Modelling net erosion responses to enviroclimatic changes recorded upon multisecular timescales

Land use change has been recognized throughout the Earth as one of the most important factors influencing the occurrence of rainfall-driven geomorphological processes. However, relating the occurrence of historical soil erosion rates is difficult because of the lack of long-term research projects in river basins. Also, complex models are not adequate to reconstruct erosion rate changes because they require significant input data not always available on long timescales. Given the problems with assessing sediment yield using complex erosion models, the objective of this study is to explore a parsimonious scale-adapted erosion model (ADT) from the original Thornes and Douglas algorithms, which aims at reconstruction of annual net erosion (ANE) upon multisecular timescales. As a test site, the Calore River basin (3015 km² in southern Italy) provides a peculiar and unique opportunity for modelling erosion responses to climate and land cover changes, where input-data generation and interpretation results were also supported by documented hydrogeomorphological events that occurred before and after land deforestation. In this way, ANE_ADT-values were reconstructed for the period 1675–2004 by using precipitation indexes, complemented by recent instrumental records, and by using land cover statistics from documented agrarian sources. Pulses of natural sedimentation in the predeforestation period have been related to Vesuvius volcanic activity and changes in rainstorm frequency. After deforestation, the basin system became unstable with sudden fluctuations in the hydrogeomorphological regime contributing significantly to increased erosion and, in turn, sediment transport sequences via river drainage towards the Tyrrhenian coast.     

New typologies for estuarine morphology

New theories to explain how tides and river flow determine estuarine bathymetries have been developed. The range of validity of these theories has been subsequently assessed against a recently available observational data set.Success in reproducing the evolution of estuarine bathymetries that has occurred over the last 10 000 years provides the basis for the translation, here, of these theories into new typologies. These then provide reference frameworks to enhance our perspective on existing morphologies and identify ‘anomalous’ estuaries. Further refinement of these new theories requires analyses of causal factors responsible for such anomalies drawing on classical morphological experience. These frameworks can also be used for calculating likely future bathymetric adjustments for prescribed changes in mean sea level, tidal amplitudes, river flow and sediment supply.     

A highlight of environmental and engineering geology in Fargo, North Dakota, USA

Several unfavorable environmental and engineering geologic conditions exist in Fargo, North Dakota. Dominantly, the behavior of smectitic clays within the proglacial Lake Agassiz sediments of the Sherack and Brenna Formations creates subsoil instability beneath engineered structures in the Fargo area and slope instability within cutbank meanders of the Red River of the North. Unfavorable engineering geologic conditions encountered include: the elastic deformation of clayey glaciolacustrine soils, shrink-swell properties, inadequate bearing capacities, and mass movements. These conditions are responsible for structural failures including the Fargo Grain Elevator in 1955 and the Northern Pacific railroad grade. Bank failures along the Red River are common due to the inherent instability of Brenna Formation smectitic clays which are subject to plastic deformation in the subsurface, with resultant block failure of overlying Sherack Formation. Recent alluvial sediments due to typical fluvial action and the continued seasonal saturation of cutbank meanders within the floodplain also add to soil instability.     

Dissolved trace elements in river water: spatial distribution and the influencing factor, a study for the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China

Twenty-nine water samples were collected from different river channels of the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, China. An inductively coupled plasma-mass spectromonitor (ICP-MS) was used to measure concentrations of the trace elements in these samples. The results suggest that the average concentrations of rare earth elements in river water show an increasing trend from the West River, the North River, the rivers of the Pearl River Delta, and the Shenzhen River to the East River. Relatively high concentrations of heavy metals appear in the East River, the rivers of the Pearl River Delta and the Shenzhen River, while the West River and the North River have relatively low heavy metal concentrations. Trace element concentrations in samples collected near urban or industrial areas are much higher than those of samples collected from distant areas, away from urban and industrial areas. After natural conditions, human activities have significant influence on the trace element concentrations in river water. This trace element concentration’s spatial distribution in the river water from the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone is actually an integrated effect of natural conditions and human activity.     

Morphometric analysis of a subtropical Andean basin (Tucumán, Argentina)

A morphometric analysis was done to determine the drainage characteristics of Lules River basin using land-sat imageries and topographical maps. This catchment was divided into seven sub-basins for the analysis: Liquimayo, Hoyada, Ciénaga, De Las Tablas, Siambón, Potrerillo and San Javier. Yungas ecoregion covers almost all the watershed. The drainage patterns of the sub-basins are dendritic and parallel. The basin includes seventh order stream and lower streams order mostly dominate the basin. The development of stream segments is affected by slope and local relief. The mean bifurcation ratio indicates that the drainage pattern is not much influenced by geological structures. The shape parameters also reveal the elongation of the basin and sub-basins.     

乌江下游沿岸滑坡发育特征

乌江是黔东北和渝东南少数民族地区与外界联系的一条水上黄金通道。担负了流域内80％以上的客货运输量。满足了沿岸2000多万人民生产和生活必需品运输的需要。乌江下游的彭水县城至涪陵市是乌江进入长江航运的咽喉要道，沿岸广泛分布和频繁发生的滑坡严重地威胁着航运的安全。通过现场调查发现，在长约150km范围内，两岸共发育各类滑坡28个，发育线模数为0．187个／km。沿岸滑坡发育形式主要为岩石顺层滑坡和风化堆积层滑坡。沿岸滑坡具有群发性的分布特征，与地层岩性和河谷岸坡类型等密切相关。岩石顺层滑坡主要集中分布在顺向岸坡软、硬岩层相间地段。风化堆积层滑坡则主要分布在软岩地层及其风化物堆积的岸坡地段。构造变动、河流的切蚀作用及人类活动是滑坡发育形成的主要原因，暴雨和长时间降雨是滑坡发生的重要诱发因素。目前，多数滑坡处于稳定状态，少数滑坡受降雨及江水涨落的影响而处于周期性蠕动变形状态。三峡水库蓄水后，部分滑坡有复活的可能。     

三工河流域222团竖井排灌区潜水动态分析

222团地处三工河流域冲洪积细土平原下游,40多年来的农业生产灌溉,使灌区大部分地区处于潜水临界埋深以上,土壤次生盐渍化加剧.分析了灌区潜水埋深动态特征及其影响因素,就竖井排灌区地下水开采量与潜水埋深关系进行回归分析计算,建立了开采量预测模型.     

黄河聊城段侧渗分析研究

黄河在山东境内属地上河,常年补给两侧地下水,是沿河地带地下水资源的重要组成部分.依据黄河聊城段东阿县境内的艾山侧渗断面1986～1994年地下水位资料,在分析水文地质条件和地下水流态的基础上,应用水均衡原理分析计算导水系数T,并通过同位素示踪试验得到了验证.利用达西公式计算单侧年侧渗量,建立艾山水位、年径流-侧渗量关系,并与应量平衡法和地下水非稳定流公式计算的成果作了对照分析.     

塔里木河下游应急输水的水生态环境响应

塔里木河下游357km河道断流近30年,向塔里木河下游实施应急输水抢救生态环境,是世界范围内流域退化生态系统恢复与重建的稀有案例。以此为背景,在生态环境本底状况调查的基础上,通过大量的监测资料,应用河道水力学、地下水动力学以及植被生态学,以河道水量沿程消耗-地下水位动态变化-植物恢复为主线,摸清了水流在河道纵向、河道横向两侧和垂向剖面中的运移、转化和消耗规律,研究分析了应急输水的水生态环境三维响应特征和植被恢复效应。为创建和完善干旱区受损生态系统输水、修复与重建的评价体系打下基础,也为塔里木河流域综合治理提供技术支撑。     

长江中下游夏季高温灾害机理及预测

利用我国1961-2003年夏季（6—8月）高温资料，建立长江中下游地区主要城市强高温及高温过程较完整的时间序列，探讨了该地区主要城市高温气候特征。分析该地区南京、杭州、南昌等城市夏季高温灾害机理，东亚副热带高压是造成长江中下游地区城市夏季高温的主要影响系统。在此基础上用均生函数-最佳子回归集构造预测模型，预测夏季月高温出现日数，通过42a高温资料预报检验，有较好的预测效果，值得在业务中应用。