CHANGES IN THE FOREST-ALPINE TUNDRA ECOTONE: COLORADO FRONT RANGE

On Niwot Ridge, alpine climatic factors dominate today within the upper part of the forest-alpine tundra ecotone on the east slope of the Colorado Front Range. This study provides evidence that the climatic conditions controlling the distribution of the upper limit of tree species and growth forms within the ecotone have changed through time. It appears that much of the present forest-alpine tundra ecotone is a relict of past warm climate episodes. There is much evidence that, in the past, tree forms were more symmetrical and less deformed, tree trunks with larger diameters existed, and the trees were more extensive in areal coverage. However, no evidence exists to show that the upper limit of tree species growth was more than marginally higher in the past than today. The treeline appears to be stable to historical and Holocene climatic fluctuations, but the altitudinal limits of seedling establishment and survival are not stable. The liming of climatic changes in the Front Range and their possible influence on the distribution of the trees within the ecotone are reviewed. Because of its extreme easterly location, slight but significant climatic variations may be observed within the forest-alpine tundra ecotone of Niwot Ridge, but are not observed elsewhere.     

Determining transition reaches between torrents and downstream rivers using a valley morphology index in a mountainous landscape

Dividing rivers into homogeneous reaches is key for river processes and watershed management. In contrast to downstream fluvially dominated rivers, upstream debris-flow dominated torrents have steeper channel slopes and smaller valley width/depth ratios. Investigating transition reaches between torrents and fluvially dominated rivers, not only explores the structure of the landscape, but also contributes to hazard management. This study proposed a valley morphology index combining two variables, channel slope and valley width/depth ratio, to determine transition reaches between torrents and rivers. The methodology was applied to 41 mountain streams in Taiwan using a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based topographic analysis. Plots of valley width/depth ratio versus channel slope were used to determine boundary values of the valley morphology index (I_v) separating torrents from rivers. The plots showed that about 80% of the river basins present “L-shaped” curves, which indicate sharp decreases in slope for upstream sections and dramatic increases of valley width/depth ratio for downstream sections. Results further demonstrated an average value of I_v 0.0047 across the study sites. Spatial comparison between geographic regions indicated that transition reaches in eastern rivers tend to occur lower in the drainage basin due, in part, to higher terrain. Local factors, such as tributary confluences and landslides promote the transition from torrents to fluvially dominated rivers. Satellite images verified that the approach correctly identified transition reaches, suggesting that it may provide a useful reference for river management.     

Geomorphic and stream flow influences on large wood dynamics and displacement lengths in high gradient mountain streams (Chile)

Understanding large wood (LW; ≥1 m long and ≥10 cm in diameter) dynamics in rivers is critical for many disciplines including those assessing flood hazard and risk. However, our understanding of wood entrainment and deposition is still limited, mainly because of the lack of long‐term monitoring of wood‐related processes. The dataset presented here was obtained from more than 8 years of monitoring of 1,264 tagged wood pieces placed in 4 low‐order streams of the Chilean mountain ranges and was used to further our understanding of key factors controlling LW dynamics. We show that LW displacement lengths were longer during periods when peak‐flow water depths (H_max) exceeded the bankfull stage (H_Bk) than in periods with H_max ≤ H_Bk and that these differences were significantly higher for smaller wood pieces. LW length and length relative to channel dimensions were the main factors governing LW entrainment; LW displacement lengths were inversely related to the ratio of piece length to H_15% (i.e., the level above which the flow remains for 15% of the time) and to the ratio of H_15% to bankfull width. Unrooted logs and LW pieces located at the bankfull stage travelled significantly longer distances than logs with attached rootwads and those located in other positions within the bankfull channel. A few large logjams were broken during the period of observation, and in all occasions, LW from these broken logjams did not travel over longer distances than other pieces of LW moved in the same periods and in the same stream segments. Most importantly, our work reveals that LW dynamics tend to be concentrated within a few reaches in each stream and that reaches exhibiting high wood dynamics (extensive entrainment, deposition, or repositioning of LW) are significantly wider and less steep than less dynamic reaches.     

Numerical prediction of gas migration properties in Callovo‐Oxfordian (COx) argillite using morpho‐mathematical operations

The feasibility study of long‐term radioactive waste storage in low‐permeable rocks has been performed by considering various damage and failure scenarios. This study aims at the numerical investigation of gas (mainly produced by corrosion of metallic parts) migration properties through the low‐permeable formation of Callovo‐Oxfordian argillite. Traditional methods, based on macroscopic approaches or homogeneous transport properties, are inappropriate to analyze this issue at the mesoscopic/microscopic scale. In this study, realistic porous space morphologies are constructed through union of excursions of random fields considering different experimental pore size distributions. Afterwards, purely geometric analysis of pore space is conducted by morpho‐mathematical operations for the purpose of the extraction of preferential gas transport pathways and the prediction of the gas entry pressure, the gas breakthrough pressure, and the following imbibition process.     

城市形态演化的粒子群智能随机元胞模型与应用——以上海市嘉定区为例

城市形态演化是一个非线性的复杂时空动态过程,认识、理解和模拟此变化过程,有助于探索城市扩展的机理。地理元胞自动机(CA)因其较强的复杂系统模拟和预测能力,越来越多地应用于城市形态的演变研究。CA"自下而上"的结构特性,与粒子群智能(PSO)由底层单元交互而呈现系统全局的自组织性,本质上是一致的。本研究将两者结合,以模拟结果和真实形态的差异最小化为基础,利用粒子群智能,以快速随机搜索的方式,获取CA参数的优化组合和模型结构,从而建立了一种粒子群智能地理元胞自动机模型(PSO-CA)。以上海市嘉定区为案例,通过较长时段的历史数据对PSO-CA模型进行校正,成功模拟了该区域1989-2006年的城市形态演化过程,并进行了2010年发展预测。与传统地理CA模型比较,PSO-CA模型模拟结果的精度更高。     

罗氏沼虾溞状幼体的形态特征

罗氏沼虾的幼体变态发育需经过多次蜕皮,每次蜕皮均伴随形态及附肢特征的改变。采用显微观测摄像法对Z1-Z12各期幼体样本30尾进行观察测量,结果显示:Z2与Z1在复眼上存在较大的差异;Z3的主要特征为尾节与第六腹节分界;Z4尾扇分为内肢和外肢,均具羽状刚毛;Z5无腹足,尾节狭长,且末端平直;Z6的腹部出现腹足萌芽;Z7腹肢芽延长分为内外肢,Z7与Z8的分期特征主要位于第1触角的内鞭、外鞭的分枝上;Z8的第1、第2对步足具不完全的螯;Z9第1、2对步足具完全的螯;Z10后额角上缘的齿刻增多,Z11第1触角内鞭和外鞭分节数量比Z10多;Z12的形态与成虾相似,额角上、下缘均有齿刻。     

低渗透油藏菱形反九点压裂井网两相渗流分析

依据低渗透油藏菱形反九点压裂井网不同流动区域的流动规律,建立了反映压裂开采过程物理本质的三区模型,推导出了考虑启动压力梯度的基质非达西渗流、椭圆渗流和裂缝非线性流动的三区两相渗流数学模型。研究表明：裂缝越长,累积产量越高,含水率增加越快;裂缝的导流能力越低,其累积产量越小,含水率也越小,随着导流能力的增加,累积产量的增加幅度变小;注水井排与裂缝的夹角对产量的影响不大;井排距对产量影响明显,对压裂井应采取较大的井排距。     

Tidal estuary width convergence: Theory and form in North Australian estuaries

In order to better understand the relations between tidal estuary shape and geomorphic processes, the width profiles of 79 tidal channels from within 30 estuaries in northern Australia have been extracted from LANDSAT 5 imagery using GIS. Statistics describing the shape and width convergence of individual channels and entire estuaries (which can contain several channels) are analysed along with proxies for the tidal range and fluvial inputs of the estuaries in question. The width profiles of most individual channels can be reasonably approximated with an exponential curve, and this is also true of the width profiles of estuaries. However, the shape of this exponential width profile is strongly related to the mouth width of the system. Channels and estuaries with larger mouths generally exhibit a more pronounced ‘funnel shape’ than those with narrower mouths, reflecting the hydrodynamic importance of the distance over which the channel or estuarine width converges. At the estuarine scale, this ‘convergence length’ also tends to be higher in estuaries which have larger catchments relative to their size. No clear relation between the estuarine width convergence length and tidal range could be discerned within the Northern Australian estuaries although, when these data are combined with data from other studies, a weak relationship emerges. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rates,distributions and mechanisms of change in meander morphology over decadal timescales,River Dane,UK

This paper analyses types and rates of change in river meander morphology and the links between mechanisms of change and emergent behaviour of planform morphology. It uses evidence of four dates of aerial photography combined with annual field mapping and ground photography to examine the morphological changes and mechanisms of change in a series of bends on an active meandering river, the River Dane in NW England, over a 25 year period. This unique data set allows insight into the spatial and temporal variability of bank line movement and component processes. Bank lines were mapped photogrametrically from air photos of 1984, 1996, 2001 and 2007 and the digitised courses compared in ArcGIS to produce calculations of erosional and depositional areas and rates. Most bends exhibit morphological change that largely follows the autogenic sequence, identified in qualitative models of meander development, from low sinuosity curves through simple symmetric and asymmetric bends to compound forms with lobe development in the apex region. Rates of erosion and bankline movement increase through this sequence until the compound phase. Relationships of amounts of movement to various curvature measures of bend morphology are complex. Several new loops, distinct from compound bend behaviour, have developed during the study period in formerly straight sections. Mechanisms of morphological change are illustrated for four types of bends: new, rapid growth bend; sharp‐angled bend with mid‐channel bar development; symmetric migrating bend; and simple to compound bend development. The changes take place in phases that are not simply related to discharge but to inherent sequences and feedbacks in development of bars and bend morphology and timescales for these are identified. Overall, emergent behaviour of systematic planform change, moderated by channel confinement and boundary features, is produced from spatially and temporally varied channel processes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.