Why is Shirase Glacier turning its flow direction eastward?

We applied an image correlation method to Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1 (JERS-1) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data obtained from 1996 to 1998 to examine flow velocity within Shirase Glacier, Antarctica. From the grounding line to the downstream region of the glacier, the obtained ice-flow velocity was systematically higher on the western streamline than the eastern. The differences between the two streamlines were 0.31 km/a in 1996 and 0.37 km/a in 1998, significantly larger than the error estimate of 0.03 km/a. The direction of ice flow was about 312° at the grounding line and changed to 327° at 10 km, 346° at 20 km and 2° at 30 km downstream from the grounding line. The total accumulated deflection is 50° to the east. Under the assumption of the conservation of ice mass across the glacier, the observed eastward change in flow direction can be explained by an asymmetric deepening of bedrock topography, that is, across the 8 km width of the glacier, the eastern side is 50 m (10%) deeper than the western side. This eastward turning of flow direction appears to be accelerated by tributary inlets, that flow to the north and northeast at 60–75% of the velocity of inlets on the western streamline.     

Applying personal carbon trading: a proposed ‘Carbon,Health and Savings System’ for British Columbia,Canada

Addressing climate change requires the synergy of technological, behavioural and market mechanisms. This article proposes a policy framework that integrates the three, deploying personal carbon trading as a key element within a policy portfolio to reduce personal carbon footprints. It draws on policy and human motivation literatures that address the behavioural changes that may be needed in the context of a long-term threat such as climate change. This proposal builds on an analysis of the British Columbia carbon tax, international examples of carbon pricing instruments and strategies for behavioural change such as social networks, loyalty management, mobile apps and gamification. Interviews were conducted with experts in financial services, energy conservation and clean technology, as well as with specialists in climate, health and taxation policy. Their input, together with a review of the theoretical literature and practical case studies, informed the proposed design of a Carbon, Health and Saving System for promoting individual engagement and collective action by linking long-term climate mitigation measures with short-term personal and social goals, including health, recreation and social reinforcement.

Policy Relevance

This article identifies areas for climate policy innovation and recommends policies that can support, promote and enable personal carbon budgeting and collective action. Although this study is focused on British Columbia, both the input provided by key opinion leaders and the proposed framework are applicable to other jurisdictions.

This policy proposal shows how personal carbon trading could work in the context of a Canadian province with an existing climate mitigation policy. It also specifies a minimum viable product approach to establishing the economic, social and technological foundations for personal carbon trading.

The Carbon, Health and Saving System identifies the technologies and stakeholders needed to implement personal carbon trading, and offers the possibility of motivating a widespread conscious human response in the event that carbon taxation proves insufficient to generate economic adaptation in a changing climate.     

河南省气温资料均一化前后气温变化趋势对比分析

基于河南省111个气象站1961—2017年均一化前后逐日平均气温数据,采用统计分析方法,分析均一化前后河南省年、四季和月的平均气温变化规律及其空间分布,以期明确非自然因素对河南省平均气温变化趋势的影响.结果表明:1961—2017年,均一化前后河南省年平均气温均呈显著上升,均一化后增温速率为0.21℃/10 a,较均...     

RESPONSES OF A GLOBAL CGCM TO CO2 INCREASE

The responses of the climate system to increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO₂)arestudied by using a new version of the Bureau of Meteorological Research Centre(BMRC)globalcoupled general circulation model(CGCM).Two simulations are run:one with atmospheric CO₂concentration held constant at 330 ppm,the other with a tripling of atmospheric CO₂(990 ppm).Results from the 41-year control coupled integration are applied to analyze the mean state,seasonal cycle and interannual variability in the model.Comparisons between the greenhouseexperiment and the control experiment then provide estimations of the influence of increased CO₂on climate changes and climate variability.Especially discussed is the question on whether theclimate changes concerned with CO₂ inerease will impact interannual variability in tropical Pacific,such as ENSO.     

浙江省年平均气温百年序列的构建

长时间气温序列是气候变化研究的基础,早期气温观测台站的缺乏在某种程度上限制了区域性气温长序列的建立。将局部台站的气温观测值向代表全区水平的气温观测值转化,亦是一种有效利用早期少数气温站点构建区域性气温长序列的重要途径。基于浙江省气温观测台站资料的统计分析,提出了局部台站观测值全局修正（GAoSV）的气温长序列建立方式,并利用该方式构建了浙江省年平均气温百年序列。研究结果表明：省级区域内气温局部台站观测与全区台站观测,两者的气温年值变化具有高度的趋同相关性,所提出的GAoSV气温序列构建方式可在少数气温观测台站的情况下,有效保证全区气温序列的构建可信度,且随着观测台站数量增多,其构建可信度会进一步增大,该方式尤其适合早期气温观测台站稀缺（仅有1～2个）的省市级气温长序列的建立。以GAoSV方式建立的浙江省年平均气温百年序列显示,1905-2012年浙江省年平均气温总体在逐渐升高,增温速率约为0．11℃／10a,1980-2012年期间气温的上升趋势更为明显,增温速率约为0．51℃／10a。     

一种基于面积对称模型的土地利用/覆被真伪变化图斑检测方法

不同时相土地利用/覆被数据间的空间配准误差,是产生土地利用/覆被伪变化图斑的一个主要原因。本文从土地利用/覆被原始图斑与其相邻的变化图斑间的空间关系角度,提出了由同一原始图斑产生的土地利用/覆被伪变化图斑的面积对称理论,设计和实现了针对因空间配准误差而导致的土地利用/覆被伪变化图斑自动化检测模型,并以内蒙古自治区通辽市奈曼旗1980年和2000年两期土地利用/覆被图对该模型进行了实验模拟。结果表明：当两期数据的空间配准误差不超过原始影像1个像元时,总体检测精度达到90%以上;误差不超过5个像元时,总体检测精度达到80%以上;误差不超过原始影像10个像元时,总体检测精度达到70％以上。同时,由于运行时唯一需设定的面积对称系数阈值可设为0.2-0.4（默认设为0.3）,该检测模型可适用于由空间配准误差引起的伪变化图斑的自动检查,可满足由于空间配准误差所引起土地利用/覆被伪变化图斑剔除的需求。     

农村土地承包经营权流转的法律问题思考

随着农业和农村经济的发展,特别是农业产业化经营的兴起和农村劳动力转移的推进,农村土地承包经营权流转速度明显加快,规模不断扩大.该文论述了我国农村土地承包经营权流转的现状,针对目前农村土地承包经营权流转过程中出现的问题,从现行的法律体系中寻找解决思路,并对现行法律中的不足之处,提出了改良建议.     

A comparative study of geothermal and meteorological records of climate change in Kamchatka

To reconstruct the recent climate history in Kamchatka, a series of repeated precise temperature logs were performed in a number of boreholes located in a broad east-west strip (between 52 and 54°N) in the central part of Kamchatka west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski. Within three years more than 30 temperature logs were performed in 10 holes (one up to six logs per hole) to the depth of up to 400 metres. Measured temperature gradients varied in a broad interval 0 to 60 mK/m and in some holes a sizeable variation in the subsurface temperatures due to advective heat transport by underground water was observed. Measured data were compared with older temperature profiles obtained in the early eighties by Sugrobov and Yanovsky (1993). Even when older data are of poorer precision (accuracy of about 0.1 K), they presented valuable information of the subsurface temperature conditions existing 20–25 years ago. Borehole observations and the inverted ground surface temperature histories (GSTHs) used for the paleoclimate reconstruction were complemented with a detailed survey of meteorological data. Namely, the long-term surface air temperature (SAT) and precipitation records from Petropavlovsk station (in operation since 1890) were used together with similar data from a number of local subsidiary meteo-stations operating in Central Kamchatka since 1950. Regardless of extreme complexity of the local meteorological/climate conditions, diversity of borehole sites and calibration of measuring devices used during the whole campaign, the results of the climate reconstruction supported a general warming of about 1 K characteristic for the 20th century, which followed an inexpressive cooler period typical for the most of the 19th century. In the last three to four decades the warming rate has been locally increasing up to 0.02 K/year. It was also shown that the snow cover played a dominant role in the penetration of the climate “signal” to depth and could considerably smooth down the subsurface response to the changes occurred on the surface.     

Personal experience with climate change predicts intentions to act

The public's willingness to engage in mitigation actions has not received as much attention as the level of belief in Global Warming (GW), especially on the international stage. Research in Western nations indicates that people systematically misunderstand GW and the actions required for mitigation. Important factors that influence judgments about mitigation actions include personal experiences, beliefs, knowledge, values, and worldviews. We present results of an international survey (25 samples from 24 countries) measuring general intentions to act and willingness to engage in specific actions. Our analysis reveals that endorsement of specific actions is (a) lower than general endorsement of mitigation, (b) accompanied by higher intra-individual variance, and (c) more strongly related to personal experiences with GW. This pattern can be attributed to the compatibility between the proximal construal of specific actions and the nature of the personal experience. Lastly we provide recommendations on how these findings can be used to encourage mitigation action.     

Living with limits: growth,resources, and climate change

Is it possible for all of humanity to enjoy the standards of living of today's high-income countries? What would happen if these limits were reached, perhaps because of climate change or a shortage of natural resources essential to production? How would society manage – or fail to manage – such limits? Notwithstanding the current financial and economic crises, these are perhaps the biggest questions confronting our species (and of a host of other species, who are the victims of our decisions). The article begins by considering the biggest economic event of our lifetimes – the ‘great convergence’ and its implications for the demand for resources. The discussion then turns to a specific limit on our development, climate change, which is different from most other limits, because it involves a global public good: the atmosphere. What such limits might mean for our civilization is discussed. One can persuade people to tackle climate change only if those concerned with the dangers persuade ordinary people that action will not come at the expense of their prosperity.