Lacustrine sedimentological and geochemical records for the last 170 years of climate and environmental changes in southeastern China

Reconstruction of modern climate and environmental changes in east Asia using inland natural climate archives can provide valuable insights on decadal–multidecadal climate and environmental patterns that are probably related to both natural and anthropogenic forcing. Here we investigated an 89‐cm‐long sediment core (TH1) from Tian Lake, southeastern China, for sedimentological, physical and geochemical parameters in order to understand climate and environmental changes for the latest two centuries. ¹³⁷Cs‐ and ²¹⁰Pb‐based age models show that the fine sand–coarse silt‐dominated core contains ~170 years (c. AD 1842–2011) of continuous sedimentation. Sediments with fine sands, low MS values, high water content, high TOC content and a high C:N ratio from c. AD 1842 to 1897 suggest intense hydrological conditions and strong runoff in the catchment, probably because of a humid climate. From AD 1897 to 1990, sediments with very fine sand and coarse silt, high MS values, low water content and unchanged TOC and C:N ratios indicate normal hydrological conditions and in‐lake algae‐derived organic matter. During this interval, the chemical weathering indicators show stronger weathering conditions compared with sediments deposited during AD 1842–1897, supporting the dominance of weathered surface soil input in the earlier interval and physical erosion dominance in the later period, respectively. Since AD 1990, the continuous decrease of geochemical proxies suggests human‐interacted Earth surface processes in the catchment of Tian Lake. A PCA revealed four dominant geochemical controlling factors – detrital input, trophic status, grain size and early diagenesis –, accounting for 26, 20, 18 and 16% of total variance, respectively. This study for the first time provides lacustrine geochemical evidence for the most recent two centuries of climate and environmental changes in coastal southeastern China, a region that is currently undergoing an inversion of critical zone, i.e. an overturning of its soil profile, owing to swift modernization.     

The enthalpy of fusion of anorthite

The high-temperature enthalpies of liquid and glassy CaAl₂Si₂O₈ were measured by drop calorimetry using a diphenyl ether drop calorimeter. These data are combined with published values of the high-temperature enthalpy of crystalline anorthite and the enthalpy of vitrification of anorthite to obtain the enthalpy of fusion of anorthite. Analysis of the data yields the following preferred values (enthalpy in kcal/mol, uncertainty limits correspond to two standard deviations):enthalpy of vitrification at 985 K, _v H _{v 985}=18.6±0.6; enthalpy of the liquid at 1,830 K, H ₁₈₃₀ ^l ₃₀₀ ^g =130.4±1.2; enthalpy of the glass at 985 K, H ₉₈₅ ^g -H ₃₀₀ ^g =46.7±0.4; enthalpy of crystalline anorthite between 985 and 1,830 K, H ₁₈₃₀ ^c -H ₉₈₅ ^c =69.9±1.4; calculated enthalpy of fusion of anorthite at 1,830 K, _f H ₁₈₃₀= 32.4±2.1.The average heat capacity of supercooled liquid CaAl₂Si₂O₈ between the glass transition (T _g 1,086 K) and the melting point (T _f7=1,830 K) is 102 ± 2 cal/mol/K. The large difference between the enthalpy of fusion and the enthalpy of vitrification for the minerals anorthite and diopside is emphasized. The practice of assuming _fH _vH should be discontinued for silicate compounds for which T _f T _g.     

One-phase-low-pH enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) method for soil improvement

Enzyme induced carbonate precipitation (EICP) is an emerging soil improvement method using free urease enzyme for urea hydrolysis. This method has advantages over the commonly used microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) process as it does not involve issues related to bio-safety. However, in terms of efficiency of calcium carbonate production, EICP is considered lower than that of MICP. In this paper, a high efficiency EICP method is proposed. The key of this new method is to adopt a one-phase injection of low pH solution strategy. In this so-called one-phase-low-pH method, EICP solution consisting of a mixture of urease solution of pH?=?6.5, urea and calcium chloride is injected into soil. The test results have shown that the one-phase-low-pH method can improve significantly the calcium conversion efficiency and the uniformity of calcium carbonate distribution in the sand samples as compared with the conventional two-phase EICP method. Furthermore, the unconfined compressive strength of sand treated using the one-phase-low-pH method is much higher than that using the two-phase method and the one-phase-low-pH method is also simpler and more efficient as it involves less number of injections.

     

Zur geoelektrischen Untersuchung der Zementverpressungen von Staumauern und Staudämmen

Zusammenfassung a) Es werden die Ergebnisse eines Messverfahrens besprochen, dessen Aufgabe die überprüfung des Injektionserfolges ist. -b) Das Verfahren wurde an verschiedenen Baustellen bei sehr verschiedenen Bodenverhältnissen eingesetzt. Die Ergebnisse werden mitgeteilt. Es war in vielen Fällen möglich, die durch elektrische Messungen begründete Vorhersage mit den mechanisch gewonnenen Befunden zu vergleichen. Auch diese Ergebnisse werden mitgeteilt. -c) Im Zuge dieser Untersuchungen wurde die elektrische Mischtheorie experimentell untersucht und ein geoelektrisches Verfahren zur Bestimmung desK-Wertes entwickelt. -d) Die richtige Verbindung der elektrischen und mechanischen Messverfahren ermöglicht ein weit genaueres Studium des Injektionsvorganges und eine viel richtigere Beurteilung des Injektionserfolges als die bisher übliche blosse Wasserverpressung.

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Summary The results of a geoelectrical method of measurement for controlling cement injections are discussed. This method was practised already at several building-sites e. g. at building-sites in the bare and rocky Alpine region (Carso) of Yugoslavia. By means of this geoelectrical method the volumetric distribution of the injection mass can be controlled and therefore also the quantity discharged from the injection volume. In many cases the results obtained by geoelectrical measurements were later mechanically controlled. These results show the usefulness of this method. By means of this geoelectrical method more precise results may be obtained than by water pressure which method was used exclusively before. In this paper the fundamentals of this method and the geoelectrical mixture theory are discussed. Then the results obtained at the building-sites of Kaprun (Austria) and of Lokvarka and Cetina (Yugoslavia) are compared.

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Nach Referaten auf der Vierten Allgem. Tagung derSocietà Italiana di Geofisica e Meteorologia in Genova (5.–8. April 1956).

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Der Verfasser dankt allen, die ihm bei der Durchführung der Untersuchungen geholfen haben und insbesondere seinen Mitarbeitern. Besonderen Dank spricht er den Herren der Tauernkraftwerke A. G. und Geofizika in Zagreb aus.     

On the nonlinear waves in a developing process

Based on the discrete form of the main governing equation derived, a single wave as the main motion of the instability analysis was found. This solution gives the whole process from the initial stage to the nonlinear equilibrium state. Next we examined the instability of the main motion above-mentioned in the initial stage and showed the instability properties of a developing process. Contribution No. 987 from the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica.     

Reliability analysis of hydraulic structures considering unit hydrograph uncertainty

Unit hydrographs (UHs), along with design rainfalls, are frequently used to determine the discharge hydrograph for design and evaluation of hydraulic structures. Due to the presence of various uncertainties in its derivation, the resulting UH is inevitably subject to uncertainty. Consequently, the performance of hydraulic structures under the design storm condition is uncertain. This paper integrates the linearly constrained Monte-Carlo simulation with the UH theory and routing techniques to evaluate the reliability of hydraulic structures. The linear constraint is considered because the water volume of each generated design direct runoff hydrograph should be equal to that of the design effective rainfall hyetograph or the water volume of each generated UH must be equal to one inch (or cm) over the watershed. For illustration, the proposed methodology is applied to evaluate the overtopping risk of a hypothetical flood detention reservoir downstream of Tong-Tou watershed in Taiwan.     

雷州半岛珊瑚礁生物地貌带与全新世多期相对高海平面

通过多次野外调查，将灯楼角珊瑚礁分为8个生物地貌带；礁前斜坡活珊瑚林带，外礁坪大块滨珊瑚礁岩带，中礁坪块状珊瑚混合带，中礁坪块状珊瑚-角孔珊瑚混合带，内礁坪角孔瑚瑚带，沙坪台-海滩，沙堤和洼地，它们是海平面和气候环境变化的产物，以珊瑚礁及其生物地貌带作为高海平面的标志，根据13个表层珊瑚礁样品的TIMS铀系年代和1个^14C年代，指出全新世以来至少存在过5期相对高海平面（7.2-6.7,约5.8,5.0-4.2,2.8-2.0，约1.5cal.kaBP)，每一期中还存在低海平面的波动，其中6.7-7.2kaBP是整个全新世最高海平面时期，在这个时间段已经基本形成了现代珊瑚礁的地貌格局，这个时间段以后形成的珊瑚礁是在6.7-7.2kaBP形成的珊瑚礁礁坪的礁塘或礁坑等低洼地中形成的，迄今为止，没有再出现过高出6.7-7.2kaBP时期的海平面。     

Regional daily baseflow prediction

The purposes of this study are to identify the bias of applying the analysis of a log–log plot of baseflow and to derive an equation to describe successive regional mean baseflow. The function ?dQ/dt = a Q^b has been used to describe baseflow in many studies that obtain the values of a and b from the log–log plot. According to analysis in this study, the value of 1 can be assigned to b in two boundary conditions, but the parameter a is proved to be related to the depth of water table and starting time of recession and thus different values of a may be found for different recession events. This paper points out that no single regression line can be obtained by plotting all baseflow data on a log–log diagram. Instead, there should be parallel lines, and each for a recession event. It implies that no single set of parameters a and b can be applied to predict baseflow. Thus, a new equation describing the relationship between three successive mean baseflows was derived in this study. The bias in the analysis of the log–log plot and the ability of the derived equation to predict baseflow were verified for five watersheds in Taiwan. Results indicate that the formula of mean baseflow prediction can provide reasonable estimates of flows with a leading time of 6 days. Furthermore, stream flows of the Tonkawa creek watershed in USA were used to verify that using average flows can result in better predictions than using instantaneous flows. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.