Cloud/Fog Water Chemistry at a High Elevation Site in South Korea

Cloud/fog water samples were collected at Daekwanreung (840 m msl), a ridge site, in South Korea, from March 2002 to September 2003, by using a Caltech type, self fabricated active strand cloud water collector. The pH, electrical conductivity and major ion concentrations were analyzed. The cloud water pH ranged from 3.6 to 6.8 with an average of 5.2, which was close to the atmospheric neutral point. However, the pH calculated from average concentrations of H+ was 4.7, indicating the cloud/fog water was weakly acidified. SO₄ ²⁻, NO₃ ⁻ and NH₄ ⁺ are predominant ions of which average concentrations were 203.1, 128.1, and 211.7 μeq⋅L⁻¹, respectively. Samples were categorized into four groups by applying 48-hour back trajectory analysis, using the HYbrid Single-Particle Largrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model. Chemical compositions for the four cases significantly differed from each other. For air masses transported from the East Sea (group E), sea salt concentrations, including Na⁺, Cl⁻ Mg²⁺, were relatively high. Principal acidifying pollutants, such as NO₃ ⁻ and nss-SO₄ ²⁻, significantly increased in the case of air masses transported from the Northeast Asian continent through North Korea (group N) and air masses from the Seoul metropolitan area (group W). However, the mean pH of group N was the highest while the mean pH of group W was the lowest. This suggests that most NO₃ ⁻ and nss-SO₄ ²⁻ in cloud/fog water was neutralized by ammonia and calcium compounds under the influence of air masses transported from Northeast Asia. N/S ratio for the group W was significantly higher than those for the other three groups, suggesting nitrogen species transported from the Seoul metropolitan area contributed to acidification of cloud/fog water at Daekwanreung. Principle Component analysis (PCA) was applied to the cloud/fog water data for presenting characteristics in the four different categories.     

Climatic Change, Wars and Dynastic Cycles in China Over the Last Millennium

In recent years, the phenomenon of global warming and its implications for the future of the human race have been intensively studied. In contrast, few quantitative studies have been attempted on the notable effects of past climatic changes upon human societies. This study explored the relationship between climatic change and war in China by comparing high-resolution paleo-climatic reconstructions with known war incidences in China in the last millennium. War frequencies showed a cyclic pattern that closely followed the global paleo-temperature changes. Strong and significant correlations were found between climatic change, war occurrence, harvest level, population size and dynastic transition. During cold phases, China suffered more often from frequent wars, population decline and dynastic changes. The quantitative analyses suggested that the reduction of thermal energy input during a cold phase would lower the land carrying capacity in the traditional agrarian society, and the population size, with significant accretions accrued in the previous warm phase, could not be sustained by the shrinking resource base. The stressed human-nature relationship generated a ‘push force’, leading to more frequent wars between states, regions and tribes, which could lead to the collapse of dynasties and collapses of human population size. War frequencies varied according to geographical locations (North, Central and South China) due to spatial variations in the physical environment and hence differential response to climatic change. Moreover, war occurrences demonstrated an obvious time lag after an episode of temperature fall, and the three geographical regions experienced different length of time lags. This research also shows that human population increases and collapses were correlated with the climatic phases and the social instabilities that were induced by climate changes during the last millennium. The findings proposed a new interpretation of human-nature relationship in the past, with implications for the impacts of anomalous global warming on future human conflicts.     

Shaking table tests on a high‐rise RC building model having torsional eccentricity in soft lower storeys

A series of shaking table tests on a 1:12‐scale model using scaled TaftN21E earthquake records were conducted to investigate the seismic performance of a 17‐storey high‐rise reinforced concrete structure with a high degree of torsional eccentricity and soft‐storey irregularities in the bottom two storeys. Based on the analysis of test results, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) the model responded mainly in the coupled mode of translation and torsion or in the torsional mode. Under severe table shaking, the flexible side underwent large inelastic deformation, and the predominant mode of the model changed from the coupled mode to the torsional mode, resulting in greatly increased torsional stiffness, thereby limiting damage in the flexible frame; (2) the shear force and deformation of the flexible side were governed by the torsional behaviour, whereas those of the stiff side were affected mainly by the overturning deformation. The lateral stiffness of the shear wall in the torsional mode was about four times that in the coupled mode because the warping deformation due to torsion counteracted the flexural deformation due to overturning moment in the torsional mode; and (3) the reversed cyclic overturning moments predicted by linear elastic dynamic analysis in the direction transverse to the table excitations contradicted unilateral overturning moments of the serviceability‐level test results, which showed a bias towards tension or compression in the columns. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal trend of particulate PAHs at Gosan, a background site in Korea between 2001 and 2002 and major factors affecting their levels

The concentrations of particulate Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured at Gosan, a background site in Korea for 1 year between November 2001 and November 2002. The total concentrations of 14 PAH compounds at Gosan were between 0.52 and 14.76 ng m^− 3 and about 3–15 times higher than those at other rural or remote sites in the world. Seasonal trend was observed for particulate PAHs concentrations at Gosan with higher levels during heating season due to increased fossil fuel usage and the movement of air parcels from Asian continent. Principal component factor analysis (PCF) for PAHs showed three factors; combination of coal combustion and vehicular emission, natural gas combustion, and unidentified one. However, PCF for the combined data of PAHs, inorganic ions, and elements revealed that the unidentified factor consists of crustal species, sea salts, and four PAH compounds. Thus, this factor is thought to be transport of crustal species with organics from combustion sources. The major variables which determine the sources of PAHs are the heating season and the movement of air parcels from Asian continent.     

Comparison of satellite measurements of the low-latitude nighttime upper ionosphere with IRI

In this paper, we report the results of our comparison study between satellite measurements and the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model on the seasonal and longitudinal changes of the low-latitude nighttime topside ionosphere during the period of solar maximum from June 2000 to July 2001. Satellite measurements were made by KOMPSAT-1 and DMSP F15 at 685 km altitude and 840 km altitude, respectively. The results show that the IRI2001 model gives reasonable density estimations for the summer hemisphere and the March equinox at both altitudes. However, the observed wintertime densities are smaller than the predictions of the IRI2001 model, especially at a higher (840 km) altitude, manifesting strong hemispheric asymmetries. The observed electron temperatures generally reside between the two estimations of IRI2001, one based on the Aeros–ISIS data and the other based on Intercosmos, and the latter estimation better represents the observations. With more or less monotonic increase with latitude, the temperature profiles of the IRI2001 model do not predict the enhancement seen around 15° magnetic latitude of the winter hemisphere. Longitudinal variation, probably caused by the zonal winds, is seen in all seasons at both altitudes, while the IRI2001 model does not show a large variation. The observed density and temperature show significant changes according to the F10.7 values in the whole low-latitude region from 40°S to 40°N geomagnetic latitude. The effect is manifested as increases in the density and temperature, but not in the hemispheric asymmetry or in the longitudinal variation.     

Cascadia边缘与天然气水合物共生沉积物中有机质碳、氮同位素组成及意义

Hydrate Ridge南高点ODP204航次5个站位54个沉积物样品中有机碳C, N同位素组成及C/N比值表明沉积物中的有机质主要来自海洋. 对1245B孔的系统分析表明天然气水合物的发育改变了沉积物中有机碳和氮同位素的成岩演化轨迹, 水合物发育处δ¹⁵N值和C/N比值同时变低, 且δ¹³C值相对较重; 在水合物稳定带内δ¹⁵N值的亏损将近2‰. 水合物发育处沉积物中氮含量的增加和δ¹⁵N值的亏损, 推断可能与天然气水合物发育处沉积物中细菌(包括古细菌)的固氮作用有关. 沉积物中有机质中碳、氮同位素的分布与沉积环境的变化同步响应, 同时亦反映流体活动的变化.     

现场室内两用大型直剪仪研制(I)：结构设计

直剪仪是测定岩土体抗剪强度参数应用最为普遍的一种试验仪器。从直剪仪的结构和大型直剪仪的研制两个方面对直剪仪的研究现状做了介绍，在此基础上，对新近研制的现场室内两用大型直剪仪的结构组成、工作机理及其特点进行了详细分析。该大型直剪仪与常规直剪仪相比，具有较大的优越性，其测试结果更加准确。适用范围广，测试精度高，可应用于现场和室内试验。     

Ocean color reveals phase shift between marine plants and yellow substance

Daily high-resolution Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) images of the central North Atlantic Ocean (1998-2003) show that temporal changes in the absorption coefficient of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) or "yellow substance" follow changes in phytoplankton pigment absorption coefficient in time. CDOM peaks (between January and March) and troughs (late summer and fall) followed pigment peaks and troughs by approximately two and four weeks, respectively. This phase shift is additional strong evidence that CDOM in the marine environment is derived from phytoplankton degradation. The common assumption of linear covariation between chlorophyll and CDOM is a simplification even in this ocean gyre. Due to the temporal changes in CDOM, chlorophyll concentration estimated based on traditional remote sensing band-ratio algorithms may be overestimated by about 10% during the spring bloom and underestimated by a similar 10% during the fall. These observations are only possible through use of synoptic, precise, accurate, and frequent measurements afforded by space-based sensors because in situ technologies cannot provide the required sensitivity or synoptic coverage to observe these natural phenomena.     

Analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacers (IGSs) of marine vibrios for species-specific signature DNA sequences

Vibrios are widespread in the marine environment and a few pathogenic species are known to be commonly associated with outbreaks of diarrheal diseases in humans due to the consumption of raw or improperly cooked seafood. However, there are also many Vibrio species which are potentially pathogenic to vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic animals, and of which little is known. In an attempt to develop rapid PCR detection methods for these latter class of vibrios, we have examined the 16S-23S intergenic spacers (IGSs) of 10 lesser-known Vibrio species and successfully developed species-specific primers for eight of them--Vibrio costicola, V. diazotrophicus, V. fluvialis, V. nigripulchritudo, V. proteolyticus, V. salmonicida, V. splendidus and V. tubiashii. The IGS amplicons were amplified using primers complementary to conserved regions of the 16S and 23S rRNA genes, and cloned into plasmid vectors and sequenced. Analysis of the IGS sequences showed that 37 ribosomal RNA (rrn) operons representing seven different IGS types have been cloned from the 10 vibrios. The three IGS types--IGS(0), IGS(IA) and IGS(Glu)--were the most prevalent forms detected. Multiple alignment of representative sequences of these three IGS types from different Vibrio species revealed several domains of high sequence variability, which were used to design species-specific primers for PCR. The specificity of the primers were evaluated using total DNA prepared from different Vibrio species and bacterial genera. The results showed that the PCR method can be used to reliably detect eight of the 10 Vibrio species in marine waters in this study.