Environmental Changes at the Desert Margin: An Assessment of Recent Paleolimnological Records in Lake Qarun, Middle Egypt

Lake Qarun has been profoundly affected by a combination of human activities and climatic changes during the past 5000 years. Instrumental records available for the 20th century show that during most of this period both lake water level and salinity increased and that by the late 1980s lake water salinity was approximately that of seawater. Sediment cores (c. 1 m long) were collected from this shallow (Z_max 8.4 m) saline lake in 1998 and the master core (QARU1) was used to examine the potential of paleolimnology for reconstructing the recent environmental history of the site. According to ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb radio-assay, the recent sediment accumulation rate in QARU1 was around 5 mm year⁻¹ during the latter half of the 20th century but radionuclide levels were low. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) were present in the upper c. 30 cm of QARU1 and indicates contamination by low level particulate pollution, probably beginning around 1950. The record of exotic pollen (Casuarina) indicated that sediment at 51–52 cm depth dated to around 1930. Otherwise the pollen spectra indicated a strongly disturbed landscape with high ruderals and increased tree planting particularly since c. 1950. Diatom records were strongly affected by taphonomic processes including reworking and differential preservation but typical marine diatoms increased after the 1920s. Instrumental records show that the lake became more saline at this time. Freshwater taxa were present at approximately similar abundances throughout the core. This distribution probably reflected a combination of processes. Reworking of ancient freshwater diatomites is one likely source for freshwater diatoms in QARU1 but some taxa must also be contributed via the freshwater inflows. Overall, the diatom stratigraphy indicated increasingly salinity since the 1920s but provided no firm evidence of lake eutrophication. Diatom inferred salinity reconstructions were in only partial agreement with instrumental records but inferred for the lower section of the core (pre 20th century to the 1960s) accord with measured water salinity values. Surficial sediments of Lake Qarun contain environmental change records for the 20th century period but high sediment accumulation rate and pollen reflect the high degree of human disturbance in the region. Because of poor preservation and evidence of reworking, the relationships between diatom records and past water quality changes require careful interpretation, especially in the upper section of the core. Nevertheless, early to mid 20th century measurements of increasing lake water salinity are well supported by sediment records, a change that is probably linked to ingress of saline ground water     

Vertical variation of phosphorus forms in surface sediments from Wuli Bay, Taihu Lake, China

1IntroductionPhosphorus,an essential nutrient for the primaryproductivity in freshwater systems,is an important fac-tor controlling lacustrine eutrophication.Although ex-ternal input of phosphorus has been assumed as the vi-tal responsibility for the eutrophication of lakes(ZhuJun et al.,2005),the remobilization of phosphorus insediments has a distinct influence on it as well(Bostr m et al.,1982).The concentrations of totalphosphorus(Ptotal)in the sediments are often related tothe trophic st…     

青海湖地区生态环境动态变化遥感监测

由于青海湖地区的生态环境较为脆弱，且人类活动进一步加剧，人口、资源与环境的矛盾日渐突出，因此，近年来．青海湖及其周边地区的生态环境出现了明显变化，主要表现在水位下降及水域面积减小、草原退化、沙质荒漠化土地面积扩大等。文章采用1975年MSS卫星图像及1987、2000年TM卫星图像作为遥感信息源，并结合地理信息系统方法，旨在查明青海满地区耕地、沙质荒漠化土地和水域等生态环境要素的时空演化规律，为青海湖地区实现资源开发与环境协调发展提供科学依据。监测结果表明，25a来，青海湖地区的耕地及沙质荒漠化土地面积出现明显的扩大，而水域面积出现明显缩小，同时由于湖周各河流土壤侵蚀的加剧，在部分河流入湖处泥沙淤积较为严重，生态环境出现明显恶化。     

青藏高原对其东北侧干旱形成的数值试验

应用再分析资料，指出高原边界层内存在北高南低偶极子型涡旋对的独特气候现象。根据当雄站1998年5月31日至6月4日感热通量的连续观测资料，确定了高原热力作用的时变特征，分别用不同的理想高原初始涡度场加定常热源强迫和时变热源强迫代入正压准地转涡度模式，研究了高原东北侧干旱的形成。认为有三种过程在起着重要作用，它们是：基流对上游反气旋涡旋的平流输送、南侧气旋涡旋的能量频散以及高原热力强迫引起的频散生成高值系统的增强。     

青藏高原地面-对流层系统的能量收支

利用CCM3中的辐射模式CRM，计算了1月和7月地－气系统、地面－对流层系统和地面辐射能收支，研究了青藏高原地面－对流层系统辐射能收支的冬、夏季节特征及其与地面和地－气系统辐射能收支的关系，并与东部平原地区和高原北侧干旱地区比较。文中还讨论了云和高原冬季地面积雪对辐射能收支的影响，比较了大气辐射加热和地面感热通量对夏季高原对流层大气加热的贡献。     

青海砂西油田古近系下干柴沟组下部沉积相定量研究

随着油田开发难度的加大，开发中仅仅把储集砂体的沉积相类型确定下来是远远不够的，还要求准确地预测砂体的宽度、长度等定量参数，这就是本文所指的沉积相定量研究。本文根据大量钻井资料，在地层精细划分对比的基础上，对青海砂西油田E31辫状河三角洲平原和曲流河三角洲平原进行了定量研究，确定了分流河道砂体的宽度、宽/厚比等参数。研究表明，本区辫状河三角洲平原的分流河道砂体宽多为 1200-3000m，厚多为5-10m，宽/厚比200-280。曲流河三角洲平原的分流河道砂体宽多为 400-700m，厚多为3-6m，宽/厚比80-110。辫状分流河道砂体比曲流分流河道砂体普遍宽、厚是由于辫状分流河道频繁摆动改道引起砂体的横向拼合和垂向叠置所致。这种河道可称复合河道。利用“厚度中心法”可区分复合河道与单河道。由于不同沉积相的砂体宽度不同，在油田开发中井网部署方案应该不同。     

长江中游湖泊沉积微结构特征与沉积环境

在长江中游的洪湖、东湖、网湖和大九湖等四个地点取得湖沼沉积物的钻孔样品,用偏光显微镜下和电子显微镜观察微结构特征并以此解释三种湖相粘土的成因和沉积环境的变化。在长江沿岸湖泊中,0.4~ 0.5kaBP以来形成的浅色粘土的微结构类型主要有 :显微层理构造、颗粒的定向性、较大的微孔隙和颗粒粒径,面与面或边与边接触方式。物源主要来自河流带来的泥沙.当时河湖相通,河流入湖水沙量大。 1~ 2.5kaBP期间形成的青色粘土的典型微结构是 :凝胶结构、絮凝结构、细颗粒粒径和小孔隙、低球度和淡水中心冈硅藻。主要是有机质胶体与粘土胶体相互作用形成的。此期间,河流带入湖泊的泥沙少,江汉平原拥有一个开阔、稳定、浮游生物较多的淡水湖泊环境。 0.4~ 1kaBP期间形成的黑色粘土的主要微结构类型是 :凝胶结构、大的圆孔隙和植物纤维的生物框架结构、呈双峰分布的孔隙。它主要是由于维管束植物残体大量积累形成的。当时江汉平原湖泊湖水变浅,大量挺水植物生长,有些湖泊沼已经沼泽化了。鱼骨框架结构证明,在 2.9~ 4kaBP的全新世温暖期山间盆地大九湖出现大量鱼类,但并没有导致喜温鱼类向上游明显迁徙。     

太湖沉积物和湖岸土壤的污染元素特征及环境变化效应

太湖沉积物和湖岸土壤具有相似的物质组成，具有相同的物源，通过补给区的径流，营养元素和重金属元素随着土壤迁入湖泊，由于沉积物和土壤物化条件的不同，它们的营养元素和重金属含量有差异。土壤中氮，磷的总量和有效态均比沉积物中高，表明有一部分营养物质进入了水体；营养元素高的沉积物均靠近城镇，其原因为居民生活污水排放，土壤和沉积物中多数重金属元素尚未超过自然背景值，只有沉积物中Cd和Pb，土壤中的Cu,Cd和Hg超过，但沉积物中重金属元素大多比土壤中高，特别在北部沿岸沉积物中，重金属元素含量大大超过平均值，这种不正常的高值是由人类不合理的废水，废物敢排放引起。     

Temporal patterns of suspended sediment yield following moderate to extreme hydrological events recorded in varved lacustrine sediments

A 487‐year annually laminated (varved) sediment record from Nicolay Lake, Cornwall Island, in the Canadian High Arctic was evaluated to determine the impact that years with high sediment yields had on sediment yields in subsequent years. All of the 40 largest years showed evidence for increased sediment yield in the subsequent 10–30 years. The positive anomalies in lagging years were approximately scaled according to the size of the initiating year, although many intermediate years (25‐ to 100‐year recurrence) showed weak or variable responses. The smallest events considered (10‐ to 25‐year recurrence) showed a consistent, but low‐amplitude response. Additionally the 10‐year events revealed frequent negative sediment yield anomalies in the preceding decade. This behaviour was interpreted as a frequent sediment activation cycle initiated by the modest year, and leading to sediment yield hysteresis lasting 15–25 years. The largest years (greater than 50‐year recurrence) showed consistently above‐average sediment yields in the preceding decade, in part due to the frequent occurrence of moderate (Q₁₀) years. It is hypothesized that temporary storage of sediment and previous initiation of erosion sites resulted in extraordinary sediment yields during intense summer rainfall events. This study demonstrates the potential use of varved lake sediment records to improve our understanding of long‐term sediment dynamics. These records present an opportunity to further develop and test sediment dynamic and routing models to gain insight into the interaction of time and space in fluvial and sediment delivery processes. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

强水动力湖泊夏季分层期氮的生物地球化学循环初步研究:以贵州红枫湖南湖为例

湖泊在夏季由于藻类生长而消耗大量硝酸盐,水体硝酸盐含量一般要低于春季。而红枫湖南湖水体硝酸盐含量却高于春季(比平均含量高0.83mg/L),说明尚有其他重要的硝酸盐来源。据估算,南湖水体硝酸盐含量升高0.83mg/L约需要1.66×105kg硝酸盐,另外有约10.1×105kg硝酸盐随下泻水输出南湖,再加上夏季藻类生长(生产的chla量约为640kg)所消耗的硝酸盐3.52×105kg,共消耗硝酸盐15.28×105kg。扣除河流输入的4.42×105kg硝酸盐,南湖尚存在约10.86×105kg硝酸盐的亏空。利用氮稳定同位素示踪技术,结合硝酸盐及叶绿素a(chla)含量、溶解氧(DO)等的变化,认为这部分硝酸盐来自湖泊中下部(斜温层)有机质的大量矿化(硝化),是水动力驱动高DO的上部水体下沉从而引起下部有机质(硝化)的结果。南湖这种强水动力湖泊整个夏季分层期氮的生物地球化学循环是斜温层有机质矿化(硝化)释放硝酸盐和变温层藻类生长同化硝酸盐为有机质同时发生的特殊类型。