Application of the chemometric approach to evaluate the spatial variation of water chemistry and the identification of the sources of pollution in Langat River, Malaysia

The current study presents the application of selected chemometric techniques—hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA)—to evaluate the spatial variation of the water chemistry and to classify the pollution sources in the Langat River. The HCA rendered the sampling stations into two clusters (group 1 and group 2) and identified the vulnerable stations that are under threat. Group1 (LY 1 to LY 14) is associated with seawater intrusion, while group 2 (LY 15 to LY 30) is associated with agricultural and industrial pollution. PCA analysis was applied to the water datasets for group 1 resulting in four components, which explained 85 % of the total variance while group 2 extracted six components, explaining 88 % of the variance. The components obtained from PCA indicated that seawater intrusion, agricultural and industrial pollution, and geological weathering were potential sources of pollution to the study area. This study demonstrated the usefulness of the chemometric techniques on the interpretation of large complex datasets for the effective management of water resources.     

用于光学瞬变源搜寻的交叉证认快速算法

现代宽视场光学瞬变源巡天的大数据量特性和数据处理的高实时性要求,对利用星表交叉证认寻找瞬变源的方法提出了挑战。提出了一种基于等经纬分区建立空间索引的快速星表交叉证认算法。该算法通过对参考星表按相同经度和纬度间隔将视场所覆盖的天区划分为一个二维空间网格,并将二维网格直接与二维数组相对应,建立起星表的快速分区索引,从而实现处理速度的极大提升。算法的代码化测试结果为:对于天区覆盖为15°×15°记录条数为22万条的星表,在Intel Core i7 2600k CPU上的运行时间为0.3 s,比多级三角划分算法(Hierarchical Triangular Mesh,HTM)快34倍。测试结果表明该算法能很好地满足,如地面广角相机阵这样的大型宽场瞬变源巡天项目的数据处理实时性需求。同时详细地分析了算法中各个参数的意义和优化方法,并对算法的特点和适用范围进行了深入的讨论。     

Evaluating conservation effectiveness of nature reserves established for surrogate species: Case of a giant panda nature reserve in Qinling Mountains, China

Many nature reserves are established to protect the habitat needs of particular endangered species of interest but their effec-tiveness for protecting other species is questionable.In this study,this effectiveness was evaluated in a nature reserve network located in the Qinling Mountains,Shaanxi Province,China.The network of reserves was established mainly for the conservation of the giant panda,a species considered as a surrogate for the conservation of many other endangered species in the region.The habitat suitability of nine protected species,including the giant panda,was modeled by using Maximum Entropy（MAXENT） and their spatial congruence was analyzed.Habitat suitability of these species was also overlapped with nature reserve boundaries and their management zones（i.e.,core,buffer and experimental zones）.Results show that in general the habitat of the giant panda constitutes a reasonable surrogate of the habitat of other protected species,and giant panda reserves protect a relatively high proportion of the habitat of other protected species.Therefore,giant panda habitat conservation also allows the conservation of the habitat of other protected species in the region.However,a large area of suitable habitat was excluded from the nature reserve network.In addition,four species exhibited a low proportion of highly suitable habitat inside the core zones of nature reserves.It suggests that a high proportion of suitable habitat of protected species not targeted for conservation is located in the experimental and buffer zones,thus,is being affected by human activities.To increase their conservation effectiveness,nature reserves and their management zones need to be re-examined in order to include suitable habitat of more endangered species.The procedures described in this study can be easily implemented for the conservation of many endangered species not only in China but in many other parts of the world.     

The Effect of Groundwater Allocation on Economic Welfare Loss

Water scarcity has become a constraint for regional economic development in many cities and regions. Water rationing serves as one instrument to constrain water consumption to persuade users to save water and to moderate their consumption. When the supply of water is unable to satisfy demand, a loss of welfare for the water users will usually occur. This paper conducts an empirical case study on a Chicago suburban county, McHenry County, to evaluate effective water allocation strategies under possible water scarcity scenarios, by specifically taking into consideration of the economic welfare loss under water rationing. It points out the inefficiency of equal rationing and tests a more effective optimal rationing regime which could significantly lower the overall welfare loss for McHenry County. Instead of a conventional watershed‐based approach that would provide little advantage for an area that mostly relies on groundwater, this study adopts regional planning/political boundaries as its spatial analytical units. The outcomes suggest that municipality‐level water resources management models, powered under economic welfare objective functions, are both possible and practical. The planning strategy drawn under such optimization models suggests a variety of promising approaches to manage groundwater resources at county scales.     

A numerical study on the occurrence of flowing wells in the discharge area of basins due to the upward hydraulic gradient induced wellbore flow

The occurrence of flowing wells in basins has been found to be closely related to the discharge area with an upward hydraulic gradient. Unfortunately, previous studies on upward gradient induced wellbore flow with equaling total inflow (Q_in) in the deep and total outflow (Q_out) in the shallow could not explain the occurrence of flowing wells. By representing wells using the MNW2 Package imbedded in MODFLOW 2005, we obtain the exchange of groundwater between the aquifer and the well in the discharge area of 3D unit basins and identify three scenarios: Q_in = Q_out, Q_in > Q_out > 0 and Q_in > Q_out = 0. The relationship of Q_in > Q_out well explains why flowing wells only develop in a limited part of the discharge area. Sensitivity analysis shows that well location, water table undulation, and basin length–depth ratio do not change the profile of the ratio of cumulative flow rate in a flowing well to total inflow (Q_v/Q_in) versus the relative elevation in the inflow segment, z_in*, but could significantly change the length of the inflow segment; well depth could change both the length of the inflow segment and the profile of Q_v/Q_in versus z_in*. Based on the numerical results in homogeneous and isotropic basins with different basin length–depth ratios in the current study, the ratio of inflow in the lower half part of a flowing well to the total inflow is found to be at least 67% and could be close to 100%, indicating that water at the outlets of flowing wells with long open sections is mainly from the deep part of the well.     

Dissolved organic carbon transport in the Qilian mountainous areas of China

The Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) content of rivers is the most significant part of the carbon cycle migration in the basin under consideration, and it is the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the regional carbon cycle. In this study, we periodically collected samples from four monitoring stations in the Xiying River Basin of the Qilian Mountains in the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We calculated the fluxes of organic carbon in the rivers within the study area and have discussed the influencing factors of DOC concentration in these rivers. The results showed that: (a) The DOC concentration and transport flux of the Xiying river showed significant seasonal changes. The DOC concentration during summer and autumn was higher than that in winter and spring, and the output flux in summer and autumn accounted for approximately 88.3% of the total annual output. (b) Precipitation runoff has a higher DOC concentration than meltwater runoff. Climate factors, river-water chemical characteristics, and seasonal frozen-soil changes in the river basin have significant effects on the river DOC concentration and transport flux. (c) Larger runoff causes higher DOC concentrations in rivers. Runoff is the primary means of carbon migration in the inland river basin. Carbon migration is significant from the upstream to the middle and downstream sections of the inland river basin.     

北冰洋地质构造及其演化

北冰洋及其周围的陆架海资源十分丰富,尤其是油气和煤炭。但受自然条件的限制,调查程度很低,许多地质与构造问题尚未解决。区域构造的认识主要依赖航磁测量结果。本文试图综合各国对北冰洋地区的研究现状,形成对该区地质构造及其演化的认识：1）欧亚海盆磁条带清晰,对海盆构造和演化历史认识争议最小,识别的最老磁条带为25,因此海盆大致于58Ma开始张开。磁条带13,之后,Yermak高地与莫里斯?杰塞普隆起分离,欧亚海盆与北大西洋连通。2）从地壳结构与地壳厚度,以及其它资料来看,阿尔法海岭－门捷列夫海岭与罗蒙诺索夫海岭一样,应为陆壳,可能是先后从巴伦支陆架裂离形成的。3）马卡罗夫海盆为典型的洋壳,其形成方式和时代还很少约束,其中观点之一是在晚赛诺曼期－早始新世,随阿尔法海岭－门捷列夫海岭裂离巴伦支陆架,海底扩张形成,并随Gakkel扩张中心在晚古新世的形成而逐步衰退。4） 加拿大海盆可能是北冰洋最早形成的海盆,其形成时间与机制至今仍所知甚少,但可能是从140~135Ma至95~80Ma,随新西伯利亚－楚科奇－阿拉斯加微板块旋转裂离加拿大北部陆缘形成。5）北冰洋的演化大致可以分为3个主要阶段：晚侏罗世－早白垩世、晚白垩世－新生代早期、新生代。第一阶段,加拿大海盆地的扩张中心形成、演化与消亡,第二阶段是拉布拉多－巴芬－马卡罗夫扩张中心的形成与演化,在始新世停止活动,第三阶段,极慢速的Mohna、Knipovich和Gakkel洋中脊的扩张,致使欧亚海盆形成。     

利用现代小地震分布研究1861年辽宁普兰店东6级地震的震中位置和发震构造

1861年7月19日发生在辽宁省普兰店东的6级地震在不同目录及研究中给出的震中位置有很大差异。总结以往对此次地震震中位置的研究,大致涉及4个不同地点。本文对分布在该区的现代小震进行重新定位,结果表明,小震活动在普兰店以东地区形成明显的北西向优势分布。综合分析1861年普兰店东6级地震的主要破裂方向为北西向,受北东向金州断裂北西向普兰店长海断裂的双重控制。     

Climatology of ionospheric upper transition height derived from COSMIC satellites during the solar minimum of 2008

The electron density profiles retrieved from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere & Climate (COSMIC) satellite Radio Occultation (RO) observations during 2008 are used to derive ionospheric upper transition height, where the density of O⁺ is equal to that of light ions (mainly H⁺ and He⁺). It is found that the ionosphere upper transition height is very low, with significant local time, latitude and seasonal variations, during the extremely low solar minimum of 2008. The transition height is higher in the daytime than at night, except over middle latitude region of winter hemisphere, where the transition height has minimum in the morning. There is a pronounced peak over equator for all seasons. The transition height is higher in summer than in winter hemisphere. Our results have comparability with C/NOFS satellite observations around the equatorial region during June–August of 2008. However, the IRI model gives much higher transition height than those from COSMIC and cannot reproduce its latitude and season variations well during 2008.     

Effect of Sludge Retention Time on Nitrifiers' Biomass and Kinetics in an Anaerobic/Oxic Process

In this study, the effect of sludge retention time on ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in an anaerobic/oxic (AO) process, was explored. The results indicated that the growth rate constants of AOB were 0.97, 0.88, and 0.79 d^–1, respectively, meanwhile, those of NOB were 1.22, 1.03, and 0.93 d^–1, respectively, when the sludge retention time (SRT) was 15 days, 10 days and 5 days. The relation between the growth rate constant and the SRT could be best described using a simple exponential curve and a second type hyperbolic curve. The lysis rate constants for AOB and NOB were 0.13 and 0.18 d^–1, respectively. The yield coefficients values of AOB and NOB were 0.22 and 0.21, respectively. The percentage of AOB to mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) was 0.64%, 0.53%, and 0.35%, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of NOB was 2.24%, 1.87%, and 1.11%, respectively, at SRT values of 15 days, 10 days and 5 days. When the SRT value decreased, the AOB and NOB biomass levels decreased by 12.75 and 47.01 mg L^–1, respectively. Meanwhile the removal efficiency of NH₄⁺‐N decreased from 90 to 26%, while the removal efficiency of total nitrogen (TN) decreased from 14 to 8%.