Using environmental isotopes in the study of the recharge-discharge mechanisms of the Yarmouk catchment area in Jordan

The recharge sources, the flow mechanisms and discharge areas of the different groundwater bodies underlying the Yarmouk River catchment area in Jordan, have, until now, not been adequately explained, although a wide range of hydrological, hydrogeological, and hydrochemical studies have been done. Along the Jordanian part of the catchment area of the Yarmouk River, groundwater issues from different aquifers with a variety of chemistries and types within the same aquifer and in between the different aquifers. Conventional recharge/discharge mechanisms, water balances and chemical analyses did not adequately explain the chemical variations and the different water types found in the area. Applying environmental isotopic tools combined with their altitude effects due to topographic variations (250–1,300 m a.s.l. within a distance of 20 km), and taking into consideration re-evaporation effects on the isotopic depletion and enrichment of rainwater, has greatly helped in understanding the recharge discharge mechanisms of the different aquifers. Precipitation along the highlands of an average of 600 mm/year is found to be depleted in its isotopic content of O¹⁸ = –7.0 to –7.26 and D = –32.2 to –33.28, whereas that of the Jordan Valley of 350 mm/year is highly enriched in isotopes with O¹⁸ = –4.06 and D = –14.5. The groundwater recharged along the highlands is depleted in isotopes (O¹⁸ = ~ –6, D = ~ –30), groundwater at the intermediate elevations is enriched (O¹⁸ = ~ –5, D = ~ –23) and that of the Jordan Valley aquifers containing meteoric water is highly enriched (O¹⁸ ~ –3.8, D = ~ –18). The deep aquifers in the Jordan Valley foothills are depleted in isotopes (O¹⁸ –18 = –6, D = –30) and resemble those of the highland aquifers. Only through using isotopes as a tool, were the sources of the different groundwater bodies and recharge and discharge mechanisms unambiguously explained. It was found that recharge takes place all over the study area and produces groundwater, which, from the highlands towards the Jordan Valley, shows increasing enrichment in isotopes. The highlands aquifer, with its groundwater depleted in isotopes, becomes confined towards the Jordan Valley; and, due to its confining pressure, leaks water upwards into the overlying aquifers causing their water to become less enriched in isotopes. Water depleted in its isotopic composition also seeps upward to the ground surface at the mountain foothills through faults and fissures.

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Resumen Las fuentes de recarga, los mecanismos de flujo y las áreas de descarga de los diferentes cuerpos de agua subterránea que subyacen el área de la cuenca del Río Yarmouk en Jordania, se han explicado de manera no ambigua únicamente mediante la aplicación de los isótopos como herramienta. A lo largo de la parte Jordana del área de la cuenca del Río Yarmouk el agua subterránea emerge de diferentes acuíferos con una variedad de tipos y composiciones, ya sea que provengan del mismo acuífero o de diferentes acuíferos. Los mecanismos convencionales de recarga/descarga, balances hídricos y variaciones químicas no han podido explicar las variaciones químicas y los diferentes tipos de aguas. La aplicación de herramientas de isótopos ambientales combinadas con los efectos de altitud derivados de variaciones topográficas (250 hasta 1,300 m s.n.m. en una distancia de 20 km) y tomando en consideración los efectos de re-evaporación en el empobrecimiento de isótopos y enriquecimiento del agua de lluvia han ayudado fuertemente en el entendimiento de los mecanismos de recarga/descarga de los diferentes acuíferos. La precipitación en el área varía de 600 mm/año, a lo largo de las tierras altas, a 350 mm/año en el área del Valle Jordán. El flujo de agua subterránea ocurre de las tierras altas hacia el Valle Jordán. El agua subterránea de las tierras altas está empobrecida en isótopos (O¹⁸ =~ –6, D =~ –30), el agua subterránea de elevaciones intermedias está enriquecida (O¹⁸ =~ –5, D =~ –23), y el agua de los acuíferos del Valle Jordan contiene agua meteórica que se encuentra altamente enriquecida (O¹⁸ =~ –3.8, D =~ –18). Los acuíferos profundos que se localizan al pie de las tierras altas del Valle Jordán están empobrecidos en isótopos (O¹⁸ =~ –6, D =~ –30) y son similares a los acuíferos de las tierras altas. Solo al aplicar los isótopos ambientales como herramienta pudo explicarse de manera inequívoca las fuentes de los diferentes cuerpos de agua subterránea y los mecanismos de recarga y descarga.

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Résumé Les zones de recharge, les mécanismes découlement et les zones de décharges des différentes masses deau souterraine sous le bassin versant de la rivière Yarmouk en Jordanie, étaient expliquées de manière ambiguë par les seuls outils isotopiques. Le long de la parti Jordanienne du bassin versant de la rivière Yarmouk leau souterraine provient de différents aquifères et se distinguent par leur type et leur composition chimique, selon que leau provient du même ou des différents aquifères. Les mécanismes conventionnels de recharge et de décharge, bilan hydrologique ne donnaient pas dexplications satisfaisantes concernant les variations chimiques et les différents types deau. En appliquant les isotopes environnementaux combinés aux effets de laltitude sur les variations des teneurs isotopiques (laltitude varie de 250 à 1,300 m sur une distance de 20 km.) et en prenant en considération les effets de ré-évaporation sur lappauvrissement et lenrichissement isotopique des eaux pluviales ont fortement contribués à une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes de recharge des différents aquifères. Les précipitations annuelles sont comprises entre 600 mm dans les zones en altitude et 350 mm dans la vallée de la Jordanie. Les écoulements de leau souterraine sont dirigés des zones en altitude vers la vallée de la Jordanie. Les eaux souterraines des zones en altitude sont isotopiquement appauvries (O¹⁸ = ~ –6, D = ~ –30), les eaux souterraines des zones de moyenne altitude sont enrichies (O¹⁸ = ~ –5, D = ~ –23) et les eaux de la vallée très enrichies (O¹⁸ ~ –3.8, D = ~ –18). Les aquifers profonds dans la vallée de la Jordanie sont appauvris (O¹⁸ –18 = –6, D = –30) et se confondent avec les eaux des zones situées en altitude. En appliquant uniquement les isotopes environnementaux comme des outils de compréhension des phénomènes hydrogéologiques, la source des différentes masses deau souterraines, les mécanismes de la recharge et de la décharge pourraient être expliqués de manière ambiguë.

     

发达地区城乡聚落形态的信息提取与分形研究--以无锡市为例

利用１９７０年地形图、１９８４、１９９１、１９９８年的遥感影像,通过对无锡市地区遥感影你的光谱特征分析,采用仿归一化植被指数法提取无锡市城乡聚落空间信息。在此基础上,根据分形理论计算无锡地区城乡聚落空间形态的分数维,从分数维的变化,分析无锡城乡聚落空间形态的特征。结果表明,无锡地区城乡聚落空间形态具有分形现象,并且城区和集镇的分数维变化不一致,反映了城乡聚落空间形态在不同的阶段,其复杂程度、稳定性     

Resettlement and Climate Impact: addressing migration intention of resettled people in west China

ABSTRACT

The relationship between climate change and human displacement is an important topic of global concern. China is a special case due to a high level of government control enforcing the ecological migration of millions of people since the mid-1980s. Little research has addressed how resettled people adapt to climate impacts in ecologically vulnerable resettlement areas and what factors influence their intentions to relocate again or adapt locally. Employing a social-ecological system approach, this study builds a conceptual econometric framework which differentiates two steps that drive migration intention at the household level. The study uses this approach to examine the role of both contextual and household factors in motivating the migration intentions of resettled people in the largest environmental resettlement area of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, where household survey data were collected in 2012. This framework enabled an analysis, first, of how local contextual factors and household factors shape the severity of climate impacts on households and, second, how these factors interact with the experience of climate impacts to further influence a household’s migration intention as a response to climate impacts. The results show that some contextual factors (such as limited use of water-saving techniques, little practice of cultivating aridity-resistant crops, and lack of government support), strong local social networks and being in receipt of low rates of financial remittances have significant associations with adverse climate impacts experienced by resettled households, and also with their anticipated further relocation to respond to these impacts.     

数字地理视角的乡村研究及展望

在数字技术日渐渗透进日常生活世界的过程中,数字技术成为地理学研究关注的对象,地理学研究出现“数字转向”。在以城市为主体的数字地理研究不断涌现之时,乡村也日益融入全球信息与技术网络过程中,数字技术的发展向乡村渗透,乡村的“数字化”研究理应受到重视。数字技术在多个层面影响乡村的发展,从城乡数字鸿沟、乡村重构和后人文主义视角下的身体三个角度梳理数字地理研究背景下数字技术对乡村的影响。城乡数字鸿沟是乡村数字技术研究关注的重点。信息通信技术、数字基础设施等的城乡差异使得城乡数字鸿沟扩大,而乡村的数字化发展有利于推动城乡互联互通,缩减城乡鸿沟。乡村在与数字技术邂逅过程中,日益转变为混杂空间,数字技术重构了乡村性和乡村关系网络。在后人类主义的视域下,数字技术的发展改变了身体的意义。数字技术发展背景下的身体实践能够反映乡村社会中人地关系互动的变化,也深化了对人类主体能动性的认识。呼应地理学的“数字转向”,研究从城乡、乡村和身体尺度思考数字技术与乡村发展的关系,有益于从其相互联系中探索乡村振兴的多元化路径,为乡村研究和乡村振兴提供新的思路。     

Space reconstruction process and internal driving mechanisms of Taobao villages in metropolitan fringe areas: A case study of Lirendong village in Guangzhou,China

This paper examines the process and internal mechanisms of rural ecommerce industry agglomeration and space reconstruction in metropolitan fringe areas, employing Lirendong village in Guangzhou, China, as a case study. Questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews were utilized and interpreted through the perspective of the actor-network theory. The results show that, in Lirendong village, local government, processing enterprises, rural collectives, e-commerce entrepreneurial talent, and other key actors participate in the pursuit and realization of suburban land value according to their action logic. Actors jointly evolved and constructed the phased industrial processes and space value accumulation process of the e-commerce industry. The reconstruction process experienced three stages, including the government-led agricultural decentralization stage, the market-oriented industrialization stage, and the Internet+ stage dominated by the social network of fellow villagers. The development process has evolved from the dominance of exogenous forces to that of endogenous forces, and, as a result, the types and structures of rural land use are diversified. The spatial texture and rural environment of the traditional country gradually disappeared, forming a diversified mixed form of urban-rural land and mixed-use landscape of industrial, commercial, and residential land in vertical space. At the same time, the social network changed from a single and homogeneous social network of acquaintances to a multiple network of strangers.     

土地利用转型与乡村转型发展耦合研究进展及展望

城乡转型发展进程中,土地利用转型与乡村转型发展是乡村地域系统演变的重要特征,系统开展土地利用转型与乡村转型发展的耦合过程及互动机理研究有利于揭示乡村演变的内在规律。土地利用转型研究为深化乡村地理学研究提供了一个全新的视角。深入开展土地利用转型与乡村转型发展耦合研究可为因地制宜制定乡村发展战略,适时调控乡村土地利用政策提供参考。当前,针对土地利用转型与乡村转型发展耦合研究的理论体系、技术方法、内在机理等尚缺乏系统的建构,基于耦合研究优化乡村转型重构的路径仍显不足。为此,本文在系统梳理土地利用转型与乡村转型发展耦合研究进展的基础上,从耦合理论分析框架、“格局—过程”耦合和梯度分异导向的耦合三个层面提出针对性的研究展望,以期丰富乡村地理学研究内容。     

Predicting spatial patterns in riverbank erosion for catchment sediment budgets

Riverbank erosion is an important component of catchment sediment budget models but remains one of the least well-understood processes, particularly at large spatial scales. Here, we develop and test a new bank migration model in New Zealand for large catchment applications that (1) better represents spatial variability in factors influencing bank erosion and (2) improves predictive performance. We represent bank migration rates as a function of reach-scale stream power, channel sinuosity, soil texture, valley confinement, riparian woody vegetation and channel protection works. The new model significantly improves prediction compared to the SedNetNZ model. Comparison of measured bank migration rates with individual variables shows percent silt + clay derived from soil maps exhibited the strongest correlation, whereas other variables were non-significant. The model results demonstrate that improved prediction can be achieved by combining spatial representation of multiple factors over large areas, despite low correlation between individual variables and bank migration rates.     

A model for distributed GIUH‐based flow routing on natural and anthropogenic hillslopes

Attempts to reduce the number of parameters in distributed rainfall–runoff models have not yet resulted in a model that is accurate for both natural and anthropogenic hillslopes. We take on the challenge by proposing a distributed model for overland flow and channel flow based on a combination of a linear response time distribution and the hillslope geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH), which can be calculated with only a digital elevation model and a map with field boundaries and channel network as input. The spatial domain is subdivided into representative elementary hillslopes (REHs) for each of which we define geometric and flow velocity parameters and compute the GIUH. The catchment GIUH is given by the sum of all REH responses. While most distributed models only perform well on natural hillslopes, the advantage of our approach is that it can also be applied to modified hillslopes with for example a rectangular drainage network and terrace cultivation. Tests show that the REH‐GIUH approach performs better than classical routing functions (exponential and gamma). Simulations of four virtual hillslopes suggest that peak flow at the catchment outlet is directly related to drainage density. By combining the distributed flow routing model with a lumped‐parameter infiltration model, we were also able to demonstrate that terrace cultivation delays the response time and reduces peak flow in comparison to the same hillslope, but with a natural stream network. The REH‐GIUH approach is a first step in the process of coupling distributed hydrological models to erosion and water quality models at the REH (associated with agricultural management) and at the catchment scale (associated with the evaluation of the environmental impact of human activities). It furthermore provides a basis for the development of models for large catchments and urban or peri‐urban catchments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

旅游地乡村聚落用地格局演变的微尺度分析——河北野三坡旅游区苟各庄村的案例实证

采取参与性农村评估PRA、GIS 技术和高清遥感影像相结合的方法,研究了25 年来典型旅游村庄苟各庄村土地用地格局的变化规律.研究发现:① 苟各庄村土地利用经历缓慢起步阶段、快速扩展阶段和平稳提升阶段三个时期,实现了从核心到外围,从平面到立体的双重拓展,集约化程度不断提升;② 苟各庄村土地利用格局变化过程与传统乡村功能解构和村庄"旅游化"过程相伴而生,逐步由从单一的村民居住型用地逐步向满足旅游者需求的住宿、购物、餐饮、娱乐等复合型用地转变.③ 自然地理环境框定了乡村聚落空间拓展的基本格局走向,市场需求快速增长是村庄功能转化的根本动力,农户行为的理性调整是村庄土地利用变化的内在动因,政府调控是村庄用地维持相对稳定的重要诱因,这些因素相互作用,共同驱动村庄用地格局的变化.④ 村庄用地格局的变化是乡村发展转型进程的综合表现形式之一.研究发现乡村用地格局演变伴随着乡村城镇化的过程,呈现出周期性特征,目前苟各庄村已进入以特色旅游城镇发展为导向的转型升级阶段.对乡村旅游发展而言,原有用地模式具有不可持续性.因此,要促进乡村旅游可持续发展,必须针对旅游型乡村用地特点和要求,充分考虑现有乡村聚落旅游用地需求,加强乡村用地规划设计和建设管理,并完善相配套的制度体系,实现乡村旅游用地模式由传统内生型"人口增长+生活需求"模式驱动,向外向型的"旅游需求+人口增长"驱动模式的转变.