisdiction of Dongcheng District. Eighteen of 85 cases of SARS occurred in HCWs of local hospitals, accounting for 4.5% of the total number of HCWs working at wards caring for SARS patients or fever clinics. There were 34.7% of SARS cases without any histories of contact before the onset of the disease. Familial aggregation phenomena were observed in 41.8% of the cases and 18.1% of households. And 7.4% (attack rate ) of those exposed to SARS cases suffered from the illness during the periods of quarantine. Conclusions SARS appeared to be infectious in origin and caused outbreak in Dongcheng District, Beijing introduced by an imported case traveling from Hong Kong in a period between March and May 2003. People are all susceptible to infection of SARS Co-V, which mainly threatens the young adults and the middle-aged, as well as HCWs and the retired workers. The main mode of transmission is direct exposure to SARS patients in a near distance at hospitals or families via droplets spread. Prevention and control of SARS should be focused on early isolation of patients and quarantine for close contacts. Current available measures to prevent and control SARS are proved to be effective.

Crustal structure beneath Beijing and its surrounding regions derived from gravity data

In this paper we use gravity data to study fine crustal structure and seismogenic environment beneath Beijing and its surrounding regions. Multi-scale wavelet analysis method is applied to separating gravity fields. Logarithmic power spectrum method is also used to calculate depth of gravity field source. The results show that the crustal structure is very complicated beneath Beijing and its surrounding areas. The crustal density exhibits laterally inhomogeneous. There are three large scale tectonic zones in North China, i.e., WNW-striking Zhangjiakou-Bohai tectonic zone （ZBTZ）, NE-striking Taihang piedmont tectonic zone （TPTZ） and Cangxian tectonic zone （CTZ）. ZBTZ and TPTZ intersect with each other beneath Beijing area and both of them cut through the lithosphere. The upper and middle crusts consist of many small-scale faults, uplifts and depressions. In the lower crust, these small-scale tectonic units disappear gradually, and they are replaced by large-scale tectonic units. In surrounding regions of Beijing, ZBTZ intersects with several other NE-striking tectonic units, such as Cangxian uplift, Jizhong depression and Shanxi Graben System （SGS）. In west of Taihangshan uplift, gravity anomalies in upper and middle crusts are correlated with geological and topographic features on the surface. Compared with the crust, the structure is comparatively simple in uppermost mantle. Earthquakes mainly occurred in upper and middle crusts, especially in transitional regions between high gravity anomaly and low gravity anomaly. Occurrence of large earthquakes may be related to the upwelling of upper mantle and asthenosphere heat flow materials, such as Sanhe earthquake （Ms8.0） and Tangshan earthquake （Ms7.8）.

The Epidemiological Characteristics of Beijing Lineage Mycobacterium tuberculosis from a National Referral Center in China

Our study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of M.tuberculosis from a national tuberculosis referral center in China. All strains isolated from TB patients, were genotyped by the RD105 deletion, 8 and 51 SNP loci and VNTR. The high differentiation SNPs of modern Beijing strains were analyzed for protein function and structure. 413 M. tuberculosis were included. Of 379 Beijing lineage M. tuberculosis, ＇modern＇ and ＇ancient＇ strains respectively represented 85.5% （324/379） and 14.5% （55/379）. Rv2494 （V48A） and Rv0245 （Sl03F） were confirmed as high differentiation SNPs associated with modern strains. In a word, Modern Beijing lineage M.tuberculosis was dominant and the structural models suggested that modern sub-lineage may more easily survive in ＇extreme＇ host condition.

Occurrence of mycotoxins in feed ingredients and complete feeds obtained from the Beijing region of China

Background：The current study was carried out to provide a reference for the control of mycotoxin contamination in feed ingredients and complete feeds for swine.Methods：A total of 55 feed ingredients,including 14 corn,13 wheat bran,11 soybean meal and 17 dried distillers grains with solubles（DDGS） as well as 76 complete swine feeds including 7 creep feeds,14 starter feeds,14 grower feeds,18 grower-finisher feeds,10 gestating sow feeds,and 13 lactating sow feeds were randomly collected from15 swine farms located in the Beijing region of China from July to August 2011.Immunoaffinity clean-up,using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography（HPLC） in combination with UV or Fluorescence Detection,was used for quantitative analysis of aflatoxin B,（AFB,）,deoxynivalenol（DON）,zearalenone（ZEA） and ochratoxin A（OTA） in the ingredients and complete feeds.Results：DON and ZEA were the most prevalent mycotoxins found.DON was detected at percentages of 93,92,54,100 and 97%with a mean level of 1.01,0.44,0.05,1.36 and 0.65 ppm in the samples of corn,wheat bran,soybean meal,DDGS and complete feeds,respectively.The detected percentages of ZEA were 100,100,54,100 and 100 with mean levels of 109.1,14.9,9.2,882.7 and 58.9 ppb in the same samples.In the wheat bran and soybean meal samples,the content of all four mycotoxins were below the maximum limits set by Chinese regulations while the percentage of samples that exceeded regulatory limits were 7,57 and 7%for corn,and 7,14 and 3%for the complete feeds for AFB,,DON and OTA respectively.DDGS showed the most serious mycotoxin contamination and the percentage of samples that exceeded regulatory limits were 6,88 and 41%,for AFB,,DON and ZEA,respectively.Conclusions：This paper is the first to present data on the natural occurrence of AFB,,DON,ZEA and OTA in ingredients and complete feeds obtained from swine farms in China＇s Beijing region.The data shows that feed ingredients and complete swine feeds obtained from these farms are most often contaminated with DON followed by contamination with AFB,and ZEA.

The Genomic Characterization of Enterovirus D68 from 2011 to 2015 in Beijing, China

A retrospective surveillance study on enterovirus D68 was performed in Beijing, China, following the largest and most widespread EV-D68 infection, which occurred in the USA. From January 2011 to July 2015, EV-D68 was identified in 12 individuals with respiratory infections in Beijing, China. The phylogenetic relationships based on the genomic sequence alignment showed that there were two lineages circulating in Beijing from 2011 to 2015. Eight EV-D68 strains belonged to group 1 and four belonged to group 3. All EV-D68 strains from Beijing in 2014 were separately clustered into subgroup II of group 1. Based on these results, we concluded that the Beijing EV-D68 strains had little association with the EV-D68 strains circulating in the 2014 USA outbreak.

Pattern Change of Urban Green Space in Beijing from 2000 to 2010

With the rapid urbanization in Beijing, the vegetated surfaces have been increasingly replaced by impervious built surfaces. A clear recognition on the changes in green spaces pattern is vital for urban administrators and planners to optimize the urban development areas and define the ecological protection red lines. Based on the SPOT images and field investigation data of urban green spaces within the sixth ring road of Beijing in 2000, 2005 and 2010, the study investigated the dynamic changes of urban green spaces in this area, by means of GIS techniques and landscape ecology methods. The results indicated that green spaces in Beijing have decreased by 207 km2 from 2000 to 2010 at the expense of agricultural lands and waters. Although there has been some increases in urban forests and grasslands, it cannot compensate the rapid decrease of urban green spaces. The land cover types conversion occurred mainly in the areas between the fifth and sixth ring roads while the zones encircled by the fourth ring road had a little change. In addition, landscape metrics such as number of patches(NP) and shape index(SHAPE) increased, but the mean nearest-neighbor distance(MNN), aggregation index(AI) and patch cohesion index(COHESION) decreased during the period of 2000-2010. Also green landscapes became considerably isolated and fragmented. The study disclosed the obvious changes of green space size, composition and layout in urban districts of Beijing City from 2000 to 2010, and highlighted that construction of urban green space should consider not only the geometric or aesthetic effect, but also the increase of vertical green volume and optimization of spatial layout to fully develop the ecological service functions of green spaces.

Case Study on a Snowfall Event in Beijing from March 17 to 18, 2022

On March 17, 2022, a city-wide snowfall occurred in Beijing, China, with significant snowfall in Northwest China and other places. By using the surface meteorological observation data and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, we carried out a case study of a snowfall event in Beijing from March 17 to 18, 2022. Results show that this process had the characteristics of a wide range of influence and a large range of cooling. The temperature in the north of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River changed from an obvious high to low in the previous period, and the rain and snow in northern China were obvious. The snowfall in Beijing is the result of the combined influence of warm and humid air and cold air. The warm and humid air flow from the Indo-China Peninsula all the way to the north brought abundant water vapor and unstable energy. The southward cold air and warm and humid air met and collided in the central and eastern part of China, and brought about precipitation under the combined action of atmospheric instability energy and other factors. The temperature in Beijing dropped significantly, but it still has not reached the standard of “cold spring” in the meteorological sense.

On the Translation of Folding Beijing From Pym's Multiple Causality of Translation

Hao Jingfang's science-fiction novelette Folding Beijing was named the Best Novelette at the Hugos on August 21st, 2016. It is originally written in Chinese and gain recognition among foreign readers after being translated into English. The fact that the translation put Chinese science-fiction on the international map again after the Hugo-award winning science-fiction The Three Body Problem written by Liu Cixin is an important event in Chinese science-fiction translation history. The contribution of Ken Liu's English version should not be neglected. This paper looks at the successful translation and its communication from the perspective of Multiple Causality of Translation proposed by Anthony Pym to probe into the kind of causation operative in the translation of Folding Beijing, including the material or initial cause, the final cause, the formal cause, and the efficient cause. Ken Liu's English version has made such a great success that a study of its formation and development may provide insights for home translators longing to help Chinese science-fiction reach more readers.

Discovery of Cosmic Spherules from the Mesoproterozoic Strata and its Significance——in Case of the Ming Tombs Area, Beijing

This study covers cosmic spherules derived from the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing. The cosmic spherules include iron oxide cosmic spherules, carbonaceous chondrites, and atomic iron "steely bead"-shaped cosmic spherules. The mineral assemblage of silicon carbide, forsterite, zircon, and glass spherules and fragments were picked from melt-silicified carbonate of the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation(ca. 1625 Ma). Cosmic spherule assemblages are solely discovered from sedimentary rocks in China. Platinum group elements(PGE) were determined for the first time in cosmic spherules and associated minerals. PGE comparative observation between meteorite and cosmic spherules is presented in this study. It is recognized that an extraterrestrial meteorite impact event might have occurred in the Dahongyu Stage. The main evidence is a large number of iron cosmic spherules in silicified oncolitic limestone, and associated cosmic silicon carbide, glass spherules, and fragments, as well as the presence of forsterite. The impact-volcanic crater is characteristic of a big black shale block dropped into the bended silicified limestone.

Discovery of a Miocene Mafic Dyke from the Western Hills of Beijing and its Geological Implications

The present study is the first report of a Miocene mafic dyke from the Dahuichang, in the Western Hills of Beijing. The dyke cuts the fossil-dated Changxindian Formation of Eocene sequences and yields K-Ar ages of 14-15 Ma. The dyke is fine-grained diabase and has 49.84%-50.81% SiO2 and 3.56-3.97% Na2O＋K2O, high TiO2 （1.65%-1.93%） and MgO （7.36%-9.85%）, and low K2O （〈1.22%） contents, with Na2O〉K2O and slightly varied magnesium numbers （Mg#=55.54-62.74）. In trace elements geochemistry, the dyke is very similar to the Miocene basalts from Jining and Hanuoba. The enrichment of light rare earth elements （[La/Yb]N=5.03-6.12） and large ion lithophile elements （LILEs）, no negative Eu anomalies, relatively high Cr （265-326 ppm） and Ni （155-262 ppm）, and almost constant V concentrations （194-213 ppm） reveal that the composition close to the primary basaltic magma from an enriched-mantle source, with little crustal contamination and fractional crystallization. The basaltic magma was possibly derived from the upwelling asthenosphere mantle beneath eastern China during the Miocene lithospheric thinning.

Factors influencing the quality of rural human settlements in a peripheral metropolitan area based on a structural equation model:A case study from Beijing

Rural human settlement is a significant indicator of the living standards of rural residents,and its improvement can contribute to promoting the positive interaction between inhabited environment and the social,economic,and resource environment in the countryside.Based on 557 valid questionnaires of satisfaction evaluation of human settlement in the peripheral metropolitan area of Beijing,this paper analyzed the elemental characteristics and factors influencing human settlement quality using multivariate statistical analysis and a structural equation model.The result shows that,first,the rural residents in a peripheral metropolitan area of Beijing are generally satisfied with the quality of human settlement(satisfaction rate is 66.2%).Specifically,the natural and social environment of the countryside is excellent and harmonious and corresponding standard of countryside infrastructure is advanced,but the quality of public services and follow-up management of facilities are in urgent need of improvement and the imbalance between revenue and expenditure of rural households has led to a continuous increase in the pressures of life.Second,factors such as social atmosphere,appearance of the village,entertainment,living costs,fundamental public services,and production costs have significant effects on human settlement quality in this peripheral metropolitan area,with social atmosphere as the main one.Living costs and supporting services are the main constraints to improvement in the quality of human settlement.