The impact of physical processes on pollutant transport in Hangzhou Bay

A Lagrangian tracer model is set up for Hangzhou Bay based on Coupled Hydrodynamical Ecological model for Regional Shelf Sea (COHERENS). The study area is divided into eight subdomains to identify the dominant physical processes, and the studied periods are March (the dry season) and July (the wet season). The model performance has been first verified by sea-surface elevation and tidal current observations at several stations. Eight tracer experiments are designed and Lagrangian particle tracking is simulated to examine the impact of physical processes (tide, wind and river runoff) on the transport of passive tracer released within the surface layer. Numerical simulations and analysis indicate that: (1) wind does not change the tracer distribution after 30 days except for those released from the south area of the bay during the wet season; (2) the tide and the Qiantang River runoff are important for particle transport in the head area of the bay; (3) the Changjiang River runoff affects the tracer transport at the mouth of the bay, and its impact is smaller in the dry season than in the wet season. Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (No.40576080); National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, No. 2007AA12Z182)     

A SUSPENDED SEDIMENT BUDGET OF THE YICHANG-WUHAN REACH OF THE YANGTZE RIVER, CHINA

The amount of the sediment deposition in the Yichan-Wuhan reach of the middle Yangtze River (also known as Changjiang River) has been determined using the concept of sediment budget at the channel-reach scale. The fill-scour processes of the middle Yangtze River were studied during the period 1956–1997 in response to the variation in sediment load and flow inputs. The results show that 13.3% of the net input of sediment was deposited in the studied river reach. Since 1956, the output sediment load of the studied reach increased with time to 1981, followed by a decline. The increase in output before 1981 can be related to the man-made bend neck-cutoff which caused a decrease in the sediment load diverted through the 'three outfalls' (i.e. the three distributaries from the Yangtze main stem to the Dongting Lake) and increased the sediment-carrying capacity of the river. Thereby, the river could transport more sediment to the outlet of the studied river reach. The decrease in the sediment load output after 1984 was directly due to the decreased sediment load at Yichang station. Multiple regression equations have been established to assess the contributions of influencing factors to the variation in sediment deposition amount in the studied river reach.     

Distribution of 137Cs and 210Pb in sediments of tidal flats in north Jiangsu Province

Seven cores were collected from different sediment zones of tidal flats at Xinyanggang in north Jiangsu province in August 2007. Sediment grain-size distribution and radioisotopes of 137Cs and 210Pb analysis were carried out for these cores. Sediment rates of the cores and radioisotopes distribution in surface sediment in different zones of the tidal flat were calculated from the 137Cs and 210Pb activities in sediments cores. The results indicated that each tidal zone had experienced different evolution phases, hydrological dynamics in the tidal flats made the grain-size of the surface sediment change gradually. 137Cs and 210Pb activities on the superficial layer of the cores varied spatially and the reason was discussed. On tidal flats, the fluctuation of 137Cs and 210Pb activities in the cores reflected the special sedimentary characteristics. Vegetation affects the grain-size distribution and the vertical profiles of 137Cs and 210Pb in the upper depths. 137Cs and 210Pb chronology got the comparable average sediment rates on the tidal flat. The characteristics of 137Cs and 210Pb in the cores reflected various depositional dynamical environments in different tidal zones and gave information on the different evolvement phases of the tidal zones. Based on the information of grain-size distribution, texture of the cores, sediment rates and topography, the evolution lines of the tidal flat were reconstructed.     

汉江上游谷地与渭河谷地黄土化学风化程度比较

比较汉江上游谷地及渭河谷地典型黄土剖面的元素组成、化学风化强度及常量元素迁移特征,揭示秦岭南北两侧黄土-古土壤剖面的成壤强度及其所指示的环境演变特征,两者差异及共性如下：① 两剖面化学组成均以SiO₂、Al₂O₃和Fe₂O₃为主,元素组成均一且高度混合,与上部陆地壳（UCC） 的化学成分十分接近,该些证据均指示两区域黄土是来源广泛并经过充分混合的风尘堆积产物。② 据CIA 值可判定MTS 及YHC 剖面均经历了中等风化作用,比较两剖面CIW值、A-CN-K三角图投点特征及元素迁移率知,汉江上游谷地的黄土-古土壤序列经历的化学风化作用更强,Ca 及Na 元素的丢失率更高,Al、Na、Mg、Si 等常量元素的迁出率更大。③ 依据Fe、Na迁移率的全剖面变化曲线知,汉江上游谷地与渭河谷地自全新世以来经历了相同的气候演变阶段,均记录了6000-5000a BP的干冷气候事件。     

Fluvial dynamics and 14C-10Be disequilibrium on the Bolivian Altiplano

Determining sediment transfer times is key to understanding source-to-sink dynamics and the transmission of environmental signals through the fluvial system. Previous work on the Bolivian Altiplano applied the in situ cosmogenic ¹⁴C-¹⁰Be-chronometer to river sands and proposed sediment storage times of ~10–20 kyr in four catchments southeast of Lake Titicaca. However, the fidelity of those results hinges upon isotopic steady-state within sediment supplied from the source area. With the aim of independently quantifying sediment storage times and testing the ¹⁴C-¹⁰Be steady-state assumption, we dated sediment storage units within one of the previously investigated catchments using radiocarbon dating, cosmogenic ¹⁰Be-²⁶Al isochron burial dating, and ¹⁰Be-²⁶Al depth-profile dating. Palaeosurfaces appear to preserve remnants of a former fluvial system, which has undergone drainage reversal, reduction in catchment area, and local isostatic uplift since ~2.8 Ma. From alluvium mantling the palaeosurfaces we gained a deposition age of ~580 ka, while lower down fluvial terraces yielded ≤34 ka, and floodplains ~3–1 ka. Owing to restricted channel connectivity with the terraces and palaeosurfaces, the main source of channel sediment is via reworking of the late Holocene floodplain. Yet modelling a set of feasible scenarios reveals that floodplain storage and burial depth are incompatible with the ¹⁴C-¹⁰Be disequilibrium measured in the channel. Instead we propose that the ¹⁴C-¹⁰Be offset results from: (i) non-uniform erosion whereby deep gullies supply hillslope-derived debris; and/or (ii) holocene landscape transience associated with climate or human impact. The reliability of the ¹⁴C-¹⁰Be chronometer vitally depends upon careful evaluation of sources of isotopic disequilibrium in a wide range of depositional and erosional landforms in the landscape. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于Budyko假设和分形理论的水沙变化归因识别——以北洛河流域为例

全球气候变化及人类活动深刻影响了区域水文过程,进行水沙变化归因识别对流域生态保护和高质量发展尤为重要。基于Budyko假设和分形理论,采用弹性系数法,对北洛河流域上（丘陵沟壑区）、中（土石山林—高塬沟壑区）、下游（渭北旱塬农区）3种不同地貌和植被类型区1959—2019年的水、沙通量变化进行归因分析。结果表明,北洛河上、中、下游径流量均显著减少,由20世纪60年代的35 mm、32 mm、34 mm,减少到21世纪10年代的19 mm、24 mm、6 mm,60 a减少率分别为0.3 mm a^-1、0.2 mm a^-1、0.4 mm a^-1。上游输沙量极显著减少,中游降低趋势不显著,下游显著减少,由20世纪60年代的99×10⁶ t、8×10⁶ t、3×10⁶ t,减少到21世纪10年代的10×10⁶ t、3×10⁶ t、0.3×10⁶ t,60 a减少率分别为1.5×10⁶ t a^-1、0.04×10⁶ t a^-1、0.1×10⁶ t a^-1。20世纪70年代以来,上游径流变化逐渐受人类活动影响,且影响程度逐渐增强,21世纪10年代人类活动贡献率达66.3%;气候变化是中游径流变化的主控因子,21世纪10年代降雨和潜在蒸散发的贡献率分别为77.0%和20.2%;下游径流减少主要为人类活动影响,21世纪10年代其贡献率为64.3%。对比20世纪60年代流域输沙量变化始终受人类活动主导,21世纪10年代人类活动对上、中、下游输沙量减少的贡献率分别为80.7%、59.2%和92.7%。上游人类活动对输沙量减少的贡献中,退耕还林等沟坡措施和沟道工程措施分别为39.0%、42.7%,中、下游人类活动贡献的估算结果反映出高植被覆盖区和农区汲水灌溉对区域水、沙的影响特征。     

三种被动式积沙仪积沙效率的野外实验研究

积沙仪积沙效率的高低直接影响近地表输沙率的测定，从而影响着风沙地貌的研究和风沙工程设计，对目前三种常用积沙仪在相同条件下（同一下垫面、相同风速）的积沙进行了野外观测。结果表明：（1）相同条件下，楔形积沙仪积沙量远远大于其它两种；（2）近地面积沙量随高度分布上，楔形积沙仪能更好地反映风沙流结构；（3）与其它两种积沙仪相比，楔形积沙仪所采集沙子中的小粒径颗粒含量明显多于其它两种积沙仪结果，而较大粒径颗粒的含量呈相反趋势，造成这些差异的原因在于楔形积沙仪采用的流线型构造和网状结构，从而对风沙流的阻挡程度较小，今后应推广楔形积沙仪的使用。     

Calibration of the high-pressure cohesive strength meter (CSM)

Coastal erosion is an immense economic and social problem that has been receiving increased attention in recent years. A number of devices have been developed to determine the sediment stability in coastal areas: laboratory and field flumes; a range of different erosion devices; shear vanes and fall cone penetrometers. The cohesive strength meter (CSM) erosion device was developed to determine in situ the temporal and spatial variations in the erosion threshold of muddy intertidal sediments. Technological developments have enabled considerable improvements to be made to the original design over the last 15 years.     

Short-term shoreline changes due to cross-shore structures: a one-line numerical model

The proposed numerical model simulates the short-term temporal changes in shoreline position due to a structure interrupting the longshore sediment flux. The impacts of both the groin-type construction and underwater trench of arbitrary orientation relative to the shore are discussed. In order to estimate the sediment mass trapped by the structure, a submodel of the longshore sediment transport induced by a random wave field is developed. The contribution of the surface roller in momentum balance as well as in sediment suspension is included. The shoreline changes are computed from the equation deduced from the mass conservation. The perturbations in the longshore sediment discharge caused by a structure are assumed to concentrate within some boundary area of which the spatial scale is proportional to the structure's length until the latter is exceeded by the width of the sediment flux. It is shown in particular that the total effect of a long trench (channel) and a pier in its nearshore part results in general shoreline recession except for the vicinity of a pier. The model is tested against the laboratory data of Baidei et al. (1994) and applied to the Baidara Bay coast (Kara Sea) where a pipeline would be designed.