Comparative Seismic Risk Studies for German Earthquake Regions on the Basis of the European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98

Within the framework of recent research projects, basic tools for GIS-based seismic risk assessment technologies were developed and applied to the building stock and regional particularities of German earthquake regions. Two study areas are investigated, being comparable by the level of seismic hazard and the hazard-consistent scenario events (related to mean return periods of 475, 2475 and 10000 years). Significant differences exist with respect to the number of inhabitants, the grade and extent of urbanisation, the quality and quantity of building inventory: the case study of Schmölln in Eastern Thuringia seems to be representative for the majority of smaller towns in Germany, the case study of Cologne (Köln) stands for larger cities. Due to the similarities of hazard and scenario intensities, the considerable differences do not only require proper decisions concerning the appropriate methods and acceptable efforts, they enable conclusions about future research strategies and needs for disaster reduction management. Not least important, results can sharpen the focus of public interest. Seismic risk maps are prepared for different scenario intensities recognising the scatter and uncertainties of site-dependent ground motion and also of the applied vulnerability functions. The paper illustrates the impact of model assumptions and the step-wise refinements of input variables like site conditions, building stock or vulnerability functions on the distribution of expected building damage within the study areas. Furthermore, and in contrast to common research strategies, results support the conclusion that in the case of stronger earthquakes the damage will be of higher concentration within smaller cities like Schmölln due to the site-amplification potential and/or the increased vulnerability of the building stock. The extent of damage will be pronounced by the large number of masonry buildings for which lower vulnerability classes have to be assigned. Due to the effect of deep sedimentary layers and the composition of building types, the urban centre of Cologne will be less affected by an earthquake of comparable intensity.     

Magnitudes, spatial scales and processes of environmental antimony mobility from orogenic gold–antimony mineral deposits, Australasia

Antimony (Sb) is strongly concentrated into hydrothermal mineral deposits, commonly with gold, in metasedimentary sequences around the Pacific Rim. These deposits represent potential point sources for Sb in the downstream environment, particularly when mines are developed. This study documents the magnitude and scale of Sb mobility near some mineral deposits in Australia and New Zealand. Two examples of New Zealand historic mining areas demonstrate that natural groundwater dissolution of Sb from mineral deposits dominates the Sb load in drainage waters, with Sb concentrations between 3 and 24 μg/L in major streams. Mine-related discharges can exceed 200 μg/L Sb, but volumes are small. Sb flux in principal stream waters is ca 1–14 mg/s, compared to mine tunnel fluxes of ca 0.001 mg/s. Dissolved Sb is strongly attenuated near some mine tunnels by adsorption on to iron oxyhydroxide precipitates. Similar Sb mobilisation and attenuation processes are occurring downstream of the historic/active Hillgrove antimony–gold mine of New South Wales, Australia, but historic discharges of Sb-bearing debris has resulted in elevated Sb levels in stream sediments (ca 10–100⁺ mg/kg) and riparian plants (up to 100 mg/kg) for ca 300 km downstream. Dissolution of Sb from these sediments ensures that river waters have elevated Sb (ca 10–1,000 μg/L) over that distance. Total Sb flux reaching the Pacific Ocean from the Hillgrove area is ca 8 tonnes/year, of which 7 tonnes/year is particulate and 1 tonne/year is dissolved.     

金沙江干热河谷区土壤侵蚀危险度评价——以云南元谋为例

利用空间主成分分析方法，选取降水、坡度、植被、土地利用、土壤类型、人口、高程等作为评价指标，建立空间主成分评价模型Pi=0．78X1＋0．06X2＋0．05X3＋0．04X4，将研究区分为无险型、轻险型、危险型、强险型和极险型五种类型，较为准确地得到了危险度综合评价结果。因此，空间主成分分析模型，在土壤侵蚀危险程度评价方面的应用较为成功，是一种科学有效的研究方法。     

山丘平原过渡区土壤重金属污染特征及评价——以四川省五通桥区为例

采集和分析了五通桥区不同功能区和乡镇73个土壤样品，以了解山丘平原过渡区土壤重金属的含量和污染特征。结果表明，重金属的平均含量为Pb32．18mg／kg、Cd0．82mg／kg、Cu28．61mg／kg、Zn108．08mg／kg、Ni32．66mg／kg、Cr72．44mg／kg；与四川土壤背景值相比，Cu、Ni、Cr的含量与之持平，Pb增加了0．11倍，Zn增加了0．32倍，Cd的积累较为严重，比背景值增加了10倍。污染评价结果显示该过渡区存在一定程度的重金属污染问题，不同功能区的污染程度排序为工业区〉生活区〉农业区。Cd在六种元素的土壤污染分担率中占55．46％，是最主要的污染元素；土壤Cd含量与Pb和Zn存在较高的相关性（相关系数为0．525和0．500），表明存在Pb—Cd和Zn—Cd的复合污染。     

森林碳汇决策与农村可持续发展研究(英文)

认为有必要在基于碳汇的土地利用和当地可持续发展之间建立一种更加明确的联系.依托一个中国-加拿大合作项目,以中国贵州省黎平县为例,阐述了一种将森林碳汇、森林资源管理以及如何促进当地可持续发展联系起来的综合评估方法,并且着重介绍了能帮助资源管理和规划部门实施这种综合评估的土地利用决策支持工具(LUDST) .     

Climatic characteristics of summer high temperature and assessment methods in the large cities of North China

Based on the high temperature data of June to August in 1961-2000 in North China, the high temperature weather processes are investigated, and a more complete data set for severe high temperature processes is created. The climatic characteristics of adverse high temperature weather in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Jinan and Taiyuan are analyzed respectively. The major features of the East-Asia Subtropical High and Transformed Continental High are discussed. The outcomes indicate that the influence of both East Asia Subtropical High and Transformed Continental High on these weather events varies, by a larger margin, from one city to another over North China and they are also closely related to the relative humidity. It is found that the behaviours of East-Asia Subtropical High and Transformed Continental High are the major important systems that give rise to the summer high temperature weather over the region. Based on these findings, the 5-day, 10-day and monthly assessment models for such high impact events have been developed. The assessment outcomes prove to be useful in assessing severe high-temperature events in major cities of North China.     

森林碳汇决策与农村可持续发展研究

认为有必要在基于碳汇的土地利用和当地可持续发展之间建立一种更加明确的联系．依托一个中国-加拿大合作项目，以中国贵州省黎平县为例，阐述了一种将森林碳汇、森林资源管理以及如何促进当地可持续发展联系起来的综合评估方法，并且着重介绍了能帮助资源管理和规划部门实施这种综合评估的土地利用决策支持工具（LUDST）．     

Canada's environmental farm plans: transatlantic perspectives on agri-environmental schemes

Evaluation of Ontario's Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) scheme, launched in 1993, provides an opportunity for comparisons with agri-environmental measures instituted in the European Union and other parts of North America. The EFP has a strong 'bottom-up' dimension in that it is farmers' organizations that have been central both to the scheme's instigation and to its ongoing management. This has affected the nature of the actions taken by individual farmers participating in the scheme. These actions are reviewed, especially in terms of the participants' attitudes towards stewardship of the land, environmental outcomes, cross-compliance measures, barriers to participation and the role of statutory regulation. Some contrasts are drawn with the greater 'top-down' controls exerted in several EU agri-environment schemes, with the latter's promotion of extensification and the changing role of farmers as 'producers of countryside' in a multi-functional agricultural system. The diffusion of EFP schemes throughout Canada is noted and is cited as confirming the maintenance of fundamentally different attitudes to the development of farm-based environmental actions compared with those adopted in the EU.     

Deterioration of the volcanic kerb and pavement stones in a humid environment in the city centre of Izmir, Turkey

?zmir is the third largest city in Turkey and has being the centre of art, culture, tourism and trade activities throughout the 5,000 years of its history. Natural stones brought from different parts of the world have been widely used for construction of the prestigious buildings, monuments and roads etc., in the past in the city. Renovation of the street pavements and public gathering areas in the city centre has been undertaken by the Metropolitan Municipality in 2000 and continued through the year of 2001. These renovation activities have mainly been carried out in the streets running parallel to the sea shore. Volcanic rocks brought from the Central Anatolia Ankara-Gölba?? (andesites) and Kayseri-?ncesu (tuffs) have been used in the renovation works. These rocks have shown extensive deteriorations within 4 years of their usage between 2001 and 2005 under the influence of different environmental factors. In this study, the deteriorations developed in the recently placed volcanic rocks used as kerb and pavement stones in the city centre of ?zmir in the light of their mineralogical, chemical, physical and mechanical properties, used locations and the environmental factors are presented.     

Environmental impacts of bench blasting at Hisarcik Boron open pit mine in Turkey

This paper presents the results of ground vibration measurements carried out in Hisarcik Boron open pit mine located on the west side of central Anatolia near Kütahya province in Turkey. Within the scope of this study to predict peak particle velocity (PPV) level for this site, ground vibration components were measured for 304 shots during bench blasting. In blasting operations, ANFO (blasting agent), gelatin dynamite (priming), and delay electric detonators (firing) were used as explosives. Parameters of scaled distance (charge quantity per delay and the distance between the source and the station) were recorded carefully and the ground vibration components were measured for all blast events using two different types of vibration monitors (one White Mini-Seis and one Instantel Minimate Plus Model). The absolute distances between shot points and monitor stations were determined using GPS. The equation of square root scaled distance extensively used in the literature was taken into consideration for the prediction of PPV. Then, the data pairs of scaled distance and particle velocity obtained from the 565 event records were analyzed statistically. At the end of statistical evaluation of the data pairs, an empirical relation which gives 50% prediction line with a reasonable correlation coefficient was established between PPV and scaled distance.