北京暴雨与旱涝关系的分析

根据北京近百年的逐日降水资料,分析了汛期暴雨与汛期旱涝的关系。指出:汛期暴雨多少和强度对汛期降水丰歉具有决定性作用;在给出的3种暴雨指数中,相当暴雨日数与旱涝级别的相关性最好。文中还讨论了旱涝短期气候预测与暴雨过程的短期气候预测相结合的必要性。     

The role of social norms in climate adaptation: Mediating risk perception and flood insurance purchase

Flood insurance plays an important role in climate adaptation by recovering insured losses in the event of catastrophic flooding. Voluntary adoption of flood insurance has been seen as a function of risk perception that is shaped by social norms. This paper attempts to clarify the relationship between these factors. It is based on a household survey conducted in the eastern cities of Australia and involving a total of 501 randomly selected residents. Results of a path analysis show that the likelihood of having flood insurance cover was associated with perceived social norms, but not perceived flood risk. In addition, perceived norms and risk were statistically related to each other. It is concluded that social norms played a mediating role between insuring decision and risk perception. Risk perception might influence the insuring decision indirectly through shaping perception of social norms. This implies that adaptive behaviour is not necessarily a function of risk perception, but an outcome of its impacts upon the ways in which the individuals situate themselves in their social circles or the society. There is a feedback process in which individual perceptions of risk manifest as both a cause and effect, shaping and being shaped by the socio-cultural context.     

Gauging perceptions of ocean acidification in Alaska

While ocean acidification (OA) poses a significant threat to ocean-related ecosystems and communities reliant on marine fisheries, aquaculture, and coral reef systems, limited public understanding and awareness can prevent coastal regions from being able to adequately assess the need for OA adaptation or mitigation. This study assessed public understanding of OA and how social and demographic factors influence the public’s concern for OA. The analysis was based on 311 questionnaires from full-time Alaska residents. The results showed that most Alaskans self-reported to have a basic awareness of OA, and subsequently were able to recognize that CO₂ emissions related to human activity are the dominant driver of changing ocean conditions. However, there was a low recognition of how natural variability in the marine environment affects OA, and most respondents were not very confident in their understanding of OA-related science. Moreover, even though many communities in Alaska are reliant on commercial and subsistence fishing activities, the respondents had a low awareness of fisheries-related OA risk. Given the ongoing debate associated with climate change research, evaluating CO₂ mitigation efforts through the perspective of OA could give individuals an unbiased way to assess the pros and cons of more intensive efforts to curb CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, using OA communication to enhance the understanding of how natural variability influences OA around the state and the potential economic implications for Alaska fisheries would help residents and stakeholders make informed decisions when considering fisheries management plans, food security, and job diversity as OA intensifies. Solidifying the understanding that any reduction in pH and intensification of OA can have implications for marine species that are irreversible on human timescales will reinforce not only that OA is an immediate concern, but also the importance of taking action now.     

2009—2010年云南特大干旱的气候特征及成因

基于云南122个站降水、气温资料分析2009—2010年特大干旱气候的特征。2009年7月至2010年6月云南气温持续偏高,降水持续偏少,干旱从2009年9月出现,一直持续到2010年5月,许多县(市)干旱持续时间接近200 d,单日的重、特旱县(市)站数破1961年以来记录。利用NCEP/NCAR再分析和OLR资料,应用环流分析、水汽输送等方法分析此次干旱形成和持续关键时段2009年9—10月、2010年3月和5月的环流异常。结果表明,2009年9—10月乌拉尔山、青藏高原东部为脊,冷空气活动偏弱;赤道印度洋对流层低层为异常东风、高层为异常西风,导致纬向的季风环流圈偏弱;孟加拉湾、中南半岛对流偏弱;西南季风通道进入云南的水汽输送偏弱,云南上空水汽含量偏少并为异常下沉区。2010年3月欧亚中高纬位势高度距平场为北负南正,以纬向环流为主,冷空气偏北;西太平洋副高与北非副高连通并在低纬形成坝状高压带;南支槽上游地区高度场偏高、为异常下沉区;西风带无明显波动,导致南支槽不活跃,云南处于水汽辐散区。2010年5月欧亚中高纬距平分布为"-+-",低槽和冷空气偏北,西太平洋副高西伸至安达曼海,阻挡了越赤道气流进入孟加拉湾,致使孟加拉湾南部、中南半岛西南季风爆发偏晚,云南为异常西北水汽输送,为水汽辐散区。     

台风“苏力”灾害风险与防御行为效益评估

利用2013年台风“苏力”的监测资料、台风灾情资料、2000年后福建省台风灾害数据库资料和台风“苏力”灾害防御行为效益评估网络问卷调查资料,采用相似分析法的上下限区间估算法,预评估台风“苏力”造成的受灾人口和直接经济损失,并利用台风灾害风险区划方法,对台风“苏力”进行灾害风险区划。结果表明：台风“苏力”预评估结果与实际灾情相符,台风“苏力”灾害风险分布与实际灾情分布大部分一致,风险等级高的县市,实际灾情重,高风险区的大部县市直接经济损失均为1000万元以上。应用台风灾害防御行为效益评估三级指标体系,通过调查统计分析可知,指标体系中的各级各项指数均能较好地反映和评估政府主导、部门联动和公众参与的防御行为效益,政府主导在各类减灾行为中作用最大。     

Variability in invasion risk for ballast water exchange on the Scotian Shelf of eastern Canada

A semi-quantitative risk assessment model for dispersion of ballast water organisms in shelf seas is applied to the Scotian Shelf region of eastern Canada. The ballast water exchange process is simulated as the dispersion of tracer released into the surface layer of an ocean circulation model of the region. Circulation model variability is driven by wind stress from a cyclical year of forcing representing climatological storminess. Dispersion metrics related to invasion risk are developed and incorporated into a risk equation that computes the relative overall risk of invasion for ballast water exchange segments along vessel tracks crossing the shelf. Three hundred and sixty dispersion simulations are done for each segment of each of six tracks. Because the flow fields represent climatological variability in shelf circulation, the application of the risk assessment model captures the expected variability in invasion risk. Model results indicate that more than an order of magnitude variation in risk can exist along a given vessel track, and that tracks with offshelf segments provide a lower risk option compared to onshelf tracks. The model provides quantitative guidance to regulators regarding what is an acceptable trip diversion and can aid in numerous other management decisions.     

Marine debris review for Latin America and the wider Caribbean region: from the 1970s until now, and where do we go from here?

The available literature on marine debris from Latin America and the Wider Caribbean Region was collected and linked, reviewing their methodologies and principal results (quantities, composition and spatial-temporal patterns). The study region comprises 52 coastal countries of which only 14 had registers of works on marine debris. A total of 70 works were available and 69 had their full contents accessed. Brazil dominated the available literature with 70% of the documents. Beaches were the most studied environment, and plastics the prevalent form of contamination in the whole region. The exposure of marine biota (species, type of contact, consequences) was highlighted. The studied region, although still little exploited by this sort of research, shows the same contamination patterns observed world-wide. We also contacted 40 researchers in the area, collecting scientific contributions, opinions and suggestions for improvement of this research field. Further advances and new (urgently needed) lines of research are also discussed.     

Natural disasters as the end of the insurance industry? Scalar competitive strategies, Alternative Risk Transfers, and the economic crisis

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina has piqued interest in the insurance industry, and this scrutiny has led to assumptions that the industry has become unstable and unprofitable with the increased incidence of disasters in highly-insured regions of the world. This paper challenges that assumption by arguing that the insurance industry has responded by spreading risk through scaled and networked recovery schemes. We found that because of competitive strategies of risk-spreading and displacement arrangements, the industry has actually profited as a whole. Regional insurance companies have always relied on the higher financial scales of the reinsurance industry in Munich, Zurich, and London. But with claims reaching into the billions of dollars, the reinsurance industry itself has raised premiums, spread risk farther afield, and jumped scale by spreading risk to futures markets called Alternative Risk Transfers (ARTs). However, the recession beginning in 2008 has called into question the viability of using futures markets as insurance. It is shown through a media analysis of four major business publications (The Economist, The New York Times, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal) how the industry responded to the costs of the 2004, 2005, and 2006 hurricane seasons. Because geography is rather new to this literature, this paper also offers a broad review of the insurance industry.     

Risk, rescue and emergency services: The changing spatialities of Mountain Rescue Teams in England and Wales

This paper considers the role of the emergency services in society and, in particular, their role in controlling, mitigating and resolving risk. Using a network approach, Mountain Rescue Teams are studied in order to examine how people, agencies, animals, technology and knowledge are deployed to resolve emergencies. The paper traces the changing nature of risk in rural places and the impact of state regulation on the deployment, spatialities and practices of the emergency services. In doing so, it argues that greater attention should be paid to the emergency services by geographers.     

金选矿厂含氰废水中氰化物降解及其环境风险评价

对陕西凤县四方金矿选矿过程中氰化物的迁移转化和降解进行了研究,结果表明,其尾矿库外排含氰废水氰化物浓度达到国家规定的排放标准。在此基础上对氰化物环境风险进行评价,为同类项目尾矿浆和尾矿水环境风险评价提供可信的基础数据。