局部断层场地对平面SV波的散射

借助Wolf的土层和半空间精确动力刚度矩阵及斜线荷载的格林函数,利用间接边界元法在频域内求解了局部断层场地对SV波的散射,着重分析了破碎带较窄断层两侧围岩动力响应的基本规律,以及场地动力特性对散射的影响.研究表明,破碎带断层对SV波有显著的影响,即使破碎带很窄,也可以对SV波产生很大的放大作用;层状场地的动力特性对放大作用有显著的影响.     

A Comparative Study of Environmental Tobacco Smoke Particulate Mass Measurements in an Environmental Chamber

Particulate mass concentration measurements have been made on environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for the purpose of assessing the relative accuracy of several measurement procedures. ETS over a range of concentrations was generated in an environmental chamber by three methods. Mass concentration was measured by a gravimetric/spectrophotometric collection procedure, piezoelectric particle mass monitors, two nephelometry-based mass monitors, and a particle counting and sizing system. Two-hour average mass concentrations were determined by each method for concentrations ranging from very low levels up to those achieved by smoking one entire cigarette in the chamber. Statistical comparisons were made among procedures employing the gravimetric filter measurement as the basis for comparison. One nephelometry-based procedure gave significantly higher and the other significantly lower values than the filter determination. In one case, a correction for the difference between the particle mass density of the calibrating aerosol and that of ETS brought the nephelometry-based procedure into reasonable agreement with the filter measurement, while for the other, the correction did not resolve the discrepancy between methods. Statistically significant differences between the responses of two supposedly identical piezoelectric mass monitors were found, as was some slight dependence of the nephelometry- based procedures on method of ETS generation. In summary, the results indicate that significant errors can be expected if the instruments studied are used “off the shelf,” even for ETS generated under controlled laboratory conditions. Caution should be employed in field measurements where numerous sources and types of particulate matter can be encountered.     

Direct comparison of 210Po, 234Th and POC particle-size distributions and export fluxes at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site

Particle-reactive, naturally occurring radionuclides are useful tracers of the sinking flux of organic matter from the surface to the deep ocean. Since the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) began in 1987, the disequilibrium between ²³⁴Th and its parent ²³⁸U has become widely used as a technique to measure particle export fluxes from surface ocean waters. Another radionuclide pair, ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb, can be used for the same purpose but has not been as widely adopted due to difficulty with accurately constraining the ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb radiochemical balance in the ocean and because of the more time-consuming radiochemical procedures. Direct comparison of particle flux estimated in different ocean regions using these short-lived radionuclides is important in evaluating their utility and accuracy as tracers of particle flux. In this paper, we present paired ²³⁴Th/²³⁸U and ²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb data from oligotrophic surface waters of the subtropical Northwest Atlantic and discuss their advantages and limitations. Vertical profiles of total and particle size-fractionated ²¹⁰Po and ²³⁴Th activities, together with particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations, were measured during three seasons at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site. Both ²¹⁰Po and ²³⁴Th reasonably predict sinking POC flux caught in sediment traps, and each tracer provides unique information about the magnitude and efficiency of the ocean's biological pump.     

Evaluation of alternative PCB clean-up strategies using an individual-based population model of mink

Population models can be used to place observed toxic effects into an assessment of the impacts on population-level endpoints, which are generally considered to provide greater ecological insight and relevance. We used an individual-based model of mink to evaluate the population-level effects of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the impact that different remediation strategies had on mink population endpoints (population size and extinction risk). Our simulations indicated that the initial population size had a strong impact on mink population dynamics. In addition, mink populations were extremely responsive to clean-up scenarios that were initiated soon after the contamination event. In fact, the rate of PCB clean-up did not have as strong a positive effect on mink as did the initiation of clean-up (start time). We show that population-level approaches can be used to understand adverse effects of contamination and to also explore the potential benefits of various remediation strategies.     

国外有机市政固废批处理厌氧消化工艺介绍

批处理厌氧消化工艺是厌氧处理技术的一种,其通过序批式进料、连续式操作的设计,可简化物料的预处理工序和厌氧发酵过程控制,从而达到降低投资成本及运营费用的目的,使其相对其他固废厌氧处理技术形成优势。调整厌氧渗滤液回收循环方式及批处理反应器的数量,可形成一系列改进后的批处理工艺,包括序批式和阶段式的批处理系统。有机市政固废经厌氧消化后,不仅可以减量化及稳定化,而且还可以获取能源及回收有用物质。文章对目前国外主要的有机固废批处理厌氧消化工艺进行了分析,并针对国内的固废特征给出了建议。     

Integration of traditional and innovative characterization techniques for flux-based assessment of Dense Non-aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) sites

Key attributes of the source zone and the expanding dissolved plume at a trichloroethene (TCE) site in Australia were evaluated using trends in groundwater monitoring data along with data from on-line volatile organic compound (VOC) samplers and passive flux meters (PFMs) deployed in selected wells. These data indicate that: (1) residual TCE source mass in the saturated zone, estimated using two innovative techniques, is small ( 10 kg), which is also reflected in small source mass discharge ( 3 g/day); (2) the plume is disconnecting, based on TCE concentration contours and TCE fluxes in wells along a longitudinal transect; (3) there is minimal biodegradation, based on TCE mass discharge of  6 g/day at a plume control plane  175 m from source, which is also consistent with aerobic geochemical conditions observed in the plume; and (4) residual TCE in the vadose zone provides episodic inputs of TCE mass to the plume during infiltration/recharge events. TCE flux data also suggest that the small residual TCE source mass is present in the low-permeability zones, thus making source treatment difficult. Our analysis, based on a synthesis of the archived data and new data, suggests that source treatment is unwarranted, and that containment of the large TCE plume ( 1.2 km long,  0.3 km wide; 17 m deep;  2000–2500 kg TCE mass) or institutional controls, along with a long-term flux monitoring program, might be necessary. The flux-based site management approach outlined in this paper provides a novel way of looking beyond the complexities of groundwater contamination in heterogeneous domains, to make intelligent and informed site decisions based on strategic measurement of the appropriate metrics.     

The Accuracy of Mortality Reporting in Displaced Persons Camps During the Post-emergency Phase

For humanitarian organisations, accurate data are essential to identify emerging health problems and determine programme needs. We visited 45 post-emergency phase displaced persons camps and collected three months' mortality data which we compared with organisations' routine mortality reports. Organisations reported 612 deaths and we identified 741 deaths, for a mortality-reporting ratio, defined as the number of organisation-reported deaths divided by the number of investigator-identified deaths, of 83 per cent. For the majority of camps which under-reported deaths, mortality reporting ratios were significantly higher for women than men, and for camps with central mortality registers rather than those without. In the few camps which over-reported deaths, these occurred primarily among children younger than five years of age, probably due to the inclusion of abortions and stillbirths. Despite the overall under-reporting of deaths by humanitarian organisations, the existing health information systems appear to estimate mortality rates adequately in these post-emergency camps. However, organisations should improve the precision and completeness with which they report the characteristics of deaths in order to provide valuable data to target their programmes at the most vulnerable people.     

Inferred effects of cloud deposition on forest floor nutrient cycling and microbial properties along a short elevation gradient

Cloud water deposition often increases with elevation, and it is widely accepted that this cloud water increases acid loading to upland forest ecosystems. A study was undertaken in south-eastern Quebec to determine if a 250 m elevation gradient (i.e. 420-665 m), along a uniform sugar-maple stand on the slope of Mount Orford, corresponded to a pH gradient in the forest floor and to predictable changes in soil nutrient availability and microbial properties. Precipitation data from a nearby study, and a photographic survey, provided presumptive evidence that this elevation gradient corresponded to a strong gradient in cloud water deposition. Forest floor temperature did not differ significantly across elevations. Forest floor moisture content was significantly higher, whereas pH and exchangeable Ca and Mg were significantly lower, at the higher elevations. Average seasonal net nitrification rates, determined by long-term laboratory incubations, did not differ significantly across elevations, whereas average seasonal net ammonification rates were significantly higher at higher elevations. Basal respiration rates and microbial biomass did not differ significantly across elevations, but metabolic quotient was significantly higher at higher elevations indicating possible environmental stress on forest floor microbial communities due to cloud water deposition. Anaerobic N mineralisation rates were significantly higher at higher elevations suggesting that N-limited microbial communities frequently exposed to cloud cover can be important short-term sinks for atmospheric N, thereby contributing to increase the active-N fraction of forest floors. We conclude that, where no significant changes in vegetation or temperature occur, elevation gradients can still be used to understand the spatial variability of nutrient cycles and microbial properties.     

Exploring Environmental Data in a Highly Immersive Virtual Reality Environment

Geography inherently fills a 3D space and yet we struggle with displaying geography using, primarily, 2D display devices. Virtual environments offer a more realistically-dimensioned display space and this is being realized in the expanding area of research on 3D Geographic Information Systems (GISs). Traditionally, a GIS has only limited tools for statistical analysis, and 3D GIS research has concentrated on the visualization of the geographical terrain. Here we discuss linking multivariate statistical graphics to geography in the highly immersive C2 virtual reality environment at Iowa State University using mid-Atlantic streams data.     

Spatial patterns in forest composition and standing dead red spruce in montane forests of the Adirondacks and northern Appalachians

The decline of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) in montane forests of the northeastern United States has been previously reported. The objective of this study was to assess spatial patterns, if any, in standing dead red spruce stems in the Adirondacks of New York and northern Appalachians of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. A stratified random sample of 19 mountains along a west to east transect in the Adirondacks and the northern Appalachians showed that the live basal area of all species was highest in the White Mountains (34.6 m² ha^–1) and lowest in the Adirondack Mountains (23.7 m² ha^–1) in the Green Mountains was significantly lower than in any other region. Intact standing dead red spruce in the Adirondack and Green Mountains (30%) was significantly higher than that in the three eastern clusters (14%). The amount of intact standing dead red spruce trees increased with elevation in only the western part of the region. With the exception of the Adirondacks, there was a greater average percent dead red spruce on the west side than on the east side of each mountain. The sum of standing dead for other tree species (average 13%) showed no statistically significant patterns with region, elevation or aspect, and was significantly lower than the amount of total dead red spruce (average 42%). The standing dead red spruce patterns we observed cannot be associated with any specific causal factors at this time.