Chemical composition of dew in Amman, Jordan

Twenty-six dew samples were collected on a glass surface from an urbanized area in Amman city during the period October 1999 to June 2000. They were analyzed for the major ions (Cl, SO₄, NO₃, Ca, Mg, Na, K and NH₄) in addition to three heavy metals (Pb, Cd and Co). Rain samples were collected for the same period and compared to the chemical constituents of dew.It was found that both rain and dew samples were of almost neutral acidity due to the buffering effect of CaCO₃. Dew composition was mainly from CaSO₄ solution due to conversion of CaCO₃ to CaSO₄ when left exposed to a sulfate-rich atmosphere. The total dissolved solids were higher in dew than rain samples of the same period. This was attributed to higher evaporation effect on dew than rain.The heavy metal content in dew is highest during the cold winter season (December–March) due to excess fossil fuel combustion for heating purposes in this period. The heavy metal content in dew was lower than that for rain during the same period because of the shorter period of dew formation than rainwater.     

NDVI-based increase in growth of temperate grasslands and its responses to climate changes in China

This study analyzes the temporal change of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for temperate grasslands in China and its correlation with climatic variables over the period of 1982–1999. Average NDVI of the study area increased at rates of 0.5% yr⁻¹ for the growing season (April–October), 0.61% yr⁻¹ for spring (April and May), 0.49% yr⁻¹ for summer (June–August), and 0.6% yr⁻¹ for autumn (September and October) over the study period. The humped-shape pattern between coefficient of correlation (R) of the growing season NDVI to precipitation and growing season precipitation documents various responses of grassland growth to changing precipitation, while the decreased R values of NDVI to temperature with increase of temperature implies that increased temperature declines sensitivity of plant growth to changing temperature. The results also suggest that the NDVI trends induced by climate changes varied between different vegetation types and seasons.     

Effects of mercury on the feeding behavior of the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus from a polluted habitat

Fish living in contaminated environments may exhibit reduced growth which may be due, in part, to the impact of toxicants on prey capture ability. We studied the effects of methylmercury (meHg) and mercuric chloride (Hg) on feeding of Fundulus heteroclitus from Piles Creek, a polluted habitat in Linden, New Jersey. We found that exposure to 0·01 mg/liter of meHg for one week had less impact on the prey capture rate than exposure to a similar concentration of Hg. Exposure to 0·01 mg/liter for two weeks or to 0·02 mg/liter for one week, of either meHg or Hg, produced significant reductions in feeding rate, compared to controls. In general, the fish were affected to a greater degree by exposure to Hg than to meHg. This is the reverse of the usual order of toxicity, but is in keeping with previous observations on this population, in which we have noted that gametes and embryos had developed tolerance to meHg, but were more susceptible to Hg.     

Hydrogeochemical evaluation and statistical analysis of groundwater of Sylhet,north-eastern Bangladesh

To investigate the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater 23 shallow, 30 intermediate and 38 deep wells samples were collected from Sylhet district of Bangladesh, and analyzed for temperature, pH, Eh, EC,DO, DOC, Na^+, K^+, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, SO_4^2-, NO_3^-,HCO_3^-, SiO_2^-, Fe, Mn and As. Besides, 12 surface water samples from Surma and Kushiyara Rivers were also collected and analyzed to understand the influence into aquifers. Results revealed that, most of the groundwater samples are acidic in nature, and Na–HCO_3 is the dominant groundwater type. The mean value of temperature, EC,Na^+, K^+, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, NO_3^- and SO_4^2- were found within the range of permissible limits, while most of the samples exceeds the allowable limits of Fe, Mn and As concentrations. However, relatively higher concentration of Fe and Mn were found in deep water samples and reverse trend was found in case of As. The mean concentrations of As in shallow, intermediate and deep wells were 39.3, 25.3and 21.4 lg/L respectively, which varied from 0.03 to148 lg/L. From spatial distribution, it was found that Fe,Mn and As concentrations are high but patchy in northern,north-western, and south-western part of Sylhet region. The most influential geochemical process in study area were identified as silicate weathering, characterized by active cation exchange process and carbonate weathering, which thereby can enhance the elemental concentrations in groundwater. Pearson's correlation matrix, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were also employed to evaluate the controlling factors, and it was found that, both natural and anthropogenic sources were influencing the groundwater chemistry of the aquifers. However, surface water has no significant role to contaminate the aquifers,rather geogenic factors affecting the trace elemental contamination. Thus it is expected that, outcomes of this study will provide useful insights for future groundwater monitoring and management of the study area.     

Organic carbon mobilization in a Bangladesh aquifer explained by seasonal monsoon-driven storativity changes

Currently, the most widely accepted hypothesis to explain high As concentrations in Bangladesh groundwaters is that dissolved organic C (DOC) reduces solid Fe (hydr)oxides and mobilizes sorbed arsenate. The nature of the DOC and its release mechanism are still controversial. Based on weekly to biweekly sampling over the course of one monsoon cycle at six monitoring wells of different depths, it is proposed that storativity changes drive natural DOC release from clay–peat layers to the adjacent aquifers. With a decrease in hydraulic heads during the dry season, total mineralization and DOC concentrations increased. With the onset of the rainy season and an increase in hydraulic heads, release of clay–peat derived components stopped and vertical water displacement due to groundwater recharge from rainwater occurred, causing aquifer flushing and a decrease in total mineralization and DOC concentrations. Total As and DOC concentrations correlated over depth. However, at the depth of maximum concentrations, the As peak was observed during the rainy season. At present, the reason for this inverse seasonal trend between As and DOC is unclear. Higher mineralization or DOC concentrations could lead to increased As sorption or the increased arsenite release is a time-lag abiotic or microbial response to the DOC peak. The vulnerability of the Pleistocene aquifer towards increased As concentrations was found to be much higher than previously assumed. Though sorption capacities were determined to be higher than in the Holocene aquifer, probably due to intact Fe (hydr)oxides, long-term continuous As input from overlying clay and peat layers by the proposed seasonal storativity changes has led to increased aqueous As concentrations of 85 μg/L, considerably higher than drinking water standards. Until now, aquifer and especially aquitard and aquiclude hydraulics have not been considered sufficiently when attempting to explain As mobilization in Bangladesh.     

Synchronous release of labile phosphorus,labile ferrum,and labile arsenic in water–sediment interface using ZrO–Chelex measured in the Aibi Lake of Northwest China

In the work presented here, a Zr-oxide diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) was used to monitor the release flux of phosphorus (P), ferrum (Fe), and arsenic (As) in the water–sediment interface of Aibi Lake—a typical shallow lake located in the arid regions of Northwest China. Results showed that: (1) In the water–sediments interface of Aibi Lake, the ranges (average values) of labile As, labile P, and labile Fe levels in DGTs are 3.846–101.840 (43.934) µg L^?1, 0.006–0.232 (0.070) mg L^?1, and 0.202–52.984 (15.832) mg L^?1, respectively. Among 0–20 cm of the vertical profile there was a stable distribution of three elements, while below the interface as 0 cm–(??80) cm there were relatively large changes of these. (2) Fitting analysis showed that there were significant correlations between labile Fe and labile P, and labile As in four DGTs, which showed that in the water–sediments of Aibi Lake, Fe, P, and As are released simultaneously. (3) Combined with former research, we found that the redox of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ may cause the release of P and As to the sediments and water body from the former Fe–P and Fe–As; the proportion of P/Fe of four DGTs was all relatively lower than 1, suggesting that the redox of Fe³⁺ caused the P to be released. (4) This research showed that the concentrations of P, Fe, and As of the water–sediments interface of the lake was obviously lower than that of the water body and sediments of Aibi Lake as well as others of central and eastern China. ZrO-DGT can accurately reflect the distribution of P, Fe, and As of Aibi Lake. These findings can provide initial verification for the use of ZrO-DGT technology in the research of elements at the water–sediment interface in lakes of Xinjiang Province in Northwest China.     

人工智能计算技术在新疆干旱区典型绿洲土壤盐分预测中的应用

针对新疆渭干河-库车河三角洲绿洲土壤盐分动态监测中存在的方法问题,首先用灰色关联度模型分析影响形成土壤盐渍化的各因子,并确定其与土壤盐分之间的关联度,然后将人工智能计算技术引入土壤盐分的预测中,经过多次调整网络结构和参数,建立了预测表层土壤盐分的BP神经网络模型和RBF神经网络模型。结果表明：以潜在蒸散量、地下水埋深、地下水矿化度、土壤电导率、总溶解固体、pH值、坡度和土地利用类型8个因素为输入因子,以土壤含盐量为输出因子的BP网络模型和RBF网络模型可有效模拟土壤盐分与其影响因子之间的内在复杂关系,并且有较高的精度。BP网络模型预测误差略低于RBF神经网络。本研究可为分析和预测土壤盐渍化动态规律提供一种有效可行的新途径,是对传统土壤盐分动态研究的补充。     

POST-FLARE LOOPS OF 26 JUNE 1992 – IV. Formation and Expansion of Hot and Cool Loops

Observations of the post-flare loops after the X3.9 flare which occurred on 25 June, 1992 at 20:11 UT by the Yohkoh/SXT in X-rays, as well as in H obtained at 5 different observatories, have provided a unique, longest ever, set of data for a study of the relationship between the hot and cool post-flare loops as they evolve. At any given time, the altitude difference between the hot X-ray loops of 6–7× 10⁶ K and the cool H loops of 1.5× 10⁴ K is related to the expansion rate of the loop systems and their cooling time. Therefore, measurements of the expansion rate and relative height of hot and cool loops can provide direct observational values for their cooling times. We measured the altitude of hot and cool loops for 15 and 19 hours, respectively, and found that the cooling time increased as the density of the loops decreased. We found a reasonably good agreement between the observed cooling times and those obtained from model calculations, although the observed values were always somewhat longer than the theoretical ones. Taking into account evolutionary effects, we also found similar shapes and configurations of hot and cool loops during the entire observing period and confirmed that, at any time, hot loops are at higher altitude than cool loops, suggesting that cool loops indeed evolve from hot loops. These results were used to check the validity of the reconnection model.     

博斯腾湖与伊塞克湖水位变化特征及预测对比

根据1961—2012年湖泊水位观测资料,采用时间序列线性趋势分析与小波分析法,对比研究了博斯腾湖与伊塞克湖近50多年来水位变化特征,并对湖泊未来水位变化趋势进行预测。结果显示:(1)1961—2012年,博斯腾湖和伊塞克湖年水位总体呈显著的下降趋势。20世纪80年代中期之前,两湖水位变化趋势基本一致,都平稳下降;90年代后,博斯腾湖水位变化波动比伊塞克湖更为频繁,经历了迅速上升和下降的阶段,而伊塞克湖年水位较为稳定。(2)水位小波分析结果表明,博斯腾湖和伊塞克湖年水位变化分别存在18a和22a的主周期,从水位未来变化趋势预测结果来看,博斯腾湖水位将来一段时间继续下降,伊塞克湖水位则继续上升。     

库车河流域水资源利用研究

库车河流域是库车县工矿企业的集中地，是阿克苏地区和库车县今后一个时期开发、治理的重点地区。随着库车河流域开发程度的迅速增大，进一步提高该流域水资源及其循环转化关系的研究程度，及时发现水资源开发利用过程中存在的问题迫在眉睫。文章在广泛收集有关水文、水利现状资料和实际调查数据的基础上，论述了库车河流域的水资源特征，并在分析水资源开发利用中存在问题的基础上，对水资源供需平衡进行了评价。