(Dis)Connectivity in catchment sediment cascades: a fresh look at the sediment delivery problem

The concept of the sediment delivery problem was introduced into the literature in 1983 by Des Walling. This concept describes how only a fraction of sediment eroded within a catchment will reach the basin outlet and be represented as sediment yield, and that sediment storage mechanisms operating within a catchment explain this discrepancy. Since this paper was published, geomorphologists have been examining in great detail the fate of sediment eroded from the landsurface, and the pathways and timeframes of sediment transport and storage in catchments. However, to fully understand the internal dynamics of sediment flux requires a ‘fresh look at the sediment delivery problem’. A framework is required that can incorporate the various processes involved in sediment movement from source areas through a basin to its outlet, and can take account of the spatial distribution of, and timeframes over which, these processes operate. This paper presents a conceptual framework for analysis of catchment (dis)connectivity that incorporates both spatial and temporal variability in the operation of the sediment cascade. This approach examines where blockages occur to disrupt these longitudinal, lateral and vertical linkages in catchments. Depending on the position of blockages (termed buffers, barriers and blankets), and their sediment residence time, various parts of a catchment may be actively contributing sediment to the sediment cascade and be switched on, or inactive and switched off. This paper discusses how such a framework can be used to model response times to disturbance and explain the manifestation of geomorphic change in catchments. The paper then highlights challenges geomorphologists face in applying such a framework to understand the internal dynamics of the catchment sediment cascades, and forecast how environmental change might affect the operation of sediment fluxes into the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate change impacts on groundwater hydrology – where are the main uncertainties and can they be reduced?

ABSTRACT

This paper assesses how various sources of uncertainty propagate through the uncertainty cascade from emission scenarios through climate models and hydrological models to impacts, with a particular focus on groundwater aspects from a number of coordinated studies in Denmark. Our results are similar to those from surface water studies showing that climate model uncertainty dominates the results for projections of climate change impacts on streamflow and groundwater heads. However, we found uncertainties related to geological conceptualization and hydrological model discretization to be dominant for projections of well field capture zones, while the climate model uncertainty here is of minor importance. How to reduce the uncertainties on climate change impact projections related to groundwater is discussed, with an emphasis on the potential for reducing climate model biases through the use of fully coupled climate–hydrology models.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor not assigned     

Diurnal variations of pCO2 in relation to environmental factors in the cascade reservoirs along the Wujiang River, China

We have investigated the diurnal variations of the pCO2 and related environmental factors in the cascade reservoirs with different trophic levels along Wujiang River. In surface water the pCO2 was 357±11 μatm in Hong-jiadu Reservoir, 338±48 μatm in Dongfeng Reservoir, 682±303 μatm in Wujiangdu Reservoir, and 1677±429 μatm in Liuguang, respectively. The results indicated that these cascade reservoirs had much lower pCO2 values in surface water than river did, and hypereutrophic reservoir showed larger diurnal variations of pCO2 than meso-eutrophic reservoir. In water column, pCO2 tended to increase with the depth. Phytoplankton and the environmental factors such as temperature and pH had different influences on pCO2 diurnal variations due to different trophic levels, and the effect of phytoplankton on pCO2 variation increased with the increase of trophic level in these reservoirs.     

PALEOSEISMIC RECORDS OF LARGE EARTHQUAKES ON THE CROSS-BASIN FAULT IN THE SALT LAKE PULL-APART BASIN AND CASCADE RUPTURE EVENTS ON THE HAIYUAN FAULT

Cascade rupture events often occur along large strike-slip fault zone.The 1920 AD M 8¹/₂ earthquake ruptured all 3 segments of the Haiyuan Fault,and the Salt Lake pull-apart basin is the boundary between the west and middle segment of the fault.The data of trenching and drilling reveal 7 events occurring since last stage of late Pleistocene,and the two youngest events are associated with the historical records of 1092 AD (possibly) and 1920 AD respectively.These events are all large earthquakes with magnitude M>8,and the recurrence of them is characterized by earthquake clusters alternating with a single event.Now it is in the latest cluster which may last about 1000 years.Comparison of the paleoseismic sequence of this study and previous results reveals that the cross-basin fault in the Salt Lake pull-apart basin does not always rupture when cascade rupture events occur along the Haiyuan Fault,and likely ruptures only when the magnitude of the events is large (maybe M>8).Though there are many advantages in paleoseismic study in pull-apart basin,we should avoid getting the paleoseismic history of major strike-slip fault zones only depending on the rupture records of inner faults in pull-apart basins with large scale (maybe a width more than 3km).     

双场点地震危险性分析方法及其应用

提出了双场点地震危险性分析方法,用以计算在相同地震构造环境中,相同地震作用下的相邻两个工程场点同时超越其给定地震动参数的概率.该方法是确定系统的危险段落、场点遭受的附加地震危险的有效工具.基于汶川MS8.0地震后大渡河干流及邻近地区的地震环境,以大渡河干流梯级水电站系统为例,确定了大渡河干流梯级水电站各个河段的地震危险性.其中危险性最高的3个河段是:龚嘴—铜街子河段、沙坪—龚嘴河段和大岗山—龙头石河段.     

基于多目标遗传算法的巨型水库群发电优化调度

低碳时代,水电作为清洁可再生能源,节能发电调度为梯级水电联合调度运行带来了难得的历史机遇,如何有效地开展梯级水库群优化调度,充分合理利用水能资源,是流域梯级电站管理迫切需要解决的问题。文章在对清江梯级与三峡梯级径流特征分析的基础上,建立了以水库群整体发电量最大和弃能最小为目标的梯级调度模型。根据电力系统对三峡、葛洲坝、水布垭、隔河岩、高坝洲水电站的要求,用1951—2002年的月径流资料和典型年的日径流资料进行长期和短期优化调度,采用多目标遗传算法得到清江3个电站、三峡-葛洲坝2电站单独运行和联合优化调度发电指标,5库联合优化调度系统多年平均发电量增加约21亿kW.h;短期(日)优化调度较长期(月时间尺度)优化调度发电效益有进一步提升,增发电量约9.68亿kW.h。研究表明,充分利用清江和三峡梯级实际运行位置相近、水力联系紧密、互补性强的特点,统一安排电站机组运行模式,合理分配机组出力,可在来水量相同的条件下获得更大的效益。     

动能空间尺度分解及其在高原切变线的分析应用

应用NCEP FNL(1°×1°)全球分析资料和动能的空间尺度分解方法,对2014年8月25—27日一次高原切变线过程进行了能量诊断分析。结果表明:低层扰动动能的增幅与高原切变线的发生发展密切相关,在切变线的生成阶段至成熟阶段,扰动动能增加为切变线的发生发展提供了能量保障;平均动能变化大体与扰动动能呈相反趋势,在切变线生成阶段和发展阶段,中低层平均动能随时间减小。在影响动能变化的各因子中,斜压转换项贡献最大;在切变线生成阶段,低层平均动能与扰动动能间的转换对扰动动能变化影响明显。背景场和扰动场的相互作用使得扰动动能增大而平均动能减小,构成动能的降尺度串级,这种能量串级转换有利于中尺度的高原切变线生成。     

Markov Processes and Discrete Multifractals

Fractals and multifractals are a natural consequence of self-similarity resulting from scale-independent processes. Multifractals are spatially intertwined fractals which can be further grouped into two classes according to the characteristics of their fractal dimension spectra: continuous and discrete multifractals. The concept of multifractals emphasizes spatial associations between fractals and fractal spectra. Distinguishing discrete multifractals from continuous multifractals makes it possible to describe discrete physical processes from a multifractal point of view. It is shown that multiplicative cascade processes can generate continuous multifractals and that Markov processes result in discrete multifractals. The latter result provides not only theoretical evidence for existence of discrete multifractals but also a fundamental model illustrating the general properties of discrete multifractals. Classical prefractal examples are used to show how asymmetrical Markov process can be applied to generate prefractal sets and discrete multifractals. The discrete multifractal model based on Markov processes was applied to a dataset of gold deposits in the Great Basin, Nevada, USA. The gold deposits were regarded as discrete multifractals consisting of three spatially interrelated point sets (small, medium, and large deposits) yielding fractal dimensions of 0.541 for the small deposits (<25 tons Au), 0.296 for the medium deposits (25--500 tons Au), and 0.09 for the large deposits (>500 tons Au), respectively.     

A Case Study on MJO Energy Transport Path in a Local Multi-scale Interaction Framework

A new local kinetic energy (KE) budget for the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is constructed in a multi-scale framework. This energy budget framework allows us to analyze the local energy conversion processes of the MJO with the high-frequency disturbances and the low-frequency background state. The KE budget analysis is applied to a pronounced MJO event during the DYNAMO field campaign to investigate the KE transport path of the MJO. The work done by the pressure gradient force and the conversion of available potential energy at the MJO scale are the two dominant processes that affect the MJO KE tendency. The MJO winds transport MJO KE into the MJO convection region in the lower troposphere while it is transported away from the MJO convection region in the upper troposphere. The energy cascade process is relatively weak, but the interaction between high-frequency disturbances and the MJO plays an important role in maintaining the high-frequency disturbances within the MJO convection. The MJO KE mainly converts to interaction KE between MJO and high-frequency disturbances over the area where the MJO zonal wind is strong. This interaction KE over the MJO convection region is enhanced through its flux convergence and further transport KE to the high-frequency disturbances. This process is conducive to maintaining the MJO convection. This study highlights the importance of KE interaction between the MJO and the high-frequency disturbances in maintaining the MJO convection.     

水库泄洪方式对白洋淀入淀洪水及防洪的影响分析

以海河流域大清河南支为研究对象,基于2016年设计洪水修订成果,计算了100年一遇标准洪水,白洋淀上游5座大型水库在分级控泄调度、峰后敞泄调度、联合调度3种调度方式下,入白洋淀的洪水过程线,以此为基础,计算了各种水库调度方式对白洋淀蓄滞洪区防洪的影响。