Simulation of urban climate with high-resolution WRF model: A case study in Nanjing, China

In this study, urban climate in Nanjing of eastern China is simulated using 1-km resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a single-layer Urban Canopy Model. Based on the 10-summer simulation results from 2000 to 2009 we find that the WRF model is capable of capturing the high-resolution features of urban climate over Nanjing area. Although WRF underestimates the total precipitation amount, the model performs well in simulating the surface air temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation frequency and inter-annual variability. We find that extremely hot events occur most frequently in urban area, with daily maximum (minimum) temperature exceeding 36°C (28°C) in around 40% (32%) of days. Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect at surface is more evident during nighttime than daytime, with 20% of cases the UHI intensity above 2.5°C at night. However, The UHI affects the vertical structure of Planet Boundary Layer (PBL) more deeply during daytime than nighttime. Net gain for latent heat and net radiation is larger over urban than rural surface during daytime. Correspondingly, net loss of sensible heat and ground heat are larger over urban surface resulting from warmer urban skin. Because of different diurnal characteristics of urban-rural differences in the latent heat, ground heat and other energy fluxes, the near surface UHI intensity exhibits a very complex diurnal feature. UHI effect is stronger in days with less cloud or lower wind speed. Model results reveal a larger precipitation frequency over urban area, mainly contributed by the light rain events (< 10 mm d^?1). Consistent with satellite dataset, around 10?C20% more precipitation occurs in urban than rural area at afternoon induced by more unstable urban PBL, which induces a strong vertical atmospheric mixing and upward moisture transport. A significant enhancement of precipitation is found in the downwind region of urban in our simulations in the afternoon.     

Towards quantifying uncertainty in transient climate change

Ensembles of coupled atmosphere–ocean global circulation model simulations are required to make probabilistic predictions of future climate change. “Perturbed physics” ensembles provide a new approach in which modelling uncertainties are sampled systematically by perturbing uncertain parameters. The aim is to provide a basis for probabilistic predictions in which the impact of prior assumptions and observational constraints can be clearly distinguished. Here we report on the first perturbed physics coupled atmosphere–ocean model ensemble in which poorly constrained atmosphere, land and sea-ice component parameters are varied in the third version of the Hadley Centre model (the variation of ocean parameters will be the subject of future study). Flux adjustments are employed, both to reduce regional sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity biases and also to admit the use of combinations of model parameter values which give non-zero values for the global radiation balance. This improves the extent to which the ensemble provides a credible basis for the quantification of uncertainties in climate change, especially at a regional level. However, this particular implementation of flux-adjustments leads to a weakening of the Atlantic overturning circulation, resulting in the development of biases in SST and sea ice in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. Nevertheless, model versions are produced which are of similar quality to the unperturbed and un-flux-adjusted version. The ensemble is used to simulate pre-industrial conditions and a simple scenario of a 1% per year compounded increase in CO₂. The range of transient climate response (the 20 year averaged global warming at the time of CO₂ doubling) is 1.5–2.6°C, similar to that found in multi-model studies. Measures of global and large scale climate change from the coupled models show simple relationships with associated measures computed from atmosphere-mixed-layer-ocean climate change experiments, suggesting that recent advances in computing the probability density function of climate change under equilibrium conditions using the perturbed physics approach may be extended to the transient case.     

Metamorphic re-equilibration and metasomatism of highly chromian,garnet-rich peridotitic xenoliths from South African kimberlites

A history of decompression and metasomatism is preserved in a suite of highly chromian, garnet-rich peridotitic xenoliths from the diamondiferous Newlands and Bobbejaan kimberlites, South Africa. A high proportion of the garnets and chromites in these rocks plot in the diamond-facies fields on Cr₂O₃–CaO and Cr₂O₃–MgO wt% plots, and Cr-rich compositions are found in both the harzburgitic and lherzolitic fields. Petrographic evidence suggests that the earliest known mineralogies were those of olivine-bearing, garnet-rich rocks. These were modified by a decompression event that caused recrystallization of garnets and led to orientated spinel and pyroxene inclusions in garnet. Chemical zonation within garnet is divided into (1) external re-equilibration between garnet and matrix; (2) internal re-equilibration between garnet and its inclusions; and (3) metasomatically induced zoning between garnet core and a metasomatic rim. The compositional trajectories associated with zonations (1) and (2) in Ca–Cr plots may be closely modelled by means of sliding, garnet–spinel transition reactions whose slopes vary with bulk Ca composition; at intermediate Ca compositions, the trajectories closely match the slope of the lherzolite line or harzburgite/lherzolite boundary. The decreasing Cr/(Cr + Al) of the garnet in these zonations is in agreement with the evidence for decompression given by the petrographic recrystallization features, and overall decompression of probably 10–20 kb is indicated. We speculate on the age of these events, and consider the possibility of their association with major orogenic events documented by South African crustal rocks at 2.9–2.7 Ga, and events evidenced by peridotite-xenolith Re–Os model ages at 2.8–2.7 Ga.     

贵州晚三叠世卡尼期周氏黔鱼龙(Qianichthyosaurus zhoui)性双形研究

本文对产于贵州兴义乌沙地区上三叠统卡尼阶法郎组瓦窑段中的17件鱼龙标本进行研究,认为本次研究标本均为Qianichthyosaurus zhoui。通过对其肢骨的定性及定量分析认为,Qianichthyosaurus zhoui在后肢形态上存在性双形现象。暨雄性后肢外形窄长,雌性后肢则相对宽短;雄性的股骨比肱骨长度略长,而雌性的股骨与肱骨长度相当;雄性股骨近端和远端相较于雌性更为膨大股骨远端宽度为中轴宽度的253倍,股骨长与股骨中轴的比值较大,通常大于35;雌性股骨近端和远端相较于雄性较小股骨远端宽度一般为中轴宽度的2倍左右,股骨长与股骨中轴的比例较小,比值约为3左右雌性第一跖骨面积较小且具有凹缺,雄性第一跖骨面积较大不具凹缺。     

Extracting spatial patterns in bicycle routes from crowdsourced data

Much is done nowadays to provide cyclists with safe and sustainable road infrastructure. Its development requires the investigation of road usage and interactions between traffic commuters. This article is focused on exploiting crowdsourced user‐generated data, namely GPS trajectories collected by cyclists and road network infrastructure generated by citizens, to extract and analyze spatial patterns and road‐type use of cyclists in urban environments. Since user‐generated data shows data‐deficiencies, we introduce tailored spatial data‐handling processes for which several algorithms are developed and implemented. These include data filtering and segmentation, map‐matching and spatial arrangement of GPS trajectories with the road network. A spatial analysis and a characterization of road‐type use are then carried out to investigate and identify specific spatial patterns of cycle routes. The proposed analysis was applied to the cities of Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and Osnabrück (Germany), proving its feasibility and reliability in mining road‐type use and extracting pattern information and preferences. This information can help users who wish to explore friendlier and more interesting cycle patterns, based on collective usage, as well as city planners and transportation experts wishing to pinpoint areas most in need of further development and planning.     

静力触探在复合地基质量检测中的应用

论述了静力触探 ( CPT)技术在黄土地区对人工复合地基承载力的确定 ,以及静力触探曲线特征与灰土挤密桩挤密效果的对应关系。     

Climatic indices in the interpretation of the phenological phases of the olive in mediterranean areas during its biological cycle

The present study implemented a regional phenological model that was derived through the growing season index and adapted to a widespread Mediterranean species, the olive (Olea europaea L.). This model considers not only individual phenological events, but also the main vegetative and reproductive phenological phases of the species, in an integrated biological approach. The regional model generally does not need to include specific meteorological variables calculated as weekly or monthly averages which could limit the extrapolation over large areas. The main climatic limitations of the olive cultivation areas in the south Mediterranean at latitudes around 10° (practically speaking, the geographical limits of the olive) are estimated here. This analysis uses information relating to local climatic changes over the last two decades (1990–1999, 2000–2009) to provide interpretations of the temperature, solar radiation rate, and evapotranspiration trends. This has allowed creation of a Mediterranean phenological model adapted to the olive, which presents the contemporary climate requirements during winter and the warm summer season. The climate analysis and comparisons of these two decades has allowed us to reveal a reduction in the index according to the minimum temperature, which has particular consequences in the northern monitoring areas. This phenomenon appears to present new positive scenarios for the future regarding a northward shift of olive cultivation areas, due to the potential enlargement of the growing season in winter. However, negative scenarios can also be foreseen in consideration of the failure to satisfy the minimum chilling requirements in the traditional southern cultivation areas of the olive.     

Persistence of clear-water,shallow-lake ecosystems: the role of protected areas and stable aquatic food webs

The roles of both landscape alteration and in-lake processes need to be considered in conservation strategies for shallow lakes in the prairie regions of North America. Here we focus on shallow lakes in west-central Minnesota, USA, highlighting the long-term ecological history and response to known landscape changes of a clear-water, macrophyte-dominated, shallow lake. Contemporary limnological data suggest the aquatic ecosystem has been very stable and fishless for the last ~15 years. Sediment proxies for primary production and ecological change confirm that a stable ecosystem likely prevailed for the last ~200 years. However, sedimentary indicators of catchment erosion detail a distinct response to land-use change during the conversion of native grassland to agricultural land, and following establishment of a protected waterfowl production area (WPA) around the lake. Post-WPA, the rate of sediment accrual decreased dramatically within 5–10 years and sources of organic matter were similar to those of the pre-settlement period. The aquatic ecosystem has been able to withstand nutrient enrichment and allochthonous inputs because stable trophic interactions have likely been in place for more than 200 years. We conclude that lack of hydrologic connectivity and isolated, small catchments are important factors in the promotion of clear-water shallow lake ecosystems, mainly because they prevent colonization by fish and associated ecological consequences. This study highlights the importance of managing both the landscape and in-lake processes to maintain stable, clear-water, shallow lakes.     

Modelling Pollutant Dispersion in a Street Network

This study constitutes a further step in the analysis of the performances of a street network model to simulate atmospheric pollutant dispersion in urban areas. The model, named SIRANE, is based on the decomposition of the urban atmosphere into two sub-domains: the urban boundary layer, whose dynamics is assumed to be well established, and the urban canopy, represented as a series of interconnected boxes. Parametric laws govern the mass exchanges between the boxes under the assumption that the pollutant dispersion within the canopy can be fully simulated by modelling three main bulk transfer phenomena: channelling along street axes, transfers at street intersections, and vertical exchange between street canyons and the overlying atmosphere. Here, we aim to evaluate the reliability of the parametrizations adopted to simulate these phenomena, by focusing on their possible dependence on the external wind direction. To this end, we test the model against concentration measurements within an idealized urban district whose geometrical layout closely matches the street network represented in SIRANE. The analysis is performed for an urban array with a fixed geometry and a varying wind incidence angle. The results show that the model provides generally good results with the reference parametrizations adopted in SIRANE and that its performances are quite robust for a wide range of the model parameters. This proves the reliability of the street network approach in simulating pollutant dispersion in densely built city districts. The results also show that the model performances may be improved by considering a dependence of the wind fluctuations at street intersections and of the vertical exchange velocity on the direction of the incident wind. This opens the way for further investigations to clarify the dependence of these parameters on wind direction and street aspect ratios.     

First microbialites associated to organic-rich facies of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (Northern Tunisia,Cenomanian–Turonian transition)

From northern Tunisia, small-scale well-preserved microbialites, contemporaneous to the global oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE 2) are first reported on the southern Tethyan Margin. These microbialites are encased within the pelagic organic-rich black shales of the Bahloul Formation (Cenomanian–Turonian transition). Biostratigraphic, petrographic, and geochemical investigations carried out to constrain their biogenicity and genesis character led to consider them as thrombolites and stromatolites occurring in lenticular bioherms/biostromes and columnar bodies co-relatable to the global ‘filament event’ of the authors, close to the base of the Watinoceras ammonite zone. Abundant clotted micrite, cyanobacterial filaments, and algal tissues point to the key process of microbial carbonate precipitation and to a major role played by microbes in the stabilisation and subsequent lithification, which in turn favoured the preservation of the original structure of the microbialites. These microbially induced carbonate formations are considered as favoured by chemosynthetic fauna of bivalve molluscs and lithistid sponges which were able to host symbiotic microbial communities. The latter contributed to the precipitation of authigenic calcite and non-carbonate minerals (e.g. pyrite) fuelled by microbial activity under sulphate-reducing conditions. The carbonate body onset is considered to be initiated by seafloor instability due to syndepositional fault acting that induced the appraisal of uplifted tilted blocks within oxygenated waters but near the anoxic water masses. Generated depressions allowed the development of chemosynthetic-based communities. Deep faults related to Triassic salt domes acted as conducts for hydrocarbon and salt brine expulsion to the seafloor and the microbialite growth was enhanced by an abrupt uprising sea level under warmer conditions.