Assessment of Red Bed Groundwater in the Jinqu Basin,Southeastern China: Its Enrichment Regularity and Emergency Exploitation Potential

Natural Resources Research - Due to unbalanced spatial distribution and insufficient capacity allocation of water resources in the Jinqu Basin, developing and utilizing the red bed groundwater...     

Origin of the regional stress field along the Liquine-Ofqui Fault Zone （LOFZ）, Southern Chilean Andes by means of FE Simulation

The Liquine-Ofqui Fault Zone （LOFZ） of southern Chilean Andes is one of the largest active strike-slip fault zones. There is an ongoing debate regarding the origin of the stress field along the LOFZ due to its complex geometry. This paper represents a study of the origins of the LOFZ regional stress field. Stress fields are calculated by finite element （FE） analysis. The two possible stress origins, i.e., oblique plate convergence and ridge collision/indenter tectonics of Chile ridge against Peru-Chile trench, have been emphasized in the present study. Three types of boundary conditions for the three particular models have been applied to calculate stress fields. Models are assumed to be elastic and plane stress condition. Modeling results are presented in terms of four parameters, i. e., orientation of maximum horizontal stress （σHmax）, displacement vector, strain distribution, and maximum shear stress （ τmax ） contour line within the model. The results of the first model with oblique plate convergence show inconsistency between the geometric shape of the LOFZ and the distribution of the four parameters. Although more realistic results are obtained from the second model with normal ridge collision, there are few coincident in the LOFZ geometry and regional stress field. The third model with normal and oblique ridge collision is reasonable in understanding the origin of stress field and geometrical condition in the lithosphere of the LOFZ.     

Co-metabolic decolorization of a textile reactive dye by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aspergillus fumigatus</Emphasis>

In the present study, a widely used reactive dye, Color Index (C.I.) Reactive Blue 268 was utilized for mycoremediation by Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from textile effluent. Complete decolorization of the test dye (0.1 g L^?1) was recorded within 6 days of static incubation at 27 °C in Czapek Dox broth (CDB). However, the isolate was unable to utilize the dye as a sole source of energy in Czapek Dox agar and CDB in absence of sucrose and obligate requirement of a labile carbon source, i.e., sucrose needed for induction of decolorization. Biosorption seems to play the pivotal role in decolorization as evident by coloring of the fungal biomass as that of dye color. The optimal conditions for the highest decolorization were found at 30 °C and pH 6.0 with 6-day-old inoculums supplemented with sucrose (10 g L^?1) and ammonium chloride (2 g L^?1) as a carbon and nitrogen source, respectively. The response of the isolate to increasing dye concentrations was found to be growth inhibitory. Surprisingly, about 65 % of dye decolorization was recorded with heat-inactivated biomass powder within 6 days of static incubation supporting the fact of fungal biosorption. Results of this study have established the candidature of the isolate for biotechnological removal of dyes from disreputable dying effluents.     

Paleoproterozoic granitoids in the basement of Bangladesh: A piece of the Indian shield or an exotic fragment of the Gondwana jigsaw?

We present the first precise age for Precambrian basement rocks in Bangladesh. These lie within the Dinajpur block, located between the Indian Craton to the southwest and the Shillong Massif to the east. There are no surface outcrops and the rocks were intersected by drill holes. They consist of a suite of tonalitic and granodioritic rocks, variously deformed to granitic gneiss and intruded by younger monzogranite. A tonalite obtained at a depth of 227.48 m in drill hole BH-2 at Maddhapara, in northwestern Bangladesh, records a SHRIMP zircon ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb magmatic age of 1722 ± 6 Ma. Paleoproterozoic rocks with similar magmatic ages are unknown in the adjacent Indian blocks of the Chotanagpur Plateau (Indian Craton) or Shillong Massif. This lack of comparable ages may be due to the paucity of precise radiometric ages from the Indian terrains or, more likely, because there are real age differences, with the buried rocks at Maddhapara representing a separate and discrete microcontinental fragment (the Dinajpur block) that was trapped by the northward migration of India during Gondwana dispersal.     

重庆老龙洞地下河流域水体有机氯农药污染及来源初步研究

为查明重庆老龙洞地下河流域有机氯农药的污染情况及其特征和来源,通过气相色谱-微池电子捕获检测器(GC-μECD)检测水体OCPs含量。结果表明研究区水样中受到了有机氯农药不同程度的污染。α-HCH是研究区水体HCHs主要成分,HCHs的残留主要来自于大气长距离传输。DDTs的主要成分各采样点不尽相同。DDTs的输入为历史上工业DDTs的使用且在水体中其主要以好氧转化为主。与国内外河流相比较,老龙洞地下河流域水体有机氯农药含量处于较高水平。     

Trend analysis of maximum,minimum, and average temperatures in Bangladesh: 1961–2008

The present study is about the analysis of mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures carried out on annual, seasonal, and monthly timescales examining the data from 15 meteorological stations in Bangladesh for the period 1961–2008. Various spatial and statistical tools were used to display and analyze trends in temperature data. ArcGIS was used to produce the spatially distributed temperature data by using Thiessen polygon method. The nonparametric Mann–Kendall test was used to determine whether there is a positive or negative trend in data with their statistical significance. Sen’s method was also used to determine the magnitude of the trends. The results reveal positive trends in annual mean and mean maximum temperatures with 95 % significance. Trend test reveals that the significant positive trend is found in June to November in case of mean maximum temperature, but according to the mean minimum temperature, the situation is different and a significant positive trend was found from November to February. The analysis of the whole record reveals a tendency toward warmer years, with significantly warmer summer periods and slightly colder winters. These warming patterns may have important impacts on energy consumption, water supply, human health, and natural environment in Bangladesh.     

ENSO and seasonal sea-level variability – A diagnostic discussion for the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands

Summary The El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate cycle is the basis for this paper, aimed at providing a diagnostic outlook on seasonal sea-level variability (i.e. anomalies with respect to the Climatology) for the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). Results revealed that the sea-level variations in the northwestern tropical Pacific islands (e.g. Guam and Marshall Islands) have been found to be sensitive to ENSO-cycle, with low sea-level during El Ni?o and high sea-level during La Ni?a events. The annual cycle (first harmonic) of sea-level variability in these north Pacific islands has also been found to be very strong. The composites of SST and circulation diagnostic show that strong El Ni?o years feature stronger surface westerly winds in the equatorial western/central Pacific, which causes north Pacific islands to experience lower sea-level from July to December, while the sea-level in south Pacific islands (e.g. American Samoa) remains unchanged. As the season advances, the band of westerly winds propagates towards the south central tropical Pacific and moves eastward, which causes American Samoa to experience a lower sea-level from January to June, but with six months time lag as compared to Guam and the Marshalls. U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands are among the most vulnerable communities to climate variability and change. This study has identified the year-to-year ENSO climate cycle to have significant impact on the sea-level variability of these islands. Therefore, regular monitoring of the ENSO climate cycle features that affect seasonal sea-level variability would provide substantial opportunities to develop advance planning and decision options regarding hazard management in these islands.     

Contributions of shortwave radiation to the formation of temperature inversions in the Bay of Bengal and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean: A modeling approach

Variations in incoming shortwave radiation influence the net surface heat flux, contributing to the formation of a temperature inversion. The effects of shortwave radiation on the temperature inversions in the Bay of Bengal and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean have never been investigated. Thus, a high-resolution (horizontal resolution of 0.07°×0.07° with 50 vertical layers) Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) model is utilized to quantify the contributions of shortwave radiation to the temperature inversions in the study domain. Analyses of the mixed layer heat and salt budgets are performed, and different model simulations are compared. The model results suggest that a 30% change in shortwave radiation can change approximately 3% of the temperature inversion area in the Bay of Bengal. Low shortwave radiation reduces the net surface heat flux and cools the mixed layer substantially; it also reduces the evaporation rate, causing less evaporative water vapor losses from the ocean than the typical situation, and ultimately enhances haline stratification. Thus, the rudimentary outcome of this research is that a decrease in shortwave radiation produces more temperature inversion in the study region, which is primarily driven by the net surface cooling and supported by the intensive haline stratification. Moreover, low shortwave radiation eventually intensifies the temperature inversion layer by thickening the barrier layer. This study could be an important reference for predicting how the Indian Ocean climate will respond to future changes in shortwave radiation.     

Correction to: Nexus between vulnerability and adaptive capacity of drought-prone rural households in northern Bangladesh

Natural Hazards - The article was published with a spelling error in one of the co-author names. The correct spelling is reflected in this correction, and the original work has been updated to...     

Assessment of heavy metal contamination in the surficial sediments from the lower Meghna River estuary,Noakhali coast,Bangladesh

Sediment samples were collected from ten selected sites of the lower Meghna River estuary,and six heavy metals were analyzed with Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry(AAS)to assess the contamination level and the metals’association with sediment grain size.The current results revealed that the mean concentrations of the studied metals were ranked in descending order of iron(Fe)(1.29×103 mg/kg)>zinc(Zn)(42.41 mg/kg)>lead(Pb)(12.48 mg/kg)>chromium(Cr)(10.59 mg/kg)>copper(Cu)(6.22 mg/kg)>cadmium(Cd)(0.28 mg/kg).The geo-accumulation,contamination,and pollution load indexes suggested that the lower Meghna river estuary was not contaminated by Fe,Zn,Pb,Cr,and Cu.The mean size of the sediment ranged from 28.92 to 126.2 mm,and the Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant association between Fe and Pb(coefficient of determination,r2=0.836;p<0.05),and no significant correlation was found between individual metals and grain size,indicating no or low influence on the metals distribution.