Monitoring of small and medium embankment dams on permafrost in a changing climate

Global climate warming which began in the second half of the twentieth century is continuing. It is associated with increased risks for ecological management, especially in permafrost areas comprising over 65% of Russia. Of special concern are dams constructed on permafrost. They are subject not only to climatic impacts, but also to additional hydrothermal loads from water reservoirs. This paper presents the concept of geocryological monitoring of dams and other water resource projects and substantiates its necessity in view of climatic change. It also presents methods, scope and implementation of geocryological monitoring at medium and small dams, considering the specific nature of Far Northern areas, as well as the complicated geotechnical, hydrogeological and permafrost conditions.     

Earthquakes as a potential contributing factor to climate change at multi-decadal scale

Climate changes at the multi-decadal scale are often associated with multi-decadal phase shifts of the dominant sea surface temperature （SST） pattern, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO）. The PDO may be associated with the North Pacific branch of the Thermohaline Circulation （THC）. Great earthquakes （M 〉8）, particularly along the route of the THC, might modulate the vertical mixing and bring deep, cold water to surface, contributing to multi-decadal changes in surface currents and the PDO. This may eventually lead to multi-decadal climate changes. We tested this hypothesis for the Pacific Ocean where great earthquakes have been frequently recorded. We found associations between the PDO and recurrent earthquakes along the route of the deep currents of the THC in the modern period since 1900, and relationships between hydroclimate change in Monsoonal Asia and historical earthquakes since 1300. However, it should be noted that this hypothesis is very preliminary and has many gaps that needs further evidences from more observational records and modeling studies.     

Perceptions of climate change in China: The research and policy connection

Global climate change has evolved from a scientific problem into an economic and political problem oI worlOwloe rater- est. National perspectives play a crucial role in addressing climate change. Mutual understanding of perspectives is nec- essary to result in rational policies and a consensus among stakeholders with divergent interests. Conceptual frameworks for understanding the problem of climate change in China, the largest developing country and the largest greenhouse gas emitter, are of great significance to national and international efforts to address the problems of climate change. Chinese perceptions of climate change as a sustainable development problem have recently been in tension with an emerging Western perspective that frames climate change as a security issue. This paper explores Chinese perceptions of climate change as expressed in recent governmental policy statements, public opinion surveys, and academic scholarship with a focus on publications in Chinese-language journals, often unfamiliar in the West. It looks at the relationship between Chinese research and policy and finds that the Chinese policy frame of climate change as a sustainable development problem draws from the body of domestic research and is reflective of the perspectives and multidisciplinary approach of Chinese researchers in areas of climate change.     

1953—2011年信江流域径流量变化特征及归因分析

利用信江流域梅港水文控制站1953—2011年径流量观测资料和11个气象站同期气象观测资料,采用统计方法、Mann-Kendall非参数检验方法、Morlet小波分析法,对信江流域径流量年内、年际变化的不均匀性、长期趋势、周期变化,及其与气候因素的相关性等进行分析。结果显示,信江流域多年平均径流量呈缓慢增大趋势,但具有显著的年际和年代际变化特征,振荡周期明显,年际变化的主要周期为6—8 a,年代际变化的主要周期为准22 a,在20世纪70—90年代最明显。年流量以主汛期(4—6月)为最多,春、夏季(3—8月)径流变差系数小,水量稳定,冬季变差系数大,水量不稳定。流域径流量与气候因素中的降水、蒸发具有显著的相关性,而人类活动中的城镇化、经济、人口等因素对径流变化起到了一定的辅助作用。     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE IMPACT OF LATENT HEAT FLUX ANOMALY IN THE TROPICAL WESTERN PACIFIC ON PRECIPITATION OVER SOUTH CHINA IN JUNES

Based on composite analysis and numerical simulations using a regional climate model （RegCM3）, this paper analyzed the impact of the LHF anomaly in the tropical western Pacific on the precipitation over the south of China in June. The results are as follows. （1） Correlation analysis shows that the SC precipitation in June is negatively correlated with the LHF of the tropical western Pacific in May and June, especially in May. The SC precipitation in June appears to negatively correlate with low-level relative vorticity in the abnormal area of LHF in the tropical western Pacific. （2） The LHF anomaly in the tropical western Pacific is a vital factor affecting the flood and drought of SC in June. A conceptual model goes like this： When the LHF in the tropical western Pacific is abnormally increased （decreased）, an anomalous cyclone （anticyclone） circulation is formed at the low-level troposphere to its northwest. As a result, an anomalous northeast （southwest） air flow affects the south of China, being disadvantageous （advantageous） to the transportation of water vapor to the region. Meanwhile, there is an anomalous anticyclone （cyclone） at the low-level troposphere and an anomalous cyclone （anticyclone） circulation at the high-level troposphere in the region, which is advantageous for downdraft （updraft） there. Therefore a virtual circulation forms updraft （downdraft） in the anomalous area of LHF and downdraft （updraft） in the south of China, which finally leads to the drought （flood） in the region.     

开平市1960—2012年灰霾的气候变化特征

根据开平气象观测站1960—2012年观测资料,采用滑动平均、线性趋势分析等统计方法,分析了开平市近53年灰霾的气候变化特征。结果表明,开平市年平均灰霾日数为21.1 d,年最多132 d,年最少0 d,总体呈上升趋势,上升速率为1.72 d/年,特别是2000年以来年灰霾日上升趋势最为显著,上升速率达10.01 d/年。其中,20世纪80年代中后期、90年代中期和21世纪初是3个明显的上升阶段,21世纪以来,年平均灰霾日数58.4 d,是20世纪80年代平均值的近17倍。开平市灰霾以轻微为主,比例达57.6%,其次是轻度,比例为22.6%。另外,采用日均值、14：00实测值判别法得到的开平市灰霾日整体变化趋势与人工记录较一致,但3种方法统计的多年平均灰霾日相差较大,其中,日均值法计算的多年平均霾日数较14：00实测值法多13.8 d。     

The economics of boldness: equity,action, and hope

Equity is usually interpreted in terms of the concept of justice, such that an equitable share of the atmospheric space is understood in terms of past emissions. This emphasizes the collective nature of sharing the burden of mitigation and the duty to act for those who have emitted the most. An alternative is considered: the aggregate costs and benefits to all Parties that could result from both increasing the level of collective ambition and implementing a climate regime that supports bold actions across all Parties. The regional impacts and carbon flow costs across differentiated scenarios are assessed and it is argued that the majority of developing-country Parties would be better off if a high ambition outcome to which all contributed, but some more than others. Moreover, those with middle or low emissions would have proportionally more to gain (or lose) relative to the level of ambition compared to those that have had higher emissions. The climate regime should be built on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities (CBDR&RC), in which all act early even if some do much more; one that accounts for justice but does not forget hope.

Policy relevance

Differing interpretations of equity and the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are discussed, with a focus on how these can enhance or hinder collective action. Whilst the climate change negotiations are usually taken as games in which one party gains and another loses, and interactions are dogged by continuous conflict, it is explored instead how negotiation responses can be framed in terms of cooperation. This would emphasize the gains that could be achieved by common but differentiated collective action, which could result in a collective avoidance of impacts. The possibilities that this shift of perspective could bring are explored by comparing costs under global cooperation (or lack of it). It is found that cooperation reduces the total costs for these regions. Thus, thinking in terms of cooperation focuses the options for negotiation on the means and interpretations of the UNFCCC principles that spur action and avoid climate impacts through collective action.     

Regional GHG reduction targets based on effort sharing: a comparison of studies

Over 40 studies that analyse future GHG emissions allowances or reduction targets for different regions based on a wide range of effort-sharing approaches and long-term concentration stabilization levels are compared. This updates previous work undertaken for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Regional reduction targets differ significantly for each effort-sharing approach. For example, in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 1990 region, new proposals that emphasize the equity principles of responsibility, capability, and need, and those based on equal cumulative per capita emissions (carbon budgets), lead to relatively stringent emissions reduction targets. In order to reach a low concentration stabilization level of 450?ppm CO₂e, the allowances under all effort sharing approaches in OECD1990 for 2030 would be approximately half of the emissions of 2010 with a large range, roughly two-thirds in the Economies in Transition (EIT), roughly at the 2010 emissions level or slightly below in Asia, slightly above the 2010 level in the Middle East and Africa and well below the 2010 level in Latin America. For 2050, allowances in OECD1990 and EIT would be a fraction of today's emissions, approximately half of 2010 emission levels in Asia, and possibly less than half of the 2010 level in Latin America.

Policy relevance

The concept of equity and the stringency of future national GHG reduction targets are at the heart of the current debate on the new international climate change agreement to be adopted in 2015. Policy insights gained from an analysis of over 40 studies, which have quantitatively analysed the proposed GHG reduction targets, are presented. It is found that the outcome of effort-sharing approaches is often largely determined by the way the equity principle is implemented and that the distributional impacts of such approaches can be significantly different depending on the criteria used, the stabilization level and shape of the global emissions pathway. However, the current literature only covers a small proportion of the possible allocation approaches. There should thus be an in-depth modelling comparison to ensure consistency and comparability of results and inform decision making regarding the reduction of GHG emissions.     

Water discharge variability of Changjiang （Yangtze） and Huanghe （Yellow） Rivers and its response to climatic changes

Influences of large-scale climatic phenomena, such as the E1Nifio/La Nifia-Southem Oscillation （ENSO） and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO）, on the temporal variations of the annual water discharge at the Lijin station in the Huanghe （Yellow） River and at the Datong station in the Changjiang （Yangtze） River were examined. Using the empirical mode decomposition-maximum entropy spectral analysis （EMD- MESA） method, the 2- to 3-year, 8- to 14-year, and 23-year cyclical variations of the annual water discharge at the two stations were discovered. Based on the analysis results, the hydrological time series on the inter- annual to interdecadal scales were constructed. The results indicate that from 1950 to 2011, a significant downward trend occurred in the natural annual water discharge in Huanghe River. However, the changes in water discharge in Changjiang River basin exhibited a slightly upward trend. It indicated that the changes in the river discharge in the Huanghe basin were driven primarily by precipitation. Other factors, such as the precipitation over the Changjiang River tributaries, ice melt and evaporation contributed much more to the increase in the Changjiang River basin. Especially, the impacts of the inter-annual and inter-decadal climate oscillations such as ENSO and PDO could change the long-term patterns of precipitation over the basins of the two major rivers. Generally, low amounts of basin-wide precipitation on interannual to interdecadal scales over the two rivers corresponded to most of the warm ENSO events and the warm phases of the PDO, and vice versa. The positive phases of the PDO and ENSO could lead to reduced precipitation and consequently affect the long-term scale water discharges at the two rivers.     

Evaluation of suitability area by ground source heat pump system in Baotou plain

According to the elements of hydrogeological conditions,lithology,stratigraphic thermal physical parameters,construction technology and economic rational elements,the evaluation system of ground source heat pump( GSHP) were established in Baotou plain. The factor weights were determined by using analytic hierarchy process,and the comprehensive element method was selected to evaluate the region suitability of GSHP system. The results show that the suitable area is 559. 63 km2 for utilizing GSHP in the studied area,accounting for 62. 58% of the total area; while the unsuitable area is 334. 60 km2,accounting for37.42%. The evaluating results can provide not only a scientific basis for development and utilization rationally of shallow geothermal heat in Baotou,but also offer an important reference to the other areas.