A novel model to assess soil productivity in the dry-hot valleys of China

Accurate evaluation of soil productivity has been a long-standing challenge. Although numerous models for productivity assessment exist, most are cumbersome to use and require substantial parameter inputs. We developed a new empirical soil productivity model based on field investigations of soil erosion, soil physicochemical properties, and crop yields in the dry-hot valleys (DHVs) in China. We found that soil pH, and organic matter and available potassium contents significantly affected crop yields under eroded conditions of the DHVs. Moreover, available potassium content was the key factor affecting soil productivity. We then modified an existing soil productivity model by adding the following parameters: contents of effective water, potassium, organic matter, and clay, soil pH, and root weighting factor. The modified soil productivity model explained 63.5% of the crop yield. We concluded that the new model was simple, realistic, and exhibited strong predictability. In addition to providing an accurate assessment of soil productivity, our model could potentially be applied as a soil module in comprehensive crop models.     

The effect of metallicity on the minimum mass ratio of W Ursae Majoris-type systems

According to the prevenient theoretical study, the minimum mass ratio for tidal stability of W Ursae Majoris (W UMa) systems is q _min?=(M ₂/M ₁)～0.071–0.078. However, the mass ratios of some observed W UMa binaries are smaller than the theoretical minimum mass ratio. Using Eggleton’s stellar evolution code, we study the effects of metallicity and evolution on the minimum mass ratio of W UMa systems (M ₁=1.2M _⊙). We assume that $k_{1}^{2}=k_{2}^{2}$ for the component’s dimensionless gyration radii and that the contact degree is about 70 per cent. We find that the dynamical stability of W UMa binaries depends on the metallicity of W UMa systems. For the W UMa systems at age = 0 Gyr, the distribution of the minimum mass ratio has a fairly wide range, from 0.083 to 0.064, with the metallicity range from Z=0.0001 to 0.03. W UMa systems with Z=0.01 have the smallest value of the minimum mass ratio, which is about 0.064. The existence of low-q systems can be explained partly by the dependence of the dimensionless gyration radius on the metallicity. In addition, the dependence of the minimum mass ratio on the evolution, as suggested by previously work, is confirmed.     

Habitable zones and UV habitable zones around host stars

Ultraviolet radiation is a double-edged sword to life. If it is too strong, the terrestrial biological systems will be damaged. And if it is too weak, the synthesis of many biochemical compounds cannot go along. We try to obtain the continuous ultraviolet habitable zones, and compare the ultraviolet habitable zones with the habitable zones of host stars. Using the boundary ultraviolet radiation of ultraviolet habitable zone, we calculate the ultraviolet habitable zones of host stars with masses from 0.08 to 4.00 M _⊙. For the host stars with effective temperatures lower than 4,600 K, the ultraviolet habitable zones are closer than the habitable zones. For the host stars with effective temperatures higher than 7,137 K, the ultraviolet habitable zones are farther than the habitable zones. For a hot subdwarf as a host star, the distance of the ultraviolet habitable zone is about ten times more than that of the habitable zone, which is not suitable for the existence of life.     

Modelling combined open channel flow by artificial neural networks

Combined open channel flow is encountered in many hydraulic engineering structures and processes, such as irrigation ditches and wastewater treatment facilities. Extensive experimental studies have conducted to investigate combined flow characteristics. Nevertheless, there is no simple relationship that can fully describe the velocity profiles in a turbulent flow. The artificial neural network (ANN) has great computational capability for solving various complex problems, such as function approximation. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability of the ANN for simulating velocity profiles, velocity contours and estimating the discharges accordingly. The velocity profiles measured by an acoustic doppler velocimeter in the open channel of the Chihtan purification plant, Taipei, with different discharges at fixed measuring section and different depths are presented. The total number of data sets is 640 and the data sets are split into two subsets, i.e. training and validation sets. The backpropagation algorithm is used to construct the neural network. The results demonstrate that the velocity profiles can be modelled by the ANN, and the ANN constructed can nicely fit the velocity profiles and can precisely predict the discharges for the conditions investigated. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Miscellaneous information

Miscellaneous information     

Rock-magnetic proxies of climate change in the loess-palaeosol sequences of the western Loess Plateau of China

Results of the first detailed study of the climate proxy record in the loess-palaeosol sequence at Xining-one of the few palaeoclimate sites in the currently arid western Loess Plateau of China-illustrate the importance of making many types of rock-magnetic measurements other than susceptibility. A multiparameter approach yielded confirmation that here, as elsewhere in the Loess Plateau, the susceptibility enhancement in palaeosols was caused primarily by ultrafine magnetite and maghaemite. Nevertheless, magnetic enhancement was caused not exclusively by changes in relative grain size, but also by variations in concentration and mineralogy of the magnetic fraction.
The effects of concentration variations were removed through normalization of susceptibility and anhysteretic remanence with saturation magnetization and saturation remanence, respectively. the resulting signal was ascribed more confidently to variation in magnetic grain size, which in turn was interpreted as a better proxy of pedogenesis than simple susceptibility. Variations in magnetic mineralogy were also determined to constrain interpretations further. the data were then used to discuss climate history at Xining. Finally, results from Xining were compared with other western sites and contrasted with eastern sites.
In summary: (1) data is presented from a new Loess Plateau site which also appears to yield a global climate signal; (2) a demonstration is made of a more rock-magnetically robust way to separate concentration, composition and grain-size controls on susceptibility and other magnetic parameters; and (3) models are provided for inter-regional comparisons of palaeoclimate proxy records.     

由公元3世纪至13世纪间中国古代月食时刻记录得到的△T值

本文简单介绍了中国古代月食观测的时刻记录，并运用公元３世纪初至１３世纪末近５０次月食的近百个不同食相的观测时刻的记载，研究地球自转速率的长期变化，得到了表示这一变化的△Ｔ值及日长变化值。     

Variation of precipitation in Langtang Valley,Himalayas

The variation of the δ 18O in precipitation and the relationship with precipitation amountat Kyangjin Base House and Yala Glacier Camp in Langtang Valley, Nepal Himalayas were ana-lyzed. The variations of the δ 18O with precipitation had great scatter, and the correlations betweenthe δ18O and precipitation changed with time on the synoptic scale. On the seasonal scale, therewas marked amount effect at Kyangjin Base House. However, the δ18O-precipitation gradient wassmaller than that on the synoptic scale. Because of the maintenance of the basic equilibrium be-tween stable isotopic compositions in atmospheric vapor and precipitation, the evaporation en-richment was light during the rainy season. Therefore, the variation of stable isotopic compositionsin precipitation was independent on the sampling intervals. Simulations show that the rainfall inLangtang Valley was not the outcome of the initial condensation of ocean vapor that originatedfrom low latitudes. The stable isotopic compositions in precipitation were greatly depleted due tothe strong rainout of the vapor from oceans as the vapor was raised over the Himalayas     

海南岛东南部新村港和黎安港潮汐特征及潮汐汊道P-A关系

以2013年8月实测的水位和流速资料为依据, 基于调和分析和统计方法分析了海南岛东南部新村港和黎安港潟湖的潮汐和潮流特征及其分布规律, 并探讨了潮汐汊道的P-A关系及其影响因素。结果表明, 双湖附近海域潮汐以全日分潮O1和K1为主, 半日分潮M2次之, 浅水分潮亦较显著, 属于非正规的全日混合潮; 调和常数反演的潮位与实测潮位基本吻合, 表明潟湖水位主要受潮汐控制。此外, 双湖均存在潮高日不等和涨落潮历时不等的现象, 涨潮历时略大于落潮历时。新村港平均高潮位0.65m, 较黎安港高0.15m; 平均低潮位-0.28m, 较黎安港低0.06m。新村港平均潮差0.50m, 最大可能潮差1.63m; 黎安港平均潮差0.36m, 最大可能潮差1.22m; 双湖平均潮差相差0.14m, 而最大可能潮差相差较大, 约0.41m。新村港平均潮差由口门向湾内有增大的趋势, 而黎安港却恰好相反。实测和模拟结果显示新村港和黎安港潟湖潮流分布格局类似, 都呈现出口门流速较大, 潟湖内部区域流速较小(小于0.1m/s)的分布规律, 且落潮流略强于涨潮流。新村港和黎安港的P-A值与华南海岸潮汐汊道P-A关系回归线吻合较好, 其中黎安港P-A值基本在华南海岸P-A关系回归线上, 而新村港略微有点偏离, 这说明新村港和黎安港潮汐汊道基本处于均衡状态。     

扩展卡尔曼滤波数据同化试验--基于Lorenz(1960)系统的研究

本文采用Lorenz(1960)系统，在只考虑初始误差及观测误差而不考虑模式误差的情况下，利用扩展卡尔曼滤波(Extended Kalman Filter)数据同化方法进行了数值模拟试验。数值试验的结果表明：扩展卡尔曼滤波数据同化方法对系统状态的估计有较好的改善作用，能有效的抑制估计误差的增长；加大观测频率，可以进一步改善数据同化的效果，使估计误差进一步减小；由于模式误差的存在，系统的不稳定能量会不断的累积，出现了估计误差的异常增长和计算的不连续现象，在模式预报方程中的均值演变方程加人二阶偏差纠错项，对控制估计误差的异常增长，进一步改善数据同化的效果有较明显作用。