What controls dead-ice melting under different climate conditions? A discussion

In the geological record, hummocky dead-ice moraines represent the final product of the melt-out of dead-ice. Processes and rates of dead-ice melting in ice-cored moraines and at debris-covered glaciers are commonly believed to be governed by climate and debris-cover properties. Here, backwasting rates from 14 dead-ice areas are assessed in relation to mean annual air temperature, mean summer air temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean summer precipitation, and annual sum of positive degree days. The highest correlation was found between backwasting rate and mean annual air temperature. However, the correlation between melt rates and climate parameters is low, stressing that processes and topography play a major role in governing the rates of backwasting. The rates of backwasting from modern glacial environments should serve as input to de-icing models for ancient dead-ice areas in order to assess the mode and duration of deposition.A challenge for future explorations of dead-ice environments is to obtain long-term records of field-based monitoring of melt progression. Furthermore, many modern satellite-borne sensors have high potentials for recordings of multi-temporal Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) for detection and quantification of changes in dead-ice environments. In recent years, high-accuracy DEMs from airborne laser scanning altimetry (LiDAR) are emerging as an additional data source. However, time series of high-resolution aerial photographs remain essential for both visual inspection and high-resolution stereographic DEM production.     

A georeferenced agent-based model to analyze the climate change impacts on ski tourism at a regional scale

One main argument for modeling socio-ecological systems is to advance the understanding of dynamic correlations between various human and environmental factors, including impacts and responses to environmental change. We explore the shift in skier distribution among ski resorts taking into account the behavioral adaptation of individuals due to the impact of climate change on snow conditions. This analysis is performed at a regional scale by means of a coupled gravity and georeferenced agent-based model. Four different scenarios are considered. Two scenarios assume an increase of winter mean temperature of +2°C and +4°C, respectively, taking into account only natural snow conditions. Two additional scenarios add the effect of snowmaking to enhance the natural snow depth and extend the skiing season in the +2°C and +4°C base scenarios. Results show differing vulnerability levels, allowing the classification of ski resorts into three distinct groups: (1) highly vulnerable ski resorts with a strong reduction in visitors attendance for all climate change scenarios, characterized by unfavorable geographical and attractiveness conditions, making it difficult to ensure snow availability in the future; (2) low vulnerability ski resorts, with moderate reduction in season length during a high climate change scenario but no reduction (or even an increase) in a low one, characterized by ski resorts with a medium capacity and attractiveness to ensure enough snow conditions and capture skiers from other ski resorts; and (3) resilient ski resorts, with good conditions to ensure future snow-reliable seasons and outstanding attractiveness, allowing them to offer longer ski seasons than their competitors and potentially attracting skiers from other closed or marginal resorts. Ski resorts included in this last group increase their skier attendance in all climate change scenarios. Although similar studies in the literature foretell a significant reduction of the ski market in the near future, another probable effect outlined in this study is a redefinition of this market due to a redistribution of skiers, from vulnerable ski resorts to more resilient ones.     

重庆地区第四纪气候的初步研究

早更新世时,重庆地区生活着巫山人;中更新世时,生存有盐井沟动物群和歌乐山动物群;晚更新世—全新世时,合川三汇坝动物群繁衍,以水杉、红椿木和枫杨为代表的植物群遍及全区,并有水杉、银杉等孓遗植物存在。整个第四纪时期,重庆地区的气候属亚热带温暖湿润气候,没有发生过冰川活动。     

当代云计算发展研究现状

地理信息技术和地理信息产业作为信息产业的重要组成部分,一直与其同步发展或紧随其后。目前,第三次信息化浪潮和未来技术的代表云计算正在迅速兴起,全球各大IT公司竞相进入云计算领域,抢占制高点;我国也高度重视这一战略性新兴产业,呈现出科研先行,政府推动,企业参与,风起"云"涌的态势。全球学术界和企业界密切协作,有力推动了云计算技术的发展。测绘地理信息界需要了解国际国内云计算研究发展现状。     

试论地震台站监测、科研、预报三结合

本文论述在新形势下地震台站体制、任务改革的必要性与可行性，认为地震台实行地震监测、科研、预报三结合和将单一观测型台站转化成观测－－科研型台站系我国地震台站的发展方向。文中结合牡丹江等地震台的实践对三结合地震台站建设的实施办法和管理体制进行了讨论。     

潮河流域降水-径流关系变化及驱动因子识别

基于1973-2010年长系列日降水、径流数据,利用降水径流双累积曲线、M-K统计检验和降水集中度等方法,结合HIMS模型模拟结果,分析了潮河流域降水-径流关系的变化及其原因。得到的主要结论如下：（1）近38年来,潮河流域降水变化较小,但径流下降趋势显著,降水-径流关系发生了两次突变,即在1973-1983年、1984-1998年和1999-2010年三个阶段降水-径流关系存在明显差异;（2）大雨日降水总和（P_≥20）与径流深关系较为密切,其变化是导致降水-径流关系在1983年发生突变的主要驱动因子;（3）HIMS模型模拟结果显示,1999-2010年潮河流域下垫面条件较前两阶段变化明显,人类活动引起的减水效应由第二阶段的14.93%增加至第三阶段的25.78%,人类活动是导致降水-径流关系在1998年发生突变的主要驱动因子。     

Elevation‐dependent responses of streamflow to climate warming

Warming will affect snowline elevation, potentially altering the timing and magnitude of streamflow from mountain landscapes. Presently, the assessment of potential elevation‐dependent responses is difficult because many gauged watersheds integrate drainage areas that are both snow and rain dominated. To predict the impact of snowline rise on streamflow, we mapped the current snowline (1980 m) for the Salmon River watershed (Idaho, USA) and projected its elevation after 3 °C warming (2440 m). This increase results in a 40% reduction in snow‐covered area during winter months. We expand this analysis by collecting streamflow records from a new, elevation‐stratified gauging network of watersheds contained within high (2250–3800 m), mid (1500–2250 m) and low (300–1500 m) elevations that isolate snow, mixed and rain‐dominated precipitation regimes. Results indicate that lags between percentiles of precipitation and streamflow are much shorter in low elevations than in mid‐ and high‐elevation watersheds. Low elevation annual percentiles (Q₂₅ and Q₇₅) of streamflow occur 30–50 days earlier than in higher elevation watersheds. Extreme events in low elevations are dominated by low‐ and no‐flow events whereas mid‐ and high‐elevation extreme events are primarily large magnitude floods. Only mid‐ and high‐elevation watersheds are strongly cross correlated with catchment‐wide flow of the Salmon River, suggesting that changes in contributions from low‐elevation catchments may be poorly represented using mainstem gauges. As snowline rises, mid‐elevation watersheds will likely exhibit behaviours currently observed only at lower elevations. Streamflow monitoring networks designed for operational decision making or change detection may require modification to capture elevation‐dependent responses of streamflow to warming. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The GEOMON network of Czech catchments provides long-term insights into altered forest biogeochemistry: From acid atmospheric deposition to climate change

In 1994, a network of small catchments (GEOMON) was established in the Czech Republic to determine input–output element fluxes in semi-natural forest ecosystems recovering from anthropogenic acidification. The network consists from 16 catchments and the primary observations of elements fluxes were complemented by monitoring of biomass stock, element pools in soil and vegetation, and the main water balance components. Over last three decades, reductions of SO₂, NO_x and NH₃ emissions were followed by sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition reductions of 75% and 30%, respectively. Steeper declines of strong acid anion concentrations compared to cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K, NH₄) in precipitation resulted in precipitation pH increase from 4.5 to 5.2 in bulk precipitation and from 4.0 to 5.1 in spruce throughfall. Stream chemistry responded to changes in deposition: S leaching declined. However at majority of catchments soils acted as a net source of S to runoff, delaying recovery. Stream pH increased at acidic streams (pH < 6) and aluminium concentration decreased. Stream nitrate (NO₃) concentration declined by 60%, considerably more than N deposition. Stream NO₃ concentration was tightly positively related to stream total dissolved nitrogen to total phosphorus (P) ratio, suggesting the role of P availability on N retention. Trends in dissolved organic carbon fluxes responded to both acidification recovery and to runoff temporal variation. An exceptional drought occurred between 2014 and 2019. Over this recent period, streamflow decreased by ≈ 40% on average compared to 1990s, due to the increases of soil evaporation and vegetation transpiration by ≈ 30% and declines in precipitation by ≈ 15% on average across the elevational gradient. Sharp decreases of stream runoff at catchments <650 m a.s.l. corresponded to areas of recent forest decline caused by bark beetle infestation on drought stressed spruce forests. Understanding of the interactions among legacies of acidification and eutrophication, drought effects on the water cycle and forest disturbance dynamics is requisite for effective management of forested ecosystems under anthropogenic influence.     

陆生蜗牛壳体碳氧同位素组成与气候

陆生蜗牛响应气候环境变化敏感,其壳体化石碳氧同位素组成（δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O）具有重建古生态和古大气水文条件的巨大潜力。然而目前针对中国黄土古土壤沉积序列中蜗牛化石碳氧同位素组成开展的古环境古气候重建研究却仍然不足,根源在于对蜗牛壳体δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O指标气候意义的认识仍不明确。文章从现代过程研究着手,综述了目前有关蜗牛壳体δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O气候环境意义的研究进展,并指出各自指标存在受控因子的复杂性和多解性等问题。通过总结这些研究认为：陆生蜗牛壳体δ¹³C值主要通过反映植物（尤其C₃）δ¹³C值变化来进一步响应当地降水量变化,进而指示环境的干湿程度,但同时需要考虑环境碳酸盐、大气CO₂等额外因子对壳体δ¹³C的影响;壳体δ¹⁸O值可以在较大程度上反映大气降水δ¹⁸O值变化,但同时需要考虑蒸发作用和温度等因素对壳体δ¹⁸O的影响;壳体δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O在作为气候指标时常受区域和蜗牛种属等因素影响。此外,还介绍了目前中国北方黄土地层中蜗牛壳体化石稳定同位素组成重建季风变化的研究进展和近十年来有关蜗牛壳体团簇同位素新方法的研究进展。最后,论文针对壳体δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O指标存在的问题提出可能的解决办法,并对以后蜗牛碳氧同位素古环境研究方向进行展望。