Effects of detailed soil spatial information on watershed modeling across different model scales

Hydro-ecological modelers often use spatial variation of soil information derived from conventional soil surveys in simulation of hydro-ecological processes over watersheds at mesoscale (10–100 km²). Conventional soil surveys are not designed to provide the same level of spatial detail as terrain and vegetation inputs derived from digital terrain analysis and remote sensing techniques. Soil property layers derived from conventional soil surveys are often incompatible with detailed terrain and remotely sensed data due to their difference in scales. The objective of this research is to examine the effect of scale incompatibility between soil information and the detailed digital terrain data and remotely sensed information by comparing simulations of watershed processes based on the conventional soil map and those simulations based on detailed soil information across different simulation scales. The detailed soil spatial information was derived using a GIS (geographical information system), expert knowledge, and fuzzy logic based predictive mapping approach (Soil Land Inference Model, SoLIM). The Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys) is used to simulate two watershed processes: net photosynthesis and stream flow. The difference between simulation based on the conventional soil map and that based on the detailed predictive soil map at a given simulation scale is perceived to be the effect of scale incompatibility between conventional soil data and the rest of the (more detailed) data layers at that scale. Two modeling approaches were taken in this study: the lumped parameter approach and the distributed parameter approach. The results over two small watersheds indicate that the effect does not necessarily always increase or decrease as the simulation scale becomes finer or coarser. For a given watershed there seems to be a fixed scale at which the effect is consistently low for the simulated processes with both the lumped parameter approach and the distributed parameter approach.     

A multidisciplinary multi-scale framework for assessing vulnerabilities to global change

Terrestrial ecosystems provide a number of vital services for people and society, such as food, fibre, water resources, carbon sequestration, and recreation. The future capability of ecosystems to provide these services is determined by changes in socio-economic factors, land use, atmospheric composition, and climate. Most impact assessments do not quantify the vulnerability of ecosystems and ecosystem services under such environmental change. They cannot answer important policy-relevant questions such as 'Which are the main regions or sectors that are most vulnerable to global change?’ 'How do the vulnerabilities of two regions compare?’ 'Which scenario is the least harmful for a sector?’This paper describes a new approach to vulnerability assessment developed by the Advanced Terrestrial Ecosystem Analysis and Modelling (ATEAM) project. Different ecosystem models, covering biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, hydrology, and carbon sequestration are fed with the same Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES). Each model gives insights into specific ecosystems, as in traditional impact assessments. Moreover, by integrating the results in a vulnerability assessment, the policy-relevant questions listed above can also be addressed. A statistically derived European environmental stratification forms a key element in the vulnerability assessment. By linking it to other quantitative environmental stratifications, comparisons can be made using data from different assessments and spatial scales.     

平凉地区对流风暴地闪活动与环境层结因子相关性分析

利用1997年和1998年6－8月间在甘肃平凉地区的3站闪电定位系统所取得的地闪资料与当天早晨探空资料进行了初步的统计分析。分析结果，对流风暴中地闪活动与环境层结因子之间有较好的相关性，不稳定度、余额不稳定度5℃处的环境温度、温度层结中（中层）平均相对湿度是影响对流风暴中地闪活动的重要因子，对流风暴的地闪活动可通过这些因子进行预报。     

长江三角洲环境地质调查评价GIS管理系统建设初探

长江三角洲是一个人口稠密、经济高度发达的地区 ,该区地质结构复杂、环境地质条件十分脆弱 ,长期以来因过量开采地下水 ,形成大面积区域性水位降落漏斗 ,诱发了相当严重的地面沉降、地裂缝等地质灾害 ,给当地经济可持续发展带来严重威胁。本文从开展长江三角洲环境地质调查评价的现实意义出发 ,探讨了长江三角洲环境地质调查评价GIS管理系统的系统目标、开发模式以及实现步骤 ,概括介绍了系统所应具有的功能 ,为长江三角洲项目信息系统建设提出了一条可行性思路。     

Isotope variations in a Sierra Nevada snowpack and their relation to meltwater

Isotopic variations in melting snow are poorly understood. We made weekly measurements at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, California, of snow temperature, density, water equivalent and liquid water volume to examine how physical changes within the snowpack govern meltwater δ¹⁸O. Snowpack samples were extracted at 0.1 m intervals from ground level to the top of the snowpack profile between December 1991 and April 1992. Approximately 800 mm of precipitation fell during the study period with δ¹⁸O values between −21.35 and −4.25‰. Corresponding snowpack δ¹⁸O ranged from −22.25 to −6.25‰. The coefficient of variation of δ¹⁸O in snowpack levels decreased from −0.37 to −0.07 from winter to spring, indicating isotopic snowpack homogenization. Meltwater δ¹⁸O ranged from −15.30 to −8.05‰, with variations of up to 2.95‰ observed within a single snowmelt episode, highlighting the need for frequent sampling. Early snowmelt originated in the lower snowpack with higher δ¹⁸O through ground heat flux and rainfall. After the snowpack became isothermal, infiltrating snowmelt displaced the higher δ¹⁸O liquid in the lower snowpack through a piston flow process. Fractionation analysis using a two-component mixing model on the isothermal snowpack indicated that δ¹⁸O in the initial and final half of major snowmelt was 1.30‰ lower and 1.45‰ higher, respectively, than the value from simple mixing. Mean snowpack δ¹⁸O on individual profiling days showed a steady increase from −15.15 to −12.05‰ due to removal of lower δ¹⁸O snowmelt and addition of higher δ¹⁸O rainfall. Results suggest that direct sampling of snowmelt and snow cores should be undertaken to quantify tracer input compositions adequately. The snowmelt sequence also suggests that regimes of early lower δ¹⁸O and later higher δ¹⁸O melt may be modeled and used in catchment tracing studies.     

区域环境变迁与持续发展的互动关系

区域历史进程中持续发展与环境变迁表现出了复杂的互动关系，两种动态过程紧密地交织在一起，通过人类活动互相作用，互相影响，持续发展，环境变迁与人类活动的内容在不同时代表现出不同的主题，并受到自然和人为因素的调节与控制，文中还简要阐明了当代可持续发展的主题，指出解决PRED问题要注意控制人口数量，提高人口素质；消除贫困，达到全球环境共有共治共保共享。     

塔里木河中游天然植被的数量分类与排序研究

通过塔里木河中下游天然植被带的调查研究，应用数量分类(TWINSPAN)和排序(CCA)方法，对塔里木河中下游地区天然植被类型进行了划分，并探讨了决定该地区天然植物群落类型的主要环境因子。该地区天然植被可分为4个植被型组，4个植被型，6种植被亚型，9个群系，15个群丛。通过对8个环境因子的CCA排序分析，结果表明制约塔里木河中下游天然植被组成和结构的主导环境因子为地下水位、地下水矿化度、地下水酸碱度。通过CCA二维排序图将16种植物对干旱、盐碱的适应性划分5类型。21个样地在CCA二维排序图上可聚集成9个植物群落类群，即胡杨(Populus euphratica)群落、铃铛刺(Halimodendron halodendron)群落、库尔勒沙拐枣(Calligonum Kuerlese)群落、多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)群落、黑果枸杞(Lycium ruthenicum)群落、盐穗木(Halostashys caspica)群落、花花柴(Karelinia caspica)群落、疏叶骆驼剂(Alhagi sparsifolia)群落、罗布麻(Apocynum venetum)群落，与TWINSPAN结果中的群系分类单位一致。CCA连续排序与TWINSPAN分类结果吻合较好。9种植物群落类型中，能耐受最大盐胁迫的为盐穗木群落，能耐受最大干旱胁迫的为铃铛刺群落，能耐受最大地下水碱胁迫的为黑果枸杞群落。     

中国环境影响评价中公众参与的有效性有待提高

环境影响评价(EIA)作为协调经济发展与环境保护的手段，已日益成为国家环境管理的重要工具。公众参与是环境影响评价的重要组成部分。从公众参与的概念及作用出发，分析中国环境影响评价中公众参与的机制，认为存在着参与对象选取不合理、参与形式双向性差、调查内容设置不科学、意见整理分析方法不完善及公众参与时段滞后等影响公众参与有效性提高的问题，最后提出注重参与对象的代表性，形式的有效性，内容的科学性，分析的定量化以及权利的保障等，以提高中国环评公众参与的有效性。     

地下工程围岩分类模糊推理系统设计

将现场获取的影响地下工程围岩分类的几种主要因素视为判别围岩类别论域上的模糊子集,利用建立的地下工程围岩分类模糊逻辑推理系统对围岩类别进行模糊逻辑推理运算,获得与实际情况相一致的围岩类别的判定,直接为地下工程的信息化设计和施工提供依据。     

Smoothing and Change Point Detection for Gamma Ray Count Data

Gamma ray detectors are used to measure the natural radioactivity of rocks. For a number of boreholes drilled at a site the gamma ray detector is lowered into each borehole and counts of gamma ray emissions at different depths are recorded as the instrument is gradually raised to ground level. The profile of gamma counts can be informative about the geology at each location. The raw count data are highly variable, and in this paper we describe the use of adaptive smoothing techniques and change point models in order to identify changes in the geology based on the gamma logs. We formulate all our models for the data in the framework of the class of generalized linear models, and describe computational methods for Bayesian inference and model selection for generalized linear models that improve on existing techniques. Application is made to gamma ray data from the Castelreagh Waste Management Centre which served as a hazardous waste disposal facility for the Sydney region between March 1974 and August 1998. Understanding the geological structure of this site is important for further modelling the transport of pollutants beneath the waste disposal area.