Near‐infrared spectroscopy of a hydroecological indicator: new tool for determining sustainable yield for Floridan aquifer system

Pond‐cypress (Taxodium ascendens Brong.) is a dominant canopy species in depressional wetlands of the south‐eastern Coastal Plain. Unsustainable withdrawals from the karst Floridan aquifer system have caused premature decline and death of pond‐cypress trees, presumably owing to altered hydroperiods (which alter the flow of water and nutrients in trees). There has been no scientifically based means to determine sustainable yield from this regional aquifer system or to detect early stages of physical/ecological damage associated with groundwater mining and aquifer storage and recovery (ASR, which also can alter natural hydroperiods). In this study, the relationship between visual symptoms (indicators) of stress or premature decline, and spectral reflectance was evaluated using dried, milled branch tips collected from natural stands of mature pond‐cypress. Depressional systems evaluated represented four of the six aquifer system subregions where subsurface perturbations from groundwater mining: (i) were presumed not to be occurring (reference wetlands); (ii) may be occurring but are not documented; and (iii) have been confirmed. Sampled trees were assigned to one of three stress classes (1, no/minimal; 2, moderate; 3, severe) based on the visual indicators. Partial least squares–linear discriminant analysis of second derivative spectral transformations in the visible/shortwave near‐infrared (NIR) region (400–1100 nm) and the NIR region (1100–2500 nm) was used to evaluate the samples in assigned classes. Class 1 samples were discriminated from combined class 2 and 3 samples in the NIR region with 100% and 97% accuracy for consecutive winter sample periods (before bud‐break). The percentage of correctly classified samples in this spectral region was lower (85%) for summer samples (full leaf‐out). Second‐derivative models for the NIR region developed from the winter data sets predicted assigned classes for alternate winter's samples with an accuracy of 97% and 100%. High correlation between spectral reflectance of dried, milled branch tips collected from mature pond‐cypress in winter and visual indicators of premature decline suggests in situ pond‐cypress are hydroecological indicators of anthropogenic subsurface hydroperiod perturbations. This approach provides objective means for early detection of unsustainable aquifer yield and adverse impacts from ASR activities in the south‐eastern Coastal Plain. Used in conjunction with hydrological monitoring and modelling, the hydroecological indicators should provide the means with which sustainable yield in the south‐eastern Coastal Plain can be achieved and maintained. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Marine vibrators: the new phase of seismic exploration

Marine seismic vibrators are generally considered to be less intrusive than airguns from an environmental perspective. This is because they emit their energy spread out in time, rather than in a single, high-intensity pulse. There are also significant geophysical benefits associated with marine vibrators, and they stem from the ability to specify in detail the output acoustic waveform. The phase can be specified independently at each frequency. Such detailed control cannot be achieved with conventional airgun sources, where the phase can only be modified using simple overall time delays. The vibrator phase can be employed in several different ways: it can be applied to the overall source phase in a sequence so that it varies from one source point to the next; it can be applied to the individual vibrators within the source array so the source directivity is changed; it can be applied to the overall source phase of each source in a simultaneous source acquisition. Carefully designed phase sequences can attenuate the residual source noise, and this in turn allows extra source points to be interleaved between the conventional ones. For these extra source points, the relative phase of the vibrators within the array can be chosen to create a transverse gradient source, which illuminates the earth predominantly in directions out of the plane of the sail line without left/right ambiguity. If seismic vibrator data are acquired using interleaved conventional and transverse gradient sweeps, more information is collected per kilometre of vessel travel than is the case in conventional acquisition. This richer data acquisition leads to the possibility of acquiring all the necessary seismic data in a shorter time. Three-dimensional reconstruction techniques are used to recover the same image quality that would have been obtained using the conventional, more time-consuming acquisition. For a marine vibrator to be suitable for these techniques it must, in general terms, have ‘high fidelity’. The precise device specifications are defined through realistic end-to-end simulations of the physical systems and the processing. The specifications are somewhat more onerous than for a conventional vibrator, but they are achievable. A prototype vibrator that satisfies these requirements has been built. In a simulated case study of a three-dimensional deep-water ocean bottom node survey, the seismic data could have been acquired using marine vibrators in one third of the time that it would have taken using airguns.     

湖泊富营养化综合评价方法

从对湖泊富营养化评价的一般方法入手,综述了国内外有关湖泊富养化综合评价的一些方法,提出：营养状态指数法由于可对湖泊营养状态进行连续的数值化的分级,从而为湖泊富营养化机理的定量研究提供了坚实的基础,应是今后湖泊富营养化评价中的主要方法。     

Interrelations between Si and P biogeochemical cycles—a new approach to the solution of the eutrophication problem

Because the biogeochemical cycles of P and Si in temperate lakes are strongly connected by the dynamics of primary producers, it should be possible to influence the former cycle by causing changes in the latter. It is shown using the mathematical model ‘Rostherne’ that winter levels of ambient Si have a major influence both on spring levels of ambient P and on the summer cyanobacterial maxima. Additions of Si to the lakes could be used for the fine regulation of the biogeochemical balance and may prescribe a recipe for improvement of water quality, as well as a new solution to the problem of eutrophication. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aluminium solubility controls in acid waters: the need for a reappraisal

Stability diagrams have been frequently used to demonstrate aluminium solubility controls in acidic stream and soil waters. This paper shows that it is possible by this method to generate apparent controls using random numbers in place of stream chemistry data. Thermodynamic arguments demonstrate that a wide variety of reactions can produce relationships similar to Al(OH)₃ solubility controls. It is proposed that stability diagrams alone should be used with great caution in identifying aluminium solubility controls, taking care that their axes are independent. Thermodynamic solubility calculations should be used with due scepticism. Supplementary investigations should be used where possible to identify phases precipitating or dissolving.     

政府需要科研诚信

美国政府在科学研究中投入了大量资金,并强调国家需要准确及权威的信息来指导联邦政府的政策制定。因此,在科研诚信方面拥有一个连续且清晰的联邦政策来增加透明度及建立公众对政府科学的信任已到了一种关键地步。科研诚信是一个不仅适用于在联邦系统工作的个体科学家,也适用于怎样利用科学信息制定政策的政府机构的问题。     

Seagrass importance for a small-scale fishery in the tropics: The need for seascape management

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) in tropical seascapes (mosaics of interconnected mangroves, seagrasses and corals) are crucial for food and income. However, management is directed mostly to corals and mangroves. This research analyzes the importance of seagrasses compared to adjacent ecosystems in Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Using fish landings; the study investigated: location of fishing effort, fish production (biomass and species), and monetary benefits (aggregated value and per capita income). Seagrasses were the most visited grounds providing highest community benefits. Per capita benefits were equivalent to those from corals and mangroves. All three habitats provided income just above extreme poverty levels; however catches from seagrass appeared more stable. Seagrass are key ecosystems supporting SSF and protection and management are urgently needed. Adoption of a seascape approach considering all ecosystems underpinning SSF and the social aspects of fishing and a shift in emphasis from pure conservation to sustainable resource management would be desirable.     

A new indicator of elastic spectral shape for the reliable selection of ground motion records

How to select a limited number of ground motion records (GMRs) is an important challenge for the non‐linear analysis of structures. Since epsilon (ε_Sa) is an indicator of spectral shape, which has a significant correlation with the non‐linear response of a structure, the selection of GMRs based on the hazard‐related target ε_Sa is a reasonable approach. In this paper, an alternative indicator of spectral shape is proposed, which results in a more reliable prediction of the non‐linear response for the structures with the natural period of 0.25 to 3.0 s. This new parameter, named eta (η), is a linear combination of ε_Sa and the peak ground velocity epsilon (ε_PGV). It is shown that η, as a non‐linear response predictor, is remarkably more efficient than the well‐known and convenient parameter ε_Sa. The influence of η‐filtration in the collapse analysis of an eight‐story reinforced concrete structure with special moment‐resisting frames was studied. Statistical analysis of the results confirmed that the difference between ε‐filtration and η‐filtration can be very significant at some hazard levels. In the case of this structure, the resulting annual frequency of collapse was found to be lower in the case of η‐based record selection, in comparison with the ε‐based record‐selection approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Marine quality assessment by use of benthic species-abundance distributions: a proposed new protocol within the European Union Water Framework Directive

The aim of this study is to develop a new method for classification of marine benthic quality according to the European Union Water Framework Directive. Tolerance values to environmental disturbance were determined in an objective analysis for benthic species along the Swedish west coast by using 4676 samples from 257 stations. Based on a combination of the species tolerance values, abundance and diversity, a benthic quality index (BQI) was calculated for the assessment of environmental status at a particular station. The qualification of BQI was evaluated in relation to known spatial and temporal gradients of disturbance.     

Comparison of reservoirs in the Moskva-Vazuza water system in terms of phytoplankton abundance and eutrophication degree

Based on the analysis of long-term data, phytoplankton biomass is shown to grow in the Vazuza-Yauza-Ruza-Mozhaisk-Ozerna series of reservoirs. The first three reservoirs (their near-dam areas) can be referred to mesotrophic water bodies and the other reservoirs, to slightly eutrophic. It has been revealed that, with an increase in the water body productivity (from the Vazuza Reservoir to the Ozerna Reservoir), the share of blue-green algae increases, while the share of diatomic algae decreases. The concentration of phosphorus in water bodies is an important factor of phytoplankton abundance.     

勘查天然气水合物资源的海洋可控源电磁发射系统

海洋可控源电磁探测(MCSEM)是勘查天然气水合物资源的有效方法之一.海洋可控源电磁发射系统是实现MCSEM的重要硬件组成部分.本文以天然气水合物在海底的一维地电模型为例,研究电偶源发射频率、发射偶极侧向漂移、源偶极矩大小对电场响应的影响,进而指导发射系统研制.该系统包括:甲板升压控制单元,可将船载大功率电能升为高压并通过万米光电复合缆输送至海底的发射机;水下变压器,可将深拖缆中的大功率高压转换为低压;拖曳式大功率电磁发射机,其内部的控制电路硬件和嵌入式驱动软件可将水下变压器输出的电能逆变为大功率矩形脉冲,并通过发射偶极将脉冲发送至海水介质中;借助水动力学设计的发射机拖体,用于装载发射系统水下部件和保持拖曳过程中的平衡与稳定;甲板端上位机监控单元,利用万米光电复合缆中的光纤实现船上计算机与海底发射机的远程数据通信.2012年5月和2013年5月海洋试验的结果均表明,所研制的发射系统可作为天然气水合物资源勘探的有效激励场源.