A comparative analysis of three habitat suitability models for commercial yield estimation of Tapes philippinarum in a North Adriatic coastal lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Italy)

Habitat Suitability (HS) models have been extensively used by conservation planners to estimate the spatial distribution of threatened species and of species of commercial interest. In this work we compare three HS models for the estimation of commercial yield potential and the identification of suitable sites for Tapes philippinarum rearing in the Sacca di Goro lagoon (Italy) on the basis of six environmental factors. The habitat suitability index (HSI) is based on expert opinion while the habitat suitability conditional (HSC) is calibrated on observational data. The habitat suitability mixed (HSM) model is a two-part model combining expert knowledge and regression analysis: the first component of the model uses logistic regression to identify the areas in which clams are likely to be present; the second part applies the same parameter-specific suitability functions of the HSI model only in the areas previously identified as productive by the logistic component. The HS models were validated on an independent data set and estimates of potential yield of the Goro lagoon were compared. The effectiveness of the three approaches is then discussed in terms of predicted yield and identification of suitable sites for farming.     

Air--sea gaseous exchange of PCB at the Venice lagoon (Italy)

Water bodies are important storage media for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and this function is increased in coastal regions because their inputs are higher than those to the open sea. The air-water interface is extensively involved with the global cycling of PCBs because it is the place where they accumulate due to depositional processes and where they may be emitted by gaseous exchange. In this work the parallel collection of air, microlayer and sub-superficial water samples was performed in July 2005 at a site in the Venice lagoon to evaluate the summer gaseous flux of PCBs. The total concentration of PCBs (sum of 118 congeners) in air varies from 87 to 273 pg m(-3), whereas in the operationally defined dissolved phase of microlayer and sub-superficial water samples it varies from 159 to 391 pg L(-1). No significant enrichment of dissolved PCB into the microlayer has been observed, although a preferential accumulation of most hydrophobic congeners occurs. Due to this behaviour, we believe that the modified two-layer model was the most suitable approach for the evaluation of the flux at the air-sea interface, because it takes into account the influence of the microlayer. From its application it appears that PCB volatilize from the lagoon waters with a net flux varying from 58 to 195 ng m(-2)d(-1) (uncertainty: +/-50-64%) due to the strong influence of wind speed. This flux is greater than those reported in the literature for the atmospheric deposition and rivers input and reveals that PCB are actively emitted from the Venice lagoon in summer months.     

Precipitation of heavy metals in produced water: influence on contaminant transport and toxicity

Produced water undergoes changes in its physical chemistry including precipitation of heavy metals after being discharged and mixed with ambient seawater. Potential impacts of the precipitation of heavy metals on their transport and toxicity were studied using samples from offshore oil production sites on the Scotian Shelf off eastern Canada. Concentrations of aluminum, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc were measured in total, particulate and dissolved fractions together with Microtox tests for assessment of toxicity. Heavy metals in produced water were transformed from dissolved to particulate phase in a period of hours under oxygenated conditions, and aggregated to larger particles that settle rapidly (>100 m/day) over a few days. In addition, there was production of buoyant particles comprised of heavy metal precipitates sequestered onto oil droplets that were transported to the surface. The particulate fraction was generally more toxic than the dissolved fraction. This was evident at the mixing interface between produced water and seawater where elevated particulate and toxicity levels were observed. Laboratory studies suggest an increase in the toxicity of discharged produced water over time. Time-series experiments showed a sustained toxic response for more than a week following the oxidation of freshly discharged produced water that initially elicited little or no toxic response in the Microtox test. Chemical processes identified in this study, namely precipitation of heavy metals and consequent settling and rising fluxes of particles, will influence the toxicity, the fate and the transport of potential contaminants in the produced water. Therefore, these processes need to be considered in assessment of the environmental impact associated with offshore oil and gas operations.     

模拟CO_2埋藏的煤储层元素迁移实验研究

采用高压超临界CO2地球化学反应器对CO2在煤储层中的地质埋藏进行模拟,利用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱仪(ICP-OES)以及电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)分别对淋滤液和煤样中的10种微量元素进行测试,对煤中微量元素在CO2的地质埋藏过程中的迁移进行了实验研究。结果表明:在CO2的地质埋藏过程中对煤的有机组成和无机矿物等均具有改造作用,从而影响到煤中微量元素的赋存和迁移特征,Cr、Zn、Cu等元素迁移能力相对较强,而Co、Ba、V等元素相对较弱;元素迁移能力大小顺序为:CrZnCuNiCdMnCoBaV。     

钻孔应变仪的固体潮标定——消除小尺度不均匀性的影响

通过对Pion Flat观测点的Gladwin钻孔张量应变仪(BTSM)进行固体潮标定得到的应变数据,我们对地应变进行了估算并分析。小尺度地质上的不均匀性是通过远场面应变/剪应变的交互耦合方法考察面应变/剪应变时所要考虑的因素之一。一种将交互耦合引入应变仪标定的方法由此而生。以同一位置激光应变仪(LSM)观测的固体潮应变为参考,我们发现用交互耦合方法对BTSM标定消除了钻孔固体潮观测值应变中近30%的系统误差。这种标定将钻孔应变和激光应变的测量精度(大约1km)准确地联系在一起了。这种标定技术为短基线应变测量中面临的主要问题(构造应变不能表征小尺度的非均匀性)提供了解决方法。这种方法在断层滑移的残余应变测量中可能减少50%甚至更高的误差,并允许增加滑移机制的约束条件。我们发现就目前仪器而得出的固体潮应变的理论估计值来进行交互耦合标定还不够精确。将理论固体潮与激光应变仪(LSM)观测的固体潮进行比照发现,至少有一半的误差产生于对海洋负荷潮的估计。     

Rare Earth Element Enrichments in the Elk Creek Carbonatite

Please refer to the attachment(s) for more details.     

国际地理信息标准化概述及思考

随着地理信息技术及地理信息系统的发展与广泛应用,地理信息标准化工作也变得越来越重要。介绍国际及区域地理信息标准化组织开展的主要标准项目及其标准化工作现状,并结合我国的地理信息标准化现状提出一些建议。     

沙丘地貌学

沙丘地貌学革命的十年 15年前,Cook 和 Warran(1973)就指出,在荒漠研究方面,通过调查获得资料,然后以大量相互混淆的术语进行肤浅的描述来解释地貌现象仍然是地貌学家的主要手段。