Hydrological trends and the evolution of catchment research in the Alptal valley,central Switzerland

When the observation of small headwater catchments in the pre-Alpine Alptal valley (central Switzerland) started in the late 1960s, the researchers were mainly interested in questions related to floods and forest management. Investigations of geomorphological processes in the steep torrent channels followed in the 1980s, along with detailed observations of biogeochemical and ecohydrological processes in individual forest stands. More recently, research in the Alptal has addressed the impacts of climate change on water supply and runoff generation. In this article, we describe, for the first time, the evolution of catchment research at Alptal, and present new analyses of long-term trends and short-term hydrologic behaviour. Hydrometeorological time series from the past 50 years show substantial interannual variability, but only minimal long-term trends, except for the ~2°C increase in mean annual air temperature over the 50-year period, and a corresponding shift towards earlier snowmelt. Similar to previous studies in larger Alpine catchments, the decadal variations in mean annual runoff in Alptal's small research catchments reflect the long-term variability in annual precipitation. In the Alptal valley, the most evident hydrological trends were observed in late spring and are related to the substantial change in the duration of the snow cover. Streamflow and water quality are highly variable within and between hydrological events, suggesting rapid shifts in flow pathways and mixing, as well as changing connectivity of runoff-generating areas. This overview illustrates how catchment research in the Alptal has evolved in response to changing societal concerns and emerging scientific questions.     

Terrestrial discharge influences microbioerosion and microbioeroder community structure in coral reefs

Microbioerosion rates and microbioeroder community structure were studied in four Kenyan protected coral-reef lagoons using shell fragments of Tridacna giant clams to determine their response to the influence of terrestrial run-off. Fourteen different microbioeroder traces from seven cyanobacteria, three green algae and four fungi species were identified. The river discharge-impacted reef and ‘pristine’ reef showed similar composition but higher microbioeroder abundance and total cyanobacteria- and chlorophyte-bioeroded areas when compared with the other study reefs. Cyanobacteria dominated during the north-east monsoon (NEM) relative to the south-east monsoon (SEM) season, with algae and cyanobacteria being major microbioeroders in the river-impacted and pristine reefs. The rate of microbioerosion varied between 4.3 g CaCO3 m^?2 y^?1 (SEM) and 134.7 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1 (NEM), and was highest in the river-impacted reef (127.6 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1), which was almost double that in the pristine reef (69.5 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1) and the mangrove-fringed reef (56.2 g CaCO₃ m^?2 y^?1). The microbioerosion rates measured in this study may not be high enough to cause concern with regard to the health and net carbonate production of Kenya’s coral reefs. Nevertheless, predicted increases in the frequency and severity of stresses related to global climate change (e.g. increased sea surface temperature, acidification), as well as interactions with local disturbances and their influence on bioerosion, may be increasingly important in the future.     

Variations in glacier volume and snow cover and their impact on lake storage in the Paiku Co Basin,in the Central Himalayas

Glaciers and snow cover are important constituents of the surface of the Tibetan Plateau. The responses of these phenomena to global environmental changes are sensitive, rapid and intensive due to the high altitudes and arid cold climate of the Tibetan Plateau. Based on multisource remote sensing data, including Landsat images, MOD10A2 snow product, ICESat, Cryosat-2 altimetry data and long-term ground climate observations, we analysed the dynamic changes of glaciers, snow melting and lake in the Paiku Co basin using extraction methods for glaciers and lake, the degree-day model and the ice and lake volume method. The interaction among the climate, ice-snow and the hydrological elements in Paiku Co is revealed. From 2000 to 2018, the basin tended to be drier, and rainfall decreased at a rate of −3.07 mm/a. The seasonal temperature difference in the basin increased, the maximum temperature increased at a rate of 0.02°C/a and the minimum temperature decreased at a rate of −0.06°C/a, which accelerated the melting from glaciers and snow at rates of 0.55 × 10⁷ m³/a and 0.29 × 10⁷ m³/a, respectively. The rate of contribution to the lake from rainfall, snow and glacier melted water was 55.6, 27.7 and 16.7%, respectively. In the past 18 years, the warmer and drier climate has caused the lake to shrink. The water level of the lake continued to decline at a rate of −0.02 m/a, and the lake water volume decreased by 4.85 × 10⁸ m³ at a rate of −0.27 × 10⁸ m³/a from 2000 to 2018. This evaluation is important for understanding how the snow and ice melting in the central Himalayas affect the regional water cycle.     

Swedish Forests in the Bioeconomy: Stories from the National Forest Program

Abstract

The concept of a bioeconomy has been placed central in formation of a Swedish National Forest Program (NFP). Drawing on Hajer’s conceptual framework of storylines, we present a discourse analysis of the working group reports underlying the establishment of the NFP strategy. We ask what stories about Swedish forests come to dominate the NFP process, how well they reflect the commitment of balancing economic, social and environmental interests, and what role the concept of a bioeconomy, has on the formation of these stories. Storylines of Swedish forests in the bioeconomy unite wider European discourses on the bioeconomy and climate change with historical Swedish forest policy discourses, revitalizing a discourse coalition comprising the state and the industry. Particular to the Swedish discourse is the strong emphasis on creating consensus around a single story of the forest-based bioeconomy.     

顾及地类转换差异的城市空间扩展元胞自动机模型及应用研究

元胞自动机模型已经成为城市空间扩展模拟研究的重要方法之一,并得到广泛应用。然而,现有的城市扩展元胞自动机模型仍存在不足。由于元胞状态设置较为简单,从而使模型转换规则中对不同用地类型向城市用地转换的差异与强度考虑不够。基于此本文在元胞自动机模型的框架下,设计了多元结构的元胞状态及转换规则,提出了顾及地类转换差异与强度的城市扩展元胞自动机模型。在计算非城市用地向城市用地转换的转换概率时,该模型考虑了3个方面的概率：① 地形地貌、经济发展等城市发展的驱动因素对城市用地扩展的影响概率,该概率采用logistics方法进行计算;② 邻域元胞的用地类型对中心元胞转换概率的影响,该概率采用扩展摩尔型方法进行计算;③ 不同类型的非城市用地（本研究中包括耕地、林地和裸地3种类型）向城市用地转换的强度,该概率由模拟基期土地利用数据与目标年份土地利用数据的叠加,得出不同类型的非城市用地在此时间段内向城市用地转换的规模,进而确定不同类型的非城市用地向城市用地转换的强度。最后,将以上3种概率的乘积作为元胞转换的概率。通过转换概率与转换阈值的对比判断中心元胞是否在下一个阶段转换为城市用地。经过迭代计算,不断增加城市用地元胞的数量。当模拟城市用地的结果与目标年份的城市用地规模差值在一定的范围内时停止模拟,得出最终结果。模型构建完成后,本文以长株潭城市群核心区为例进行了模拟实验。以2001年该地区的土地利用数据为基期数据,模拟2010年该地区的城市用地规模和空间分布。研究结果表明,根据本文提出的模型模拟的城市扩展结果与真实数据相比具有较高的一致性。模拟结果正确率达到68.66%,比基于传统logistics回归的元胞自动机模型的模拟精度提高了4.25%,Kappa系数为0.675。该模型较好地模拟了长株潭城市群核心区城市扩展,在城市空间扩展模拟中具有较好的适应性与有效性。     

弧形海岸裂流的数值模拟研究

弧形海岸波浪产生的裂流严重危害人类活动，但是目前对其特征缺乏充分认识。本文对Haller物理模型实验和三亚大东海的数值模拟表明FUNWAVE模式具有较好的裂流模拟能力。基于该模式进行了多种弧形海岸条件的裂流数值模拟，给出裂流的一些特征：（1）海岸弯曲度增大，裂流增强；（2）海岸坡度对裂流有比较大的影响，太陡或太平缓的海岸不利于形成裂流；（3）海岸尺寸减小，裂流减弱；（4）波高和波周期增大，裂流增强，但是对于某些海岸而言，0.4m波高可能就存在危害比较大的裂流。     

The isotopic signature of monsoon conditions,cloud modes,and rainfall type

This work provides a comprehensive physically based framework for the interpretation of the north Australian rainfall stable isotope record (δ¹⁸O and δ²H). Until now, interpretations mainly relied on statistical relationships between rainfall amount and isotopic values on monthly timescales. Here, we use multiseason daily rainfall stable isotope and high resolution (10 min) ground‐based C‐band polarimetric radar data and show that the five weather types (monsoon regimes) that constitute the Australian wet season each have a characteristic isotope ratio. The data suggest that this is not only due to changes in regional rainfall amount during these regimes but, more importantly, is due to different rain and cloud types that are associated with the large scale circulation regimes. Negative (positive) isotope anomalies occurred when stratiform rainfall fractions were large (small) and the horizontal extent of raining areas were largest (smallest). Intense, yet isolated, convective conditions were associated with enriched isotope values whereas more depleted isotope values were observed when convection was widespread but less intense. This means that isotopic proxy records may record the frequency of which these typical wet season regimes occur. Positive anomalies in paleoclimatic records are most likely associated with periods where continental convection dominates and convection is sea‐breeze forced. Negative anomalies may be interpreted as periods when the monsoon trough is active, convection is of the oceanic type, less electric, and stratiform areas are wide spread. This connection between variability of rainfall isotope anomalies and the intrinsic properties of convection and its large‐scale environment has important implications for all fields of research that use rainfall stable isotopes.     

300 BC-1900 AD无定河流域城镇时空格局演变

通过分析和整理从战国中晚期（约300 BC）至清末（约1900 AD）无定河流域历代县级及以上城址的位置、兴废年代数据,结合行政区划沿革、经济社会发展、政权更迭等资料,分析流域城镇格局的时空演变过程。研究表明：① 受气候周期性波动影响,无定河流域城镇的兴起与衰废具有明显的周期性特征,城镇几何中心的移动轨迹具有明显的“西北—东南”向潮汐性运动特征;② 城址存续年限普遍较短,具有明显的阶段性特征,流域内曾存在过4个阶段性中心城镇,中心城镇移动的方向和过程与城镇几何中心的潮汐性移动过程趋势一致;③ 流域城镇空间格局可分为3种类型,即秦汉与隋唐时期的沿河流谷地分布,宋、明两代的沿边境线与长城分布,以及元、清两代集中于流域下游分布。流域城镇未来的发展布局应重视气候变化对城镇分布的长期影响,关注区域环境的脆弱性,合理安排城镇体系发展规模与布局。     

典型深街谷内树木空间配置对行人呼吸高度处气流的影响

为揭示树木的不同空间配植方案对行人呼吸高度气流的影响,本文将树木视为均匀多孔介质,通过附加源项法从空气动力学角度用CFD模拟了H/W=2的典型深街谷几何内4种树木配植情景,实验表明,不同空间配置下树木对街谷内行人呼吸高度处局地气流的影响强弱在空间分布模式上差异悬殊：① 均匀种植的树木对街谷内行人呼吸高度的气流起到阻碍作用,不均匀种植则有效提升街谷的整体流速。4种空间配植方案下树木对气流的影响程度不同,阻碍作用从大到小的顺序为均匀间距8 m（Spa8m）>均匀间距6 m（Spa6m）>均匀间距20 m（Spa20m）>不均匀配植（Non-uniform）;对应的平均气流增强指标顺序为$\bar{D}_{spa8}$（-19.31%）<$\bar{D}_{spa6}$（-16.14%）<$\bar{D}_{spa20}$（-10.73%）<$\bar{D}_{non-uniform}$（1.25%）。② 对比不均匀和均匀的种植方案,不均匀植树的街谷内部行人呼吸高度的气流流速比其对照案例（均匀植树Spa8m方案）整体增强了106.49%。街谷中部不种树,在街谷两端配置树木并预留足够的自由空间的不均匀植树方案,能够让角涡渗入街谷中部,促使街谷内部的垂直漩涡和两端的水平角涡运动,增强湍流和垂直交换,有效减少了街道两端“风口效应”和街道中部“风影效应”的区域,改善了整个街谷行人呼吸平面的风环境。④ 合理空间配置的树木能够改善街谷内部的行人风环境。街谷内行人呼吸高度处的气流对局地条件很敏感,树木的局部配置（空间簇集、密度）将引起强烈的空间变化。在既有城市建筑布局条件下,如何通过谨慎的景观设计,利用树木等城市绿化措施有效地改善城市的行人风环境,缓解污染扩散、疾病传播等问题,本文的方法可提供一定的参考。     

Bearing capacity of offshore umbrella suction anchor foundation in silty soil under varying loading modes

Considering the current disadvantages of present offshore wind turbine foundations, a novel anchor foundation with skirt and branches is proposed, called offshore umbrella suction anchor foundation (USAF). A series of experiments and numerical simulations were performed to explore the bearing capacity of the USAF under various kinds of loading modes. The bearing characteristics and the anchor–soil interactions are described in detail for horizontal static loading, horizontal cyclic loading, and an antidrawing (pullout) test in silty soil. In the static loading test, the load–deflection of the anchor under step loading was analyzed and the normalized curve of the load–deflection was obtained to determine the ultimate horizontal bearing capacity of the anchor under normal working conditions. Under horizontal cyclic loading, the relationship between the plastic cumulative deformation and cyclic number was determined. In addition, the responses of USAF were investigated for a low wave frequency and storm surges. In the drawing test, it was found that a “segmentation phenomenon” occurred during the test. Moreover, a method to identify the maximum antidrawing load of USAF was provided based on dynamic mechanics. The numerical results show that the use of anchor branches and skirt can enhance the bearing performance of USAF to a certain degree. However, the anchor branch has a slight positive influence on the bearing performance improvement. The USAF is not only similar to a stiff short pile, but a rotation occurs. The failure envelope under composite loading (V-M) was obtained and the changes associated with changes in the aspect ratio of the internal compartment were clarified.