Glacier changes and related glacial lake expansion in the Bhutan Himalaya, 1990–2010

This paper discusses the recent retreat of glaciers and the changes in supraglacial lakes in the Bhutan Himalaya during the last two decades. We calculated the changes in clean and debris-covered glaciers and the formation, disappearance, and expansion of glacial lakes during the beginning of 1990s, 2000s, and 2010 using Landsat TM and ETM+ images. For this purpose, eight river sub-basins namely Wang Chu, Chamkar Chu, Dangme Chu, Kuri Chu, Mangde Chu, Mo Chu, Pho Chu and Northern Basin were considered. A retreating trend was found in the case of clean glaciers. Debris-covered glaciers in this region were found to have undergone an increase of about 29 %, and this increase was partially contributed by those expanded upstream. This increase in the debris-covered area is higher on the southern side of the Bhutan Himalaya. It is found that a number of moraine-dammed glacial lakes were formed during this period and can be potentially dangerous depending on the size, distance from the glacier and altitude. Most of the glacial lake formation and expansion occurred on the southern side of the Bhutan Himalaya.     

Glacier response to current climate change and future scenarios in the northwestern Italian Alps

We analyze longtime series of annual snout positions of several valley glaciers in the northwestern Italian Alps, together with a high-resolution gridded dataset of temperature and precipitation available for the last 50 years. Glacier snout fluctuations are on average negative during this time span, albeit with a period of glacier advance between about 1970 and 1990. To determine which climatic variables best correlate with glacier snout fluctuations, we consider a large set of seasonal predictors, based on our climatic dataset, and determine the most significant drivers by a stepwise regression technique. This in-depth screening indicates that the average glacier snout fluctuations strongly respond to summer temperature and winter precipitation variations, with a delay of 5 and 10 year, respectively. Snout fluctuations display also a significant (albeit weak) response to concurrent (same year) spring temperature and precipitation conditions. A linear regressive model based on these four climatic variables explains up to 93 % of the variance, which becomes 89 % when only the two delayed variables are taken into account. When employed for out-of-sample projections, the empirical model displays high prediction skill, and it is thus used to estimate the average glacier response to different climate change scenarios (RCP4.5, RCP8.5, A1B), using both global and regional climate models. In all cases, glacier snout fluctuations display a negative trend, and the glaciers of this region display an accelerated retreat, leading to a further regression of the snout position. By 2050, the retreat is estimated to be between about 300 and 400 m with respect to the current position. Glacier regression is more intense for the RCP8.5 and A1B scenarios, as it could be expected from the higher severity of these emission pathways.     

Analysis of the soil water balance for large-scale reforestation with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucommia ulmoides</Emphasis> in the hilly red soil region of southern China

Returning farmland to forests is important for the protection of ecological values. Eucommia ulmoides is considered to be a suitable species for reforestation in the hilly red soil region of southern China. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the water supply and demand of an E. ulmoides plantation to provide insights into the feasibility of large-scale planting for ecological restoration and forest management activities in the hilly red soil region of southern China. With the measured precipitation, surface runoff and interflow and actual evapotranspiration (ET_c) estimated by the modified P–M model, soil water storage (SWS) was estimated based on the water balance equation. Monthly variations of SWS were then compared with in situ measured SWS. The results showed that the estimated mean monthly water losses (the sum of the surface runoff, interflow and ET_c) were 139.8 mm in a wet year and 120.0 mm in a dry year, while the measured mean monthly water input values (net precipitation) were 131.2 mm in a wet year and 70.8 mm in a dry year. Net soil water storage (ΔSWS) was negative in each month of the growing season in a dry year, but the soil water deficit was replenished during the following season. The model performance showed that the modified P–M model can be adapted to estimate the soil water storage in other forest catchments where no adequate in situ data are available. As a result of estimating the water balance and observing soil water storage in two different hydrological years, E. ulmoides is recommended as a suitable forest rehabilitation species in the study area, and a suitable plant region has been defined by the GIS technique based on the water balance model.     

Climate change threats to environment in the tropical Andes: glaciers and water resources

Almost all of the world’s glaciers in the tropical latitudes are located in the Central Andes (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia). Due to their high altitude, to the high level of radiation and to the tropical climate dynamics, they all are particularly threatened by climate change, as a result of not only warming, but also of changing variability of precipitation. Many glaciers are of crucial importance for the livelihood of the local populations and even for three capitals, Lima (Peru), La Paz (Bolivia) and Quito (Ecuador), which depend on them for water and energy supplies. This paper shows that after a period of increased flow due to the glacier melt disequilibrium, the available water resource will decrease along with the rapid shrinking of the glaciers considered as water reservoirs. The case of the Cordillera Blanca (Peru) is analyzed more in detail with the mid-term (20 years) and long-term (1–2 centuries) impact of the glacier shrinking on the local water resources. Associated risks for the population and consequences for the human activities (tourism, hydropower, agriculture and stock-breeding, large-scale irrigation) are described at each stage of the mountain range.     

Change of Flood Patterns in China under the Influences of Climate Change and Human Activities

Abstract

Based on the flood affected area (FA) data of the provinces in China from 1950 to 2005, the article discusses the change of the flood patterns in China, and investigates its relationship with climate change and human activities. The flood center shifted from North China and the Yangtze–Huaihe basin in the 1950s towards the south, north and west of China, and located in the south of the Yangtze River and South China after the 1990s. The FA in the western provinces was continuously on the rise since the 1950s. There are two characteristics for the future flood pattern in China. The pattern of “flood in the south and drought in the north” depends on the north–south shift of the maximum rainfall region in eastern China. The flood intensification to the west of Hu Huanyong’s line mainly results from the increase of rainfall, extreme precipitation and the melting of glaciers under the background of human activity magnification.     

Pollutant emissions,energy consumption and economic development in China:Evidence from dynamic panel data

This study investigates the relationship among pollutant emissions,energy consumption and economic development in China during the period 1982-2007 by using a one-step GMM-system model under a multivariable panel VAR framework,controlling for capital stock and labor force.Regarding the data for all 28 provinces as a whole,we find that there is a unidirectional positive relationship running from pollutant emission to economic development and a unidirectional negative relationship between pollutant emission and energy consumption.Based on traditional economic planning,the panel data of28 provinces are divided into two cross-province groups.It is discovered that in the eastern coastal region of China,there is only a unidirectional positive causal relationship leading from economic development to pollutant emission;while in the central and western regions,there are the unidirectional Granger causal relationships between pollutant emission and energy consumption,as well as between pollutant emission and economic development.There is also a unique unidirectional causal relationship running from economic development to energy consumption,which does not appear in the eastem coastal region or in China as a whole.     

城镇化地区水文过程实验观测与模拟——以太湖西苕溪流域安吉实验小区为例

城镇化的发展使不透水面积不断增加，往往导致地区的水文过程发生较为明显的改变。以太湖上游西苕溪流域内的安吉城镇化实验小区为例，在对研究流域50多a长系列水文气象资料和区域城镇化特征作较详细分析的基础上，结合2005~2008年短时间尺度降雨径流观测实验，通过雨量、水位以及下垫面等数据分析，选用Storm Water Management Model这一暴雨洪水管理模型对该地区的典型洪水过程进行了模拟，对其降雨径流规律进行了分析。结果表明：该模型对该区域的模拟效果较好，误差较小，可以用于该城镇化地区的降雨径流过程模拟和洪水规律定量分析；分析该实验小区降雨径流过程可知，城镇化使该地区洪水上涨过程明显加快，6场典型洪水的峰型系数均值为305，洪峰流量增大而滞时缩短，较快的汇流速度使该地区的防洪压力较大。实验观测方法及模拟分析成果将有助于对太湖地区小流域城镇洪水过程特征与规律的认识，对我国东部城镇地区的防洪、规划与管理也具有重要的借鉴意义     

Climate change in Nepal and its impact on Himalayan glaciers

Climate change can be particularly hard-hitting for small underdeveloped countries, relying heavily on natural resources for the economy and livelihoods. Nepal is one among these countries, being landlocked, with diverse physiographical characteristics within a relatively small territory and with rugged terrain. Poverty is widespread and the capacity of people and the country to cope with climate change impact is low. The country is dominated by the Asian monsoon system. The main occupation is agriculture, largely based on rain-fed farming practices. Tourism based on high altitude adventures is one of the major sources of income for the country. Nepal has a large hydropower potential. While only 0.75% of the theoretical hydropower potential has been tapped, Nepal can greatly benefit from this natural resource in the future. Climate change can adversely impact upon water resources and other sectors of Nepal. The source of water is mainly summer monsoon precipitation and the melting of the large reserve of snow and glaciers in the Himalayan highlands. Observations show clear evidences of significant warming. The average trend in the country is 0.06°C per year. The warming rates are progressively higher for high elevation locations. The warming climate has resulted in rapid shrinking of majority of glaciers in Nepal. This paper presents state-of-knowledge on the glacial dynamics in the country based on studies conducted in the past in Shorong, Khumbu, Langtang, Dhaulagiri and Kanchenjunga regions of Nepal. We present recent trends in river flow and an overview of studies on expected changes in the hydrological regime due to climate change. Formation, growth and likely outburst of glacial lake are phenomena directly related to climate change and deglaciation. This paper provides a synopsis of past glacial lake outburst floods impacting Nepal. Further, likely impacts of climate change on other sectors such as agriculture, biodiversity, human health and livelihoods are discussed.     

中国春季降水与南印度洋偶极子的关系研究

利用美国国家海洋和大气管理局海温资料和1951~2010年中国160站月降水量资料，分析了前期冬季（12~2月）印度洋海表温度与中国160站春季降水的关系及其影响机制。研究表明：冬季印度洋海温异常的空间模态主要有两种：符号一致的单极和东、西符号相反的南印度偶极。将第2模态的时间系数定义为南印度洋偶极子指数。该指数与中国次年春季降水关系较好，并利用NCEP/NCAR再分析资料进行机制分析，发现主要南印度洋偶极子通过以下途径影响中国春季降水：中高纬，SIOD的影响主要引起低纬度的海温及对流异常，通过中低纬度间的相互作用，在中高纬产生较强的遥响应，从而影响同期冬季欧亚大陆的环流变化，这种扰动在西风气流的作用下引起后期春季北太平洋地区对流活动异常，通过中低纬度间的相互作用，加强中高纬地区的遥响应，表现为欧亚大陆EUP波列；低纬，SIOD的影响主要引起南海-海洋性大陆的海温及对流异常，引发经向环流异常，导致黄河至长江中下游地区垂直运动异常和气流辐合异常     

Climatic changes and their impact on socio-economic sectors in the Bhutan Himalayas: an implementation strategy

This paper contributes to an enhanced understanding of present climatic conditions, observed climate trends and regional climate vulnerability of the Bhutan Himalayas. Bhutan’s complex, often high-altitude terrain and the severe impact of the Indian summer monsoon leads to a strong exposure of the countries’ key economic sectors (agriculture, forestry, hydropower generation and tourism) to climatic changes. Climate change also threatens Bhutan’s vast biodiversity and increases the likelihood of natural hazards (e.g. glacier lake outburst floods, flash floods, droughts and forest fires). A better understanding of Bhutan’s climate and its variability, as well as observed and possible climate impacts, will help in improving the handling of regional social, economic and ecologic challenges not limited to the Himalayas. Only a few climatological studies exist for the eastern Himalayas. They mainly focus on adaptation to immediate threats by glacier lake outbursts. In contrast, this paper (1) investigates the average spatial and inner-annual diversity of the air temperature regime of Bhutan, based on local meteorological observations, (2) discusses past temperature variability, based on global datasets, and (3) relates effects of observed warming to water availability, hydropower development, natural hazards, forests, biodiversity, agriculture, human health and tourism in the Bhutan Himalayas. Results indicate a large spatial and temporal temperature variability within Bhutan and considerably increasing temperatures especially over recent decades. Implications of regional climatic changes on various socio-economic sectors and possible adaptation efforts are discussed.     

洞庭湖近年干旱与三峡蓄水影响分析

季节性水文干旱是洞庭湖近年突出的水情问题,并因三峡影响而倍受关注。基于洞庭湖水文干旱的关注焦点（湿地生态影响）及其与湖泊水情的对应关系,建立了湖泊滩地出露与持续时间为依据的干旱度量指标;并利用水文分析方法,揭示了洞庭湖水文干旱发生的时空特点和水情机制;最后,基于BP神经网络模型获取的三峡水库蓄水对洞庭湖的水位影响量化了三峡水库秋季蓄水对湖区干旱的贡献分量。结果认为：（1）2000年后,洞庭湖的干旱频次明显增多、旱情加重,干旱程度以西洞庭最剧,东洞庭次之,南洞庭最轻;（2）洞庭湖不同湖区干旱成因存在一定差异,其中全湖的春旱基本由洞庭湖流域来水偏少引起,而东洞庭湖秋旱主要由长江来水减少引起,西、南洞庭湖秋旱则由长江和洞庭湖流域来水共同减少形成;（3）三峡水库蓄水对东洞庭湖秋旱起到一定的加重作用,但并非洞庭湖近年干旱的主要因素     

Distribution of U-Th nuclides in the riverine and coastal environments of the tropical southwest coast of India

A reconnaissance study has been made on the distribution of 238U, 234U, 232Th and 230Th in soils, water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and bottom sediments in the Kali river basin around Kaiga, its estuarine region and the adjacent Arabian Sea to obtain the baseline data of U-Th series nuclides in view of the commissioning of nuclear power reactors at Kaiga, near Karwar, on the southwest coast of India. Drainage basin soils developed over greywackes (the dominant litho-unit upstream) are lower in 238U/Al and 232Th/Al ratios by factors of 3-5 in comparison with those developed over tonalitic gneisses (the dominant litho-unit downstream). The dominance of the former type of soils is reflected in the composition of river-bottom sediments derived from the upstream drainage basin during the monsoon. The 232Th in bottom sediments tends to increase towards the estuarine and coastal areas, presumably due to deposition of heavy minerals and onshore transport of coastal sediments into the estuary. The dissolved U in the Kali river is low (0.001-0.02 microg/l) when compared to the major Indian rivers as the Kali river flows through U-poor greywackes. Thus, the input of dissolved U to the Kali estuary is dominated by sea water. Although there is some evidence for the removal of dissolved U at low salinity during estuarine mixing, its behaviour is conservative in the lower estuary (at higher salinities). The removal rate of dissolved U from the Kali river basin is similar to that reported from other tropical river basins. The U flux from all the west-flowing rivers of Peninsular India is estimated at 26.3 x 10(6) g/yr to the Arabian Sea which is about 2% of the flux from the Himalayan rivers to the Bay of Bengal.     

1644~1911年影响华东沿海的台风发生频率重建

基于清代、民国期间多种历史文献中的风、雨、潮现象和“颶、颱”记载重建了1644~1911年影响今华东浙、沪、苏的台风频率序列 F 清代史料中记载了该区受263次台风影响，年均0.98次。功率谱和小波分析显示18世纪中期至20世纪初，4 a周期表现最为明显. F 与Nino3指数基本对应，反映出入境华东的台风对极端ENSO事件并不敏感，强LaNina年和强ElNino年入境本区的台风频率基本相同。研究时段内，在多年代际尺度上，北半球及中国东部地区的增暖会增加影响华东沿海的台风发生频率     

Climate-related hydrological change and human vulnerability in remote mountain regions: a case study from Khumbu, Nepal

Inhabitants of mountainous regions in least developed countries are recognized to be among the most vulnerable to climate change globally. Despite this, human dimensions work is in its infancy in mountain regions where we have limited understanding of who is vulnerable (or adaptable), to what stresses, and why. This study develops a baseline understanding of vulnerability to climate-related hydrological changes in the mountainous Khumbu region of eastern Nepal. Using a vulnerability approach, 80 interviews combining fixed and open-ended questions were conducted in four communities representing the geographic and livelihood variability of the region. The study identifies four region-wide vulnerabilities currently affecting residents: reduced water access for household uses, declining crop yields, reduced water access for meeting the high water demands of tourists, and reduced hydro-electricity generation. These vulnerabilities are widespread among the population but arrange spatially as a function of varying exposure-sensitivity to hydrological change, livelihood opportunities, and access to foreign financial assistance. Our findings indicate that precipitation change (not glacial change) is the greatest biophysical driver of vulnerability.     

近十年鄱阳湖区极端干旱事件频发现象成因初析

近10 a来鄱阳湖区极端干旱事件频发，引起国内外媒体舆论的广泛关注。针对这一情况，运用流域降水、地表蒸散和出湖径流等数据，从流域水量收支平衡的角度，较为系统地分析了导致鄱阳湖区极端干旱事件频发的原因。结果表明，近10 a来鄱阳湖水文干旱起始日期提前，枯水期拉长。虽然干旱持续时间的长短呈现2~3 a的波动，但在总体上呈现逐渐加长的趋势。从流域水分收支的角度来看，近10 a来以水分亏缺为主，流域降水亏缺是基本的致旱因素，流域蒸散量增加则起到一定的增强作用，而出湖径流所起的作用比较复杂，在多数情况下其致旱的影响程度弱于流域降水作用。长江顶托作用强弱变化可以调节流域的水分收支平衡，强化或者减轻湖泊的干旱程度。2003、2004、2007、2008和2009年发生的极端干旱事件主要由流域水分收入项的大幅度减少所造成的，而长江水情变化在多数情况下加剧了流域水分收支的不平衡。这些研究结果明晰了鄱阳湖流域气象干旱与湖泊水文干旱之间的关系以及长江水情变化所扮演的重要角色，为应对未来的干旱变化和制定合理的抗旱防旱对策与措施提供了科学的依据     

An Empirical Study on the Environmental Kuznets Curve for China’s Carbon Emissions: Based on Provincial Panel Data

Abstract

Based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory, the authors choose provincial panel data of China in 1990–2007 and adopt panel unit root and co-integration testing method to study whether there is Environmental Kuznets Curve for China’s carbon emissions. The research results show that: carbon emissions per capita of the eastern region and the central region of China fit into Environmental Kuznets Curve, but that of the western region does not. On this basis, the authors carry out scenario analysis on the occurrence time of the inflection point of carbon emissions per capita of different regions, and describe a specific time path.     

中国水资源与农业经济增长关系研究——基于面板VAR模型

通过构建水资源与农业经济增长的面板VAR模型,利用1998-2009年中国省级面板数据,检验与分析了水资源与农业经济增长的内在依存和因果关系。研究结果表明:①东部、中部和西部地区水资源和农业经济增长之间存在长期协整关系;②无论在短期内,还是在长期内,东部、中部和西部地区的水资源均是推动农业经济增长的重要因素,并且随着时间的推移,水资源对农业经济增长的影响逐步加强;③农业经济增长对水资源的影响存在明显的区域差异。中部地区所受影响最大,东部次之,西部相对较小。因此,为实现水资源与农业经济增长的协调发展,中国应该提高农业水资源的利用效率,根据各区域水资源和农业经济增长的不同因果关系因地制宜地制定水资源政策。     

近50年鄱阳湖流域实际蒸发量的变化及影响因素

流域的实际蒸发是水文循环和水量平衡的重要组成部分，分析鄱阳湖流域的实际蒸发对该流域水资源研究有重要意义。选取应用范围较广的互补相关蒸发模型，估算鄱阳湖流域9个气象站1955～2001年实际蒸发量，采用统计学方法分析该时段流域实际蒸发的年内变化特征。结果表明:流域蒸发年内呈单峰型变化，峰值出现在7月份；季节变化上，夏季最大，冬季最小，春季高于秋季。选用Db3小波函数分析9站蒸发量变化趋势,结果表明:该流域蒸发量在计算时段内呈现逐步下降趋势，1998年左右转折，之后下降速度变缓。与流域同期降水量、潜在蒸发量以及太阳辐射、温度、水汽压差和风速等气象要素的对比分析认为，实际蒸发量下降的主要是由太阳净辐射和风速的下降引起的.     

西南地区不同地形降水稳定同位素特征及其水汽来源

为阐明西南地区不同地形对于降水稳定同位素的影响以及各个水汽团在地理上的分界线，选取四川盆地、云贵高原、青藏高原东部及横断山脉3个地区共10个研究点作为本次研究的对象，分析了西南地区大气降水中δD、δ18O的时空变化特征，并初步建立了3个地区大气降水线，探讨了降水稳定同位素与温度、降水量及水汽来源之间的关系，并利用HYSPLIT4.9模型分析追踪冬夏半年降水事件的水汽来源及运移路径。结果表明：西南地区降水稳定同位素存在显著的高程效应；δ18O=-0.0028H-3.93,R=0.89，降水中δ18Ｏ和δＤ值表现出由四川盆地-云贵高原-青藏高原东部与横断山脉地区逐渐贫化的趋势，季节变化规律特征为冬半年整体偏重，而夏半年整体偏轻。同时西南地区除昆明与成都地区外，d值整体上表现出夏低冬高的特征，符合我国季风降水影响区域的特点。3处地区大气降水线（LMWL）与全球大气降水线（GMWL）相比，四川盆地、青藏高原东部及横断山脉地区斜率与截距明显偏小，而云贵高原斜率与截距偏大，其主要与水汽凝结时温度、蒸发条件、水汽来源以及输送方式有关。温度效应和降水量效应在不同地区主导性存在差异，四川盆地地区、云贵高原地区、青藏高原东部以及横断山脉地区整体上不存在温度效应，存在显著降水量效应。西南各地区主导型水汽团也存在差异性，通过对不同地区冬夏季风期间主导型水汽团初步分析，受单一性水汽团影响的区域主要分布于西南部与东北部，而受多种水汽团影响的区域主要分布于西北部与东南部；贵阳-安顺一线处于西太平洋水汽团与孟加拉湾水汽团交界处，成都-卧龙-黄龙一线处于西太平洋水汽团与西风带水汽团的交界处。 关键词： 大气降水；稳定同位素；水汽来源；不同地形；西南地区     

鄱阳湖枯水水位及流速时空分布模拟

大型通江湖泊鄱阳湖水文节律独特,水位和流速是其生态系统功能维持的关键因子。为探究其水位和流速时空特征,基于EFDC(Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code)模型,利用五河及湖口水文数据、气象数据及湖底高程作为输入条件,模拟出鄱阳湖的枯水水文统计年(2010-07-01~2011-06-30)水位和流速时空变化过程。模拟结果表明:(1)星子等4个站点拟合程度较好(r20.85),达到了复杂湖库水动力模拟的精度。(2)高水位期,湖区水位空间分布无明显差异,水深直接受湖底高程影响,自上游至下游呈逐级递增;低水位期,鄱阳湖水位在空间上出现明显差异,湖区外缘水位至入江水道逐级递减,水深分布空间差异不大,仅入江水道处水深明显高于其他水域。(3)流速也包括一系列时空变化特征,如高水位时期流速小于低水位时期;除大水面时期外,深水道流速大于主湖区;高水位时期上游流速略高于下游,但其他月份,北部入江水道流速均大于南部湖区等。(4)流速与水位关系密切,且不同水位对应流速大小及分布有所差异。鄱阳湖枯水水位和流速模拟分析可为大型湖库枯水水情管理提供科学参考和辅助决策支持。