Integrated Data Assimilation and Distance-Based Model Selection with Ensemble Kalman Filter for Characterization of Uncertain Geological Scenarios

Natural Resources Research - This paper develops a reliable workflow for multi-objective history matching coupled with a distance-based model selection and ensemble-based data assimilation at a...     

Effects of humic acid on heavy metal uptake by herbaceous plants in soils simultaneously contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons

The effects of humic acid (HA) on heavy metal uptake by herbaceous plants in soil simultaneously contaminated with heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons were investigated. The results showed that HA reduced readily soluble and exchangeable forms of heavy metals in the contaminated soil but increased their plant-available forms. Potential bioavailability and leachability factors became larger than 1 after adding HA to the soil, except for those of Ni, suggesting that more heavy metals could be potentially phytoavailable for plant uptake. Furthermore, HA increased the accumulation of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Ni in the shoots and roots of selected plants. The greatest increase in the accumulation of heavy metals was 264.7 % in the shoot of Festuca arundinacea, with the bioconcentration factor (BCF) increasing from 0.30 to 1.10. Humic acid also increased the BCFs of the roots of Brassica campestris for Ni and Pb. These results suggest that HA amendment could enhance plant uptake of heavy metals, while concurrently reducing heavy metal leachability and preventing subsurface contamination, even in soils simultaneously contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.     

Sorptive removal of ibuprofen from water using selected soil minerals and activated carbon

Pharmaceuticals have gained significant attention in recent years due to the environmental risks posed by their versatile application and occurrence in the natural aquatic environment. The transportation and distribution of pharmaceuticals in the environmental media mainly depends on their sorption behavior in soils, sediment?Cwater systems and waste water treatment plants, which varies widely across pharmaceuticals. Sorption of ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, onto various soil minerals, viz., kaolinite, montmorillonite, goethite, and activated carbon, as a function of pH (3?C11), ionic strength (NaCl concentration: 0.001?C0.5?M), and the humic acid concentration (0?C1,000?mg/L) was investigated through batch experiments. Experimental results showed that the sorption of ibuprofen onto all sorbents was highest at pH 3, with highest sorption capacity for activated carbon (28.5?mg/g). Among the minerals, montmorillonite sorbed more ibuprofen than kaolinite and goethite, with sorption capacity increasing in the order goethite (2.2?mg/g)?<?kaolinite (3.1?mg/g)?<?montmorillonite (6.1?mg/g). The sorption capacity of the selected minerals increased with increase in ionic strength of the solution in acidic pH condition indicating that the effect of pH was predominant compared to that of ionic strength. An increase in humic acid concentration from low to high values made the sorption phenomena very complex in the soil minerals. Based on the experimental observations, montmorillonite, among the selected soil minerals, could serve as a good candidate to remove high concentrations of ibuprofen from aqueous solution.     

Twentieth century Walker Circulation change: data analysis and model experiments

Recent studies indicate a weakening of the Walker Circulation during the twentieth century. Here, we present evidence from an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) forced by the history of observed sea surface temperature (SST) that the Walker Circulation may have intensified rather than weakened. Observed Equatorial Indo-Pacific Sector SST since 1870 exhibited a zonally asymmetric evolution: While the eastern part of the Equatorial Pacific showed only a weak warming, or even cooling in one SST dataset, the western part and the Equatorial Indian Ocean exhibited a rather strong warming. This has resulted in an increase of the SST gradient between the Maritime Continent and the eastern part of the Equatorial Pacific, one driving force of the Walker Circulation. The ensemble experiments with the AGCM, with and without time-varying external forcing, suggest that the enhancement of the SST gradient drove an anomalous atmospheric circulation, with an enhancement of both Walker and Hadley Circulation. Anomalously strong precipitation is simulated over the Indian Ocean and anomalously weak precipitation over the western Pacific, with corresponding changes in the surface wind pattern. Some sensitivity to the forcing SST, however, is noticed. The analysis of twentieth century integrations with global climate models driven with observed radiative forcing obtained from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) database support the link between the SST gradient and Walker Circulation strength. Furthermore, control integrations with the CMIP models indicate the existence of strong internal variability on centennial timescales. The results suggest that a radiatively forced signal in the Walker Circulation during the twentieth century may have been too weak to be detectable.     

Estimation of anthropogenic heat emission in the Gyeong-In region of Korea

The anthropogenic heat emission in the Gyeong-In region of Korea in 2002 is estimated based on the energy consumption statistics data. The energy consumption over the region is categorized into four energy sectors: electricity use, transportation, point sources, and area sources. The estimated annual mean anthropogenic heat emissions in Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi are found to be 55, 53, and 28 W m^?2, respectively. A major contributing energy sector to anthropogenic heat emission in the Gyeong-In region is area sources including the residential, commercial, and small industrial sectors, which account for 40% of the total heat emission from the three administrative districts, and transportation and electricity use follow. The distributions of the annual, monthly, and hourly mean anthropogenic heat emission for all energy sectors are presented in the 0.01° longitude × 0.01° latitude grid domain. The presently estimated anthropogenic heat emission data can be used in mesoscale meteorological and environmental modeling in the Gyeong-In region.     

Favorable connections between seasonal footprinting mechanism and El Niño

Previous studies suggested that the wintertime SST in the North Pacific that are generated by the concurrent North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) are able to force El Niño during subsequent winter via the so-called ‘seasonal footprinting mechanism’ (SFM). We examine how the NPO effectively generates the El Niño via the SFM in the observations and models. The occurrence ratio for El Niño under conditions of NPO forcing during the previous winters is about 41 % for the period of 61 years (1949–2009), indicating that the atmospheric forcing from the mid-latitudes through the SFM does not always trigger an El Niño. We observed certain favorable conditions under which the SFM may effectively induce El Niño. We directly compared these observations with two cases: when the wintertime NPO leads to El Niño during the following winter through the SFM, and when the wintertime NPO is not followed by El Niño. Our analysis demonstrates that the spatial structures of the NPO, associated wind speed and net heat flux in the northeast Pacific, differ between the two cases. Such differences determine the existence of a footprint SST in the northeastern Pacific during the late spring and summer, which plays a key role in initiating the El Niño via the projection of westerly wind stress anomalies onto the equatorial Pacific during the same seasons. By conducting linear baroclinic model experiments, it is found that the positions of La Niña SST forcing during the previous winter are able to modify the spatial structures of the NPO, which produces favorable conditions for the El Niño during subsequent winter via the SFM.     

Perfluorinated compounds in estuarine and coastal areas of north Bohai Sea, China

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in water, sediment, soil, and biota collected from estuarine and coastal areas of the north Bohai Sea, China, were determined by use of HPLC-MS/MS. Significant concentrations of PFCs were found in water (mean: 18.4 ng/l) and biologic samples (fish: 265 ng/g dw), while concentrations of PFCs in soils and sediments were less. The predominately detected compound was perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), with a maximum concentration of 30.9 ng/l in water and 791 ng/g dw in fish. Concentrations of PFCs were significantly greater in the Liaohe River system than other locations, which suggests point sources in this urbanized and industrialized region. PFOS concentrations in water and biota were both less than the reported threshold concentrations. Detection of PFCs at relatively great concentrations in various environmental matrices from this region suggested that further studies characterizing concentrations of PFCs, their sources and potential risk to both humans and wildlife are needed.     

沙尘天气过程沙地下垫面沙尘通量的获取与分析研究

利用浑善达克沙地地区2004年春季沙尘暴和微气象学加强观测实验资料,计算了浑善达克沙地地区不同沙尘天气条件下湍流交换系数、湍流动量通量和感热通量、沙尘浓度通量;研究了沙尘暴过程中湍流作用、沙尘输送特征及起沙条件。结果显示:浑善达克沙地地区非沙尘天气白天近地层热力湍流作用强于动力湍流,湍流交换以感热交换为主;沙尘天气过程中,近地面层湍流动力作用明显增加,湍流动量和感热交换都对湍流输送有主要贡献,感热通量数值有不同程度的降低。较强沙尘暴天气过程中动力湍流强于热力湍流。随着沙尘天气经历起沙、平衡、沉降的演变过程,沙尘通量数值呈现由正值为主,过渡到向上和向下数值相当、向下数值比例增加。非沙尘天气、扬沙天气和沙尘暴天气过程的沙尘通量值范围分别是±5μg/(m2.s)、±30μg/(m2.s)和-200—300μg/(m2.s)之间。浑善达克沙地地区,非沙尘天气也存在一定量的沙尘输送,但数值较小。浑善达克沙地地区沙尘通量与摩擦速度的三次方成正比,为F=Cu3*。临界起沙风速和临界摩擦速度分别约为6m/s和0.4m/s。     

韩国天然气水合物勘探行动

韩国的天然气水合物研究始于1996年。最初的研究工作只是集中在实验分析和基本信息收集。初期的近海地震勘测之后,在2000—2004年间,韩国地球科学和矿产资源研究院（KIGAM）使用大河2号考察船在日本海的郁龙（Ulleung）盆地进行了区域性地球物理和海洋地质调查,为确定日本海的天然气水合物储量提供了地质和地球化学的信息。