VLF goniometer observations at halley bay,Antarctica—II. Magnetospheric structure deduced from whistler observations

On 26 July 1967, a magnetically quiet day (ΣK_p = 12?) with high whistler activity at Halley Bay, it was found possible, by measurement of whistler nose-frequency and dispersion and the bearings of the whistler exit points, to make a detailed study of the magnetospheric structure associated with the whistler ducts.During the period 0509–2305 UT most of the exit points of whistlers inside the plasmasphere were situated along a strip about 100km wide passing through Halley Bay in an azimuthal direction 30°E of N between 57° and 62° invariant latitude. A mechanism which can give rise to such a well-defined locus which co-rotates with the Earth is not clear. Nevertheless, it does appear that the locus coincides with the contour of solar zenith angle 102° at 1800 UT 25 July. This was also the time of occurrence of a sub-storm and it is suggested that the magnetospheric structure was initiated by proton precipitation along the solar zenith angle 102° contour.At mid-day knee-whistlers observed outside the plasmapause had exit points which were closely aligned along an L-shell at an invariant latitude of 62.5°. They exhibited a marked variation (~ 3:1) in electron tube content over about 12° of invariant longitude and a drift of about 8 msec^?1 to lower L-shells.Throughout the period of observation the plasmapause lay about 2° polewards of the mean position found by Carpenter (1968) for moderately disturbed days.     

VLF goniometer observations at Halley Bay,Antarctica—I. The equipment and the measurement of signal bearing

A transistorized wide-band (0.5–11 kHz) VLF goniometer has been developed for the study of whistlers and ELF/VLF emissions. It consists of two crossed vertical loops from which a single loop aerial, rotating about a vertical axis at a frequency of 25 sec^?1, is synthesized electronically. During periods of high whistler activity, when the same propagation paths may be identified in successive whistler groups, it is possible to determine the bearing of the exit point of such a magnetospheric path with an error, typically, of ± 10–20°.     

Spatial analysis of the impact of land-use on surface runoff and soil erosion-a case study of western Jilin

The impact of land-use on surface runoff and soil erosion is still poorly understood at basin scale. Thus in the Western Jilin Ecosystem (WJE), surface runoff and soil erosion were measured against identified land-use types in the basin. Due to the spatial nature of the analysis, GIS ArcMap version 9.1 and the WetSpass model were used in the simulation process. In the study, the WetSpass model was extended with the Dynamic Sediment Balance Equation (Ziegler et al., 1997), to simulate and quantify soil erosion. A hypothetical natural grassland scenario was developed for the study area and compared with the present land-use management conditions. The results indicate significant differences in runoff and soil erosion across the different land-use types both within and between the two scenarios. Calculated averages of surface runoff and soil erosion for the present land-use management were 48.03 mm/a and 83.43 kg/(m2·a) respectively. Those for the hypothetical natural grassland scenario were 24.70 mm/a and 78.36 kg/m2·a) . Thus an overall decrease in runoff and soil erosion was observed as the conditions changed from the present land-use management to the hypothetical natural grassland state. Under the present land-use management, urban settlements exhibited the highest surface runoff but one of the least soil erosions, while bare-lands showed the highest soil erosion. It was more generally observed that runoff and erosion varies with vegetation type/density. It was concluded based on the research findings that the present land-use management might not be the best scenario for the ecosystem as it showed increased basin runoff and soil erosion in comparison with the natural grassland vegetation. Since no best scenario was simulated for or advanced in the study, further research to develop a more balanced land management system is thus required. The findings of the study can assist in the identification of vulnerable/fragile ecosystems in the basin and to guide sustainable future planning and development of the basin.     

Non-stationary frequency response function

Using the Duhamel’s integral concept, a non-stationary frequency response function (complete-FRF) for the dynamic response of a single degree of freedom system initially at rest has been developed. Although the procedure is devised to be applied in the frequency domain, this new function is time dependent and can be employed to calculate the transient response of a system in a forced vibration case. The method has been successfully checked with two different cases of loading in the time domain which have either analytical solution or accurate numerical solution using Newmark’s algorithm. The method has been compared with the solution obtained from the commonly used steady frequency response function, and a detailed analysis of the four parameters that appear in the complete-FRF function: time, damping ratio, natural period and input frequency is presented. Finally, the proposed non-steady FRF has been applied to the calculation of an elastic displacement response spectrum to confirm the great influence of the natural period of the system and the frequency content of the solicitation in frequency-domain spectral analysis.     

Impact of Land-use Patterns on Distributed Groundwater Recharge and Discharge——A Case Study of Western Jilin,China

1 Introduction Studying the impact of land-use on groundwater is a key issue in setting up a sound land-use planning project. Many studies have shown that land-use planning is fun- damental for the reliable protection of ecologically valuable wetlands. Thus special attention should be given to the effect of land-use on the hydrologic cycle and the protection of groundwater systems, especially recharge and discharge (Boeye and Verheyen, 1992; Bernàldez et al., 1993; Pucci and Pope, 1995; Bat…     

Porosity, Dispersivity, and Contaminant Transport in Groundwater

Porosity (n) and Dispersivity (D) were modeled in relation to Solute Transport Time (t) in a saturated, homogeneous, isotropic, unconfined aquifer using the MOC model. It was noted that n and D have an important influence on solute transport time t in groundwater, with a consistently strong and direct relationship between n, D, and t. In the case of porosity, the relationship was found to be directly related to t when other aquifer properties remained unchanged. This was also mathematically argued using a form of the flow equation put forward by Henry Darcy (1856). Dispersivity on the other hand had somehow the same relationship with solute transport time t as porosity, but with much less effect. That is, higher dispersions lead to longer solute transport time within the aquifer system. This was because as the individual solute particles set off from the average seepage velocity, they traversed through longer distances due to tortuosity, mechanical mixing, diffusion, and microscopic heterogeneity latent in the porous media. Also when n and D were co- treated over t, n was noted to be dominant over D with regard t. This follows that the effect of porosity on solute transport time far out shadowed that of dispersivity. Stated in other words, the dispersivity of a substance in any porous medium is to a large extent a function of the porosity of that medium.     

Impact of water resource exploitation on the hydrology and water storage in Baiyangdian Lake

Water resources development and exploitation are critical for a viable and sustainable modern human society. Unfortunately, however, there is a considerable water storage depletion and environmental degradation in especially (semi)‐arid river basins due to the forces of population growth, urbanization, industrialization and intensive agricultural irrigation. Addressing water storage depletion is not only a question of research, but is very much a question of developing appropriate countermeasures to preserve valuable/fragile ecological systems. As one such effort, this study analyzes the hydrology and storage in Baiyangdian Lake as affected by water resources development and exploitation in the Baiyangdian Lake Catchment of Northern China. Three models, WetSpass (Water and Energy Transfer between Soil, Plants and the Atmosphere under quasi‐Steady State), WATBUD (Water Budget) and MODFLOW (USGS three‐dimensional finite‐difference groundwater flow model) were used in combination to simulate the hydrogeologic conditions in the lake catchment for 1956–2008. The model‐calibrated values are in good agreement with the measured values, with R² > 0·8 and RMSE < 10% of measured values. Runoff, the primary source of water for the lake storage, has steadily declined due mainly to multiple dam construction and reservoir impoundments in the headwater valleys and rivers in the catchment. In addition to dwindling runoff, groundwater levels have declined considerably due to over‐abstraction, mainly for agricultural irrigation. Additionally, evaporation or evapotranspiration is increasing in the lake catchment due to rising temperatures. The worsening hydrological conditions, amid the harsh semi‐arid climate, have resulted in considerable depletion of the storage and hydrology of Baiyangdian Lake. Sustainable countermeasures like agricultural water‐saving and infusion of external water (e.g., via by the South–North Water Transfer Project) could be a viable option for preserving not only the hydrology of the lake catchment, but also storage in Baiyangdian Lake. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitivities of the equilibrium line altitude to temperature and precipitation changes along the Andes

Equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) of alpine glaciers are sensitive indicators of climate change and have been commonly used to reconstruct paleoclimates at different temporal and spatial scales. However, accurate interpretations of ELA fluctuations rely on a quantitative understanding of the sensitivity of ELAs to changes in climate. We applied a full surface energy- and mass-balance model to quantify ELA sensitivity to temperature and precipitation changes across the range of climate conditions found in the Andes. Model results show that ELA response has a strong spatial variability across the glaciated regions of South America. This spatial variability correlates with the distribution of the present-day mean climate conditions observed along the Andes. We find that ELAs respond linearly to changes in temperature, with the magnitude of the response being prescribed by the local lapse rates. ELA sensitivities to precipitation changes are nearly linear and are inversely correlated with the emissivity of the atmosphere. Temperature sensitivities are greatest in the inner tropics; precipitation becomes more important in the subtropics and northernmost mid-latitudes. These results can be considered an important step towards developing a framework for understanding past episodes of glacial fluctuations and ultimately for predicting glacier response to future climate changes.