Detection of changes in precipitation and runoff over eastern Canada and U.S. using a Bayesian approach

Inference about the existence and characteristics of changes in mean level of hydrometeorological sequences that may be generated by climatic variability is an important step before developing management rules in water resources systems. This paper presents a Bayesian approach, based on a single shifting model, which can be used to study a change in the mean level of a set of independent normal random variables. Two different problems are considered: the first is the detection of a change, while the second is the estimation of the change-point and its amplitude under the assumption that a change has occurred. This method is applied to precipitation and runoff data series over eastern Canada and U.S. during the twentieth century. The main results show an increase in the late sixties in the Eastern North American precipitation. This supports conclusions drawn from a number of studies which identified the late sixties to early seventies as a period of possible change.     

Future trends in transport and fate of diffuse contaminants in catchments,with special emphasis on stable isotope applications

A summary is provided of the first of a series of proposed Integrated Science Initiative workshops supported by the UNESCO International Hydrological Programme. The workshop brought together hydrologists, environmental chemists, microbiologists, stable isotope specialists and natural resource managers with the purpose of communicating new ideas on ways to assess microbial degradation processes and reactive transport at catchment scales. The focus was on diffuse contamination at catchment scales and the application of compound‐specific isotope analysis (CSIA) in the assessment of biological degradation processes of agrochemicals. Major outcomes were identifying the linkage between water residence time distribution and rates of contaminant degradation, identifying the need for better information on compound specific microbial degradation isotope fractionation factors and the potential of CSIA in identifying key degradative processes. In the natural resource management context, a framework was developed where CSIA techniques were identified as practically unique in their capacity to serve as distributed integrating indicators of process across a range of scales (micro to diffuse) of relevance to the problem of diffuse pollution assessment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of climate change on agriculture in Northern Norway and potential strategies for adaptation

This study evaluates the effects of climate change on agriculture in Northern Norway. It is based on downscaled climate projections for six different municipalities combined with interviews with farmers, advisors and administrative personnel in these municipalities. The projections document large climatic differences both between and within the different municipalities. The main predicted climatic changes include increasing temperatures and precipitation as well as increased frequency of certain types of extreme weather events. Despite challenges such as unstable winters, increased autumn precipitation and possibly more weeds and diseases, a prolongation of the current short growth season together with higher growth temperatures can give new opportunities for agriculture here. The impacts are expected to differ both within and between municipalities and will require tailored adaptive strategies. Most of these however should pose no difficulty implementing, having an agronomical basis that farmers are accustomed to cope with.     

Monitoring Isostatic Rebound in Antarctica with the Use of Continuous Remote GPS Observations

A solar-powered GPS receiver has been installed near Beaver Lake, Antarctica, to monitor postglacial isostatic rebound that may be occurring as a result of ice thinning near the Lambert Glacier since the last glacial maximum. The equipment is 400 km from the nearest Australian Antarctic base and is completely automated. It is expected that there will be sufficient solar power to operate the equipment from January 1998 to May 1998, but the data will not be recovered until the following summer season. The scatter in height computed from the first 25 days of data is ± 7.5 mm. If such precision is representative of the accuracy of the height estimates, isostatic rebound of < 1 mm/yr will be able to be detected after a few years of observations at the site. ? 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) during MRO’s Primary Science Phase (PSP)

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) acquired 8 terapixels of data in 9137 images of Mars between October 2006 and December 2008, covering ∼0.55% of the surface. Images are typically 5-6 km wide with 3-color coverage over the central 20% of the swath, and their scales usually range from 25 to 60 cm/pixel. Nine hundred and sixty stereo pairs were acquired and more than 50 digital terrain models (DTMs) completed; these data have led to some of the most significant science results. New methods to measure and correct distortions due to pointing jitter facilitate topographic and change-detection studies at sub-meter scales. Recent results address Noachian bedrock stratigraphy, fluvially deposited fans in craters and in or near Valles Marineris, groundwater flow in fractures and porous media, quasi-periodic layering in polar and non-polar deposits, tectonic history of west Candor Chasma, geometry of clay-rich deposits near and within Mawrth Vallis, dynamics of flood lavas in the Cerberus Palus region, evidence for pyroclastic deposits, columnar jointing in lava flows, recent collapse pits, evidence for water in well-preserved impact craters, newly discovered large rayed craters, and glacial and periglacial processes. Of particular interest are ongoing processes such as those driven by the wind, impact cratering, avalanches of dust and/or frost, relatively bright deposits on steep gullied slopes, and the dynamic seasonal processes over polar regions. HiRISE has acquired hundreds of large images of past, present and potential future landing sites and has contributed to scientific and engineering studies of those sites. Warming the focal-plane electronics prior to imaging has mitigated an instrument anomaly that produces bad data under cold operating conditions.     

鄂尔多斯盆地侏罗纪煤的煤岩特征及成因分析

鄂尔多斯盆地侏罗系发育多层厚煤层,煤质优良,储量巨大,且构造简单,埋深较浅,具有很大的开采价值。该岩系独特的煤岩特征与其成煤沼泽环境有密切联系,即内陆湖泊发育有关的河流体系上部的一系列高位沼泽;泥炭埋藏后继续经历不同程度的氧化阶段,使得煤岩组分中惰性组分含量普遍偏高,而镜质组分普遍经受一定程度的丝炭化作用而成为半镜质体。研究表明盆地中侏罗系煤系中煤的宏观煤岩主要以半暗煤和暗淡煤为主,半亮煤和光亮煤占次要地位;在盆地边缘,特别是靠近盆地北部物源地区,半暗煤、暗淡煤含量比例较高,往南向盆地中心部位半亮煤和光亮煤逐渐增多,表明沉积环境和成煤沼泽环境对煤岩组分具有主要控制作用;含煤岩系中,特别是煤层下部砂岩越厚,颗粒越粗,显微煤岩组分中丝质体含量越高,而且其结构完整、清晰,半镜质体含量也越高,植物细胞结构越完整和规则。埋藏后顶底板岩性还会继续影响煤岩组分的演化过程。煤层顶底板砂体由于物性条件好,孔隙水仍可长时间处于氧化与循环流通状态,使得各煤岩组分能长时间处于氧化状态,有利于丝炭化作用进行;相反,在盆地中心,湖泊相发育,泥炭被埋藏之后迅速被泥岩覆盖,煤层很快处于还原缺氧环境,凝胶化作用得以充分进行,镜质组的含量就会增高。研究还发现,壳质组常常在煤层中的某一部位富集,虽然整个煤层中其平均含量不高,但是却对煤层的总体生烃能力会有很大贡献。以往的研究成果中,壳质组含量常常被低估,尤其是呈流动状态的沥青质体,因为它最容易流动到刚性比较强的丝质体内部或各种裂隙中而常常被忽略,在以后的研究中值得加以重视。     

Assessing adaptability and response of vegetation to glacier recession in the afro-alpine moorland terrestrial ecosystem of Rwenzori Mountains

The objective of this study was to explore vegetation adaptability in a changing afro-alpine moorland terrestrial ecosystem on Mt. Rwenzori and to determine whether there were any links with response of vegetation to glacier recession. We analyzed the composition and distribution of plant species in relation to soils, geomorphic processes, and landscape positions in the Alpine zone. To accomplish this objective, archival data sources and published reports for this ecosystem were reviewed. A field trip was conducted in 2010 to study in detail seven vegetation sampling plots that were systematically selected using GIS maps and a nested-quadrat sampling design framework along an altitudinal gradient in the lower and upper alpine zones. Using these sampling plots, 105 vegetation and 13 soil samples were assessed in the alpine zone. Soil samples were taken for laboratory testing and analysis. The results show statistically significant differences in p H, OM, N, P, Ca, Mg, and K pools between soils samples drawn from the lower and upper alpine sites(p 0.0033). Furthermore, we observed a significant vegetation formation with numerous structural forms, but there was a limited diversity of species. The mostsignificant forms included Alchemilla carpets, Bogs, Dendrosenecio woodland, and Scree slopes. The lower alpine area(3500–3900 masl) had a more diverse plant species than other areas, especially Alchemilla argyrophylla and Dendrosenecio adnivalis species that were evident due to well-drained deeper soils. The Alchemilla subnivalis were evident at a higher altitude of above 4000 masl. Shifts in the Astareceae(e.g. Senecio species) were particularly prominent even on recently deglaciated areas. The spatial variations of species distribution, structure, and composition suggest there are serious implications in terms of ecosystem adaptability, resilience, and stability that require further evaluation.