Variability and Risk Analysis of Hong Kong Air Quality Based on Monsoon and El Nino Conditions

This study presents an exploratory analysis aimed at improving understanding of the variability of Hong Kong air quality associated with different climate conditions. Significantly negative correlations were found when Nino 3 led particulate matter ≤10 μm PM₁₀) and NO₂ by 2--3 months over the Hong Kong territory, while the other pollutants (e.g., O₃, SO₂) showed modest correlations. A significant decreasing trend in visibility was observed during the autumn and winter, which has potential implications for the air-quality degradation and the endangerment of human health in Hong Kong. In an El Nino summer, the visibility was relatively better, while visibility in other seasons was diminished. On the other hand, in La Nina events, significant changes occurred in visibility in winter and autumn. Air pollution indices were less sensitive to the South China Summer Monsoon (SCSM), but a relatively high correlation existed between the East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) and air pollutants. Rainfall was lower during most of the strong EAWM years compared to the weak years. This result suggests that the pollutants that accumulate in Hong Kong are not easy to wash out, so concentrations remain at a higher level. Finally, based on the conditional Air Pollution Index (API) risk assessment, site-specific vulnerabilities were analyzed to facilitate the development of the air-quality warning systems in Hong Kong.     

Correlation assessment and monitoring of the potential pollutants in the surface sediments of Pyeongchang River, Korea

The study provides a baseline for the assessment of the organic and inorganic pollution specially, heavy metal contamination in the surface sediments of Pyeongchang River,South Korea.The assessment of the study areas was done with respect to metal pollution load,ecological risk and geoaccumulated risk.Based upon the used indices,a priority index(P_index) was used to rank the utmost contaminated sites.Though the concentrations of mercury in all sediments were below the guideline, the significant enriched contamination was observed by all applied indices.As expected,the values of pollution load index（PLI）,ecological risk index（RI） and geoaccumulation risk index(I_geo) demonstrated lower heavy metal contamination in upstream areas compared to the downstream. Admittedly,sediments were unpolluted to slightly-polluted according to PLI while high to extremely high ecological risks were observed in several sediment samples.Furthermore,all the samples were uncontaminated as per I_geo.After simplification of I_geo,the P_index,showed the utmost contaminated sediments with a value of 2.537.Notably,protective measures should be taken to the highly contaminated areas which are prioritized by P_index Admittedly,the maximum concentrations of total organic carbon,total nitrogen,inorganic nitrogen,total phosphorous,inorganic phosphorous,calcium, magnesium,sodium and potassium were significantly observed as 7.8×10⁴,3,185,36,1,032,3.7, 1,5163,2,881,669 and 4,076mg/kg accordingly.     

香山红叶变色日气象统计预测方法研究

采用香山公园逐日黄栌树叶变色率以及相应的气象资料研究了黄栌树叶变色的气象条件,并建立了香山红叶变色日的气象统计预测模型。(1)黄栌树叶变色与临近几天的温度变化关系非常密切,根据气象条件闭值回报变色目的可信度比较高。(2)黄栌树叶平均变色日是10月4—5日,最早为9月27日,最晚为10月13日。(3)黄栌树叶变色日与7月的最低气温、平均气温和最高气温均存在显著的负相关。值得注意的是,黄栌树叶变色日的年际增量与7月降水的年际增量之间存在显著的正相关。(4)选择7月的平均温度和最高温度的年际增量作为预报因子建立模型,1999—2010年回报的平均误差为3d左右。(5)通过2011年独立样本检验和2012年预报试验的结果,可以认为香山红叶变色日气象统计模型具有比较高的准确率和可操作性。     

Soil hydraulic properties for moisture redistribution in a large-scale heterogeneous landscape

Abstract

Guidelines of effective soil hydraulic parameters were developed to be applicable in simulating average infiltration and subsequent moisture redistribution over a large-scale heterogeneous field. Average large-scale infiltration and redistribution in heterogeneous soils were quantified through multiple simulations of local-scale processes. The effective hydraulic parameters were derived to simulate the average amount of infiltrating water, and to capture the subsequent surface soil moisture redistribution averaged over the large heterogeneous landscape. The results demonstrated that the effective hydraulic parameters typically exhibited a step change from infiltration to redistribution, with the size of the step change being related to the degree of hydraulic parameter heterogeneity and the correlations among the hydraulic parameters. However, the effective hydraulic parameters did not change significantly over time for the moisture redistribution. It was further demonstrated that the size of the step change was smallest for effective saturated hydraulic conductivity.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor Y. Guttman

Citation Zhu, J.T. and Sun, D.M., 2012. Soil hydraulic properties for moisture redistribution in a large-scale heterogeneous landscape. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (6), 1196–1206.     

Correlation between Rimjingang belt and Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt

The Dabic-Sulu orogenic belt in central-eastern China is considered as a high-pressure and ultrahighpressure metamorphic belt that demensions are comparatively large,and formed as a result of the colli...     

Beta Gyres in Global Analysis Fields

A three-component decomposition is applied to global analysis data to show the existence of a beta gyre, which causes Tropical Cyclone (TC) to drift from a large-scale environmental steering current. Analyses from the Global Data Assimilation and Prediction System (GDAPS) of the Korea Meteorological Adminis-tration (KMA), the Global Forecast System (GFS) of NCEP, and the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) are used in this study. The structure of the beta gyre obtained in our anal...     

2011年长江中下游旱涝急转成因初步分析

以2011年1~6月长江中下游"旱涝急转"事件为例,研究了长江中下游旱涝急转与大尺度环流和海温异常的关系,初步得到以下引发旱涝急转的原因:(1)中高纬度大气环流出现快速调整,迅速由强冬季风形势调整为两槽一脊环流形势所控制,进而造成长江中下游由受中高纬度系统控制转变为冷暖空气对峙之地;(2)西太平洋副热带高压位置和强度迅速调整,1~5月来自热带地区的水汽输送条件差,长江中下游地区水汽辐合较常年明显偏弱。6月,水汽输送和收支状况发生根本性转变,长江中下游表现为显著的水汽辐合中心,且明显强于常年;(3)6月青藏高原上空存在显著的气旋性异常环流,利于对流活动发展,受其底部异常西风的影响,对流活动频繁地东传至长江中下游地区,增强了梅雨锋的强度,先后引发了5次强降水过程;(4)前期持续的La Ni?a事件及其变化通过影响Walker环流、西太平洋副热带高压等大气环流系统,为旱涝急转事件的发生提供了有利的背景条件。