滨海湿地保护:日本的经验

滨海湿地,在日本,一般被称为"干潟",对日本社会可持续发展意义重大。鉴于日本滨海湿地消失速度极快,日本十分重视保护滨海湿地。以《拉姆萨尔公约》为依据,日本出台了一系列有关干潟、浅海域的决议及劝告书。近几年日本国内正热烈讨论制定"湿地保全法"。     

近30年来江苏省滨海湿地变化过程及其受围垦活动的影响

基于1985—2015年Landsat TM遥感影响数据,提取江苏省典型岸段滨海湿地信息,对滨海湿地类型、面积的变化过程进行研究,并分析了围垦活动对这一过程的影响。结果表明:围垦在近20年达到高峰期,连云港、盐城和南通岸段的滨海湿地在近30年间分别减少了53.15%、71.60%和71.40%。连云港岸段原生植被型湿地逐渐减少,茅草、芦苇湿地在2000年后完全消失;盐城岸段原生植被型湿地在1985—1995年间持续增加,且各植被类型比率趋于均衡,而在1995年后则转变为米草湿地占绝对优势;南通岸段湿地总面积在2000年后迅速下降,高比例的米草湿地是该岸段滨海湿地的主要特征,但到2015年几乎退化成纯光滩湿地。连云港岸段以海域围垦为主要特征,2005—2010年达到围垦高峰;盐城岸段则在1995—2000年的围垦高峰后,原生植被型湿地的围垦比率锐减,米草湿地的围垦比率增至90.51%;南通岸段以米草湿地围垦为主要特征,围垦强度在1985—2010年持续增加,2005年后米草湿地的围垦强度减小,海域围垦比例逐渐升高。     

Differences in vegetation characteristics with shoreline position on a tropical pocket beach

ABSTRACT

Composition and richness of coastal vegetation differs with distance from the water and sheltering by topography. Transition from pioneer beach plants to mature forests is expected to be narrow on low wave energy coasts with a tropical climate favorable to vegetation growth. The goal of this paper is to determine whether vegetation on the beach and foredune will be denser and have a greater number of species and more woody shrubs near the water as wave and wind stresses diminish because of favorable shoreline orientation within a pocket beach. Field data on beach width, beach mobility, dune height, vegetation species, vegetation height and percent vegetation cover were collected in Puerto Rico along six cross-shore transects. Beaches are more stable at transects in the lee of an eolianite barrier and a tombolo. The vegetation gradient there is compressed, with denser, taller, more diverse vegetation and more tree species close to the waterline than at more exposed sites. The lack of mobility of the beaches and dunes and lack of geomorphically significant disturbance events is in contrast to the conspicuous feedbacks between overwash, topography, and vegetation on exposed mid-latitude coasts, revealing the need for more study of low-energy beach environments.     

Geophysical characterization of the León-Chinandega aquifer,Nicaragua

Electrical geophysical surveys in the mode of vertical electrical soundings (VES) and continuous vertical electrical soundings (CVES) were conducted in the León-Chinandega plains, northwestern Nicaragua, in order to obtain detailed information about the geometry of the different hydrogeological layers in the aquifer and depth to the basement. A total of 51 VES were carried out within the plains. The results show a complex structure towards the north east of the area, and the southwestern part of the plains presents a smoother stratification. The geoelectrical measurements and borehole information indicate that the basement topography is characterized by hills and deep valleys with highly variable basement depths. Fifty CVES where done in a smaller area in the center of the plain. The resistivity data yielded considerable information revealing the existence of two main geo-electrical units. The combined interpretation of geological and geophysical data shows an environment typical of sedimentary volcanic coastal plains. The information collected during this investigation provides valuable data for estimating the fresh-water resources of the León-Chinandega aquifer system and for development of a groundwater management plan.     

Social justice in coastal erosion management: The temporal and spatial dimensions

Coastal erosion management is primarily based on economic considerations (cost-benefit analysis). From the perspective of social justice (as a particular expression of the wider concept of human rights), however, several arguments can be advanced regarding public intervention in coastal defence management when private property is threatened by coastal erosion. In this paper we examine these arguments at both the short-term local scale and the long-term large spatial scale and consider the merits of inclusion of a social justice dimension in coastal erosion management. The coast provides a range of resources that benefit society as a whole. Coastal residents and property owners face a direct financial loss from coastal erosion but the general public also stands to incur losses other than purely financial if it there is public intervention for the benefit of these property owners. The arguments for public intervention are strongest at the local and short-term scales but they weaken (and even reverse) at geographically larger and longer time scales. At larger scales, the costs to society increase as intergenerational equity, non-coastal residents, climate and sea level change, and the environment are considered. Because of the intensity of interest involved at the local level, we argue that the necessary hard decisions must be made nationally if a sustainable policy is to be adopted. Social justice considerations provide a potential improvement on the traditional economic cost/benefit-based decision-making process of coastal erosion management but they only contribute to sustainability if viewed at the national level.     

Characteristics of Piezometric heads and determination of fresh water–salt water interface in the coastal zone near Beihai,China

Changes in hydraulic heads with space and time and evolution of the location of fresh water–salt water interface are important for groundwater development in coastal aquifers. Measurements of piezometric heads at 11 well clusters consisting of three piezometric wells of different depths with a 5-day interval for 15 months show that the piezometric heads at nearly all the wells near the northwestern coast in Beihai decrease with increasing depth and increase with increasing distance from the coast. Changes in piezometric heads at the wells during the measurement period were caused by seasonal precipitation and induced by the tide. The depth of the sharp interface between fresh water–salt water can be estimated based on measurements of piezometric heads at a piezometric well tapping at a point in the salt water zone below the interface and measurements of the water table at the same well. The calculations of the interface for well H5 range from 40 to 80 m below sea level in the measurement period, which are believed to be more reasonable than those estimated with the Ghyben–Herzberg relation. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Developing tsunami warnings from numerical model output

A method is introduced for issuing tsunami warnings in the Australian region based on numerical model output. The method considers the maximum modelled wave amplitude within pre-defined coastal waters zones and uses this as a proxy for the potential impact on the coast. A three-level stratified warning is proposed: (1) No threat, (2) Marine threat and (3) Land threat. This method is applied to several case studies and the resulting warning characteristics are shown. While the method has its limitations, it is a significant improvement over current operational warning strategies, which are typically based solely on the magnitude of the earthquake and distance from the source.     

Numerical simulation of groundwater flow for a coastal plain in Japan: data collection and model calibration

Using a three-dimensional finite element model, this study characterizes groundwater flow in a costal plain of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. The model characterization involved taking field data describing the aquifer system and translating this information into input variables that the model code uses to solve governing equations of flow. Geological geometry and the number of aquifers have been analyzed based on a large amount of geological, hydrogeological and topographical data. Results of study demonstrate a high correlation between the ground surface elevation and the groundwater level in the shallow coastal aquifer. For calibrating the numerical groundwater model, the groundwater flow was simulated in steady state. In addition, the groundwater level and trend in the transient state has also been elucidated. The numerical result provides excellent visual representations of groundwater flow, presenting resource managers and decision makers with a clear understanding of the nature of the types of groundwater flow pathways. Results build a base for further analysis under different future scenarios.     

Time relationships between volcanism–plutonism–alteration–mineralization in Cu-stratabound ore deposits from the Michilla mining district,northern Chile: a <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar geochronological approach

The Michilla mining district comprises one of the most important stratabound and breccia-style copper deposits of the Coastal Cordillera of northern Chile, hosted by the Middle Jurassic volcanic rocks of the La Negra Formation. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analyses carried out on igneous and alteration minerals from volcanic and plutonic rocks in the district allow a chronological sequence of several magmatic and alteration events of the district to be established. The first event was the extrusion of a thick lava series of the La Negra Formation, dated at 159.9 ± 1.0 Ma (2σ) from the upper part of the series. A contemporaneous intrusion is dated at 159.6 ± 1.1 Ma, and later intrusive events are dated at 145.5 ± 2.8 and 137.4 ± 1.1 Ma, respectively. Analyzed alteration minerals such as adularia, sericite, and actinolite apparently give valid ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau and miniplateau ages. They indicate the occurrence of several alteration events at ca. 160–163, 154–157, 143–148, and 135–137 Ma. The first alteration event, being partly contemporaneous with volcanic and plutonic rocks, was probably produced in a high thermal gradient environment. The later events may be related either to a regional low-grade hydrothermal alteration/metamorphism process or to plutonic intrusions. The Cu mineralization of the Michilla district is robustly bracketed between 163.6 ± 1.9 and 137.4 ± 1.1 Ma, corresponding to dating of actinolite coexisting with early-stage chalcocite and a postmineralization barren dyke, respectively. More precisely, the association of small intrusives (a dated stock from the Michilla district) with Cu mineralization in the region strongly suggests that the main Michilla ore deposit is related to a magmatic/hydrothermal event that occurred between 157.4 ± 3.6 and 163.5 ± 1.9 Ma, contemporaneous or shortly after the extrusion of the volcanic sequence. This age is in agreement with the Re–Os age of 159 ± 16 Ma obtained from the mineralization itself (Tristá-Aguilera et al., Miner Depos, 41:99–105,2006).