Exploring land use policy scenarios with the use of a cellular automata-based model: urban sprawl containment and sustainable development in Thessaloniki

This study addresses the issue of urban sprawl through the application of a cellular automata (CA)-based model in the area of Thessaloniki, Greece. The model integrates a multiple regression model at the regional level with a CA model at the local level. New urban land is allocated in a disaggregated field of land units (cells) taking into account a wide range of data. Particular emphasis is placed on the way zoning regulations and land availability data are inserted into the model, so that alternative land use policy scenarios could be examined. Thessaloniki, a typical Mediterranean city, is used as a case study. The model is used to compare two scenarios of urban growth up to year 2030; the first one assuming a continuation of existing trends, whereas the second one assuming the enactment of various land use zoning regulations in order to contain urban sprawl.     

全球气候变化中的人类活动视角:社会经济情景的演变

社会经济情景的设定是全球气候变化研究的基础,也是气候变化影响评估的关键环节.本文回顾了社会经济情景的发展过程,阐述了共享社会经济路径的主要特点和最新发展趋势,介绍了区域社会经济情景的构建及在灾害风险领域中的应用,最后对共享社会经济路径的发展进行了展望.     

Statistical downscaling of summer temperature extremes in northern China

Two approaches of statistical downscaling were applied to indices of temperature extremes based on percentiles of daily maximum and minimum temperature observations at Beijing station in summer during 1960-2008. One was to downscale daily maximum and minimum temperatures by using EOF analysis and stepwise linear regression at first, then to calculate the indices of extremes; the other was to directly downscale the percentile-based indices by using seasonal large-scale temperature and geo-potential height records. The cross-validation results showed that the latter approach has a better performance than the former. Then, the latter approach was applied to 48 meteorological stations in northern China. The cross-validation results for all 48 stations showed close correlation between the percentile-based indices and the seasonal large-scale variables. Finally, future scenarios of indices of temperature extremes in northern China were projected by applying the statistical downscaling to Hadley Centre Coupled Model Version 3 (HadCM3) simulations under the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 (RCP 4.5) scenario of the Fifth Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5). The results showed that the 90th percentile of daily maximum temperatures will increase by about 1.5℃, and the 10th of daily minimum temperatures will increase by about 2℃ during the period 2011-35 relative to 1980-99.     

Role of renewable energy in climate mitigation: a synthesis of recent scenarios

The role of renewable energy in climate change mitigation is explored through a review of 162 recent medium- to long-term scenarios from 15 large-scale, energy-economic and integrated assessment models. The current state of knowledge from this community is assessed and its implications drawn for the strategic context in which policymakers and other decision-makers might consider renewable energy. The scenario set is distinguished from previous ones in that it contains more detailed information on renewable deployment levels. All the scenarios in this study were published during or after 2006. Within the context of a large-scale assessment, the analysis is guided primarily by four questions. What sorts of future levels of renewable energy deployment are consistent with different CO₂ concentration goals? Which classes of renewable energy will be the most prominent energy producers and how quickly might they expand production? Where might an expansion in renewable energy occur? What is the linkage between the costs of mitigation and an expansion of renewable energy?     

Stabilization of Bottom Hole Temperature With Finite Circulation Time and Fluid Flow

As an alternative to finite element or finite difference modelling, analytical solutions are derived by the method of Laplace transformation and numerical results obtained for several models of the bottom hole temperature stabilization. Included in the models are the finite circulation time, the thermal property contrast between the borehole mud and the surrounding formation, and the presence of radial or lateral fluid flow in the formation, all of which are found to have significant effects on the dissipation of the thermal disturbance induced by drilling.
The mud circulation is considered to have the effect of either maintaining the borehole mud at a constant temperature or supplying a constant amount of heat per unit length per unit time to the borehole. For small circulation times, the former reduces to the 'zero circulation' model in which the mud circulation creates an instantaneous temperature anomaly at the hole bottom; for small borehole radii, the latter reduces to the line source model and the traditional 'Homer plot'.
For typical drilling operations in which the bottom hole temperatures are measured several hours to several tens of hours after the hole is shut in, the new models generally predict higher equilibrium formation temperatures than does the Horner plot. However, predictions from the various models converge if the BHTs are taken after the hole has been shut in for a period which is greater than about five times the circulation period.     

A simple method to vertically stabilize line-suspended,lightweight percussion coring equipment

An inexpensive improvement to lightweight percussion coring systems is presented. Non-stretching lines are often required to facilitate core sampling in hundreds of metres of water, unfortunately such lines are usually negatively buoyant, which creates difficulties in keeping lightweight core assemblies upright while lowering through the water column. The addition of urethane closed-cell foam to the core head creates buoyancy that vertically stabilizes the coring assembly within the water column and prevents the core barrel from contacting the sediment-water interface non-vertically.     

脱硝技术与天然气应用情景下京津冀地区空气质量模拟评估

针对京津冀地区主要大气污染物NOx（氮氧化物）和PM2.5（大气中粒径小于或等于2.5μm的颗粒物）,应用柴油车尾气净化技术及中小锅炉烟气脱硝技术,并根据2015年和2030年我国能源规划,设计3种技术应用情景,采用WRF-CAMx耦合模式,对京津冀地区大气中NOx和PM2.5进行了应用情景模拟。结果表明,单独应用柴油车尾气净化技术后（方案1）,北京、天津地区大气中的NOx浓度降低幅度达20%,河北地区降低5%;PM2.5的浓度降低幅度约10%;应用柴油车尾气净化技术和2015年能源规划情景（方案2）,京津冀地区大气中NOx和PM2.5浓度的降低幅度均超过20%;应用柴油车尾气净化技术和2030年能源规划情景（方案3）,该地区NOx浓度降低幅度与之相当,PM2.5浓度降低幅度超过30%。可见脱硝技术和清洁能源利用的有效性依赖于其应用比例。二次气粒转化的化学过程形成的硝酸盐、硫酸盐和铵盐对该地区空气中PM2.5浓度的贡献很大,冬、春、秋季硝酸盐最大贡献高达60%,夏、秋季硫酸盐最大贡献超过70%,铵盐四季最大贡献约25%。这说明PM2.5的主要前体物NOx、SO2、NH3、VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)、CO等均大幅度削减才能有效降低该地区空气中PM2.5浓度。     

全球气候模式对宁夏区域未来气候变化的情景模拟分析

利用多个全球气候模式(GCM)的情景模拟结果分析只考虑温室气体效应的IS92a GG情景和同时考虑温室气体效应和硫化物气溶胶辐射效应的IS92aGS情景以及SRESA2、B2情景下宁夏区域21世纪地面气温和降水量的可能变化,并进行不确定性分析。气候基准时段(1961~1990年)模拟结果与观测资料的对比分析表明,GCM对宁夏气候具有一定的模拟能力;整体上讲,GCM对地面气温的模拟值偏低,对降水量的模拟值偏高,其中ECHAM4和HadCM3对宁夏基准时段地面气温和降水量的模拟结果与观测比较接近。各GCM模拟值的平均结果显示,4种温室气体排放情景下21世纪宁夏区域气温持续升高,至21世纪末宁夏升温幅度可达4~6℃,与全国平均的增温幅度大致相当;与升温趋势相应的是降水量的增加,但降水变化呈现出很大的波动性,至21世纪末宁夏的降水变化幅度可达10%~40%。各个GCM模拟的宁夏气候变化的总趋势是一致的,但各模式在不同情景下模拟结果的差异很大,存在较大的不确定性。