Assessment of soil erosion in a monsoon-dominated mountain river basin in India using RUSLE-SDR and AHP

The long-term average annual soil loss (A) and sediment yield (SY) in a tropical monsoon-dominated river basin in the southern Western Ghats, India (Muthirapuzha River Basin, MRB; area: 271.75 km²), were predicted by coupling the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) models. Moreover, the study also delineated soil erosion risk zones based on the soil erosion potential index (SEPI) using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique. Mean A of the basin is 14.36 t ha^?1 year^?1, while mean SY is only 3.65 t ha^?1 year^?1. Although the land use/land cover types with human interference show relatively lower A compared to natural vegetation, their higher SDR values reflect the significance of anthropogenic activities in accelerated soil erosion. The soil erosion risk in the MRB is strongly controlled by slope, land use/land cover and relative relief, compared to geomorphology, drainage density, stream frequency and lineament frequency.     

云南普洱地区6级以上地震前的Y值异常特征

本利用加卸载响应比方法研究了云南省普洱地区ＭＬ６．０级以上地震前的加卸载响应比随时间的变化，计算了这个地区近期的加卸载响应比，结果显示，普洱地区６级以上地震前Ｙ值出现明显异常，近期的Ｙ值显异常，表明该地区或在以其为中心方圆１００－２００公里的区域内在１９９５年或稍长时间内发生６．０级以上的地震的可能性很大。     

Challenges to the representation of suspended sediment transfer using a depth‐averaged flux

The sediment saturation recovery process (i.e. the adaptation of suspended sediment concentration [SSC] to local forcing) is the main feature of the non‐equilibrium suspended sediment transport (SST) frequently occurring in fluvial, estuarine and coastal waters. In order to quantitatively describe this phenomenon, a series solution is analytically derived, including the evolution of both vertical SSC profile and near‐bed sediment flux (NBSF), and is verified by net erosion and net deposition experiments, respectively. The results suggest that the sediment saturation recovery process involves vertically varying fluxes that are not represented correctly by depth‐averaging. Consequently, a vertical two‐dimensional (2D) combined scheme is established and applied respectively in to a dredged trench and to a sand wave feature to demonstrate this argument. By analyzing the variations of the calculated depth‐averaged SSC and NBSF we reveal that the equilibrium state presented by the sediment carrying capacity (SCC) form of the NBSF, which is usually applied in depth‐integrated SST models, lags behind the actual dynamic bed equilibrium state. Moreover, the key factor α, the so‐called saturation recovery coefficient within this form, is not only a function of local Rouse number but also is influenced by the local SSC profile. Finally, a three‐dimensional (3D) non‐orthogonal curvilinear body‐fitted SST model is developed and validated in the Yangtze estuary, China, combined with the in situ hourly hydrographic data from August 14–15, 2007 during spring tide in the wet season. Model results confirm that the vertically varying sediment saturation recovery process, the discrepancies between the actual and SCC form of NBSF and non‐constant value of α are significant in actual real geomorphic cases. The quantitative morphological change resulting from variations in environmental conditions may not be correctly represented by uncorrected depth‐integrated SST models if they do not treat the effects of vertical motion on the sediment saturation recovery process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of scouring process downstream of grade‐control structures under steady and unsteady flows

For many incised channels, one of the most common strategies is to install some hard structures, such as grade‐control structures (GCSs), in the riverbed to resist further incision. In this study, a series of experiments, including both steady and unsteady flow conditions, were conducted to investigate the scouring process downstream of a GCS. Three distinct phases, including the initial, developing and equilibrium phases, during the evolution of scour holes were identified. In addition, a semi‐empirical method was proposed to predict the equilibrium scour‐hole profile for the scour countermeasure design. In general, the comparisons between the experimental and simulated results are reasonably consistent. As the studies on temporal variation of the scour depth at GCSs caused by floods are limited, the effect of flood hydrograph shapes on the scour downstream of GCSs without upstream sediment supply was also investigated experimentally in this study. Based on the dimensional analysis and the concept of superposition, a methodology is proposed to simulate the time evolution of the maximum scour depth downstream of a GCS for steady flows. Moreover, the proposed scheme predicts reasonably well the temporal variations of the maximum scour depth for unsteady flows with both single and multiple peak. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting June Mean Rainfall in the Middle/Lower Yangtze River Basin

We demonstrate that there is significant skill in the GloSea5 operational seasonal forecasting system for predicting June mean rainfall in the middle/lower Yangtze River basin up to four months in advance. Much of the rainfall in this region during June is contributed by the mei-yu rain band. We find that similar skill exists for predicting the East Asian summer monsoon index(EASMI) on monthly time scales, and that the latter could be used as a proxy to predict the regional rainfall. However, th...     

2016年10月我国降水预测失败的原因分析

本文回顾了2016年10月降水业务预报中考虑的动力模式预测信息、前兆信号及其影响。2016年10月全国平均降水量为1951年以来历史同期最多,且环流形势和要素分布特征在月内均发生明显转折。业务发布预报在华北南部、黄淮、江淮、江汉等地降水异常与实况存在较大差异,同时对月内环流形势调整及降水变率估计不足。数值模式预报和物理因子诊断预测与实况的对比分析表明,环流形势整体分布特征预报与实况较为一致,但对西太平洋副热带高压等环流因子的强度、西伸脊点位置以及月内变率的预报与实况存在较大差异。从大气对热带海温信号的滞后响应以及同期相关分析表明,El Nino事件次年秋季副热带高压往往持续偏强偏北。10月赤道太平洋东冷西暖,暖池区对流活跃,东亚上空出现的异常经向环流圈通过低层径向风异常及异常辐合辐散,在日本岛附近形成反气旋式环流距平,也有利于副热带高压加强北抬。9、10月热带印度洋偶极子负位相有利于印缅槽加强,从而有利于水汽向我国东部地区输送。来自副热带高压外围的异常东南水汽和来自西南的水汽共同输送到我国中东部地区,并与南下冷空气交汇产生异常水汽辐合,造成这些地区降水明显偏多。此外10月热带对流活动依然活跃,台风的生成、登陆个数均较常年偏多,是我国东南沿海降水偏多的主要原因。     

Sediment transport for desert watersheds in erodible materials

Sediment transport for five small watersheds in arid southern Israel, eroded into shales, chalks, anhydrites and alluvium is studied. Analysis includes data from three large watersheds in the southern United States. Results indicate that floodwater heavily laden with suspended load (10-60 per cent, by weight) is characteristic of watersheds cut in erodible materials. No correlation was found between environmental characteristics such as lithology, catchment area, angle of slope or rainfall intensity and suspended-sediment concentration or texture. The carrying capacity for sands, derived both from hillslopes and channel alluvium is greatly increased by high suspended silt concentration, the trend being (where R = ratio, % fines/% sand; C_s = suspended load concentration, per cent by weight). The high concentration of fine sediment effectively causes more sand transport than would normally occur. This is also true for transport of coarser clastics; higher velocities, typical of highly concentrated silt suspensions, increased competence for transporting pebbles and boulders. The action of a large variety of processes (splash, wash, rilling, gullying, sliding, mudflow) combine with low infiltration and high credibility to render every rainstorm erosionally effective, and high concentrations of washload increase both the capacity and competence of coarse clastic transport. Whole basins are thus subjected to high rates of denudation (2-10 mm/yr).     

Experimental field assessment of suspended sediment pathways for characterizing hydraulic habitat

The distribution of particulate matter within river channels, including sediments, nutrients and pollutants, is fundamental to the survival of aquatic organisms. However, the interactions between flow and sediment transport at the patch scale of river systems represents an under‐researched component of physical habitat studies, particularly those concerning the characterization of ‘physical biotopes’ (riffles, runs, pools, glides). This paper describes a field methodology for exploring the transfer of particulate matter at small scales within river channels, which may be used to aid hydraulic habitat characterization. The field protocol combines field measurement of high frequency flow properties, to characterize hydraulic habitat units, and deployment of spatial arrays of turbidity probes, to detect the passage of artificially‐induced sediment plumes through different biotope units. Sediment plumes recorded by the probes are analysed quantitatively in the manner of the flood hydrograph, and qualitative inferences are made on the dominant mixing processes operating within different parts of the channel. Relationships between the nature of spatio‐temporal hydraulic variations within glide, riffle and pool biotopes, and the character and mixing behaviour of sediment plumes within these habitat units are identified. Results from these preliminary experiments suggest that investigating and characterizing the transfer and storage of sediments, nutrients and pollutants within and between different biotopes is a viable avenue for further research, with potential to contribute to improved physical habitat characterization for river management and habitat restoration. The experiments are also an illustration of the value of neglected synergies between process geomorphology, ecology and river hydraulics. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同水动力扰动下太湖沉积物的悬浮特征

利用2002年7月及2003年4月分别在太湖乌龟山和梅梁湾的水动力观测资料,计算了波浪和湖流产生的湖底切应力,分析了二者对太湖沉积物悬浮的不同贡献.结果发现,在小扰动情况下,流切应力大于波切应力,但不能引起沉积物的悬浮;在强扰动情况下,底流对沉积物悬浮的影响可以忽略,且扰动越强,其作用越小,而波浪的影响却愈加突出;在中等扰动下,二者的相互作用产生沉积物的悬浮,但波浪的作用较为显著.该结论能为计算太湖水体悬浮物浓度和动态内源释放提供重要的参考依据.