Anthropogenic impacts on nitrogen fixation rates between restored and natural Mediterranean salt marshes

To test the effects of site and successional stage on nitrogen fixation rates in salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon, Italy, acetylene reduction assays were performed with Salicornia veneta‐ and Spartina townsendii‐vegetated sediments from three restored (6–14 years) and two natural marshes. Average nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) rates ranged from 31 to 343 μmol C₂H₄·m^?2·h^?1 among all marshes, with the greatest average rates being from one natural marsh (Tezze Fonde). These high rates are up to six times greater than those reported from Southern California Spartina marshes of similar Mediterranean climate, but substantially lower than those found in moister climates of the Atlantic US coast. Nitrogen fixation rates did not consistently vary between natural and restored marshes within a site (Fossei Est, Tezze Fonde, Cenesa) but were negatively related to assayed plant biomass within the acetylene reduction samples collected among all marshes. Highest nitrogen fixation rates were found at Tezze Fonde, the location closest to the city of Venice, in both natural and restored marshes, suggesting possible site‐specific impacts of anthropogenic stress on marsh succession.     

An experimental study on water entry of asymmetric wedges

The aim of the paper is to provide an experimental reference for investigation of asymmetric water entry of wedges. Parameters of the study include initial deadrise angle, inclination angle and impact speed. Initial deadrise angles of the wedges were 20° and 30° with inclination angles ranging from 0° to 15° in 5° increments. Wedges were freely fallen from three different heights. Time histories of impact pressure and body acceleration were recorded. Sampling rate of measurements were set to 25 KHz. Main configuration of each test including mass of the wedge and water level were kept unchanged during all experiments. Additionally, several calibration tests were conducted to assess the repeatability and accuracy of the recorded data. The experimental results are compared with different entry theories and other available experiments. The comparison shows a reasonable agreement and indicates that the inclination angle can dramatically affect the impact pressure experienced by the wedges. Finally, the results show that the traditional asymmetric theories are not appropriate for all inclination angles.     

琼东南盆地深水区新近系海底扇沉积特征与资源潜力

综合利用钻井、岩心、薄片及分析化验资料研究了琼东南盆地深水区新近系海底扇沉积特征,并利用最新的三维地震资料,通过井震精细标定、多属性融合技术、方差体切片、三维地貌砂体镂空等综合技术手段,精细刻画了海底扇砂体的空间分布特征。研究结果表明,深水区新近系海底扇是由陆架区的砂体滑塌并二次搬运形成,形成过程具有多期次性。受不同物源的影响,海底扇岩性和物性存在较大的差异。海底扇岩性及沉积构造具有砂质滑塌、碎屑流、浊流和深水底流改造的特征。海底扇的沉积微相、厚度、砂泥比和砂泥岩空间配置关系直接控制了地震振幅反射强度和频率的变化。砂体纵向叠置,横向连片,并被后期泥质水道切割分块形成多个岩性圈闭。综合分析认为,深水区海底扇砂体发育区烃源条件优越,储盖配置关系和圈闭条件良好,具备形成大中型岩性油气藏的有利条件,具有较大的油气勘探潜力。     

Development of a new method for efficiently calculating of evaporation from the phreatic aquifer in variably saturated flow modeling

In this paper, we proposed a new method that has been developed based on the surface soil moisture content (SSMC) to more efficiently calculate the groundwater evaporation in variably saturated flow modeling. In this method, the empirical formula to calculate evaporation was modified and the value of the formula varies from zero to one as a closed interval. In addition, the simulation code for calculating the groundwater evaporation based on the SSMC method was incorporated into the EOS9 module of Tough2, a variably saturated flow modeling code. Finally, two numerical tests and a case simulation were conducted to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the SSMC method. Simulation results indicate that the SSMC method is capable of appropriately simulating the characteristics of water flow in vadose zone and the amount of evaporation with the variable water table. And such results are in coincidence with the value calculated by the logistic function method, and fit well with the measured data globally rather than locally.     

海洋上层暖水在热带气旋迅速增强中的作用:基于台风威马逊(1409)的个例研究

在登陆海南岛之前,台风威马逊在南海北部从热带风暴级别迅速增强成为超强台风。观测数据的分析结果显示,海洋上层的异常暖水在威马逊的迅速增强过程中扮演了重要的角色。威马逊期间,南海北部的海表面温度相比于气候态海表面温度暖很多。这部分异常暖水为威马逊提供了更多的能量,从而导致了威马逊的迅速增强。数值模拟结果进一步证明,南海北部的暖水在台风威马逊的迅速增强过程中起重要作用。如果没有这团异常暖水的影响,威马逊只增强25 hPa,仅为有暖水影响条件下增强程度的58.1%。     

围填海对海洋水动力与生态环境的影响

近10年来,中国海岸带围填海活动呈现出规模大、速度快的发展态势。围填海能带来显著的经济效益,但对海洋环境与生态的负面影响也不可忽视。针对围填海对海洋环境和生态的影响及作用机制,分别从水动力和生态系统两个方面进行了概述。围填海改变了海洋的自然几何属性(原始岸线、地形地貌、海湾面积),引起水动力环境的变化(潮汐系统和海湾水交换能力),进而影响了海湾的环境容量;围填海破坏了生物栖息地、导致生物多样性的丧失,影响到生态系统结构与功能的稳定性;水动力与生物多样性的变化可显著影响到生物地球化学过程,加速富营养化进程,恶化水质,增加生态灾害风险。目前,围填海后的生态修复策略主要有增加生物量、建设自然保护区、退陆还海3种方式;而生态补偿策略则多基于“生态系统服务功能与生境面积的大小为线性关系”,通过对其经济价值的量化后进行生态补偿与实施相关政策。国际上,生态系统服务功能的量化参数逐步纳入实际管理,并在线性关系研究的基础上,逐步纳入一些非线性的理念,使生态补偿机制更为合理化;而我国对于围填海生态效应的定量化研究及科学理论在管理政策中的实际应用仍亟待提高。整体而言,全面、准确地评估围填海对海洋环境与生态的影响离不开自然科学与社会科学的交叉与融合。     

近60年来长江河口河势变化及其对水动力和盐水入侵的影响I.河势变化

河势是影响河口水动力和盐水入侵基本因子。本文利用20世纪50和70年代长江河口海图,数值化岸线和水深,结合2012年长江河口实测水深资料,分析长江河口自50年代以来的河势变化。长江河口为分汊河口,50年代仅为二级分汊,至70年代才形成三级分汊,四口入海的河势格局。70年代相比于50年代,北支淤浅严重,其上、中、下段容积变化分别为-64.13×106、-306.60×106和-639.27×106 m3,对应的变化率分别为-16.30%、-22.74%和-25.69%,均显著减小;南支的上、中、下段容积变化分别为-28.61×106、-35.69×106和126.43×106 m3,相应的变化率分别为-1.30%、-2.12%和4.36%;北港由于崇明浅滩和横沙浅滩的淤浅,下段容积明显减小,其上段和下段容积变化分别为109.21×106和-797.14×106 m3,对应的变化率分别为5.01%和-15.25%;南港上段由于河道淤浅容积减小,下段北由于铜沙浅滩被冲开形成北槽,导致水深变深、容积增加,其上段、下段北和下段南容积变化分别为-238.95×106、203.58×106和153.34×106 m3,对应的变化率分别为-8.96%、6.85%和3.26%。2012年相比于70年代,北支由于大量淤浅和围垦容积大幅减小,其上、中、下段容积变化分别为-199.06×106、-504.61×106和-654.12×106 m3,对应的变化率分别为-60.45%、-48.44%和-35.38%;南支的上、中、下段容积变化分别为92.34×106、193.01×106和-163.62×106 m3,相应的变化率分别为4.24%、11.73%和-5.40%;北港上段青草沙水库的围垦和下段横沙东滩的围垦造成面积和容积减小,其上段和下段容积变化分别为-154.64×106和-511.79×106 m3,对应的变化率分别为-6.75%和-11.55%;南港由于上段河道刷深而下段九段沙以及南汇边滩淤浅、围垦,导致其容积上段增加,下段减小,上段、下段北和下段南容积变化分别为136.39×106、-658.28×106和-1266.11×106 m3,对应的变化率分别为5.62%、-20.73%和-26.06%。     

长江口及其邻近海域叶绿素a分布特征及其与低氧区形成的关系

于2013年3月和8月研究了长江口及其邻近海域叶绿素a的分布特征,并对环境因子和长江冲淡水对浮游植物生物量分布的影响进行了探讨。结果表明,叶绿素a浓度在丰水期较高,平均值为5.18μg/L,最高值达32.05μg/L,现场海水出现变色现象;与同期历史资料对比分析,发现该海域叶绿素a浓度呈现出波动增长趋势。丰水期与枯水期叶绿素a的相对高值区均位于冲淡水的中部,122.5°E~123°E之间;丰水期在调查海域出现溶解氧低值区与低氧区,最低值仅为0.64 mg/L;发现低氧区出现位置北移、面积扩大和溶解氧最低值下降的趋势。底层溶解氧低值区分布与表层叶绿素高值区大致吻合,表明低氧现象与表层浮游植物的生长和现存量密切相关,在跃层存在的水体中表层浮游植物的大量繁殖易造成底层低氧区的出现。     

Discussion on applying an analytical method to optimize the anti-freeze design parameters for underground water pipelines in seasonally frozen areas

Adopting the quasi-three-dimensional (Quasi-3D) numerical method to optimize the anti-freeze design parameters of an underground pipeline usually involves heavy numerical calculations. Here, the fitting formulae between the safe conveyance distance (SCD) of a water pipeline and six influencing factors are established based on the lowest water temperature (LWT) along the pipeline axis direction. With reference to the current widely used anti-freeze design approaches for underground pipelines in seasonally frozen areas, this paper first analyzes the feasibility of applying the maximum frozen penetration (MFP) instead of the mean annual ground surface temperature (MAGST) and soil water content (SWC) to calculate the SCD. The results show that the SCD depends on the buried depth if the MFP is fixed and the variation of the MAGST and SWC combination does not significantly change the SCD. A comprehensive formula for the SCD is established based on the relationships between the SCD and several primary influencing factors and the interaction among them. This formula involves five easy-to-access parameters: the MFP, buried depth, pipeline diameter, flow velocity, and inlet water temperature. A comparison between the analytical method and the numerical results based on the Quasi-3D method indicates that the two methods are in good agreement overall. The analytic method can be used to optimize the anti-freeze design parameters of underground water pipelines in seasonally frozen areas under the condition of a 1.5 safety coefficient.     

Cutting of Phragmites australis as a lake restoration technique: Productivity calculation and nutrient removal in Wuliangsuhai Lake, northern China

Reed is one of the most frequent and dominant species in wetlands all over the world, with common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) as the most widely distributed species. In many wetlands, P. australis plays a highly ambivalent role. On the one hand, in many wetlands it purifies wastewater, provides habitat for numerous species, and is a potentially valuable raw material, while on the other hand it is an invasive species which expands aggressively, prevents fishing, blocks ditches and waterways, and builds monospecies stands. This paper uses the eutrophic reed-swamp of Wuliangsuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia, northern China, as a case to present the multiple benefits of regular reed cutting. The reed area and aboveground biomass production are calculated based on field data. Combined with data about water and reed nutrient content, the impact of reed cutting on the lake nutrient budget (N and P) is investigated. Currently, at this lake around 100,000 tons of reed are harvested in winter annually, removing 16% and 8% of the total nitrogen and phosphorus influx, respectively. Harvesting all available winter reed could increase the nutrient removal rates to 48% and 24%, respectively. We also consider the effects of summer harvesting, in which reed biomass removal could overcompensate for the nutrient influx but could potentially reduce reed regrowth.