Swath mapping of the seafloor and its application to deep-bottom fisheries in New Caledonia

A bottom longline fishery operated in the EEZ of New Caledonia from 1988 to 1991. Fishing focused on five seamounts with summits at depths ranging from 500 to 750 m. The target species was alfonsino, Beryx splendens. As the soundings available from marine charts were not detailed enough, the fishing masters had to make their own charts in order to set the gear in the right location. A series of 11 scientific cruises devoted to a research program on alfonsino was launched in late 1991. During the first scientific cruises, several days were spent mapping the seabed to improve the existing knowledge of the topography of three seamounts by coupling the EDO echosounder depth measurements to the GPS positions. As this procedure is slow, it is applicable to limited areas or, if a wider grid is used, to large zones to locate major structures such as ridges and seamounts. The emergence of the multibeam echosounder has greatly improved seabed mapping performance. This tool seems to fit the requirement of exploratory deep-bottom fishing particularly well, as it covers large areas while providing details of the bottom. The EM 12 was used to obtain bathymetry and imagery of the SE portion of the EEZ of New Caledonia, covering an approximate area of 70,000 km² in two weeks. For depths ranging from 500 to 4,500 m, the results were impressive. They confirmed the known major features and provided greater topographical detail, revealing fine unknown structures. They also provided information on the type of substratum, information which might influence the fishing strategy. Finally, they made it possible to obtain an accurate estimate of the exploitable area which in turn led to new stock estimates.     

扩散波的时空反演与洪水实时预报技术

以扩散波方程描述天然河道中的洪水波运动规律。将数学物理反问题理论和离散反演算法与河道流量演算相结合提出了扩散波实时预报的方法。该法的特点是在求解流量场Ｑ（ｘ,ｔ）的同时反演计算扩散波波速Ｃ（ｘ,ｔ）和扩散系数Ｄ（ｘ,ｔ）,根据不断监测的新信息系列,直接利用原偏微分方程进行参数的实时校正和预报过程实时修正。     

Semi‐active tuned mass damper building systems: Application

Seismic performance attributes of multi‐story passive and semi‐active tuned mass damper (PTMD and SATMD) building systems are investigated for 12‐story moment resisting frames modeled as ‘10+2’ stories and ‘8+4’ stories. Segmented upper portion of the stories are isolated as a tuned mass, and a passive viscous damper or semi‐active resetable device is adopted as energy dissipation strategy. The semi‐active approach uses feedback control to alter or manipulate the reaction forces, effectively re‐tuning the system depending on the structural response. Optimum tuned mass damper control parameters and appropriate matching SATMD configurations are adopted from a companion study on a simplified two‐degree‐of‐freedom system. Statistical performance metrics are presented for 30 probabilistically scaled earthquake records from the SAC project. Time history analyses are used to compute response reduction factors across a wide range of seismic hazard intensities. Results show that large SATMD systems can effectively manage seismic response for multi‐degree‐of freedom systems across a broad range of ground motions in comparison to passive solutions. Specific results include the identification of differences in the mechanisms by which SATMD and PTMD systems remove energy, based on the differences in the devices used. Additionally, variability is seen to be tighter for the SATMD systems across the suites of ground motions used, indicating a more robust control system. While the overall efficacy of the concept is shown the major issues, such as isolation layer displacement, are discussed in detail not available in simplified spectral analyses, providing further insight into the dynamics of these issues for these systems. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青海省海北化工厂Cr6+污染调查评价与治理

海北化工厂已停产15年之久,但Cr6+污染依旧十分严重.调查得知,海北化工厂原生产废液排放及堆存废渣经降水淋滤作用下渗,是造成该区包气带和地下水Cr6+污染的主要原因.采用地下水质量法和污染指数法评价分析该区地下水Cr6+污染范围和污染影响程度.评价结果显示：Cr6+重度污染区面积0.75 km2,厂区包气带Cr6+平均含量67.67×10-6,平均超标指数1691.75,地下水中Cr6+浓度超过Ⅴ类水标准.在分析厂区周边水文地质条件的基础上,提出清除场地废渣废料并置换被污染的包气带、采用抽水法治理被污染的地下水的综合方案.     

海河流域洪水资源利用评价研究

为给流域洪水资源利用合理性评价提供基本的阈值标准,有效协调洪水资源利用与河流生态环境保护和流域防洪安全的关系,建立了流域洪水资源利用评价的基本框架.指出洪水资源利用评价应解决洪水资源量计算、洪水资源利用水平分析、洪水资源可利用量评价和洪水资源利用潜力评估四个基本问题.在对洪水资源利用量、洪水资源可利用量、洪水资源利用潜力等基本概念进行系统阐述的基础上,建立了流域洪水资源利用的评价方法.根据所建立的基本概念和评估方法,对1980～2006年海河流域及4个二级区的洪水资源利用状况及合理性进行了全面评价.结果表明,1980～2006年海河流域平均年洪水资源可利用量和利用潜力分别为62.8亿m~3和5.35亿m~3.海河流域洪水资源利用总体而言处于比较不合理的状态,洪水资源利用量频繁超过洪水资源可利用量,洪水资源利用潜力不大.多数年份洪水资源利用量超过了河道内必要需水量允许的限度,少数丰水年份超过了流域洪水资源调控利用能力的范围.今后,海河流域洪水资源利用合理性的提高,需要逐步调整目前洪水资源利用主要集中于山区的空间格局,提高平原区洪水资源调控利用能力,有效保障洪水期河道内必要需水量.     

珠海市旅游用地生态环境影响研究

从生态环境质量、结构、功能3方面构建旅游用地演变对生态环境影响的综合评价指标体系,利用多目标线性加权函数法定量评价近23a来研究区旅游用地时空演变对生态环境正面和负面的影响。计算结果显示:珠海市旅游用地变化对生态环境综合影响指数为-0.24,斗门区、金湾区和香洲区分别为-0.28、-0.13和-0.29。表明珠海市旅游用地变化对生态环境的总体影响是负面的。其深层的影响机制是:首先,旅游用地空间分布与地类结构演变的欠合理;其次,旅游用地规模在持续快速增长的同时忽视了生态内涵建设,旅游用地复合化开发层次偏低。     

The BEAM-project: prediction and assessment of mixture toxicities in the aquatic environment

Freshwater and marine ecosystems are exposed to various multi-component mixtures of pollutants. Nevertheless, most ecotoxicological research and chemicals regulation focus on hazard and exposure assessment of individual substances only, the problem of chemical mixtures in the environment is ignored to a large extent. In contrast, the assessment of combination effects has a long tradition in pharmacology, where mixtures of chemicals are specifically designed to develop new products, e.g. human and veterinary drugs or agricultural and non-agricultural pesticides. In this area, two concepts are frequently used and are thought to describe fundamental relationships between single substance and mixture effects: Independent Action (Response Addition) and Concentration Addition. The question, to what extent these concepts may also be applied in an ecotoxicological and regulatory context may be considered a research topic of major importance, as the concepts would allow to make use of already existing single substance toxicity data for the predictive assessment of mixture toxicities. Two critical knowledge gaps are identified: (a) There is a lack of environmental realism, as a huge part of our current knowledge about the applicability of the concepts is restricted to artificial situations with respect to mixture composition or biological effect assessment. (b) The knowledge on what exactly is needed for using the concepts as tools for the predictive mixture toxicity assessment is insufficient. Both gaps seriously hamper the necessary, scientifically sound consideration of mixture toxicities in a regulatory context.In this paper, the two concepts will be briefly introduced, the necessity of considering the toxicities of chemical mixtures in the environment will be demonstrated and the applicability of Independent Action and Concentration Addition as tools for the prediction and assessment of mixture toxicities will be discussed. An overview of the specific aims and approaches of the BEAM project to fill in the identified knowledge gaps is given and first results are outlined.     

锦州湾沉积物重金属污染特征及基于三角模糊数的生态风险评价

在锦州湾海域采集了20个表层沉积物样品, 测定Pb、Cr、Zn、Cu、As、Hg等6种重金属含量。数据分析表明Hg变差系数最大, 存在较重的污染。区域分布特征分析表明, 除了重金属Cr外, 其他五种重金属元素在沉积物中的含量均具有明显的由近岸向远岸逐渐降低的趋势, 说明陆源输入可能是锦州湾重金属污染的主要原因。通过聚类分析, 将研究海域分成三个区域, 采用三角模糊数处理和表征重金属含量, 对其进行生态风险评价(取可信度A=0.90), 结果表明重金属污染顺序是: Hg>Zn>Cu>Pb>As>Cr, 其中Hg和Zn在三个区都达到高污染程度。由于Hg极高的生物毒性, 使得该海域的生态风险都达到了极高的水平。     

An operational multiscale system for hazards prediction, mapping, and response

By definition, a crisis is a situation that requires assistance to be managed. Hence, response to a crisis involves the merging of local and non-local emergency response personnel. In this situation, it is critical that each participant: (1) know the roles and responsibilities of each of the other participants; (2) know the capabilities of each of the participants; and (3) have a common basis for action. For many types of natural disasters, this entails having a common operational picture of the unfolding events, including detailed information on the weather, both current and forecasted, that may impact on either the emergency itself or on response activities. The Consequences Assessment Tool Set (CATS) is a comprehensive package of hazard prediction models and casualty and damage assessment tools that provides a linkage between a modeled or observed effect and the attendant consequences for populations, infrastructure, and resources, and, hence, provides the common operational picture for emergency response. The Operational Multiscale Environment model with Grid Adaptivity (OMEGA) is an atmospheric simulation system that links the latest methods in computational fluid dynamics and high-resolution gridding technologies with numerical weather prediction to provide specific weather analysis and forecast capability that can be merged into the geographic information system framework of CATS. This paper documents the problem of emergency response as an end-to-end system and presents the integrated CATS–OMEGA system as a prototype of such a system that has been used successfully in a number of different situations.     

Gaps,Intellectual Enthusiasms,Personal Insecurities: Response to “Stages on Journeys”

Abstract

The Department of Geography at Arizona State University implemented a field exam as part of its PhD program requirements. This field exam requires students to develop an independent field-based research project based on a general question in the student's specialty area. A survey of current and former PhD students and faculty members document how the field exam assists students in developing skills necessary for continuing graduate research and for preparing them for the rigors of academic employment. The outcomes of the exam include both long-term, process-related benefits and more immediate tangible rewards. For some students, the preliminary fieldwork and results redirect student interests and form the basis for their eventual dissertation. The field exam is adaptable to a diversity of geography research methods, subject areas, and graduate degree programs, while remaining grounded in the discipline's vibrant, widely respected fieldwork tradition.