Discriminate Analysis for Dust Storm Prediction in the Gobi and Steppe Regions in Mongolia

A discriminate analysis method for probability forecast of dust storms in Mongolia has been developed. The prediction method uses data recorded at 23 meteorological stations in the Gobi and steppe regions of Mongolia, including surface air pressure and geo-potential height at the 500-hPa level on grid points, and weather maps from 1975 to 1990. Weather elements such as air temperature, pressure, geo-potential height etc, which influence the formation of dust storms, are prepared as predictors. To select the most informative/important predictors (variables), we used a mean correlation matrix of variables together with the Mahalonobis distance, and correlation coefficients between dust storms and predictors with an orthogonalization for removing correlated predictors. The most informative predictors for dust storm prediction are intensities of surface cyclones and migratory anticyclones, passage of cold fronts, the horizontal gradients of the surface air pressure in the cold frontal zone, cyclonic circulations from the ground surface up to the 500-hPa level, the geo-potential height at 500-hPa level and its temporal changes. Selected predictors are used in discriminate analysis for formulating dust storm prediction equations. Sandstorm data have been classified into three classes, viz., strong, moderate and weak dust storms, depending on their intensities, durations and areas covered. Predictions of the probabilities of dust storm occurrence use the prediction equations for each class. The prediction is made from 12 hours to 36 hours. Verification of the probability forecasts of dust storms is also shown. The accuracy of forecasts is 72.2–79.9% with the data used for developing equations (dependent variables), in contrast to 67.1–72.0% with unrelated data for deriving equations (independent variables).     

大气环境影响评价工作分级要求要点

根据大气环境影响评价工作的分级要求,提出了针对性的工作要点,以满足大气环境评价工作的需要.     

Information Network Topologies for Enhanced Local Adaptive Management

We examined the principal effects of different information network topologies for local adaptive management of natural resources. We used computerized agents with adaptive decision algorithms with the following three fundamental constraints: (1) Complete understanding of the processes maintaining the natural resource can never be achieved, (2) agents can only learn by experimentation and information sharing, and (3) memory is limited. The agents were given the task to manage a system that had two states: one that provided high utility returns (desired) and one that provided low returns (undesired). In addition, the threshold between the states was close to the optimal return of the desired state. We found that networks of low to moderate link densities significantly increased the resilience of the utility returns. Networks of high link densities contributed to highly synchronized behavior among the agents, which caused occasional large-scale ecological crises between periods of stable and high utility returns. A constructed network involving a small set of experimenting agents was capable of combining high utility returns with high resilience, conforming to theories underlying the concept of adaptive comanagement. We conclude that (1) the ability to manage for resilience (i.e., to stay clear of the threshold leading to the undesired state as well as the ability to re-enter the desired state following a collapse) resides in the network structure and (2) in a coupled social–ecological system, the systemwide state transition occurs not because the ecological system flips into the undesired state, but because managers lose their capacity to reorganize back to the desired state. An erratum to this article can be found at .     

Estimating the Recreational-Use Value for Hiking in Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia

The recreational-use value of hiking in the Bellenden Ker National Park, Australia has been estimated using a zonal travel cost model. Multiple destination visitors have been accounted for by converting visitors’ own ordinal ranking of the various sites visited to numerical weights, using an expected-value approach. The value of hiking and camping in this national park was found to be $AUS 250,825 per year, or $AUS 144,45 per visitor per year, which is similar to findings from other studies valuing recreational benefits. The management of the park can use these estimates when considering the introduction of a system of user pays fees. In addition, they might be important when decisions need to be made about the allocation of resources for maintenance or upgrade of tracks and facilities.     

Life cycle energy impacts of automotive liftgate inner

This paper compares the life cycle energy use of a cast-aluminum, rear liftgate inner and a conventional, stamped steel liftgate inner used in a minivan. Using the best available aggregate life cycle inventory data and a simple spreadsheet-level analysis, energy comparisons were made at both the single-vehicle and vehicle-fleet levels. Since the product manufacture and use are distributed over long periods of time that, in a fleet, are not simple linear combinations of single product life cycles. Thus, it is all the products in use over a period of time, rather than a single product, that are more appropriate for the life cycle analysis. Using a set of consistent data, analyses also examine sensitivity to the level of analysis and the assumptions to determine the most favorable materials with respect to life cycle energy benefits.As expected, life cycle energy impacts of aluminum are lower than steel at a single-vehicle level – energy savings are determined to be 1.8 GJ/vehicle. Most energy savings occur at the vehicle operation phase due to improved fuel economy from lightweighting. The energy benefits are realized only very close to the average vehicle life of 14 years. With the incremental growth of the vehicle fleet, it takes longer – about 21 years – for aluminum to achieve life cycle equivalence with steel. The number of years aluminum needs to achieve equivalence with steel was found to be quite sensitive to aluminum manufacturing energy and fuel economy. As the steel industry races to compete with other materials for automotive lightweighting, a systems approach, instead of part-to-part comparison, is more appropriate in the determination of viability of aluminum substitution from an energy perspective.     

长江上游重庆段近20 a降水时空变化特征

全球气候变暖背景下,中国的降水分布日趋复杂,气象灾害造成的损失巨大。为满足防灾减灾与水资源管理的数据支撑需求,基于长江上游重庆段近20 a降水数据,利用线性回归、M-K非参数检验等方法,探究降水的时间变化趋势与空间分异特征。结果表明：近20 a重庆市年降水量在875.6—1348.2 mm。时间上,春、秋两季呈明显增多的趋势,其中3月最显著。降水在14 a时间尺度的周期过程线中波动最强,是第一主周期。空间分布上,呈西低东高的特点,在渝西和长江河谷地区降水相对偏少,主要受重庆地形的影响;渝西和渝东北地区秋季降水显著增多。研究结果可为长江流域旱涝灾害防治、水资源开发利用及经济社会可持续发展提供数据支撑,同时可为植被修复与生态廊道保障提供参考。     

稳定同位素混合模型揭示的长江下游新石器时代人群摄食策略

长江下游地区是稻作农业的主要起源地之一。然而,水稻对长江下游新石器时代人群饮食的贡献程度仍不清晰。稳定同位素混合模型能够量化揭示长江下游地区史前人群的摄食策略。系统收集长江下游地区已发表的人骨、动物骨和植物稳定碳氮同位素数据,基于稳定同位素混合模型,对长江下游地区新石器时代人群的摄食策略进行研究。结果发现：距今7.0—5.3 ka长江下游地区人群可能摄食多种动植物资源,该时期水稻对人类饮食的贡献与其他植物资源基本相当。距今5.3—4.3 ka,水稻已超过其他动植物资源,成为美人地遗址人群的主要食物资源。研究揭示了长江下游新石器时代文明化进程与稻作农业发展具有同步性,狩猎采集经济则为该区域文明化进程起到基础支撑作用。     

火灾烟气中有毒气体的体积分数分布与危害

研究火灾烟气的成分与其体积分数分布是火灾科学的一项重要内容。为了更好地研究建筑火灾烟气的释放过程并为建筑材料评价提供依据，采用文献综述的方法论述了建筑火灾烟气的主要有毒成分、体积分数范围(即浓度范围)与危险含量(即危险浓度)，还介绍了常用的烟气分析方法，说明了对火灾烟气的产生机理和火灾烟气成分的检测方法等还需要进行深入的研究。     

考虑应变速率影响的混凝土重力坝非线性地震响应分析

通过引入应变速率、损伤变量以及刚度退化指标等参数,建立了应变率相关的混凝土弹塑性损伤模型。运用该模型对某重力坝厂房坝段分别就率相关及率无关两种情况进行了三维非线性地震响应时程分析。深入研究了混凝土应变速率等相关特性对结构动力响应的影响。结果表明,应变速率对混凝土的力学性能有一定的影响,随着应变速率的增加,坝体结构的变形减小,主拉应力有所提高,应变能有所减小以及开裂损伤有一定的降低。所得结论对混凝土重力坝的震害研究有一定的参考价值。     

基于GIS的上海市嘉定区暴雨积涝灾害风险区划研究

根据2006-2012年上海嘉定区9个气象站点的小时降水资料,结合嘉定区的社会经济与自然地理要素,构建一个集致灾因子、孕灾环境、承灾体及防灾减灾能力为一体的区域暴雨积涝风险评价模型。通过GIS技术实现各指标的栅格化,并利用指数模型对各因子基于500 m×500 m栅格的基本单元进行计算,编制嘉定区的暴雨积涝灾害风险区划图,构成嘉定区五个等级的风险,分别为高、次高、中等、次低和低。区划结果表明嘉定区的暴雨积涝灾害危险性指数从中心向外围成递减的趋势,且嘉定镇、新城和工业南区相对风险较高,华亭、徐行、南航和江桥风险相对较低。经嘉定区历年暴雨积涝灾情资料、典型暴雨积涝案例和专家的验证,均表明风险区划的结果和实际灾情符合度较高,对嘉定暴雨积涝的防灾减灾具有重要的现实指导意义。