Geomicrobiological in-situ containment of uranium in subsurface and its long-term stability

Uranium is a redox-sensitive element. While U （Ⅵ）, the oxidized form of uranium, is soluble and thus mobile in groundwater, U （Ⅳ） readily forms UO2（s） and is precipitated. Recent geomicrobiological researches demonstrated that dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria can effectively remove uranium fi＇om contaminated groundwater by reducing soluble U （Ⅵ） to relatively insoluble U （Ⅳ）. This novel form of microbial reduction of U （Ⅵ） is reported to be much faster than abiological reduction. The objective of this work was to investigate U （Ⅵ） reduction by indigenous bacteria in uranium-bearing black shale sediment and to determine whether microbially-precipitated uranium has long-term stability in subsurface. Through this study, fundamental information on the effects of microorganisms on the fate of redox-sensitive elements in natural settings will be provided. Soil and sediment samples were collected from uranium-bearing black shale in the Dukpyung area in Korea. Microbial inoculum was prepared from soil and sediment slurry supernatant. The reactors were purged with N2 ： CO2 gas （80 ; 20） to maintain anaerobic condition. Glucose, acetate or lactate was added as an electron donor at a final concentration of 5 mM.     

South East Europe electricity roadmap – modelling energy transition in the electricity sectors

One of the most important challenges for the South East Europe region will be replacing more than 30% of its presently installed fossil fuel generation capacity by the end of 2030, and more than 95% by 2050 if its age structure is considered. This requires a strong policy framework to incentivise new investments in a region currently lacking investors, but also presents an opportunity to shape the electricity sector over the long term according to the broader energy transition strategy of the EU and the Energy Community. The aim of this paper is to assess what type of long-term pathways exist for electricity sector development in the region if they follow the energy transition process of the EU. In this model-based scenario assessment, long term electricity sector futures are explored using a set of interlinked electricity models evaluating the level of renewable energy investment required in the region to reach a deep decarbonization target, assuming emission reduction above 94% by 2050 compared to 1990 in line with the long term market integration and climate policy goals of the EU. It also explores what are the most important system wide impacts of the high deployment of renewable energy concerning generation adequacy and security of supply.

Key policy insights

• Energy policies in the South East Europe (SEE) region, both at the national and regional level, should focus on enabling renewable energy integration, as this will be a key component of the future energy mix.

• EU and Energy Community policies should be incorporated into national energy planning to ensure that SEE countries embark on the energy transition process at an early stage.

• Stranded costs should be carefully considered in decision-making on new fossil-fuel generation and gas network investment in order to avoid lock-in to carbon intensive technologies.

• If consistent decarbonization policy prevails, with a significant and persistent CO2 price signal, the role of natural gas remains transitory in the region.

• The SEE region offers relatively cheap decarbonization options: the power sector can reduce GHG emissions above 94% by 2050 in the modelled scenarios.

     

地理国情监测实施初探

本文介绍了地理国情监测的主要内容、技术方法,并结合郑汴一体化城市扩展监测,对地理国情监测的总体结构、技术路线进行了阐述,同时对开展常态化、业务化地理国情监测提出了解决方案.     

Extending the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways for sub-national impacts,adaptation, and vulnerability studies

The exploration of alternative socioeconomic futures is an important aspect of understanding the potential consequences of climate change. While socioeconomic scenarios are common and, at times essential, tools for the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability and integrated assessment modeling research communities, their approaches to scenario development have historically been quite distinct. However, increasing convergence of impacts, adaptation and vulnerability and integrated assessment modeling research in terms of scales of analysis suggests there may be value in the development of a common framework for socioeconomic scenarios. The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways represents an opportunity for the development of such a common framework. However, the scales at which these global storylines have been developed are largely incommensurate with the sub-national scales at which impacts, adaptation and vulnerability and, increasingly, integrated assessment modeling studies are conducted. The objective of this study was to develop sub-national and sectoral extensions of the global SSP storylines in order to identify future socioeconomic challenges for adaptation for the U.S. Southeast. A set of nested qualitative socioeconomic storyline elements, integrated storylines, and accompanying quantitative indicators were developed through an application of the Factor–Actor–Sector framework. In addition to revealing challenges and opportunities associated with the use of the SSPs as a basis for more refined scenario development, this study generated sub-national storyline elements and storylines that can subsequently be used to explore the implications of alternative sub-national socioeconomic futures for the assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation.     

Loss estimation in Istanbul based on deterministic earthquake scenarios of the Marmara Sea region (Turkey)

The rapid urban development in Istanbul has lead to an increase in the exposure levels of the urban vulnerability. Due to the steadily increasing population, with improper land-use planning, inappropriate construction techniques and inadequate infrastructure systems, associated with an existing high hazard level, Istanbul is one of the most risky cities in the Mediterranean region. Estimations of casualties and losses, expected for given earthquake scenarios, are necessary to develop sustainable rehabilitation programs and for improving preparedness. Deterministic hazard scenarios and time-dependent probabilistic hazard assessment were used as input to a GIS-based loss estimation model, to evaluate the earthquake risk for Istanbul.     

Impact of climate change on snowpack in the Pyrenees: Horizontal spatial variability and vertical gradients

In this study, snowpack series are modeled across the Pyrenees using data derived from the HIRHAM Regional Climate Model for both the control period (1960–1990) and two emission scenarios (SRES B2 and A2) by the end of the 21st century (2070–2100). A comparison of future and control simulations enables us to quantify the expected change in snowpack for the next century. Snow simulations are performed on 20 Regional Climate Model (RCM) grid points over the Pyrenees, covering the entire north–south and east–west transects; data were downscaled for four different altitudinal levels (1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 m a.s.l.). This procedure yields a relatively complete picture of the expected impacts of climate change in the Pyrenees, covering horizontal spatial variability as well as altitudinal gradients. According to the HIRHAM model projections following different greenhouse gas emission scenarios, the thickness and duration of snowpack in the Pyrenees will decrease dramatically over the next century, especially in the central and eastern sectors of the Spanish Pyrenees. The magnitude of these impacts will follow a marked altitudinal gradient: the maximum accumulated snow water equivalent may decrease by up to 78%, and the season with snow cover may be reduced by up to 70% at 1500 m a.s.l. The magnitude of the impacts decreases rapidly with increasing altitude; snowpack characteristics will remain largely similar in the highest sectors. The decline of the snowpack would be reduced by half if a medium–low emission scenario was considered (B2) instead of the medium–high concentrations of greenhouse gas assumed in the A2 scenario.     

A Symmetrical Streamline Stabilization scheme for high advective transport

An overview of numerical techniques and previous investigations related to the solution of advection‐dominated transport processes is presented. In addition a new Symmetrical Streamline Stabilization (S³) scheme is introduced. The basis of the technique is to treat the transport equation in two steps. In the first step the dispersion part is approximated by a standard Galerkin approach, while in the second step the advection is approximated by a least‐squares method. The two parts are reassembled, resulting in one system of equations. The resulting coefficients' matrix is symmetric. Only half of a sparse matrix needs to be stored. Robust iterative algorithms for symmetrical systems of equations such as the preconditioned conjugate gradient method (PCG) can be successfully used. The new method leads to an implicit introduction of an ‘artificial diffusion’ term. Solute transport with high Peclet and Courant numbers does not lead to oscillations due to an inherent upwind damping. The upwind effect acts only in flow direction. The efficiency of the new formulation in terms of accuracy and computation time is shown in comparison with the Galerkin approach for mesh parallel and mesh oblique high advective solute transport. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulating earthquake evacuation using human behavior models

In classical earthquake risk assessment, the human behavior is actually not taken into account in risk assessment. Agent‐based modeling is a simulation technique that has been applied recently in several fields, such as emergency evacuation. The paper is proposing a methodology that includes in agent‐based models the human behavior, considering the anxiety effects generated by the crowd and their influence on the evacuation delays. The proposed model is able to take into account the interdependency between the earthquake evacuation process, and the corresponding damage of structural and non‐structural components that is expressed in term of fragility curves. The software REPAST HPC has been used to implement the model, and as a case study, the earthquake evacuation by a mall located in Oakland has been used. The human behavior model has been calibrated through a survey using a miscellaneous sample from different countries. The model can be used to test future scenarios and help local authorities in situations where the human behavior plays a key role. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulating land use for protecting food crop areas in northeast Thailand using GIS and Dyna-CLUE

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Land use in the northeast region of Thailand has changed dramatically in the past two decades. These changes are mainly due to the government policies, which...     

Scenarios of land cover in Eurasia under climate change

The method for surface modelling of land cover scenarios(SMLCS) has been improved to simulate the scenarios of land cover in Eurasia. On the basis of the observation monthly climatic data observed from 2127 weather stations in Eurasia during 1981–2010, the climatic scenarios data of RCP26, RCP45 and RCP85 scenarios released by CMIP5, and the land cover current data of Eurasia in 2010, the land cover scenarios of Eurasia were respectively simulated. The results show that most land cover types would generally have similar changing trends in the future, but with some difference in different periods under the three scenarios of RCP26, RCP45 and RCP85. Deciduous needleleaf forest, mixed forest, shrub land, wetlands and snow and ice would generally decrease in Eurasia during 2010–2100. Snow and ice would have the fastest decreasing rate that would decrease by 37.42% on average. Shrub land would have the slowest decreasing rate that would decrease by 5.65% on average. Water bodies would have the fastest increasing rate that would increase by 28.78% on average. Barren or sparsely vegetated land would have the slowest increasing rate that would increase by 0.76%. Moreover, the simulated results show that climate change would directly impact on land cover change in Eurasia.