Modeling Postfire Response and Recovery using the Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC‐HMS)1

Abstract: This paper investigates application of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC‐HMS) to a burned watershed in San Bernardino County, California. We evaluate the HEC‐HMS’ ability to simulate discharge in prefire and postfire conditions in a semi arid watershed and the necessary parameterizations for modeling hydrologic response during the immediate, and subsequent recovery, period after a wildfire. The model is applied to City Creek watershed, which was 90% burned during the Old Fire of October 2003. An optimal spatial resolution for the HEC‐HMS model was chosen based on an initial sensitivity analysis of subbasin configurations and related model performance. Five prefire storms were calibrated for the selected model resolution, defining a set of parameters that reasonably simulate prefire conditions. Six postfire storms, two from each of the following rainy (winter) seasons were then selected to simulate postfire response and evaluate relative changes in parameter values and model behavior. There were clear trends in the postfire parameters [initial abstractions (I_a), curve number (CN), and lag time] that reveal significant (and expected) changes in watershed behavior. CN returns to prefire (baseline) values by the end of Year 2, while I_a approaches baseline by the end of the third rainy season. However, lag time remains significantly lower than prefire values throughout the three‐year study period. Our results indicate that recovery of soil conditions and related runoff response is not entirely evidenced by the end of the study period (three rainy seasons postfire). Understanding the evolution of the land surface and related hydrologic properties during the highly dynamic postfire period, and accounting for these changes in model parameterizations, will allow for more accurate and reliable discharge simulations in both the immediate, and subsequent, rainy seasons following fire.     

Solubility of toluene, benzene and TCE in high-microbial concentration systems

We report measurements of solubility limits for benzene, toluene, and TCE in systems that contain varying levels of biomass up to 0.13 g mL⁻¹ for TCE and 0.25 g mL⁻¹ for benzene and toluene. The solubility limit increased from 21 to 48 mM when biomass (in the form of yeast) was added to aqueous batch systems containing benzene. The toluene solubility limit increased from 4.9 to greater than 20 mM. For TCE, the solubility increased from 8 mM to more than 1000 mM. Solubility for TCE (trichloroethylene) was most heavily impacted by biomass levels, changing by two orders of magnitude as the microbial concentrations approach those in biofilms.     

皖南丘陵地区小流域氮素径流输出的动态变化

以亚热带北部皖南丘陵地区小流域定位实地观测为基础 ,研究了农林共存小流域氮素径流输出规律。发现小流域氮素径流输出季节性变化明显。降雨和施肥是影响这一变化的重要因子 ,模拟分析表明 ,它们与氮素输出之间具有很好的线性相关关系     

Acoustic concomitants of the defensive discharges of a primitive bombardier beetle (Metrius contractus)

Summary. Metrius contractus, a primitive paussoid bombardier beetle, emits its defensive quinonoid froth with accompanying sound (a faint “hiss”), but the sound is not pulsed, indicating that the secretory emission itself is not pulsed. Pulsed secretory delivery in bombardier beetles appears to occur in Brachinini only. Received 8 July 2001; accepted 23 July 2001.     

垂直面绿化植物遮阳系数与叶面积指数研究

比较、分析了农业研究中提出的叶面积指数LAI与用于建筑节能领域的垂直面绿化植物叶片遮阳系数SCPVW两个概念的异同和各自的应用范围。指出城市绿化采用水平或垂直绿化方式时,由于下垫面差异,植物叶片的遮阳系数应当分别采用LAI和SCPVW进行计算。     

降低超高压输电线路电晕噪声的对策研究

从电力金具的选型、设计、生产、运输、安装和优化改造等环节提出了降低超高压输电线路电晕噪声的对策措施。同时,通过对超高压输电线路铁塔可听噪声和金具电晕放电情况的检测,验证优化改造金具的降噪效果,查找金具安装的缺陷和漏洞,为金具制造和设计、预防电晕措施的选择及电力金具的改良、安装和运行等方面提供决策和参考依据。     

Inferring coastal processes from regional-scale mapping of Radon and salinity: examples from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The radon isotope ²²²Rn and salinity in coastal surface water were mapped on regional scales, to improve the understanding of coastal processes and their spatial variability. Radon was measured with a surface-towed, continuously recording multi-detector setup on a moving vessel. Numerous processes and locations of land-ocean interaction along the Central Great Barrier Reef coastline were identified and interpreted based on the data collected. These included riverine fluxes, terrestrially-derived fresh submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) and the tidal pumping of seawater through mangrove forests. Based on variations in the relationship of the tracers radon and salinity, some aspects of regional freshwater inputs to the coastal zone and to estuaries could be assessed. Concurrent mapping of radon and salinity allowed an efficient qualitative assessment of land-ocean interaction on various spatial and temporal scales, indicating that such surveys on coastal scales can be a useful tool to obtain an overview of SGD locations and processes.     

中国省际间农村居民收入结构和收入差距分析

在计算基尼系数的基础上,文章得出了改革开放以来中国省际间农村居民收入差距不断扩大的趋势,收入基尼系数从1981年的0.095一直上升到了2003年的0.181,直到近年来,收入差距才开始略有缩小。文章从收入结构的视角研究了省际间农村居民收入差距产生的原因。首先利用1983-2008年较长时期的数据分析了农村居民收入结构的变化,发现从总体上而言,中国各地区农村居民的收入结构均表现出了农业收入比重减少,非农收入比重增加的明显趋势;然后运用基尼系数的分解方法实证分析了不同收入来源对于收入差距的影响,研究发现,工资性收入是差距促增的,是目前中国省际间农村居民收入差距扩大最重要的原因,而家庭经营性收入者起着差距促减的作用,转移性收入和财产性收入的不平等程度较高,但是由于其在总收入中的比例不高,对总的收入差距影响较小。最后,文章提出了缩小省际间农村居民收入差距的政策建议。     

Polarity effect of pulsed corona discharge for the oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury

The effect of polarity on the oxidation of Hg⁰ was examined in the presence of O₂ via a pulsed corona discharge (PCD). The experimental result showed no difference in the energy yield of Hg⁰ oxidation at both positive and negative PCDs (∼8 μg Hg W h⁻¹ at following conditions: total flow rate = 2 L min⁻¹ (Hg⁰ = 50 μg N m⁻³, O₂ = 10%, and N₂ balance), temperature = 150 °C, and specific energy density = 5-15 W h N m⁻³). This suggests that the positive PCD process used to control gaseous air pollutants may play an essential key role in Hg⁰ oxidation because it consumes enough energy (∼15 W h N m⁻³) but an electrical precipitator could not because it consumes less energy (∼0.3 W h N m⁻³) to oxidize Hg⁰.