Impact of precipitation and temperature changes on hydrological responses of small-scale catchments in the Ethiopian Highlands

The hydrological response of catchments with different rainfall patterns was assessed to understand the availability of blue and green water and the impacts of changing precipitation and temperature in the Ethiopian Highlands. Monthly discharge of three small-scale catchments was simulated, calibrated, and validated with a dataset of more than 30 years. Different temperature and precipitation scenarios were used to compare the hydrological responses in all three catchments. Results indicate that runoff reacts disproportionately strongly to precipitation and temperature changes: a 24% increase in precipitation led to a 50% increase in average annual runoff, and an average annual rainfall–runoff ratio that was 20% higher. An increase in temperature led to an increase of evapotranspiration and resulted in a decrease in the rainfall–runoff ratio. But a comparison of combined results with different climate change scenarios shows that downstream stakeholders can expect a higher share of available blue water in the future.     

Shake table tests of structures subject to pounding

Pounding between adjacent structures during earthquakes may significantly modify their response in terms of forces and displacements. In addition, it has a considerable influence on acceleration and thus on floor response spectra. Therefore, pounding may be unfavorable to the response of equipment. Despite extensive research in this field, the effects of pounding on structures are difficult to quantify accurately. This article presents results of shake table tests carried out on two representative scale adjacent structures subject to pounding. Besides investigating the effects of the gap between structures and the excitation signal, this study examines also the effect of tying the two structures together by means of rigid links to suppress pounding. The results of the experimental campaign are then compared with those of numerical simulations. Analyses and experimental results show good agreement regarding both impact forces and interstorey drifts.     

Contrasting Pliocene fluvial depositional systems within the rapidly subsiding South Caspian Basin; a case study of the palaeo-Volga and palaeo-Kura river systems in the Surakhany Suite,Upper Productive Series,onshore Azerbaijan

The South Caspian Basin contains major hydrocarbon reservoirs within the largely Early Pliocene Productive Series. This paper describes and contrasts outcrops of the uppermost ∼500 m of the series (the Surakhany Suite) deposited by two of the main fluvial systems that supplied the Azeri margin of the basin. Sedimentary facies and, for the first time from the Productive Series, palynological analyses document fluvial channel belt complexes, sheetflood overbank and flood plain to flood plain lake environments. The Productive Series on the Apsheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan, was supplied predominantly from the north by the palaeo-Volga river system. It displays an overall fining-upward trend, such that the Surakhany Suite at Lokbatan is dominated by mudstone. Siltstone and coarser-grained sediments make up 28% of the section. Channel bodies are on average 1.5 m thick and form 13% of the succession. In the sub-surface of the Apsheron Peninsula, ratty wireline log responses also indicate that siltstone and sandstone bodies are predominantly thin bedded, with SP-derived net-to-gross sand ratios of ∼0.35–0.40. The succession in the Kura Basin was sourced predominantly from the west by the palaeo-Kura river system. It displays a coarsening-upward trend, such that in the middle and upper Surakhany Suite at Babazanan siltstone and coarser sediments make up 52% of the section. It is characterised by numerous stacked and laterally continuous channel sandstone bodies that are on average 5.8 m thick and comprise 42% of the outcrop. In the sub-surface of the Kura Basin, wireline log responses of the Surakhany Suite have a blocky character and indicate SP-derived net-to-gross sand ratios of 0.26–0.38. These values are similar to calculated sandstone volumes at outcrop (44%). The palynological data, including multivariate analyses, show that the main controls on palynomorph distribution are the degree of fluvial or lacustrine influence, subaerial exposure and salinity. Despite their more lithic nature, Surakhany Suite sandstones derived from the palaeo-Kura river system along the Kurovdag-Babazanan-Neftchala trend have similar or better petrophysical properties than those derived from the palaeo-Volga river on the Apsheron Peninsula and its offshore continuation. This is probably due to their coarser-grain size. This, combined with their greater sandstone body thickness, would suggest that the axis of the Kura Basin forms the most promising part of the Azeri sector of the South Caspian Basin for exploration within the uppermost part of the Productive Series.     

The case for an international commission for the conservation and management of sharks (ICCMS)

The current rate of shark global exploitation and mortality is arguably so high under current management regimes that unless a renewed initiative is undertaken some species of shark will become effectively extinct. Current efforts to sustainably manage shark mortality are driven primarily by domestic laws in a few countries, big international non-governmental organizations (BINGOs) promoting environmental laws in the countries or regions where they exist, a handful of regional fisheries management organizations (e.g., IATTC and ICCAT), and inter-governmental organizations such as CITES. The absence of enforcement capability is often argued as the critical component in the failure to protect sharks from overexploitation. The remedy advanced here goes far beyond the need for stepped up enforcement, and calls for the creation of an entirely new international management regime, the International Commission for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (ICCMS). Such an agency could learn from the experiences of management bodies tasked with conservation of species biologically similar to sharks, such as the International Whaling Commission (IWC), to improve its efficacy. Critics have identified many organizational flaws that reduced the IWC’s effectiveness during its earliest years. Some of those flaws are examined here and remedies are suggested that an ICCMS could use to create a more effective management regime. The life histories of elasmobranches and large whales are compared to illustrate their similarities as a biological foundation for the selection of the IWC as a model.     

加拿大一美国圣劳伦斯河：需要对大河生态系统水平上的了解

Throughout the course of civilization, large rivers have played a major role in transport, water supply and human waste disposal. The pressure on these resources has greatly intensified over this century, but our ecological understanding of this most important class of freshwater environments remains poorly developed.     

High spatial resolution sampling of metals in the sediment and water column in Port Jefferson Harbor, New York

Eighteen sediment samples and six water-column samples were collected in a small (6 km²), coastal embayment (Port Jefferson Harbor, New York) to define a high-resolution spatial distribution of metals and to elucidate sources of contaminants to the harbor. Sediment metal (Ag, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) concentrations varied widely, reflecting differences in sediment grain size, with higher metal concentrations located in the fine-grained inner harbor sediments. Calculated enrichment factors for these sediments show that Ag, Pb, Cu, and Zn are elevated relative to both crustal abundances and their respective abundances in sediments in central Long Island Sound. Metal concentrations were 1.2 to 10 fold greater in water from the inner harbor compared to water from Long Island Sound collected outside the mouth of the harbor. Spatial variations in trace metals in surface waters within the bay parallel the spatial variations of trace metals in sediments within the harbor. Elevated water-column metal concentrations appear to be partially derived from a combination of diagenetic remobilization from contaminated sediments (e.g., Ag) and anthropogenic sources (e.g., Cu and Zn) within the southern portions of the harbor. Although the National Status and Trends Program had reported previously that sediment metal concentrations in Port Jefferson Harbor were low, the results of this study show sediment metals have high spatial variability and are enriched in the inner harbor sediments at levels comparable to more urbanized western north shore Long Island harbors.     

Observation Study on Precursory Geosound: Extraction of Nucleation Information in the Earthquake Preparation Process

In this paper, the observation networks of precursory geosound and observation instruments are introduced first. Then it is mentioned, in particular, that audible precursory geosound was instrumentally recorded for the first time. The following section discussed the relation between the geosound and earthquake. Finally, the Nucleation time in earthquake preparation process is discussed.     

The Changing Role of Ordnance Survey International With Case Studies in Trinidad, Guyana and Albania

This paper discusses the role of Ordnance Survey International as a division within Ordnance Survey and outlines the work currently being carried out world-wide. It identifies the commercial structure of the business and justifies the reasons for participation in overseas markets. The key business activities of Adviser to the United Kingdom Department for International Development, international relations, library services, training and consultancy are all described. In addition, three case studies are included to support the main text.     

Statistical interpolation of ozone measurements from satellite data (TOMS, SBUV and SAGE II) using the kriging method

This study demonstrates that ordinary kriging in spherical coordinates using experimental semi-variograms provides highly usable results, especially near the pole in winter and/or where there could be data missing over large areas. In addition, kriging allows display of the spatial variability of daily ozone measurements at different pressure levels. Three satellite data sets were used: Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data, Solar Backscattered UltraViolet (SBUV), and the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II) ozone profiles. Since SBUV is a nadir-viewing instrument, measurements are only taken along the sun-synchronous polar orbits of the satellite. SAGE II is a limb-viewing solar occultation instrument, and measurements have high vertical resolution but poor daily coverage. TOMS has wider coverage with equidistant distribution of data (resolution 1° × 1.25°) but provides no vertical information. Comparisons of the resulting SBUV-interpolated (column-integrated) ozone field with TOMS data are strongly in agreement, with a global correlation of close to 98%. Comparisons of SBUV-interpolated ozone profiles with daily SAGE II profiles are relatively good, and comparable to those found in the literature. The interpolated ozone layers at different pressure levels are shown.     

INFORMATION THEORY AND SEQUENCES OF LAND USE: AN APPLICATION

This paper addresses the question of how far into the past previous land-use patterns provide significant information concerning present or future patterns. The provision of information is viewed as a reduction in uncertainty. An information-theoretic approach that permits both statistical and graphical analysis is suggested. Application of this method to the analysis of land-use change in three townships on the fringe of Akron, Ohio suggests that, to a varying degree, the processes of change are first-order Markov processes.