Study on temporal and spatial evolution of China’s oil supply and consumption

To begin with, energy flow chart is used to analyze the status of China’s oil supply and consumption. Moreover, the temporal and spatial evolution of the oil production and oil products consumption in China is studied based on the gravity model. Finally, the decoupling index combined with the log mean Divisia index method is used to explore the contribution of the factors which influence terminal oil product consumption in China over the period 1991–2010. This paper draws the following results: (1) China’s net oil import dependency soared from 7.5 % in 1993 to 58.63 % in 2010. (2) The center of gravity for crude oil production and oil products consumption is an overall movement toward the southwest. (3) The economic activity effect is the critical factor in the growth of oil products consumption in China. However, industrial energy intensity effect plays the dominant role in decreasing oil products consumption. (4) The value of the decoupling index represented a re-coupling effect in 1996–1997 and 2003–2004. The other time interval showed weak decoupling effect.     

An improved BP neural network based on evaluating and forecasting model of water quality in Second Songhua River of China

Taking the Second Songhua River which lies in the northeast of China as a study area, this paper firstly designs the improved BP neural network water evaluating and forecasting model of which 13 water evaluating items are selected as nodes in input layer; 6 classes of evaluating results are selected as nodes of output layer; then, with the ＂0, 1＂ identified pattern and continually practiced comparisons, ＂13-9-5-6＂ double hidden layers with optimized training structure are confirmed; on the basis of this work, the water quality of the Second Songhua River was evaluated and forecasted at the end. The results showed that in the six classes of predefined water quality in 157 stations, none of them belongs to class Ⅰ, and classes Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅴ are as follows： 8.91%, 58.59%, 18.47%, 1.91% and 12.1%, respectively; the precision of these evaluating and forecasting results is 82.8%.     

Spatial–temporal characteristics of surface water quality in the Taihu Basin,China

Taihu Basin is one of the most developed and industrialized regions in China. In the last two decades, rapid development of economy as well as an increase in population has resulted in an increase of pollutants produced and discharged into rivers and lakes. Much more attention has been paid on the serious water pollution problems due to high frequency of algal blooming. The dataset, obtained during the period 2001–2002 from the Water Resources Protection Bureau of the Taihu Basin, consisted of eight physicochemical variables surveyed monthly at 22 sampling sites in the Taihu Basin, China. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to identify the characteristics of the surface water quality in the studied area. The temporal and spatial variations of water quality were also evaluated by using the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) method. PCA extracted the first two principal components (PCs), explaining 86.18% of the total variance of the raw data. Especially, PC1 (73.72%) had strong positive correlation with DO, and was negatively associated with COD_Mn, COD, BOD, NH₄ ⁺–N, TP and TN. PC2 (12.46%) was characterized by pH. CA showed that most sites were highly polluted by industrial and domestic wastewater which contributed significantly to PC1. The sites located in the west of Lake Taihu were influenced by farmland runoff which may contribute to nitrogen pollution of Lake Taihu, whereas the monitoring sites in the eastern of Lake Taihu demonstrated that urban residential subsistence and domestic wastewater are the major contaminants. FSE indicates that there is no obvious variance between 2001 and 2002 among most sites. Only several sites free from point-source pollution appear to exhibit good water quality through the studied period.     

Susceptibility evaluation and mapping of China’s landslides based on multi-source data

Landslides are occurring more frequently in China under the conditions of extreme rainfall and changing climate, according to News reports. Landslide hazard assessment remains an international focus on disaster prevention and mitigation, and it is an important step for compiling and quantitatively characterizing landslide damages. This paper collected and analyzed the historical landslide events data of the past 60 years in China. Validated by the frequencies and distributions of landslides, nine key factors (lithology, convexity, slope gradient, slope aspect, elevation, soil property, vegetation coverage, flow, and fracture) are selected to construct landslide susceptibility (LS) empirical models by back-propagation artificial neural network method. By integrating landslide empirical models with surface multi-source geospatial and remote sensing data, this paper further performs a large-scale LS assessment throughout China. The resulting landslide hazard assessment map of China clearly illustrates the hot spots of the high landslide potential areas, mostly concentrated in the southwest. The study implements a complete framework of multi-source data collecting, processing, modeling, and synthesizing that fulfills the assessment of LS and provides a theoretical basis and practical guide for predicting and mitigating landslide disasters potentially throughout China.

     

Origin and recharge estimates of groundwater in the ordos plateau,People’s Republic of China

Groundwater is a valuable resource in the semiarid Ordos Plateau region where abundant mineral resources, such as coal, natural gas, and halite, are present. With resources development, groundwater demand will increase dramatically. The origin identification and recharge estimates of groundwater are significant components of sustainable groundwater development in the Ordos Plateau. Groundwater and precipitation samples were taken and the isotopic compositions δ²H, δ¹⁸O, and chloride were analyzed to identify groundwater origins and to estimate recharge rates. The δ²H and δ¹⁸O of the groundwater show that the groundwater recharge is of meteoric origin. The chloride mass balance (CMB) method was used to quantify recharge rates of groundwater in the Ordos Plateau, which varies from 2.93 to 22.11% of the effective annual rainfall. Recharge rates estimated by CMB were compared with values obtained from other methods and were found to be in good agreement. This study can be used to develop effective programs for groundwater management and development.     

Review on transboundary aquifers in People’s Republic of China with case study of Heilongjiang-Amur River Basin

Groundwater, as a precious resource hidden underground, is an important component of the global water system. Transboundary aquifers containing substantial amount of groundwater often carry crucial ecological and social implications. Yet, it is unfortunate that transboundary aquifers have hardly been in the forefront of political and scientific discussions, and have not received due attention by policymakers. This article attempts to summarize the investigation on the eight transboundary aquifers that China shares with the neighboring countries. An overview on the groundwater resources in China, including its distribution, exploitation and challenges is also provided. Hydrogeological condition of the Heilongjiang-Amur River Basin aquifer, which is one of the eight major aquifers, is further elaborated. Cooperative activities carried out by China and Russia on monitoring and management of this aquifer are also presented.     

Assessment of changes in the area of the water conservation forest in the Qilian Mountains of China’s Gansu province, and the effects on water conservation

The Qilian Mountains water conservation forest in Gansu province is an important ecological barrier surrounding the oasis in China’s Hexi Corridor. The water they provide is the basis for the existence and sustainable socioeconomic development of those oases. As a result of unsustainable use of the water conservation forest until the 1980s, the oasis ecosystems of the Hexi region were seriously damaged, and the oasis areas experienced deterioration of their ecological environment. In this paper, Landsat images were used to monitor the temporal and spatial changes in area of water conservation in Qilian Mountains of China’s Gansu province and to assess the effect on water conservation by analyzed relationship between water conservation forest area, climatic data and hydrological data. The results showed that the forest covered 15.1% of the study area in 2007 and has followed different trends during the study period. From 1978 to 1990, the forest area decreased; however, from 1990 to 2007, the forest area increased, with a faster rate of increase from 1990 to 2000, and the rate of increase averaged 2,733.89 ha per year since 1990. The water conservation forest appears to play an important role in flood control, runoff regulation, the prevention of soil erosion, and water conservation; and these benefits increase with an increasing area of forest.     

Correlation between water quality and the diurnal variation of Pontederia cordata’s physiology

The purifying tank containing Pontederia cordata was used to treat heavily polluted river water. The relationship between the diurnal variation of plant physiology and water quality was investigated. The study took place from 0800 to 1800?hours and in that period the physiological parameters of the plant and the water quality were analysed. Results indicated that the activity of peroxidase and catalase, the content of soluble protein and the rate of photosynthesis and transpiration were negatively correlated to the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the river water, respectively. Higher sunlight intensity increased the activity of peroxidase and catalase, the content of soluble protein, rate of photosynthesis and transpiration. Sunlight also decreased the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus, the cations (Al³⁺, Fe²⁺ and Ca²⁺), the anions (Cl^?, NO₃ ^? and SO₄ ^2?) and the oxidation?Creduction potential and electrical conductivity of the river water. During the treatment from 0800 to 1800?hours, soluble protein content, photosynthesis rate of the plant and dissolved oxygen concentration of the river water showed a bimodal distribution, with peaks at 1200 and 1400?hours and a decrease at 1300?hours due to decrease in photosynthesis at midday. Peroxidase and catalase activity, soluble protein content, photosynthesis and transpiration rate were highest between 1000 and 1400?hours, while nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of the polluted water decreased significantly during this time. The correlation between plant physiology and water quality provided valuable data on the role of this plant in the ecological restoration of polluted water.     

Isotopic Stratification and Its Implications in Groundwater of Northern China

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Geodynamics on Formation and Evolution of Bohaiwan Basin,China

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China’s regional meteorological disaster loss analysis and evaluation based on grey cluster model

To evaluate the regional meteorological disaster loss of China, this paper analyzed the different types of meteorological disasters, including droughts, floods, tropical storms, snowstorms and hail disasters. Based on the analysis about Chinese geographical features, the historical characteristics of different meteorological disasters are analyzed. In particular, these meteorological disasters influence to agriculture production are discussed. According to the analysis of data from 2004 to 2010, we know that the distribution characteristics are very different about different disasters. Provinces like Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shanxi and Yunnan are serious affected areas of drought influence. And Anhui, Shandong, Jiangsu, Henan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan and Heilongjiang are serious affected areas by floods and heavy rain. While Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Shandong are mainly affected by tropical storms, Henan, Hebei, Hunan and Hubei are serious affected by snowstorms and hail disasters. Then, a novel method based on grey cluster model is constructed and combined with the regional meteorological disaster loss evaluation index system. A total of 31 provinces are considered to evaluate the integrated meteorological disaster losses. The results indicated that Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Xizang, Qinghai and Ningxia belong to the lighter loss grey class. Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Hainan, Sichuan and Gansu belong to the serious loss grey class. Other regions belong to the general loss grey class that the influence caused by meteorological disasters not better than the lighter loss grey class and not worst than the serious loss grey class.     

Chemical and isotopic characteristics and origin of spring waters in the Lanping–Simao Basin,Yunnan, Southwestern China

The chemical and isotopic characteristics (oxygen, hydrogen, and strontium) of spring waters and isotopic compositions of helium (He) and neon (Ne) in gases escaping from spring waters in the Lanping–Simao Basin are studied. A total of twenty-one spring water samples (twelve hot springs, four cold springs, and five saline springs) and eleven gas samples were collected from the study area, including one spring and one gas sample from northern Laos. It is found that saline spring waters in the study area are of chloride type, cold spring waters are of carbonate type or sulfate type, and hot spring waters are of various types. High total dissolved solids levels in saline springs are significantly related to Upper Cretaceous–Paleocene salt-bearing strata. On the basis of hydrochemical geothermometry, the reservoir temperatures (T_r) for hot springs, cold springs, and saline springs are 65.5–144.1, 37.8–64.4, and 65.1–109.0 °C, respectively, and the circulation depths of saline springs are much larger than those of hot and cold springs. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions of springs in the Lanping–Simao Basin and northern Laos are primarily controlled by meteoric waters with obvious latitude and altitude effects, and are also influenced by δ¹⁸O exchange to some extent. Most Sr²⁺ in spring waters of the study area is derived from varied sources (carbonate, evaporite, and silicate mineral dissolution), and the Sr isotopic compositions are greatly influenced by volcanic rocks. Wide distribution of crust-derived He in the Lanping–Simao Basin and northern Laos reveal that faults in these areas may not descend to the upper mantle. It is concluded that water circulation in the study area may be limited above the upper mantle, while saline springs may originate from the Upper Cretaceous–Paleocene evaporites. Hydrochemical characteristics demonstrate affinities among the Lanping–Simao Basin, northern Laos, and Yanjing, eastern Tibet, while disaffinities are observed between these areas and Tengchong on the basis of the hydrochemical characteristics and noble gas isotopic compositions.     

Groundwater quality assessment for domestic and agricultural purposes in Yan’an City,northwest China: implications to sustainable groundwater quality management on the Loess Plateau

Groundwater is critical for the sustainable development of the Loess Plateau, while groundwater quality is generally poor in this area due to natural factors and anthropogenic pollution. This study was carried out to investigate the suitability of groundwater for domestic and agricultural purposes in Yan’an City on the Chinese Loess Plateau and to assess its implications to sustainable groundwater management on the plateau. The index levels were compared with the threshold values established by the national and the WHO drinking water guidelines, and the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purposes was assessed using multiple agricultural water quality indicators. An entropy-weighted Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (entropy-weighted TOPSIS) was adopted for overall groundwater quality assessment. The results indicate that the study area is characterized by saline, hard, and slightly alkaline groundwater, mainly of the HCO₃–Ca·Mg type, accompanied by some minor SO₄·Cl–Ca·Mg type. The dissolution of carbonates and gypsum and the leaching of soluble salts are important natural processes influencing the groundwater ion chemistry. The parameters TH, TDS, and SO₄^2? are major indices, while Fe, Mn, F^?, and NH₄⁺ are minor contaminants affecting groundwater quality. The overall groundwater quality is generally acceptable for irrigation, and most of the water is suitable for drinking. Rainwater harvesting, water quality improvement programs, regular water quality monitoring, and multidisciplinary water research programs are suggested as measures for sustainable groundwater management on the Loess Plateau.     

A note on India’s water budget and evapotranspiration

Some recent analyses of India’s water budget are based on information attributed to the Ministry of Water Resources. An examination of the budget components indicates that they imply an evapotranspiration estimate that is significantly lower than what one may expect based on information from other sources. If such is the case, India’s water resources situation may be more dire than is otherwise perceived. For, higher evapotranspiration implies correspondingly reduced availability of water for human use. It should be worthwhile to investigate and reconcile the apparent discrepancy between water budget and evapotranspiration, considering the importance of water in the national context.     

Distribution and Collection of China’s Dinosaurs

<正>It is estimated that the world has discovered more than1000 species and 800 genera of dinosaurs.Chinese scientists have named more than 170 species of dinosaurs,with 17 genera and 44 species of dinosaur egg fossils,35genera and 39 species of dinosaur footprints,since their first discovery in China in 1902.China has dinosaur occurrences from the Upper Triassic to the Upper