Rates of Deglaciation during the Last Glaciation and Holocene in the Cordillera Vilcanota-Quelccaya Ice Cap Region, Southeastern Perú

Moraine chronology is combined with digital topography to model deglacial rates of paleoglacier volumes in both the Huancané Valley on the west side of the Quelccaya Ice Cap and the Upismayo Valley on the northwest side of the Cordillera Vilcanota. The fastest rates of deglaciation (39×10⁻⁵ to 114×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹ and 112×10⁻⁵ to 247×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹ for each valley, respectively) were calculated for the most recent paleoglaciers, corresponding to the last few centuries. These results are consistent with observations in the Venezuelan Andes showing high rates of deglaciation since the Little Ice Age. These rates also fall within the range of 20th century rates of deglaciation measured on the Quelccaya Ice Cap (29×10⁻⁵ to 220×10⁻⁵ km³ yr⁻¹, Brecher and Thompson, 1993; Thompson, 2000). These results imply that rates of deglaciation may fluctuate significantly over time and that high rates of deglaciation may not be exclusive to the late 20th century. Equilibrium line altitude (ELA) depressions for the ice volumes of the last glaciation modeled here were computed as 230 m for the Quelccaya Ice Cap and 170 m for the Cordillera Vilcanota. Maximum ELA depressions are lower than previously published: <500 m for the Cordillera Vilcanota and <400 m for the Quelccaya Ice Cap. These lower values could imply a topographic control over paleoglacier extent.     

A DYNAMIC MODE FOR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOOD/DROUGHT IN YANGTZE RIVER VALLEY AND LOW FREQUENCY WAVE ORIGINATED FROM TROPICAL SEA AREA

According to statistic analysis on sea surface temperature(SST)anomaly features in theNorth Pacific in winters and springs prior to the summer flood/drought in the middle and lowerreaches of the Yangtze River(hereafter referred to as MLRY),a strong signal SST key area thataffects local flood/drought is put forward,that is the equatorial eastern Pacific.The response ofgeneral circulation in the Northern Hemisphere to SST anomaly in the key area is furtherinvestigated. The low frequency wave train structure of correlation between the eastern PacificSST and the height at 500 hPa in the Northern Hemisphere is also studied,which reflects thedynamic features of teleresponse of local flood/drought at extratropics to tropical SST anomaly.Through introducing SST anomaly in the strong signal area in numerical experiments,the flood inYangtze River Valley is successfully simulated and the similar wave train pattern in the flow field isobtained too.Altogether,the physical picture and dynamic mode of the flood in the Yangtze RiverValley are described in this work.     

A high-resolution diatom reconstruction between 21,000 and 17,4000 14C yr BP from the southern Bolivian Altiplano (18–23°S)

A diatom study of lacustrine sediments in the southern part of the Bolivian Altiplano (Salar of Coipasa) provides a continuous record of the period 21,000–17,500 ¹⁴C yr BP. Constrained by seven AMS ¹⁴C dates, this record provides evidence that the Coipasa basin was filled by a shallow body of water during this time. Diatom/salinity and diatom/ionic composition transfer functions indicate that the lake was saline, dominated by sodium-chloride throughout all the period.A comparison with regional data shows that Lake Titicaca could not have overflowed towards the southern Bolivian Altiplano at that time. As this dry phase was not registered in Lake Coipasa, this lake was probably supplied by winter precipitation originating from the Pacific. But, recent data from the deep basin of Lake Titicaca show that the lake-level was higher during this time interval, and the question arises whether precipitation from Atlantic and Amazonia sources could have played an important role on the Altiplano during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This hypothesis needs to match other available paleoclimatic data from the lowlands of tropical South America, where there is evidence that during the LGM, conditions were drier than today. Global climate simulations suggest a positive P-E on the Altiplano, due to a strong cooling, reducing evaporative demand more than any increase in precipitations. An increase of winter precipitation from the Pacific is in agreement with data from the Chilean coast showing a northward locations of the Westerlies during the LGM. This paleoclimatic hypothesis is also in agreement with a coupled ocean-atmosphere model, which indicates weaker summer precipitation and stronger winter precipitation in the tropical areas.     

CELLULOSE DECOMPOSTION IN TROPICAL PEAT SWAMPS

Given that organic soil is a complex substrate and there are many environmental factors which directly or indirectly control its decomposition processes, the use of standard substrate simplify the system in that the effect of substrate quality could be eliminated and influence of certain environmental conditions such as edaphic factors, acidity and moisture could be focused on. In addition to the forest floor, decomposition potential down the peat profile can also be examined. Cotton strip assay was used to estimate decomposition potentials in tropical peat swamp occupied by different Shorea Albida peat swamp forest communities, The 'Alan Batu' , the ' Alan Bunga' , the 'Alan Padang' and the ' mixed Alan' forest communities.Greatest decay rates on the peat surface took place during the wet period. The moist condition of the wet months appeared to favour the growth and stimulate activities of decomposer population and soil invertebrates. Generally, 50% of cotton tensile loss is achieved after four weeks     

Climatological characteristics of the tropics in China: climate classification schemes between German scientists and Huang Bingwei

Reviewing some important German scientists who have developed climatic regionalization schemes either on a global or Chinese scale, their various definitions of the tropical climate characteristics in China are discussed and compared with Huang Bingwei's climate classification scheme and the identification of the tropical climate therein. It can be seen that, due to different methodological approaches of the climatic regionalization schemes, the definitions of the tropics vary and hence also their spatial distribution in China. However, it is found that the tropical climate type occupies only a peripheral part of southern China, though it firmly represents a distinctive type of climate that is supsequently associated with a great economic importance for China. As such, the tropical climate type was mostly identified with its agro-climatological significance, that is by giving favourable growing conditions all-year round for perennial crops with a great heat demand. Tropical climate is, hence, conventionally regarded to be governed by all-year round summer conditions "where winter never comes".     

Quantifying Storm Tide Risk in Cairns

The United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)gave rise to an increasing level of attention to the risks posed by a range of naturalhazards and the development of strategies by which to reduce those risks. It waswidely recognised that in order to evaluate risk treatment strategies it was necessaryto `measure' the level of risk that already existed and the level of risk that would beencountered with the treatment strategy(s) in place.This paper outlines the methodology developed under the AGSO (now GeoscienceAustralia) Cities Project to quantify the risk associated with storm tide inundation. It includes the methodology for `measuring' the level of community exposure to storm tide hazards and the methodology for `measuring' community vulnerability. The Far North Queensland city of Cairns is used as the case study to demonstrate the application of these methods.     

Community Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones: Cairns, 1996–2000

This paper is a partial discussion of a four-year study that investigated the vulnerability of the people living in the Cairns region to the tropical cyclone hazard. The longitudinal case study, focussing on the Cairns Northern Beaches area, was unique in that it included a social and societal `pre-cyclone impact' evaluation of various resident communities within the region, and then two consecutive `post-cyclone impact' studies. The primary research method supported an inductive qualitative approach to the collection and analysis of survey data. Some quantitative methods were invoked to support qualitative research findings. Survey data was collected in five separate questionnaire-based social surveys that were administered between 1996 and 2000. During the study, residents experiencedthe direct impact of two land-falling tropical cyclones. In addition to this, targeted andfocussed tropical cyclone awareness education was made increasingly available withinthe community. The social and demographic attributes that influence the individual'sperception of risk and contribute to our understanding of community vulnerability were examined and evaluated. Changes in the residents' attitudes, cyclone preparednessbehaviours and willingness to respond to cyclone warnings were monitored and measured. Analysis of early survey data indicated that community residents generally had some knowledge of cyclones but a limited understanding of cyclone processes and very little direct personal experience of the cyclone hazard. Individually and collectively, residents frequently demonstrated a biased perception of the risks associated with cyclones. The resident community was shown to be fragmented, with limited support being available to individual households. Initially, residents were found to be poorly prepared for cyclones and unlikely to respond to warnings appropriately. It appeared that, in the event of a land-falling tropical cyclone impacting the area, the community was highly vulnerable to unnecessary loss of property, livelihood and – in extreme circumstances – life. By 2000, Cairns community residents were somewhat better informed about cyclones and certainly more experienced. This paper provides some insight into how cyclone experience and education may synergisticly have contributed to a change in risk perceptions and a reduction in the vulnerability of Cairns residents to the tropical cyclone and storm surge hazards.     

热带气旋路径预报的MCE客观综合决策方法研究

采用MCE(Multi-Criteria Evaluation)方法，在台风路径客观综合预报方法研究与业务实验中，根据多家预报的主要结果进行综合评估分析，提出最佳客观综合预报结果以供决策者及预报员参照。取得初步结果：(1)对9711号台风进行了MCE客观综合决策方法的预报试验。结果表明，对于9711号台风生命史中几个关键点的预报，即登陆预报、台风转向北上预报及出海转向预报等以及全程预报，MCE方法取得较佳预报结果。(2)在综合平台上对近10年的疑难路径台风和2000年全年台风进行了MCE方法试验及多种预报结论的对比分析研究。MCE方法预报误差检验结果较好。(3)所提出的模拟预报员预报思维的联想智能模拟方法，以及可操作综合预警平台，为台风路径预报，包括分析、学习、回忆、对比、推理、联想直到形成综合预报结论提供了一个十分有用的工具。(4)讨论的自反馈函数对形成和推演多规则评估决策有一定的实用性。     

综合评估环境场影响的热带气旋路径客观相似预报模式

提出一个综合评估环境场影响的热带气旋路径客观相似预报模式。模式应用热带气旋参数、初始和未来环境场，构造客观的相似判据。通过定义非线性的相似指数综合评估历史热带气旋样本在多元判据下的相似程度，从而找到相似样本。应用相似样本的历史路径进行坐标变换和相似指数的权重综合，得到预报路径。模式检验和预报试验表明该模式具有预报技巧。     

一个大洋环流模式和相应的海气耦合模式的评估 I.热带太平洋年平均状态

评估了中国科学院大气物理研究所大气科学和地球流体动力学数值模拟国家重点实验室海洋环流模式L30T63和海气耦合模式FGCM 0模拟的热带太平洋年平均状态 ,资料取自L30T63由观测的大气强迫驱动的Control试验、由NCARCCM3大气强迫驱动的Spinup试验、以及相应的海气耦合模式FGCM 0。主要的结论是 :( 1 )在“准确”的海表强迫下 ,Control模拟的海面温度和温跃层与观测结果相当接近 ,模式的固有误差是赤道冷舌过分西伸和东南太平洋温跃层偏浅。 ( 2 )Spinup能模拟出合理的热带太平洋上层海洋环流 ,但存在两个问题 ,即 :暖池区海面温度显著偏高、沿赤道的梯度过大 ;赤道温跃层偏浅、东西向坡度偏小 ,它们分别与CCM3提供的海表短波辐射通量和风应力的系统误差有关。这两个问题很可能是海气耦合模式FGCM 0运行初期误差迅速发展的重要原因。 ( 3)FGCM 0模拟的赤道暖池区上层 1 0 0m的平均温度比观测低 3℃。分析表明FGCM 0夸大了暖池区海洋动力过程的降温作用 ,使得模拟的“暖池”在一定程度上具有冷舌的属性。FGCM 0模拟的热带南太平洋温跃层比观测结果偏浅数十米到 1 0 0m ,以致赤道两侧的上层海洋温度分布趋于对称 ,成为“doubleITCZ”现象在上层海洋中的表现。风应力旋度的系统误差和垂直混合随深度衰减过快