Review
Genetics & Heredity
Vasundhra Dalal, Nagarjuna Pasupuleti, Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Niraj Rai, Vasant Shinde
Summary: Ancient DNA research, which started in 1984, has greatly expanded our understanding of evolution and migration. It is now used to solve puzzles about human origin, migration patterns, and infectious disease spread. The surprising findings from this research have revealed a clear divide between the Global North and Global South. Therefore, it is important to encourage collaboration and technology transfer to support researchers in the Global South and expand the ongoing conversation in the field of ancient DNA.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yunpeng Wu, Rong Yang, Chuanqi He, Junqing He
Summary: The landscapes on Earth are shaped by the interaction of tectonics and erosion processes. A geomorphologic index called chi has been proposed to estimate the dynamic state of drainage systems. However, factors such as tectonic activities, rock erodibility, and precipitation differences can affect the interpretation of the chi value. Our numerical modelling results suggest that the migration direction of the drainage divide is related to cross-divide contrast in erosion rate rather than chi values. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using this index in landscape analysis.
GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Sylvain Mayolle, Roger Soliva, Stephane Dominguez, Christopher Wibberley
Summary: This study investigates the evolution of fault damage zones using high-resolution analogue modelling. The results reveal the characteristics of early deformation stages and segment linkage, providing insights into the composite content of damage zones. This research supports the assessment of permeability enhancement zones in naturally fractured reservoirs.
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Weichen Song, Yueqi Shi, Weidi Wang, Weihao Pan, Wei Qian, Shunying Yu, Min Zhao, Guan Ning Lin
Summary: The study reveals that 88% of complex traits in European populations have shown signals of natural selection in the past 3,000 years, with traits related to pigmentation, body shape, and food intake showing strong selection signals.
NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
(2021)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
B. A. Lathrop, C. A-L. Jackson, R. E. Bell, A. Rotevatn
Summary: This study reviews the relationship between normal fault displacement and length, discusses factors influencing this relationship, and presents a newly assembled database of normal faults. The study finds an overall scaling law of D = 0.3L(0.92) and identifies geological factors that affect this relationship. The revised relationships can be used for predicting fault length or displacement and provide a basis for understanding D/L scaling laws in the context of normal fault growth.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Anastasia Stolyarova, Tatiana Neretina, Elena A. Zvyagina, Anna Fedotova, Alexey S. Kondrashov, Georgii A. Bazykin
Summary: Studying patterns of genetic variation in hyperpolymorphic species, such as the fungus Schizophyllum commune, can reveal large-scale properties of the fitness landscape that are difficult to detect in species with ordinary levels of genetic variation. In S. commune, short-range linkage disequilibrium tends to be higher between pairs of nonsynonymous variants, especially those located within the same gene and covered by haploblocks, which are segments of the genome consisting of two highly divergent haplotypes and a signature of balancing selection. LD is also higher for pairs of nonsynonymous variants encoding interacting amino acids within the protein. Additionally, there is a correlation between LDs at the same pairs of nonsynonymous mutations in different populations.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Simin Sun, Huayao Zou, Chengmin Niu, Huaiqiang Ren
Summary: The three-dimensional evolution of normal faults is investigated using a combination of seismic reflection and well data. Segmentation characteristics of geometry and displacement distribution are observed along strike and dip oriented directions. The fault surfaces can be divided into different areas corresponding to different tectonic evolution stages. The segmentation in the lower part of the fault is caused by the intersection of faults with different strikes, while the segmentation in the upper part is the result of lateral growth and linkage of overlapping fault segments.
JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Meng Yu, Yangbing Li, Guangjie Luo, Limin Yu, Mei Chen
Summary: This study analyzed the vertical structure and coupled evolution of rice terrace systems from a mountainous stereoscopic perspective, focusing on the Xijiang Township and Jiabang Township in Southwest China. The research explored the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and landscape stability of rice terraces, revealing the evolutionary features of different types of rice terraces and the increasing trend of mixed production in the landscape. The study also highlighted the ecological risks and the highest landscape security stability of the F-T-V-T-R structure in the long term.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Zhaolong Li, Chunhe Wang, Renliang Shan, Honghu Yuan, Yan Zhao, Yonghui Wei
Summary: The study investigates stress evolution and fault slip behavior of normal faults with different dip angles during mining using mechanical models and numerical simulations. The establishment of a mechanical model reveals necessary conditions for fault slip, and analysis shows that changes in stress state in surrounding rock are the root cause of fault slip. Risk of fault slip varies during mining, with higher risk in the footwall, and the most dangerous dip angle is determined. Simulation and field results are consistent with theoretical findings.
BULLETIN OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Baotian Pan, Shun Cai, Haopeng Geng
Summary: In this study, landscape evolution models were used to simulate the evolution of mountains in the central Hexi Corridor on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, revealing differences in topography. By analyzing topographic characteristics and comparing simulated and realistic terrains, the timing and rate of initial uplift for four mountain ranges were estimated, showing consistency with geological records. This approach of using LEMs with topographic characteristics proves to be reliable in constraining uplift timing and rate for youthful stage mountains, with potential applications in tectonic geomorphology research.
SCIENCE CHINA-EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Reine U. Protacio, Mari K. Davidson, Wayne P. Wahls
Summary: Meiosis is a crucial process in the sexual life cycle of eukaryotes, contributing to genetic diversity through independent chromosome assortment and meiotic recombination. Recent studies have shown significant changes in the frequency distribution of recombination between closely related species, subspecies, and isolated populations of the same species. Analysis of recombination plasticity in fission yeast has provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying these rapid evolutionary changes, with different classes of hotspots acting as independently controlled rheostats. This dynamic modulation can rapidly and dramatically alter the global frequency distribution of recombination, contributing to the evolutionarily rapid changes in the recombination landscape.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Taylor F. Schildgen, Peter A. van der Beek, Mitch D'Arcy, Duna N. Roda-Boluda, Elizabeth N. Orr, Hella Wittmann
Summary: The migration of drainage divides, influenced by rock uplift and rainfall patterns, is an important factor in the geomorphic evolution of mountain ranges. This study focuses on the Sierra de Aconquija in northwest Argentina and uses low-temperature thermochronometric data to explore its topographic evolution. The findings indicate that westward drainage-divide migration, combined with faulting, played a dominant role in the range's evolution. These results provide new insights into the rates and magnitudes of drainage-divide migration in real landscapes and highlight the significance of considering this process when interpreting thermochronometer age patterns.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Oliver B. Duffy, Rob L. Gawthorpe, Matthew Docherty
Summary: This study explores how the relationships between fault activity, salt movement, and sediment loading affect the stratal geometry of the hanging wall in a salt-influenced normal fault system. Through structural observations and seismic stratigraphic analysis, the study finds that the hanging wall of the fault system exhibits shifts in depocenters and variability in stratal geometries over time. The development of these characteristics is influenced by the segmentation and linkage history of the fault system, the evolution of salt-cored cover monoclines, and changes in salt withdrawal and fault-related subsidence.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Yijia Ye, Xibin Tan, Chao Zhou
Summary: In this study, the phenomenon of drainage divide migration and its relationship with the asymmetry of mountain uplift were explored using numerical simulation and field observations. The results demonstrate that not all drainage divides migrating towards the geometric center indicate a decrease of uplift asymmetry, and the migration of a drainage divide is controlled by both the initial position and the final stable position.
Article
Engineering, Geological
Mehdi Ashtiani, Mohammadreza Jahanshahi Nowkandeh, Amirmohammad Kayhani
Summary: This study investigated the effects of embedment depth on the interaction between normal fault rupture and shallow foundations using a numerical model validated with centrifuge experiments. It found that embedded foundations exhibited different behavior in response to fault rupture compared to surface foundations, depending on factors such as foundation position, embedment depth, foundation surcharge, and fault dip angle. The study also observed that shallow embedded foundation sidewalls acted as kinematic constraints and significantly influenced foundation rotation, displacement, and stress.
BULLETIN OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chuanqi He, Ci-Jian Yang, Jens M. Turowski, Gang Rao, Duna C. Roda-Boluda, Xiao-Ping Yuan
Summary: One of the most conspicuous features of a mountain belt is the main drainage divide, which can be used to extract tectonic information and increases in mountain asymmetry with increasing uplift gradient and advection velocity. The authors constrain the tectonic uplift and advection of a mountain belt from the location and migration direction of its main drainage divide.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ci-Jian Yang, Chia-Hung Jen, Yeuan-Chang Cheng, Jiun-Chuan Lin
Summary: Understanding the impact of mudcracks on erosion is essential for studying changes in hillslope morphology and soil erosion. Through laboratory experiments and TLS technology, this study quantified the effects of mudcracks on slope erosion, highlighting the potential of high-resolution topographic surveys for identifying and characterizing micro-relief-induced erosion.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Taylor F. Schildgen, Peter A. van der Beek, Mitch D'Arcy, Duna N. Roda-Boluda, Elizabeth N. Orr, Hella Wittmann
Summary: The migration of drainage divides, influenced by rock uplift and rainfall patterns, is an important factor in the geomorphic evolution of mountain ranges. This study focuses on the Sierra de Aconquija in northwest Argentina and uses low-temperature thermochronometric data to explore its topographic evolution. The findings indicate that westward drainage-divide migration, combined with faulting, played a dominant role in the range's evolution. These results provide new insights into the rates and magnitudes of drainage-divide migration in real landscapes and highlight the significance of considering this process when interpreting thermochronometer age patterns.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bernard Delcaillau, Fabien Graveleau, Dimitri Saint Carlier, Gang Rao, Maryline Le Beon, Julien Charreau, Maelle Nexer
Summary: This study conducted a detailed analysis of the Qiulitage fold belt in the Kuqa foreland based on open-access DEMs and field work. The results indicate that the fold belt consists of six morphological units and has undergone interactions during vertical growth and lateral propagation of the folds. The structural evolution of the fold belt has significantly influenced the development of major rivers and minor rivers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chung-Te Chang, Ci-Jian Yang, Ko-Han Huang, Jr-Chuan Huang, Teng-Chiu Lin
Summary: This study quantifies the temporal changes of precipitation acidity and its dominant acidifying agents over the last two decades by synthesizing bulk precipitation chemistry in forest sites from three monitoring networks. Results show distinct declines of sulfate and nitrate depositions and increases of precipitation pH in northeast America and central and east Europe, but not in Asia during 1999 and 2018. The decreases of sulfate and nitrate depositions likely reflect the long-term effort of pollutant emission controls.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chuanqi He, Ci-Jian Yang, Jens M. Turowski
Summary: The size of roughness elements affects the velocity changes of bedload particles upon impact. Optimal deflection length and velocity occur at intermediate values of the spacing of roughness elements. The likelihood for a bedload particle to leave the roughness zone decreases as the particle moves away from its edge.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Chung-Te Chang, Lixin Wang, Lih-Jih Wang, Chiung-Pin Liu, Ci-Jian Yang, Chuan Huang, Chiao-Ping Wang, Neng-Huei Lin, Teng-Chiu Lin
Summary: East Asia has the highest emissions of SO2 and NO (x) in the world. This study examines the long-range transport of acidic pollutants in the region, specifically focusing on the impact of emissions from eastern China on Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. The results show that despite a decrease in local emissions, there is no decreasing trend in the annual deposition of non-sea-salt sulfate in northern Taiwan. However, there is a significant decreasing trend in the summer deposition of sulfate and nitrate.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ci-Jian Yang, Pei-Hao Chen, Erica D. Erlanger, Jens M. Turowski, Sen Xu, Tse-Yang Teng, Jiun-Chuan Lin, Jr-Chuang Huang
Summary: Chemical weathering driven by physical erosion is a natural process that affects the Earth's surface in terms of chemical and solid matter budgets. The influence of extreme climatic erosion on chemical weathering dynamics is not well understood. Badland landscapes formed in highly erodible substrates have the ability to respond to individual events that can be directly observed. This study assesses the geochemical and grain-size composition of suspended sediment and riverine chemistry during typhoons in Taiwan, finding that evaporite weathering at peak rainfall is followed by silicate weathering at maximum discharge.
EARTH SURFACE DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
A. Securo, C. Del Gobbo, L. Rettig, S. Pillon, A. De Luca, D. Fontana, E. Benedetti Fasil, R. R. Colucci
Summary: Small glaciers in temperate mountain regions have experienced significant reduction and unprecedented melt rates in recent years. Some glaciers have transitioned from clean ice to debris-covered or even rock glaciers. This study examines the surface elevation change of the Popera Alto glacier in the Sesto Dolomites using LiDAR and Structure from Motion surveys, and analyzes its evolution in terms of surface cover and geomorphic processes. The glacier has lost an average of 0.35 m water equivalent per year over the past 16 years, with active modification of its surface cover by geomorphic processes. The role of debris and local topography feedback has allowed the resilience of the glacier, leading to a marked difference between the current environmental equilibrium line altitude (envELA) and the effective ELA (effELA) of the glacier.
Article
Geography, Physical
Zhenzhen Yan, Yaolin Shi, Lili Kang, Xiangtao Fan
Summary: This study proposes a quantitative regional deformation model based on global positioning system (GPS) data to quantitatively analyze the morphological evolution of rivers in the Three Rivers Region. It finds that tectonic deformation phases significantly control regional landscape development and drainage features.
Article
Geography, Physical
Said Mukhtar Ahmad, Nitheshnirmal Sadhasivam, Mona Lisa, Luigi Lombardo, Mustafa Kemal Emil, Amira Zaki, Cees J. Van Westen, Islam Fadel, Hakan Tanyas
Summary: In this study, we investigated a large slow-moving landslide in Northern Pakistan, using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis. Our results showed that the crown of the landslide is moving faster than the surrounding regions, while the footslope experienced high deformations. We discussed the possible roles of meteorologic and anthropogenic factors in causing these deformations.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shuang Bian, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, Suoya Fan, Junfeng Gong, Chao Zhou, Feng Shi, Michael A. Murphy
Summary: The Yarlung River's drainage divide is primarily moving north due to variations in precipitation across the Himalayas. The Gangdese drainage divide shows predominantly northward and southward migration, controlled by base-level rise and downstream influences. The presence of north-trending rifts separates the drainage divides into five zones, each with a distinct migration pattern.
Article
Geography, Physical
Joon-Young Park, Seok Yoon, Deuk-Hwan Lee, Seung-Rae Lee, Hwan-Hui Lim
Summary: This study developed a multiple-regression model to estimate site-specific average growth rates of debris flow events. The proposed model was validated through a case study and showed reasonable predictions of debris flow velocities and heights.
Article
Geography, Physical
Nicholas Reilly Mccarroll, Arnaud Temme
Summary: New geochronological data from hillslope boulder armor in the Flint Hills reveal the rates and timing of lateral retreat in the landscape. Surfaces of limestone boulders dating back to the Pleistocene era were found, and the ages of the hillslope armor increased with distance from the limestone bench. The estimated rate of lateral retreat in this landscape is 0.02 mm/yr.
Article
Geography, Physical
Xinbo Yao, Yuntao Tian
Summary: By studying the Longmenshan-Minshan drainage divide, we found that it has reached a dynamic steady state, indicating a balance between erosion and rock uplift. This study also reveals the process of formation and evolution of the divide and raises questions about the effectiveness of divide migration metrics.
Article
Geography, Physical
Junhui Yu, Pin Yan, Yanlin Wang, Guangjian Zhong, Changliang Chen
Summary: The seafloor mounds in the Chaoshan Depression of the South China Sea are identified as mud volcanoes, with fluids coming from underlying mud-fluid diapirs. The hydrocarbon gases feeding the mud volcanoes and diapirs are reasoned to originate from deep Mesozoic source rocks, indicating significant Mesozoic hydrocarbon potential in the Chaoshan Depression.
Article
Geography, Physical
Marius Huber, Luc Scholtes, Jerome Lave
Summary: This paper investigates the relationships between hillslope stability and fabric anisotropy of brittle rock materials and the implications for landscape shaping. It explores the different stability modes and movement characteristics of anisotropic materials, and demonstrates the significant control of material anisotropy on landscape shaping.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shubhra Sharma, Anil D. Shukla
Summary: The study investigates the relationship between glacial dynamics and lake sedimentation during the mid-Holocene climate variability in the Southern Zanskar ranges. It utilizes geomorphological disposition, elemental geochemistry, and optical chronology of relict lake sediment to reconstruct the pattern of minor glacier responses to climate variability. The results indicate six centennial to millennial-scale climatic phases, with warmer phases represented by decreased mineralogical fine grain flux and increased coarse grain flux. The study highlights the potential of relict lake sediment and para/peri-glacial landforms in understanding glacial dynamics and climate change during the Holocene.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jean-Francois Bernier, Sydney W. Meury, Patrick Lajeunesse
Summary: In this study, an approach combining various data and observation methods was proposed to improve the monitoring of landfast ice dynamics and its geomorphic impact on sedimentary systems. The results demonstrate the ability of the approach to accurately measure interannual variations in landfast ice and constrain geomorphic changes. Additionally, the study found a strong relationship between the severity of freezing seasons and the response of landfast ice to hydrometeorological events, with different geomorphic responses observed under different winter conditions.
Article
Geography, Physical
Heping Shu, Fanyu Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between susceptibility of soil-water hazards and human activities, geoheritage sites in the Loess Plateau, China. Landslide and gully erosion susceptibility were obtained using gradient boosting and support vector machines, and a hazard matrix was formed to couple landslide and gully erosion susceptibility. The study found different trends in the magnification times of soil-water hazards chain under different scenarios.
Article
Geography, Physical
Guangqiang Qian, Zhuanling Yang, Xuegang Xing, Zhibao Dong, Youyuan Guo
Summary: Granule ripples are aeolian landforms armored against erosion by coarse grains. This study investigates their seasonal morphological evolution and migration in the Sanlongsha Dune Field. The findings show that wind events, especially those exceeding the threshold velocities of coarse grains, significantly influence the morphodynamics of granule ripples. The study highlights the importance of considering the reptation and saltation of coarse grains in future research on granule ripples.