鄂尔多斯高原西南部清代霜雪灾害研究

通过对鄂尔多斯高原西南部清代文献资料的搜集、整理和定量分析,研究了该区霜雪灾害等级、阶段、时空变化、周期及其成因。结果表明,鄂尔多斯高原西南部共发生霜雪灾害57次,其中轻度10次,中度43次,重度4次。灾害变化可分为1644-1733年、1734-1783年、1784-1833年、1834-1863年及1864-1912年等5个阶段。时间上,灾害主要发生在秋末冬初和初春;空间上,灾害主要分布在银川、中卫、平罗、永宁、盐池和定边,共6个地区。同时,小波分析结果表明,灾害存在着4个明显的发生周期,即3 a、6 a、27 a和58 a的周期。降雪或寒流引起的气温骤降至0℃以下是造成鄂尔多斯高原西南部霜雪灾害发生的主要原因。     

西安地区不同厚度土层土壤CO2释放量的差异研究

根据NaO H溶液吸收CO2 的原理,对西安地区夏季不同植被下不同厚度土层土壤CO2释放量进行了观测,并对不同厚度土壤CO2释放规律及其影响因素进行了探讨。资料表明,从当日早晨到次日早晨,夏季不同植被下不同厚度土层土壤CO2释放量均呈现由低到高再到低的变化规律;植被对厚土层土壤CO2释放量有一定影响,植被发育好,土壤CO2释放量大,但是对薄土层影响较小;薄土层土壤CO2释放量变化相对于气温的变化几乎是同步的,而厚土层土壤CO2释放量变化相对于气温的变化具有明显的滞后性,表明土壤CO2释放量变化受土壤温度制约。厚土层CO2释放量均大于薄土层释放量。      

Analytical model for computing residence times near a pumping well

An analytical solution for calculating the residence time of fluid flowing toward a pumping well in an unconfined aquifer has been developed. The analytical solution was derived based on a radial, steady-state, Dupuit-Forchheimer flow model. The resulting integral expression involved computing the imaginary error function, for which a simple series expansion is proposed. The validity of the analytical expression is demonstrated by testing its results against numerical results for an example problem. The analytical solution compared favorably with the numerical approximation.     

Effects of land use on ground water quality in the Anoka Sand Plain Aquifer of Minnesota

We began a study, in 1996, to compare ground water quality under irrigated and nonirrigated agriculture, sewered and nonsewered residential developments, industrial, and nondeveloped land uses. Twenty-three monitoring wells were completed in the upper meter of an unconfined sand aquifer. Between 1997 and 2000, sampling occurred quarterly for major ions, trace inorganic chemicals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), herbicides, and herbicide degradates. On single occasions, we collected samples for polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perchlorate, and coliform bacteria. We observed significant differences in water chemistry beneath different land uses. Concentrations of several trace inorganic chemicals were greatest under sewered urban areas. VOC detection frequencies were 100% in commercial areas, 52% in sewered residential areas, and <10% for other land uses. Median nitrate concentrations were greatest under irrigated agriculture (15,350 microg/L) and nonsewered residential areas (6080 microg/L). Herbicides and degradates of acetanilide and triazine herbicides were detected in 86% of samples from irrigated agricultural areas, 68% of samples from nonirrigated areas, and <10% of samples from other land uses. Degradates accounted for 96% of the reported herbicide mass. We did not observe seasonal differences in water chemistry, but observed trends in water chemistry when land use changes occurred. Our results show land use is the dominant factor affecting shallow ground water quality. Trend monitoring programs should focus on areas where land use is changing, while resource managers and planners must consider potential impacts of land use changes on ground water quality.     

Kriging water levels with a regional-linear and point-logarithmic drift

Ground water levels measured in the vicinity of pumping wells are kriged using a regional-linear and point-logarithmic drift, the latter derived from the approximation to the Theis equation for drawdown in response to a pumping well. Kriging is widely used throughout the hydrogeologic discipline, most commonly as the preferred method for constructing gridded hydrogeologic datasets suitable for contouring. Residuals arising from using the most common (linear) drift to krige water levels in the vicinity of extraction wells often indicate large local departures from the linear drift, which correlate with areas of drawdown. The combined regional-linear and point-logarithmic drift accounts for these drawdowns using a logarithmic approximation for the curvature of the potentiometric surface. The drift model approximates the principal physical processes that govern ground water flow and ultimately govern the autocorrelation of ground water elevation data. This approach produces maps of contoured water levels that more realistically represent physical conditions and allow for improved interpretation of measured water-level data by including features and information known to be present. Additional benefits include an improved estimate of the regional (background) hydraulic gradient and generation of an approximately flow-conserved grid suitable for two-dimensional particle tracking.     

Terrestrial discharge into the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon: nutrient behavior in coastal waters

Pollution of coastal regions of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) is dominated by river discharge associated with agricultural development of the adjacent catchments. Runoff of sediment, nutrients and pesticides has sharply increased since European settlement. Since 1991 plumes from river discharge entering the GBRWHA have been mapped by aerial mapping of plume edges and concentrations of contaminants in plumes measured. Plume dispersion is governed primarily by wind speed and direction. Most plumes spread in a band up to 50 km from the coast. Particulate material discharged in the plumes is trapped within 10 km of the coast. Dissolved nutrients disperse much further and elevated nutrient concentrations are measurable at distances of hundreds of kilometres from river mouths. This differential transport of particulate versus dissolved nutrients is important for the potential effects of these materials and management of their generation on the Great Barrier Reef catchment.     

Benthic diatom community response to environmental variables and metal concentrations in a contaminated bay adjacent to Casey Station, Antarctica

This study examined the effects of anthropogenic contaminants and environmental variables on the composition of benthic diatom communities within a contaminated bay adjacent to an abandoned waste disposal site in Antarctica. The combination of geographical, environmental and chemical data included in the study explained all of the variation observed within the diatom communities. The chemical data, particularly metal concentrations, explained 45.9% of variation in the diatom communities, once the effects of grain-size and spatial structure had been excluded. Of the metals, tin explained the greatest proportion of variation in the diatom communities (28%). Tin was very highly correlated (R2>0.95) with several other variables (copper, iron, lead, and sum of metals), all of which explained similarly high proportions of total variation. Grain-size data explained 23% of variation once the effects of spatial structure and the chemical data had been excluded. The pure spatial component explained only 1.8% of the total variance. The study demonstrates that much of the compositional variability observed in the bay can be explained by concentrations of metal contaminants.     

An electrochemical RNA hybridization assay for detection of the fecal indicator bacterium Escherichia coli

Monitoring waters for indicator bacteria is required to protect the public from exposure to fecal pollution. Our proof-of-concept study describes a method for detecting fecal coliforms. The coliform Escherichia coli was used as a model fecal indicator. DNA probe-coated magnetic beads in combination with the electrochemical monitoring of the oxidation state of guanine nucleotides should allow for direct detection of bacterial RNA. To demonstrate this concept, we used voltammetry in connection with pencil electrodes to detect isolated E. coli 16S rRNA. Using this approach, 10(7) cells of E. coli were detected in a quantitative, reproducible fashion in 4h. Detection was achieved without a nucleic acid amplification step. The specificity of the assay for coliforms was demonstrated by testing against a panel of bacterial RNA. We also show that E. coli RNA can be detected directly from cell extracts. The method could be used for on-site detection and shows promise for adaptation into automated biosensors for water-quality monitoring.     

Inhomogeneous distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in different size and density fractions of contaminated sediment from Auckland Harbour, New Zealand: an opportunity for mitigation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediment from Auckland Harbour (New Zealand) are not distributed evenly throughout bulk sediment, but highly concentrated in coarser, low-density fractions. Concentrations of 24 PAHs, measured in sediment that was separated into six size fractions that were furthermore separated into two density sub-fractions by flotation in sodium-polytungstate solution (rho = 2.15 g cm(-3)), varied between 4-103 microg g(-1)dw among grain size fractions and 2-998 microg g(-1)dw for density sub-fractions. Highest PAH concentrations were measured in the low density, 125-250 microm fraction. All sediment fractions had a similar relative PAH composition, dominated by >3-ring PAHs, suggesting a common pyrogenic origin. Low density material had 10-200 times higher PAH concentrations and 10-100 times higher organic carbon (OC) content, yet differences in OC content only partially accounted for variations in PAH concentration. Low density particles contributed more than 75% of the Sigma PAH, while comprising only 3% of bulk sediment dry weight. This may have significant utility for contaminant mitigation efforts in Auckland Harbour.