Remote Sensing of Three-dimensional Winds with Elastic Lidar: Explanation of Maximum Cross-correlation Method

Maximum cross-correlation provides a method toremotely de-ter-mine high-lyre-solved three-dimensional fields of horizontalwinds with e-las-tic li-darthrough-out large volumes of the planetaryboundary layer (PBL). This paperdetails the technique and shows comparisonsbetween elastic lidar winds, remotelysensed laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) windprofiles, and radiosonde winds.Radiosonde wind data were acquired at Barcelona,Spain, during the BarcelonaAir-Quality Initiative (1992), and the LDVwind data were acquired at SunlandPark, New Mexico during the 1994 Border AreaAir-Quality Study. Comparisonsshow good agreement between the differentinstruments, and demonstrate the methoduseful for air pollution management at thelocal/regional scale. Elastic lidar windscould thus offer insight into aerosol andpollution transport within the PBL. Lidarwind fields might also be used to nudge orimprove initialization and evaluation ofatmospheric meteorological models.     

Macroalgal associations of motile epifaunal invertebrate communities on coral reefs

Small grazing motile epifaunal invertebrates play an important ecosystem role on coral reefs, influencing both the abundance and composition of macroalgal communities and acting as a key food source for a range of predatory fishes. The first aim of this study was to investigate the associations between motile epifaunal communities and four common macroalgal species (Lobophora variegata, Dictyota divaricata, Microdictyon marinum and Halimeda opuntia) on fore‐reef environments in the Exuma Cays (Bahamas, wider Caribbean). Secondly, we investigated the implications of the well documented rise of Caribbean macroalgal cover on invertebrate densities by surveying sites inside and outside the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (ECLSP), where increases in parrotfish grazing intensity inside the marine reserves have led to reductions in macroalgal cover. Therefore, surveys compared similar reefs with significantly different macrolagal cover. Comparisons between macroalgal species revealed a four to fivefold difference in motile epifaunal densities per unit volume of macroalgae. Post‐hoc tests revealed that this difference was significant only for Lobophora, with no difference observed among the other species. As macroalgae provide both a refuge from predation and a food source for grazing epifauna, the higher densities of epifauna observed in Lobophora may be attributed to either refuge from visual predators through morphological features (high cover of overlapping blades close to the substrate) or lack of palatability for parrotfish grazing, providing a more stable refuge. Our results revealed no significant differences in diversity, density or community structure of motile epifauna per unit volume of macroalgae between sites inside and outside the ECLSP. Since canopy height and invertivore biomass did not vary systematically across reserve boundaries, this suggests that algal cover does not affect the density of epifaunal invertebrates. However, areal cover was consistently higher for all macroalgal species at sites outside the ECLSP than those inside the reserve. Therefore, when scaled by aerial cover of macroalgae, total abundance of epifauna was twofold higher outside the ECLSP. We suggest that the increasing abundance of macroalgae on Caribbean reefs may be having dramatic effects on epifaunal invertebrate populations and potentially their ecological functions.     

Changes in the saltation flux following a step‐change in macro‐roughness

The effect of a step change in macro‐roughness on the saltation process under sediment supply limited conditions was examined in the atmospheric boundary layer. For an array of roughness elements of roughness density λ = 0.045 (λ = total element frontal area/total surface area of the array) the horizontal saltation flux was reduced by 90% (±7%) at a distance of ≈150 roughness element heights into the array. This matches the value predicted using an empirical design model and provides confidence that it can be effectively used to engineer roughness arrays to meet sand flux reduction targets. Measurements of the saltation flux characteristics in the vertical dimension, including: saltation layer decay (e‐folding) height and particle size, revealed that with increasing distance into the array, the rate of mass flux change with increasing height decreased notably, and (geometric) mean particle diameter decreased. The distribution of the saltation mass flux in the vertical remains exponential in form with increasing distance into the roughness array, and the e‐folding height increases as well as increasing at a greater rate as particle diameter diminishes. The increase in e‐folding height suggests the height of saltating particles is increasing along with their mean speed. This apparent increase in mean speed is likely due to the preferential removal, or sequestration, of the slower moving particles across the size spectrum, as they travel through the roughness array. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Major and trace-element composition and pressure–temperature evolution of rock-buffered fluids in low-grade accretionary-wedge metasediments, Central Alps

The chemical composition of fluid inclusions in quartz crystals from Alpine fissure veins was determined by combination of microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy, and LA-ICPMS analysis. The veins are hosted in carbonate-bearing, organic-rich, low-grade metamorphic metapelites of the Bündnerschiefer of the eastern Central Alps (Switzerland). This strongly deformed tectonic unit is interpreted as a partly subducted accretionary wedge, on the basis of widespread carpholite assemblages that were later overprinted by lower greenschist facies metamorphism. Veins and their host rocks from two locations were studied to compare several indicators for the conditions during metamorphism, including illite crystallinity, graphite thermometry, stability of mineral assemblages, chlorite thermometry, fluid inclusion solute thermometry, and fluid inclusion isochores. Fluid inclusions are aqueous two-phase with 3.7–4.0 wt% equivalent NaCl at Thusis and 1.6–1.7 wt% at Schiers. Reproducible concentrations of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, B, Al, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, Sb, Cl, Br, and S could be determined for 97 fluid inclusion assemblages. Fluid and mineral geothermometry consistently indicate temperatures of 320 ± 20 °C for the host rocks at Thusis and of 250 ± 30 °C at Schiers. Combining fluid inclusion isochores with independent geothermometers results in pressure estimates of 2.8–3.8 kbar for Thusis, and of 3.3–3.4 kbar for Schiers. Pressure–temperature estimates are confirmed by pseudosection modeling. Fluid compositions and petrological modeling consistently demonstrate that chemical fluid-rock equilibrium was attained during vein formation, indicating that the fluids originated locally by metamorphic dehydration during near-isothermal decompression in a rock-buffered system.     

Regionalization of low flows based on Canonical Correlation Analysis

Regional analysis of low-flow statistics is a critical step in solving water resources management problems related to the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. Important element in this analysis is the determination of homogeneous sub-regions based on physiographic characteristics of the corresponding basin. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of the canonical correlation method for partitioning the set of drainage basins of a region into a number of homogeneous sub-regions and determining the relations between the physiographic and low-flow statistics of the basins of each sub-region. The method is also proposed to be used for classifying an ungauged basin in a sub-region of gauged basins.     

青藏高原北缘阿尔金东段中生代南北向伸展作用

青藏高原北缘的阿尔金山脉东段发育了延伸大于300 km、东西走向的拉配泉断裂,为南倾的正断层,局部倾角可以低至30°以下。断层中段表现为30~50 m厚的韧性剪切带,发育有较好的糜棱岩组构和矿物伸展线理;东段和西段以碎裂变形为特征。断裂带内运动学标志,如不对称香肠构造、不对称褶皱和次级脆性和韧性断裂,都指示了上盘向南的正滑移剪切方式。两方面证据控制了拉配泉断裂的活动时代。首先,拉配泉断裂上盘局部产出早-中侏罗世沉积地层。侏罗系地层中的砾石,特别是其中的含叠层石硅质灰岩和紫色石英岩,可以与断裂下盘的岩石相对比。早-中侏罗世地层可能为拉配泉断裂之上的伸展盆地沉积。其次,拉配泉断裂下盘岩石的40Ar/39Ar热年代学分析给出2个明显的冷却事件。较老的事件出现在约220~187 Ma之间的三叠纪末期至侏罗纪早期,而年轻的事件出现在早白垩世的晚期(约100 Ma).约220~187 Ma之间的冷却年龄在拉配泉断裂下盘岩石中普遍存在,代表了拉配泉断裂正断作用的主要阶段。约100 Ma时,断裂东段的正断作用再次活动,该事件可能被南倾的恰什坎正断层运动所叠加而增强,并与拉配泉断裂的东段合并。这2条断裂具有共同的上盘向南的正滑移运动方式。青藏高原和东亚其它地区的中生代伸展作用可以归结为特提斯洋向北和太平洋向西俯冲形成的弧后伸展作用。      

A 3-D time-domain coupled model for nonlinear waves acting on a box-shaped ship fixed in a harbor

A 3-D time-domain numerical coupled model is developed to obtain an efficient method for nonlinear waves acting on a box-shaped ship fixed in a harbor. The domain is divided into the inner domain and the outer domain. The inner domain is the area beneath the ship and the flow is described by the simplified Euler equations. The remaining area is the outer domain and the flow is defined by the higher-order Boussinesq equations in order to consider the nonlinearity of the wave motions. Along the interface boundaries between the inner domain and the outer domain, the volume flux is assumed to be continuous and the wave pressures are equal. Relevant physical experiment is conducted to validate the present model and it is shown that the numerical results agree with the experimental data. Compared the coupled model with the flow in the inner domain governed by the Laplace equation, the present coupled model is more efficient and its solution procedure is simpler, which is particularly useful for the study on the effect of the nonlinear waves acting on a fixed box-shaped ship in a large harbor.     

Potential suitability for urban planning and industry development using natural hazard maps and geological–geomorphological parameters

During the planning of an urban environment, usually only economic and social parameters are taken into account. As a result, urban areas are susceptible to natural disasters, which cause extensive damages in them, because the cities or towns have been repeatedly located in vulnerable areas. In this study, for the protection of human environment, is proposed a unique approach of urban planning and sustainable development. The study area is Trikala Prefecture (Western Thessaly, Central Greece). An integrated evaluation of the suitable areas for urban growth and light industry development is proposed by using mainly natural hazards as well as geological–geomorphological–geographical characteristics of the study area. The used parameters were correlated by using the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method and incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) in order to produce the corresponding suitability maps. The study area is classified in five categories of very high, high, moderate, low, and very low suitability for urban growth and industrial development. Moreover, the spatio-temporal changes of the urban limits are studied since 1885 for the three major towns (Trikala, Kalambaka and Pyli) of the study area. These changes sketch out the urban growth trend. The comparison between the urban growth trend with the potential suitability for urban growth and industrial development of these towns lead to discrepancies. These can be attributed mainly to the fact that in the majority of cases, only geographical, social, and economical factors were used for urban development, whereas in our study, natural hazards, geomorphological, and geographical parameters were quantified and taken into account.