Influence of heterogeneity on unsaturated hydraulic properties: (1) local heterogeneity and scale effect

Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, which may significantly affect the soil hydraulic property curves. The models of a closed‐form functional relationship of soil hydraulic property curves (e.g. VG model or exponential model) are valid at point or local scale based on a point‐scale hydrological process, but how do scale effects of heterogeneity have an influence on the parameters of these models when the models are used in a larger scale process? This paper uses a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport finite element model (VSAFT2) to simulate variations of pressure and moisture content in the soil flume under a constant head boundary condition. By changing different numerical simulation block sizes, a quantitative evaluation of parameter variations in the VG model, resulting from the scale effects, is presented. Results show that the parameters of soil hydraulic properties are independent of scale in homogeneous media. Parameters of α and n in homogeneous media, which are estimated by using the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHC) or the soil water retention curve (WRC), are identical. Variations of local heterogeneities strongly affect the soil hydraulic properties, and the scale affects the results of the parameter estimations when numerical experiments are conducted. Furthermore, the discrepancy of each curve becomes considerable when moisture content becomes closer to a dry situation. Parameters estimated by UHC are totally different from the ones estimated by WRC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mid and late Holocene forest fires and deforestation in the subalpine belt of the Iberian range,northern Spain

The conversion of subalpine forests into grasslands for pastoral use is a well-knownphenomenon, although for most mountain areas the timing of deforestation has not been determined. The presence of charcoal fragments in soil profiles affected by shallow landsliding enabled us to date the occurrence of fires and the periods of conversion ofsubalpine forest into grasslands in the Urbión Mountains, Iberian Range, Spain. We found that the treeline in the highest parts of the northwestern massifs of the Iberian Range(the Urbión, Demanda, Neila, and Cebollera massifs) is currently between 1500 and 1600 m a.s.l., probably because of pastoral use of the subalpine belt, whereas in the past it would have reached almost the highest divides(at approximately 2100–2200 m a.s.l.). The radiocarbon dates obtained indicate that the transformation of the subalpine belt occurred during the Late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Middle Ages. Forest clearing was probably moderate during fires prior to the Middle Ages, as the small size of the sheep herds and the local character of the markets only required small clearings, and therefore more limited fires. Thus, it is likely that the forest recovered burnt areas in a few decades; this suggests the management of the forest and grasslands following a slash-andburn system. During the Middle and Modern Ages deforestation and grassland expansion affected most of the subalpine belt and coincided with the increasing prevalence of transhumance, as occurred in other mountains in the Iberian Peninsula(particularly the Pyrenees). Although the occurrence of shallow landslides following deforestation between the Neolithic and the Roman Period cannot be ruled out, the most extensive shallow landsliding processes would have occurred from the Middle Ages until recent times.     

The last deglaciation in the Picos de Europa National Park (Cantabrian Mountains,northern Spain)

A sedimentological and geochemical study of the Lago Enol sequence (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain), together with detailed geomorphological mapping, provides a first record of glacier evolution and climate change over the last 40 ka in the Picos de Europa National Park. The Enol glacier retreated from its maximum extent prior to 40 ka BP as demonstrated by the onset of proglacial lacustrine sedimentation in two glaciated depressions: the Comella hollow to the north (before 40 ka BP) and the Lago Enol (before 38 ka BP). These results support previous evidence that the maximum extent of southern European glaciers occurred earlier than in northern Europe. Alternation of homogeneous and laminated proglacial sediments during the glacier retreat illustrate a dynamic glacial evolution during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (40–26 ka BP). A slight warming is detected at 26 ka ago with the change from proglacial sediments (in a lake located in contact to the glacier) to glaciolacustrine sedimentation (in a non‐contact or distal lake). Finally, the onset of organic‐rich sediments took place at 18 ka ago. This last transition occurred in two phases, similarly to the North Atlantic Last Termination, suggesting a link between North Atlantic Deep Water formation oscillations and palaeohydrological variability in the Cantabrian Mountains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

移动性热岛边界层特征的数值研究

用二维非静力完全弹性的中－γ尺度数值模式模拟了移动性热岛的大气边界层特征。试验中，热岛移速取为４ｍ·ｓ＾－１，热岛强度取△θｇ＝６０Ｋ和３０Ｋ两种。△θｇ＝６０Ｋ时，在热岛后方出现了强烈的垂直运动并形成了水平尺度为３－５ｋｍ的局地环流，最大上升速度１００ｃｍ·ｓ＾－１，出现在低层３００－４００ｍ高度；△θｇ＝３０Ｋ时，移动热岛的边界效应比前大为减弱，且不再出现闭合的局地环流。     

河套灌区井渠联合运用优化灌溉模型

针对河套灌区的地面水与地下水联合运用问题,提出了井渠结合优化灌溉模型,以最佳种植模式和最优工程运行策略,达到控制地下水位、防治土壤盐碱化、获得农作物稳产高产的目的.模型有调蓄地面水源、土壤贮水层、地下含水层的能力.优化计算成果与266.7hm2试验示范区的实际运行结果相吻合,节水、节能、增产及控制地下水位、改良盐碱地等效果十分显著,这对发展节水型灌溉农业具有重要的现实意义.     

1992年福建南日岛地震及其前兆初探

研究了1992年福建省南日岛5.2级地震序列特征,认为这是一次孤立型地震,震前存在多学科的前兆异常,异常群体特征具有长、中、短临阶段性及形态复杂性.地震学异常持续时间长,前兆学科短临异常突出,可能是少震区地震前兆的特点。     

Strong Lensing Reconstruction

We report on the strengths of three spectral indicators-Mg(2), Hbeta, and Hn/Fe-in the integrated light of a sample of 100 field and cluster E/S0 galaxies. The measured indices are sensitive to age and/or metallicity variations within the galaxy sample. Using linear regression analysis for data with nonuniform errors, we determine the intrinsic scatter present among the spectral indices of our galaxy sample as a function of internal velocity dispersion. Our analysis demonstrates that there is significantly more intrinsic scatter in the two Balmer line indices than in the Mg(2) index, indicating that the Balmer indices provide more dynamic range in determining the age of a stellar population than does the Mg(2) index. Furthermore, the scatter is much larger for the low velocity dispersion galaxies, indicating that star formation has occurred more recently in the lower mass galaxies.     

一种拓扑保持的折线简化算法研究

通过分析Douglas-Peucker折线简化算法之不足,提出了一种基于二叉树数据结构的折线简化算法,解决了传统算法的自相交问题。对于GIS数据简化压缩及制图综合具有很高的实用价值。     

I_a型超新星爆发理论(Ⅱ):理论研究中的重要疑难问题

介绍与评述了I_a型超新星理论研究中最为突出的8个尚未解决的重要疑难问题,并简单介绍了国内围绕SNI_a开展的某些物理探讨研究．     

A real-time software backend for the GMRT

The new era of software signal processing has a large impact on radio astronomy instrumentation. Our design and implementation of a 32 antennae, 33 MHz, dual polarization, fully real-time software backend for the GMRT, using only off-the-shelf components, is an example of this. We have built a correlator and a beamformer, using PCI-based ADC cards and a Linux cluster of 48 nodes with dual gigabit inter-node connectivity for real-time data transfer requirements. The highly optimized compute pipeline uses cache efficient, multi-threaded parallel code, with the aid of vectorized processing. This backend allows flexibility in final time and frequency resolutions, and the ability to implement algorithms for radio frequency interference rejection. Our approach has allowed relatively rapid development of a fairly sophisticated and flexible backend receiver system for the GMRT, which will greatly enhance the productivity of the telescope. In this paper we describe some of the first lights using this software processing pipeline. We believe this is the first instance of such a real-time observatory backend for an intermediate sized array like the GMRT.