Determination of the Concentration of Carbonic Species in Natural Waters: Results from a World‐Wide Proficiency Test

The results of an international interlaboratory proficiency test for the determination of carbonic species are presented. Eight laboratories analysed twelve water samples (four synthetic waters, one lake water, four geothermal waters, one seawater and two petroleum waters) by two methods: (a) individual laboratory analytical procedure and (b) acid–base titration curves in tabular form following a standardised protocol. In case (b), the concentrations of carbonic species were calculated by the organiser using the (1) Hydrologists' method, (2) Geochemists' method and/or (3) initial pH and total alkalinity method. For synthetic waters, the averaged % trueness and precision of measurement of the two methods were (trueness = 7.6, precision = 9.4) and (9.0, 3.4) for total alkalinity, and (6.6, 31.0) and (7.8, 6.1) for carbonic alkalinity, respectively. This indicates that the total alkalinity calculation procedure is in general correct in the individual laboratory method, but the carbonic alkalinity calculation procedure has serious problems. The measurements of total alkalinity for lake and seawaters were in agreement in both the methods; however, the individual laboratory measurement method for geothermal and petroleum waters was conceptually incorrect. Thus, the analytical procedures for the determination of carbonic species were reviewed. To apply the Hydrologists' and/or Geochemists' methods, the location of NaHCO₃EP and H₂CO₃EP is necessary, even for samples with pH lower than that of NaHCO₃EP, and a backward titration curve after complete removal of CO₂ must be performed. The initial pH and total alkalinity method is appropriate where a complete analysis of species that contribute to the alkalinity is known.     

Comparison of Two Sample Preparation Methods for X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry in the Determination of Ni and Cr

Pressed powder pellets and fused beads or glass disks are routinely used in X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry for the determination of major and trace elements, respectively, in geological materials. In order to evaluate the performance of these two sample preparation methods, we determined Ni and Cr concentrations of fourteen RMs from Japan, France and South Africa, and eighty‐five igneous and three sedimentary rock samples from Mexico in both powder pellets and glass beads. We also computed new values of statistical parameters for RMs from an outlier‐based multiple‐test method and compared them with the literature mean and confidence limit values. The results showed that the multiple‐test method provided more reliable central tendency and dispersion parameters for RMs than those obtained previously from the two or three standard deviation method, or from robust methods. The powder pellet and fused bead sample preparation methods provided consistent results for Ni and Cr at concentration levels > 50 μg g^?1 in this application; for lower concentration levels, however, these methods showed somewhat greater differences. For quantitative comparisons, both ordinary and weighted least‐squares linear regression models were used to show that the two sample preparation methods provided generally unbiased results.     

ISO observations of the dusty quasar BR 1202−0725

We present mid- and far-infrared photometry of the high-redshift     dusty quasar BR 1202−0725. The quasar was detected in the near-infrared, at a flux level     consistent with an average radio-quiet quasar at its redshift. Only upper limits for the emission were obtained in the far-infrared. These upper limits, when combined with data from ground-based telescopes, are the first direct evidence for a turnover in the far-infrared emission, and hence confirm that a blackbody dominates the spectral energy distribution at far-infrared wavelengths. This blackbody is most probably cool dust, constrained to have a temperature below 80 K, for a β of 1.5.     

Coding random self-similar river networks and calculating geometric distances: 1. General methodology / Codage de réseaux hydrographiques auto-similaires aléatoires et calcul de distances géométriques: 1. Méthodologie générale

Abstract

This study proposes a preliminary method for coding random self-similar river networks as a series of numbers, and investigates the corresponding algorithm that calculates the geometric distances from the code series. The coding method, generating random self-similar patterns with various probabilities of particular pattern links, and transferring the pattern into numerical code series, is proposed, based on the wide range of stochastic characteristics of natural patterns. The heredity of self-similarity and the connecting relationships inside the generated pattern are discussed. Finally, the algorithm to calculate the geometric distances of the generated pattern are developed.     

Comparaison des méthodes d'interpolation pour l'é laboration de modèles numé riques d'é lé vation de haute pré cision dans la repré sentation micro-topographique des plaines inondables

Résumé

La micro-topographie des zones inondables influence l'étendue des nappes d'eau des secteurs submergés lors des crues. Cette analyse vise à comparer des méthodes d'interpolation pour la réalisation de modèles numériques d'élévation (MNE) de haute précision représentant la micro-topographie des plaines d'inondation. Ces méthodes ont été comparées au moyen d'un système d'information géographique (SIG) afin d'identifier lesquelles apparaissent les plus efficaces dans l'élaboration de l'image micro-topographique des sites, et ce en fonction d'un nombre restreint de données d'élévation. L'efficacité de chacune des méthodes d'interpolation a été validée au moyen du calcul de l'erreur quadratique moyenne, de tests statistiques, de cartes de l'erreur et d'une évaluation visuelle en trois dimensions. Il ressort que les méthodes d'interpolation du krigeage simple, de la fonction radiale, du réseau de triangles irréguliers et du krigeage ordinaire sont celles qui représentent le plus adéquatement la micro-topographie des sites, alors que les méthodes d'interpolation de l'inverse de la distance et du krigeage universel produisent des erreurs élevées.

Citation Drouin, A. & Saint-Laurent, D. (2010) Comparaison des méthodes d'interpolation pour l'élaboration de modèles numériques d'élévation de haute précision dans la représentation micro-topographique des plaines inondables. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(4), 526?539.     

F) Personalia

Abstract

Knowledge of the natural resources of a country is essential for the assessment of its development possibilities. This is particularly true for the evaluation of groundwater resources in a country like Uruguay, where less than 5 per cent of the potential is exploited and this in an inefficient way, and where no drastic future increase in demand is predicted.

In the present paper the generalized hydrogeological model of the country was reconstructed, and recharge values, obtained by an approach adapted from nearby areas, were introduced.     

Diary of fourthcoming events

Résumé

Le bassin versant du lac Ba Bê est complexe d'un point de vue physiographique. Les données y sont restreintes et le comportement hydrologique en est méconnu. L'objectif général de cet article est de caractériser le bilan hydrique de ce bassin versant à l'aide de la méthode de Thornthwaite &; Mather. Toute l'information nécessaire à cette modélisation est extraite de données climatologiques et de données physiographiques issues de la télédétection. Le calage, réalisé sur une année hydrologique, est caractérisé par un coefficient de Nash-Sutcliffe de 0.88. Les résultats indiquent que l'écoulement entrant annuellement dans le lac Ba Bê est de près de 800 mm, dont 82% se produisent durant la période estivale. Les écoulements mensuels sont sous-estimés durant la période hivernale et surestimés au cours de la saison estivale, tandis que les écoulements annuels sont simulés plus fidèlement. L'analyse de sensibilité a montré que ce modèle de bilan hydrique à deux paramètres demeure moins sensible au contenu maximal en eau (AWC) qu'à la fraction d'eau retenue dans le sol (λ) venant du surplus d'eau du mois précédent et prenant part au stockage souterrain.     

Voices of young biosphere stewards on the strengths,weaknesses, and ways forward for 74 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves across 83 countries

Young stakeholders are key actors in social-ecological systems, who have the capacity to be agents of sustainability transformation but are also at high risk of exclusion in the unfolding of global change challenges. Despite the focus of sustainability on future generations, there has been little research effort aimed at understanding young actors’ roles as biosphere stewards. In this work we investigate how young stakeholders perceive and participate in the implementation of sustainability objectives in 74 Biosphere Reserves of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme across 83 countries, through participatory group workshops, individual surveys and grey literature review. We explore to what extent youth perceptions are aligned or not with current understandings of Biosphere Reserves and how young stakeholders are acting in pursuit of Biosphere Reserve objectives. We find that young stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges faced by environmental governance, such as resilience and adaptation to global change and the governance challenges of implementing adaptive co-management and increasing stakeholder participation. We also show that young stakeholders can be active participants in a wide range of activities that contribute to achieving conservation and development goals in their territories. They are particularly concerned with youth participation within all levels of Biosphere Reserve functioning and with the creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities that will allow future generations to remain in their native territories. Our study provides evidence of the importance of young stakeholder knowledge and perspectives as central actors in conservation and development initiatives, like Biosphere Reserves, and of the need to increase young stakeholder integration and participation within environmental governance.     

基于纹理数据和SCSG-BR表示的城市建筑物混合 建模

随着城市建设的迅猛发展,城市建筑物建模的复杂性和实景化要求越来越高。因此,进行高精度的城市建筑物建模,建立有效的数据结构成为一项具有挑战性的工作。针对结构实体几何（Constructive Solid Geometry, CSG）模型建模的局限性,本文提出了一种结合CSG和BR（Boundary Representation）的混合建模方法。该方法改进传统的CSG为“空间CSG（SCSG）”,利用维度扩展的九交模型（DE-9IM）表示体元间的拓扑关系,确定唯一的SCSG树来表示城市建筑物的外部结构,同时用BR表示城市建筑物几何要素间的拓扑关系。然后,本文结合文件数据库和关系数据库来联合管理模型数据。关系数据库存储模型和纹理的属性信息;文件数据库存储模型和纹理图像。在存储和调用纹理影像时,关系数据库中的面ID将城市建筑模型ID和纹理ID关联,纹理图像和城市建筑模型同时被加载和存储。另外,本文采用最小二乘法对建筑物多边形进行正交化和拓扑调整处理,以保证模型数据的精确性。本文选择美国科罗拉多州丹佛地区和瑞士苏黎世地区的数据进行实验,并根据不同的建模方法进行模型加载耗时的比较,证明本文提出的方法耗时较少。实验结果表明,该混合建模方法不仅可以有效地表示实体的拓扑关系,还可以加快纹理加载,实现建筑物的快速精确建模,有效实现空间查询。