Investigating the effects of land use change on flood hydrograph using HEC-HMS hydrologic model (case study: Ekbatan Dam)

Natural Hazards - Hydrological modeling academic studies have focused on the response to human-caused land use changes. The effects of land use change on flood degree in the catchment basin of...     

塔里木河流域2004年"四源一干"河川径流情势及输水运行分析

2004年塔里木河流域平原的年平均气温特高,山区偏高.平原与山区年降水量均正常略偏多,流域内春夏季0℃层高度偏低.2004年塔里木河四条源流出山口天然径流量224.0×108m3,属平水年.天山南坡的河流水量偏丰,阿克苏河偏多15.9%,为丰水年;开都河-孔雀河偏多4.2%,为平略偏丰水年.而喀喇昆仑山及昆仑山北坡的河流水量均少于多年均值,如叶尔羌河偏少10.8%,为偏枯水年;和田河偏少17.9%,为枯水年.四条源流阿克苏河、和田河、叶尔羌河、开都河-孔雀河入塔里木河总水量为27.02×108m3,占四条源流出山口天然径流总量的12.1%,叶尔羌河全年无水输入塔里木河.2004年塔里木河干流上游段阿拉尔-英巴扎耗水量为19.19×108m3,是干流最大的耗水区段;中游段英巴扎-恰拉耗水量为7.530×108m3,为治理前的30.3%,是输水堤工程竣工和加强管理的效益.2004年4月22日至6月25日,实施了第6次从博斯腾湖向塔里木河下游应急输水,历时65 d从博斯腾湖调出水量1.600×108m3,大西海子水库泄洪闸向下游输水量1.020×108m3,水头再次到达台特玛湖,多年来的调水已使下游河段两岸生态环境有了明显改善.     

Kaiser filter for antialiasing in digital photogrammetry

Image aliasing is a problem appearing as artefacts in digitally resampled images, which degrades the quality of the image. In digital rectification and texture mapping, pixels from an input image are transformed to pixels of an output image. The discrete nature of a digital image causes aliasing in the transformed image. In this paper the source of aliasing and the theory of antialiasing are described. The necessity of a precise filter design in antialiasing is discussed and a filter based on a Kaiser adjustable window is designed. Different practical antialiasing methods are described as well as interpolation methods, which are conventional in photogrammetry. Selected antialiasing methods are implemented and applied to a close range image. An objective analysis is carried out by applying inverse transformations to rectified images and deriving some measures to estimate the information loss for each method by comparing original and reconstructed images. Results indicate that interpolation methods are not capable of removing or reducing aliasing in highly decimating transformations. The output images of interpolation methods therefore suffer from edge corruption and interfusion of small features. Applying a Kaiser filter with a precise antialiasing method results in the least information loss and considerably reduces aliasing at the expense of higher computation load.     

Automatic Surface Reconstruction Based on the Fusion of Fuzzy Logic and Robust Estimation Techniques

Automatic surface reconstruction by means of digital image matching essentially involves computation in both image and object spaces. In image space, image matching is performed according to certain radiometric and geometric similarity criteria for conjugate point determination. The matching operations may therefore be regarded as decision–making processes. In practice, however, the similarity criteria for conjugate point determination demonstrate non–deterministic behaviour. Thus, the nature of these decision–making processes is more compatible with fuzzy reasoning concepts. In object space, on the other hand, surface reconstruction procedures, which operate on the basis of previously determined conjugate points, are essentially deterministic in nature and hence demand rigorous geometric modelling. In this paper, a new approach for automatic surface modelling is proposed, based on two different mathematical treatments: a fuzzy logic reasoning method for the conjugate point determination in image space; and a robust finite elements approach for the surface modelling in object space. Tests carried out on real data demonstrate the high potential of the strategy proposed.     

A Baseline Assessment of Coral Reef in Malacca Straits,Malaysia

Coral reefs along the Malacca Straits (MS) are poorly developed mainly due to turbidity and sedimentation. This study describes the health status and community structure of the corals in Cape Rachado, West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (WCPM), utilizing the Coral Video Transect (CVT) technique. All the survey transects were categorized as ‘fair’ coral conditions (27.39 ± 5.41%–48.56 ± 18.96%) with the reef floor mainly covered by corals and sediment. Twelve families of coral comprised of 25 distinct genera were identified. Coral communities were differentiated into four clusters with each being predominated by Galaxea, Diploastrea, Fungia and Pectinia respectively. Among all, Pectinia is the most spectacular genera and dominated the survey area. Along the MS, Favia, Favites and Porites are commonly found while Porites and Pectinia dominated the reefs. Low coral cover and diversity was recorded in MS as compared to the reefs in the South China Sea (SCS). The most prominent results include changes in the dominant coral from Porites to Pectinia while some species such as Acropora were absent from the study area. Based on the presented data, the reef in the study area was predominantly occupied by sediment and the coral communities were formed by a species with a high tolerance to turbidity and sedimentation.     

Effects of microtopography on the spatial pattern of woody species in West Iran

Habitat heterogeneity is a main factor determining the geographical distribution of species. For plant and particularly trees and shrubs, topography (microtopography) is an applicable predictor of habitat, slope, and aspect that often correlate with distribution of water and nutrients availability and spatial pattern of species. However, there is lack on exploring this relationship in different plant communities through different environments. In this research, the spatial pattern of woody species in relation to microtopography was investigated in Chahartagh forest, Chahar Mahal, and Bakhtiari province, Iran. The location of the trees and shrubs of a 53-ha forest reserve in Chartagh was measured and the type of microtopography including (i) slope A without microtopography and (ii) slope B composed of three microtopography types: crest (degree of tilt is≥60%), intermediate area (30–40%), and gully (10–20%) were recorded. The effects of microtopography on the spatial pattern of species were analyzed using O-ring statistic. The results showed that the main distribution pattern for the woodiest species in the study area in all platforms is aggregated pattern, while for larger scales, the pattern tended to become random. Also, the pattern was strongly influenced by the scale that the distribution type was assessed. From the other hand, our results revealed that for steeper platforms, the patterns tend to be more aggregated which indicates the non-uniformity of water and nutrition distribution in steeper platforms. Also, this can be a result of seed distribution behavior which is affected by microtopography in a way that in steep platforms, rolling of the seed results in patchy accumulation of the seeds and finally patchy regeneration.     

Geochemistry and geodynamics of the Mawat mafic complex in the Zagros Suture zone, northeast Iraq

The Iraqi Zagros Orogenic Belt includes two separate ophiolite belts, which extend along a northwest-southeast trend near the Iranian border. The outer belt shows ophiolite sequences and originated in the oceanic ridge or supra-subduction zone. The inner belt includes the Mawat complex, which is parallel to the outer belt and is separated by the Biston Avoraman block. The Mawat complex with zoning structures includes sedimentary rocks with mafic interbedded lava and tuff, and thick mafic and ultramafic rocks. This complex does not show a typical ophiolite sequences such as those in Penjween and Bulfat. The Mawat complex shows evidence of dynamic deformation during the Late Cretaceous. Geochemical data suggest that basic rocks have high MgO and are significantly depleted in LREE relative to HREE. In addition they show positive ? _Nd values (+5 to+8) and low 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The occurrence of some OIB type rocks, high Mg basaltic rocks and some intermediate compositions between these two indicate the evolution of the Mawat complex from primary and depleted source mantle. The absence of a typical ophiolite sequence and the presence of good compatibility of the source magma with magma extracted from the mantle plume suggests that a mantle plume from the D″ layer is more consistent as the source of this complex than the oceanic ridge or supra-subduction zone settings. Based on our proposed model the Mawat basin represents an extensional basin formed during the Late Paleozoic to younger along the Arabian passive margin oriented parallel to the Neo-Tethys oceanic ridge or spreading center. The Mawat extensional basin formed without creation of new oceanic basement. During the extension, huge volumes of mafic lava were intruded into this basin. This basin was squeezed between the Arabian Plate and Biston Avoraman block during the Late Cretaceous.     

Spatial and temporal variations in the incidence of dust events over Iran

Large near-field tsunamis pose a significant threat to the Canadian West Coast due to its proximity to the circum-Pacific belt where a significant tsunami-inducing earthquake event from the Cascadia subduction zone is expected. This study investigated the risks associated with such an event in terms of pedestrian evacuation needs and plans for the Town of Tofino, a small community located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The population-at-risk within the hazard zone and its ability to evacuate to safety is evaluated using anisotropic path-distance modelling. Mitigation measures, such as vertical evacuation buildings, are quantitatively evaluated. Site-specific inundation modelling was not performed as part of this study; tsunami hazard and safe zones were computed using a range of run-ups varying between 3 and 25 m. It was established that up to 80% of the population is within the maximum hazard zone considered. This evacuation modelling exercise indicates that a maximum of 13% of the population would have insufficient time to reach safety when using a mobility-impaired ambulatory speed. The use of three vertical evacuation buildings can reduce the risk of losing population in this category by 99%. Although some conservative assumptions were used (vertical datum at higher high water, reductions in safe zones by generalization process and mobility-impaired evacuation speeds), the evacuation potential is likely overestimated due to the coarseness of the topographic data used in the evacuation modelling and from an overestimated first wave arrival time. This is the first Canadian study which used anisotropic evacuation modelling to evaluate the vulnerability of a Canadian community to tsunami inundation.

     

Cretaceous subduction-related volcanism in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

Cretaceous volcanic rocks (SCV) are widely developed in the northern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, northwest Iran. Based on the mineralogy, texture and geochemical composition these rocks are divided in two main groups, the first and main one situated in the central part of the study area and the second one in the northeast. The former is dominantly basalts, andesitic basalts, and andesites and the latter comprises andesite, trachy-andesite to acidic variants, with porphyritic to microlithic porphyry and vitrophyric textures. Beside the differences between these two groups, the chemical compositions all of these rocks show a calc-alkaline affinity and enrichment in LIL elements (Rb, Ba, Th, U, and Pb) and depletion in Nb, Ti, and Zr, as evident in spider diagrams normalized to primitive mantle. The rocks are particularly enriched in Rb and depleted in Nb and Ti, as well as displaying high Rb/Sr and Rb/Ba ratios and low ratios of incompatible elements such as Nb/U (<10; range, 0.6–9), Th/U (<2), and Ba/Rb (<20). The significant U enrichment relative to neighbouring Nb and Th in the mantle-normalized variation diagram is mainly a result of source enrichment by slab-derived fluids. Significantly lower Nb/U ratios are observed in arc volcanics. These low values are generally ascribed to the strong capacity of LILE and the inability to transfer significant amounts of HFSE via slab-derived hydrous fluid. The results of geochemical modelling suggest a mantle lithospheric source that was metasomatized by fluids derived from a Neo-Tethyan subducted slab during the Middle to Late Cretaceous in the northern part Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone.     

The Laal-Kan fluorite deposit,Zanjan Province,NW Iran: constraints on REE geochemistry and fluid inclusions

The Laal-Kan fluorite deposit (west of Zanjan city, NW Iran) mainly occurred as some open-space filling and vein/veinlet in the schist of the Paleozoic age. Mineralogically, calcite, fluorite types (white, smoky, and violet), and quartz are the principal constituents accompanied by a number of minor accessory minerals such as hemimorphite, hematite, barite, and clays. Based on chemical analyses, fluorites of various colors were found to have low rare earth element (REE) concentrations (4.16–25.67 ppm). The chondrite-normalized REE patterns indicated that early fluorites were enriched in LREE, relative to HREE, whereas late fluorites were enriched in HREE relative to LREE. This study, therefore, indicated that fugacity of oxygen likely played a significant role in the occurrence of positive Ce and negative anomaly in the late fluorite. Furthermore, the Gd behavior of the fluorite samples could be attributed to the Gd-F complex in ore-forming fluids. On the other hand, low pH hydrothermal fluids under alkaline conditions were probably the main mechanism responsible for the deposition of the early fluorites in this district. Fluorite-hosted fluid inclusion analyses also indicated that fluorite-forming fluids consisted of NaCl, MgCl₂, CaCl₂, and LiCl with a narrow T_H (118–151 °C) and high salinities (18.96–23.47 wt.% NaCl equiv.). Further, the diagram of Tb/La-Tb/Ca ratios revealed that fluorites were predominantly deposited in the hydrothermal environment and the late stage fluorites could be considered as the product of the secondary mineralization of the early fluorites due to the interaction of the fluid with the early fluorites.