温室效应、海平面上升与海岸地貌

温室效应引起全球增暖问题目前正受到科学家、工程技术人员、政治家和公众的广泛注意。最近的报告表明,对于全球增暖及其影响的确切性质尚不清楚(Schneider,1989)。然而,海岸带可能是一个关键而敏感的环境地带,全球增暖对海岸地貌会产生一系列后果。尽管到2100年全球海平面上升幅度的估计从56厘米到3.45米不等,但一般相差可能在44米和2.17米之间(Hoffman 等,1983:Titus,1987)。     

苏联经济区方案定量研究的经验

通常,经济区划的任务包括以下几个主要阶段:1) 确定作为基础区的地域;2)按照基础区选择区划指标系统及其定量评价;3) 选择区域系统模式;4) 阐明课题建立算法,直接把基础区进行分类计算;5)解释已获得的结果,选出最好的区划方案和有关进一步改善工作方法的结论等等。基础区的范围视所要解决的任务性质而定。     

Local hydraulic gradient estimator analysis of long-term monitoring networks

Three measurements of head at unique locations form a three-point estimator of the local magnitude and orientation of the hydraulic gradient. The relative head measurement error (RHME) is defined here as the measurement error normalized by the head drop across the three-point estimator. Monte Carlo simulation results show that estimators with base to height ratios between 0.5 and 5.0 and that are large enough to keep the RHME below 0.05 create the most accurate gradient estimates and provide criteria for identifying good estimators. These criteria are applied to an example ground water monitoring network design problem in the Culebra dolomite near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository to both analyze temporal changes and modify and expand the current monitoring network. Limiting the three-point estimators to those that meet the shape and RHME criteria reduces the number of possible estimators by >50% and leads to approximately 1 order of magnitude decrease in the average estimated magnitude of the gradient relative to using all estimators. Application of these criteria also reduces the variability in estimated gradient magnitude and orientation between the two time periods of measurements. Redundant wells in the network are identified by removing each existing well in turn and determining which removals yield the smallest decrease in the number of acceptable estimators. Optimal new well locations are identified by mapping the increase in total number of acceptable estimators for a single new well placed in the study domain.     

Resolving mechanisms of toxicity while pursuing ecotoxicological relevance?

In this age of modern biology, aquatic toxicological research has pursued mechanisms of action of toxicants. This has provided potential tools for ecotoxicologic investigations. However, problems of biocomplexity and issues at higher levels of biological organization remain a challenge. In the 1980s and 1990s and continuing to a lesser extent today, organisms residing in highly contaminated field sites or exposed in the laboratory to calibrated concentrations of individual compounds were carefully analyzed for their responses to priority pollutants. Correlation of biochemical and structural analyses in cultured cells and tissues, as well as the in vivo exposures led to the production and application of biomarkers of exposure and effect and to our awareness of genotoxicity and its chronic manifestations, such as neoplasms, in wild fishes. To gain acceptance of these findings in the greater environmental toxicology community, “validation of the model” versus other, better-established often rodent models, was necessary and became a major focus. Resultant biomarkers were applied to heavily contaminated and reference field sites as part of effects assessment and with investigations following large-scale disasters such as oil spills or industrial accidents.

Over the past 15 years, in the laboratory, small aquarium fish models such as medaka (Oryzias latipes), zebrafish (Danio rerio), platyfish (Xiphophorus species), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus) were increasingly used establishing mechanisms of toxicants. Today, the same organisms provide reliable information at higher levels of biological organization relevant to ecotoxicology. We review studies resolving mechanisms of toxicity and discuss ways to address biocomplexity, mixtures of contaminants, and the need to relate individual level responses to populations and communities.     

Sub-lethal effects of metal exposure: physiological and behavioural responses of the estuarine bivalve Macoma balthica

Variation in glycogen concentration, condition index (CI) and filtration activity were measured in the bivalve Macoma balthica buried in sediment and experimentally exposed to cadmium (Cd). The stress due to elevated but sub-lethal concentrations (300 ppb Cd) affected the overall fitness of the organism as all parameters monitored responded significantly. Lower concentrations tested (10, 30 and 100 ppb) only induced a significant decrease in filtration activity, which may play a protective role, enabling the organism to slow down its metabolic activity and preserving the integrity of its reserves (reflected by stable CI and glycogen levels). Hence, the various endpoints selected show different thresholds. Our results also demonstrate that under high exposure, small individuals loose proportionally more glycogen per unit of weight than larger ones, thus confirming the higher sensitivity of small individuals to metal contamination. Furthermore, exposure to intermediate concentration (30 ppb) seems to be beneficial to the small individuals as indicated by their high CI values compared to the control. These results showed thus that non-sigmoidal concentration-response relationship and sizes of individuals should be considered in monitoring programmes and risk assessment.     

Discovery of High Proper-Motion Ancient White Dwarfs: Nearby Massive Compact Halo Objects?

We present the discovery and spectroscopic identification of two very high proper-motion ancient white dwarf stars, found in a systematic proper-motion survey. Their kinematics and apparent magnitude clearly indicate that they are halo members, while their optical spectra are almost identical to the recently identified cool halo white dwarf WD 0346+246. Canonical stellar halo models predict a white dwarf volume density that is 2 orders of magnitude less than the rho approximately 7x10-4 M middle dot in circle pc-3 inferred from this survey. With the caveat that the sample size is very small, it appears that a significant fraction, approximately 10%, of the local dark matter halo is in the form of very old, cool, white dwarfs.     

Spatial and temporal variability of hard-bottom macrofauna in a disturbed coastal lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Po River Delta, Northwestern Adriatic Sea)

The sessile and mobile macrobenthos on artificial hard bottoms was studied in 12 stations of the Sacca di Goro lagoon, a brackish, highly stressed water basin in the delta of the river Po, open to the Northwestern Adriatic Sea. Three sampling surveys were carried out in June and September 2000 and June 2001 in order to make three types of temporal comparisons: (i) on a seasonal scale, before and after a summer dystrophic event; (ii) on an annual basis, before and after the works of excavation of a canal through the outer sand bank; (iii) on a multiannual scale, comparing the data with those of a survey carried out in 1988. The biocoenoses did not show large fluctuations after a moderately severe summer dystrophic crisis, while the digging of the canal caused clear changes in the macrobenthos community structure after one year. The long-term comparison showed a shift in the community patterns after a decade.     

砂岩中骨架颗粒溶解的理论

我们发现,长石和岩屑骨架颗粒的溶解作用(FGD)对于可溶颗粒大于10%的砂岩的储集性来说具有重要意义。据集些储集砂岩的研究,其骨架颗粒溶解孔隙度可高达70%左右,其平均孔隙度约为可见孔隙的30%。骨架颗粒溶解作用不能明显地增加储层的渗透率。但是,我们发现,骨架颗粒溶解孔隙度的发育数量是砂岩原始渗透率的函数。我们认为,页岩中的粘土及有机成熟作用为骨架颗粒溶解产生了必要的水、酸及络合剂。骨架颗粒溶解的溶剂被排驱至砂岩中,在那里长石和岩屑被溶解了,而且由此产生的溶解铝被络合,并搬运至砂岩之外。     

日本的地震观测台网

日本的各个地震观测台网共有５００个固定台。这些台站分属于许多个台网：由日本气象厅管理的全国性台网。以及由一些国立大学和其院所管理的区域性和地方性的台网，包括防灾科学技术研究所。大多数非ＪＭＡ台网是在全国预报计划之下建立的，该计划于１９６５年开始。ＪＭＡ台网已有百余年的历史，现在包括约１９０个配备有短周期和中周期的地震仪的台，其他的多大数台网所配备的仪器则是高灵敏度的短周期地震仪，其典型的固有周期为