层析法微波辐射计遥感反演云液水含量的二维垂直分布

通过机载双天线微波辐射计的观测数据层析反演出云液水的空间分布是一个有限角度的图像重建问题。为提高这一反问题的适定性, 本文对已有的正则化方法进行了改进: 根据云液水的分布特征选择W1,2空间范数的离散形式作为正则项; 通过数值模拟试验确定双天线仰角的最优设置方案为 (30°, 90°) 等。为避免已有方法中对目标函数进行线性化处理而产生的模型误差, 采用L-BFGS-B算法对非线性目标函数直接求解。按照侧边界内云液水分布是否已知将反演模型分为已界模型和未界模型。已界模型的反演结果表明, 反演误差在8.6%～12.3%之间, 反演图像可以反映出不同云型的结构特征。敏感性试验表明, 影响反演精度的主要因素为投影数据的角度分辨率、 辐射计观测噪声以及侧边界云液水分布的不确定性; 受云液水含量、 正则算子特性及边界因素的综合影响, 不同云型的反演精度存在差异。为使微波辐射计探测云液水分布能够独立于其它探测手段, 本文针对未界模型提出嵌套反演方法。数值模拟试验表明, 嵌套反演方法可以为目标区域的反演提供足够的侧边界信息。     

四维变分同化和集合平方根滤波联合反演土壤湿度廓线的研究

提出将集合平方根滤波（EnSRF）估计的预报误差协方差用于四维变分（4DVAR）的同化方案（文中称混合四维变分同化方法,简称混合方法）来反演土壤湿度廓线,该方法由两个同化时段构成: 第一时段为EnSRF,第二时段为4DVAR,此种组合可以充分发挥每一同化方法的优势。通过同化表层土壤湿度观测反演土壤湿度廓线这一理想试验来验证方法的可行性,并与EnSRF和4DVAR的反演结果进行比较,结果表明, 混合方法反演的分析时刻土壤湿度廓线都优于EnSRF和4DVAR的结果。与此同时,为了克服小样本在估算背景场误差协方差矩阵时出现的虚假相关对反演的干扰, 提出在原有协方差矩阵中加入具有高斯指数函数成分来降低其影响;与修正前结果相比,反演的中下层（地下34～100 cm） 土壤湿度的均方根误差从0.036 cm3/cm3降到0.016 cm3/cm3, 降幅为55.6%, 更重要的是大大降低了部分深度处反演土壤湿度的误差, 如地下90 cm处误差从0.085 cm3/cm3降到0.024 cm3/cm3, 降幅达71.8%。     

东亚冬季风强度的统计预测方法研究

利用1961～2008年NCEP再分析和NOAA延长重构的月平均海温资料, 基于海气系统关键区的前期信号分析, 建立了一个东亚冬季风强度的统计预测方法。东亚冬季风强度与前期 (9～10月) 黑潮及其延伸区和热带西印度洋海温异常 (SSTA) 密切相关。强东亚冬季风活动与黑潮及其延伸区正SSTA和热带西印度洋负SSTA相对应。东亚冬季风强度还和一个前期 (10月) 北半球环流型存在显著相关, 其中环流型的活动中心分别位于北太平洋中部、 太平洋东北部、 北美和北大西洋。文中探讨了这三个预测因子对东亚冬季风强度的预测意义, 并揭示了其影响东亚冬季风活动的可能物理过程。该预测方法的历史拟合率和试报准确率较高, 可用于东亚冬季风强度的定性预测。     

人工缓减梅雨锋暴雨的数值试验

本文利用耦合了中国气象科学研究院双参数微物理方案的中尺度数值模式MM5, 对2002年7月22～23日长江中游一次梅雨锋暴雨过程进行了人工缓减暴雨的冷云催化数值试验。在对降水云系多尺度结构进行正确模拟的基础上, 采用增加人工冰晶的催化方法, 对人工缓减暴雨的可能方法及原理进行研究。结果表明, 不同催化方案得到比较稳定一致的结果, 在云体成熟期大剂量持续催化的减雨效果最好, 在3600 km2内减少雨量8.29×106 t, 即为自然雨量的14.8%, 雨量分布更为均匀, 其中50 mm以上降水范围由原来的190 km2缩减到60 km2。分析表明, 催化增加的大量冰晶碰并过冷雨, 使霰粒子浓度增大而平均尺度减小, 导致霰落速减弱而小于上升运动, 难于下落融化, 造成雨水减小。在周围升速小的弱雨区, 滞留的霰粒长大后仍能下落融化, 引起地面少量增雨。本文所用催化方法在实际作业中具有技术可行性, 并有重大潜在社会和经济效益, 值得深入研究和试验。     

广西龙州地区双层含铝岩系地质特征与找矿意义

对龙州地区合山组和都安组铝土岩（矿）层进行系统采样分析，并与堆积铝土矿进行对比研究，结合含铝岩系岩性与矿物特征发现，合山组、都安组铝土岩（矿）矿石矿物无显著差异，主要为一水硬铝石、高岭石、（鲕）绿泥石，其次为赤铁矿（针铁矿）集合体和碎屑物（岩屑、玻屑、砾屑），普遍存在大量（铁）凝胶。常量、微量、稀土元素特征及相关图解显示，合山组、都安组铝土岩（矿）均可能为该区堆积铝土矿的矿源层。Ni-Cr图解显示合山组铝土岩（矿）可能来自与火山物质有关的玄武岩，都安组铝土岩（矿）来源于卡斯特岩溶，堆积铝土矿除部分落入玄武岩、碳酸盐岩区以外，大多位于页岩、板岩内，表明该区堆积铝土矿存在多源性。微量元素Be、Ga、Sr、Ba含量与Sr/Ba、V/Zr、Zr/Cu含量比值等沉积环境元素特征表明该区原生铝土岩（矿）沉积环境为陆相；δCe分析显示铝土岩（矿）沉积环境有所差异，合山组表现为氧化环境，都安组则表现为还原环境。Th、U含量及Th/U含量比值显示该区铝土岩（矿）成矿以混合作用为主，并经历了较强的风化作用；δEu分析表明合山组、都安组铝土岩（矿）分别形成于被动大陆边缘与活动大陆边缘。合山组、都安组含铝岩系均发育不同程度的铝土岩（矿）层，都安组铝土岩（矿）部分样品已达工业边界指标，可作为沉积铝土矿勘查的主要目的层。     

First insights into the structure and environmental setting of cold-seep communities in the Marmara Sea

A brackish-water cold seep on the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) in the Marmara Sea was investigated with the Nautile submersible during the MarNaut cruise in 2007. This active zone has already been surveyed and revealed evidence of active seeping on the seafloor, such as bubble emissions, patches of reduced sediments, microbial mats and authigenic carbonate crusts. MarNaut was the first opportunity to sample benthic communities in the three most common microhabitats (bioturbated and reduced sediments, carbonate crust) and to examine their relationships with environmental conditions. To do so, faunal communities were sampled and chemical measurements were taken close to the organisms. According to diversity indices, the bioturbated microhabitat exhibited the highest taxonomic diversity and evenness despite a lower number of samples. Conversely, the reduced sediment microhabitat exhibited the lowest taxonomic diversity and evenness. The carbonate crust microhabitat was intermediate although it had the highest biomass. Multivariate analyses showed that (1) fauna were relatively similar within a single microhabitat; (2) faunal community structure varied greatly between the different microhabitats; (3) there was a link between faunal distribution and the type of substratum; and (4) chemical gradients (i.e. methane, oxygen and probably sulphides) may influence faunal distribution. The estimated fluid flow velocity (0.4–0.8 m/yr) confirmed the presence of fluid emission and provided evidence of seawater convection in the two soft-sediment microhabitats. Our results suggest that the reduced sediments may represent a harsher environment with high upward fluid flow, which restrains seawater from penetrating the sediments and inhibits sulphide production, whereas bioturbated sediments can be viewed as a bio-irrigated system with sulphide production occurring at greater depths. Therefore, the environmental conditions in reduced sediments appear to prevent the colonization of symbiont-bearing fauna, such as vesicomyid bivalves, which are more often found in bioturbated sediments. Fluid flow appears to control sulphide availability, which in turn influences the horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of fauna at small spatial scales as observed at other seep sites.     

The integration of thermal infrared imaging,discharge measurements and numerical simulation to quantify the relative contributions of freshwater inflows to small estuaries in Atlantic Canada

Nutrient fluxes from developed catchments are often a significant factor in the declining water quality and ecological functioning in estuaries. Determining the relative contributions of surface water and groundwater discharge to nutrient‐sensitive estuaries is required because these two pathways may be characterized by different nutrient concentrations and temporal variability, and may thus require different remedial actions. Quantifying the volumetric discharge of groundwater, which may occur via diffuse seepage or springs, remains a significant challenge. In this contribution, the total discharge of freshwater, including groundwater, to two small nutrient‐sensitive estuaries in Prince Edward Island (Canada) is assessed using a unique combination of airborne thermal infrared imaging, direct discharge measurements in streams and shoreline springs, and numerical simulation of groundwater flow. The results of the thermal infrared surveys indicate that groundwater discharge occurs at discrete locations (springs) along the shoreline of both estuaries, which can be attributed to the fractured sandstone bedrock aquifer. The discharge measured at a sub‐set of the springs correlates well with the area of the thermal signal attributed to each discharge location and this information was used to determine the total spring discharge to each estuary. Stream discharge is shown to be the largest volumetric contribution of freshwater to both estuaries (83% for Trout River estuary and 78% for McIntyre Creek estuary); however, groundwater discharge is significant at between 13% and 18% of the total discharge. Comparison of the results from catchment‐scale groundwater flow models and the analysis of spring discharge suggest that diffuse seepage to both estuaries comprises only about 25% of the total groundwater discharge. The methods employed in this research provide a useful framework for determining the relative volumetric contributions of surface water and groundwater to small estuaries and the findings are expected to be relevant to other fractured sandstone coastal catchments in Atlantic Canada. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evidence for a jet contribution to the optical/infrared light of neutron star X-ray binaries

Optical/near-infrared (optical/NIR, OIR) light from low-mass neutron star X-ray binaries (NSXBs) in outburst is traditionally thought to be thermal emission from the accretion disc. Here we present a comprehensive collection of quasi-simultaneous OIR and X-ray data from 19 low magnetic field NSXBs, including new observations of three sources: 4U 0614+09, LMC X−2 and GX 349+2. The average radio–OIR spectrum for NSXBs is  α≈+ 0.2  (where   L _ν∝ν^α  ) at least at high luminosities when the radio jet is detected. This is comparable to, but slightly more inverted than the  α≈ 0.0  found for black hole X-ray binaries. The OIR spectra and relations between OIR and X-ray fluxes are compared to those expected if the OIR emission is dominated by thermal emission from an X-ray or viscously heated disc, or synchrotron emission from the inner regions of the jets. We find that thermal emission due to X-ray reprocessing can explain all the data except at high luminosities for some NSXBs, namely, the atolls and millisecond X-ray pulsars. Optically thin synchrotron emission from the jets (with an observed OIR spectral index of  α_thin < 0  ) dominate the NIR light above     and the optical above     in these systems. For NSXB Z-sources, the OIR observations can be explained by X-ray reprocessing alone, although synchrotron emission may make a low-level contribution to the NIR, and could dominate the OIR in one or two cases.     

MegaZ-LRG: a photometric redshift catalogue of one million SDSS luminous red galaxies

We describe the construction of MegaZ-LRG, a photometric redshift catalogue of over one million luminous red galaxies (LRGs) in the redshift range  0.4 < z < 0.7  with limiting magnitude   i < 20  . The catalogue is selected from the imaging data of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 4. The 2dF-SDSS LRG and Quasar (2SLAQ) spectroscopic redshift catalogue of 13 000 intermediate-redshift LRGs provides a photometric redshift training set, allowing use of ann z, a neural network-based photometric-redshift estimator. The rms photometric redshift accuracy obtained for an evaluation set selected from the 2SLAQ sample is  σ _z = 0.049  averaged over all galaxies, and  σ _z = 0.040  for a brighter subsample  ( i < 19.0)  . The catalogue is expected to contain ∼5 per cent stellar contamination. The ann z code is used to compute a refined star/galaxy probability based on a range of photometric parameters; this allows the contamination fraction to be reduced to 2 per cent with negligible loss of genuine galaxies. The MegaZ-LRG catalogue is publicly available on the World Wide Web from http://www.2slaq.info .