The effect of environmental factors on spatial variability in land use change in the high-sediment region of China’s Loess Plateau

In areas with topographic heterogeneity, land use change is spatially variable and influenced by climate, soil properties, and topography. To better understand this variability in the high-sediment region of the Loess Plateau in which soil loss is most severe and sediment diameter is larger than in other regions of the plateau, this study builds some indicators to identify the characteristics of land use change and then analyze the spatial variability as it is affected by climate, soil property, and topography. We build two indicators, a land use change intensity index and a vegetation change index, to characterize the intensity of land use change, and the degree of vegetation restoration, respectively. Based on a subsection mean method, the two indicators are then used to assess the spatial variability of land use change affected by climatic, edaphic, and topographic elements. The results indicate that： 1） Land use changed significantly in the period 1998-2010. The total area experiencing land use change was 42,302 km2, accounting for 22.57%of the study area. High-coverage grassland, other woodland, and forest increased significantly, while low-coverage grassland and farmland decreased in 2010 compared with 1998.2） Land use change occurred primarily west of the Yellow River, between 35 and 38 degrees north latitude. The four transformation types, including （a） low-coverage grassland to medium-coverage grassland, （b） medium-coverage grassland to high-coverage grassland, （c） farmland to other woodland, and （d） farmland to medium-coverage grassland, were the primary types of land use change, together constituting 60% of the area experiencing land use change. 3） The spatial variability of land use change was significantly affected by properties of dryness/wetness, soil conditions and slope gradient. In general, land use changed dramatically in semi-arid regions, remained relatively stable in arid regions, changed significantly in clay-rich soil, remained relatively stable in clay-poor soil, changed dramatically in steeper slopes, and remained relatively stable in tablelands and low-lying regions. The increase in vegetation coincided with increasing changes in land use for each physical element. These findings allow for an evaluation of the effect of the Grain to Green Program, and are applicable to the design of soil and water conservation projects on the Loess Plateau of China.     

A Tikhonov regularization method to estimate Earth's oblateness variations from global GPS observations

Earth's oblateness is varying due to the redistribution of Earth's fluid mass and the interaction of various components in the Earth system. Nowadays, continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) observations can estimate Earth's oblateness (J₂) variations with the least squares method, but are subject to ill-conditioned equations with limited GPS observations and aliasing errors from truncated degrees. In this paper, a Tikhonov regularization method is used to estimate J₂ variations from global continuous GPS observations. Results show that the J₂ has been better estimated from GPS observations based on a Tikhonov regularization method than the usual least squares method when compared to SLR solutions. Furthermore, the amplitudes and phases of the annual and semi-annual J₂ variations are closer to the SLR results with truncated degrees from 2 to 5. Higher truncated degrees will degrade the J₂ estimate. Annual J₂ variations are best estimated from GPS observations with truncated degree 4 and semi-annual J₂ variations are best estimated with truncated degree 2.     

Dynamic analysis of flexible cantilever wall retaining elastic soil by a modified Vlasov–Leontiev model

Dynamic response of a flexible cantilever wall retaining elastic soil to harmonic transverse seismic excitations is determined with the aid of a modified Vlasov–Leontiev foundation model and on the assumption of vanishing vertical displacement of the soil medium. The soil–wall interaction is taken into consideration in the presented model. The governing equations and boundary conditions of the two unknown coupled functions in the model are derived in terms of Hamilton׳s principle. Solutions of the two unknown functions are obtained on the basis of an iterative algorithm. The present method is verified by comparing its results with those of the existing analytical solution. Moreover, a mechanical model is proposed to evaluate the presented method physically. A parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of the soil–wall system properties and the excitations on the dynamic response of the wall.     

Oblique wave diffraction by a flexible floating structure in the presence of a submerged flexible structure

Expansion formulae associated with the interaction of oblique surface gravity waves with a floating flexible plate in the presence of a submerged horizontal flexible structure are derived using Green’s integral theorem in water of finite and infinite water depths. The associated Green’s functions are derived using the fundamental solution associated with the reduced wave equation. The integral forms of the Green’s functions and the velocity potentials are advantageous over the eigenfunction expansion method in situation when the roots of the dispersion relation coalesce. As an application of the expansion formulae, diffraction of oblique waves by a finite floating elastic plate in the presence of a submerged horizontal flexible membrane is investigated in water of finite depth. The accuracy of the numerical computation is demonstrated by analysing the convergence of the complex amplitude of the reflected waves and the energy relation. Effect of the submerged membrane on the diffraction of surface waves is studied by analysing the reflection and transmission coefficients for various parametric values. Further, the derivation of long wave equation under shallow water approximation is derived in a direct manner in the appendix. The concept and methodology can be easily extended to deal with acoustic wave interaction with flexible structures and related problems of mathematical physics and engineering.     

On the modified Taylor constraint

A dynamo driven by motions unaffected by viscous forces is termed magnetostrophic. Although such a model might describe magnetic field generation in Earth’s core well, a magnetostrophic dynamo has not yet been found even though Taylor [Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 1963, 274, 274–283] devised an apparently viable method of finding one. His method for determining the fluid velocity from the magnetic field and the energy source involved only the evaluation of integrals along lines parallel to the Earth’s axis of rotation and the solution of a second-order ordinary differential equation. It is demonstrated below that an approximate solution of this equation for a broad family of magnetic fields is immediate. Furthermore inertia, which was neglected in Taylor’s theory, is restored here, so that the modified theory includes torsional waves, whose existence in the Earth’s core has been inferred from observations of the length of day. Their theory is reconsidered.     

解读美国《总统气候行动计划》的动因

长期以来,美国因缺少联邦政府层面的气候行动计划而受到国际社会的指责。这一情况在奥巴马总统的第二执政期有所改变。2013年6月,奥巴马行政当局发布《总统气候行动计划》,被认为是迄今为止最为全面的联邦气候变化应对计划。本文通过梳理行动计划的主要内容,从美国自身和国际社会角度分析了该行动计划出台的各种因素及影响,指出奥巴马行政当局旨在通过启动该气候行动和整合行政资源,修复国家气候战略,提升政治影响,同时此举有助于扭转美国在国际气候谈判中的被动地位,并重新确立领导地位。     

Dynamics of the Earth’s core from VLBI observations

The Earth’s rotation is accompanied by free circadian oscillations of its liquid core in the inner cavity of the lower mantle, which perturb the angular momentum of the entire Earth and produce an additional free nutation of the celestial pole called free core nutation (FCN). Since this nutation causes resonances in the diurnal tides and in the expansions of luni—solar nutation, its study, especially an improvement of the FCN period, is of fundamental importance for the theory of the Earth’s rotation. We have determined the FCN parameters from a joint analysis of equidistant series of coordinates of the celestial pole obtained from the combined processing of VLBI observations on global networks of stations for the interval 1984.0–2008.4 by IERS (International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service, Paris, France) and NEOS (National Earth Orientation Service, Washington, USA). Applying a moving least-squares filter (MLSF) to these data has shown that the FCN period averaged over this time interval differs significantly from the theoretical one and its phase varies over a wide range. Using the mean quadratic collocation (MQC) method, we have obtained a new, more accurate stochastic FCN model. Its analysis by the envelope method has revealed long-term linear phase trends, calling into question not only the adopted FCN period but also its stability and, hence, the stability of the resonant effects in the Earth’s luni—solar nutation.     

Attenuation of Scalar Fluxes Measured with Spatially-displaced Sensors

Observations from the Horizontal Array Turbulence Study (HATS) field program are used to examine the attenuation of measured scalar fluxes caused by spatial separation between the vertical velocity and scalar sensors. The HATS data show that flux attenuation for streamwise, crosswind, and vertical sensor displacements are each a function of a dimensionless, stability-dependent parameter n _m multiplied by the ratio of sensor displacement to measurement height. The scalar flux decays more rapidly with crosswind displacements than for streamwise displacements and decays more rapidly for stable stratification than for unstable stratification. The cospectral flux attenuation model of Kristensen et al. agrees well with the HATS data for streamwise sensor displacements, although it is necessary to include a neglected quadrature spectrum term to explain the observation that flux attenuation is often less with the scalar sensor downwind of the anemometer than for the opposite configuration. A simpler exponential decay model provides good estimates for crosswind sensor displacements, as well as for streamwise sensor displacements with stable stratification. A model similar to that of Lee and Black correctly predicts flux attenuation for a combination of streamwise and crosswind displacements, i.e. as a function of wind direction relative to the sensor displacement. The HATS data for vertical sensor displacements extend the near-neutral results of Kristensen et al. to diabatic stratification and confirm their finding that flux attenuation is less with the scalar sensor located below the anemometer than if the scalar sensor is displaced an equal distance either horizontally or above the anemometer.     

重力波与低纬高原地区Mβ CSs地域特征的关系

利用MM5（V3.6）模式对2003年6月低纬高原地区一次大暴雨过程进行了数值模拟和地形敏感性试验,从重力波的角度研究低纬高原地区MβCSs生命史较短这一地域特征形成的原因。分析表明,大气稳定层结利于重力波的产生和传播,重力波的传播导致MβCSs的能量向两侧快速频散,使得成熟的MβCSs主体强度减弱,两侧有新的MβCSs生成并发展,中心降水也迅速减弱。地形敏感性试验表明,低纬高原地形使得大气在不稳定能量积累以后很快释放触发强降水,大气随即转化为稳定层结,利于重力波的快速传播和MβCSs主体能量的迅速频散,使得低纬高原地区触发暴雨的MβCSs生命史较短,引发的降水具有突发性强、历时短的特征。     

Charnock’s Roughness Length Model and Non-dimensional Wind Profiles Over the Sea

An analysis tool for the study of wind speed profiles over the water has been developed. The profiles are analysed using a modified dimensionless wind speed and dimensionless height, assuming that the sea surface roughness can be predicted by Charnock’s roughness length model. In this form, the roughness dependency on wind speed is extracted and the variations on the wind profile are due solely to atmospheric stability. The use of the Charnock’s non-dimensional wind profile is illustrated using data collected from a meteorological mast installed in the Danish North Sea. The best fit with the observed mean non-dimensional wind profile under neutral atmospheric conditions is found using a value of 1.2 × 10⁻² for Charnock’s parameter. The stability correction on the neutral wind profile suggested by the Businger-Dyer relations was found to perform well over the sea.