Modelling the effect of changing precipitation inputs on deep soil water utilization

Forests in the Southeastern United States are predicted to experience future changes in seasonal patterns of precipitation inputs as well as more variable precipitation events. These climate change‐induced alterations could increase drought and lower soil water availability. Drought could alter rooting patterns and increase the importance of deep roots that access subsurface water resources. To address plant response to drought in both deep rooting and soil water utilization as well as soil drainage, we utilize a throughfall reduction experiment in a loblolly pine plantation of the Southeastern United States to calibrate and validate a hydrological model. The model was accurately calibrated against field measured soil moisture data under ambient rainfall and validated using 30% throughfall reduction data. Using this model, we then tested these scenarios: (a) evenly reduced precipitation; (b) less precipitation in summer, more in winter; (c) same total amount of precipitation with less frequent but heavier storms; and (d) shallower rooting depth under the above 3 scenarios. When less precipitation was received, drainage decreased proportionally much faster than evapotranspiration implying plants will acquire water first to the detriment of drainage. When precipitation was reduced by more than 30%, plants relied on stored soil water to satisfy evapotranspiration suggesting 30% may be a threshold that if sustained over the long term would deplete plant available soil water. Under the third scenario, evapotranspiration and drainage decreased, whereas surface run‐off increased. Changes in root biomass measured before and 4 years after the throughfall reduction experiment were not detected among treatments. Model simulations, however, indicated gains in evapotranspiration with deeper roots under evenly reduced precipitation and seasonal precipitation redistribution scenarios but not when precipitation frequency was adjusted. Deep soil and deep rooting can provide an important buffer capacity when precipitation alone cannot satisfy the evapotranspirational demand of forests. How this buffering capacity will persist in the face of changing precipitation inputs, however, will depend less on seasonal redistribution than on the magnitude of reductions and changes in rainfall frequency.     

The pillars of cosmology: a short history and assessment

Is the big bang model of the universe ascendant and unshakable, or declining and outdated? This paper cursorily explores the state of cosmology today.     

Small-Amplitude Disturbances in a Radiating and Scattering Grey MediumIII. Gravitational Effects on the Solutions of Given Real Wave Number k

We study the fundamental modes of radiation hydrodynamic linear waves that arise from one-dimensional small-amplitude initial fluctuations with wave number k in a radiating and scattering grey medium by taking into account the gravitational effects. The equation of radiative acoustics is derived from three hydrodynamic equations, Poisson’s equation, and two moment equations of radiation, by assuming a spherical symmetry for the matter and radiation and by using the Eddington approximation. We solve the dispersion relation as a quintic function of angular frequency ω, the wave number k being a real parameter. Numerical results reveal that wave patterns of five solutions are distinguished into three types: the radiation-dominated, type 1, and type 2 matter-dominated cases. In the case of no gravitaional effects (Kaneko et al., 2005), the following wave modes appear: radiation wave, conservative radiation wave, entropy wave, Newtonian-cooling wave, opacity-damped and cooling-damped waves, constant-volume and constant-pressure diffusions, adiabatic sound wave, cooling-damped and drag-force-damped isothermal sound waves, isentropic radiation-acoustic wave, and gap mode. Meanwhile, the gravitaional effects being taken into account, the growing gravo-diffusion mode newly arises from the constant-pressure diffusion at the point that k agrees with Jeans’ wave number specified by the isothermal sound speed. This mode changes to the growing radiation-acoustic gravity mode near the point that k becomes Jeans’ wave number specified by the isentropic radiation-acoustic speed. In step with a transition between them, the isentropic radiation-acoustic wave splits into the damping radiation-acoustic gravity mode and constant-volume diffusion. The constant-volume diffusion emerges twice if the gravitational effects are taken into account. Since analytic solutions are derived for all wave modes, we discuss their physical significance. The critical conditions are given which distinguish between radiation-dominated and type 1 matter-dominated cases, and between type 1 and type 2 matter-dominated cases. Waves in a self-gravitating scattering grey medium are also analyzed, which provides us some hints for the effects of energy and momentum exchange between matter and radiation.     

Natural radioactivity in sediment of Wei River,China

The concentrations of natural radionuclides in sediment of Wei River of China were measured using γ-ray spectrometry with the aim of estimating the radiation hazard as establishing a database for radioactivity levels of river sediment of China. The activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in sediment samples ranged from 10.4 to 39.9 Bq kg⁻¹, 15.3 to 54.8 Bq kg⁻¹ and 514.8 to 1,175.5 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. The concentrations of these radionuclides were compared with the typical world values and the average activities of Chinese soil and Shaanxi soil. Radium equivalent activity (Ra_eq), external hazard index (H _ex) and representative level index (I _γr) were calculated for the samples to assess the radiation hazards arising due to the use of these sediment samples in the construction of dwellings. All the sediment samples have Ra_eq lower than the limit of 370 Bq kg⁻¹, H _ex less than unity and I _γr close to 1 Bq kg⁻¹. The overall mean outdoor terrestrial gamma dose rate is 64.8 nGy h⁻¹ and the corresponding outdoor annual effective dose is 0.079 mSv. None of the studied location is considered a radiological risk and sediment can be safely used in construction.     

<Superscript>226</Superscript>Ra, <Superscript>232</Superscript>Th and <Superscript>40</Superscript>K activities in soils of Cuihua Mountain National Geological Park,China

Gamma activity from the naturally occurring radionuclides namely, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, the primordial radionuclide ⁴⁰K was measured in the soil of Cuihua Mountain National Geological Park, China using γ-ray spectrometry technique. The mean activity of ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K were found to be 27.2 ± 6.5, 43.9 ± 6.2 and 653.1 ± 127.6 Bq kg⁻¹, respectively. The concentrations of these radionuclides were compared with the typical world values and the average activities of Chinese soil. The radium equivalent activity, the air absorbed dose rate, the annual effective dose rate, and the external hazard index were evaluated and compared with the internationally approved values. All the soil samples have Ra_eq lower than the limit of 370 Bq kg⁻¹ and H _ex less than unity. The overall mean outdoor terrestrial gamma dose rate is 66.3 nGy h⁻¹ and the corresponding outdoor annual effective dose is 0.081 mSv.     

摄食水平对中华鳖(Trionyx sinensis)幼鳖生长和能量收支的影响

于2001年10月—2002年3月在深圳职业技术学院海洋生物技术实验室进行摄食-生长实验(实验周期为56天)。实验在水温30℃的条件下进行,设饥饿、1%、2%和饱食4个摄食水平,研究了中华鳖(Trionyxsinensis)幼鳖(296.60—396.09g)的生长和能量收支。结果表明,中华鳖幼鳖的特定生长率随摄食水平的增加,其湿重、干物质、蛋白质和能量的特定生长率均呈二次曲线增加,其中干物质的特定生长率(SGRdr)与摄食率(Rl)的关系式为SGRdr=-0.3621+0.8809Rl-0.1352Rl2(r2=0.896,n=26,P<0.01);除湿重的转化效率外,干物质、蛋白质和能量的转化效率在2%组均达到最大,分别为27.47%、31.48%和25.01%;摄食水平对中华鳖氨氮排泄率和尿素氮排泄率以及氨氮占总氮排泄率的比例均有显著影响(P<0.01),总氮排泄率、氨态氮排泄率和尿素氮排泄率均随摄食水平的增加而升高,从饥饿组到饱食组的变动范围分别是4.71%—38.70%、3.50%—24.64%和1.21%—6.48%,而氨氮占总氮比例的变化规律与上述指的标略有不同,饥饿组的比例略高于1%组,摄食组的比例随摄食水平的增加而增加,该比例的变动范围是71.92%—83.20%,回归分析表明,幼鳖的总氮排泄率[μmol/(g·d)](GN)、氨氮排泄率[μmol/(g·d)](NH3N)及尿素氮排泄率[μmol/(g·d)](UN)与其蛋自质摄入率(%体重     

摄食水平和性别对稀有鮈鲫生长和能量收支的影响

于1995年10月采集本所自繁有ju鲫（约1.03g/ind)，在30℃水温下进行摄食－生长实验，研究了从饥饿到饱食5个摄食水平对不同性别稀有ju鲫的生长和能量收支的影响，结果表明，鱼体干物和能量含量不受摄食率和性别的影响，随着摄食率的增加，雌鱼的湿重，干重和能量特定生长率均呈双对数增加，雄鱼湿重特定生长率呈双对数增加，而干物质和能量特定生长率呈指增加，雄鱼生长速度及摄食率低于雌鱼，随着摄食率的增加，食物能损失于粪便中的比例均呈上升趋势，损失于排泄物中的比例变化不大，呈下降趋势，用于代谢的比例呈下降趋势，用于生长的比例呈上升趋势，除饥饿组外，在各个摄食水平，雌鱼食物能用于代谢的比例较雄鱼低，而用于生长的比例较雄鱼高。     

呼伦湖的近期扩张及其与全球气候变化的关系

通过近２０多年湖泊水量平衡分析发现，湖泊水位变化主要由湖盆内径流补给量的丰枯决定。进一步分析揭示，呼伦湖地区乃至整个东北地区，本世纪以来随气温升高，随水有增加的趋势。降水增加导致入湖径流量，湖水位上升，呼伦湖本世纪以来的扩张与内蒙古东部地区其他内陆湖泊的变化一致，但这在我国乃至整个亚洲内陆干旱或半干旱区是独一无二的，为此成为这一地区气候变化的指示器。     

The fate of dumped sediments monitored by a high-resolution multibeam echosounder system,Weser Estuary,German Bight

With the development of high-resolution multibeam echosounder systems (MBES) for surveying shallow-water areas a new tool is available to monitor rapid changes in seabed morphology as, e.g., caused by the dumping of dredge spoil in coastal waters. In this study, four data sets of repeated bathymetric surveys with a MBES were processed and analyzed. The data were collected in a 1.94-km² dumping site in the outer Weser Estuary (German Bight). Between June and December 1998, 2.6 million m³ of dredged sediment were deposited there. The bathymetric maps generated in the course of this study reveal features such as subaqueous dunes, scour holes, and mounds of dumped dredge spoil. The mean water depth decreased by about 1 m during the dumping period. Furthermore, difference grids showing changes in sediment volume allowed a calculation of the sediment budget for the monitored area. After a time period of only 5 months, 0.5 million m³ of the originally dumped 2.6 million m³ of dredge spoil had already been removed from the dumping site.     

Monitoring the Kuroshio Extension with Dynamically Constrained Synthesis of the Acoustic Tomography, Satellite Altimeter and in situ Data

A finite-difference quasigeostrophic (QG) model of an open ocean region has been employed to produce a dynamically constrained synthesis of acoustic tomography and satellite altimetry data with in situ observations. The assimilation algorithm is based upon the 4D variational data interpolation scheme controlled by the model's initial and boundary conditions. The data sets analyzed include direct and differential travel times measured at the array of five acoustic transceivers deployed by JAMSTEC in the region of the Kuroshio Extension in 1997, Topex/Poseidon altimetry, CTD soundings, and ADCP velocity profiles. The region monitored is located within the area 27.5°–36.5°N, 143°–155°. The results of assimilation show that mesoscale variability can be effectively reconstructed by five transceivers measuring direct and reciprocal travel times supported by relatively sparse in situ measurements. The misfits between model and data lie within the observational error bars for all the data types used in assimilation. We have compared the results of assimilation with the statistical inversion of travel time data and analyzed energy balances of the optimized model solution. Energy exchange between the depth-averaged and shear components of the observed currents reveals a weak decay of the barotropic mode at the rate of 0.2 ± 0.7⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³ due to topographic interaction. Mean currents in the region are unstable with an estimate of the available potential energy flux from the mean current to the eddies of 4.7 ± 2.3⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Kinetic energy transition has the same sign and is estimated as 2.8 ± 2.5⋅10⁻⁵ cm²/s³. Potential enstrophy is transferred to the mesoscale at a rate of 5.5 ± 2.7⋅10⁻¹⁸ s⁻³. These figures provide observational evidence of the properties of free geostrophic turbulence which were predicted by theory and observed in numerical experiments. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.