PROCESSES OF HEADCUT GROWTH AND MIGRATION IN RILLS AND GULLIES

lINTRoDUCTIONHeadcuterosionwithinrills,ephemeralguIlies,classicgullies,andstreamscausesseriousenvironmentalproblems.Headcuterosionacceleratesthelossoftopsoilanddecreasestheproductivityofagriculturallands.Erodedsedimentsoftenendupinreceivingstreams,causingwaterqualityproblemsandnegativelyimpactingbioIogicalprocesses.Inadditiontolandscapedegradation,gulliesarethedominantformofdamagetoearthspillways.lfagullycanmovethroughanearthspillwayandbreachthecrestofadam,thentheimpoundedfloodwaterswiI1…     

Space Techniques For Remote Sensing Of Environmental Risks In Seas And Oceans

The ocean is an important component of the globalenvironment and must not be ignored in the assessmentof environmental risks, even when attention is focusedon land surface issues. This paper addresses the useof space techniques for remote sensing of the ocean,in the context of how marine environmental risks maybe monitored. Since there are several significantdifferences between remote sensing over land and oversea, the techniques specific to ocean observation arefirst reviewed, identifying what can be measured fromspace and what are the sampling capabilities andinherent limitations. Ocean environmental risks arethen identified at global, regional and local scales,and serve as examples of how space techniques can beused to address them. Finally operationalenvironmental monitoring and risk management is shownto require an integrated approach using models andmeasurements from space and at sea.     

PETROLOGIC AND GEOCHRONOLOGIC STUDIES OF THE KONGUR SHAN DETACHMENT SYSTEM, CENTRAL PAMIR

PETROLOGIC AND GEOCHRONOLOGIC STUDIES     

Spatial and temporal variability of farm size in China in context of rapid urbanization

During the last 30 years,China has witnessed rapid economic growth and dramatic urbanization,with about 1.2 × 107rural people migrating annually into urban areas.Meanwhile,especially since 1995,the rural population has been declining,which is closely linked to land circulation and the increase in farm size in many villages.Increasing scale of farming operations is often regarded as a key to avoiding the abandonment of farmland and to increasing the income of rural farmers.However,until now,there has been little research on the spatial and temporal variability of farm size at the national level in China.Using data from the national agricultural census and rural household surveys,this study examines the characteristics of land use circulation and the consequent changes in the area of farmland per household.The results show that: 1) 12.2% of rural households were involved in land circulation at the national level.The highest amounts of land circulation have occurred in those provinces where the farmland per capita is more than 0.2 ha or less than 0.1 ha;2) over 80% of households operate less than 0.6 ha of farmland;3) the proportion of mid-sized farms(between 0.2 ha and 0.6 ha per household) has decreased while the smallest and the largest farms have increased.This bears some similarity with the phenomenon known as the ′disappearing middle′,referring to the changes in farm size.This study establishes a framework for interpreting the factors affecting the changes in farm size in China,which include two promoting factors(urbanization and agriculture) and four hindering factors(agricultual land system,household registration,stable clan system,and farmland loss).     

IRAS 22036+5306: an Al2O3 oxide-dominated post-AGB star

Radiative transfer modelling of the Infrared Space Observatory ( ISO ) spectrum of IRAS 22036+5306 has shown that its unusual 11-μm band can be suitably modelled with an alumina-olivine mixture substantially dominated by the former. The results of this work add further credence to recent findings that significant amounts of Al  ₂O₃  dust grains are present in the dust shells of stars near or beyond the tip of the asymptotic giant branch. Indeed, in the case of IRAS 22036+5306, Al  ₂O₃  dominates the dust composition to the extent that it shifts the 9.8-μm band due to amorphous silicates to 11 μm. IRAS 22036+5306 may be an unusual case in that the inner dust torus is maintained at a sufficiently high temperature for Al  ₂O₃  condensation, but not silicate.     

Seabirds as indicators of aquatic ecosystem conditions: A case for gathering multiple proxies of seabird health

The use of seabirds as sentinels of the condition of aquatic ecosystems has been well-established. Large environmental perturbations to aquatic food webs (e.g., chemical contamination, overfishing, particulate pollution) have all been detected or monitored by tracking seabirds at colonies. However, seabirds may elicit more subtle, sublethal responses that can also be used to track ecosystem health, or the health of seabird populations. In this article, we advocate for field researchers to plan a priori to collect a broader suite of samples when handling seabirds, and to reach out for collaboration with specialists (e.g., parasitologists, wildlife veterinarians). Collectively, such efforts will greatly improve our ability to establish baseline physiological and chemical levels for seabirds, against which we can detect future changes in aquatic ecosystems.     

433 Eros Global Basemap from NEAR Shoemaker MSI Images

During its year-long orbital survey of Asteroid 433 Eros (February 14, 2000 to February 12, 2001) the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft returned over 160,000 images of the surface, obtained under a wide variety of viewing conditions and resolutions. To handle this large volume of images of Eros, we have utilized specialized techniques for projecting, mosaicking, and photometrically analyzing images of irregular objects. Local incidence and emission angles are calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis from the global shape model to produce a normalized reflectance map of the entire asteroid. This map provides not only a medium resolution (∼10 m/pixel) scientific product in its own right but also a regional context for high-resolution (<1 m/pixel) image sequences.     

A large-eddy simulation of turbulent compressible convection: differential rotation in the solar convection zone

We present the results of two simulations of the convection zone, obtained by solving the full hydrodynamic equations in a section of a spherical shell. The first simulation has cylindrical rotation contours (parallel to the rotation axis) and a strong meridional circulation, which traverses the entire depth. The second simulation has isorotation contours about mid-way between cylinders and cones, and a weak meridional circulation, concentrated in the uppermost part of the shell.
We show that the solar differential rotation is directly related to a latitudinal entropy gradient, which pervades into the deep layers of the convection zone. We also offer an explanation of the angular velocity shear found at low latitudes near the top. A non-zero correlation between radial and zonal velocity fluctuations produces a significant Reynolds stress in that region. This constitutes a net transport of angular momentum inwards, which causes a slight modification of the overall structure of the differential rotation near the top. In essence, the thermodynamics controls the dynamics through the Taylor–Proudman momentum balance . The Reynolds stresses only become significant in the surface layers, where they generate a weak meridional circulation and an angular velocity 'bump'.