A PROPOSED METHOD OF EVALUATING FLOOD DAMAGES TO HISTORIC HOMES - AN EXTERNALITY APPROACH1

ABSTRACT: Traditional procedures for evaluating flood damages to residential dwellings do not reflect intrinsic values when applied to historic homes. Such structures are worth more than that determined by using depth-damage curves provided by insurance companies who assess damage values based upon current labor and material costs. The evaluation of the worth of a historic home and subsequent damages due to inundation can be regarded as a problem of externalities. An assessment technique reflecting historic amenities or what has been termed replication cost is proposed in this paper. Replication costs would have widespread use not only in solving flood dammage problems, but also in any study where historic entities are subject to damages from catastrophies such as hurricanes, soil and beach erosion, and increasing urbanization. If adopted as a technique, it would enhance and preserve the ever-decreasing enclaves of historic homes and neighborhoods.     

FLOW DURATION CURVES II: A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: A streamflow duration curve illustrates the relationship between the frequency and magnitude of streamflow. Flow duration curves have a long history in the field of water-resource engineering and have been used to solve problems in water-quality management, hydropower, instream flow methodologies, water-use planning, flood control, and river and reservoir sedimentation, and for scientific comparisons of streamflow characteristics across watersheds. This paper reviews traditional applications and provides extensions to some new applications, including water allocation, wasteload allocation, river and wetland inundation mapping, and the economic selection of a water-resource project.     

REGIONALIZATION OF STORM HYETOGRAPHS1

ABSTRACT: Regionalization of design storms can enhance their utility. Otherwise they have to be separately developed for different regions. Huff curves developed from point rainfall data collected at Coshocton, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, and from area-averaged Illinois and Texas precipitation data, are compared. The curves are similar in shape and position, with some visual differences depending on quartile. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests showed no significant differences in moat of the comparisons. Where significant differences existed, they may not represent real differences due to the small number of storms sampled. Consequently, regionalization of Huff curves from Ohio to Illinois to Texas may be appropriate. The comparison of Huff curves is affected to an unknown degree both by the effects of area averaging of data and by basis. of-development differences. The effects of observed differences in Huff curves on watershed response variables (e.g., peak flow) requires further study.     

Simulating Nitrate Leaching Profiles in a Highly Permeable Vadose Zone

An approach is developed to simulate leaching of a dissolved chemical constituent in the vadose zone of an aquifer. Specifically, nitrate loading at the water table for different water table depths, for a range of aquifer permeability values, and for different cases of heterogeneity of the aquifer, are considered. Models from the literature are first used to derive soil–water characteristic curves (water retention and hydraulic conductivity) from a grain size distribution curve for unsaturated conditions. Given infiltration from the surface, the initial conditions for the chemical concentration, and the water content profile, leaching of the chemical in the vadose zone is simulated as a function of both time and depth. The methodology is illustrated for a permeable aquifer. Simulations are undertaken using a finite element code for saturated and unsaturated flow. Different scenarios are simulated depending on the heterogeneity of the aquifer and the depth of the water table. Modeling results show that in the example case studied, nitrate concentration loading at the water table does not depend strongly on the position of the water table, but rather on the material properties of the aquifer. The contribution of this endeavor resides in the methodology which allows a prediction of nitrate leaching using only the grain size property of the aquifer. It allows practitioners to obtain a first assessment of leaching with limited data.     

Analysis of a gas-phase partitioning tracer test conducted in an unsaturated fractured-clay formation

The gas-phase partitioning tracer method was used to estimate non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL), water, and air saturations in the vadose zone at a chlorinated-solvent contaminated field site in Tucson, AZ. The tracer test was conducted in a fractured-clay system that is the confining layer for the underlying regional aquifer. Three suites of three tracers were injected into wells located 14, 24, and 24 m from a single, central extraction well. The tracers comprised noble gases (traditionally thought to be nonsorbing), alkanes (primarily water partitioning), perfluorides (primarily NAPL partitioning), and halons (both NAPL and water partitioning). Observations of vacuum response were consistent with flow in a fractured system. The halon tracers exhibited the greatest amount of retardation, and helium and the perfluoride tracers the least. The alkane tracers were unexpectedly more retarded than the perfluoride tracers, indicating low NAPL saturations and high water saturations. An NAPL saturation of 0.01, water saturation of 0.215, and gas saturation of 0.775 was estimated based on analysis of the suite of tracers comprising helium, perfluoromethylcyclohexane and dibromodifluoromethane, which was considered to be the most robust set. The estimated saturations compare reasonably well to independently determined values.     

辽宁省近50年降水量的突变特征及变化趋势分析

首先采用Pettitt方法对辽宁省21个气象站1958年一2008年51年的降水量序列进行突变分析,结果显示54476和54486两测站的年降水量序列分别在1996年和1998年存在显著的突变且通过了显著性水平检验,其它测站的降水量序列均未检测出显著的突变年份。根据累积距平曲线分析辽宁省51年的年均降水量在时间尺度上大致分为三个阶段：1958年一1975年为降水量增加阶段,1975年一1996年为降水量稳定阶段,1996年一2008为降水量减少阶段。最后应用Morlet小波分析对辽宁省年均降水量进行周期分析,结果表明降水在大尺度时间上存在约24年的周期震荡,在小尺度时间上存在约9年的周期震荡。     

Evaluation of zeolite-sand mixtures as reactive materials protecting groundwater at waste disposal sites

To recognize properties of a mixture of Vistula sand (medium sand acc. to USCS) with Slovak zeolite as reactive materials suitable for permeable reactive barriers proposed for protection of groundwater environment in vicinity of old landfills comprehensive laboratory investigations were performed. The present study investigates the removal of contaminants specific for landfill leachates onto zeolite-sand mixtures containing 20%, 50% and 80% of zeolite (ZS20, ZS50 and ZS80). Taking into account the results of batch tests it was concluded that the Langmuir isotherm best fitted the data. It was observed that the presence of ammonium, calcium and magnesium decreases the removal efficiency of copper by 32%. Column tests of contaminant migration through the attenuation zone of the reactive materials were interpreted using the software package CXTFIT, which solves a one-dimensional advection-dispersion equation. Column test results also indicate the strong influence of the presence of interfering substances on copper immobilisation; dynamic sorption capacities decrees twofold. Throughout the landfill leachate flow through ZS80 sample, a constant reduction of NH+4 (at 100%), K+ (at 93%) and Fe total (at an average of 86%) were observed. There was no reduction in chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand.     

小柴旦湖表层沉积物粒度分布特征

柴达木盆地分布着的大量浅水盐湖,是重建过去全球变化的重要载体。盐湖沉积物粒度的测定及其解释对湖水动力学、地貌学和沉积学的研究具有十分重要的意义;粒度作为湖泊沉积物中最直接的物理指标,在不同的湖泊中存在着多解性,因此,系统地研究不同湖泊表层沉积物的粒度空间分布特征十分必要。本文以柴达木盆地的小柴旦湖为研究对象,对湖泊中23个表层沉积物样品进行粒度分析,并结合2个风成砂样品和1个湖泊钻孔样品(XCD3),系统研究其表层沉积物粒度特征,探讨可能影响粒度分布的外力因素。结果表明:(1)在两条采样路线上,样品粒度随水位深度增加逐渐变细,其平均粒径的变化范围自50.2μm至5.3μm,说明小柴旦湖这类小型浅水盐湖的沉积特征符合湖泊中湖滨至湖心沉积物颗粒逐渐变细这一规律;(2)凡是湖泊水深超过200 cm的样品,粒度频率分布曲线具有较高的一致性,表明在小柴旦湖中较细颗粒主要赋存于深水区,指示深水区沉积环境相对稳定;(3)湖滨浅水区沉积物颗粒特征复杂,粒度频率分布曲线呈多峰态,可能受洪积扇、植被和风浪的影响。选取柴旦气象站1956—2013年气象数据中极大风速计算风浪对水体的影响,最大影响深度为0.4 m,说明湖滨深度小于0.4 m的区域受风浪影响。结合湖泊表层沉积物及周围风成砂粒度特征,对小柴旦3(XCD3)钻孔沉积物粒度特征进行分析,发现:钻孔中68—70 cm和77—80 cm层位粒度特征指示水位快速下降,湖泊干涸并沉积风成砂;其余层位均表现为相对稳定的湖相地层,湖泊水位与现代相近。     

Project Tocoen. the fate of selected pollutants in the environment. Part XIX. the phytotoxicity of organic and inorganic pollutants‐cadmium. The effect of cadmium on the growth of germinating maize plants

The effect of increasing cadmium concentration (10, 100 and 1000 μmol dm^‐3) on the growth, leaf area, content of assimilation pigments, cadmium content and the regulatory ability of the tissue of maize plants was investigated.

The results obtained document, already after 6 days, a significant decrease of dry weight, reduction of leaf area, chlorophyll a and b as well as carotenoids in plants grown in the nutrient solution containing 1000 μmol dm ^‐3 of cadmium. A highly significant inhibition of growth, leaf area and assimilation pigments in plants growing in the nutrient solutions with 100 and 10 μmol dm^‐3 of cadmium was registered after 17 days of cultivation. In plants growing in the nutrient solution containing 100 μmol dm^‐3 of cadmium a demonstrable reduction of the content of assimilation pigments was registered after 11 days of culture.

With increasing cadmium concentration in the nutrient solution as well as in the plant tissue after 6 and 17 days of culture both the range of the regulatory zone and the extent of optimum pH increased into the acid region. The pH values of the isoelectric point decreased with increasing cadmium content in the solution.