Long‐term effects of revegetation on soil hydrological processes in vegetation‐stabilized desert ecosystems

Planting of sand‐binding vegetation in the Shapotou region on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert began in 1956. The revegetation programme successfully stabilized formerly mobile dunes in northern China, permitting the operation of the Baotou‐Lanzhou railway. Long‐term monitoring has shown that the revegetation programme produced various ecological changes, including the formation of biological soil crusts (BSCs). To gain insight into the role of BSCs in both past ecological change and current ecological evolution at the revegetation sites, we used field measurements and HYDRUS‐1D model simulations to investigate the effects of BSCs on soil hydrological processes at revegetated sites planted in 1956 and 1964 and at an unplanted mobile dune site. The results demonstrate that the formation of BSCs has altered patterns of soil water storage, increasing the moisture content near the surface (0–5 cm) while decreasing the moisture content in deeper layers (5–120 cm). Soil evaporation at BSC sites is elevated relative to unplanted sites during periods when canopy coverage is low. Rainfall infiltration was not affected by BSCs during the very dry period that was studied (30 April to 30 September 2005); during periods with higher rainfall intensity, differences in infiltration may be expected due to runoff at BSC sites. The simulated changes in soil moisture storage and hydrological processes are consistent with ongoing plant community succession at the revegetated sites, from deep‐rooted shrubs to more shallow‐rooted herbaceous species. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An inexpensive and portable drill rig for bedrock groundwater studies in headwater catchments

Bedrock groundwater dynamics in headwater catchments are poorly understood and poorly characterized. Here, we present an inexpensive and portable bedrock drilling system designed for use in remote locations. Our system is capable of drilling bedrock wells up to 11 m deep and 38 mm in diameter in a wide range of bedrock types. The drill consists of a lawn mower engine adapted to rotate a diamond tipped coring bit, a small water pump to cool and flush the drill bit and a scaffolding platform for stable footing on steep slopes. The complete drilling assembly costs under $ 2000 USD. Here, we show proof‐of‐concept of our approach with 40 successful wells drilled in different geological substrates, including a conglomerate at the Maimai experimental catchment in New Zealand, volcanic breccias at the HJ Andrews experimental watershed in Oregon, USA, sandstone and siltstone at the Alsea watershed in Oregon, USA, and basalt at the Los Gavilanes experimental watershed in Veracruz, Mexico. We also present a transparent comparison between our design and other portable bedrock drilling systems and outline the strengths and weaknesses of each system. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On-line estimation of nonlinear physical systems

Recursive algorithms for estimating states of nonlinear physical systems are presented. Orthogonality properties are rediscovered and the associated polynomials are used to linearize state and observation models of the underlying random processes. This requires some key hypotheses regarding the structure of these processes, which may then take account of a wide range of applications. The latter include streamflow forecasting, flood estimation, environmental protection, earthquake engineering, and mine planning. The proposed estimation algorithm may be compared favorably to Taylor series-type filters, nonlinear filters which approximate the probability density by Edgeworth or Gram-Charlier series, as well as to conventional statistical linearization-type estimators. Moreover, the method has several advantages over nonrecursive estimators like disjunctive kriging. To link theory with practice, some numerical results for a simulated system are presented, in which responses from the proposed and extended Kalman algorithms are compared.     

渤海陆缘地震的力学特征和成因

渤海陆缘是华北强震活动区,如1966年的邢台震群,1967年的河间地震,1969年的渤海地震,1975年的海城地震,1976年的唐山震群和1983年的菏泽地震,都是在该区发生的。显然,深入研究该地区的构造运动和地震成因是有重要科学意义的。本文拟从应力场角度进行研究。     

Annual heat balance and equilibrium temperature of Lake Aegeri,Switzerland

The mean heat budget of Lake Aegeri, Switzerland, is 950 MJ·m^–2, comparable to that of neighbouring lakes. The annual variation in the net heat flux can be adequately described using a six-term heat balance equation based on 12 years of monthly mean meteorological and surface temperature data. Although the magnitude of the net heat flux is dominated by the radiative terms of the equation, the one-month backward shift of the net flux and total heat content extrema from the solstices and equinoxes respectively is due to the phase shift of the non-radiative with respect to the radiative terms. A linear approximation was used to express the net heat flux in terms of a heat exchange coefficient and an equilibrium temperature. The former varies from 17 to 28 W·m^–2·K^–1 in the course of a year; fluctuations in the latter are found to depend mainly on fluctuations in cloud cover and relative humidity, whilst the effect of fluctuations in air temperature and wind speed is slight.     

物理过程和分辨率对西南涡演变的中尺度模拟影响

本文运用PSU/NCAR中尺度模式第四改进型(MM_4),对“81.7”四川暴雨期西南涡的演变进行了一系列96和72小时数值模拟;其目的在于研究模式物理过程和空间分辨率以及行星边界层(PBL)参数化对西南涡生成和发展模拟的影响。96小时的控制试验(方案Ⅰ)结果表明:水平分辨率160km和总体PBL的10层MM_4对西南涡发展模拟得较好,但对其生成只有初步模拟的能力;各种物理过程主要影响西南涡演变的强度,而对其位置影响较小;去掉潜热释放会显著影响西南涡在后期的发展;没有地面通量将使西南涡的生成和发展强度明显减弱;于试验不能模拟出西南涡在整个暴雨期的发展,且使其移速略快,无摩擦试验指出,地面摩擦对西南涡的生成是不重要的。提高模式空间分辨率和采用高分辨PBL模式,能使西南涡生成和发展位置的模拟有明显改进,但其强度一般偏强于实况。事实表明,进一步完善模式物理过程、改进PBL参数化和提高模式空间分辨率将是十分必要的。     

Niveo-aeolian deposits and denivation forms,with special reference to the great Kobuk Sand Dunes,Northwestern Alaska

The geomorphology, lithology and chronostratigraphy of extensive, late Pleistocene inland and river dune sands, aeolian sand sheets (‘cover sands’) and loess deposits of periglacial origin in northwestern Europe are well known. However, the idea that some of these aeolian sediments result from niveo-aeolian processes is still an open question, as no diagnostic sedimentary features have yet been reported. Moreover, actual niveo-aeolian sediments and related denivation forms, reported from various cold-climate regions, are not suitable analogues. Recent observations in active dune fields in northwestern Alaska indicate that interstratification of wind-driven snow and sand preferentially occurs on slip faces of transverse, barchanoid or parabolic dune ridges. Annual denivation forms develop: e.g. snow ramparts, sinkholes, snow hummocks, snow meltwater fans and tensional cracks. The surface consists of a cracked wet sand layer with a dimpled surface and spongy structure. Although the preservation potential of these features is low in this specific case, similar features may be observed in ancient sediments elsewhere and provide useful palaeoclimatic indicators. The niveo-aeolian concept should therefore not specifically be related to late Pleistocene cover sand deposition in northwestern Europe, as previously assumed.     

Settling-velocity distributions and sorting processes on a longitudinal dune: A case study

The processes acting on a longitudinal dune are inferred from the response in the area size-sorting characteristics of the sediment of the active layer. The sediment size distributions are determined by settling and are best described by a log-hyperbolic model which provides the most information on size-sorting processes. Size-sorting characteristics are markedly different across the low round-crested part of the dune from cross-sections of the high more sharp-crested part. This results in changes in textural parameters along the lee-side consistent with changes in the lee-side separation vortex. This is the first time that the effect of wind speed up on the lee-side is observed to be reflected in the sediment; it can only be detected with the very sensitive log-hyperbolic parameters.     

Dynamics of fluvial and slope processes in the changing geomorphic environment of singapore

The nature and rates of fluvial and slope processes change over time and space as urbanized areas replace forested land in Singapore. Storm-based and time-based data, from undisturbed rainforests, heavily disturbed construction sites, urban grass-covered slopes and an experimental plot, are collected to observe the impact of rainwater on the soil moisture conditions, surface microtopography, runoff generation, sediment movement, and ground lowering in the three different categories of land use. The undisturbed forested environment is characterized by high throughfall (58% of total rainfall) and frequent negative soil moisture suctions. The slow and unconcentrated overland flow during heavy storms is restricted by the forest floor microtopography. No rills develop. Ground lowering is recorded as 3·2–3·4 mm a^?1. But sediment movement is episodic and suspended sediment concentrations in overland flow are 172–222 mg l^?1. During urban construction, gully development is rapid on the bare slopes, runoff generation, voluminous, and sediment-laden discharges (5200–75498 mg l^?1) lead to sediment plumes at channel mouths. Ground lowering rates are measured at 132·4 mm a^?1. Once grass-covered, runoff carries less suspended sediment (800 mg l^?1) and ground lowering rates are reduced, but depend on the condition of the cover, ranging from 0·2 to 8·2 mm a^?1. As urban development continues, environments are altered both in time as well as spatially.