Coupling coordination analysis with data-driven technology for disaster–economy–ecology system: an empirical study in China

Natural Hazards - Nowadays, frequent meteorological disasters that cause huge economic losses and ecological damages have swept the world. Thus, research investigates how to overcome the adverse...     

A search for evidence of small-scale inhomogeneities in dense cores from line profile analysis

In order to search for intensity fluctuations on the HCN(1–0) and HCO~+(1–0) line profiles, which could arise due to possible small-scale inhomogeneous structure, long-term observations of high-mass star-forming cores S140 and S199 were carried out. The data were processed by the Fourier filtering method. Line temperature fluctuations that exceed the noise level were detected. Assuming the cores consist of a large number of randomly moving small thermal fragments, the total number of fragments is ~ 4 × 10~6 for the region with linear size ~ 0.1 pc in S140 and ~ 10~6 for the region with linear size ~ 0.3 pc in S199. Physical parameters of fragments in S140 were obtained from detailed modeling of the HCN emission in the framework of the clumpy cloud model.     

Correlated V/R and infrared photometric variations in the Be/X-ray binary LS I +61° 235/RX J0146.9+6121

We report on the long-term variability of the Be/X-ray binary LS I +61° 235/RX J0146.9+6121. New optical spectroscopic and infrared photometric observations confirm the presence of global one-armed oscillations in the circumstellar disc of the Be star, and allow us to derive a V R band quasi-period of 1240±30 d. Pronounced shell events, reminiscent of the spectacular variations in Be stars, are also seen. We have found that the J , H and K infrared photometric bands vary in correlation with the spectroscopic V R variations, implying that the one-armed disc oscillations are prograde. The effect of the oscillations is not only seen in the H α line but is also seen in the He  i λ 6678 and Paschen lines. As these lines are formed at different radii in the equatorial disc of the Be star, such effects confirm the global nature of the perturbation. The Keplerian disc has been found to be denser than the average for a sample of isolated Be stars, which may be indicative of some kind of interaction with the compact companion. Finally, from a Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observation we derive a spin period of the neutron star of 1404.5±0.5 s.     

Quantifying the role of biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks in climate change: coupled model simulations for 6000 years BP and comparison with palaeodata for northern Eurasia and northern Africa

 The LMD AGCM was iteratively coupled to the global BIOME1 model in order to explore the role of vegetation-climate interactions in response to mid-Holocene (6000 y BP) orbital forcing. The sea-surface temperature and sea-ice distribution used were present-day and CO₂ concentration was pre-industrial. The land surface was initially prescribed with present-day vegetation. Initial climate “anomalies” (differences between AGCM results for 6000 y BP and control) were used to drive BIOME1; the simulated vegetation was provided to a further AGCM run, and so on. Results after five iterations were compared to the initial results in order to identify vegetation feedbacks. These were centred on regions showing strong initial responses. The orbitally induced high-latitude summer warming, and the intensification and extension of Northern Hemisphere tropical monsoons, were both amplified by vegetation feedbacks. Vegetation feedbacks were smaller than the initial orbital effects for most regions and seasons, but in West Africa the summer precipitation increase more than doubled in response to changes in vegetation. In the last iteration, global tundra area was reduced by 25% and the southern limit of the Sahara desert was shifted 2.5 °N north (to 18 °N) relative to today. These results were compared with 6000 y BP observational data recording forest-tundra boundary changes in northern Eurasia and savana-desert boundary changes in northern Africa. Although the inclusion of vegetation feedbacks improved the qualitative agreement between the model results and the data, the simulated changes were still insufficient, perhaps due to the lack of ocean-surface feedbacks. Received: 5 December 1996 / Accepted: 16 June 1997     

Assessment of transmission losses and groundwater recharge from runoff events in a wadi under shortage of data on lateral inflow,Negev, Israel

A hydrological–lithostratigraphical model was developed for assessment of transmission losses and groundwater recharge from runoff events in arid water courses where hydrological and meteorological records are incomplete. Water balance equations were established for reaches between hydrometric stations. Because rainfall and tributary flow data are scarce, lateral inflow, which is an essential component of the water balance equation, could not be estimated directly. The solution was obtained by developing a method which includes a hydrological–lithostratigraphical analogy. This is based on the following assumptions: (a) runoff resulting from a given rainfall event is related to the watershed surface lithology; (b) for a given event, the spatial distribution of runoff reflects the distribution of rainfall: and (c) transmission losses are uniquely related to the total inflow to the reach. The latter relationship, called the loss function, and the water balance equation comprise a model which simultaneously assesses lateral inflow and transmission losses for runoff events recorded at the terminal stations. The model was applied to three reaches of the arid Nahal Tsin in Israel. In this case study, the transmission losses were of the same order of magnitude as the flow at the major hydrometric stations. The losses were subdivided into channel moistening, which subsequently evaporates, and deep percolation, which recharges groundwater. For large runoff events, evaporation was substantially smaller than the losses. The mean annual recharge of groundwater from runoff events in the Tsin watershed was 4·1×10⁶ m³, while the mean annual flow volume at the major stations ranged from 0·6 to 1·5×10⁶ m³. Once in 100 years, the annual recharge may be seven times higher than the mean annual value, but the recharge during most years is very small. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Movement of lithospheric plates relative to subduction zones: Formation of marginal seas and active continental margins

Subduction zones with deep seismicity are believed to be associated with the descending branches of convective flows in the mantle and are subordinated to them. Therefore, the position of subduction zones can be considered as relatively fixed with respect to the steady-state system of convective flows. The lithospheric plate overhanging a subduction zone (as a rule of continental type) may:

1. (1) either move away from the subduction zone; or

2. (2) move onto it. In the first case extensional conditions originate behind the subduction zone and the new oceanic crust of back-arc basins forms. In the second case active Andean-type continental margins with thickening of the crust and lithosphere are observed.

Behind the majority of volcanic island-arcs, along the boundary with marginal-sea basins, independent shallow seismicity belts can be traced. They are parallel to the main seismicity belts coinciding with the Benioff zones. The seismicity belts frame island-arc microplates. Island-arc microplates are assumed to be a frame of reference to calculate relative movements of the consuming and overhanging plates. Using slip vector azimuths for shallow seismicity belts in the frontal parts of the Kurile, Japan, Izu-Bonin, Mariana and Tonga—Kermadec arcs, the position of the pole of rotation of the Pacific plate with respect to the western Pacific island-arc microplates was computed. Its coordinates are 66.1°N, 119.2°W. From the global closure of plate movements it has been determined that for the past 10 m.y. the Eurasian and Indian plates have been moving away from the Western Pacific island-arc system, both rotating clockwise, around poles at 31.1°N, 164.2°W and 1.3°S, 157.5°W, respectively. This provides for the opening of the back-arc basins. At the same time South America is moving onto the subduction zone at the rate of 4 cm/yr. Some “hot spots”, such as Hawaiian, Tibesti, and those of the South Atlantic, are moving relative to the island-arc system at a very low rate, viz. 0.5–0.7 cm/yr. Presumably, the western Pacific subduction zone and “hot spots” form a single frame of reference which can generally be used for the analysis of absolute motions.     

A method to determine warm and cool steppe biomes from pollen data; application to the Mediterranean and Kazakhstan regions

An objective method for the assignment of pollen spectra to appropriate biomes has been published recently. The aim of this paper is to improve the distinction between warm and cool steppes, thus refining vegetation and climate reconstruction, particularly during the Last Glacial Maximum. A set of modern pollen spectra from the Mediterranean and Kazakhstan regions, dominated today by open vegetation types, has been analysed statistically in order to relate pollen taxa abundances to warm and cool grass/shrub plant functional types (PFTs). A statistical test using modern pollen data shows that the method is able to distinguish between cool and warm steppe biomes with a high degree of confidence. The method has been applied to two fossil pollen records. The results of this exercise showed that cool steppe dominated in central Greece between 18 000 and 13 000 yr BP, while in western Iran the vegetation was at the boundary between cool and warm steppes. These vegetation types were replaced by warm mixed forest in Greece and warm steppe in Iran after that time span. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Profiles of the Hα and Hβ lines in the spectra of B and Be stars in the diffuse stellar cluster h/χ Persei

High dispersion CCD spectra are used to study the profiles of the Hα and Hβ lines of 48 stars in early spectral classes in the young diffuse binary cluster h/χ Per. In addition, moderate resolution spectra of 15 B and Be stars were taken over the interval 4400–4960 Å. One or, possibly, two new Be stars are discovered. The major parameters of the Hα line are measured for the observed B and Be stars. The spectra over 4400–4960 Å are used to estimate T_eff, logg, and υsin i. No traces of emission are detected in the Hα line profiles for 28 of the stars and emission is observed in the Hα line for 20. During our observations an absorption profile of the Hα line was observed for some of the stars, such as Oo146, Oo566, Oo922, and Oo1268, although they have previously been identified as Be stars. A significant long-term variability of the Hα line is discovered for the Be stars Oo1161 and Oo2242. Oo2371 manifests a variability in its faint emission spectrum which is typical of close binary systems that include a Be star. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 305–319 (May 2008).