Regionalization of rainfall thresholds: an aid to landslide hazard evaluation

 Rainfall, soil properties, and morphology are major factors controlling shallow landsliding. A series of meteorological events that triggered soil slips in northern Italy were studied to define rainfall thresholds and to evaluate a possible regionalization. Soil properties, triggering rainfall, and local lithological and morphometrical settings of different sites were used as input to an infiltration model. The approach allows the recognition of several triggering conditions in the Piedmont, Pre-Alpine and Alpine regions. This suggests the need for different rainfall thresholds with respect to those derived with other methods. Intensity versus rainfall duration relationships become particularly important when related to soil permeability and thickness, and demonstrate the role of antecedent precipitation. Events with exceptional water discharge from obstructed road culverts reveal the role played by anthropic structures in triggering such phenomena. Different approaches to slope stability analysis are shown, taking into account bedrock lithology, topography, seepage, and local saturation conditions. Received: 23 October 1997 · Accepted: 25 June 1997     

Rainfall on the Sea: Surface Renewals and Wave Damping

Rainfall on the sea surface causes a variety of effects on the molecular boundary layers. Two such effects are the reduction of the surface renewal time period and the damping of short gravity waves being responsible for wave breaking at higher wave frequencies. The effects described recently by Schlüssel et al. are revaluated in order to fully include the varying raindrop velocity. New parameterizations are derived, which differ from the previous ones, and a substantially higher kinetic energy flux due to rain is found. The general conclusions about the impact on the thermal molecular boundary do not change, although we point to several minor errors in the calculations of Schlüssel et al. (1997).     

用可见光与红外云图资料综合作降雨量估算的试验

利用红外和可见光云图亮温资料估算单站降水量级,结果发现红外和可见光云图结合估算降水量效果比单用红外云图效果要好,大雨的空报率明显降低。     

基于TRMM卫星资料的渤海降水遥感估算研究

降水是全球能量平衡和水分循环中的关键要素,但海洋区域实时、准确的降水观测资料难以获取,因此,遥感卫星资料在海洋降水及全球能量和水分循环研究领域具有十分重要的应用前景。本文基于1998~2012年6个气象站点(岛屿或海岸带)的实测降水资料,评估TRMM(Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission)V7版本3B42、3B43两个降水产品对渤海降水量的估算精度,在此基础上,分析并揭示渤海区域年、季和月降水量的时空特征。结果表明:在日尺度,3B42产品对渤海降水量的估算效果总体较差,而在月、年尺度,3B42、3B43产品与实测降水量比较接近,而且,3B43产品的估算精度稍高;总体上,TRMM表现出低估降水的特点,且当实测月降水量大于300 mm时,这种特征尤为显著;1998~2012年,渤海年降水量表现出明显的年际丰枯变化特征,多年均值为631.6 mm;夏季降水量占年降水总量的62.0%,7月是降水量最丰富的月份;空间上,渤海中南部降水量相对较高,而近岸区域降水量相对较低;受大气环流等因素的影响,夏季降水量重心向西北方向偏移,冬季则向东南方向偏移。     

基于双多普勒雷达及闪电资料分析一次强降水过程

为进一步了解多普勒雷达及闪电资料在中小尺度天气系统方面的应用以及降水系统动力结构的研究,利用合肥和阜阳两部S波段多普勒雷达资料,通过两步变分反演法反演双雷达,并采用模糊逻辑算法进行云类型识别,再结合垂直累计液态水含量VIL、降水和闪电分布特征,分析了2010年6月7-10日发生在安徽合肥和阜阳的一次持续性强降水过程。结果表明:此次持续性强降水过程与风场的低层辐合和高层辐散、风场的气旋性旋转以及水平风切变相关;此次降水过程是以层状云降水为主的积云混合云降水;另外,以降水为主的层状云,其闪电频数低且以负闪为主,闪电之后20 min左右出现强降水;此次暴雨的VIL值不是很大,强降水区对应的VIL值基本3 kg·m-2;云识别结果、降水区、VIL值与雷达回波强度之间的对应关系较好。     

准全球陆表干旱严重程度的多传感器遥感监测方法研究

在全球气候变暖的背景下,持续的干旱事件将对生态系统和人类社会产生不利影响。尽管存在多源卫星遥感资料及多种干旱指数,然而区域和全球尺度干旱事件的监测仍具有挑战。采用TRMM（Tropical RainfallMeasuring Mission）数据量化降水异常、MODIS（Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer）归一化植被指数（Normalized Difference Vegetation Index,NDVI）和陆表温度（Land Surface Temperature,LST）数据表征植被生长异常,构建了一种兼顾降水异常和植被生长状况异常的多传感器陆表干旱严重程度指数（Multi-sensorsDrought Severity Index,MDSI）。结果表明:MDSI 能够准确检测准全球范围（50°S～50°N,0°～180°～0°）的气象干旱事件,如亚马逊流域2005 和2010 年干旱、中国川渝地区2006 年干旱、中国云南2010 年干旱、非洲东部2011 年干旱、2012 年美国中部干旱等;MDSI 与PDSI（Palmer Drought Severity Index）呈现出大致相同的干湿空间格局,并且MDSI 有助于湿润地区干旱程度的检测。     

Safe and just operating spaces for regional social-ecological systems

Humanity faces a major global challenge in achieving wellbeing for all, while simultaneously ensuring that the biophysical processes and ecosystem services that underpin wellbeing are exploited within scientifically informed boundaries of sustainability. We propose a framework for defining the safe and just operating space for humanity that integrates social wellbeing into the original planetary boundaries concept (Rockström et al., 2009a,b) for application at regional scales. We argue that such a framework can: (1) increase the policy impact of the boundaries concept as most governance takes place at the regional rather than planetary scale; (2) contribute to the understanding and dissemination of complexity thinking throughout governance and policy-making; (3) act as a powerful metaphor and communication tool for regional equity and sustainability. We demonstrate the approach in two rural Chinese localities where we define the safe and just operating space that lies between an environmental ceiling and a social foundation from analysis of time series drawn from monitored and palaeoecological data, and from social survey statistics respectively. Agricultural intensification has led to poverty reduction, though not eradicated it, but at the expense of environmental degradation. Currently, the environmental ceiling is exceeded for degraded water quality at both localities even though the least well-met social standards are for available piped water and sanitation. The conjunction of these social needs and environmental constraints around the issue of water access and quality illustrates the broader value of the safe and just operating space approach for sustainable development.     

基于组合楔形体原理的采动坡体稳定性研究

地下采煤通常会引起地表严重开裂,甚至发生滑坡、崩塌等地质灾害,采动坡体的稳定性研究一直是工程实际关心的问题。本文以贵州省都匀市煤洞坡采动坡体为例,在斜坡破坏机制分析基础上,采用组合楔形块体原理构建了采动坡体稳定性系数计算方程,并从实验、经验类比、采空率等方面对采动坡体的强度指标进行了综合取值,计算了采动坡体在天然、饱水及裂隙水作用下的安全系数。结果表明:煤洞坡山体是处于稳定状态的,这与坡体上的裂缝位移监测成果是相符的。但在长时间降雨或暴雨情况下,煤洞坡山体稳定性就会逐渐变差,甚至发生滑动; 坡体稳定性安全系数随内摩擦角的降低而降低,随裂隙水充水高度的增加而降低; 一旦后缘块体挤压前缘块体时,就会存在一个安全系数急剧降低的阀值。从裂缝水柱高度与降雨渗入裂缝的雨水量关系出发,建立了裂缝水柱高与降雨量之间关系式。经计算当降雨量(短时间内)超过192mm,斜坡就会失稳。     

2013年南疆2场罕见暴雨落区和强度的对比分析

2013年5月26～28日和6月15～18日南疆连续出现了2场罕见的暴雨过程,利用常规地面和高空探测资料、NCEP/NCAR每日4时次 1°×1°再分析资料和欧洲ECWMF 0.25°×0.25°细网格数值预报产品,对比分析了这2场暴雨的落区和强度差异的成因。2场暴雨均在有利的环流背景下产生,较强暴雨的高空环流经向度更大、中亚低槽与北支槽打通并南伸更南,低层700hPa以下水汽输送较中高层更为重要,日常预报更应注重低层的水汽输入。对比暴雨强度,低层水汽输送越强(更多水汽路径、更多边界的水汽输入、更强水汽通量和水汽输入量)、低层水汽输送时间越长、低层切变线持续时间长且伸展至中高层,暴雨强度均可能更强。中尺度切变线和涌线在暴雨落区预报中具有一定的指示意义。     

Is rainfall intensity significant in the rainfall–runoff process within tropical rainforests of northeast Queensland? The Hewlett regression analyses revisited

Following the statistical analyses of long‐term rainfall‐runoff records from research basins in humid temperate latitudes, Hewlett and co‐workers extended the global challenge to disprove their findings that rainfall intensity was non‐significant. This paper responds to Hewlett's challenge as no preceding analyses have involved forested basins in a tropical cyclone‐prone area. Based on a 7 year rainfall‐runoff record, quickflow (QF), peak flow (QP) and quickflow response ratios (QRR) were regressed as dependent variables against rainfall parameters (intensity, P_i, amount, P), storm duration, D and antecedent flow, I. These data sets were categorised into total streamflow (Q) classes and stratified into three seasons, (monsoon, post‐monsoon and dry) for forested and cleared catchments. Where rainfall variable collinearity met acceptable levels, the addition of P_i to regression models including P, D, I contributed up to 9% and 66% of the respective variations in quickflow and peak flow. For the highest Q storm classes (monsoon), P_i alone accounted for up to 67% and 91% of the variation in Q_F and Q_P respectively and was the dominant influence on Q_P for all seasons. The very high rainfall intensities experienced in the monsoon season is a causal factor why these results differ from those of other research drainage basins. Surprisingly, P_i continued to have a significant influence on Q_F for dry season classes when less‐intense rainfall occurs. Further the results were similar for both catchments across all seasons. P was the dominant independent variable affecting Q_F above a threshold Q of 50 mm (monsoon), as rainfall contributes directly to saturation overland flow and return flow under saturated conditions. Further although QRR increased with increasing Q for each season, the regression results for that parameter were poor possibly due to the non‐linearity of the rainfall‐runoff relationship. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.