Geology and rural landscapes in central Spain (Guadalajara, Castilla—La Mancha)

Methods commonly used in regional geological analysis were employed to study the visual landscapes of the Sigüenza–Molina de Aragón area (Spain). Landscape data were compiled to produce a landscape map and a photograph catalogue. Lithological composition, tectonic structure and recent erosive processes are the main factors controlling the visual landscapes. Territorial properties, such as colours and agricultural capacities, are controlled by these geological characteristics. The landscape map and the photographic catalogue is the main contribution of this paper. The first level of landscape classification distinguishes zones with dominance of either flat, concave or convex areas. Other parts of the territory are, however, composed of concave and convex combinations that originate hybrid orographic structures. In a second level of classification, several subdivisions for each of these types are established.     

通用模型参数率定技术研究

在介绍当前模型参数优选技术的基础上，设计了模型参数同优选方法相耦合的一系列数据接口定义，实现了人工试错和自动优选相耦合、多模型多参数同时自动优选的模型参数率定功能。应用实例表明，通用模型参数率定功能具有简便、快捷、准确的优点，大大提高了参数率定的效率。     

The reliability of an 'off-the-shelf' conceptual rainfall runoff model for use in climate impact assessment: uncertainty quantification using Latin hypercube sampling

Much uncertainty is derived from the application of conceptual rainfall runoff models. In this paper, HYSIM, an 'off-the-shelf' conceptual rainfall runoff model, is applied to a suite of catchments throughout Ireland in preparation for use in climate impact assessment. Parameter uncertainty is assessed using the GLUE methodology. Given the lack of source code available for the model, parameter sampling is carried out using Latin hypercube sampling. Uncertainty bounds are constructed for model output. These bounds will be used to quantify uncertainty in future simulations as they include error derived from data measurement, model structure and parameterization.     

“迭代法”求水文地质参数的原理及应用

在泰斯公式基础上，推导出定流量和变流量非稳定流抽水条件下关于S／T为变量的非线性方程，用“迭代法”解此方程，可方便地求出S、T等水文地质参数。此法可推广到多观测孔、单观测孔或无观测孔抽水试验求参数。     

Inter-annual variation of streamflow,precipitation and evaporation in a small humid watershed (Chengcun Basin,China)

For sustainable water resource management,it is important to determine the relationship between streamfl ow and other variables that infl uence availability of water resources.However,many catchments do not have suffi cient data to allow for a more detailed study of these relationships.We faced a similar challenge in the Chengcun Basin(limited historical data: from 1986–1999); and therefore we used a new approach to overcome this.We found that,using nonparametric trend methods in conjunction with the climate elasticity analyses and the 2D visualization of hydrologic data,it is possible to assess the relationships between streamfl ow and other hydro-climatic variables.In the past,streamfl ow trends in the basin were more correlated with precipitation than with potential evapotranspiration(PET).In addition,there is a gradual shift in the hydrological regime of the catchment,which may affect the occurrence of available water resources and activities that depend on them.In addition,based on our climate sensitivity analyses,the streamfl ow is dependent and more sensitive to variations in precipitation than to PET(δQ=0.79δP+0.42δE; precipitation elasticity,ε P=1.32; PET elasticity,ε E=-2.10).Therefore pending more detailed studies,the use of our approach will provide a rapid means to assess the variation of water resources(streamfl ow)in a watershed.In the future,we hope to carry out related research in other watersheds and also perform a more detailed studies to improve upon the results of this study.     

Farmer Identity in Multifunctional Landscapes: using a collective identity construct to explore the nature and impact of occupational identity

The use of multifunctionalism to conceptualise contemporary rural landscapes has focused attention on the increased extent and impact of non-farmers in traditionally agriculture-based rural communities. Typologies of rural landholders have been developed as part of that research effort. However, those typologies are not grounded in established theory, including collective identity theory that could provide an important foundation for the study of occupational identity. Indeed, most quantitative studies may be flawed in drawing on only one of the seven elements contributing to collective identity. This paper examines the efficacy of relying on self-declared occupational identity through the analysis of rural landholder survey data in an Australian region. Tests for expected relationships between self-declared identity of farmer/non-farmer and social and farming variables expected to be correlated with occupation, such as property size, profitability, hours worked on- and off-property, enterprise type and membership of farming-related local organisations found that the expected relationships existed. It seems that self-declared occupational identity is a valid and cost-effective way to explore occupational identity amongst rural landholders. Collective identity, however, is complex and it is unlikely that important research questions can be adequately explored without a more holistic approach to the study of farmer identity in multifunctional landscapes. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential benefits of moving beyond self-declared occupation to include other elements in the collective identity construct.     

A total water management analysis of the Las Vegas Wash watershed,Nevada

Climate change, land-use change, and population growth are fundamental factors affecting future hydrologic conditions in streams, especially in arid regions with scarce water resources. Located in the arid southwest within the Las Vegas Wash watershed, Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas of the country. In the past 30?years, because of climate and land-use changes, it has experienced a decrease in clean water supply but an increase in water demand. To alleviate some of these problems, large amounts of water have been pumped into the city from different sources, such as Lake Mead, and the urban wastewater is treated and returned back to the reservoir for water augmentation. However, in the face of continual global climate change and urbanization in the watershed, long-term planning for sustainable water management is critical. This research was designed to provide a comprehensive analysis incorporating hydrologic modeling, population projection, land-use change modeling, and water management policies to examine the total water balance and management options in this arid and rapidly urbanizing watershed under various scenarios of climate regime, population growth, land-use change, and total water management programs for the year 2050.     

Street networks in relation to landforms：Implications for fast-growing cities

In addition to socio-economic factors,major landforms may affect the city structure and urban form. Here we show that landforms have significant effects on the city shape and street patterns of the fast-growing Iranian cities of Dezful (a river) and Khorramabad (mountains and valleys),but no clear effects on the cities of Yazd and Nain. Also,where the street orientation is peaked,the Gibbs/Shannon entropy (a measure of dispersion or spread) is low,but increases as the distribution becomes more uniform because of landform constraints. The streets in the old inner parts of all the cities are,on average,shorter and denser (more streets per unit area) than the streets of the newer outer parts. The entropies of the outer parts are also greater than those of the inner parts,implying that the street-length distribution gradually becomes more dispersed or spread as the city expands. All these cities have been fast growing in the past decades,with the newer outer parts expanding rapidly. As shown here,the rapidly formed outer parts (with greater dispersion in street patterns) have significantly different textures from those of the older inner parts,indicating different functionality and growth processes. These quantitative methods for street-network analysis can be used worldwide,particularly for analysing the effects of landforms on city shape and texture.     

Rising and falling river flows: contrasting signals of climate change and glacier mass balance from the eastern and western Karakoram

Abstract

Field observations and geodetic measurements suggest that in the Karakoram Mountains, glaciers are either stable or have expanded since 1990, in sharp contrast to glacier retreats that are prevalently observed in the Himalayas and adjoining high-altitude terrains of central Asia. Decreased discharge in the rivers originating from this region is cited as a supporting evidence for this somewhat anomalous phenomenon. Here, we show that river discharge during the melting season of the glaciers in the eastern and western Karakoram, respectively, exhibits rising and falling trends. We have implemented a statistical procedure involving non-parametric tests combined with a benchmark smoothing technique that has proven to be a powerful method for separating the stochastic component from the trend component in a time series. Precipitation patterns determined from ERA-40 and GPCP data indicate that summer-monsoonal precipitation has increased over the Karakoram Mountains in recent decades. Increasing flows in June and July in the eastern Karakoram are due to an increase in summer-monsoonal precipitation. The rising trend of August discharge is due to an increase in the loss of glacier storage at an approximate average rate of 0.186–0.217 mm d^-1 year^-1 during the period 1973–2010. Moreover, this rate is higher than the rate of increase in monsoonal snowfall during the months of August and September. Therefore, most plausibly, glacier mass balance in the eastern Karakoram is negative. In the western Karakoram, river flows show declining trends for all summer months for the period 1966–2010, corresponding to a rate of increase of glacier storage by approximately 0.552–0.644 mm d^-1 year^-1, which is also higher than the rate of increase in summer-monsoonal precipitation. The gain of the cryospheric mass in the western Karakoram is in the form of increased thickness of the glaciers and perennial snowpacks instead of areal expansion. This investigation shows two contrasting patterns of trends of river flows that signify both negative and positive mass balance of the Karakoram glaciers. Trends of river flows are spatially and temporally integrated responses of a watershed to changing climate and thereby are important signals of the conditions of the cryospheric component of a watershed where it is highly significant. However, they cannot unequivocally provide indications of the state and fate of the glaciers in the complex hydrometeorological setting of the Karakoram. Extreme caution and care must be exercised in interpreting trends of river discharge in conjunction with climatic data.