Research progress on behaviors and environmental effects of mercury in the cryosphere of the Tibetan Plateau:a critical review

The behavior and fates of environmental pollutants within the cryosphere and the associated environmental impacts are of increasing concerns in the context of global warming.The Tibetan Plateau(TP),also known as the"Third Pole",represents one of the most important cryospheric regions in the world.Mercury(Hg)is recognized as a global pollutant.Here,we summarize the current knowledge of Hg concentration levels,pools and spatio-temporal distribution in cryospheric environments(e.g.,glacier,permafrost),and its transfer and potential cycle in the TP cryospheric region.Transboundary transport of anthropogenic Hg from the surrounding heavily-polluted regions,such as South and Southeast Asia,provides significant sources of atmospheric Hg depositions onto the TP cryosphere.We concluded that the melting of the cryosphere on the TP represents an increasing source of Hg and brings a risk to the TP environment.In addition,global warming acts as an important catalyst accelerating the release of legacy Hg from the melting cryosphere,adversely impacting ecosystems and biological health.Furthermore,we emphasize on the remaining gaps and proposed issues needed to be addressed in future work,including enhancing our knowledge on some key release pathways and the related environmental effects of Hg in the cryospheric region,integrated observation and consideration of Hg distribution,migration and cycle processes at a key region,and uses of Hg isotopic technical and Hg models to improve the understanding of Hg cycling in the TP cryospheric region.     

Site-specific prediction of West Nile virus mosquito abundance in Greater Toronto Area using generalized linear mixed models

Mosquito surveillance programs provide a primary means of understanding mosquito vector population dynamics for the risk assessment of human exposure to West Nile virus (WNv). The lack of spatial coverage and missing observations in mosquito surveillance data often challenge our efforts to predict this vector-borne disease and implement control measures. We developed a WNv mosquito abundance prediction model in which local meteorological and environmental data were synthesized with entomological data in a generalized linear mixed modeling framework. The discrete nature of mosquito surveillance data is accommodated by a Poisson distributional assumption, and the site-specific random effects of the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) capture any fluctuation unexplained by a general trend. The proposed Poisson GLMMs efficiently account for the nested structure of mosquito surveillance data and incorporate the temporal correlation between observations obtained at each trap by a first-order autoregressive model. In the case study, Bayesian inference of the proposed models is illustrated using a subset of mosquito surveillance data in the Greater Toronto Area. The relevance of the proposed GLMM tailored to WNv mosquito surveillance data is highlighted by the comparison of model performance in the presence of inevitable but quantifiable uncertainties.     

问题教学法在控制测量教学中的实践探索

介绍采用问题教学法的必然性,以控制测量学中精密水准测量授课为例,给出了问题教学法的教学方案、教学效果和教学体会。     

Radiative Forcing and Climate Response Due to Black Carbon in Snow and Ice

The radiative forcing and climate response due to black carbon(BC) in snow and/or ice were investigated by integrating observed effects of BC on snow/ice albedo into an atmospheric general circulation model(BCC AGCM2.0.1) developed by the National Climate Center(NCC) of the China Meteorological Administration(CMA).The results show that the global annual mean surface radiative forcing due to BC in snow/ice is +0.042 W m 2,with maximum forcing found over the Tibetan Plateau and regional mean forcing exceeding +2.8 W m 2.The global annual mean surface temperature increased 0.071 C due to BC in snow/ice.Positive surface radiative forcing was clearly shown in winter and spring and increased the surface temperature of snow/ice in the Northern Hemisphere.The surface temperatures of snow-covered areas of Eurasia and North America in winter(spring) increased by 0.83 C(0.6 C) and 0.83 C(0.46 C),respectively.Snowmelt rates also increased greatly,leading to earlier snowmelt and peak runoff times.With the rise of surface temperatures in the Arctic,more water vapor could be released into the atmosphere,allowing easier cloud formation,which could lead to higher thermal emittance in the Arctic.However,the total cloud forcing could decrease due to increasing cloud cover,which will offset some of the positive feedback mechanism of the clouds.     

Eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) in marine environmental monitoring

The implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive necessitates the development of common criteria and methodological standards for marine environmental monitoring and assessment across Europe. Eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) is proposed as a key indicator organism in the Baltic and North Sea regions. This benthic fish species is widely used in ecotoxicological studies and as a bioindicator of local pollution due to its stationary behavior. Eelpout is included in the environmental monitoring program of several Baltic States, covering both chemical and biological effects measurements, and samples have been archived in environmental specimen banks for >15 years. A method for evaluating the frequency of larval aberrations has been suggested as a standardized assessment tool. The large scientific knowledge-base and considerable experience of long-term chemical and biological effects monitoring and specimen banking, make eelpout a suitable species for the assessment of Good Environmental Status in the Baltic and North Seas.     

Comparative response assessment of minimally compliant low‐rise conventional and base‐isolated steel frames

In this study, the multi‐intensity seismic response of code‐designed conventional and base‐isolated steel frame buildings is evaluated using nonlinear response history analysis. The results of hazard and structural response analysis for three‐story braced‐frame buildings are presented in this paper. Three‐dimensional models for both buildings are created and seismic response is assessed for three scenario earthquakes. The response history analysis results indicate that the design objectives are met and the performance of the isolated building is superior to the conventional building in the design event. For the Maximum Considered Earthquake, isolation leads to reductions in story drifts and floor accelerations relative to the conventional building. However, the extremely high displacement demands of the isolation system could not be accommodated under normal circumstances, and creative approaches should be developed to control displacements in the MCE. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction and validation of sidesway collapse of two scale models of a 4‐story steel moment frame

A research program is summarized in which collapse of a steel frame structure is predicted numerically and the accuracy of prediction is validated experimentally through earthquake simulator tests of two 1:8 scale models of a 4‐story code‐compliant prototype moment‐resisting frame. We demonstrate that (1) sidesway collapse can occur for realistic combinations of structural framing and earthquake ground motion; (2) P?Δeffects and component deterioration dominate behavior of the frame near collapse; (3) prediction of collapse is feasible using relatively simple analytical models provided that component deterioration is adequately represented in the analytical model; and (4) response of the framing system near collapse is sensitive to the history that every important component of the frames experiences, implying that symmetric cyclic loading histories that are routinely used to test components provide insufficient information for modeling deterioration near collapse. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中国大陆主要地震活动区中小地震震源参数研究

本文利用中国大陆几个主要地震活动区近几年积累的大量ML≥2.5数字地震观测记录,在分别反演得到13个不同构造研究区域的介质衰减模型、348个台站的场地效应的基础上,自0.1～20 Hz的SH观测波形数据中逐步消除了仪器、噪声、几何扩散、传播路径的介质衰减、台站场地效应等影响后,恢复了2573次3.0≤ML≤6.0地震的...     

利用时间序列干涉图叠加法监测江苏盐城地区地面沉降

针对永久散射体技术和短基线集法所需SAR数据较多的问题,采用时间序列干涉图叠加法监测区域地表沉降,提出利用结构函数作为判断因子提取出受大气扰动较小的干涉图用于叠加分析,以确保大气延迟误差对地表沉降监测结果影响的最小化。利用13景ASAR数据,研究了江苏省盐城市在2003-12～2009-05期间的地面沉降趋势。     

Effects of the construction of Scroby Sands offshore wind farm on the prey base of Little tern Sternula albifrons at its most important UK colony

Despite widespread interest in the impacts of wind farms upon birds, few researchers have examined the potential for indirect or trophic (predator-prey) effects. Using surface trawls, we monitored prey abundance before and after construction of a 30 turbine offshore wind farm sited close to an internationally important colony of Little terns. Observations confirmed that young-of-the-year clupeids dominated chick diet, which trawl samples suggested were mainly herring. Multivariate modelling indicated a significant reduction in herring abundance from 2004 onwards that could not be explained by environmental factors. Intensely noisy monopile installation during the winter spawning period was suggested to be responsible. Reduced prey abundance corresponded with a significant decline in Little tern foraging success. Unprecedented egg abandonment and lack of chick hatching tentatively suggested a colony-scale response in some years. We urge a precautionary approach to the timing and duration of pile-driving activity supported with long-term targeted monitoring of sensitive receptors.