Assessment of sand encroachment in Kuwait using GIS

Assessment of sand encroachment in Kuwait using Geographical Information System (GIS) technology has been formulated as a Multi-Criteria Decision Making problem. The Delphi method and Analytical Hierarchy Process were adopted as evaluating techniques, in which experts’ judgments were analyzed for objectively estimating and weighting control factors. Seven triggering factors, depicted in the form of maps, were identified and ordered according to their priority. These factors are (1) wind energy; (2) surface sediment; (3) vegetation density; (4) land use; (5) drainage density; (6) topographic change and (7) vegetation type. The factor maps were digitized, converted to raster data and overlaid to determine their possible spatial relationships. Applying a susceptibility model, a map of sand encroachment susceptibility in Kuwait was developed. The map showed that the areas of very high and high sand encroachment susceptibility are located within the main corridor of sand pathway that coincides with the northwesterly dominant wind direction.     

Climate change in Mt. Qomolangma region since 1971

Using monthly average, maximum, minimum air temperature and monthly precipitation data from 5 weather stations in Mt. Qomolangma region in China from 1971 to 2004, climatic linear trend, moving average, low-pass filter and accumulated variance analysis methods, the spatial and temporal patterns of the climatic change in this region were analyzed. The main findings can be summarized as follows: (1) There is obvious ascending tendency for the interannual change of air temperature in Mt. Qomolangma region and the ascending tendency of Tingri, the highest station, is the most significant. The rate of increasing air temperature is 0.234 oC/decade in Mt. Qomolangma region, 0.302 oC/decade in Tingri. The air temperature increases more strongly in non-growing season. (2) Compared with China and the global average, the warming of Mt. Qomolangma region occurred early. The linear rates of temperature increase in Mt. Qomolangma region exceed those for China and the global average in the same period. This is attributed to the sensitivity of mountainous regions to climate change. (3) The southern and northern parts of Mt. Qomolangma region are quite different in precipitation changes. Stations in the northern part show increasing trends but are not statistically significant. Nyalam in the southern part shows a decreasing trend and the sudden decreasing of precipitation occurred in the early 1990s. (4) Compared with the previous studies, we find that the warming of Mt. Qomolangma high-elevation region is most significant in China in the same period. The highest automatic meteorological comprehensive observation station in the world set up at the base camp of Mt. Qomolangma with a height of 5032 m a.s.l will play an important role in monitoring the global climate change.     

Late Holocene linkages between decade–century scale climate variability and productivity at Lake Tanganyika, Africa

Microlaminated sediment cores from the Kalya slope region of Lake Tanganyika provide a near-annually resolved paleoclimate record between ∼∼2,840 and 1,420 cal. yr B.P. demonstrating strong linkages between climate variability and lacustrine productivity. Laminae couplets comprise dark, terrigenous-dominated half couplets, interpreted as low density underflows deposited from riverine sources during the rainy season, alternating with light, planktonic diatomaceous ooze, with little terrigenous component, interpreted as windy/dry season deposits. Laminated portions of the studied cores consist of conspicuous dark and light colored bundles of laminae couplets. Light and dark bundles alternate at decadal time scales. Within dark bundles, both light and dark half couplets are significantly thinner than within light bundles, implying slower sediment accumulation rates during both seasons over those intervals.Time series analyses of laminae thickness patterns demonstrate significant periodicities at interannual–centennial time scales. Longer time scale periodicities (multidecadal to centennial scale) of light and dark half couplet thicknesses are coherent and in some cases are similar to solar cycle periods on these time scales. Although laminae thickness cycles do not strongly covary with the actual Δ¹⁴C record for this same time period, two large Δ¹⁴C anomalies are associated with substantial decreases in both light and dark laminae thickness. In contrast to the multidecadal– centennial time scale, significant annual to decadal periodicities, which are broadly consistent with ENSO/PDO forcing and their impact on East African climate, are not coherent between light and dark half couplets. The coherency of light–dark couplets at decadal–centennial time scales, but not at shorter time scales, is consistent with a model of a long-term relationship between precipitation (recorded in wet season dark laminae thickness) and productivity (light laminae thickness), which is not manifest at shorter time scales. We hypothesize that this coupling results from long-term recharging of internal nutrient loading during wet periods (higher erosion of soil P) and reduced loading during drought intervals. The relationship is not expressed on short time scales during which the dominant control on productivity is wind-driven, dry season upwelling, which is uncorrelated with wet-season precipitation. Our record greatly extends the temporal record of this quasi-periodic behavior throughout the late Holocene and provides the first evidence linking decade- to century-scale episodes of enhanced productivity to enhanced precipitation levels and nutrient recharge in a productive tropical lake.     

The First Appearance of Cattle in Denmark Occurred 6000 Years Ago: An Effect of Cultural or Climate and Environmental Changes

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios from bones of contemporaneous Late Atlantic aurochs and early cattle in eastern Denmark are significantly different and provide information on the origin and feeding strategies of the earliest domestic cattle. The data show that the early cattle were feeding on grass right from the beginning 4000 cal. yr BC. In contrast, the youngest aurochs population primarily browsed and grazed from the dense forest floor resulting in rather negative δ¹³C values measured on bone collagen. The oldest aurochs have similar isotope values to the earlier cattle, whereas the youngest aurochs have similar values to Late Atlantic red deer from the same locality. As eastern Denmark was largely covered by forest, speculations on the origin of the grazing areas are many. The grass may have grown in openings in the forest, at the forest fringe, or more likely on the newly reclaimed coastal land areas exposed by the decreasing rate of eustatic sea‐level rise contemporaneously with isostatic uplift, during the Littorina transgressions. The stable isotope values do not indicate that leaf foddering of the early cattle was of importance.     

Influence of Cyclic Wetting Drying on Collapse Behaviour of Compacted Residual Soil

The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often characterized by alternate wet and dry seasons. Laboratory studies of earlier workers have established that the alternate wetting and drying process affects the swell-shrink potentials, water content, void ratio and particle cementation of expansive soils. The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of residual soils has not been examined. This paper examines the influence of alternate wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from Bangalore District. Results of such a study are useful in anticipating changes in collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil fills. Experimental results indicated that the cyclic wetting and drying process increased the degree of expansiveness of the residual soils and reduced their collapse tendency. Changes in the swell/collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from wetting drying effects are attributed to reduction in water content, void ratio and possible growth of cementation bonds.     

类脂化合物单体碳稳定同位素在古气候环境研究中的意义

类脂化合物极大地扩展了全球变化研究的深度，尤其是单体碳稳定同位素技术在古气候、古环境重建上有着重要作用。基于近些年来国内外的最新研究成果，就类脂化合物单体碳同位素在古气候环境方面的应用研究进行了较为全面的评述。已有研究表明利用类脂化合物单体碳同位素组成可以追溯到海洋和湖泊环境中陆源有机质的物源，其母源区历史时期 C3、C4植被的变迁以及区域性的古气候、古环境重建。     

青海气候条件对牧草再生性影响的研究

选取1994～2001年河南、甘德两站牧草再生草资料及同期气象资料，通过分析同一地区不同时期及同一时期不同地区气候条件对牧草再生性的影响，建立了牧草再生草产量气候模式，讨论了再生草增、减产的气候条件。研究得出：同一地区不同时期和同一时期不同地区因气候条件不同，割草不一定能增产。     

51463迁站后与原站址的气候要素差异分析

迁站造成气象要素的不连续性，对资料使用带来困难，利用迁站后的对比观测资料，分析气温、风、降水资源的差异发现，季平均气温、最高、最低气温老站址均高于新站址；季平均风速、降水量老站址小于新站性，同时提出了一些差异量，供资料使用者参考。     

IAP/LASG全球海-陆-气耦合系统模式的纬向平均大气气候态分析(英文)

分海洋和陆地两种情况来讨论IAP/LASG全球海-陆-气耦合系统模式（GOAL）四个版本的结果,并与观测资料进行对比分析。一些重要的大气变量包括表面空气温度,海平面气压和降水率用来评估GOALS模式模拟当代气候和气候变率的能力。总的来说,GOALS模式的四个版本都能够合理地再现观测到的平均气候态和季节变化的主要特征。同时评估也揭示了模式的一些缺陷。可以清楚地看到模拟的全球平均海平面气压的主要误差是在陆地上。陆地上表面空气温度模拟偏高主要是由于陆面过程的影响。值得注意的是降水率模拟偏低主要是在海洋上,而中高纬的陆地降水在北半球冬天却比观测偏高。 通过模式不同版本之间的相互比较研究,可以发现模式中太阳辐射日变化物理过程的引入明显地改善了表面空气温度的模拟,尤其是在中低纬度的陆地上。太阳辐射日变化的引入对热带陆地的降水和中高纬度的冬季降水也有较大改进。而且,由于使用了逐日通量距平交换方案（DFA）,GOALS模式新版本模拟的海洋上的温度变率在中低纬度有了改善。 比较观测和模拟的年平均表面空气温度的标准差,可以发现GOALS模式四个版本都低估了海洋和陆地上的温度变率,文中还对影响观测和模拟温度变率差异的可能原因进行了探讨。     

库车坳陷侏罗纪沉积环境和层序地层分析

通过对库车坳陷野外露头和钻井资料以及地震剖面的综合分析,对库车盆地侏罗纪沉积环境、层序划分进行了研究.库车盆地在侏罗纪时期为一非对称型坳陷型盆地,主要物源在盆地的北部.划分了13个三级层序,三个层序组,反映了三个大级别的旋回.最大湖侵期为阳霞组中上部,与当时有一个明显的气候变热期相一致.沉积环境在侏罗纪早期为辫状河-辫状河三角洲环境、中期为曲流河-三角洲环境,后期为三角洲和浅湖环境,中期有短暂的海泛发生.影响侏罗纪湖平面变化的主控因素为构造运动、气候变化、物源条件、河水的流入以及海侵的影响.在中侏罗世早期、晚期的最大湖侵和海泛的短暂时期,形成了厚层的烃源岩分布.库车坳陷侏罗系虽然砂体分布广泛,厚度较大,然而由于陆相沉积环境的控制,非均质性较强、