Impacts of land use conversion on bankfull discharge and mass wasting

Mass wasting and channel incision are widespread in the Nemadji River watershed of eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. While much of this is a natural response to glacial rebound, sediment coring and tree ring data suggest that land use has also influenced these erosional processes. We characterized land use, inventoried mass wasting, surveyed stream channels and collected discharge data along segments of five streams in the Nemadji River watershed. Due to natural relief in this region, wetlands and agricultural lands are concentrated in the flatter terrain of the uplands of the Nemadji watershed, while forestland (coniferous or deciduous) is concentrated in the deeply incised (50-200% slope) stream valleys. Bankfull discharge was higher where forests had been converted from coniferous to deciduous forests and where there were fewer wetlands. Mass wasting increased exponentially with bankfull flows. While mass wasting was not correlated with forest type conversion and agricultural land use, it was negatively dependent upon wetland extent in headwater areas. Interactions between the spatial distribution of land use and terrain obfuscate any clear cause-and-effect relationships between land use, hydrology and fluvial processes.     

SOLIDS DISTRIBUTION IN LAKE CHAPALA,MEXICO1

ABSTRACT: Lake Chapala is the largest natural water body in Mexico and also one of the most important shallow lakes in Latin America. For the past several years it has suffered various environmental problems such as the upstream overuse of water, contamination, and sedimentation. For the past 10 years the lake has had less than 50 percent of its historical water level over the past century. No criteria are reported in the literature that establish a water storage volume that will guarantee water quality conditions necessary for the survival of the lake. After determining the behavior of total solids concentrations in relation to the variations in the lake's depth, we proposed a minimum water column height of 5.0 m, representing a storage volume of about 5,000 Mm³. This volume would result in the recommended water quality standards for total dissolved solids. Calculated distribution maps show that the total solids concentration in the lake has increased since the end of the 1970s. The solids are primarily concentrated in the eastern part of the lake, as a consequence of the high solids discharged from the Lerma River, its main tributary.     

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON GREAT LAKES WATER BALANCE STUDIES1

ABSTRACT. Beginning of month water temperature profiles are estimated for each lake. These water temperature profiles along with surface water temperatures are used to determine the effects of thermal expansion and contraction of water on the net basin supply values obtained from water balance studies using end of month lake levels. It is demonstrated that net basin supply values (equivalent to precipitation on the lake minus the evaporation from the lake plus the runoff into the lake) obtained from water balance studies without accounting for the thermal expansion and contraction of water may be in error by as much as 100 percent during some months for each lake.     

DEOXYGENATION IN NATURAL STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: Deoxygenation process in which carbonaceous BOD is biochemically oxidized to reduced inorganic compounds is of great significance in the oxygen demand of stream waters. The BOD decay rate traditionally determined in a laboratory might not necessarily be the same as estimated for a natural stream. The variation in biochemical activity could occur due to differences in adsorption, dispersion, and biophysical processes taking place in the two environments. The first stage biochemical oxygen demand and benthal oxygen demand that occur simultaneously in a stream, have been considered together to calculate the gross rate of deoxygenation in polluted waters. The available data on deoxygenation measurements has been analyzed in this study to calculate the carbonaceous BOD rate constants in natural streams. The analysis indicates that the dimensionless deoxygenation parameter is a function of the ratio of the Reynolds number and Froude number of flow. The functional relationship between these two parameters essentially follows a straight line on a log-log plot. The applicability of the relationship does not depend upon the volume of the organic load, size, or location of the stream.     

中国北方草原雪灾的致灾机制探讨

北方草原雪灾是天灾 ,更是一种人祸。受拉尼娜事件影响的异常气候固然是致灾的客观原因 ,但是不合理的人类经济活动 ,如超载放牧、耕地过垦、滥挖草药、滥用水资源等社会经济压力 ,超过了草原生态阈限 ,使脆弱的草原生态平衡遭到严重破坏 ;粗放经营 ,草原基础设施落后 ,也使草原生态系统抵御灾害的能力降低 ;草原公有、牲畜私有之间的所有制相位差是激发牧民掠夺式利用草原资源的最根本原因。为了追求私人经济利益的最大化 ,放牧者往往置公共草原的承载能力于不顾 ,严重恶化的草原生态环境也许正是“公共物品悲剧”的真实写照。     

SPATIAL VARIABILITY IN WATER‐BALANCE MODEL PERFORMANCE IN THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES1

ABSTRACT: A monthly water‐balance (WB) model was tested in 44 river basins from diverse physiographic and climatic regions across the conterminous United States (U.S.). The WB model includes the concepts of climatic water supply and climatic water demand, seasonality in climatic water supply and demand, and soil‐moisture storage. Exhaustive search techniques were employed to determine the optimal set of precipitation and temperature stations, and the optimal set of WB model parameters to use for each basin. It was found that the WB model worked best for basins with: (1) a mean elevation less than 450 meters or greater than 2000 meters, and/or (2) monthly runoff that is greater than 5 millimeters (mm) more than 80 percent of the time. In a separate analysis, a multiple linear regression (MLR) was computed using the adjusted R‐square values obtained by comparing measured and estimated monthly runoff of the original 44 river basins as the dependent variable, and combinations of various independent variables [streamflow gauge latitude, longitude, and elevation; basin area, the long‐term mean and standard deviation of annual precipitation; temperature and runoff; and low‐flow statistics (i.e., the percentage of months with monthly runoff that is less than 5 mm)]. Results from the MLR study showed that the reliability of a WB model for application in a specific region can be estimated from mean basin elevation and the percentage of months with gauged runoff less than 5 mm. The MLR equations were subsequently used to estimate adjusted R‐square values for 1,646 gauging stations across the conterminous U.S. Results of this study indicate that WB models can be used reliably to estimate monthly runoff in the eastern U.S., mountainous areas of the western U.S., and the Pacific Northwest. Applications of monthly WB models in the central U.S. can lead to uncertain estimates of runoff.     

Composting of vinasse and cotton gin waste by using two different systems

Two composts were obtained by co-composting of a concentrated depotassified beet vinasse and cotton gin waste using two different aeration systems: static aerated pile (forced aeration provided by a blower whom operated in the positive mode) and windrow (turned pile). The composting mixtures were cotton gin trash (55%) and vinasse (45%) (dry weight). In static pile, the total amount of vinasse was added at the beginning of the process whereas, in windrow two additions of vinasse were performed. Differences in temperature changes between both composting systems were found: a faster increase of temperature in the windrow (54 °C at 7 days) than in the static pile (45 °C at 21 days) was observed. Probably in the static pile system, the compaction of the substrates made difficult the correct distribution of the air inside the pile. Moreover, after the second addition of vinasse a new thermophilic phase was started in windrow. The different aeration systems and the way of addition of vinasse could cause differences in organic matter (OM) degradation and in weight (22.6% for the static pile and 26.7% for the windrow) and gas losses during the process. Nevertheless, the composts obtained by the two systems had a high fertilizer value (25.1 g kg⁻¹ N; 3.2 g kg⁻¹ P₂O₅; 21.4 g kg⁻¹ K₂O; C/N8) for compost obtained in static pile and (16.2 g kg⁻¹ N; 3.4 g kg⁻¹ P₂O₅; 16.1 g kg⁻¹ K₂O; C/N 12) for compost obtained in the windrow). A high degree of stability was reached in the final composts. Composting of vinasse with cotton gin waste serves two objectives, disposal of wastes and recycling of waste components.     

基于单元格网的STREAM分布式水文模型及其应用——以太湖上游西苕溪流域为例

STREAM模型是基于单元格网的分布式水文模型，可以利用易于获取的地理信息，揭示气候变化及下垫面改变对水循环的复杂影响。选择太湖上游西苕溪流域为研究区，采用1979～1999年的26个降水站实测序列和不同时段的土地利用数据，应用GIS流域分析方法与空间插值技术建立300 m的流域格网信息，并通过BLAISE脚本语言实现STREAM模型与GIS的集成，应用1979～1999年水文站实测序列对模型进行率定和验证。结果显示月径流量和年径流量模拟与实测值吻合良好，1980～1988年模型率定期，月径流量的确定性系数为078，年径流量的确定性系数为086，各年平均相对误差仅为6％；1989～1999年模型验证期，月径流量的确定性系数为075，年径流量的确定性系数为082，各年平均相对误差为95％。研究证实模型有较强的预测能力，在流域管理与决策中具有较好的应用前景。     

我国煤中汞含量水平及洗选过程汞流向分析

介绍了我国煤中汞含量与分布特征、煤中汞的赋存形态,分析了汞释放对环境的影响以及汞的脱除与控制技术。结果表明:我国(华南)晚三叠世(T3)煤中汞含量最高,平均含量为0.26μg/g;贫煤和无烟煤中汞含量最高,平均含量都超过0.20μg/g。含汞较高的晚三叠世、晚二叠世煤田主要分布于华南各地;多数煤中汞含量在0.300μg/g以下,但华南的江西、广西、贵州等地煤中汞含量总体水平较高;汞的赋存形态可分为有机结合态和无机结合态,煤中汞的控制方法可分为利用前脱汞、利用(燃烧)后脱汞和过程中汞形态转化。提出了煤炭洗选过程汞分布、脱除率和汞平衡等计算公式,指出了煤炭洗选过程中汞迁移行为的主要影响因素。     

Formation of iodo-trihalomethanes, iodo-haloacetic acids, and haloacetaldehydes during chlorination and chloramination of iodine containing waters in laboratory controlled reactions

Iodine containing disinfection by-products (I-DBPs) and haloacetaldehydes (HALs) are emerging disinfection by-product (DBP) classes of concern. The former due to its increased potential toxicity and the latter because it was found to be the third most relevant DBP class in mass in a U.S. nationwide drinking water study. These DBP classes have been scarcely investigated, and this work was performed to further explore their formation in drinking water under chlorination and chloramination scenarios. In order to do this, iodo-trihalomethanes (I-THMs), iodo-haloacetic acids (I-HAAs) and selected HALs (mono-HALs and di-HALs species, including iodoacetaldehyde) were investigated in DBP mixtures generated after chlorination and chloramination of different water matrices containing different levels of bromide and iodide in laboratory controlled reactions. Results confirmed the enhancement of I-DBP formation in the presence of monochloramine. While I-THMs and I-HAAs contributed almost equally to total I-DBP concentrations in chlorinated water, I-THMs contributed the most to total I-DBP levels in the case of chloraminated water. The most abundant and common I-THM species generated were bromochloroiodomethane, dichloroiodomethane, and chlorodiiodomethane. Iodoacetic acid and chloroiodoacetic acid contributed the most to the total I-HAA concentrations measured in the investigated disinfected water. As for the studied HALs, dihalogenated species were the compounds that predominantly formed under both investigated treatments.