Characteristics of Lightning Activity in Southeast China and its Relation to the Atmospheric Background

Based on the lightning observation data from the Fengyun-4A(FY-4A)Lightning Mapping Imager(FY-4A/LMI)and the Lightning Imaging Sensor(LIS)on the International Space Station(ISS),we extract the“event”type data as the lightning detection results.These observations are then compared with the cloud-to-ground(CG)lightning observation data from the China Meteorological Administration.This study focuses on the characteristics of lightning activity in Southeast China,primarily in Jiangxi Province and its adjacent areas,from April to September,2017–2022.In addition,with the fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data,we further delved into the potential factors influencing the distribution and variations in lightning activity and their primary related factors.Our findings indicate that the lightning frequency and density of the FY-4A/LMI,ISS-LIS and CG data are higher in southern and central Jiangxi,central Fujian Province,and western and central Guangdong Province,while they tend to be lower in eastern Hunan Province.In general,the high-value areas of lightning density for the FY-4A/LMI are located in inland mountainous areas.The lower the latitude is,the higher the CG lightning density is.High-value areas of the CG lightning density are more likely to be located in eastern Fujian and southeastern Zhejiang Province.However,the high-value areas of lightning density for the ISS-LIS are more dispersed,with a scattered distribution in inland mountainous areas and along the coast of eastern Fujian.Thus,the mountainous terrain is closely related to the high-value areas of the lightning density.The locations of the high-value areas of the lightning density for the FY-4A/LMI correspond well with those for the CG observations,and the seasonal variations are also consistent.In contrast,the distribution of the high-value areas of the lightning density for the ISS-LIS is more dispersed.The positions of the peak frequency of the FY-4A/LMI lightning and CG lightning contrast with local altitudes,primarily located at lower altitudes or near mountainsides.K-index and convective available potential energy(CAPE)can better reflect the local boundary layer conditions,where the lightning density is higher and lightning seasonal variations are apparent.There are strong correlations in the annual variations between the dew-point temperature(Td)and CG lightning frequency,and the monthly variations of the dew-point temperature and CAPE are also strongly correlated with monthly variations of CG lightning,while they are weakly correlated with the lightning frequency for the FY-4A/LMI and ISS-LIS.This result reflects that the CAPE shows a remarkable effect on the CG lightning frequency during seasonal transitions.

A novel seed cone of Pinus from the Miocene of coastal Southeast China indicates kinship with Southeast Asian pines

Pinus is an economically and ecologically important genus whose members are dominant components globally in low-latitude mountainous and mid-latitude temperate forests.Pinus species richness is currently concentrated in subtropical mid-low latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere,differing from the latitudinal diversity gradient mostly recognized in woody angiosperms.How the present pattern was developing in Earth's past is still poorly studied,particularly in eastern Asia.Here,a new fossil species,Pinus shengxianica sp.nov.is described based on a fossil seed cone from the Late Miocene Shengxian Formation in Zhejiang,southeast China.A co-occurring cone is recognized as a known fossil species,Pinus speciosa Li.Extensive comparison of extant and fossil members of Pinus suggests P.shengxianica shares a striking cone similarity to Pinus merkusii and Pinus latteri(subsection Pinus)from tropical Southeast Asia in having annular bulges around the umbo on the apophysis.The morphological resemblance indicates these two extant low-latitude pines probably possess a close affinity with the present newly-discovered P.shengxianica and originated from East Asian mid-low latitude ancestors during this generic re-diversification in the Miocene.This scenario is consistent with the evolutionary trajectory reflected by the pine fossil history and molecular data,marking the Miocene as a key period for the origin and evolution of most extant pines globally.The co-occurrences of diverse conifers and broadleaved angiosperms preferring diverse niches demonstrate Late Miocene eastern Zhejiang was one of the hot spots for coniferophyte diversity and hosted a needled-broadleaved mixed forest with complex vegetation structure and an altitudinal zonation.

Late Mesozoic basin and range tectonics and related magmatism in Southeast China

During the Late Mesozoic Middle Jurassic--Late Cretaceous, basin and range tectonics and associated magmatism representative of an extensional tectonic setting was widespread in southeastern China as a result of Pacific Plate subduction. Basin tectonics consists of post-orogenic （Type I） and intra-continental extensional basins （Type II）. Type I basins developed in the piedmont and intraland during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic, in which coarse-grained terrestrial clastic sediments were deposited. Type II basins formed during intra-continental crustal thinning and were characterized by the development of grabens and half-grabens. Graben basins were mainly generated during the Middle Jurassic and were associated with bimodal volcanism. Sediments in half-grabens are intercalated with rhyolitic tufts and lavas and are Early Cretaceous in age with a dominance of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene red beds. Ranges are composed of granitoids and bimodal volcanic rocks, A-type granites and dome-type metamorphic core complexes. The authors analyzed lithological, geochemical and geochronological features of the Late Mesozoic igneous rock assemblages and proposed some geodynamical constraints on forming the basin and range tectonics of South China. A comparison of the similarities and differences of basin and range tectonics between the eastern and western shores of the Pacific is made, and the geo- dynamical evolution model of the Southeast China Block during Late Mesozoic is discussed. Studied results suggest that the basin and range terrane within South China developed on a pre-Mesozoic folded belt was derived from a polyphase tectonic evolution mainly constrained by subduction of the western Pacific Plate since the Late Mesozoic, leading to formation of various magmatism in a back-arc exten- sional setting. Its geodynamic mechanism can compare with that of basin and range tectonics in the eastern shore of the Pacific. Differences of basin and range tectonics between both shores of the Pacific, such as mantle plume formation, scales of extensional and igneous rock assemblages and the age of basin and range tectonics, were caused mainly by the Yellowstone mantle plume in the eastern shore of the Pacific.

Jurassic Intra-plate Basaltic Magmatism in Southeast China:Evidence from Geological and Geochemical Characteristics of the Chebu Gabbroite in Southern Jiangxi Province

Geochemical and isotopic investigations have been carded out on the Chebu gabbroite in southern Jiangxi Province, southeast China and these results are compared with gabbro bodies along the coast of Fujian Province in order to understand their magma sources and tectonic implications. The Chebu intrusion formed at the beginning of the Middle Jurassic （172~4.3 Ma）. These rocks are Ti-rich and Al-poor in major elements, characterized by strong enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements （LILE） and moderate enrichment in high field strength elements （HFSE） and light rare-earth elements CLREE）, without pronounced Nb or Ta anomalies. Age-correlated Sr-Nd isotope ratios show moderately high ranges of （^87Sr/^86Sr）i from 0.7065 to 0.7086 and 0.5124 to 0.5125 of （^143Nd/^144Nd）i. The geochemical characteristics of the Chebu gabbroite suggest that it is notably different from island-arc basalt and similar to intra-plate basaltic rocks. By combining interpretations of its geological and geochemical characteristics and the regional geological development history, the Chebu gabbroitic intrusion is thought to be the product of asthenosphere upwelling and rapid lithosphere extension during a transition of tectonic systems in southeast China. The tectonic environment and source characteristics of the intrusion are different from Cretaceous gabbro bodies along the coast of Fujian Province, The former formed in a tectonic environment of rapid intra-plate lithospheric extension and the source characteristics were of a weakly enriched primitive mantle, whereas the latter originated mainly in a volcanic-magmatic arc extensional tectonic environment and the nature of the source was an enriched mantle with more subduct subducted components.

Revision of the Conchostracan Genus Tenuestheria from the Upper Cretaceous Lanxi Formation in Zhejiang and Its Biostratigraphic Significance in Southeast China

The diagnosis of the conchostracan genus Tenuestheria from the Lanxi Formation in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province in Southeast China is revised following an examination of the type species under a scanning electron microscope, which revealed some morphological features on the carapace that had not been recognized previously. The importance of the Tenuestheria Fauna is considered in the context of correlation of six Turonian-Santonian formations in this region of China. The value of the Cenomanian Nemestheria and Turonian Linhaiella faunas in correlating the underlying early Late Cretaceous formations is also noted.

Two new species of Eirenidae from the coast of southeast China

Through the examination of 377 samples collected from the Taiwan Straits, two new species of Eirenidae, i. e. , Eirene octonemalis n. sp. and Eutima krampi n. sp. are described. All type specimens are deposited at the Department of Oceanography, Xiamen University.

Neoproterozoic Tectonic Setting of Southeast China:New Constraints from SHRIMP U-Pb Zircon Ages and Petrographic Studies on the Mamianshan Group

Precambrian tectonic history of Zhejiaug, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces of south China is important for understanding the tectonic evolution of South China but its magmatic activity, petrogenesis, stratigraphic sequence of the Mamianshan Group is still strongly controversial. Here we present new sensitive high resolution ion micro-probe （SHRIMP） U-Pb zircon geochronological data for the Mamianshan Group and petrographical data to constrain the tectonic framework of the regions. Our results showed that the SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age of green schists of the Dongyan Formation is 796.5±9.3 Ma, the Daling Formation is 756.2±7.2 Ma, and mica-quartz schist of the Longbeixi Formation is 825.5±9.8 Ma. These data indicate that the Mamianshan Group was formed not in the Mesoproterozoic, but in the Neoproterozoic and its stratigraphic sequences should be composed of Longbeixi, Dongyan, and Daling Formations from the bottom to the top. Rocks from this Group, from Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, constituted the upper basement of the Cathaysia Block that overlay the lower basement of the Mayuan Group. Detailed petrographic studies demonstrate that the amphibole schists of the Dongyan Formation in the Mamianshan Group were formed within an intra-arc rift setting rather than a continental rift as previously suggested. Rather, this island-arc type formation was developed by collision and/or subduction between various blocks resulting from the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia at c.850-750 Ma. The Zhuzhou conglomerate, distributed near Dikou Town, Jian＇ou City, Fujian Province and previously considered as evidence of the Mesoproterozoic Dikou movement, is shown here not to be the basal conglomerate above the angular unconformity between the upper and lower basements. Our conclusions have important implications for understanding the Precambrian tectonics of South China.

Upwelling of Mantle-derived Material in Southeast China:Evidence from Noble Gas Isotopes

Shallow groundwater collected in Chaozhou,Huizhou,and Guangzhou allowed testing of concentrations and the isotope ratios of noble gases.Based on the calculated noble gas temperature(NGT)and the ratio of noble gas isotopes,the recharge temperature,recharge source,and residence time of groundwater can be calculated.In addition,the contribution of noble gas components from different sources to the sample components can be assessed.In the Huizhou area,according to the 1/Xe vs.Ne/Xe and NGT data,the shallow sandstone-confined water samples in the Shiba area and the unconfined water samples of the Huangshadong are in different temperature ranges,indicating that they have different recharge sources,both in time or space.The He components in the samples are calculated to obtain the content of radiogenic ^(4)He in the crust and to simulate the groundwater ages.The noble gas isotope ratios show the addition of mantle components into the basalt aquifers and sandstone aquifers in Chaozhou and Huizhou.Except for atmospheric and crustal sources,there is a certain proportion of mantle-derived components in the shallow underground cold water in Huizhou and Chaozhou.The noble gases in the Chaozhou groundwater have an obvious mantle signature,allowing speculation that there is a deep fluid carrying mantle characteristics.This upwelling of mantle-derived material might be caused by the India-Eurasia collision or that between the Philippine Sea Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

Detecting the Origins of Moisture over Southeast China:Seasonal Variation and Heavy Rainfall

To examine the ability of the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory （HYSPLIT） model to detect the origins and paths of moisture supplied to Southeast China, trajectories of air particles released over Southeast China were traced backward during 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 and three typical regional persistent heavy rainfall events. The HYSPLIT model provides more insightful information than water vapor flux. Analysis of the specific humidity along the trajectories revealed the origins of moisture and their contributions to the moisture supply in Southeast China. In the boreal summer half year, four key moisture transport paths from the eastern Indian Ocean, central Indian Ocean, South China Sea （SCS）, and western North Pacific （WNP） contribute 10%, 20%, 31%, and 16% of the moisture to Southeast China, respectively. In the winter half year, the contributions of the paths from the WNP and North China double. Examination of heavy rainfall events showed that under tropical storm conditions, all moisture transport routines are rotated cyclonically before reaching Southeast China. The invasion of cold air can trigger heavy rainfall in both the summer and winter half years but plays different roles： it does not contribute to the moisture supply but plays a key role in converging and uplifting the moisture in the summer half year, while it supplies a great amount of moisture in the winter half year as it absorbs abundant moisture in crossing the WNE

OSL chronology of a Palaeolithic site in a humid subtropical mountainous area of southeast China

The timing of Palaeolithic human activities in South China is still controversial because of the lack of a reliable chronology of archaeological sites.The Longdengshan Palaeolithic site(LPS),located close to the Wuyi Mountain of South China,represents the first discovered and scientifically excavated Middle Palaeolithic site in the Fujian Province.This site is of considerable significance for studying the diffusion and cultural connotation of early Homo sapiens in southern China.In this study,we present optically stimulated luminescence(OSL)ages obtained from medium-grained quartz collected at the LPS.The single-aliquot regenerative-dose measurements of red soil deposits collected at the same site yielded internally and stratigraphically consistent ages and similar errors,indicating a potential ability of the technique,and also reflecting the influence of various sedimentary facies on the test results.Our results indicate that the 38–63µm quartz grains were generally partially-bleached and had large values of over-dispersion in the palaeo-reticulated laterites of west Fujian.Some samples yielded unsatisfactory results,suggesting that the degree of bleaching of diluvial and alluvial deposits should be properly assessed before dating.We did not detect any enrichment/depletion of U,Th and radioactive disequilibrium.The effect of chemical weathering on the dose rate estimation was negligible.Therefore,we used a central age model and the maximum age model to calculate the age of two samples,respectively,and the minimum age model to calculate the ages of the rest of the samples.The OSL ages of the samples ranged from 27.09±2.30 ka to 54.65±7.39 ka for the 38–63µm quartz size fraction,and roughly corresponded to the Marine Isotope Stage 3.In addition,three ages out of five are based on the calculation of minimum ages in this research,which needs to be further verified by other dating methods.

Different Impacts of Intraseasonal Oscillations on Precipitation in Southeast China between Early and Late Summers

This study investigates the influences of boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation(BSISO), which originates from the equatorial Indian Ocean and prevails over the Indo-Pacific region, on precipitation over Southeast China, including South China and Yangtze River Valley. The results indicate that the BSISO-related precipitation anomalies are remarkably different between early summer(May–June) and late summer(July–August). The BSISO-related precipitation anomalies tend to appear more northward in late summer in comparison with early summer. Accordingly, the BSISO is significantly related to precipitation anomalies over South China during many phases in early summer but related to very weak anomalies during all the phases in late summer. Such northward shifts of precipitation anomalies from early summer to late summer are clearest during phases 4 and 7, when the lower-tropospheric anticyclonic and cyclonic circulation anomalies dominate over the subtropical western North Pacific, respectively. Finally, we explain the differences between early and late summers through the seasonal northward migration of climatological equivalent potential temperature gradient, which is located in the South China during early summer but migrates northward to the YRV during late summer.

Institutions,policies and soil degradation:theoretical examinations and case studies in Southeast China

Southeast China is one of the severe soil degradation areas in China. This paper theoretically examines the impact of some important institutional arrangements and policies, like land management pattern, the rural off-farm employment, land property change and changes in prices of agricultural products, on soil degradation in this area. It further conducts some case studies to confirm the potential relationship between the institutions & policies and soil degradation, applying the surveyed and the second hand data. The paper at last makes some conclusions and proposes some suggestions on how to promote soil conservation by improving the ways of policy decision-making and the effects of policies on land use.

The Geochemistry of Late Mesozoic Mafic Dyke Swarms in Fujian Province, Southeast China

Mafic dyke swarms is a special geologic terrain in continent,which can provide us abundant geodynamic information,mafic dyke swarms were an important symbol of the lithospheric extension,which were mainly derived

Shanghai Heavy Machinery Plant -Major Heavy Machine Builder in Southeast China

Shanghai Heavy Machinery Plant (SHMP), a member of Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation, is one of the three heavy machine builders in China in which a hydraulic press with forging capacity over 10,000 ton is equipped. SHMP is the biggest heavy machine builder as well as forging and casting center in Southeast China. Located in Minhang district of Shanghai

Leaching and Redistribution of Nutrients in Surface Layer of Red Soils in Southeast China

The leaching and redistribution of nutrients in the surface layer of 4 types of red soils in Southeast China were studied with a lysimeter experiment under filed conditions.Results showed that the leaching concentrated in the rainy season(from April to June).Generally,the leaching of soil nutrients from the surface layer of red soils was in the order of Ca>Mg>K>NO3-N,In fertilization treatment,the total amount of soil nutrients leached out of the surface layer in a red soil derived from granite was the highest in all soils.The uptake by grass decreased the leaching of fertilizer ions in surface layer,particularly for No3-N,Soil total N and exchangeable K,Ca and Mg in the surface layer decreased with leaching and grass uptake during the 2 years without new fertilization of urea,Ca(H2PO4)2,KCl,CaCO3 and MgCO3,Ca moved from the application layer(0-5cm) of fertilizer and accumulated in the 10-30cm depth in the soils studied except that derved from quaternary red clay.The deficiency of soil exchangeable K will become a serious degradation process facing the Southeast China.

Sustainable Agriculture Evaluation for Red Soil Hill Region of Southeast China

Agricultural sustainability for economic development is important and a complex issue throughout the world; however,it is difficult to synthetically evaluate its use in the policy making process. The objective of this study was to evaluate sustainable agriculture in the red soil hill region of Southeast China through a newly proposed method combining four separate sub-systems: regional population (P), resource (R), environmental (E), and socio-economic (S). This new index system was proposed to appraise synthetically the agricultural sustainability of the red soil hill region from 1988 to 1996 with a two-step method assessing: a) the agricultural sustainability in each province independently and b) the relative sustainability of each province to the whole region. The first step only provided a development trend for each province based on its original situation, while the second step provided additional information on the comparative status of each province in agricultural development to the region as a whole. Higher index scores were found for the economy and resource categories denoting improvement. However, lower scores in the environment category indicated the improvement was achieved at the cost of deteriorating ecological surroundings due to an increasing population that demanded more from the agro-ecosystem and put heavier pressures on it. Results also showed that water and soil losses in this region were the major obstacles encountered in sustainable agriculture development. The assessment results were verified when compared with results from another method. This suggested that the new assessment system was reliable and credible in evaluating agricultural sustainability on a regional scale.

Geodynamic Background of the Mesozoic Intracontinental Magmatism in Southeast China

The authors have proposed a dynamic model in this paper based on the ages, rock se ries and associations, Sr-Nd isotopic signatures of the Mesozoic intracontinental magmatismoverlying the Cathaysian and Yangtze blocks. The model describes the relation of intracontinental collision and subduction in the Tethyan tectonic regime with Paleo-Pacific oceanic platesubduction-strike slip-extension in the Pacific tectonic regime. During 220 - 150Ma, the horizontal collision between the North China block and the Yangtze block, as well as the intracontinental subduction of some divergent microcontinental terranes in the southwestern part of SouthChina are ascribed to the in fluence of the Tethyan tectonic regime, giving rise to a volume ofhigh-Isr and low-ENd(t) S-type granites only in the Cathaysian block. During 145 - 90 Ma, under the geodynamic background of subduction-strike slip-extension of the Paleo-Pacific oceanicplate on the basis of the deep tectnic process in the Tethyan tectonic regime, high-K, alkali-rich calc-alkaline and shoshonitic volcano-plutonic complexes were generated in the Yangtzeblock, and high-K calc-alkalic and bimodal volcano-plutonic complexes were generated in theCathaysian block. The occurrence of A-type peralkaline granites in the coastal areas of South-east China indicates the end of Mesozoic intracontinental magmatism.