Water exchange between Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean during winter

Variability in water-exchange time between Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean during winter is investigated based on the results of intensive field observation from November 2000 to March 2001. Water-exchange time between Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean during winter mainly depends on the strength of northerly monsoon, being about 16 days under the weak monsoon and about 12 days under the strong monsoon. Moreover, it becomes longer by about 1 day in spring tide and shorter in neap tide due to the coupling effect of estuarine circulation and vertical mixing. Water-exchange time also varies depending on the open-ocean condition. When the warm water mass approaches from the Pacific Ocean to the mouth of Tokyo Bay through the eastern channel of Sagami Bay, which connects Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean, water-exchange time becomes longer by about 2 days because the warm water mass is blocked in the surface layer at the bay mouth. On the other hand, when the warm water mass approaches to the mouth of Tokyo Bay through the western channel of Sagami Bay, water-exchange time becomes shorter by about 1 day because the warm water mass intrudes into the middle or lower layers of Tokyo Bay. Such different behavior of warm water mass at the mouth of Tokyo Bay is due to the difference in density of approaching warm water masses, that is, the density of the warm water mass through the eastern channel is smaller than that of the warm water mass through the western channel of Sagami Bay.Responsible Editors: Yens Kappenberg     

Influence of water level fluctuation on the spatial dynamic of the water chemistry at Lake Fertõ/Neusiedler See

Lake Fertõ/Neusiedler See is a steppe lake situated on the Hungarian-Austrian border with a surface area of 309 km². It is an extremely shallow lake with regulated outflow. 54% of the whole lake and 85% of the Hungarian part (75 km²) is covered by reed. There are numerous reedless areas (inner ponds) of variable size within the reed belt, which is enmeshed with canals connecting the inner ponds with the open water areas. Fundamental differences were recorded in the water chemistry of the three water type areas, open water, canals and inner ponds. The degree of these differences is basically determined by the distance from the open water areas and the water level of the actual years. An extremely high, an average and an extremely low water level year was examined, in order to present the spatial and temporal differences in the water chemistry of the investigated water bodies. Differences due to the water level fluctuation between years in the three different water types are discussed on the basis of electrical conductivity, cation, and anion concentration changes of the water. Our results support the concept of high instability of Lake Fertõ and describe habitats with remarkable temporal and spatial variability. The high influence of water level on habitat conditions at different sites of the lake recommend a carefull water level regulation strategy.     

Toxic Cyanobacteria in Greek Freshwaters, 1987—2000: Occurrence,Toxicity, and Impacts in the Mediterranean Region

In a survey in Greece from 1987 to 2000 hepatotoxic cyanobacterial blooms were observed in 9 out of 33 freshwaters. Microcystins (MCYSTs) were detected by HPLC in 7 of these lakes, and the total MCYST concentration per scum dry weight ranged from 50.3 to 1638 ± 464 μg g^—1. Cyanobacterial genera (Microcystis, Anabaena, Anabaenopsis, Aphanizomenon, Cylindrospermopsis) with known toxin producing taxa were present in 31 freshwaters. From our data and a review of the literature, it would appear that Mediterranean countries are more likely 1) to have toxic cyanobacterial blooms consisting of Microcystis spp. and 2) to have higher intracellular MCYST concentrations. A case study in Lake Kastoria is used to highlight seasonal patterns of cyanobacterial and MCYST‐LR occurrence and to assess cyanotoxin risk. Cyanobacterial biovolume was high (> 11 μL L^—1) throughout the year and was in excess of Guidance Level 2 (10 μL L^—1) proposed by WHO for recreational waters and Alert Level 2 for drinking water. Further, surface water samples from April to November exceeded Guidance Level 3, with the potential for acute cyanobacterial poisoning. Intracellular MCYST‐LR concentrations (max 3186 μg L^—1) exceeded the WHO guideline for drinking water (1 μg L^—1) from September to November with a high risk of adverse health effects. Preliminary evidence indicates that in 3 lakes microcystins are accumulated in some aquatic organisms. Generally, a high risk level can be deduced from the data for the Mediterranean region.     

神经网络在判别煤矿突水水源中的应用

矿井突水水源的识别是矿井防治水工作的基础，快速准确地判别突水的来源对整个矿井的安全生产起着十分重要的作用。以峰峰矿区梧桐庄矿为例，应用神经网络的方法，对矿井突水水源进行了系统研究。结果表明，运用该方法取得了较好的效果，并可以用此模型来解决类似的评价和判别问题。     

单管高压旋喷注浆技术在砂层加固、止水工程中的应用

就其他工艺在砂层的加固、止水工程中难以解决的问题，提出了单管高压旋喷注浆技术，并通过一些工程实例证实此工艺的可行性。     

Soil moisture potential and water content in the unsaturated zone within the arid Ejina Oasis in Northwest China

Three soil profiles were selected in the Ejina Oasis, northwest China, to determine water content profiles and evolution of soil moisture potentials in the unsaturated zone within the arid area. The total soil moisture potentials have been monitored for about 3 months in 2001 at different depths in the soil profiles. The occurrence and movement of water in the unsaturated zone was analyzed using the zero flux plane (ZFP) method. It is shown that convergent ZFPs and divergent ZFPs may occur at depths between 0.5 and 3.0 m, and that the depth of the ZFPs was controlled by the root zone of plants growing on the land surface. Profiles of the total soil moisture potentials were observed to be coincident with those of the water contents at the three experimental sites. The total soil moisture potential showed a slight increasing trend and the ZFPs tend to vanish from summer to winter as the water extraction by roots decreased. Evapotranspiration through vegetation has an important bearing on the water content and the total potential in the unsaturated zone.     

Origin of Natural Gas in Kekeya Field, Tarim Basin, China

This paper is mainly concentrated on the geochemical characteristics and origin of gas of Kekeya field in the Tarim basin, NW China. This study shows that Permian mudstone is the main source rock of oil and gas. Based on the carbon isotopes of C1--C4, the carbon isotope of gas in Kekeya field is a little heavier than that in the typical marine-derived gas. The relationship between carbon isotopes of methane and ethane is coincident with Faber equation of gas derived from organic matter Ⅰ/Ⅱ. The majority of gas maturity is estimated, based on the formula, at 1.8%-2.2% besides K2 and K18 wells. In addition, the gas derived from 0.9%-1.2% Ro source rocks may also bemixture. ^40Ar/^36Ar and ^3He/^4He ratios from the gas samples also support the mixing process. Moreover, the gas in this region is mainly generated from more mature source rocks although the low mature gas exists.     

Dynamics of an active rock glacier (Ötztal Alps, Austria)

The rock glacier Innere Ölgrube, located in a small side valley of the Kauner Valley (Ötztal Alps, Austria), consists of two separate, tongue-shaped rock glaciers lying next to each other. Investigations indicate that both rock glaciers contain a core of massive ice. During winter, the temperature at the base of the snow cover (BTS) is significantly lower at the active rock glacier than on permafrost-free ground adjacent to the rock glacier. Discharge is characterized by strong seasonal and diurnal variations, and is strongly controlled by the local weather conditions. Water temperature of the rock glacier springs remains constantly low, mostly below 1°C during the whole melt season. The morphology of the rock glaciers and the presence of meltwater lakes in their rooting zones as well as the high surface flow velocities of >1 m/yr point to a glacial origin. The northern rock glacier, which is bounded by lateral moraines, evolved from the debris-covered tongue of a small glacier of the Little Ice Age with its last highstand around A.D. 1850. Due to the global warming in the following decades, the upper parts of the steep and debris-free ice glacier melted, whereas the debris-covered glacier tongue transformed into an active rock glacier. Due to this evolution and due to the downslope movement, the northern rock glacier, although still active, at present is cut off from its ice and debris supply. The southern rock glacier has developed approximately during the same period from a debris-covered cirque glacier at the foot of the Wannetspitze massif.     

The influence of floodplain geohydrology on the distribution of Sarcocornia pillansii in the Olifants Estuary on the West Coast, South Africa

The distribution of Sarcocornia pillansii (Moss) A.J. Scott was determined by water-table depth and electrical conductivity (EC) of the groundwater. Where the groundwater was accessible (<1.5 m) and had a low EC (<80 mS cm⁻¹), S. pillansii extended its roots down to the water-table where a suitable water potential gradient was shown to exist between the soil and roots. In areas where the groundwater was too deep and/or hypersaline, the plants grew on hummocks. The unconfined aquifer below the floodplain is linked to the estuary and although diurnal tidal waves were dampened, water-table level fluctuations were recorded between tidal events. The complex geomorphology of the floodplain influences groundwater flow, in turn affecting the distribution of the salt marsh vegetation.     

Distribution of trace metals in the Odra River system: Water–suspended matter–sediments

Extensive investigations of trace metals concentrations in water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and bottom sediments of the whole Odra River system were carried out over the years 1997–2000. The vertical distribution of selected metals and their mobility were also studied in the sediment cores from upper and middle river sections. Significant levels of metal contamination were found. Median concentrations (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn and As) in the SPM and sediments were (mg kg⁻¹) 7.1 and 8.9 Cd, 128 and 146 Pb, 81 and 119 Cu, 1198 and 1204 Zn, 48 and 54 As, respectively. The highest metal pollution of the Odra River solids was found with cadmium, zinc, lead and arsenic, showing high similarity in their frequency distributions in both SPM and sediments. Cd, Zn and As appear to be of particular concern because of the high levels, that appear to be bioavailable, and their high mobility. The exchangeable and carbonate chemical forms of Cd and Zn reached up to 50% of their total amount. Besides the determination of total metal concentration, the metal chemical forms in river solids were investigated. The results of very wide studies of the Odra River system through 4 years suggest that metal pollution decreased, especially for Zn, Pb and Cu. Among all metals studied in the Odra River sediments, substantial reductions of Cd contamination were observed neither in the period after ’97 flood, nor if compared with the earlier results obtained before ’97. No essential differences of the metal contents were observed among the samples for the same river compartment, from the same locality, taken within the five sampling campaigns. The pattern of spatial and vertical metal distributions in the river solids indicates that a variety of sources might be responsible for the contamination; very intensive, historical and current mining and smelting activities probably are the most important ones.