Effects of bottom sediments on the survival of Enterobacter aerogenes in seawater

The survival of the coliform bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes in seawater was greatly affected by the underlying bottom sediments. The presence of sediments which contained higher concentrations of organic nutrients than the overlaying seawater prolonged the survival and even enabled growth of the bacterial cells. Results obtained from chemical analysis indicated that sediments of fine-grained, silt-clay type contained highest amounts of organic nutrients as compared with sediments with larger particle sizes such as silt and sand grains. Thus, nutrient contents of the sediments were found to be inversely proportional to sediment particle size. The degree of prolonged survival of E. aerogenes was also found to be inversely proportional to the size of the sediment particles presented. Release of the bound nutrients which became available to cells of E. aerogenes from sediments by action of waves and human activities can explain, at least in part, why high counts of coliform bacteria are obtained in coastal and beach waters.     

Couplage des équations de transfert de masse et des lois d''interactions solution-solide par l''utilisation des lanthanides comme traceurs — Approche expérimentale

In underground flow tracing studies, the estimation of the nature and the importance of interactions undergone by the substance used very often constitutes an obstacle to good modeling of mass-transfer processes in solution.

We propose a method to quantify these phenomena by the use of lanthanides as tracers.

For this study, we set up an analytical methodology adapted to routine measurements. The quality of five lanthanides as indicators has been examined. We have demonstrated the formation, by substitution, of a carbonate complex which is extremely stable in the natural environment. The field experiments carried out demonstrated the efficiency of those tracers and confirmed their great stability.

Tracer recovery graphs show that, in accord with our hypothesis, convection and dispersion are identical for all the lanthanide elements. Moreover, we have established a direct relation between their fixing rate on earth materials and the value of their stability constants.

Thus, we demonstrate the possibility of correlative multitracing, with known and quantifiable interelement relations.

Résumé

Dans les études de circulations souterraines par traceur, l'estimation de la nature et de l'importance des interactions subies par la substance utilisée constitue, bien souvent, un obstacle à une bonne modélisation des processus de transfert de masse en solution.

Nous proposons une méthode de quantification de ces phénomènes par l'utilisation des lanthanides comme traceurs.

Pour cette étude, nous avons mis au point une méthodologie analytique adaptée aux mesures de routine. Les qualités, en tant qu'indicateurs, de cinq lanthanides ont été examinées. Nous avons démontré la formation, par substitution, d'un complexe carbonaté extrèment stable en milieu naturel. Les expériences de terrain réalisées ont prouvé l'efficacité de ces traceurs et confirmé leur grande stabilité.

Les courbes de restitution obtenues ont montré que, conformément à nos hypothèses, la convection et la dispersion sont identiques pour l'ensemble de ces éléments. De plus, il a été établi une relation directe entre leurs taux de fixation sur le terrain et la valeur de leurs constantes de stabilité.

On dispose ainsi d'une possibilité de multitraçage corrélatif, avec des relations interélémentaires connues et quantifiables.     

Seasonal snowline instability in an energy balance model

The stability properties of a seasonal, one dimensional energy balance climate model are examined. The model contains idealized landsea geography, an interactive moving snowline and high space-time resolution. For a polar land cap surrounded by ocean we find a bifurcation in the seasonal cycle solutions as a function of solar constant leading to qualitatively different climate regimes: one with continental snow-free summers and the other with perennial snow cover over a large area surrounding the pole. In the parameterspace neighborhood of a bifurcation an infinitesimal change in any radiation budget parameter can cause the transition from one state to the other. Of special interest to those planning more elaborate numerical experiments (GCMs) is the result that 10s of seasonal cycles may be necessary for the model to damp out transient effects before settling upon a repeating seasonal cycle if parameter values are such that the solution is near a bifurcation. This latter finding is unexpected, since the longest time scale in the linear version of the energy balance model is about 5 years.     

散射计风场的三维变分对海雾数值模拟的影响

为了评估同化QuikSCAT海面风场资料对海雾模拟的影响,对发生在2006年4月3—5日的海雾过程,首先通过3个敏感性试验,研究了不同边界层参数化方案对海雾模拟的影响,发现YSU边界层参数化方案更适合海雾过程的模拟。然后对2006年4月3—5日平流雾过程和2005年6月23—24日辐射雾过程利用WRF-3DVAR系统将QuikSCAT海面风场资料同化到模式中,并以未同化和同化了QuikSCAT海面风场资料的数据为初始场,应用WRF模式进行模拟预报,同时对模拟预报得到的结果与实况 (卫星云图和地面观测) 进行对比,结果表明:QuikSCAT海面风场资料的三维变分同化能够改善低层其他要素场,对海雾预报有明显的正效应,但对高层的影响相对有限。     

中国短期气候变化的一个重要原因——青藏高原地表反射率的变化

通过数值试验对高原地表反射率变化的气候效应进行了敏感性研究,同时对观测的近４０年中国区域气候变化趋势作了对比分析。结果表明,高原主体地表反射率增加是我国短期气候变化的重要控制因子之一,它能造成东亚夏季风和高原夏季风的显著减弱,使夏季我国东部季风区北方变暖,南方变冷,季风降水普遍减少。     

Seismic observations at an overstep of the western North Anatolian Fault (Abant–Sapanca region, Turkey)

The course of the active North Anatolian Fault system from Lake Abant to Lake Sapanca was traced by its high micro-earthquake activity. If approaching from the east this section includes a broad south to north overstep (fault offset) of the main fault. Local seismicity has been recorded in this area by a semi-permanent network of 8 stations since 1985 within the frame of the Turkish–German Joint Project for Earthquake Research. The effect of the overstep and its complex fracture kinematics are reflected by the seismicity distribution, the variations of composite fault-plane solutions, and by the spatial coda-Q distribution. Areas of different stress orientation can be distinguished and assigned to different groups of faults. The stresses and the tectonic pattern only in part correspond to a simple model of an extensional overstep and its correlative pull-apart basin. Other types of deformation involved are characterized by normal faulting on faults parallel to the general course of the main strike-slip fault and by synthetic strike-slip faults oriented similar to Riedel shears. Shear deformation by this fault group widely distributed in an area north and east of the main fault line may play an important role in the evolution of the overstep. The development of a pull-apart basin is inhibited along the eastern half of the overstep and compatibility of both strands of the main fault (Bolu–Lake Abant and Lake Sapanca– Izmit–Marmara Sea) seems to be achieved with the aid of the fault systems mentioned. The extension of the missing part of the pull-apart basin seems to be displaced to positions remote from the Lake Abant–Lake Sapanca main fault line, i.e. to the Akyaz?–Düzce basin tract. Highest Q-values (lowest attenuation of seismic waves) were found in the zone of highest seismicity north and west of the overstep which is the zone of strongest horizontal tension. If high coda-Q is an indicator for strong scattering of seismic waves it might be related to extensional opening of fractures.     

Advances in Researches of the Effects of Grassland Vegetation on Soil Erosion in Loess Plateau

Soil erosion is a serious global environmental problem which limits the survival and development of human beings. In our country, due to the special physical geography and socio-economic conditions, soil erosion intensity is great, which is particularly prominent in Loess Plateau region. Therefore, preventing and controlling soil erosion, as well as reducing soil erosion in Loess Plateau have become the key to solving environmental problems in the region. Soil erosion on Loess Plateau is serious, and grassland vegetation has good effects on soil and water conservation, which can improve ecological environment well. After the implementation of the project about returning farmland to grassland on Loess Plateau, the ecological benefits mainly focused on soil and water conservation benefits, soil improvement benefits, water conservation benefits and species diversity benefits, etc. Grassland vegetation has an irreplaceable role in the construction of the ecological environment on Loess Plateau. Therefore, the role of grassland in preventing soil erosion has received more and more attention. Scholars have done lots of research involved in the relationship between grassland coverage and soil erosion, impacts of grassland on hydrodynamic parameters, effects of grassland on soil properties, reduction effects of grassland on runoff and sediment, and soil erosion process on grassland slope. However, there is little research on erosion effect induced by grassland cover. This paper mainly pointed out the following questions: First, grassland cover is influenced by many factors, but the relationship with soil erosion from the dynamic mechanism is rarely discussed; Second, there is no well-developed theory of overland flow erosion at present, which limits the study of hydrodynamic parameters on grassland slope; Third, establishment of mathematical model between grassland cover and soil resistance can accelerate the quantitative analysis of grassland influence on erosion; Fourth, comprehensive analysis of influencing factors on water reduction and sediment reduction effect on grassland are insufficient; Fifth, there are not many mechanisms to analyze the erosion process of grassland slope by using the hydrodynamic characteristics of slope; sixth, research results on grassland-induced erosion are mainly focused on leading to soil dry layer and we should continue to strengthen in the future. This paper summarized the previous results, and supplemented some studies about erosion caused by grassland, then pointed out the existing problems in current research and the areas that need to be strengthened in the future, aiming at reducing soil erosion on the Loess Plateau.     

黄土剖面中赤铁矿和针铁矿的定量分析与气候干湿变化研究

为了了解黄土剖面中赤铁矿和针铁矿的分布特征,文章采用对铁氧化物矿物灵敏的漫反射光谱法(DRS),开展了赤铁矿和针铁矿的鉴定和测定研究,提出了定量分析赤铁矿和针铁矿含量的DRS新方法.选择天然典型黄土和古土壤样品,首先采用柠檬酸盐-重碳酸盐-连二亚硫酸盐(CBD)方法去除其中成壤成因的铁氧化物矿物,以其为基体配制含不同赤铁矿和针铁矿的系列标样,然后进行DRS测试和多元逐步回归分析,分别建立测定赤铁矿和针铁矿含量的校准方程并加以检验.利用DRS方法,分析了多个黄土剖面的赤铁矿和针铁矿含量,发现黄土-古土壤剖面的赤铁矿/针铁矿比值可作为东亚季风干/湿变化的敏感指标.该比值较高时反映了干燥土壤环境,而较低时指示了潮湿土壤环境.对灵台和洛川剖面中赤铁矿/针铁矿比值的分析,初步揭示了2.6Ma年以来黄土高原东亚季风阶段性变强的特征.     

Recent trends in pre-monsoon daily temperature extremes over India

Extreme climate and weather events are increasingly being recognized as key aspects of climate change. Pre-monsoon season (March–May) is the hottest part of the year over almost the entire South Asian region, in which hot weather extremes including heat waves are recurring natural hazards having serious societal impacts, particularly on human health. In the present paper, recent trends in extreme temperature events for the pre-monsoon season have been studied using daily data on maximum and minimum temperatures over a well-distributed network of 121 stations for the period 1970–2005. For this purpose, time series of extreme temperature events have been constructed for India as a whole and seven homogeneous regions, viz., Western Himalaya (WH), Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), North Central (NC), East coast (EC), West coast (WC) and Interior Peninsula (IP).