Sequence Stratigraphy of the Desert System: A Case Study of the Lower Cretaceous in the Kuqa Basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China

The Lower Cretaceous strata in the Kuqa Basin in Xinjiang are marked by a set of arid red beds. Several types of sedimentary fades can be identified in this set of arid red beds: mudstones of the plaza and intracontinental sebkha, aeolian sandstones, sandy conglomerates of the intermittent river, conglomerates of the pluvial fan, etc. These types of sedimentary facies constitute a typical desert system. Therefore, the Cretaceous strata in the Kuqa Basin provide a favorable condition for studies of sequence stratigraphic divisions of the desert system. With the rise and fall of the base level of the sedimentary basin, cyclicity is clearly revealed in stratigraphic records, which helps the identification of the third-order sequences. Based on the cyclicity in stratigraphic records, 5 third-order sequences can be found in the strata of the Early Cretaceous in the Kuqa Basin. These sequences comprise a second-order tectonic sequence. The primary feature of these third-order sequences is of an upward-fining sedimentary succession formed by a succession of 'coarse sediments of the alluvial system-fine sediments of the lake system'. The result of this study shows that aeolian sandstones are the best reservoirs of natural gas in the Cretaceous strata in the Kuqa Basin, and that the Kela-2 gas field is the first large gas field dominated by aeolian sandstone reservoirs in China.

Sequence Stratigraphy of the Jurassic Coal Measures in Northwestern China

The sequence stratigraphy of the Jurassic coal measures of northwestern China has been studied based on data from outcrop and borehole sections. Because of the geological background and the diversity of basin types, such as isochronisms of coal seams and recognition of key sequence boundaries, it is rare to summarize and correlate sequence structure and framework. The types and recognition characteristics of the sequence boundaries of the Jurassic coal measures are revealed by comparing climatic characteristics, structural styles and the base level cycle. A total of five third-order sequences and 15 systems tracts have been subdivided and the sequence stratigraphic framework has been reconstructed confirming that the thick coals accumulated in the late stage of transgression system tracts of sequence I （SQ I） and sequence III （SQ III）. This idea is of important academic significance for instructing coal resources exploration, and enhancing geological effects of prospecting engineering. It is also of practical significance for guaranteeing construction of the large-scale coal production base in northwestern China, accelerating the westward development of the coal industry stratagem.

Stratigraphy of the Triassic-Jurassic Boundary Successions of the Southern Margin of the Junggar Basin,Northwestern China

The Triassic-Jurassic （Tr-J） boundary marks a major extinction event, which （～200 Ma）resulted in global extinctions of fauna and flora both in the marine and terrestrial realms. There prevail great challenges in determining the exact location of the terrestrial Tr-J boundary, because of endemism of taxa and the scarcity of fossils in terrestrial settings leading to difficulties in linking marine and terrestrial sedimentary successions. Investigation based on palynology and bivalves has been carried out over a 1113 m thick section, which is subdivided into 132 beds, along the Haojiagou valley on the southern margin of the Junggar Basin of the northern Xinjiang, northwestern China. The terrestrial Lower Jurassic is conformably resting on the Upper Triassic strata. The Upper Triassic covers the Huangshanjie Formation overlaid by the Haojiagou Formation, while the Lower Jurassic comprises the Badaowan Formation followed by the Sangonghe Formation. Fifty six pollen and spore taxa and one algal taxon were identified from the sediments. Based on the key-species and abundance of spores and pollen, three zones were erected： the Late Triassic （Rhaetian） Aratrisporites-Alisporites Assemblage, the Early Jurassic （Hettangian） Perinopollenites-Pinuspollenites Assemblage, and the Sinemurian Perinopollenites-Cycadopites Assemblage. The Tr-J boundary is placed between bed 44and 45 coincident with the boundary between the Haojiagou and Badaowan formations. Beds with Ferganoconcha （？）, Unio-Ferganoconcha and Waagenoperna-Yananoconcha bivalve assemblages are recognized. The Ferganoconcha （？） bed is limited to the upper Haojiagou Formation,Unio- Ferganoconcha and Waagenoperna- Yananoconcha assemblages are present in the middle and upper members of the Badaowan Formation. The sedimentary succession is interpreted as terrestrial with two mainly lake deposit intervals within Haojiagou and Badaowan formations, yielding fresh water algae and bivalves. However, the presence of brackish water algae Tasmanites and the marine-littoral facies bivalve Waagenoperna from the Badaowan Formation indicate that the Junggar Basin was influenced by sea water caused by transgressions from the northern Tethys, during the Sinemurian.

Repeated Wildfires in the Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation(Aalenian and Bajocian Ages) in Northwestern China

The coal-bearing strata in the southern Junggar Basin in northwestern China have recently attracted the attention of coal geologists. Its abundance of coal resources is of great interest as there is a potential of unlocking details about the palaeoclimatic information. Coal deposits have the capacity to record wildfire events, even those with inefficient combustions. To characterize wildfire events and palaeoclimatic history of the Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation(Aalenian and Bajocian ages), 22 coal samples from borehole cores and coal mines in the southern Junggar Basin were collected and their macerals were analyzed. The results indicated that fusinite and semi-fusinite were the dominant components of inertinite with proportions of 35.27% and 54.67%, respectively. The presence of inertinite is an indicator that wildfires occurred at the time of peat land development, and the widespread occurrence suggests large scale wildfires during the Middle Jurassic. This study proposes a new parameter for the evaluation of wildfire features by combining burning frequency and burning temperature. The comprehensive evaluation index(CEI) was influenced by the lacustrine basin level and ancient plant types from a sequence framework. During the Middle Jurassic, most wildfires were surface fires with low level and ground fire with high level. High oxygen levels were estimated in the lower, middle, and upper members of the Xishanyao Formation with corresponding to 26.78%, 24.55%, and 23.55%, respectively. The high oxygen levels would be the primary cause of repeated wildfires in the Middle Jurassic. These results are helpful for understanding palaeoclimatic changes in the Middle Jurassic.

Modeling Impacts of Vegetation in Western China on the Summer Climate of Northwestern China

Using the monthly NCEP-NCAR reanalysis dataset, the monthly temperature and precipitation at surface stations of China, and the MM5 model, we examine impacts of vegetation cover changes in western China on the interdecadal variability of the summer climate over northwestern China during the past 30 years. It is found that the summer atmospheric circulation, surface air temperature, and rainfall in the 1990s were different from those in the 1970s over northwestern China, with generally more rainfall and higher temperatures in the 1990s. Associated with these changes, an anomalous wave train appears in the lower troposphere at the midlatitudes of East Asia and the low-pressure system to the north of the Tibetan Plateau is weaker. Meanwhile, the South Asian high in the upper troposphere is also located more eastward. Numerical experiments show that change of vegetation cover in western China generally forces anomalous circulations and temperatures and rainfall over these regions. This consistency between the observations and simulations implies that the interdecadal variability of the summer climate over northwestern China between the 1990s and 1970s may result from a change of vegetation cover over western China.

N,P,and K characteristics of different age groups of temperate coniferous tree species in northwestern China

This study chose dominant tree species including Picea crassifolia,Pinus armandii and Pinus tabuliformis which are distributed in Qilian Mountains,Xiaolongshan Mountains,and Bailongjiang River.According to the different tree species,ages and components,we sampled leaves,branches,stems,and roots,and measured the contents of Nitrogen,Phosphorus,Potassium,along with soil fertility.The changes of N,P,and K contents in the different tree species were studied,and the relationship between nutrient content and environmental factors was analyzed.The results indicated that the content of P in all three species was the lowest(0.039–0.28 g kg),while N content was the highest(0.095–1.72 g kg).As the terminal organ of nutrient transport,the nutrient content of leaves was the highest.P.armandii(0.45 g kg) had a higher nutrient concentration than P.tabulaeformis(0.19 g kg) and P.crassifolia(0.29 g kg).The nutrient content of each species was highest in a young forest,but lowest in a mature forest.The nutrient content of all three tree species was significantly affected by soil nutrient content,and negatively correlated with available soil nutrients.

Microcoring and dendrometer-detected intra-annual wood formation of Populus euphratica in the Ejina Oasis,northwestern China

Seasonal stem radial growth and wood formation of trees have become research hotspots because of their significance for dendroclimatological and dendroecological studies. However, until recently, these studies concentrated on coniferous tree species in high-altitude and high-latitude regions,while detailed information on arid-zone riparian forests is scarce. The main focus of this study is to monitor the intra-annual dynamics of radial growth and tree ring formation in a deciduous species, Populus euphratica. In 2013, we combined the dendrometer and microcoring methods to study this species in the riparian forest of the Ejina Oasis, in arid northwestern China. Vessel enlargement began in early May, and the maximum rate of cell production occurred in early June. The cell division then ceased from early to mid-July. The dendrometer method failed to reliably detect the date of growth initiation and cessation, but succeeded to detect the time of maximum growth rate just like the microcoring method did. We found that weekly stem radial increment data described xylem growth more accurately than daily datasets. Based on correlation analysis among climatic and hydrologic variables, and weekly stem radial increment, weekly ring width increase dataset, the depth to groundwater was the main factor that limited tree ring growth. From a practical perspective, such studies of intra-annual wood formation can provide empirical guidance for seasonal water allocations within a river basin.

Measuring and modeling evapotranspiration of a Populus euphratica forest in northwestern China

Vegetation is sparsely distributed in the arid regions of northwestern China,and accurately measuring and partitioning of evapotranspiration is of importance for ecosystems in such areas.In this study,we measured and analyzed diurnal and phenological variations in evapotranspiration using the eddy-covariance method based on the Penman-Monteith,Priestley-Taylor,Shuttleworth-Wallace models,a newly proposed improved dual source model and a clumped model in a forest reserve in the Ejin oasis of Populus euphratica in 2015 and 2016 growing seasons.A sensitivity analysis was performed for the models with higher accuracies and we examined the biotic and abiotic controls on evapotranspiration.The results show that the total amounts of evapotranspiration during the two growing seasons in 2015 and 2016 were 622 and 612 mm,respectively.Phenological variations in evapotranspiration produced single-peak curves,while diurnal variations reflected the influence of high temperatures on some afternoons.The Priestley-Taylor and the improved dual source models gave the most accurate evapotranspiration values at the daily scale and appeared to be most suitable for the estimation of evapotranspiration for the species in arid regions.In addition,both models were the most sensitive to net radiation(Rn).

The pathogenic spectrum of fungal keratitis in northwestern China

I am Na An, from the Shaanxi Key Lab of Ophthalmology, Shaanxi Institute of Ophthalmology,Xi＇an City First Hospital, Xi＇an, Shaanxi Province, China. Fungal keratitis is a severe problem in most developing countries.

Potential risks and challenges of climate change in the arid region of northwestern China

In the arid region of northwestern China(ARNC),water resources are the most critical factor restricting socioeconomic development and influencing the stability of the area’s ecological systems.The region’s complex water system and unique hydrological cycle show distinctive characteristics.Moreover,the intensified hydrological cycle and extreme climatic and hydrological events resulting from global warming have led to increased uncertainty around water resources as well as heightened conflict between water supply and water demand.All of these factors are exerting growing pressures on the socioeconomic development and vulnerable ecological environment in the region.This research evaluates the impacts of climate change on water resources,hydrological processes,agricultural system,and desert ecosystems in the ARNC,and addresses some associated risks and challenges specific to this area.The temperature is rising at a rate of 0.31
C per decade during 1961–2017 and hydrological processes are being significantly influenced by changes in glaciers,snow cover,and precipitation form,especially in the rivers recharged primarily by melt water.Ecosystems are also largely influenced by climate change,with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)of natural vegetation exhibited an increasing trend prior to 1998,and then reversed in Xinjiang while the Hexi Corridor of Gansu showed the opposite trends.Furthermore,the desert-oasis transition zone showed a reduction in area due to the warming trend and the recent rapid expansion of irrigated area.Both the warming and intensified drought are threatening agriculture security.The present study could shed light on sustainable development in this region under climate change and provides scientific basis to the construction of the“Silk Road Economic Belt”.

Water accounting for conjunctive groundwater and surface water irrigation sources: A case study in the middle Heihe River Basin of arid northwestern China

Oases in arid northwestern China play a significant role in the region＇s economic stability and development. Overex- ploitation of the region＇s water resources has led to serious environmental consequences. In oases, irrigated agriculture is the primary consumer of water, but water shortages resulting from dramatically growing human needs have become a bottleneck for regional sustainable development, making effective management of the limited available water critical. Effective strategies must be formulated to increase agricultural productivity while reducing its environmental impacts. To support the development of such strategies, water use patterns were analyzed during the 2007 and 2008 growing seasons, from May to early October, to identify opportunities for improving water management using the Mold- en-Sakthivadivel water-accounting method, which combines groundwater and surface water into a single domain and can provide a good estimate of the uses, depletion, and productivity of water in a water basin context. The study area lies in Linze County, Gansu Province, China. In the study area, the inflow water resources consist of irrigation, precipita- tion, and soil water, which accounted for 89.3%, 8.9%, and 1.8% of the total in 2007, and 89.3%, 4.8%, and 5.9% in 2008, respectively. The irrigation depends heavily on groundwater, which accounted for 82.1% and 83.6% of the total irrigation water in 2007 and 2008, respectively. In 2007 and 2008, deep percolation accounted for 50.1% and 47.9% of the water outflow, respectively, with corresponding depleted fractions of 0.51 and 0.55, respectively. For the irrigation district as a whole, the water productivity was only 1.37 CNY/m^3. To significantly increase crop water productivity and prevent depletion of the region＇s groundwater aquifer, it will be necessary to reduce the amount of water used for ir- rigation. Several water-saving agricultural practices are discussed and recommended.

Comparison analysis of sampling methods to estimate regional precipitation based on the Kriging interpolation methods： A case of northwestern China

The accuracy of spatial interpolation of precipitation data is determined by the actual spatial variability of the precipitation, the interpolation method, and the distribution of observatories whose selections are particularly important. In this paper, three spatial sampling programs, including spatial random sampling, spatial stratified sampling, and spatial sandwich sampling, are used to analyze the data from meteorological stations of northwestern China. We compared the accuracy of ordinary Kriging interpolation methods on the basis of the sampling results. The error values of the regional annual pre-cipitation interpolation based on spatial sandwich sampling, including ME （0.1513）, RMSE （95.91）, ASE （101.84）, MSE （？0.0036）, and RMSSE （1.0397）, were optimal under the premise of abundant prior knowledge. The result of spatial stratified sampling was poor, and spatial random sampling was even worse. Spatial sandwich sampling was the best sampling method, which minimized the error of regional precipitation estimation. It had a higher degree of accuracy compared with the other two methods and a wider scope of application.

Associations of gut microbiota with dyslipidemia based on sex differences in subjects from Northwestern China

BACKGROUND The gut microbiota(GM)has been proven to play a role in the regulation of host lipid metabolism,which provides a new theory about the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia.However,the associations of GM with dyslipidemia based on sex differences remain unclear and warrant elucidation.AIM To investigate the associations of GM features with serum lipid profiles based on sex differences in a Chinese population.METHODS This study ultimately recruited 142 participants(73 females and 69 males)at Honghui Hospital,Xi’an Jiaotong University.The anthropometric and blood metabolic parameters of all participants were measured.According to their serum lipid levels,female and male participants were classified into a high triglyceride(H_TG)group,a high total cholesterol(H_CHO)group,a low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(L_HDL-C)group,and a control(CON)group with normal serum lipid levels.Fresh fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing.UPARSE software,QIIME software,the RDP classifier and the FAPROTAX database were used for sequencing analyses.RESULTS The GM composition at the phylum level included Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the core GM.Different GM features were identified between females and males,and the associations between GM and serum lipid profiles were different in females and males.The GM features in different dyslipidemia subgroups changed in both female patients and male patients.Proteobacteria,Lactobacillaceae,Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus_salivarius were enriched in H_CHO females compared with CON females,while Coriobacteriia were enriched in L_HDL-C females.In the comparison among the three dyslipidemia subgroups in females,Lactobacillus_salivarius were enriched in H_CHO females,and Prevotellaceae were enriched in L_HDL-C females.Compared with CON or H_TG males,Prevotellaceae,unidentified_Ruminococcaceae,Roseburia and Roseburia_inulinivorans were decreased in L_HDL-C males(P value<0.05),and linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis indicated an enrichment of the above GM taxa in H_TG males compared with other male subgroups.Additionally,Roseburia_inulinivorans abundance was positively correlated with serum TG and total cholesterol levels,and Roseburia were positively correlated with serum TG level.Furthermore,Proteobacteria(0.724,95%CI:0.567-0.849),Lactobacillaceae(0.703,95%CI:0.544-0.832),Lactobacillus(0.705,95%CI:0.547-0.834)and Lactobacillus_salivarius(0.706,95%CI:0.548-0.835)could distinguish H_CHO females from CON females,while Coriobacteriia(0.710,95%CI:0.547-0.841),Coriobacteriales(0.710,95%CI:0.547-0.841),Prevotellaceae(0.697,95%CI:0.534-0.830),Roseburia(0.697,95%CI:0.534-0.830)and Roseburia_inulinivorans(0.684,95%CI:0.520-0.820)could discriminate H_TG males from CON males.Based on the predictions of GM metabolic capabilities with the FAPROTAX database,a total of 51 functional assignments were obtained in females,while 38 were obtained in males.This functional prediction suggested that cellulolysis increased in L_HDL-C females compared with CON females,but decreased in L_HDL-C males compared with CON males.CONCLUSION This study indicates associations of GM with serum lipid profiles,supporting the notion that GM dysbiosis may participate in the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia,and sex differences should be considered.

Sociodemographic characteristics, cultural biases, and environmental attitudes: An empirical application of grid-group cultural theory in Northwestern China

Natural resource-management studies have become increasingly attentive to the influences of human factors. Among these,cultural biases shape people’s responses to changes in natural resource systems. Several studies have applied grid-group cultural theory to assess the effects of multiple value biases among stakeholders on natural resource management. We developed and administered a questionnaire in the Heihe River Basin(n = 364) in northwestern China to investigate the appropriateness of applying this theory in the Chinese context of natural resource management. The results revealed various cultural biases among the respondents. In descending order of prevalence, these biases were hierarchism(46.98%), individualism(26.65%), egalitarianism(18.96%), and fatalism(2.78%), with the remaining respondents(4.67%) evidencing no obvious bias. Our empirical study revealed respondents’ worldviews and the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on cultural biases, as theoretically posited. Among the variables examined, age had a positive and significant effect across all biases except individualism. The correlation of income to all cultural biases was consistently negative. Only education had a negative and significant effect across all biases. Women were found to adhere to egalitarianism, whereas men adhered to individualism and hierarchism. Thus, grid-group cultural theory was found to be appropriate in the Chinese context, with gender, age, education, and income evidently accounting for cultural biases. Relationships between environmental attitudes and cultural biases conformed with the hypothesis advanced by grid-group cultural theory. This finding may be of value in explaining individuals’ environmental attitudes and facilitating the development and implementation of natural resource-management policies.

Assessing spatial and temporal variability in waterconsumption and the maintainability oasis maximumarea in an oasis region of Northwestern China

Water consumption is a key role in improving the efficiency and sustainability of water management in arid environments.In this study, we explored an approach based on meta-analysis, MODIS NDVI products, land-use spatial distribution, andsoil water physical parameters to gain insight into long-term and large scale distribution of land use and water consumption,maintain maximum Zhangye Oasis area according to Heihe River runoff, and suitable water resource management inZhangye Oasis. This approach was initiated in order to improve the efficiency of irrigation and water resource managementin arid regions. Results showed that Heihe River runoff can maintain a maximum Zhangye Oasis area of 22.49×104 hm2.During the 2000−2016 growing seasons, actual oasis water consumption ranged from 11.35×108 m3 to 13.73×108 m3, witha mean of (12.89 ± 0.60)×108 m3;if maintaining agricultural production and oasis stability was chosen, oasis water consumptionranged from 10.24×108 m3 to 12.37×108 m3, with a mean of (11.62 ± 0.53)×108 m3. From the perspective of waterresources management and ecosystem stability, it is necessary to reduce the area of Zhangye Oasis or choose the minimumwater consumption method to manage the oasis, to ease the pressure of water shortage and maintain stable and sustainabledevelopment of the Zhangye Oasis. These results can provide future practical guidance for water resource management ofcoordinated development of the economy and the environment in an arid area.

A dynamic model for exploring water-resource management scenarios in an inland arid area: Shanshan County, Northwestern China

Water scarcity is a challenge in many arid and semi-arid regions; this may lead to a series of environmental problems and could be stressed even further by the effects from climate change. This study focused on the water resource management in Shanshan County, an inland arid region located in northwestern China with a long history of groundwater overexploitation. A model of the supply and demand system in the study area from 2006 to2030, including effects from global climate change,was developed using a system dynamics(SD)modeling tool. This SD model was used to 1) explore the best water-resource management options by testing system responses under various scenarios and2) identify the principal factors affecting the responses, aiming for a balance of the groundwater system and sustainable socio-economic development.Three causes were identified as primarily responsible for water issues in Shanshan: low water-use efficiency low water reuse, and increase in industrial waterdemand. To address these causes, a combined scenario was designed and simulated, which was able to keep the water deficiency under 5% by 2030. The model provided some insights into the dynamic interrelations that generate system behavior and the key factors in the system that govern water demand and supply. The model as well as the study results may be useful in water resources management in Shanshan and may be applied, with appropriate modifications, to other regions facing similar water management challenges.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TECTONIC FACIES IN THE WESTERN TIANSHAN MT. AND ITS ADJACENT AREA,NORTHWESTERN CHINA

Based on the theory of plate tectonics, the authors combined the concept and analytic methods of tectonic facies, and divided the western Tianshan Mt. and its adjacent area into eight tectonic facies. i. e.① Kuluktage rejuvenational foreland basement fold-thrust facie, ②Kalpin rejuvenational foreland basement fold-thrust facie,③ Kuqa rejuvenational foreland fold-thrust facie. ④ Southern Tianshan backarc foreland mollasse facie. ⑤ Southern Tianshan Late Paleozoic magmatic arc facie. ⑥ Southern Tianshan backarc melange facie. ⑦ Central Tianshan composite magmatic are facie, and ⑧ Northern Tianshan foreare melange facie. F1nally. we reconstructed the history of the western Tianshan Paleozoic tectonic evolution.

A case study of continental shelf waves in the northwestern South China Sea induced by winter storms in 2021

This study aims to investigate characteristics of continental shelf wave(CSW)on the northwestern continental shelf of the South China Sea(SCS)induced by winter storms in 2021.Mooring and cruise observations,tidal gauge data at stations Hong Kong,Zhapo and Qinglan and sea surface wind data from January 1 to February 28,2021 are used to examine the relationship between along-shelf wind and sea level fluctuation.Two events of CSWs driven by the along-shelf sea surface wind are detected from wavelet spectra of tidal gauge data.The signals are triply peaked at periods of 56 h,94 h and 180 h,propagating along the coast with phase speed ranging from 6.9 m/s to18.9 m/s.The dispersion relation shows their property of the Kelvin mode of CSW.We develop a simple method to estimate amplitude of sea surface fluctuation by along-shelf wind.The results are comparable with the observation data,suggesting it is effective.The mode 2 CSWs fits very well with the mooring current velocity data.The results from rare current help to understand wave-current interaction in the northwestern SCS.

Modeling demand/supply of water resources in the arid region of northwestern China during the late 1980s to 2010

Water demand increases continuously with an increasing population and economic development. As a result, the difference between water supply and demand becomes a sig- nificant issue, especially in arid regions. To figure out the utilization of water resources in the arid region of northwestern China （ARNWC）, and also to provide methodologies to predict the water use in future, three models were established in this study to calculate agricultural irri- gation, industrial and domestic water use in the ARNWC from the late 1980s to 2010. Based on river discharges in the region, the supply and demand of water resources at the river basin level were analyzed. The results indicated that agricultural irrigation demand occupies more than 90% of the total water use in the ARNWC. Total water demand increased from 31.97 km3 in the late 1980s to 48.19 km3 in 2010. Most river basins in this arid region were under me- dium and high water stress. Severe-risk river basins, such as the Shiyang river basin and the eastern part of the northern piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains, were found in this region. It was revealed that the water supply became critical from April to May, which was the season of the lowest water supply as determined by comparing monthly water consumption.