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.     

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%.     

准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷下二叠统风城组含碱层段韵律特征及成因*

准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷早二叠世风城组沉积时期为典型的碳酸盐型咸化湖盆,湖盆咸化过程中析出大量的碱矿(钠碳酸盐类矿物)。通过含碱层段主量元素、碳氧同位素分析,结合岩心宏观及微观矿物岩石特征,探讨了含碱层段韵律特征及形成机理。研究层段碱矿与沉凝灰岩互层,形成明暗相间的咸化韵律。浅色碱矿层质地较纯,主要为苏打和小苏打,主量元素表现为 Na₂O含量高,CaO、MgO、SiO₂和Al₂O₃含量低;暗色层段主要为含斑点状碳钠钙石的沉凝灰岩,主量元素表现为Na₂O含量低,CaO、MgO、SiO₂和Al₂O₃含量高。浅色碱矿层和暗色沉凝灰岩段碳氧同位素值均为正,表明其沉积水体具高盐度特征。浅色含碱层段具有更高的 δ¹⁸O 值,反映了碱矿层沉积时期强烈蒸发的气候条件。根据δ¹⁸O/δ¹³C值的波动将研究层段划分为炎热干旱和相对湿润的气候条件,并据此解释不同韵律层盐类矿物形成机理。暗色的沉凝灰岩沉积代表地表流水注入量大于蒸发量,沉凝灰岩中盐类矿物含量少或者呈斑点状从颗粒间的卤水中析出;随着蒸发量的增高以及古气候由温暖潮湿转变为干旱炎热,地表流水注入量急剧减少,强烈蒸发控制了碱矿的沉积,形成浅色质地较纯的碱矿层。气候的频繁交替形成了风二段碱矿与沉凝灰岩频繁互层的特征。     

Interaction between waves and an array of floating porous circular cylinders

The present study theoretically as well as experimentally investigates the interaction between waves and an array of porous circular cylinders with or without an inner porous plate based on the linear wave theory.To design more effective floating breakwaters,the transmission rate of waves propagating through the array is evaluated.Each cylinder in the array is partly made of porous materials.Specifically,it possesses a porous sidewall and an impermeable bottom.In addition,an inner porous plate is horizontally fixed inside the cylinders.It dissipates the wave more effectively and eliminates the sloshing phenomenon.The approach suggested by Kagemoto and Yue(1986) is adopted to solve the multiple-scatter problem,while a hierarchical interaction theory is adopted to deal with hydrodynamic interactions among a great number of bodies,which efficiently saves computation time.Meanwhile,a series of model tests with an array of porous cylinders is performed in a wave basin to validate the theoretical work and the calculated results.The draft of the cylinders,the location of the inner porous plate,and the spacing between adjacent cylinders are also adjusted to investigate their effects on wave dissipation.     

Effect of Sample Digestion,Air Filter Contamination,and Post‐adsorption on the Analysis of Trace Elements in Air Particulate Matter

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma MS are the major analytical tools for trace elements in environmental matrices, however, the underestimate of certain trace elements in analysis of air particulate matter by these two techniques has long been observed. This has been attributed to incomplete sample digestion. Here, we demonstrate that the combined effects of sample digestion, air filter impurities, and post‐adsorption of the analytes contribute to the interference of the analysis. Particular attention should be paid to post‐adsorption of analytes onto air filters after acid digestion.     

基于Hurst指数的矿化强度识别－以山东大尹格庄金矿为例

探索成矿元素分布的分形特征是揭示矿化富集程度的重要途径之一。运用重标极差分析（R/S）方法,研究了山东大尹格庄金矿-210 m中段多勘探线Au品位序列随采样尺度变化的趋势,探讨元素序列的Hurst指数与矿化强度的关系。结果显示:具有不同矿化强度的勘探线Au的Hurst指数存在明显差异,且均大于0.5;矿化连续分布或间断出现的勘探线元素品位序列的Hurst指数大于0.65,表明元素序列具有标度不变性和长相关性,序列的持续强度与矿化程度基本一致,可为区域矿化强度定量识别提供一种新的有效方法。