黄土沉积物中次生细粒强磁性矿物记录的古气候信息

伊犁地区位于我国新疆地区西北部,为天山山脉环绕。区内降水自西向东递增,而温 度则由于海拔高度的抬升而逐渐降低。上述地理环境有利于分析和探讨温度和降水与黄土沉积 物中次生细粒强磁性颗粒数量之间关系。本研究在伊犁河谷西部地区,对不同海拔高度黄土表 层沉积物进行样品采集。环境磁学分析结果显示：黄土沉积物中次生细粒强磁性矿物含量与降 水量之间存在很好的正相关关系,而与温度之间存在反相关关系。结合黄土高原的研究结果可 以发现：温度对黄土沉积物中次生细粒强磁性矿物的数量影响微弱,降水是控制其含量的主要 因素;即：在黄土古气候研究中,次生细粒强磁性矿物的磁化率可以作为古降水量的代用指标, 但对温度变化不敏感。     

鞍钢钢绳厂生产污水处理的工艺设计及运行效果

本文介绍了鞍钢钢绳厂生产废水处理工艺,包括沉淀系统、气浮系统、砂滤罐过滤系统。通过试验确定p H为11时,沉淀系统对Zn2+的去除率达到98.4%。通过正交试验确定当PAC用量为20 mg/L、PAM用量为2 mg/L、p H 7.5、气浮压力为1.2 Mpa时气浮系统对钢绳厂废水中SS、石油类、COD的去除率分别达到90%、70%、70%。经过砂滤罐过滤系统后废水中的SS为20 mg/L、石油类为2 mg/L、COD为48 mg/L,其去除率分别达到94%、78%、80%。     

中亚地区气溶胶时空分布及其对云和降水的影响

中亚地区属干旱半干旱气候区,是水资源缺乏最严重的地区之一,也是全球沙尘气溶胶贡献度较大的区域.利用MODIS气溶胶和云资料以及校准后的TRMM降水数据,可从宏观角度分析中亚地区气溶胶、云、降水的时空分布特征,研究气溶胶与云和降水之间的相互影响关系.结果表明:1中亚地区年平均气溶胶光学厚度表现为春季(0~1)夏季(0~0.8)冬季(0~0.42)秋季(0~0.38),2002—2013年间整体呈现增加趋势;冬季COD量值明显高于其他3个季节,12年间整体表现出下降趋势,夏季变化较小,增幅为-0.876%,冬季最大,增幅为-1.713%;云水路径的区域性和季节性变化较为明显,整体处于降低趋势,其中秋季的新疆塔里木盆地变化最为显著,年变化为-6.607%;利用实测降水数据对TRMM月降水数据进行校准处理,可有效提升数据精度,新疆境内夏季降水占年降水量的比重较大,春、秋次之,咸海地区降水量年内分配相对较均匀,季节性差异不明显,中亚干旱区作为一个整体,降水呈现出增加趋势,其中,冬季降水的增加趋势最明显.2气溶胶光学厚度与云光学厚度呈负相关;与云滴粒子有效半径关系复杂,受水汽影响较大,在云层含水量较低的情况下,云滴粒子与气溶胶光学厚度呈负相关,而在云层含水量较高的情况下,二者呈正相关;云水路径随着气溶胶光学厚度的增加而减小,随AOD的变化的敏感程度在秋季最高,冬季最低.3气溶胶和降水关系复杂,整体来看,中亚地区气溶胶抑制降水.     

不同生物质炭对酸雨及氧化性沉降下花生生长及累积砷镉的影响

通过温室盆栽试验,研究了普通生物质炭和铁基生物质炭对酸雨及氧化性沉降下不同生育期花生生长及累积砷、镉(As、Cd)的影响.结果表明,酸雨及50μmol·L-1H2O2沉降处理对处于花期及成熟期中花生的生物量、根瘤数和瘤干重的影响不显著(p0.05),但却显著增加了花生籽粒中Cd的含量和花生壳中As的含量(p0.05).其中,铁基生物质炭可显著降低酸雨及氧化性沉降下花生地上部、根部、籽粒、壳中累积As、Cd含量(p0.05),且作用效果明显强于普通生物质炭.由此可知,酸雨及氧化性沉降增加了花生对土壤重金属As、Cd的富集,而施加铁基生物质炭可有效降低作物的As、Cd累积,为有效防控酸雨及氧化性沉降区域的花生砷、镉重金属污染具有重要现实意义.     

乌鲁木齐市一次冷空气过境天气对空气污染的影响分析

根据对2006年11月20～28日乌鲁木齐市出现冷空气过境天气过程的天气形式和主要气象要素及空气污染变化情况进行的分析,结果表明:冷空气过境天气前后,诸多气象要素发生了变化,冷空气导致逆温层的破坏和降水过程使各项污染物均得到有效的清除.通过此分析可为类似天气的空气质量预报提供思路.     

A study of climate change and anthropogenic impacts in West Africa

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: During the last decades ecological conditions in West Africa have dramatically changed. Very evident is the climate change, which has resulted in a southward shift of the climate zones, e.g. a spread of the desert (Sahara) into the Sahelian zone. After the drought period of the early 1970s and 1980s, livestock density increased resulting in an intensification of grazing pressure. This anthropogenous phenomenon leads to similar landscape changes as those caused by the climate. Only very few investigations exist on vegetation dynamics, climate changes and land use changes for the Sudanian zone. The paper presents data on changes of precipitation, of land use, of the geographical range of species, and of the composition of the flora, which have to be regarded as proofs of the sahelisation of large areas of the Sudanian zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Area of investigation: Burkina Faso. Precipitation data analysis: precipitation data from 67 stations; time series analysis and geo-statistical spatial interpolation. Analysis of land use change: Landsat satellite MSS and ETM+ data, acquired for two different dates between 1972 and 2001 analyzed by the software ERDAS/IMAGINE version 8.6 and ArcView 3.2 with the Spatial Analyst extension. Intensive ground truthing (160 training areas). Inventory of the flora: based on the data of the Herbarium Senckenbergianum (FR) in Frankfurt, Germany, and of the herbarium of the university of Ouagadougou (OUA), Burkina Faso, as well as on various investigations on the vegetation of Burkina Faso carried out in the years 1990 to 2005 by the team of the senior author. Life form analysis of the flora: based on the inventory of permanent plots. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Precipitation: Remarkable latitudinal shift of isohyets towards the South translates to a general reduction of average rainfall in great parts of the country. The last decade (1990-1999) shows some improvement, however, the more humid conditions of the 1950's and 1960's are not yet established again. Landcover change: In the study region the extent of arable fields and young fallows increased during the last 30 years from 580 km(2) in 1972 to 2870 km(2) in 2001. This means an average land cover conversion rate of 0.9% per year for the 6 departments considered. Change of the distribution of Sahelian and Sudanian species: Several species, mentioned in older literature as strictly Sahelian, today also occur in the Sudanian zone. Parallel to the spread of former strictly Sahelian species into the Sudanian zone, some former Sahelo-Sudanian species have withdrawn from the Sahel. Changes of the life form spectra of the flora: Considering their life form spectra, the flora of heavily grazed and of protected areas in the Sudanian zone show great differences. On areas intensively grazed the percentage of therophytes is evidently higher than on protected areas. Just the opposite is true for the phanerophytes. Their percentage is higher on the protected area than on the grazed zones. At the first glance, it is obvious to link the changes in flora and vegetation with the climate changes that have occurred during the last five decades (decrease of annual precipitation). However, not only climatic conditions have changed, but also population has increased, the percentage of land intensively used for agriculture and pasturing has increased and the time for soil regeneration today is much shorter than it was some decades ago. Thus, the landscape of the Sudanian zone has become a more Sahelian character. A comparison of the flora of an intensively used area of the Sudanian zone with that of a protected area shows a remarkable change in the life form spectra. The spectrum of the intensively used area is almost identical with that of the typical Sahelian flora. This comparison shows that the anthropogenic influence plays a greater role in the sahelisation of the Sudanian zone than the climate change. CONCLUSION: Climate change and anthropogenic influence both, lead to a sahelisation of landscape and flora. Thus in many parts of the Sudanian zone of West Africa sahelisation phenomena will remain and even increase independently from the reestablishment of the more humid climate conditions of the 1950ies. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: In order to maintain some parts of the characteristic Sudanian landscape with its characteristic flora and vegetation, the number and size of protected areas should be augmented. For all protected areas it has to be ensured, that protection is reality, i.e. respected an understood by local people, not only fiction. As long as the enlargement of intensively used areas continues the sahelisation of flora, vegetation and landscape will continue too.     

Impacts of Changes in Precipitation Amount and Distribution on Water Resources Studied Using a Model Rainwater Harvesting System

Water supply reliability is expected to be affected by both precipitation amount and distribution changes under recent and future climate change. We compare historical (1951‐2010) changes in annual‐mean and annual‐maximum daily precipitation in the global set of station observations from Global Historical Climatology Network and climate models from the Inter‐Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI‐MIP), and develop the study to 2011‐2099 for model projections under high radiative forcing scenario (RCP8.5). We develop a simple rainwater harvesting system (RWHS) model and drive it with observational and modeled precipitation. We study the changes in mean and maximum precipitation along with changes in the reliability of the model RWHS as tools to assess the impact of changes in precipitation amount and distribution on reliability of precipitation‐fed water supplies. Results show faster increase in observed maximum precipitation (10.14% per K global warming) than mean precipitation (7.64% per K), and increased reliability of the model RWHS driven by observed precipitation by an average of 0.2% per decade. The ISI‐MIP models show even faster increase in maximum precipitation compared to mean precipitation. However, they imply decreases in mean reliability, for an average 0.15% per decade. Compared to observations, climate models underestimate the increasing trends in mean and maximum precipitation and show the opposite direction of change in reliability of a model water supply system.     

Recent Changes in Stream Flashiness and Flooding,and Effects of Flood Management in North Carolina and Virginia

The southeastern United States has undergone anthropogenic changes in landscape structure, with the potential to increase (e.g., urbanization) and decrease (e.g., reservoir construction) stream flashiness and flooding. Assessment of the outcome of such change can provide insight into the efficacy of current strategies and policies to manage water resources. We (1) examined trends in precipitation, floods, and stream flashiness and (2) assessed the relative influence of land cover and flow‐regulating features (e.g., best management practices and artificial water bodies) on stream flashiness from 1991 to 2013. We found mean annual precipitation decreased, which coincided with decreasing trends in floods. In contrast, stream flashiness, overall, showed an increasing trend during the period of study. However, upon closer examination, 20 watersheds showed stable stream flashiness, whereas 5 increased and 6 decreased in flashiness. Urban watersheds were among those that increased or decreased in flashiness. Watersheds that increased in stream flashiness gained more urban cover, lost more forested cover and had fewer best management practices installed than urban watersheds that decreased in stream flashiness. We found best management practices are more effective than artificial water bodies in regulating flashy floods. Flashiness index is a valuable and straightforward metric to characterize changes in streamflow and help to assess the efficacy of management interventions.     

Testing and Improving Temperature Thresholds for Snow and Rain Prediction in the Western United States

The phase of precipitation at the land surface is critical to determine the timing and amount of water available for hydrological and ecological systems. However, there are few techniques to directly observe the precipitation phase and many prediction tools apply a single temperature threshold (e.g., 0°C) to determine phase. In this paper, we asked two questions: (1) what is the accuracy of default and station optimized daily temperature thresholds for predicting precipitation phase and (2) what are the regions and conditions in which typical temperature‐based precipitation phase predictions are most suited. We developed a ground truth dataset of rain vs. snow using an expert decision‐making system based on precipitation, snow depth, and snow water equivalent observations. This dataset was used to evaluate the accuracy of three temperature‐threshold‐based techniques of phase classification. Optimizing the temperature threshold improved the prediction of precipitation phase by 34% compared to using 0°C threshold. Developing a temperature threshold based on station elevation improved the error by 12% compared with using the 0°C temperature threshold. We also found the probability of snow as a function of temperature differed among ecoregions, which suggests a varied response to future climate change. These results highlight a current weakness in our ability to predict the effects of regional warming that could have uneven impacts on water and ecological resources.     

Robustness of Meteorological Droughts in Dynamically Downscaled Climate Simulations

We examine the robustness of a suite of regional climate models (RCMs) in simulating meteorological droughts and associated metrics in present‐day climate (1971‐2003) over the conterminous United States (U.S.). The RCMs that are part of North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) simulations are compared with multiple observations over the climatologically homogeneous regions of the U.S. The seasonal precipitation, climatology, drought attributes, and trends have been assessed. The reanalysis‐based multi‐model median RCM reasonably simulates observed statistical attributes of drought and the regional detail due to topographic forcing. However, models fail to simulate significant drying trend over the Southwest and West. Further, reanalysis‐based NARCCAP runs underestimate the observed drought frequency overall, with the exception of the Southwest; whereas they underestimate persistence in the drought‐affected areas over the Southwest and West‐North Central regions. However, global climate model‐driven NARCCAP ensembles tend to overestimate regional drought frequencies. Models exhibit considerable uncertainties while reproducing meteorological drought statistics, as evidenced by a general lack of agreement in the Hurst exponent, which in turn controls drought persistence. Water resources managers need to be aware of the limitations of current climate models, while regional climate modelers may want to fine‐tune their parameters to address impact‐relevant metrics.