Environmental mitigation and the Upper Yazoo Projects

The US Army Engineer District, Vicksburg (CELMK), evaluated an array of flood control alternatives, which included up to 167 water control structures, 52 confined disposal facilities, and 47 borrow pits as part of a major flood control effort known as the Upper Yazoo Projects (UYP). Many of these project features are capable of ponding water and thus can be managed to mitigate for aquatic, terrestrial, waterfowl, and wetland resource losses expected to occur as a result of the UYP. The benefits to be derived will depend upon the land uses and management of the ponded areas. The US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station developed procedures to quantify the cost and habitat benefits of the many management options for these sites. The mitigation strategy was derived by optimizing various combinations of land acquisition, reforestation, land-use change, and site hydrology so that the least-cost mitigation plan could be selected.     

Environmental geology of Bath,England

The hot springs of Bath, England, have been of importance to man for hundreds of years. It was a famous spa in Roman times. Subsequently, the springs were used during the 17th through the 20th centuries and extensive urban and commercial properties were developed at Bath using the water for medical and tourist-oriented activities. With urban and commercial development in the area, man's impact on the environment was substantial and typical environmental problems included pollution, land subsidence, or stability that effected construction, drainage, highways, and canals. During the growth of Bath in the 18th and 19th centuries these environmental problems were described by geologist William Smith and Joseph Townsend. Bath and vicinity provides a unique example of environmental geoscience.     

Worldwide environmental impacts from the eruption of Thera

The eruptions of Thera (Santorini) between 1628 and 1450 BC constituted a natural catastrophe unparalleled in all of history. The last major eruption in 1450 BC destroyed the entire Minoan Fleet at Crete at a time when the Minoans dominated the Mediterranean world. In addition, there had to be massive loss of life from ejecta gases, volcanic ash, bombs, and flows. The collapse of a majestic mountain into a caldera 15 km in diameter caused a giant ocean wave, a tsunami, that at its source was estimated in excess of 46 m high. The tsunami destroyed ships as far away as Crete (105 km) and killed thousands of people along the shorelines in the eastern Mediterranean area. At distant points in Asia Minor and Africa, there was darkness from ash fallout, lightning, and destructive earthquakes. Earthquake waves emanating from the epicenter near the ancient volcano were felt as far away as the Norwegian countries. These disturbances caused great physical damage in the eastern Mediterranean and along the rift valley system from Turkey to the south into central Africa. They caused major damage and fires in north Africa from Sinai to Alexandria, Egypt. Volcanic ash spread upward as a pillar of fire and clouds into the atmosphere and blocked out the sun for many days. The ash reached the stratosphere and moved around the world where the associated gases and fine particulate matter impacted the atmosphere, soils, and waters. Ground-hugging, billowing gases moved along the water surface and destroyed all life downwind, probably killing those who attempted to flee from Thera. The deadly gases probably reached the shores of north Africa. Climatic changes were the aftermath of the eruption and the atmospheric plume was to eventually affect the bristlecone pine of California; the bog oaks of Ireland, England, and Germany, and the grain crops of China. Historical eruptions at Krakatau, Tambora, Vesuvius, and, more currently, eruptions at Nevado del Ruiz, Pinatubo, and Mount Saint Helens, have done massive environmental damage but none can compare with the sociological, religious, economic, agricultural, and political impacts from Thera (Santorini). Major natural catastrophes that have occurred over historical time illustrate the force of nature and the impact on civilizations. Some examples of these are rains that flooded the Euphrates Valley during the time of Noah, and floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes in recent years, such as earthquakes in California and Hurricane Hugo on the east coast of the United States.     

The importance of moisture distribution for the growth and energetics of mid-latitude systems

A primitive equation model is used to study the sensitivity of baroclinic wave life cycles to the initial latitude-height distribution of humidity. Diabatic heating is parametrized only as a consequence of condensation in regions of large-scale ascent. Experiments are performed in which the initial relative humidity is a simple function of model level, and in some cases latitude bands are specified which are initially relatively dry. It is found that the presence of moisture can either increase or decrease the peak eddy kinetic energy of the developing wave, depending on the initial moisture distribution. A relative abundance of moisture at mid-latitudes tends to weaken the wave, while a relative abundance at low latitudes tends to strengthen it. This sensitivity exists because competing processes are at work. These processes are described in terms of energy box diagnostics. The most realistic case lies on the cusp of this sensitivity. Further physical parametrizations are then added, including surface fluxes and upright moist convection. These have the effect of increasing wave amplitude, but the sensitivity to initial conditions of relative humidity remains. Finally, control and doubled CO₂ life cycles are performed, with initial conditions taken from the time-mean zonal-mean output of equilibrium GCM experiments. The attenuation of the wave resulting from reduced baroclinicity is more pronounced than any effect due to changes in initial moisture.     

The role of dynamics in total ozone deviations from their long-term mean over the Northern Hemisphere

Total ozone anomalies (deviation from the long-term mean) are created by anomalous circulation patterns. The dynamically produced ozone anomalies can be estimated from known circulation parameters in the layer between the tropopause and the middle stratosphere by means of statistics. Satellite observations of ozone anomalies can be compared with those expected from dynamics. Residual negative anomalies may be due to chemical ozone destruction. The statistics are derived from a 14 year data set of TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer January 1979-Dec. 1992) and corresponding 300 hPa geopotential (for the tropopause height) together with 30 hPa temperature (for stratospheric waves) at 60°N. The correlation coefficient for the linear multiple regression between total ozone (dependent variable) and the dynamical parameters (independent variables) is 0.88 for the zonal deviations in the winter of the Northern Hemisphere. Zonal means are also significantly dependent on circulation parameters, besides showing the known negative trend function of total ozone observed by TOMS. The significant linear trend for 60°N is 3 DU/year in the winter months taking into account the dependence on the dynamics between the tropopause region and the mid-stratosphere. The highest correlation coefficient for the monthly mean total ozone anomalies is reached in November with 0.94.     

陕西黄土高原晚更新世环境变化

岐山剖面孢粉分析表明,黄土高原东南部晚更新世植被与气候变化可分为７个阶段和１３个小阶段。其中末次冰期的３个冷干阶段和２个温湿阶段被分别命名为秦家寨,岐山,坡头冰阶和尚家坡,杨家湾间冰阶。冰阶的植被以温带森林草原为主,间冰阶的植被以落叶阔叶林为主。     

长白山国家级自然保护区旅游与环境可持续发展研究

举世闻名的长白山国家级自然保护区近年随着旅游事业的发展,因环境管理措施不力等原因,面带来的了定的环境污染与较明显的生态破坏。协调好旅游开发与环境保护的唯一出路是坚持可发展的原则,为此,必须建立完整技术与管理体系,并因地制宜采取一系列相应的对策与措施。     

2010-2018年天山北坡短时强降水环境参数特征及阈值初探

利用常规观测、自动站逐时雨量及EC细网格等资料，分析2010-2018年6-8月天山北坡71次短时强降水过程时空分布特点、温度对数压力图（T-lnP）形态及其关键物理参数等，并对其分类，通过集合箱线图分析各型物理参数特征，归纳总结预警阈值。结果表明：天山北坡短时强降水主要受低槽（涡）及其分裂短波影响，多发生在沿山、山地迎风坡、戈壁湖泊绿洲交界等地附近，6月出现最多，7月和8月相当，午后至夜间发生概率较大。T-lnP温湿廓线形态主要可分为整层湿（I型）、上干下湿（II型）、上湿下干（III型）和干绝热（IV型）等4型，其中IV型33次为最多，占总次数46.5%，其次是III型28次，占总次数38%，第三是I型8次，最少II型仅3次。在分析关键物理参数集合箱线图各区间值基础上，以25%百分位作为建议预警最低阈值，总结提炼关键物理参数阈值为T850 -500≥23℃，地面至700hPa露点温度平均值≥1.5℃，CAPE≥110 J?Kg-1，CIN≥30 J?Kg-1； 0～6km垂直风切变≥6.5 m?s-1，暖云层厚度≥1.1 km，K指数≥24.3℃，SI指数≥-1.3℃，抬升指数（LI）≥-3.9℃及A指数≥-9.8等，并给出各型组合物理参数。     

苏州运河水质的TM分析

本文利用苏州地区陆地卫星TM数据和同期的地面水质监测资料建立了TM图像遥感水质模型,并将该模型应用于TM可见光彩色合成图像的分割处理,得到苏州地区水质空间分布图像。结合苏州运河水网的水文及水污染特征对遥感水质空间分布图像作了分析。结果表明TM数据真实地反映了苏州地区水质的空间分布规律,并得到当地环境监测部门的验证。