A study of the connection between tropical cyclone track and intensity errors in the WRF model

This study examines the dependence of the tropical cyclone (TC) intensity errors on the track errors in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model. By using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction global final analysis as the initial and boundary conditions for cloud-resolving simulations of TC cases that have small track errors, it is found that the 2- and 3-day intensity errors in the North Atlantic basin can be reduced to 15 and 19 % when the track errors decrease to 55 and 76 %, respectively, whereas the 1-day intensity error shows no significant reduction despite more than 30 % decrease of the 1-day track error. For the North-Western Pacific basin, the percentage of intensity reduction is somewhat similar with the 2- and 3-day intensity errors improved by about 15 and 19 %, respectively. This suggests that future improvement of the TC track forecast skill in the WRF-ARW model will be beneficial to the intensity forecast. However, the substantially smaller percentages of intensity improvement than those of the track error improvement indicate that ambient environment tends to play a less important role in determining the TC intensity as compared to other factors related to the vortex initialization or physics representations in the WRF-ARW model.     

Investigating the impacts of typhoon-induced floods on the agriculture in the central region of Vietnam by using hydrological models and satellite data

Flooding associated with landing tropical cyclones (TCs) is one of the major natural hazards in the coastal region of Vietnam. Annually, approximately 5 or 6 TCs make landfall in Vietnam, bringing heavy rains and inducing flooding, particularly to the central coastal region because of its topography and geographic configuration. This study focuses on the modelling of typhoon-induced floods that have resulted in widespread damage to agriculture over the central Thua Thien Hue Province of Vietnam by coupling two well-known hydrological models, KINEROS2 and HEC-RAS (Daniel et al. in Open Hydrol J 5(1), 2011), and using GSMaP (Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation) data as the satellite rainfall input. Landsat imagery and GIS are also used for mapping and analysing the inundated areas. The discharge and water level from the KINEROS2 and HEC-RAS models displayed acceptable results for the floods modelled from three selected typhoons; both the Nash–Sutcliffe simulation efficiency coefficient (NSE) and the coefficient of determination (R²) were greater than 0.6. The simulated inundation maps of these typhoon-induced floods were compared with those extracted from the Landsat imagery to assess consistency. The result revealed a similar spatial extension of the inundated agricultural areas. This information, together with the forecasted TC movements and associated rainfalls, will be helpful to plan methods for mitigating potential typhoon-induced flooding and damage, particularly damage to agricultural regions.     

Sandwaves on the Southeast Vietnam Shelf recorded by high resolution seismic profiles: formation and mechanism

The application of high resolution seismic data using boomer sound source has revealed a wide distribution of large-scale bedforms (sandwaves) on the Southeast Vietnam continental shelf. Bedforms that are a few meters high in wave height and hundreds of meters long in wavelength are primarily developed in the inner shelf (20–40 m) and considered to be formed under the present-day marine hydrodynamic conditions. Those bedforms developed in the deeper water (120 m) of the northernmost part of the continent can be interpreted as the relict morphological features formed during the latest sea-level lowstand of the late Pleistocene period. Two sediment transport paths have been identified on the basis of the bedform’s leeward orientation: northeast-southwest (along-shore) and north-south (cross-shore). A quantitative bottom current map is constructed from sandwave dimensions, surface sediments and measurement data. The strongest current velocities that gradually decrease toward the southwest are indicated by large sandwaves in the north (field B). Water depth, surficial sediment composition and bottom current are three factors that control the development of bedforms.     

Formation of H2 and CH4 by weathering of olivine at temperatures between 30 and 70°C

Hydrocarbons such as CH4 are known to be formed through the Fischer-Tropsch or Sabatier type reactions in hydrothermal systems usually at temperatures above 100°C. Weathering of olivine is sometimes suggested to account for abiotic formation of CH4 through its redox lowering and water splitting properties. Knowledge about the CH4 and H2 formation processes at low temperatures is important for the research about the origin and cause of early Earth and Martian CH4 and for CO2 sequestration. We have conducted a series of low temperature, long-term weathering experiments in which we have tested the CH4 and H2 formation potential of forsteritic olivine.The results show low temperature CH4 production that is probably influenced by chromite and magnetite as catalysts. Extensive analyses of a potential CH4 source trapped in the crystal structure of the olivine showed no signs of incorporated CH4. Also, the available sources of organic carbon were not enough to support the total amount of CH4 detected in our experiments. There was also a linear relationship between silica release into solution and the net CH4 accumulation into the incubation bottle headspaces suggesting that CH4 formation under these conditions could be a qualitative indicator of olivine dissolution.It is likely that minerals such as magnetite, chromite and other metal-rich minerals found on the olivine surface catalyze the formation of CH4, because of the low temperature of the system. This may expand the range of environments plausible for abiotic CH4 formation both on Earth and on other terrestrial bodies.     

Hydrological and hydrogeological characterization of groundwater and river water in the North Hanoi industrial area,Vietnam

Degradation of groundwater quality by human activities is a widespread environmental problem in Vietnam. Groundwater there is a major source of water for domestic and industrial purposes. This paper reviews, compiles, and comprehensively analyzes spatiotemporal variations of hydrological and hydrogeological characteristics of shallow and deep groundwater aquifers in northern Hanoi industrial zones and in nearby Red River water. Groundwater level, electrical conductivity, and water temperature were measured in six monitoring wells, complemented by anion, cation, and stable isotope analyses of ground and surface water. The results show that the groundwater in both shallow and deep aquifers was fresh, but mainly calcium-bicarbonate type contaminants and human activities affect groundwater and surface water composition. With the goal of devising sustainable water use regulations, more research must be directed toward long-term monitoring of groundwater and surface water quality, as well as toward detailed investigation of the hydraulic characteristics of local aquifers in the study area.     

Application of an analytical hierarchical process approach for landslide susceptibility mapping in A Luoi district,Thua Thien Hue Province,Vietnam

A Luoi is a Vietnamese–Laotian border district situated in the western part of Thua Thien Hue province, central Vietnam, where landslides occur frequently and seriously affect local living conditions. This study focuses on the spatial analysis of landslide susceptibility in this 263-km² area. To analyze landslide manifestation in the study area, causative factor maps are derived of slope angle, weathering, land use, geomorphology, fault density, geology, drainage distance, elevation, and precipitation. The analytical hierarchical process approach is used to combine these maps for landslide susceptibility mapping. A landslide susceptibility zonation map with four landslide susceptibility classes, i.e. low, moderate, high, and very high susceptibility for landsliding, is derived based on the correspondence with an inventory of observed landslides. The final map indicates that about 37% of the area is very highly susceptible for landsliding and about 22% is highly susceptible, which means that more than half of the area should be considered prone to landsliding.     

Palaeo-hydrogeological control on groundwater As levels in Red River delta,Vietnam

To study the geological control on groundwater As concentrations in Red River delta, depth-specific groundwater sampling and geophysical logging in 11 monitoring wells was conducted along a 45 km transect across the southern and central part of the delta, and the literature on the Red River delta’s Quaternary geological development was reviewed. The water samples (n = 30) were analyzed for As, major ions, Fe²⁺, H₂S, NH₄, CH₄, δ¹⁸O and δD, and the geophysical log suite included natural gamma-ray, formation and fluid electrical conductivity. The SW part of the transect intersects deposits of grey estuarine clays and deltaic sands in a 15–20 km wide and 50–60 m deep Holocene incised valley. The NE part of the transect consists of 60–120 m of Pleistocene yellowish alluvial deposits underneath 10–30 m of estuarine clay overlain by a 10–20 m veneer of Holocene sediments. The distribution of δ¹⁸O-values (range −12.2‰ to −6.3‰) and hydraulic head in the sample wells indicate that the estuarine clay units divide the flow system into an upper Holocene aquifer and a lower Pleistocene aquifer. The groundwater samples were all anoxic, and contained Fe²⁺ (0.03–2.0 mM), Mn (0.7–320 μM), SO₄ (<2.1 μM–0.75 mM), H₂S (<0.1–7.0 μM), NH₄ (0.03–4.4 mM), and CH₄ (0.08–14.5 mM). Generally, higher concentrations of NH₄ and CH₄ and low concentrations of SO₄ were found in the SW part of the transect, dominated by Holocene deposits, while the opposite was the case for the NE part of the transect. The distribution of the groundwater As concentration (<0.013–11.7 μM; median 0.12 μM (9 μg/L)) is related to the distribution of NH₄, CH₄ and SO₄. Low concentrations of As (?0.32 μM) were found in the Pleistocene aquifer, while the highest As concentrations were found in the Holocene aquifer. PHREEQC-2 speciation calculations indicated that Fe²⁺ and H₂S concentrations are controlled by equilibrium for disordered mackinawite and precipitation of siderite. An elevated groundwater salinity (Cl range 0.19–65.1 mM) was observed in both aquifers, and dominated in the deep aquifer. A negative correlation between aqueous As and an estimate of reduced SO₄ was observed, indicating that Fe sulphide precipitation poses a secondary control on the groundwater As concentration.     

Predicting water flow in fully and partially saturated porous media: a new fractal-based permeability model

Hydrogeology Journal - Predicting the permeability of porous media in saturated and partially saturated conditions is of crucial importance in many geo-engineering areas, from water resources to...     

Effects of fungal infection on lipid extract composition of higher plant remains: comparison of shoots of a Cenomanian conifer, uninfected and infected by extinct fungi

The lipid fraction extracted from uninfected shoots of a fossil conifer, Frenelopsis alata, was analysed by gas-chromatography–mass-spectrometry, and compared with shoots of the same conifer infected by extinct epiphyllous fungi, so as to study the effects of fungal infection on the chemical composition of extracts from higher plant remains. The extracts from the uninfected shoots appeared to be composed of (i) common constituents of higher plant lipids such as n-alkanes and fatty acids, (ii) elemental sulphur, and (iii) substantial amounts of terpenoids characteristic of conifers, such as cadalene, beyerane, dehydroabietane and related compounds. Comparison of this extract with that of fungal-infected shoots revealed, in addition to the aforementioned compounds, the presence of substantial amounts of hydroxysuccinic acid and functionalised benzoic compounds that were interpreted as degradation products of lignin by fungi. This study afforded preliminary indications of the composition of extracts from higher plant remains infected by fungi.     

Short‐term flood inundation prediction using hydrologic‐hydraulic models forced with downscaled rainfall from global NWP

A short‐term flood inundation prediction model has been formulated based on the combination of the super‐tank model, forced with downscaled rainfall from a global numerical weather prediction model, and a one‐dimensional (1D) hydraulic model. Different statistical methods for downscaled rainfall have been explored, taking into account the availability of historical data. It has been found that the full implementation of a statistical downscaling model considering physically‐based corrections to the numerical weather prediction model output for rainfall prediction performs better compared with an altitudinal correction method. The integration of the super‐tank model into the 1D hydraulic model demonstrates a minimal requirement for the calibration of rainfall–runoff and flood propagation models. Updating the model with antecedent rainfall and regular forecast renewal has enhanced the model's capabilities as a result of the data assimilation processes of the runoff and numerical weather prediction models. The results show that the predicted water levels demonstrate acceptable agreement with those measured by stream gauges and comparable to those reproduced using the actual rainfall. Moreover, the predicted flood inundation depth and extent exhibit reasonably similar tendencies to those observed in the field. However, large uncertainties are observed in the prediction results in lower, flat portions of the river basin where the hydraulic conditions are not properly analysed by the 1D flood propagation model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.