Validation of discharge and atmospheric dispersion for unpressurised and pressurised carbon dioxide releases

This paper discusses the validation of discharge and subsequent atmospheric dispersion for both unpressurised and pressurised carbon dioxide releases using the consequence modelling package Phast.The paper first summarises the validation of the Phast dispersion model (UDM) for unpressurised releases. This includes heavy gas dispersion from either a ground-level line source (McQuaid wind-tunnel experiments) or an area source (Kit-Fox field experiments). For the McQuaid experiments minor modifications of the UDM were made to support line sources. For the Kit Fox experiments steady-state and 20-s finite-duration releases were simulated for both neutral and stable conditions. Most accurate predictions of the concentrations for finite duration releases were obtained using the UDM Finite Duration Correction method.Using experiments funded by BP and Shell and made available via DNV's CO2PIPETRANS JIP, the paper secondly summarises the validation of the Phast discharge and dispersion models for pressurised CO₂ releases. This modelling accounted for the possible presence of the solid CO₂ phase following expansion to atmospheric pressure. These experiments included both high-pressure steady-state and time-varying cold releases (liquid storage) and high-pressure time-varying supercritical hot releases. Both the flow rate and the concentrations were found to be predicted accurately.The above validation was carried out with no fitting whatsoever of the Phast extended discharge and dispersion models.     

聚合物包膜肥料研究进展

控释肥料具有重要的经济效益和生态效益,目前世界上应用最多的控释肥料是聚合物包膜肥料。简要阐述了聚合物包膜肥料的研究现状和聚合物模型膜,并对养分释放的模拟进行了探讨。影响聚合物包膜肥料养分释放的因素主要有：膜厚、颗粒半径、扩散系数、养分组成及其溶解特性。国内聚合物包膜肥料的应用还处于起步阶段,随着经济的发展,聚合物包膜肥料在国内具有巨大的应用潜力。中国有关聚合物包膜肥料的研究取得了较好进展,但与发达国家相比,仍然处于较低水平。因此,推出具有中国独立知识产权的商品化聚合物包膜肥料要求加强理论基础研究,并加快产业化进程。     

流域尺度的营养物质输移模型研究综述

近几十年来,水体富营养化已成为许多国家密切关注的环境问题,氮、磷等湖泊富营养化营养元素与流域的点源、非点源排放密切相关。随着点源治理水平的逐步提高,非点源污染的比重和危害将逐步增大。对流域的营养物质输移进行数值模拟对于揭示我国浅水湖泊富营养化的机制有重要的意义。国内外对这类模型已经有相当多的研究,形成了种类繁多的各类非点源污染模型。从湖泊营养盐外源输移的研究角度出发,分析了流域尺度的营养盐输移模拟机理性模型的结构特征,并对非点源污染模型在国内外的研究概况、模型的研究动态、主要模型的功能、结构及其特点和发展趋势进行了多视角的综述。     

居民电子废物回收行为影响因素的实证研究

基于对350名城市居民的问卷调查结果,运用验证性因子分析方法对居民的电子废物回收行为、行为意向及其影响因素进行了实证研究.结果表明,基于计划行为理论所建立的结构方程模型可以较为有效地诠释有关研究假设,环境知识、舆论宣传和垃圾分类等情境因素对电子废物回收行为具有调节作用.知觉行为控制对于行为意向转化为行为具有非常重要地促进作用,而便利状况则是影响知觉行为控制的重要因素.     

Trihalomethanes formation in water treatment plants and distribution lines: a monitoring and modeling scheme

Monitoring and modeling of the concentrations of trihalomethanes (THMs) within four water treatment plants (WTPs) and distribution lines in Fayoum City, Egypt, were studied. Sampling sites for raw and treated waters were determined by global positioning system and the Arc geographic information system software was used for mapping. THMs were monitored using 25 sampling points located at the plant exit and through the distribution lines up to the plant extremity. Results indicated that the THMs concentration varied significantly but it was very rarely higher than the allowed maximum contaminant level of 100 μg L^?1. However, at the dead zones in the distribution lines, the THMs increased by about 160% compared to in-plant level. Furthermore, the level of THMs in hot months was about 1.3 times higher than in cold ones. The influence of some independent variables such as temperature, pH, ammonia concentration, total organic carbon and color were investigated by Pearson model to find their correlation with the rate of THMs formation in WTPs. The resulted R values ranged from 0.81 to 0.98. Successful application of the model to a selected region on the distribution lines has resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.98.     

全球沙尘气溶胶源汇分布及其变化特征的模拟分析

根据全球沙尘气溶胶气候模式GEM-AQ/EC模拟的1995~2004年的沙尘起沙量和干湿沉降量,分析了沙尘气溶胶源汇的全球时空变化特征.全球沙尘起沙量集中在各个主要沙漠地区,北非对全球沙尘气溶胶贡献最大为66.6%.沙尘气溶胶沉降的高值区分布在沙漠源区及其紧临的下风地区.最大净沙尘气溶胶接收主要分布在沙漠周围地区并形成净接收量大于10t/(km2×a)的位于0°N~60°N之间的北非、欧亚大陆、西太平洋、北印度洋、北美和大西洋的带状分布.在北非、阿拉伯半岛、中亚、东亚和澳大利亚5个主要沙漠地区中,起沙量和沉降量都存在明显的季节变化,除中亚其他4个区域干湿沉降量和起沙的季节变化基本一致;东亚地区沙尘气溶胶起沙量和总沉降量的季节变化最为明显,而北非沙漠起沙量和总沉降量的季节变化最小,其他3个区域的季节变化幅度基本相同.中亚起沙峰值和阿拉伯半岛起沙次峰值出现在夏季,其他区域的峰值均出现在春季.10年间全球陆地年平均起沙量为(1500±94)Mt,保持略微上升趋势.以北非沙漠起沙量年际变化率最低(6.3%), 而以东亚(28.3%)和澳大利亚(45.0%)起沙量年际变化最为明显;全球陆地的沙尘气溶胶沉降量以约9.9Mt/a的速率递减,全球海洋的沙尘气溶胶沉降递增.     

中国东部春季一次强冷锋活动空气污染输送过程分析

利用CMAQ(4.7.1)和HYSPLIT后向轨迹模式,结合长岛和洪泽湖站点污染物观测数据,对2011年3月31日—4月3日影响我国东北部地区的一次典型强冷锋天气空气污染过程进行模拟分析,验证表明模式能较好地模拟此次强冷锋过程. 由结果可知,此次强冷锋前后污染物浓度呈先升后降又上升的现象. 在冷锋移动过程中,锋前出现一条高浓度污染带,锋面将污染物抬升至800～500 hPa的高度,使污染物在对流层中层快速向西太平洋传输;冷锋对当地污染物的去除不仅有水平方向的推动作用,还会使污染物向高空输送. 锋面过后污染物浓度急剧降低,冷锋对长岛站点SO₂、O₃、NO_x、PM_2.5的清除率分别为90.87%、34.10%、50.56%、72.69%,对洪泽湖站点则分别为82.53%、50.45%、65.11%、36.80%. 锋面过去1~2 d后,高压控制天气形势下污染物再次开始积累、浓度回升. 冷锋前后污染物形成一个“积累—锋前抬升—高空平流输送—锋后大风清除—积累”的循环.      

A modeling system for drinking water sources and its application to Jiangdong Reservoir in Xiamen city

Drinking water sources are highly valued by authorities for safeguarding the life of a city. Models are widely applied as important and effective tools in the management of water sources. However, it is difficult to apply models in water source management because water managers are often not equipped with the professional knowledge and operational skills necessary for making use of the models. This paper introduces a drinking water source simulation and prediction system that consists of a watershed model, a hydrological model and a water quality model. This system provides methods and technical guidance for the conventional management of water sources and emergency water event response. In this study, the sub-models of the system were developed based on the data of the Jiangdong Reservoir in Xiamen, and the model validation was based on local monitoring data. The hydrological model and water quality model were integrated by computer programming, and the watershed model was indirectly integrated into the system through a network platform. Furthermore, three applications for Jiangdong Reservoir water protection utilizing the system were introduced in this paper, including a conventional simulation, an emergency simulation, and an emergency measures evaluation.     

Sovereign financial disaster risk management: The case of Mexico

In 2006, Mexico became the first transition country to transfer part of its public-sector natural catastrophe risk to the international reinsurance and capital markets. The Mexican case is of considerable interest to highly exposed transition and developing countries, many of which are considering similar transactions. Risk financing instruments can assure governments of sufficient post-disaster capital to provide emergency response, disaster relief to the affected population and repair public infrastructure. The costs of financial instruments, however, can greatly exceed expected losses, and for this reason it is important to closely examine their benefits and alternatives. This paper analyzes the Mexican case from the perspective of the risk cedent (the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit), which was informed by analyses provided by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). The rationale for a government to insure its contingent liabilities is presented along with the fiscal, legal and institutional context of the Mexican transaction. Using publicly available data, the paper scrutinizes the choice the authorities faced between two different risk-transfer instruments: reinsurance and a catastrophe bond. Making use of IIASA's catastrophe simulation model (CATSIM), this financial risk management decision is analyzed within the context of a public investment decision.     

Use of an Airborne Lidar System to Model Plant Species Composition and Diversity of Mediterranean Oak Forests

Abstract: Airborne lidar is a remote‐sensing tool of increasing importance in ecological and conservation research due to its ability to characterize three‐dimensional vegetation structure. If different aspects of plant species diversity and composition can be related to vegetation structure, landscape‐level assessments of plant communities may be possible. We examined this possibility for Mediterranean oak forests in southern Portugal, which are rich in biological diversity but also threatened. We compared data from a discrete, first‐and‐last return lidar data set collected for 31 plots of cork oak (Quercus suber) and Algerian oak (Quercus canariensis) forest with field data to test whether lidar can be used to predict the vertical structure of vegetation, diversity of plant species, and community type. Lidar‐ and field‐measured structural data were significantly correlated (up to r= 0.85). Diversity of forest species was significantly associated with lidar‐measured vegetation height (R²= 0.50, p < 0.001). Clustering and ordination of the species data pointed to the presence of 2 main forest classes that could be discriminated with an accuracy of 89% on the basis of lidar data. Lidar can be applied widely for mapping of habitat and assessments of habitat condition (e.g., in support of the European Species and Habitats Directive [92/43/EEC]). However, particular attention needs to be paid to issues of survey design: density of lidar points and geospatial accuracy of ground‐truthing and its timing relative to acquisition of lidar data.