Effects of winter atmospheric circulation on temporal and spatial variability in annual streamflow in the western United States

Abstract

Winter mean 700-hectoPascal (hPa) height anomalies, representing the average atmospheric circulation during the snow season, are compared with annual streamflow measured at 140 streamgauges in the western United States. Correlation and anomaly pattern analyses are used to identify relationships between winter mean atmospheric circulation and temporal and spatial variability in annual streamflow. Results indicate that variability in winter mean 700-Hpa height anomalies accounts for a statistically significant portion of the temporal variability in annual streamflow in the western United States. In general, above-average annual streamflow is associated with negative winter mean 700-Hpa height anomalies over the eastern North Pacific Ocean and/or the western United States. The anomalies produce an anomalous flow of moist air from the eastern North Pacific Ocean into the western United States that increases winter precipitation and snowpack accumulations, and subsequently streamflow. Winter mean 700-hPa height anomalies also account for statistically significant differences in spatial distributions of annual streamflow. As part of this study, winter mean atmospheric circulation patterns for the 40 years analysed were classified into five winter mean 700-hPa height anomaly patterns. These patterns are related to statistically significant and physically meaningful differences in spatial distributions of annual streamflow.     

Influence of statistical time range on estimating seismicity parameters

Introduction At present, the current probabilistic method of seismic hazard analysis in the world is gener-ally adopted in seismic safety evaluation (Cornell, 1968). It supposed that earthquake occurrence conforms to the segmented Poisson distribution model in time and space and the proportional rela-tion among earthquakes of various magnitudes obeys the cut-exponential distribution law in a sta-tistical area in compiling Seismic Intensity Zoning Map in China (1990) owing to the temporal- sp…     

Estimate of sediment inflow into Vistonis Lake, Greece

In the present study, the mean annual sediment inflow into Vistonis Lake (Thrace, northeastern Greece) was calculated. The sediment quantity originates mainly from the basins of Kossynthos, Kompsatos and Travos (Aspropotamos) Rivers. The whole basin area (mountainous part) contributing to the lake amounts to about 845 km². The above mean annual sediment quantity was compared with the mean annual sediment accumulation in the lake. The latter quantity was estimated from the mean annual decrease of the lake water volume for a period of 22 years, which was determined by means of older and newer topographic maps (isobath contours). For the calculation of the mean annual sediment yield at the outlets of the three above mentioned basins, a mathematical model consisting of three submodels was used: a rainfall-runoff submodel, a soil erosion submodel and a sediment transport submodel for streams. The comparison of the computational results by means of the mathematical model with the estimation results by means of the topographic maps is satisfactory and encouraging.     

中国地磁台环境场的计算与分析

根据国际参考地磁场(IGRF)模型,计算出1945年5月—1990年5月中国部分地磁台的计算年均值,并与相应观测年均值比较,计算出地磁台各个地磁要素的磁异常值以及地磁台异常场的模量,本文的计算结果将为认识地磁台的地磁场环境、地磁台站资料评比提供依据。     

Implications of the relationship between catchment vegetation type and the variability of annual runoff

The impact of changing catchment vegetation type on mean annual runoff has been known for some time, however, the impact on the variability of annual runoff has been established only recently. Differences in annual actual evapotranspiration between vegetation types and the potential effect of changing vegetation type on mean annual runoff and the variability of annual runoff are briefly reviewed. The magnitude of any change in the variability of annual runoff owing to a change in catchment vegetation type is related to the pre‐ and post‐change vegetation types and the seasonality of precipitation, assuming that the variability of annual precipitation remains constant throughout. Significant implications of the relationship between vegetation type and the variability of annual runoff are presented and discussed for water resource management, stream ecology and fluvial geomorphology. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative streamflow characteristics in urbanizing basins in the Portland Metropolitan Area,Oregon, USA

This study investigates changes in streamflow characteristics for urbanizing watersheds in the Portland Metropolitan Area of Oregon for the period from 1951 to 2000. The objective of this study was to assess how mean annual runoff ratio, mean seasonal runoff ratio, annual peak runoff ratio, changes in streamflow in response to storm amount, the fraction of time that the daily mean flow exceeds the annual mean flow, 3‐day recession constants, and dry/wet flow ratio vary among watersheds with different degrees of urban development. There were no statistically significant changes in annual runoff ratio and annual peak runoff ratio for the mixed land‐use watershed (Tualatin River watershed) and the urban watershed (Johnson Creek watershed) during the entire study period. The Tualatin River watershed, where most of the urban development occurred in a lower part of the watershed, showed a statistically significant increase in annual peak runoff ratio during the 1976 and 2000 period. The Upper Tualatin River watershed illustrated a significant decrease in annual peak runoff ratio for the entire study period. With significant differences in seasonal runoff ratio, only Johnson Creek exhibited a significant increase in both wet and dry season runoff ratios. Streamflow during storm events declined rapidly in the urban watershed, with a high 3‐day recession constant. At an event storm scale, streamflow in Fanno Creek, which is the most urbanized watershed, responded quickly to precipitation input. The fraction of time that the daily mean flow exceeded the annual mean flow and dry/wet flow ratio are all lower in Johnson Creek. This suggests a shorter duration of storm runoff and lower baseflow in the urbanized watershed when compared to the mixed land use watershed. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of spatial and temporal scale, climate variability, and basin physiographic characteristics in detecting the hydrologic effects of urbanization in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国部分地磁台站年均值与IGRF模型一致性分析

利用中国部分地磁台站1990～2003年的年均值资料,研究了台站年均值与IGRF模型计算值的一致程度,结果表明：①我国地磁台站的长期变速度与IGRF模型的长期变速度有差异：总体来讲,我国台站磁偏角D和垂直强度Z的长期变速度低于IGRF模型的相应速度;水平强度H的长期变速度在1990～1995年间高于IGRF模型的相应速度,在1995～2000年间低于IGRF模型的相应速度;②台站年均值与IGRF模型值的差值曲线中,H和Z有明显的起伏,反映了地磁场长期变的非线性;③虽然有上述长期变上的差异,但对于同一个台站,各地磁要素年均值与IGRF模型值的差值的标准偏差均低于IGRF模型的误差水平,说明IGRF模型与台站年均值的一致性比较好;④对于同一地磁要素,不同台站的年均值与IGRF模型值的差值的平均值相差较大,反映出台站所在位置地壳磁异常的巨大差异。通过总结上述工作,文中还讨论了地磁台站保持长期可靠运行的重要性以及地磁台网历史观测资料抢救的紧迫性。     

MEAN STREAMFLOW FROM DISCHARGE MEASUREMENTS

Abstract

Mean flow of a stream is usually computed from a continuous record of flow ai a gaging station. A less costly method consists of (1) estimating 12 individual monthly flows from one discharge measurement per month and a concurrent gaging station record on a nearby stream, using a different relation for each month, (2) computing the annual mean from the estimated monthly means, and (3) using a relation based on gaging station records to estimate the long-term mean from the one annual mean. An annual mean can be estimated within about 10 percent of its measured value even though both the gaged and ungaged streams are affected by diversions and have different runoff characteristics. The method has greatest utility in regions where mean runoff is not closely related to drainage area.     

An efficient method for estimating the collapse risk of structures in seismic regions

Assessing the probability of collapse is a computationally demanding component of performance‐based earthquake engineering. This paper examines various aspects involved in the computation of the mean annual frequency of collapse (λ_c) and proposes an efficient method for estimating the sidesway collapse risk of structures in seismic regions. By deaggregating the mean annual frequency of collapse, it is shown that the mean annual frequency of collapse is typically dominated by earthquake ground motion intensities corresponding to the lower half of the collapse fragility curve. Uncertainty in the collapse fragility curve and mean annual frequency of collapse as a function of the number of ground motions used in calculations is also quantified, and it is shown that using a small number of ground motions can lead to unreliable estimates of a structure's collapse risk. The proposed method is shown to significantly reduce the computational effort and uncertainty in the estimate. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

无参考序列条件下地面气温观测资料城市化偏差订正方法：以北京站为例

本文以北京气象站长期地面气温观测资料为例,发展了一种无早期参考序列条件下城镇站城市化偏差评价和订正方法.首先对北京站逐月平均最高、最低气温资料进行质量控制和均一化处理,并借助卫星遥感亮度温度资料遴选附近乡村站;然后利用最近3年逐时地面气温资料,计算观象台和5个乡村站各月平均地面气温的差值,把其作为北京站1915-2012年期间的城市化累积影响;最后假设城市化累积影响在整个研究时期呈匀速增长,采用线性订正法对地面月平均气温序列中的城市化偏差进行订正.分析表明：资料均一化处理后,北京站近百年最高、最低和平均气温多年平均值有所下降,气温日较差则有所提高,但三种年平均气温序列增温趋势和年平均气温日较差序列下降趋势有所增强.北京站年平均最低气温、平均气温和气温日较差序列中均存在较大的城市化累积影响,其中最低气温和平均气温四个季节均为正值,冬季最大,秋季次之,夏季最小,四季和年平均气温日较差均为较大的负值.订正城市化偏差后,最低气温和平均气温增加速率均明显下降,年平均气温日较差下降趋势则明显变弱.     

河北省近年地磁Z分量长期变特征

本文利用河北省昌黎、红山等８个地磁台Ｚ分量资料，计算了年均值和各台相对红山台的差值。结果表明，近年内各地磁台Ｚ分量变化趋势是一致的，均属非线性变化，年变速率逐渐加大，１９９４—１９９３年的年变率已是１９７８—１９７７年的３倍左右。同时，又反映出各台的差异，有变化速率由东南向西北逐渐变小的特征。指出这一特征可能对相当范围的地磁长期变有一定的代表性     

The carbon isotope composition of C_3 herbaceous plants in loess area of northern China

The application of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in study of paleoenvironment has been becoming more and more extensive. It is well known that the d 18O curves of foraminifer crust in deep oceanic sediments and ice cores have made a great contribution…     

城市化对北京气象站极端气温指数趋势变化的影响

利用5个乡村气象站和北京气象站(简称北京站)1960～2008年日最高、最低气温资料,比较分析了北京地区城市和乡村极端气温指数年、季节的时间变化以及城市化对北京站各极端气温指数趋势变化的影响.结果表明:1960～2008年北京站霜冻日数、冷夜日数、冷昼日数和平均日较差均显著减少,暖夜日数、暖昼日数、平均最高气温和平均最...     

LONG-TERM FLUCTUATIONS AND TRENDS IN WATER LEVEL CHANGES IN THE OUTFLOW LAKES IN NORTHERN POLAND

ABSTRACT

The occurrence of cyclic fluctuations and trends in water levels has been tested by examining a long-term series of mean annual water levels in 11 outflow lakes, mostly groove lakes, located in Northern Poland between 14° E and 23° E and situated at different altitudes up to 120 m above sea level.

Analysis of the occurrence of cyclic fluctuations of water levels has been carried out by means of mass curves. The regression method together with the moving average method applied to 10-year values of mean annual water levels were used to establish the trend in water levels.

On the basis of the research completed, it has been stated that long-term fluctuations of mean annual water levels of the lakes under investigation, in spite of the absence of a distinct periodicity, are characterized by a cycle with a 23-year period. The studies of the trends of mean annual water levels revealed a negative tendency ranging from—0·059 to—0·402 cm per annum.     

Incorporating intensity bounds for assessing the seismic safety of structures: Does it matter?

The closed‐form solution for assessing the proportion of the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance as a function of integration limits is introduced, in order to study whether or not the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance is overestimated if the lower and(or) upper integration limit of the risk equation are(is) not selected in a physically consistent manner. Simple formulas for assessing the threshold value of the lower and upper integration limits are also derived. These formulas can be used to quickly assess the significant range of ground motion intensity that affects the mean annual frequency of limit‐state exceedance. It is shown that the threshold values of the integration limits depend on the median intensity causing a limit‐state, the corresponding dispersion and the slope of the hazard curve in the log domain. For several reinforced concrete buildings located in a region with moderate seismicity, it is demonstrated that the mean annual frequency of collapse can be significantly overestimated when assessed by integrating the risk equation over the entire range of ground motion intensity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification and explanation of continental differences in the variability of annual runoff

Continental differences in the variability of annual runoff were investigated using an expanded and improved database to that used in previous work. A statistical analysis of the data, divided by continent and Köppen climate type, revealed that continental differences exist in the variability of annual runoff. The variability of annual runoff for temperate Australia, arid southern Africa and possibly temperate southern Africa were noted to be generally higher than that of other continents with data in the same climate type. A statistical analysis of annual precipitation by continent and Köppen climate type revealed that differences in the variability of annual precipitation could account for some but not all the observed differences in the variability of annual runoff. A literature review of potential causes of continental differences in evapotranspiration resulted in the hypothesis that the significantly higher variability of annual runoff in temperate Australia and possibly temperate southern Africa may be due to the distribution of evergreen and deciduous vegetation. The process model Macaque was used to test this hypothesis. The model results indicate that the variability of annual runoff may be between 1 and 99% higher for catchments covered in evergreen vegetation as opposed to deciduous vegetation, depending on mean annual precipitation and the seasonality of precipitation. It is suggested that the observed continental differences in the variability of annual runoff are largely caused by continental differences in the variability of annual precipitation and in temperate regions the distribution of evergreen and deciduous vegetation in conjunction with the distribution of mean annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality.     

门源地倾斜的前兆特征分析

采用气象学上的累年均值法 ,求取了门源地倾斜的正常年变形态 ,然后利用形态法 ,对震前异常形态与正常年变形态相比较 ,通过震例分析 ,总结了门源地倾斜地震前兆异常特征和临震指标     

SOME GENERALIZED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FLOODS AND DROUGHTS OF THE LOWER MEKONG

ABSTRACT

The hydrological data available for the Lower Mekong River are presented in directly usable form for design purposes by means of a regional frequency study of the annual maximum daily mean flows (floods) and by means of the annual mean minimum flows for various durations (droughts). In addition, a regional analysis is given of the annual dry season recession hydrograph. The only information required to apply these results is the size of the drainage area or the distance along the river upstream from Phnom-Penh.     

Future climate and runoff projections across New South Wales,Australia: results and practical applications

This paper describes the rainfall–runoff modelling for New South Wales (NSW) and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) under historical climate and the likely changes to runoff around the year 2030 for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) SRES A1B global warming scenario. Results show that the mean annual historical rainfall and runoff, averaged over the entire region, are 516 and 55 mm, respectively. There is considerable uncertainty in the global climate modelling (GCM) of rainfall response in the region to global warming. The majority of GCMs show a decrease in the mean annual rainfall and the median estimate indicates that future mean annual runoff in the region in ～2030 relative to ～1990 will be lower by 0–20% in the southern parts, no change to a slight reduction in the eastern parts and higher by 0–20% in the northwest corner. Averaged across the entire region, the median estimate is a 5% decrease in the mean annual runoff and the extreme estimates range from a 14% decrease to a 10% increase in mean annual runoff. This is the first comprehensive study on the hydrological impacts of climate change done in NSW that covers the entire state. Outputs from this study are being used to underpin the hydrology for a number of major climate change impact studies that are presently underway across NSW. The results and output datasets from this study will be available through a web interface and they can be used by all state government agencies and industries in NSW to plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulating the impacts of land-use and climate change on water resource availability for a large south Indian catchment

Abstract

A monthly rainfall-runoff model was calibrated for a large tropical catchment in southern India. Various land-use and climatic change scenarios were tested to assess their effects on mean annual runoff and assured water yield at the Bhavanisagar Reservoir in Tamil Nadu, India. The largest increase in runoff (19%) came from converting forest and savanna (the indigenous control scenario) to agriculture. Mean annual runoff decreased by 35% after conversion to commercial forest and 6% after partial conversion to tea plantations. The predicted climate scenarios of reduced dry season rainfall decreased the annual runoff by 5% while enhanced annual rainfall caused a 17% increase in runoff. Even if land-use and climate changes had relatively large effects on runoff, the changes in reservoir yield which can be assured every year, were often less severe. This was probably due to the buffering effect of the reservoir and variation in the mean annual runoff.