Modeling the sediment yield from landslides in the Shihmen Reservoir watershed,Taiwan

Landslides generate enormous volumes of sediment in mountainous watersheds; however, quantifying the downstream transport of landslide‐derived sediment remains a challenge. Landslide erosion and sediment delivery to the Shihmen Reservoir watershed in Taiwan was estimated using empirical landslide frequency–area and volume–area relationships, empirical landslide runout models, and the Hydrological Simulation Program‐ FORTRAN (HSPF). Landslide erosion rates ranged from 0.4 mm yr^‐1 to 2.2 mm yr^‐1 during the period 1986–2003, but increased to 7.9 mm yr^‐1 following Typhoon Aere in 2004. The percentage of landslide sediment delivered to streams decreased from 78% during the period 1986–1997 to 55% in 2004. Although the delivery ratio was lower, the volume of landslide sediment delivered to streams was 2.81 × 10⁶ Mg yr^‐1 in 1986–1997 and 8.60 × 10⁶ Mg yr^‐1 in 2004. Model simulations indicate that only a small proportion of the landslide material was delivered downstream. An average of 13% of the landslide material delivered to rivers was moved downstream during the period 1986–1997. In 2004, the period including Typhoon Aere, the annual fluvial sediment yield accounted for approximately 23% of the landslide material delivered to streams. In general, the transfer of sediment in the fluvial system in the Shihmen Reservoir watershed is dominantly transport limited. The imbalance between sediment supply and transport capacity has resulted in a considerable quantity of landslide material remaining in the upper‐stream regions of the watershed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Annual to decadal morphodynamics of the foredune system at Greenwich Dunes,Prince Edward Island,Canada

The purpose of this study was to quantify relationships between season, sediment availability, sediment transport pathways, and beach/foredune morphology at Greenwich Dunes, PEI. This was done for periods ranging from a few days to multiple decades using erosion pins, bedframe measurements, annual surveys, and digital photogrammetry using historical aerial photographs. The relative significance of seasonal/annual processes versus response of the foredune system to broader geomorphic controls (e.g. relative sea level rise, storms, etc.) was also assessed. The data show that there are clear seasonal differences in the patterns of sand supply from the beach to the foredune at Greenwich and that there are differences in sediment supply to the foredune between the east and west reaches of the study area, resulting in ongoing differences in foredune morphology. They also demonstrate that models that incorporate wind climate alone, or even models that include other factors like beach moisture, would not be able to predict the amount of sediment movement from the beach to the foredune in this environment unless there were some way to parameterize system morphology, especially the presence or absence of a dune ramp. Finally, the data suggest that the foredune can migrate landward while maintaining its form via transfers of sediment from the stoss slope, over the crest, and onto the lee slope. Although the rate of foredune development or recovery after disturbance changes over time due to morphological feedback, the overall decadal evolution of the foredune system at Greenwich is consistent with, and supports, the Davidson‐Arnott (2005) conceptual model of dune transgression under rising sea level. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geomorphic response to an active transpressive regime: a case study along the Chaman strike‐slip fault,western Pakistan

The Chaman left‐lateral strike‐slip fault bounds the rigid Indian plate boundary at the western end of the Himalayan‐Tibetan orogen and is marked by contrasting topographic relief. Deformed landforms along the fault provide an excellent record for understanding this actively evolving intra‐continental strike‐slip fault. The geomorphic response of an active transpessional stretch of the Chaman fault was studied using digital elevation model (DEM) data integrated with Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Visible and Near Infrared/Short Wave Infrared (VNIR/SWIR) and images from GeoEye‐1. Geologic and geomorphic mapping helped in reconstructing the Late Quaternary landscape history of this transpessional strand of the Chaman strike‐slip fault and the associated Spinatizha thrust fault in western Pakistan. Topographic analysis of a part of the transpression (the thrust bounded Roghani ridge) revealed northward growth of the Spinatizha fault with the presence of three water gaps and two corresponding wind gaps. Geomorphic indices including stream length‐gradient index, mountain front sinuosity, valley floor width to valley height ratios, and entrenchment of recent alluvial fan deposits were used to define the lateral growth and direction of propagation of the Spinatizha fault. Left‐lateral displacement along Chaman fault and uplift along the Spinatizha fault was defined using topographic analysis of the Roghani ridge and geomorphic mapping of an impressive alluvial fan, the Bostankaul fan. The landforms and structures record slip partitioning along the Indian plate boundary, and account for the convergence resulting from the difference in the Chaman fault azimuth and orientation of the velocity vector of the Indian plate. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Total mercury in terrestrial systems (air-soil-plant-water) at the mining region of San Joaquín,Queretaro, Mexico

Deficient management of cinnabar mining left the San Joaquín region with high concentrations of mercury in its soils (2.4 – 4164 mg kg^-1). Numerous cinnabar mines have contributed to the dispersion of mercury into agricultural (0.5 –314 mg kg^-1) and forest (0.2 – 69 mg kg^-1) soils. Sediments are a natural means of transportation for mercury, causing its spreading, especially in areas near mine entrances (0.6 – 687 mg kg^-1). The nearness of maize crops to mines favors mercury accumulation in the different plant structures, such as roots, stems, leaves, and grain (0.04 – 8.2 mg kg^-1); these being related to mercury volatilization and accumulation in soils. Mercury vapor present in the settlements could indicate a constant volatilization from lands and soils (22 – 153 ng m^-3). The mercury levels found in the soils, in maize grain, and in the air resulted greater than the standards reported by the Official Mexican Norm (NOM) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Mercury in rainwater is due mainly to the presence of suspended atmospheric particles, later deposited on the surface (1.5 – 339 μg |^-1). Mercury dissolution was found in the drinking water (10 – 170 ng |^-1), with concentrations below those established by the NOM and the WHO. The contamination existing in the San Joaquín region does not reach the levels of the world’s greatest mercury producers: Almaden (Spain) and Idrija (Slovenia). It is, however, like that found in other important second degree world producers such as Guizhou (China). The population of San Joaquín, as well as its surrounding environment, are constantly exposed to mercury contamination, thus making a long term monitoring necessary to determine its effects, especially to people.     

Biosorption of Heavy Metals in Leachate Derived from Gold Mine Tailings Using Aspergillus fumigatus

Leachate derived from bioleaching process contains high amount of metals that must be removed before discharging the water. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from a gold mine tailings and its ability to remove of As, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn from aqueous solutions and leachate of bioleaching processes was assessed. Batch sorption experiments were carried out to characterize the capability of fungal biomass (FB) and iron coated fungal biomass (ICFB) to remove metal ions in single and multi‐solute systems. The maximum sorption capacity of FB for As(III), As(V), Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn were 11.2, 8.57, 94.33, 53.47, 43.66, and 70.4 mg/g, respectively, at pH 6. For ICFB, these values were 88.5, 81.3, 98.03, 66.2, 50.25, and 74.07 mg/g. Results showed that only ICFB was found to be more effective in removing metal ions from the leachate. The amount of adsorbed metals from the leachate was 2.88, 21.20, 1.91, 0.1, and 0.08 mg/g for As, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Pb, respectively. The FT‐IR analysis showed involvement of the functional groups of the FB in the metal ions sorption. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that surface morphological changed following metal ions adsorption. The study showed that the indigenous fungus A. fumigatus was able to remove As, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn from the leachate of gold mine tailings and therefore the potential for removing metal ions from metal‐bearing leachate.     

Reliable Procedure for Molecular Analysis of Airborne Microflora in Three Indoor Environments: An Office and Two Different Museum Contexts

Biological aerosols from air constitute a significant source of exposure to microorganisms in public places. Airborne microorganisms are involved in the development of certain respiratory symptoms, allergies, or infections among users and occupants. Various sampling instruments have commonly been used in aerobiology to collect bacteria and fungi suspended in the air. The objective of this study was to develop a reliable procedure for sampling in indoor public environments presenting different levels of occupancy, airborne bacteria and fungi to be subjected to molecular analysis (bacteria and fungi quantitative PCR, capillary electrophoresis single strand conformation polymorphism fingerprinting). Four different sampling devices were tested in situ in an office building (open‐plan type) and the sampling strategy chosen was tested in two museum contexts. In accordance with the drawbacks involved to our study (quantitative and qualitative aspects, cost, and overcrowding), cyclone device appeared to be most suitable. The results underline the effectiveness of this high‐volume aerosol sampling device for both qualitative and quantitative molecular analysis. Four in situ sampling collections were carried out in 1 day in the Louvre Museum to study quantitative and qualitative variations of airborne bacterial and fungal diversity. The quantitative results revealed a similar order of magnitude for the numbers of both bacteria and fungi. In the Louvre Museum, the samples yielded between 3.7 × 10⁴ and 4.1 × 10⁴ genome equivalent (GE) bacteria/m³ air and between 5.0 × 10⁴ and 5.9 × 10⁴ GE fungi/m³ air and in the Decorative Arts Museum between, 2.1 × 10⁴ and 2.5 × 10⁴ GE bacteria/m³ air and between 1.4 × 10⁴ and 1.7 × 10⁴ GE fungi/m³ air. The results also indicate that the dominant bacterial community displayed a stable structure over a short period of time whereas dominant eukaryotic airborne community appeared more variable.     

Robust Regulation of Alkalinity in Highly Uncertain Continuous Anaerobic Digestion Processes

In this paper, a multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) model‐based robust control scheme is proposed for the indirect control of both total alkalinity and the ratio (intermediate alkalinity)/(total alkalinity) by regulating volatile fatty acid concentrations and strong ions concentration, while guaranteeing the so‐called operational stability in anaerobic digestion (AD) processes. The proposed MIMO regulator is an adaptive controller derived from an AD model which incorporates the physicochemical equilibrium of the system as well as the use of a robust interval observer to estimate key process bounds that are used in the computation of the control efforts. Numerical simulations were carried out for a number of operating conditions under the most uncertain scenarios. Results showed that the proposed multivariable control law is able to recover the system stability around a pre‐determined set point in the face of parameter uncertainty and load disturbances.     

Contribution to the Global Warming Mitigation of Marshlands Conversion to Croplands in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

Based on the estimation of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration of the total conversion of marshlands (TMC), marshlands conversion to paddy fields (MCPFs) and marshlands conversion to uplands (MCULs), this study revealed the contribution to the global warming mitigation (CGWM) of paddy fields versus uplands converted from marshlands in the Sanjiang Plain (excluding the Muling‐Xingkai Plain on south of Wanda Mountain), Heilongjiang Province, northeast China. The results showed that the total area of MCPFs and MCULs was 504.23 × 10³ ha between 1982 and 2005. The CGWM per unit area was 45.53 t CO₂eq/ha for MCPFs and that was 23.95 t CO₂eq/ha for MCULs, with an obvious 47.40% reduction. The MCPFs and MCULs ecosystems acted as the carbon sink all of the year. As far as CGWM per unit area is concerned, MCPFs mitigated the greenhouse effect which was greater than MCULs. And it was effective that the implementation of the uplands transformed into paddy fields in Northeast China with regard to marshlands protection and croplands (including paddy fields and uplands) reclamation.     

Field Evaluation of Arid Soils Wetting Pattern in Subsurface Drip Irrigation Scheme

A field study evaluating wetted radius (Wr), downward depth (Dd), and upward movement (Um) under different emitter discharges and lateral depths was conducted. Four emitter discharges (2, 4, 8, and 16 L/h) and four lateral depths (0, 10, 20, and 30 cm) were tested in a clay loam soil. Relationships were found between the emitter discharge and lateral depth versus Wr, Dd, and Um. Wetting area at the surface occurs under different emitter discharges and lateral depths except at 30 cm lateral depth. At lateral depth of 0 and 10 cm, Wr and emitter discharge were positively correlated. The Dd was not affected by emitter discharge except for laterals installed at 20 cm depth. At 30 cm lateral depth, the correlations between each of Wr, Um, and Dd with emitter discharge were poor. The ratios of Wr/Dd and Um/Dd, with respect to emitter position, were less than unity over different emitter discharges and lateral depths. These results shed some light on the design of subsurface drip irrigation scheme so that the spacing between emitters should be determined based on the lateral depths and discharge of emitters. Evaporation losses were negligible for the 30‐cm‐lateral depth since the upward moisture movement has not reached the soil surface area at all discharge rates tested in the study.     

Adsorption of Complex Pollutants from Aqueous Solutions by Nanocomposite Materials

In view of water pollutants becoming more complex, both anionic and cationic pollutants need to be removed. The multi‐pollutants simultaneous removal is paid more and more attention. Hence, development composite materials for treatment complex wastewater are the aim of this study. In this research, iron–nickel nanoparticles deposited onto aluminum oxide (α‐Al₂O₃) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form nanocomposite materials Fe–Ni/Al₂O₃ and Fe–Ni/CNTs, respectively, were used as adsorbents. The adsorption capacities of Fe–Ni/Al₂O₃ and Fe–Ni/CNTs for AO7, HSeO, and Pb²⁺ were observed to be 5.46, 8.28, 27.02, and 25.6 mg/g, 15.29 and 17.12 mg/g, separately. The composite materials with negative charges were superior in adsorption of anionic pollutants. Using orthogonal experimental design and analysis of variance to co‐treat dye AO7, HSeO and Pb²⁺ in aqueous solutions, seven testing factors were included: (1) adsorbent types, (2) amount of iron, (3) solution pHs, (4) AO7 concentrations, (5) Pb²⁺ concentrations, (6) HSeO concentrations and (7) reaction time. The experimental results showed that the removal of complex pollutants AO7, HSeO, and Pb²⁺ on Fe–Ni/CNTs could reach up to 90% in the optimal treatment conditions. When using Fe–Ni/CNTs as the adsorbent, the sorption isothermals were well fitted in the Freundlich isotherm, and R² could reach up to 0.98.