Modelling the propagation of an internal solitary wave across double ridges and a shelf-slope

Evolution of the internal solitary waves (ISWs) in the northern South China Sea (SCS) has recently attracted the attention of many oceanographers in Taiwan and the United States. These ISWs are believed to have been induced by a branch of the Kuroshio current over Luzon Strait, which propagates westward over two ridges in the Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines, and further onto the continental margin with a shelf-slope in the SCS. This paper presents some preliminary results for the evolution of a depression ISW across two triangular obstacles using numerical modelling and laboratory experiments. The experimental results confirm that the intervals and relative height between the two obstacles are important factors in the interaction of an ISW with the obstacles. However, in the case of the movement of an ISW of depression-type across the Luzon Strait, the effect of the two ridges on the characteristics of the ISW might be less significant than that from the shelf-slope, due to the variations in relative water depth. Results from numerical experiments also show that the amplitude of an ISW can be augmented once the wave commences its contact with a shelf-slope, where an internal hydraulic jump and wave breaking with vortex motion are evident in the laboratory experiments. Eventually, an ISW of depression-type could become an elevation-type at the edge of the continental shelf landwards beyond the turning point, where the upper layer is larger than the bottom layer in a stratified water column.     

Chelant-assisted pulse flushing of a field Pb-contaminated soil

Laboratory experiments on a lead-contaminated soil were carried out to test the effects of chelant addition on metal leachability using column tests. Tests were aimed at studying metal mobilisation upon application of two different chelating agents (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid [EDTA] and ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid [EDDS]). Column operation was arranged to simulate a flushing treatment in which the chelating agent is applied in a pulse mode to the soil for one bed volume, while deionised water was continuously introduced for the rest of the experiment. Two different concentrations (3 and 5 mmol·kg ^?1 respectively) of the two chelating agents and a control solution (deionised water) were tested in separate experiments; pH, total organic carbon and the total concentrations of Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd, Cu and Ni were monitored during each run. A seven-step sequential extraction procedure was used to evaluate metal partitioning and concentration in the contaminated soil after treatment as a function of depth. The results showed the effect of the nature of flushing solution on the hydraulic behaviour of the columns. Metal concentrations in the leachate increased considerably upon the application of chelants, thus indicating their suitability for metal extraction from contaminated soils. In view of full-scale application of soil flushing, particular concern should also be devoted to ensuring a homogeneous distribution of the solution within the contaminated area and an efficient collection of the exhausted extracting solution, as well as to recovering and recycling the chelating agent used.     

Terrestrial perturbation experiments for environmental assessment

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) was initially interpreted as requiring full disclosure of the environmental impact of a federal action. Because of the limitations of time, money, and manpower, the requirement that all impacts be considered has led to superficial analysis of many important impacts. Data collection has largely been limited to the enumeration of species because this information can be applied to the analysis of any problem. The President's Council on Environment Quality (CEQ) has provided a solution to this problem by reinterpreting NEPA as requiring analysis of those impacts that have significant bearing on decision making. Because assessment resources can now be concentrated on a few critical issues, it should be possible to perform field perturbation experiments to provide direct evidence of the effects of a specific mixture of pollutants or physical disturbances on the specific receiving ecosystem. Techniques are described for field simulation of gaseous and particulate air pollution, polluted rain, soil pollutants, disturbance of the soil, and disturbance of wildlife. These techniques are discussed in terms of their realism, cost, and the restrictions that they place on the measurement of ecological parameters. Development and use of these field perturbation techniques should greatly improve the accuracy of predictive assessments and further our understanding of ecosystem processes.Research sponsored by the Office of Health and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy, under contract W-7405-eng-26 with Union Carbide Corporation.Publication No. 1816, Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL.     

碳纤维增强尼龙复合材料低温环境适应性试验设计与分析

目的设计碳纤维增强尼龙复合材料低温环境适应性试验,分析低温环境中材料性能变化特征和老化规律,研究该材料在低温条件下的环境适应性。方法选取碳纤维增强尼龙复合材料的冲击强度为主要表征指标,对制备的缺口冲击试样开展-50℃低温试验和寒冷低温气候的自然环境试验,定期测试其冲击强度性能,分析各试验条件下力学性能特征和老化趋势。结果低温条件下碳纤维增强尼龙复合材料会发生明显脆化,表现为冲击强度下降达40%以上,而从低温恢复到常温状态,该材料性能亦会恢复到稳定值附近。结论针对碳纤维增强尼龙复合材料在低温环境下的环境适应性,其低温使用时抗冲击能力会明显下降,出现"脆化"现象,但该材料低温贮存性能较为优异,结合自然环境试验结果,可认为,低温环境下该材料具有较好的环境适应性。     

过量无机氮造成的富营养化对孔石莼存在下海水无机碳体系的影响

通过室内模拟培养,研究了孔石莼存在下过量无机氮对水体无机碳体系变化的影响及其机制.结果表明,无机氮的添加均会导致水体DIC、HCO^-₃和P(CO₂)的减少,pH和CO^2-₃的增加.当NO^-₃-N和NH⁺₄-N浓度分别低于71 μmol·L^-1和49.7 μmol·L^-1时,随着营养盐浓度的增加,水体无机碳体系各组分的变化幅度增大,其中以NO₃-3和NH₄-3组变化最为明显,至实验结束DIC分别较空白组下降了151 μmol·L^-1和232 μmol·L^-1;当NO^-₃-N和NH⁺₄-N浓度分别高于355 μmol·L^-1和248.5 μmol·L^-1时,则随着浓度的增加无机碳各组分的变化幅度减小.对无机碳的减少与孔石莼的生长(Δm)做相关性分析发现,二者密切相关(R=-0.91, P<0.000 1,n=11),当营养盐浓度促进孔石莼的生长时,水体DIC浓度下降,孔石莼干重增加;反之,当营养盐过量时,则会对其产生毒性作用,抑制其对无机碳的吸收.NH⁺₄-N对海水无机碳体系的影响较NO^-₃-N明显.     

Territorial meadow pipit males (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Anthus pratensis</Emphasis>; Passeriformes) become more aggressive in female presence

Although mate guarding as prevention of extra-pair copulation is common among birds, evidence for aggressive behaviour involving physical contact related to mate guarding in passerines is scarce and cases of the presence of one partner directly influencing the aggressiveness of the other are lacking. We investigated the intra-specific territorial behaviour of male meadow pipits (Anthus pratensis; Passeriformes: Motacillidae) at the beginning of the breeding season by placing a pipit model accompanied by an intra-specific song playback in the territory of socially paired males and compared the responses of males whose mates were physically present during trials with those whose females were out of sight. The level of aggression of males was significantly higher in the presence of the female; half of the males in this group physically attacked the model (the most intense and risky aggressive behaviour). Physical attacks did not occur among males whose female was absent during the trial; response to the playback by most of these males was only weak. This pattern may be related to the prevention of extra-pair copulation; if the risks involved in the conflict are outweighed by potential loss of paternity, such aggressive mate guarding may pay off. The apparently overlooked effect on the territorial behaviour of a partner’s passive physical presence during conflict should be further evaluated because it may be important for the design and interpretation of results of behavioural experiments.     

Simultaneous removal of NO and SO2 from dry gas stream using non-thermal plasma

In order to investigate the feasibility of sequential removal NO and SO_2 using non-thermal plasma and adsorbent simultaneously,the removal of NO and SO_2 from dry gas stream(NO/SO_2/N_2/O_2)with very little O_2 using non-thermal plasma was investigated using a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge.Comparative experiments were carried out in the dry gas stream with and without Ar respectively at O_2 concentration of 0.1%.The results showed that NO could be removed remarkably and it would be enhanced in the presence of Ar in the dry gas stream.It seems that SO_2 could not be removed unless there is Ar in the dry gas stream.The mechanism of removal of NO and SO_2 in the dry gas stream was discussed.