About the specification of erosion flux for soft stratified cohesive sediments

The present paper deals with the specification of bed erosion flux that accounts for the effects of sediment-induced stratification in the water column. Owing to difficulties in measuring the bed shear stress _b and the erosive shear strength _s, we suggest a series of methods that combine laboratory and numerical experiments. A simplified turbulent transport model that includes these effects helps to quantify _b and _s. Focusing on soft stratified beds, the present study considers erosion rate formulas of the form =_f exp {[T_b-T_s]} where is a model constant (=1 for Gularte's (1978) formula and =1/2 for Parchure's (1984) formula). First, the bed erosive strength profile _s(Z) is adjusted by forcing the turbulent transport model with measured erosion rates. Second, three procedures are suggested to determine the erosion rate formula coefficients _f and : a global procedure and two different layer-by-layer procedures. Each procedure is applied to an erosion experiment conducted in a rotating annular flume by Villaret and Paulic (1986). The use of the layer-by-layer procedure based on a least squares fitting technique provides a closer fit than the global procedure. The present study points out the complementarity of experimental and numerical approaches and also suggests possible improvements in laboratory test procedures.     

OZONE VALLEY OVER TIBETAN PLATEAU*

We analysed the atmospheric total column ozone temporal and spatial distributions,by using the USA Nimbus Satellite TOMS data provided by the Goddard Space Flight Center of NASA,USA.We ploted the monthly mean total column ozone distributions over China by the averaged data from 1979 to 1991,and found that the atmospheric total column ozone contours were parallel to latitudes in winter and spring. However, from June, the lower center of atmospheric column ozone, called "ozone valley",was formed gradually over the Tibetan Plateau, as shown in Fig.     

Arctic haze: Perturbation to the radiation field

Summary A model of the polluted arctic troposphere is constructed to estimate the magnitude and seasonal variation of the climate forcing function of arctic haze. Using a pill-box bathtub model for the Arctic and envisioning it to be filled with pollution from industrial sources in Eurasia, we estimate that maximum climate perturbation from arctic contamination occurs in the spring months. The major perturbation to the radiation budget is a lowering of the albedo (heating) of the earth-atmosphere system around the vernal equinox and is due to a trace amount (about 5% by mass) of black carbon associated with the removal-resistant submicron mode of aerosols. The black carbon over the reflecting polar ice/snow introduces a heating of about 1.5 degree per day into the haze layer.With 8 Figures     

ANALYSIS OF A CASE OF EAST ASIA COASTAL CYCLOGENESIS*

The evolution of an explosive cyclone off the East Asia coast in March 1979 is described.A shortwave trough in the southern branch of upper-level westerlies initiated the incipient cyclone.Later,a polar trough in the north amplified and became in phase with the southern shortwave to form a major trough.This major trough was responsible for the rapid intensification of the surface cyclone.In the early development stage,warm and moist air was transported northward to the developing area by a strong low-level jet.The ageostrophic wind associated with the low-level jet contributed to the frontogenesis,creating a favorable low-level environment for the rapid deepening.A low-level positive potential vorticity anomaly was created prior to the onset of rapid deepening.It was a result of frontal cloud condensation.The cyclone intensified rapidly when stratospheric air with high potential vorticity penetrated to the mid-troposphere.The rapid deepening took place at a location under the left-exit region of an amplifying jet streak behind the major trough and the right-entrance region of another anticyclonically-curved subtropical jet streak in a quasi-stationary ridge overJapan.Due to the blocking effect of the Tibetan Plateau,two shortwave disturbances were observed in the upper-level westerlies on the north and south sides of the Plateau.The southern disturbance initiated the incipient surface cyclone,while the amplifying northern disturbance was responsible for the rapid deepening.Thus,the evolution of the explosive cyclone in this case can be regarded as consecutive Petterssen's "type-B" cyclogenesis in two separate stages.     

Sediment budget-based estimates of trace metal inputs to a Chesapeake estuary

This article evaluates whether a sediment budget for the South River, Maryland, can be coupled with metals data from sediment cores to identify and quantify sources of historic metal inputs to marsh and subtidal sediments along the estuary. Metal inputs to estuarine marsh sediments come from fluvial runoff and atmospheric deposition. Metal inputs to subtidal sediments come from atmospheric deposition, fluvial runoff, coastal erosion, and estuarine waters. The metals budget for the estuary indicates that metal inputs from coastal erosion have remained relatively constant since 1840. Historical variations in metal contents of marsh sediments have probably resulted primarily from increasing atmospheric deposition in this century, but prior to 1900 may reflect changing fluvial sources, atmospheric inputs, or factors not quantified by the budget. Residual Pb, Cu, and Zn in the marsh sediments not accounted for by fluvial inputs was low to moderate in 1840, decreased to near zero circa 1910, and by 1987 had increased to levels that were one to ten times greater than those of 1840. Sources of variability in subtidal cores could not be clearly discerned because of geochemical fluxes, turbulent mixing, and bioturbation within the cores. The sediment-metal budgeting approach appears to be a viable method for delineating metal sources in small, relatively simple estuarine systems like the South River and in systems where recent deposition (for example, prograding marshes) prevents use of deep core analysis to identify background levels of metal. In larger systems or systems with more variable sources of sediment and metal input, however, assumptions and measurement errors in the metal budgeting approach suggest that deep core analysis and normalization techniques are probably preferable for identifying anthropogenic impacts.Field and laboratory research conducted at the Department of Geography, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USAField and laboratory research conducted at the Marine and Estuarine Environmental Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA     

Palaeoclimatic studies in South Shetland Islands,Antarctica, based on numerous stratigraphic variables in lake sediments

The hitherto longest found lake sediment sequence on Byers Peninsula, Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, was analysed with respect to lithology, chronology, diatoms, Pediastrum, pollen and spores, mosses, mineralogy, and sediment chemistry. During the ca. 5000 year long development the sediments were influenced by frequent tephra fall-outs. This volcanic impact played a major role in the lake's history during two periods, 4700–4600 and 2800–2500 BP, but was of importance during the lake's entire history with considerable influence on many of the palaeoenvironmentally significant indicators. The large and complex data set was analysed and zonated with different types of multivariate analysis. This resulted in a subdivision of the sequence into 8 time periods and 21 variables. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of this data set, both without and with the tephra periods, and with 4–6 of the variables as explanatory environmental variables, reveal that climatic/environmental signals are detectable. The palaeoclimatic picture that emerged out of the tephra noise suggests that the first 100 years were characterized by mild, humid conditions. This was followed by a less mild and humid climate until ca. 4000 BP when a gradual warming seems to have started, coupled with increased humidity. These mild and humid conditions seem to have reached an optimum slightly after 3000 BP. At ca. 2500 BP a distinct climatic deterioration occurred with colder and drier conditions and long seasons with ice cover. This arid, cold phase probably reached its optimum conditions at ca. 1500 BP, when slightly warmer conditions might have prevailed for a while. Except for the modern sample with rather mild climate, the last 1400 years seem to have been fairly arid and cold, and the effects of the frequent volcanic activity during this period is only vaguely seen in the records.     

Adsorption of fluoride on goethite surfaces-implications on dental epidemiology

Fluoride ion interaction with synthetically prepared goethite has been investigated over a range of pH values (4–9) and F^– concentrations (10^–3–10^–5 M). The amount of F^– retained by goethite suspensions was found to be a function of pH, media ionic strength, F^– concentration, and goethite concentration. The lowest ionic strength (0.001 M KNO₃) gave the highest adsorption medium. Uptake was minimal at pH >7 and increased with decreasing pH. Thermodynamic properties for fluoride adsorption at 298 K and 323 K were investigated. The isosteric heat of adsorption (H _r) was calculated and the heterogeneity and homogeneity of the surface examined for goethite. In view of the importance of fluoride in dental health, the interaction of fluoride on goethite in the physical environment has important implications on dental epidemiology.     

Interpolation by regularized spline with tension: I. Theory and implementation

Bivariate and trivariate functions for interpolation from scattered data are derived. They are constructed by explicit minimization of a general smoothness functional, and they include a tension parameter that controls the character of the interpolation function (e.g., for bivariate case the surface can be tuned from a membrane to a thin steel plate), Tension can be applied also in a chosen direction, for modeling of phenomena with a simple type of anisotropy. The functions have regular derivatives of all orders everywhere. This makes them suitable for analysis of surface geometry and for direct application in models where derivatives are necessary. For processing of large datasets (thousands of data points), which are now common in geosciences, a segmentation algorithm with a flexible size of overlapping neighborhood is presented. Simple examples demonstrating flexibility and accuracy of the functions are presented.On leave from the Department of Physical Geography and Cartography, Comenius University, Mlynská dolina, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.On leave from the Institute of Physics, Dúbravská cesta 9, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.     

相律的应用:蒸发结晶过程自由度

在连续原理和浓度限制条件的基础上,分析了卤水蒸发过程的自由度,提出了“蒸发结晶过程自由度”这一概念。发现蒸发结晶过程自由度在整个过程中不是1便是0,在1和0之间交替变化,与选择的组分数和析出固相数目无关。蒸发结晶过程自由度为1,物理意义是在不引起新相产生旧相不消失的前提下过程连续地变化(水分的连续蒸失),几何意义是指在适当的坐标系中的一条线,一条直线或曲线;0的物理意义是指新相的产生和旧相的即将消失或者前一段的连续变化过渡到后一段的连续变化,几何意义是指一点,两蒸发阶段的交点或者过程的终点。简单地讨论了过程的单向性和连续件。