The impact of surplus units from the first Kyoto period on achieving the reduction pledges of the Cancún Agreements

Countries with emission levels below their emission allowances have surplus Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) or other emission credits. Under the Kyoto Protocol, these surplus credits may effectively be carried from the first to a following commitment period. In the climate negotiations, various rules for carry-over and sale of surplus allowances have been put forward. This paper analyses the effect of these options on the reduction pledges for 2020, taking into account the estimated credits from the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation projects, and land-use activities for the first commitment period. For current Kyoto Protocol rules of unlimited carry-over of surplus allowances and limited carry-over of other credits, the environmental effectiveness of reduction pledges could be seriously undermined. For the group of countries that showed a willingness to participate in a second commitment period, it could imply that instead of an aggregated 2020 target resulting from the pledges of 18 to 28?% below 1990 levels by 2020, their emissions could return to business-us-usual emission projections. For the EU, a 30?% target by 2020 could imply higher emissions compared to a 20?% target, if surplus allowances would be used for achieving the 30?% but not for the 20?% target. Restricting the use of Kyoto surplus units to domestic use only, would limit the problem, but still seriously undermine the effectiveness of 2020 reduction targets.     

Geochronology and geochemistry of Grenvillian igneous suites in the northern Oaxacan Complex, southern Mexico: tectonic implications

Chemical and U–Pb isotopic analyses of metaigneous rocks in the northern Oaxacan Complex in southern Mexico indicate that they form part of two granitic–gabbroic suites intruded at 1157–1130 and 1012 Ma, which were metamorphosed under granulite facies conditions between 1004 and 980 Ma. Although the older suite has both within-plate and arc geochemical signatures, the arc characteristics (enrichment of La and Ce relative to Nb, Ta, and Th) are inferred to result from crustal contamination, a conclusion consistent with their negative _Nd signatures. The younger suite is spatially associated with anorthosites (from which we were unable to acquire a protolith age), suggesting that collectively it forms part of anorthosite–mangerite–charnockite–granite (AMCG) suites. The tholeiitic nature of the mafic rocks along with the within-plate character of the felsic rocks suggests that they were intruded during extension related to either farfield backarc rifting, rifting above a slab window, or anorogenic intercontinental rifting. Potentially correlative AMCG suites are widespread in Mexico, the Grenville Province of eastern Canada and northeastern USA, and the Andean massifs of Colombia, however, Pb isotopic data most closely resemble those in South America. These data are consistent with published hypotheses that suggest Oaxaquia represents an exotic terrane derived from Amazonia.     

塔里木盆地顺北地区11号走滑断裂带变形及其活动特征

塔里木盆地顺北地区发育大量走滑断裂带,并对油气的运聚成藏有重要控制作用.以顺北西部地区地震资料为基础,对顺北11号走滑断裂带的几何变形特征、活动性、活动期次及其形成机制等进行了分析.顺北11号走滑断裂带整体呈NNW走向延伸,具有垂向分层性和平面分段性.断裂带北段主体为压扭和张扭交互段,中段为两条次级断层控制的拉分地堑,...     

The effect of naturally acidified irrigation water on agricultural volcanic soils. The case of Asembagus, Java, Indonesia

Acid water from the Banyuputih river (pH  3.5) is used for the irrigation of agricultural land in the Asembagus coastal area (East Java, Indonesia), with harmful consequences for rice yields. The river water has an unusual composition which is caused by seepage from the acidic Kawah Ijen crater lake into the river. This unique irrigation setting allows the study of soil acidification in situ. This paper assesses the effects of volcanogenically contaminated irrigation water on the chemical properties of the agricultural soils.The changes in soil properties were evaluated by comparing samples taken from the topsoil and sub-soil (1–3 m depth) from areas irrigated with acid water and areas irrigated with neutral water. The field survey thus resulted in four soil categories. Bulk soil composition, organic matter content, moisture content and particle size distribution were determined. Reactive phases were quantified with the selective extractions 1 M KCl, 0.1 M Na-pyrophosphate and 0.2 M acid ammonium oxalate (AAO).By comparing the four soil categories it is shown that the use of the naturally polluted irrigation water has had a large influence on the chemical composition of the topsoil. The composition of the soil solution has changed over the entire investigated soil profile. Furthermore the acid irrigation water has strongly modified the composition of the reactive phases, extracted as KCl, pyrophosphate, and AAO extractable elements, and also the bulk soil composition has been significantly modified. Overall this has resulted in the net dissolution of some elements and the net precipitation of others. The changes in the reactive phases and bulk soil composition are only apparent in the topsoil (0–20 cm) but not in the deeper soil.     

PM2.5 co-benefits of climate change legislation part 2: California governor’s executive order S-3-05 applied to the transportation sector

California Governor’s Executive Order (CGEO) S-3-05 requires that California greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions be reduced to 80 % below 1990 levels by the year 2050. Meeting this target will require drastic changes in transportation technology, fuel, and behavior which will reduce criteria pollutant emissions as well as GHG emissions. The improvement to local air quality caused by the reduced criteria pollutant emissions must be calculated to fully evaluate the overall benefits and costs of CGEO S-3-05. In the present study, seven different transportation scenarios that move towards the goals of CGEO S-3-05 in the transportation sector were examined to determine how they would affect future airborne particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations in California: (1) hydrogen fuel cells, (2) electric vehicles, (3) high efficiency vehicles, (4) public mass transit, (5) biofuels, (6) biofuels + hybrid electric vehicles, and (7) hydrogen fuel cells + electric vehicles. The air quality implications of each scenario were evaluated using a chemical transport model applied during a wintertime stagnation episode representing future climate in California. Scenarios (6) and (7) reduced population-weighted PM_2.5 mass concentrations by ~9 % and PM_2.5 elemental carbon (EC) concentrations by ~30 % relative to base-case predictions.     

Role of container vessels in the introduction of exotic species

Ballast water exchange practices were monitored on 28 incoming container vessels at the Port of Montreal. Measurements on 15 vessels indicated 13 of 32 tanks had salinities of <30 per thousand. The 16 transits with a North Atlantic route visited 31 of 37 ports located on freshwater or near freshwater outflows. Ballast carried by this vessel type represents an important means for the introduction of species on a global scale because of its transit routes, dockside discharge and moving ballast between tanks. Container vessels represent about 15% of the world fleet, but account for 32% of all visits to global ports, and 46% of visits to the 25 largest ports. The 10 ports that handled the largest volumes of international cargo also included 8 that handled the most cargo containers. Large ports can receive over 100,000 visits by all vessel types annually, and serve as hubs for over 500 ports in 100 countries. Secondary transport of exotic species is also a concern because of frequent visits by regional vessels.     

南方海相油气勘探为什么久攻不下？

中国南方从震旦纪到三叠纪８个地质时代海相地层厚度巨大，具有很大的生烃能力。然而除四川地区之外，至今油气勘探尚无重大突破。积十二年对南方５个地质时代海相地层基础地质研究及制图的经验，认为南方海相油气勘探久攻不下的原因是：（１）对整个南方还缺乏全面的、历史的，整体的和深刻的认识；（２）还不于用什么方法或顺序去认识它。建议重视基础地质研究，并以中国南方二叠纪及三叠纪的岩相古地理研究和制图为例，提出基础地     

小黄鱼(Pseudosciaena polyactis)形态性状与体质量的相关性及通径分析

为了研究野生小黄鱼(Pseudosciaena polyactis)繁殖后代的形态性状对体质量的影响作用,以随机采集的729尾4.5月龄小黄鱼为研究对象,对每尾个体的体质量(g)和8个形态性状(cm):全长(X1)、体长(X2)、头长(X3)、躯干长(X4)、尾部长(X5)、尾柄长(X6)、尾柄高(X7)和体高(X8)进行准确测定,运用相关分析、多元回归分析和通径分析方法,分别计算性状间的相关系数、构建形态性状与体质量的多元回归方程,获得了通径系数和决定系数,进行了养殖小黄鱼的形态性状对体质量的影响研究。结果显示,8个形态性状与体质量的相关系数均达到极显著水平(P0.01);通径分析中,4个形态性状对体质量的通径系数达到极显著水平(P0.01),它们是影响体质量的重要指标,其中体长(通径系数:0.589)对体质量的直接影响最大。应用逐步多元回归分析建立了以体质量为因变量(Y),体长(X2)、躯干长(X4)、尾柄高(X7)和体高(X8)为自变量的回归方程:Y=–32.377+3.064X2–1.511X4+14.285X7+4.438X8。模型等式中形态性状与体质量的相关指数R2=0.927,说明所选性状是影响体质量的主要形态性状。以上分析结果为小黄鱼的选育测量指标的确定提供了理论依据。     

Dust masses and abundances in planetary nebulae: likely strong elemental depletion in low-abundance sources

An analysis is undertaken of the relation between dust/gas mass ratios and elemental abundances within planetary nebulae (PNe). It is found that M _DUST/ M _GAS is broadly invariant with abundance, and similar to the values observed in asymptotic giant branch (AGB)-type stars. However, it is noted that the masses of dust observed in low-abundance PNe are similar to the masses of heavy elements observed in the gas phase. This is taken to imply that levels of elemental depletion must be particularly severe, and extend to many more species than have been identified so far. In particular, given that levels of C and O depletion are likely to be large, then this probably implies that species such as Fe, S, Si and Mg are depleted as well. There is already evidence for depletion of Fe, Si and Mg in individual PNe. It follows that whilst quoted abundances may accurately reflect gas-phase conditions, they are likely to be at variance with intrinsic abundances in low Z _N nebulae.
Finally, we note that there appears to be a variation in dust/gas mass ratios with galactocentric distance, with gradient similar to that observed for several elemental abundances. This may represent direct evidence for a correlation between dust/gas mass ratios and nebular abundances.     

Solar Microwave Bursts from Electron Populations with a 'Broken’ Energy Spectrum

Usually the gyrosynchrotron emission of microwave bursts from electron populations with a power-law (PL) energy distribution has been considered under the assumption that the spectral index of the distribution is constant over a wide range of energies. Meanwhile, there is strong evidence, in particular from hard X-ray and -ray, but also from cm/mm wavelength radio observations, that in many solar flare events the spectrum of the emitting electrons is characterized by a significant hardening at energies above 100–500 keV. We present some examples of calculated microwave burst spectra at cm/mm wavelengths taking into account the above evidence. It is shown that a break in the energy spectrum of the PL electrons can indeed result in a spectral hardening sometimes observed in microwave bursts at frequencies above 10–30 GHz.