马来半岛彭亨河和吉兰丹河沉积物稀土元素特征及其物源示踪

通过对马来半岛东部彭亨河28个站位和吉兰丹河22个站位表层沉积物进行稀土元素（REE）测试,对比分析了稀土元素的组成特征和分布规律,探讨了稀土元素组成的控制因素和物源示踪意义。结果表明,彭亨河沉积物稀土元素含量介于24.88～304.29 μg/g之间,平均含量为165.22 μg/g,吉兰丹河沉积物中稀土元素含量介于126.02～281.40 μg/g之间,平均值为181.15 μg/g。彭亨河大部分沉积物上陆壳(UCC)标准化模式为重稀土相对轻稀土富集,吉兰丹河沉积物轻重稀土无明显分异。沉积物源岩和矿物组成对两条河流的REE组成起到了重要的控制作用,化学风化对彭亨河REE组成的影响大于吉兰丹河,而彭亨河沉积物粒度组成显著差异也导致了其REE含量变化范围更大。δEu_UCC-(Gd/Yb)_UCC关系图中彭亨河和吉兰丹河沉积物分区明显,表明其可作为定性判别两条河流来源的有效指标,并可用于海区沉积物来源的示踪和定量识别。     

Effect on physico-chemical and structural properties of soil amended with distillery effluent and ameliorated by cropping two cereal plant spp.

Molasses-based distilleries are one of the most polluting industries generating large volume of wastewater. Distillery effluent (DE) on its discharge alters the physical and chemical properties of the soil. This study has been conducted to assess the distribution of heavy metals and its effect on physiochemical and structural changes of soil which has been treated with diluted and undiluted effluents. The soil has been assayed both before and after crop plantation. Out of the crop plants studied, Cicer arietinum was least effected and more effective than Pisum sativum in diminishing the heavy metals from soil. However, only at higher concentration DE has some adverse impact on the nutrient contents of the soil. Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) study of the soil indicated the presence of –OH, –NH, –COOH groups. It was also noted that the soil amended with different concentration of DE and on which Cicer and Pisum were grown has varied IR spectrum. These variations show the presence of different functional groups of soil before and after plants were grown. The presence of inorganic carbonate was found in soil planted with Cicer from 10 to 50% of DE, whereas aliphatic primary amides were observed up to 25 and 100% concentrations of DE in soil planted with Pisum. The appearance of inorganic nitrates, carbonates, aliphatic hydrocarbons and aliphatic primary amides at various concentrations of DE showed a change in functional groups probably because of the differential breakdown of parent component present in the effluent. Besides our main finding that Cicer is a very useful crop species in remediating the soil which has inflicted with even undiluted DE, it is also validated through FTIR spectra that IR technique is an efficient tool in studying the structural changes of soil and with some degree of caution may be summed up that FTIR may be used to correlate the relative efficacy of plants to transform organic contaminants.     

Characterization of rainfall generated by dripper‐type rainfall simulator using piezoelectric transducers and its impact on splash soil erosion

Rainfall erosivity represents the primary driver for particle detachment in splash soil erosion. Several raindrop erosivity indices have been developed in order to quantify the potential of rainfall to cause soil erosion. Different types of rainfall simulators have been used to relate rainfall characteristics to soil detachment. However, rainfall produced by different rainfall simulators has different characteristics, specifically different relationships between rainfall intensity and rainfall erosivity. For this reason, the effect of rainfall characteristics produced by a dripper‐type rainfall simulator on splash soil erosion (D_s) has been investigated. The simulated rainfall kinetic energy (KE) and drop size distribution (DSD) were measured using piezoelectric transducers, modified from the Vaisala RAINCAP^® rain sensor. The soil splash was evaluated under various simulated rainfall intensities ranging from 10 to 100 mm h^?1 using the splash‐cup method. The simulated rainfall intensity (I) and kinetic energy relationship (I–KE) was found to be different from natural rainfall. The simulated rainfall intensity and splash soil erosion relationship (I–D_s) also followed this same trend. The I–KE relationship was found to follow the natural rainfall trend until the rainfall intensity reached 30 mm h^?1 and above this limit the KE started to decrease. This emphasizes the importance of the I–KE relationship in determining the I‐D_s relationship, which can differ from one rainfall simulator to another. D_s was found to be highly correlated with KE (r = 0·85, P < 0·001), when data produced by the rainfall intensity ranged from 10 to 100 mm h^?1. However, when the threshold rainfall intensity (30 mm h^?1) was considered, the correlation coefficient further improved (r = 0·89, P = 0·001). Accordingly, to improve the soil splash estimation of simulated rainfall under various rainfall intensities the I–KE characterization relationship for rainfall simulators has to be taken into account. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Observation of temperature and velocity in the coastal water off Kuala Terengganu,Malaysia

Mooring observation of current and temperature was made at 17.8 m layer of 19 m depth about 8 km east to Kuala Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Harmonic analysis was applied to tidal currents for 30 days in September 1993, and to the tides observed at Chendering. The K1 tide was the largest both in tidal currents and the tides. Daily mean temperature, currents, sea level, and winds were analyzed from September 1993 to May 1994. Northeast Monsoon from December to February caused sea level rise of 50 cm and temperature lowering of 1°C.     

Optical and radar remote sensing data for forest cover mapping in Peninsular Malaysia

This study aims to map forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia using satellite images as deforestation is of concern in the recent decades, and is an important environmental issue for the future too. The Carnegie Landsat Analysis System‐Lite (CLASlite) program was used in this study to detect forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia using Landsat satellite data. The results of the study show that CLASlite algorithm misclassified some oil palm, rubber and urban areas as forest vegetation. A reliable forest cover map was produced by first combining Landsat and ALOS PALSAR images to identify oil palm, rubber and urban areas, and then subsequently removing them. The HH and HV polarization data of ALOS PALSAR (threshold method) could detect oil palm plantations with 85.26 per cent of overall accuracy. For urban area detection, Enhance Build up Index (EBBI) using spectral bands from Landsat provided higher overall accuracy of 94 per cent. These methods produced a forest cover reading of 5 914 421 ha with an overall classification accuracy of 94.5 per cent. The forest cover (including rubber areas) detected in this study is 0.38 per cent higher than the percentage of 2010 forest cover detected by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia. The technique described in this paper presents an alternative and viable approach for updating forest cover maps in Malaysia.     

Vertical distribution and source identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in anoxic sediment cores of Chini Lake, Malaysia: Perylene as indicator of land plant-derived hydrocarbons

Four anoxic sediment cores were collected from Chini Lake, Malaysia in order to investigate the variability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and perylene concentrations. The study also determined significant differences of perylene concentrations in different sediment layers. Total PAH concentrations ranged from 248 to 8098 ng g⁻¹ in the samples. Diagnostic PAH ratios such as methylphenanthrenes/phenanthrene (MP/P), phenanthrene/anthracene (P/A) and fluoranthene/(fluoranthene + pyrene) (Fl/(Fl + Py) revealed a dominance of pyrogenic influences and partial petrogenic inputs to the top sediment layers. Perylene concentrations were high in the top layers (<12 cm) and increased with increasing depth. There is a significant positive correlation (r = 0.705, p = 0.01) between perylene concentrations and TOC. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in TOC-normalized perylene concentrations between the upper (<12 cm) and bottom layers (>12 cm). The average perylene concentrations accounted for 26–50% (0–12 cm) and 50–77% (12–36 cm) of pentacyclic-aromatic hydrocarbon isomers (PAI) present whereas it made up 10–34% (0–12 cm) and 46–66% (12–36 cm) of the total PAH. The average pyrene concentrations decreased with increasing depth and accounted for 62% (0–3 cm), 20–23% (3–12 cm) and 3–1.4% (12–36 cm) of perylene present. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis based on these ratios suggested different input sources for the top and bottom layers. It is concluded that the activity of termites on woody plants produced perylene which is supplied to the lake by run-off from the heavy and frequent rains in this Asian tropical climate. In addition, there was also in situ formation of perylene in the bottom layers due to diagenetic processes.     

Holocene landscape reconstruction in the surroundings of the Temple of Pepi I at ancient Bubastis,southeastern Nile Delta (Egypt)

In ancient Egypt, lakes, canals, and other water bodies were an essential part of the sacred landscape in which temples were embedded. In recent years, geoarchaeological research at the site of the Temple of Bastet at Bubastis in the southeastern Nile Delta has proven the existence of two water canals surrounding the temple. It has now been investigated whether these canals were connected to the Temple of Pepi I (2300–2250 B.C.E.), located approximately 100 m to the west of the Temple of Bastet. To explore the Holocene landscape genesis of the Temple of Pepi I, 15 drillings and six geoelectrical profile lines were performed in the surroundings of the temple in spring 2022. The results show loamy to clayey sediments in deeper sections of all drillings with a maximum thickness of 1.70 m, indicating a marshy or swampy depositional environment. Based on the recovered sediment sequences and archaeological remains in the vicinity of the Temple of Pepi I, the marshy or swampy area existed before the Fourth Dynasty. During the Old Kingdom (ca. 2850–2180 B.C.E.), the former marshland either dried up through natural processes or was intentionally drained and filled with sediments for subsequent use for occupation. Regarding the original research question, there is as yet no evidence for a direct connection to the canals of the Temple of Bastet.