A New Wavelet Method for Identification of Eddies and Assessment of Incidents on Islands of the Eastern Caribbean

Using two dimensional continuous wavelet transforms, a novel method for identification of mesoscale eddies is presented to facilitate extraction of characteristics for area, amplitude, type, and location from maps of sea level anomalies. In comparison with the previously established growing method for eddy identification, it is found that the wavelet method identifies more than twice the number of eddies and is particularly better at resolving small eddies down to the 0.25 degree resolution of the data. Such research into eddy identification and tracking is significant to the assessment of eddies with potential to impact on coastlines of small islands. The method is applied to the identification of eddies on tracks towards islands of the Eastern Caribbean over 23?years. Spatial and temporal variation in rate of occurrence and magnitude is established. For Barbados there is an average of 9 anticyclonic incidents a year with maximum amplitude of typically 0.22?m in the dry seasons and 0.16?m in the wet seasons. Seasonal variation is reversed for the other islands with twice the number of anticyclonic incidents having maximum amplitudes of about 0.20?m annually.     

Peaks of People: Using Topographic Prominence as a Method for Determining the Ranked Significance of Population Centers

This article borrows a statistical method from physical geography—topographical prominence—to suggest a new technique for measuring the relative significance or rank of population centers. Unlike raw population measures, prominence gives consideration to both the spatial intensity of concentrated population areas as well as the spatial dependence or independence of neighboring settlement clusters in relation to one another. We explain how to apply the topographic prominence calculation method to gridded population data and examine its practical utility through case studies of several U.S. states. We then discuss some ways in which parametric choices about point-to-surface transformations can result in considerably different outcomes and offer further suggestions for conceptualizing and measuring population center significance.     

Study of the flood control scheduling scheme for the Three Gorges Reservoir in a catastrophic flood

The Three Gorges Project is the world's largest water conservancy project. According to the design standards for the 1,000‐year flood, flood diversion areas in the Jingjiang reach of the Yangtze River must be utilized to ensure the safety of the Jingjiang area and the city of Wuhan. However, once these areas are used, the economic and life loss in these areas may be very great. Therefore, it is vital to reduce this loss by developing a scheme that reduces the use of the flood diversion areas through flood regulation by the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), under the premise of ensuring the safety of the Three Gorges Dam. For a 1,000‐year flood on the basis of a highly destructive flood in 1954, this paper evaluates scheduling schemes in which flood diversion areas are or are not used. The schemes are simulated based on 2.5‐m resolution reservoir topography and an optimized model of dynamic capacity flood regulation. The simulation results show the following. (a) In accord with the normal flood‐control regulation discharge, the maximum water level above the dam should be not more than 175 m, which ensures the safety of the dam and reservoir area. However, it is necessary to utilize the flood diversion areas within the Jingjiang area, and flood discharge can reach 2.81 billion m³. (b) In the case of relying on the TGR to impound floodwaters independently rather than using the flood diversion areas, the maximum water level above the dam reaches 177.35 m, which is less than the flood check level of 180.4 m to ensure the safety of the Three Gorges Dam. The average increase of the TGR water level in the Chongqing area is not more than 0.11 m, which indicates no significant effect on the upstream reservoir area. Comparing the various scheduling schemes, when the flood diversion areas are not used, it is believed that the TGR can execute safe flood control for a 1,000‐year flood, thereby greatly reducing flood damage.     

日照市土壤地球化学元素分布规律及成因探讨

在日照市开展多目标区域地球化学调查，获取了表层土壤和深层土壤地球化学数据，通过对获得的地球化学参数进行统计分析，确定了日照市土壤地球化学基准值和背景值，认为日照市除部分元素或指标外，大部分元素或指标土壤地球化学基准值和背景值与全省土壤地球化学基准值和背景值接近。研究发现，日照市As，Cd，Cr，Cu，Hg，Ni，Pb，Zn等8种重金属元素背景值含量低于国家土壤环境质量标准的土壤一级标准限值，日照市土壤质量基本保持自然背景水平；而受工业化生产和城市化建设等后期人为活动影响，日照市表层土壤中Cd，C，Hg，N，P，S，Se，Corg等元素或指标出现明显富集，应引起重视。     

城镇化与生态环境耦合的动态模拟——研究进展与展望

Urbanization and eco-environment coupling is a research hotspot.Dynamic simulation of urbanization and eco-environment coupling needs to be improved because the processes of coupling are complex and statistical methods are limited.Systems science and cross-scale coupling allow us to define the coupled urbanization and eco-environment system as an open complex giant system with multiple feedback loops.We review the current state of dynamic simulation of urbanization and eco-environment coupling and find that:(1)The use of dynamic simulation is an increasing trend,the relevant theory is being developed,and modeling processes are being improved;(2)Dynamic simulation technology has become diversified,refined,intelligent and integrated;(3)Simulation is mainly performed for three aspects of the coupling,multiple regions and multiple elements,local coupling and telecoupling,and regional synergy.However,we also found some shortcomings:(1)Basic theories are inadequately developed and insufficiently integrated;(2)The methods of unifying systems and sharing data are behind the times;(3)Coupling relations and the dynamic characteristics of the main driving elements are not fully understood or completely identified.Additionally,simulation of telecoupling does not quantify parameters and is not systemically unified,and therefore cannot be used to represent spatial synergy.In the future,we must promote communication between research networks,technology integration and data sharing to identify the processes governing change in coupled relations and in the main driving elements in urban agglomerations.Finally,we must build decision support systems to plan and ensure regional sustainable urbanization.