A sediment budget for a cultivated floodplain in tropical North Queensland,Australia

Sugarcane is grown on the floodplains of northern Queensland adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Sediment and nutrient loss from these sugarcane areas is considered a potential threat to coastal and marine ecosystems. To enable sugarcane cultivation, farmers have structured the landscape into different elements, comprising fields, water furrows, ‘headlands’ and drains. In order to apply appropriate management of the landscape and reduce export of sediment, it is important to identify which of these elements act as sediment sources or sinks. In this study erosion and deposition rates were measured for the different landscape elements in a subcatchment of the Herbert River and used to create a sediment budget. Despite large uncertainties, the budget shows that the floodplain area is a net source of sediment. Estimated sediment export varies between 2 and 5 t ha^?1 y^?1. The relative importance of the landscape elements as sediment sources could also be determined. Plant cane is identified as the most important sediment source. Water furrows generate most sediment, but are a less important source of exported sediment due to their low connectivity. Headlands and minor drains act as sediment traps. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Atmospheric, oceanic and hydrological contributions to seasonal variations in length of day

 The annual and semiannual residuals derived in the axial angular momentum budget of the solid Earth–atmosphere system reflect significant signals. They must be caused by further excitation sources. Since, in particular, the contribution for the wind term from the atmospheric layer between the 10 and 0.3 hPa levels to the seasonal variations in length of day (LOD) is still missing, it is necessary to extend the top level into the upper stratosphere up to 0.3 hPa. Under the conservation of the total angular momentum of the entire Earth, variations in the oceanic angular momentum (OAM) and the hydrological angular momentum (HAM) are further significant excitation sources at seasonal time scales. Focusing on other contributions to the Earth's axial angular momentum budget, the following data are used in this study: axial atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) data derived for the 10–0.3 hPa layer from 1991 to 1997 for computing the missing wind effects; axial OAM functions as generated by oceanic general circulation models (GCMs), namely for the ECHAM3 and the MICOM models, available from 1975 to 1994 and from 1992 to 1994, respectively, for computing the oceanic contributions to LOD changes, and, concerning the HAM variations, the seasonal estimates of the hydrological contribution as derived by Chao and O'Connor [(1988) Geophys J 94: 263–270]. Using vector representation, it is shown that the vectors achieve a close balance in the global axial angular momentum budget within the estimated uncertainties of the momentum quantities on seasonal time scales. Received: 6 April 2000 / Accepted: 13 December 2000     

Modelling Regional Scale Surface Energy Exchanges And Cbl Growth In A Heterogeneous, Urban-Rural Landscape

Over the last decade, simple models of theconvective boundary layer (CBL) have beensuggested as an approach to inferring regionallyaveraged land-air exchanges of heat, water and tracegases, because the properties of the CBL respond toan average of the underlying small-scaleheterogeneity. This paper explores the use of anintegral CBL method to infer regionally averagedfluxes in a landscape that has at least three majorsources of heterogeneity – irrigated andnon-irrigated rural land use and a large urban area(Sacramento region, California).The first part of the paper assesses the validity ofthe simple slab model of the CBL – this isintegrated forwards in time using local-scalemeasured heat and water vapour fluxes, to predictmixed-layer depth, temperature and humidity. Of thefour different CBL growth schemes used, the Tennekesand Driedonks model is found to give the bestperformance. Evaluation of the model performancewith different weightings of heat and water vapourfluxes based on the land use characteristics in theregion suggest that the source area for theboundary-layer sonde measurements is larger thanphysically-based estimates would suggest.Finally, measured time series of potentialtemperature are used to infer regionally averagedsensible heat fluxes using an integral CBL (ICBL)method. These ICBL fluxes are compared with thosemeasured at the local scale over the three land usetypes that comprise the region of interest. They arefound to be closest to the heat fluxes calculated byappropriately weighting the measured heat fluxes inthe source area calculated for the ICBL. We concludethat the integral CBL budget method providesadequate estimates of regionally-averaged surfaceheat fluxes in a landscape that is characterised bysurface types with distinctly different surfaceenergy budgets.     

紫外线辐射强度预报

根据本站逐日总辐射观测资料，计算出紫外线辐射量，然后反查出该量与地面天气要素问的关系，从而根据每天的气象要素预报作出紫外线辐射强度预报。     

Climate induced temperature effects on growth performance, fecundity and recruitment in marine fish: developing a hypothesis for cause and effect relationships in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and common eelpout (Zoarces viviparus)

Effects of global warming on animal distribution and performance become visible in many marine ecosystems. The present study was designed to develop a concept for a cause and effect understanding with respect to temperature changes and to explain ecological findings based on physiological processes. The concept is based on a wide comparison of invertebrate and fish species with a special focus on recent data obtained in two model species of fish. These fish species are both characterized by northern and southern distribution limits in the North Atlantic: eelpout (Zoarces viviparus), as a typical non-migrating inhabitant of the coastal zone and the cod (Gadus morhua), as a typical inhabitant of the continental shelf with a high importance for fisheries.Mathematical modelling demonstrates a clear significant correlation between climate induced temperature fluctuations and the recruitment of cod stocks. Growth performance in cod is optimal at temperatures close to 10°C, regardless of the population investigated in a latitudinal cline. However, temperature specific growth rates decrease at higher latitudes. Also, fecundity is less in White Sea than in North and Baltic Sea cod or eelpout populations. These findings suggest that a cold-induced shift in energy budget occurs which is unfavorable for growth performance and fecundity. Thermal tolerance limits shift depending on latitude and are characterized by oxygen limitation at both low or high temperatures. Oxygen supply to tissues is optimized at low temperature by a shift in hemoglobin isoforms and oxygen binding properties to lower affinities and higher unloading potential. Protective stimulation of heat shock protein synthesis was not observed.According to a recent model of thermal tolerance the downward shift of tolerance limits during cold adaptation is associated with rising mitochondrial densities and, thus, aerobic capacity and performance in the cold, especially in eurythermal species. At the same time the costs of mitochondrial maintenance reflected by mitochondrial proton leakage should rise leaving a lower energy fraction for growth and reproduction. The preliminary conclusion can be drawn that warming will cause a northern shift of distribution limits for both species with a rise in growth performance and fecundity larger than expected from the Q₁₀ effect in the north and lower growth or even extinction of the species in the south. Such a shift may heavily affect fishing activities in the North Sea.     

SOME NEW UNDERSTANDINGS OF LAND-SURFACE PROCESSES IN ARID AREA FROM THE HEIFE

The survey for the HEIFE(Atmosphere-Land Surface Processes Experiment at Heihe RiverBasin,Western China)is given in the paper.The following basic subjects for land-surface process-es in arid areas are studied:(1)the general characteristics of the energy budget on ground surfacein arid areas;(2)the parameterization of the land surface processes;(3)the interaction betweenoasis and its desert circumstances,a special phenomenon in arid areas.The analysis shows that thesensible heat flux in the surface energy budget is in the majority,and the latent heat flux may beneglected.The influence of atmospheric stratification stability on the turbulent transfer of energyand substance must be considered in parameterization of land surface processes in arid areas.The“cold island effect”phenomenon in oasis and the“humidity inversion”phenomenon in desert nearoasis are the result of the interaction between them.The results would improve the understandingof land surface processes in arid areas.     

THE CHARACTERS OF ENERGY BUDGET ON THE GOBI AND DESERT SURFACE IN HEXI REGION

In the paper,the characters of surface energy budget on Huayin(Gobi)and the desert surface during the periodfrom 26 June to 31 August 1990 in the HEIFE have been analyzed,then have been compared with the observed resultsduring 4—19 September 1988 in the Pilot Observation Period of the HEIFE.The results show that the atmosphere is insuperadiabatic unstable state and there is a phenomenon of inverse humidity to form negative water vapour flux.Thesensible heat flux on the surface energy budget is in majority,but the latent heat flux may be neglected over the Gobi anddesert surface in the cloudless daytime in the summer.     

THE CHARACTERS OF ENERGY BUDGET ON THE GOBI AND DESERT SURFACE IN HEXI REGION*

In the paper,the characters of surface energy budget on Huayin(Gobi)and the desert surface during the period from 26 June to 31 August 1990 in the HEIFE have been analyzed,then have been compared with the observed results during 4-19 September 1988 in the Pilot Observation Period of the HEIFE.The results show that the atmosphere is in superadiabatic unstable state and there is a phenomenon of inverse humidity to form negative water vapour flux.The sensible heat flux on the surface energy budget is in majority,but the latent heat flux may be neglected over the Gobi and desert surface in the cloudless daytime in the summer.     

夏季青藏高原热力场和环流场的诊断分析 Ⅰ.盛夏高原西部地区的水汽状况

本文使用青藏高原气象科学实验测站观测资料、欧洲中心FGGE-Ⅲb资料、GMS1地球同步卫星云图资料、河流水文资料以及其他一些有关的资料,详细分析了1979年7月青藏高原地区,尤其是高原西部地区的水汽状况、水汽输入的通道,讨论了夏季青藏高原地区高湿状况的维持机制. 通过研究,发现在1979年盛夏青藏高原西部也是一个高水汽区域,有利于大量的湿对流系统活动,但西部比东南部的水汽含量要略低些;潜热加热是夏季高原西部重要的热源之一;除了过去已知的在高原东南和仲巴、定日一带的两条水汽通道外,水汽还可从高原西侧边界进入高原西部.在讨论夏季高原地区高湿状况的维持机制时发现,相对于高原东部,只需要较少的水汽输入就足以维持高原西部大气的高湿状态;高原西部的降水、蒸发和向土壤中渗透是接近于平衡的,水分循环主要是局地的内循环.     

Floodplain storage of mine tailings in the belle fourche river system: A sediment budget approach

Arsenic-contaminated mine tailings that were discharged into Whitewood Creek at Lead, South Dakota, from 1876 to 1978, were deposited along the floodplains of Whitewood Creek and the Belle Fourche River. The resulting arsenic-contaminated floodplain deposit consists mostly of overbank sediments and filled abandoned meanders along White-wood Creek, and overbank and point-bar sediments along the Belle Fourche River. Arsenic concentrations of the contaminated sediments indicate the degree of dilution of mine tailings by uncontaminated alluvium. About 13 per cent of the 110 × 10⁶ Mg of mine tailings that were discharged at Lead were deposited along the Whitewood Creek floodplain. Deposition of mine tailings near the mouth of Whitewood Creek was augmented by an engineered structure. About 29 per cent of the mine tailings delivered by Whitewood Creek were deposited along the Belle Fourche River floodplain. About 60 per cent of that sediment is contained in overbank deposits. Deposition along a segment of the Belle Fourche River was augmented by rapid channel migration. The proportions of contaminated sediment stored along Whitewood Creek and the Belle Fourche River are consistent with sediment storage along the floodplains of perennial streams in other, similar sized watersheds.