Compositions and sources of extractable organic matter in Mesopotamian marshland surface sediments of Iraq. I: aliphatic lipids

Shallow surface sediment samples from the Mesopotamian marshlands of Iraq were collected and analyzed to determine the distribution, concentrations and sources of aliphatic lipid compounds (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, and methyl n-alkanoates) and molecular markers of petroleum in these wetlands. The sediments were collected using a stainless steel sediment corer, dried, extracted with a dichloromethane/methanol mixture and then analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The aliphatic lipid compounds included n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols and methyl n-alkanoates with concentrations ranged from 6.8 to 31.1 μg/g, 4.1 to 5.0 μg/g, 5.9 to 7.7 μg/g and from 0.3 to 5.9 μg/g, respectively. The major sources of aliphatic lipids were natural from waxes of higher plants (24–30%) and microbial residues (42–30%), with a significant contribution from anthropogenic sources (27–30%, petroleum), based on the organic geochemical parameters and indices. Further studies are needed to characterize the rate, accumulation and transformation of various organic matter sources before and after re-flooding of these wetlands.     

Improving the WRF/urban modeling system in China by developing a national urban dataset

Accurate modeling of urban climate is essential to predict potential environmental risks in cities. Urban datasets, such as urban land use and urban canopy parameters (UCPs), are key input data for urban climate models and largely affect their performance. However, access to reliable urban datasets is a challenge, especially in fast urbanizing countries. In this study, we developed a high-resolution national urban dataset in China (NUDC) for the WRF/urban modeling system and evaluated its effect on urban climate modeling. Specifically, an optimization method based on building morphology was proposed to classify urban land use types. The key UCPs, including building height and width, street width, surface imperviousness, and anthropogenic heat flux, were calculated for both single-layer Urban Canopy Model (UCM) and multiple-layer Building Energy Parameterization (BEP). The results show that the derived morphological-based urban land use classification could better reflect the urban characteristics, compared to the socioeconomic-function-based classification. The UCPs varied largely in spatial within and across the cities. The integration of the developed urban land use and UCPs datasets significantly improved the representation of urban canopy characteristics, contributing to a more accurate modeling of near-surface air temperature, humidity, and wind in urban areas. The UCM performed better in the modeling of air temperature and humidity, while the BEP performed better in the modeling of wind speed. The newly developed NUDC can advance the study of urban climate and improve the prediction of potential urban environmental risks in China.     

南海珠江口盆地深部烃类微渗漏的分子地球化学揭示

对南海珠江口盆地Site4B站位柱状沉积物可溶有机质中正构烷烃进行详细分析,结果显示海底以下65~70cm、80~85cm和85~90cm存在明显的似成熟烃类分布。在气相色谱质谱图上(GCMS),该处存在明显的UCM分布;在烃类分布上,该处以可溶有机质中高碳数正构烷烃奇偶优势趋于消失为特征,CPI为1.15~1.45。同时,整个剖面其他层段沉积有机质中可溶烃类仍以典型的近/现代沉积有机质输入为标志。结合区域地质背景,以及该区域天然气水合物的勘探发现事实,推断Site4B站位海底以下65~70cm、80~85cm和85~90cm烃类异常可能系深部烃类微渗漏所致。     

Impact of urbanization level on the interactions of urban area,the urban climate,and human thermal comfort

One significant effect of urbanization is the modification of natural surfaces, local environment, and thermal comfort. Farmland and agricultural land in Klang Valley conurbation, Malaysia have been replaced with engineered surfaces and infrastructures to accommodate the rapid population growth witnessed in the past decades. To understand the current environmental conditions of the conurbation, numerical Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled to the Urban Canopy Model (UCM) was used. A model evaluation conducted against a network of observations showed an overall good performance of the model in predicting near-surface meteorological parameters. Also, an examination of spatiotemporal variability of urban parameters revealed a diurnal dependence of human physiological thermal conditions on urbanization level. A maximum urban heat island intensity (UHII) of ∼2.64 °C was observed. In an effort to investigate the effect of urbanization level on the extremities of urban climatic conditions, two different experiments with varying urban/vegetation fractions were further simulated. The latter results indicate that urbanization level has a significant effect on the extremities of urban climatological parameters and spatial extent of the induced impacts. Furthermore, the effect of urbanization level on the mean urban outdoor thermal discomfort (UOTD) level was significant (with an increase of 0.7 °C, 0.64 °C and 0.04 observed) for temperature humidity index (THI), effective temperature index (ETI) and relative strain index (RSI), respectively. However, a non-significant (at 95% level) effect of urbanization level on the extremities of UOTD indices was observed.     

影响杭州城市高温因子的数值模拟研究

随着全球气候增暖和城市化进程的加剧,城市高温灾害的影响越来越突出。基于WRF/UCM模式,研究了西湖与城市化进程两个因子对杭州城市高温的影响。设计了三组试验:试验1为采用2010年土地利用数据的控制试验;试验2在试验1的基础上将西湖替换为水田;试验3与试验1相同,但采用2000年的土地利用数据。对比试验1与试验2,发现西湖的存在对杭州白天高温有减缓作用、夜间高温有促进作用,总体而言对杭州城市高温有正贡献;对比试验1与试验3,发现城市化进程所带来的热岛效应加剧了杭州高温,使高温区域面积显著增加;热岛效应对白天高温与夜间高温均有促进作用,但对白天高温的影响更为明显。     

A case study on fuel oil contamination in a mangrove swamp in Hong Kong

Mangroves commonly found along tropical and subtropical coastlines are susceptible to oil pollution. In December 2000, around 500 1 m tall Kandelia candel saplings at the age of 3–5 years old located at the foreshore region of Sheung Pak Nai swamp, Hong Kong SAR, were found to be damaged by oil pollution. More than 80% of the saplings were either dead or washed away and leaving less than 5% healthy saplings with dense green leaves. Elevated concentrations of light n-alkanes (ranging from n-C₁₄ to n-C₂₀), pristane and phytane were recorded in surface sediments collected in December 2000. The ratio between light and total n-alkanes was 0.4. The total petroleum hydrocarbons (60–80 μg g⁻¹ TPH) and unresolved complex mixtures (60–70 μg g⁻¹ UCM) were higher than the background values of other mangrove sediments in Hong Kong, which were 40 and 20 μg g⁻¹, respectively. In certain root zone sediments, TPH concentrations were above 1000 μg g⁻¹. These results suggest that surface sediments in Sheung Pak Nai were contaminated by petroleum oil, most likely by illegal discharge of fuel oil which occurred between 1998 and 2002. One year later, in December 2001, unhealthy saplings had recovered and re-grown. The concentrations of TPH and UCM in sediments declined to around 40 μg g⁻¹, pristane and phytane dropped by 80%, and the ratio of light to total n-alkanes was 0.15, suggesting that residual oil in sediments was weathered leading to a remarkable recovery of the unhealthy saplings.