The transport-geographical location of Siberia's microregions: techniques and assessment results

It is established that the methodological tools for quantitative measurement of the transport-geographical location is insufficiently advanced. We suggest the algorithm for the technique of its cost assessment based on determining the “economic” distances and adapted to the peculiarities of the transport system of Siberia. We calculated the costs of the transport-geographical location of Siberian microregions (within administrative districts) with respect to the most important year-round sea ports for the current (the year 2005) and future (the year 2030) levels.     

Discussion on the Abnormally Low Active Fault Slip Rate of the M_S 8. 0 Wenchuan Earthquake

Based on the collection of active fault slip rate data of large intra-continental shallow thrust earthquakes occurring in the triangular seismic region of the East Asia continent,a preliminary analysis has been performed with results showing that the Wenchuan,Sichuan, China earthquake ( MS = 8. 0) of May 12,2008 occurred on the Longmenshan Mountain active fault with an abnormally low slip rate.     

不同风化程度花岗岩动力特性实验研究

采用6种不同风化程度的花岗岩试样,在相同围压下进行了不同加载速率（1～105 MPa/s）的动三轴压缩实验。研究发现,不同风化程度花岗岩试件的抗压强度、弹性模量均随加载速率的增加而增加,泊松比随加载速率的增加而减小。抗压强度的增加幅度随风化程度的增加而增加,弹性模量的增加幅度基本保持不变     

Mycorrhizal Colonization Affects the Survival of Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash Grown in Water Containing As(III)

The presence of arsenic (As) in water is of great public concern. Arsenic exists in three common valence states viz., As(0) metalloid arsenic, As(III) (arsenite) and As(V) (arsenate). Arsenite [As(III)] is the most toxic form among arsenicals which, predominates in anaerobic conditions, generally in flooded soils and in the water with high BOD. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of As(III) on the mycorrhization in vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash) grass in hydroponics. Studies showed significant alteration in the mycorrhizal colonization in the roots of vetiver exposed to higher concentrations of As(III) starting from 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 to 5.0 mg/L prepared in 5% Hoagland nutrient solution without addition of phosphate ions. Considerable reduction in the mycorrhizal intensity (M) was observed in all the treatment sets as compared to the control suggesting a negative impact of the As(III) on the mycorrhizal association. Simultaneously, the study also showed that, As(III) is toxic to the vetiver plants having mycorrhizal association however plants with non‐mycorrhizal (cleansed) roots were found to be able to survive for a longer period exposed to As(III).     

不同砾石覆盖度戈壁床面风蚀速率定量模拟

通过风洞实验,利用称重传感器自动记录风蚀观测样方重量变化过程,对供沙条件下不同砾石覆盖度戈壁床面风蚀速率进行了定量模拟研究。结果表明:砾石覆盖度是影响戈壁风蚀速率的关键因子,戈壁床面风蚀速率随砾石覆盖度增加按指数规律递减。各实验风速下,砾石覆盖度>50%时,戈壁床面风蚀速率随砾石覆盖度增加而减小量有限,甚至无风蚀发生;而盖度从10%到50%时,风蚀速率显著减小。因此,两种实验粒径砾石(3 cm与4 cm)至少在50%盖度时才能达到较好的风蚀防治效果。戈壁风蚀防护机理主要是砾石覆盖度的增加增大了砾石间沙粒的临界起动剪切风速,而且减少了作用在砾石间可蚀地表的剪切压。与沙质对照床面相比,10%~90%砾石盖度戈壁床面沙粒临界起动剪切风速增大了0.8~3.4倍,只有0.5％~28%的剪切压作用在砾石间可蚀地表。     

Coastal landslides and swelling clays at Røsnæs,Denmark

Prior, D. B., 1973: Coastal landslides and swelling clays at Røsnæs, Denmark. Geografisk Tidsskrift, 72: 45–48. København, September 30, 1973.

The landslide morphology of the Røsnæs area has been examined and materials involved in active landsliding analysed.     

Meteorological Observations 2002 at the Arctic Station,Qeqertarsuaq (69°15'N), Central West Greenland

An automatic meteorological station has been operating at the Arctic Station (69°15'N, 53°31'W) in West Greenland since 1990. This paper summarises meteorological parameters during 2002, including snow cover, ground temperatures and active layer development, and air temperatures at the Station during the last 12 years are compared to large scale trends during the last century.

A compilation of 93 sedimentation rate determinations based on ²¹⁰Pb dating has been carried out for the North Sea-Baltic Sea transition area from a database containing 165 determinations carried out by Danish institutions. In the depositional parts of the area sedimentation rates generally range 25–6403 g m^?2 y^?1. An extreme rate of 13351 g m^?2 y^?1 is observed on a station in the Skagerrak. Sedimentation rates significantly increase with depth indicating that the Skagerrak and northern parts of the Kattegat as well as the deep basins in the Baltic Sea act as depocentres for fine-grained sediments. Apparently, sedimentation rates have increased in recent years.     

Using GIS to Model and Forecast HIV/AIDS Rates in Africa, 1986–2010

In this article we draw on the power of geographic information systems (GIS) to examine the progression of HIV/AIDS in Africa for the period from 1986 to 2003. We use GIS for two purposes: (1) to transform and interpolate a set of annual point-based HIV/AIDS rates into area data; and (2) to extract or “mine” annual HIV/AIDS prevalence rates from the interpolated area (country) level maps. Once the rates are extracted from the GIS analysis we then model and forecast them into the near future (i.e., 2004–2010) by using the UNAIDS Estimation and Projection Package (EPP) software. The article offers an alternative grounded in geospatial analysis for yielding estimates of HIV/AIDS rates in Africa. Using incomplete sets of data for the period from 1986 to 2003, mean HIV/AIDS rates are generated from spatially interpolated data and future trends are estimated. The results indicate that the HIV/AIDS epidemic for many countries in Africa has reached the saturation or maturity level as evidenced by the typical S-shaped curves in the trends over time. As a matter of fact, some countries have begun to experience a sustained decline in the rates (e.g., Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe).     

多点激励下连续桥梁地震响应特性研究

地震动在强度和频率等方面均具有非平稳特性,导致多跨桥梁的动力响应非常复杂。为了研究多跨连续桥梁在多点地震动激励下的反应,首先提出了评价多点地震动非平稳性的3个指标：幅值绝对值的标准差、方向离散度和穿零率。根据桥梁多点激励运动方程的特点,阐述了广义振型参与系数矩阵的意义,及其与传统振型参与系数矩阵的联系和区别。根据多点地震动非平稳性的特性,对不同支点施加异向及不同幅值的位移或加速度,研究了不同跨数连续梁桥的多点激励响应规律。结果表明,随着连续梁桥跨数的增多,桥梁在多点地震激励下的响应趋于复杂多变,受具体地震动的非平稳性影响越发明显。     

Mapping of erosion rates in marly badlands based on a coupling of anatomical changes in exposed roots with slope maps derived from LiDAR data

Black marls form very extensive outcrops in the Alps and constitute some of the most eroded terrains, thus causing major problems of sedimentation in artificial storage systems (e.g. reservoirs) and river systems. In the experimental catchments near Draix (France), soil erosion rates have been measured in the past at the plot scale through a detailed monitoring of surface elevation changes and at the catchment scale through continuous monitoring of sediment yield in traps at basin outlets. More recently, erosion rates have been determined by means of dendrogeomorphic techniques in three monitored catchments of the Draix basin. A total of 48 exposed roots of Scots pine have been sampled and anatomical variations in annual growth rings resulting from denudation analysed. At the plot scale, average medium‐term soil erosion rates derived from exposed roots vary between 1·8 and 13·8 mm yr^?1 (average: 5·9 mm yr^?1) and values are significantly correlated with slope angle. The dendrogeomorphic record of point‐scale soil erosion rates matches very well with soil erosion rates measured in the Draix basins. Based on the point‐scale measurements and dendrogeomorphic results obtained at the point scale, a linear regression model involving slope angle was derived and coupled to high‐resolution slope maps obtained from a LiDAR‐generated digital elevation model so as to generate high‐resolution soil erosion maps. The resulting regression model is statistically significant and average soil erosion rates obtained from the areal erosion map (5·8, 5·2 and 6·2 mm yr^?1 for the Roubine, Moulin and Laval catchments, respectively) prove to be well in concert with average annual erosion rates measured in traps at the outlet of these catchments since 1985 (6·3, 4·1 and 6·4 mm yr^?1). This contribution demonstrates that dendrogeomorphic analyses of roots clearly have significant potential and that they are a powerful tool for the quantification and mapping of soil erosion rates in areas where measurements of past erosion is lacking. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.