Improving WRF-Hydro runoff simulations of heavy floods through the sea surface temperature fields with higher spatio-temporal resolution

This study investigates the impact of the spatio-temporal accuracy of four different sea surface temperature (SST) datasets on the accuracy of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Hydro system to simulate hydrological response during two catastrophic flood events over the Eastern Black Sea (EBS) and the Mediterranean (MED) regions of Turkey. Three time-variant and high spatial resolution external SST products (GHRSST, Medspiration and NCEP-SST) and one coarse-resolution and time-invariant SST product (ERA5- and GFS-SST for EBS and MED regions, respectively) already embedded in the initial and the boundary conditions datasets of WRF model are used in deriving near-surface atmospheric variables through WRF. After the proper event-based calibration is performed to the WRF-Hydro system using hourly and daily streamflow data in both regions, uncoupled model simulations for independent SST events are conducted to assess the impact of SST-triggered precipitation on simulated extreme runoff. Some localized and temporal differences in the occurrence of the flood events with respect to observations depending on the SST representation are noticeable. SST products represented with higher cross-correlations (GHRSST and Medspiration) revealed significant improvement in flood hydrographs for both regions. The GHRSST dataset shows a substantial improvement in NSE (~70%), RMSE reduction up to 20%, and an increase in correlation from 0.3 to 0.8 with respect to the invariable SST (ERA5) in simulated runoffs over the EBS region. The use of both GHRSST and Medspiration SST data characterized with high spatio-temporal correlation resulted in runoff simulations exactly matching the observed runoff peak of 300 m³/s by reducing the overestimation seen in invariable SST (GFS) in the MED region. Improved precipitation simulation skills of the WRF model with the detailed SST representation show that the hydrographs of GHRSST and Medspiration simulations show better performance compared to the simulated hydrographs by observed precipitation.     

Total Hg concentrations in stream and lake sediments: Discerning geospatial patterns and controls across Canada

This article presents an analysis of Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) open-file data for total Hg concentrations (THg) in stream and lake sediments at 142,028 sampling locations. This analysis was done for select survey zones across Canada, with emphasis on discerning THg-relevant geographic, geological, atmospheric and topographic controls. THg was generally highest in areas affected by mining and smelting, followed by areas with high metallogenic source locations. Background levels for THg were elevated in the more populated areas along the south, but dropped toward the remote and coldest locations in the east, north and west. This trend was correlated (R² = 0.74; P < 0.0001) with the 2005 GRAHM projections (Global/Regional Atmospheric Heavy Metals Model) for atmospheric Hg deposition (zones and locations with major geogenic sources and mining activities removed). Mean THg was higher for upland lakes (100.9 ± 0.5 SE, ppb) and streams (71.7 ± 0.6 SE, ppb) than for lowland lakes (94.4 ± 0.86 SE, ppb) and streams (64.2 ± 1.26 SE, ppb). The east-central portion of the Yukon Territory (Selwyn Basin) was analyzed in further detail. Here, THg within the sediments increased with increasing loss-on-ignition and increasing trace-element concentrations, and decreased with an increasing wet-area component per catchment above the sediment sampling locations. The characterization and quantification of these Hg trends is important for modeling and mapping health risks to ecosystems and communities across Canada and elsewhere.     

2013年3月19日江西省冰雹天气成因分析

利用常规观测资料和卫星、雷达、自动站等非常规观测资料以及NCEP再分析资料,对2013年3月19日江西省大范围冰雹天气过程形成原因进行分析。结果表明,该过程是在有利的环境条件下发生的：对流层中低层强热力不稳定和强动力不稳定为冰雹生成和增长提供了不稳定机制;暖湿边界层偏南风急流和低层西南急流以及中层“干”西南急流对热力不稳定和动力不稳定机制发展有重要贡献;适宜的0℃层和-20℃层高度有利于冰雹增长。江西北部冰雹天气是在边界层有锋面逆温的条件下发生的,为“高架雷暴”类对流,南部冰雹天气是在边界层有较强暖平流的条件下发生的,为非“高架雷暴”类对流,两类对流的边界层温度层结分布差异明显。与历史同类个例比较发现,假相当位温垂直变化不仅能表征条件不稳定发展程度,对雷雨大风类强对流天气的判断也有一定参考意义。     

Generation of isoprenoid compounds,notably prist-1-ene,via photo- and autoxidative degradation of vitamin E

In order to mimic the photodegradation of vitamin E during phytoplankton senescence and study the behaviour of the resulting photoproducts during cell lysis, vitamin E dispersed in seawater was irradiated with solar light in the presence of hematoporphyrin as sensitizer. Under these conditions, singlet oxygen-mediated photooxidation and free radical oxidation (autoxidation) acted simultaneously on the substrate, affording 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanal, 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acid, 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one, α-tocopherylquinone, 4,8,12,16-tetramethylheptadecan-4-olide, 2,3-epoxy-α-tocopherylquinone and 5,6-epoxy-α-tocopherylquinone as minor products. Different mechanisms were proposed to explain the formation of these different isoprenoids. The main products (85% of the degraded substrate) appeared to be previously described diastereoisomeric trimeric oxidation products of vitamin E, whose pyrolysis during gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) afforded 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadec-1-ene (prist-1-ene). On the basis of their greater ability to produce prist-1-ene during pyrolysis than intact vitamin E and their highly favoured production in phytoplanktonic cells, these trimers are proposed as likely sources of this isoprenoid alkene, previously identified in many pyrolysates from immature kerogens.     

Calibration of Valiantzas’ reference evapotranspiration equations for the Pilbara region,Western Australia

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is a critical component of water resources management and planning. Different methods have been developed to estimate ET0...     

江西强冻雨天气形成特征分析

使用常规气象观测资料、气候资料、NCEP 2.5°×2.5°再分析资料和自动气象站等资料,对江西50年来出现的18次持续3天10站次以上冻雨天气过程的形成特征进行分析,结果表明:(1)地面冷高压、阻塞高压、副热带高压、南支槽、850hPa切变线、地面辐合线(准静止锋)、温度锋区、700 hPa急流与湿舌等是强冻雨天气的主要影响系统,具有明显的天气系统配置特征;(2)在有利的天气形势背景下,强冻雨天气过程具有前期候(旬)增温特征.当前期平均温度极大值和平均温度值接近或超过历史同期水平时.极易出现持续性冻雨天气过程,72%以上的强冻雨天气过程与此相关;(3)18次强冻雨天气过程都存在逆温层特征,逆温层高度在850～700 hPa间,平均逆温差为4～5℃,最大10℃,同时地面温度在0℃以下或接近0℃;(4)700～850 hPa平均温差图上有3个温差中心,表明700 hPa高度上有明显的暖湿气流存在,89%的冻雨天气过程与之相关.     

Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risk Due to Accidental Ingestion of PAHs in Contaminated Soils

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are types of hazardous contaminants, which their ingestion could cause severe consequences on human health. Leakages from storage tanks, underground pipelines, and evaporation ponds are the main sources of soil and groundwater contaminations at the Tehran Oil Refinery area (TOR site), located in south of Tehran, Iran. In this study, soil samples were collected from different locations at and adjacent to a polluted stream in the south of the refinery. The samples were analyzed for two hazardous PAH compounds, namely benzo[a]anthracene and acenaphthene. The clean up levels due to the accidental ingestion of contaminated soils at the site were also investigated in accordance to the U.S.EPA guidelines. Comparing the soil analysis results indicated that the benzo[a]anthracene concentrations in the samples varied from 53 to 299 mg/kg, which were higher than the clean up level of 1.17 mg/kg. Thus, soil remediation is required for this contaminant. The acenaphthene analysis results denoted that the average concentration of this contaminant was below the clean up level of 116.67 mg/kg, indicating that no treatment for this contaminant is necessary at the TOR site. Also, because the slope of the ground extends to the south of the stream, which stimulates the migration of the contaminants in this direction due to advection and dispersion mechanisms, the average of benzo[a]anthracene concentrations in south samples was higher than north samples (i.e., C_avg(S) = 160 ppm, C_avg(N) = 113 ppm). Various treatment techniques such as thermal desorption, soil vapor extraction (SVE), and solidification/stabilization (S/S) were investigated for this site. Due to moderate to high plasticity and relatively low permeability of the soil and low volatility of benzo[a]anthracene, however S/S method is recommended as a practical approach for the remediation of the soil at the site.     

Functional data clustering using K-means and random projection with applications to climatological data

In this paper, an efficient pattern recognition method for functional data is introduced. The proposed method works based on reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), random projection and K-means algorithm. First, the infinite dimensional data are projected onto RKHS, then they are projected iteratively onto some spaces with increasing dimension via random projection. K-means algorithm is applied to the projected data, and its solution is used to start K-means on the projected data in the next spaces. We implement the proposed algorithm on some simulated and climatological datasets and compare the obtained results with those achieved by K-means clustering using a single random projection and classical K-means. The proposed algorithm presents better results based on mean square distance (MSD) and Rand index as we have expected. Furthermore, a new kernel based on a wavelet function is used that gives a suitable reconstruction of curves, and the results are satisfactory.     

Compressibility of calcium ferrite-type MgAl2O4

 In situ X-ray diffraction experiments of calcium ferrite-type MgAl₂O₄ have been carried out using a diamond anvil cell combined with synchrotron radiation and an imaging plate X-ray detector under hydrostatic pressures up to 9 GPa. The observed unit-cell volumes at various pressures were fitted to the Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, yielding a bulk modulus of K _{T 0}= 241(3) GPa when K′ _{T 0}=4 is assumed. This relatively large bulk modulus of calcium ferrite-type MgAl₂O₄ is consistent with that expected from the systematic relation between bulk modulus and molar volume for the most compounds possessing fcc oxygen packing. Received March 5, 1996/Revised, accepted October 15, 1996