CELLULOSE DECOMPOSTION IN TROPICAL PEAT SWAMPS

Given that organic soil is a complex substrate and there are many environmental factors which directly or indirectly control its decomposition processes, the use of standard substrate simplify the system in that the effect of substrate quality could be eliminated and influence of certain environmental conditions such as edaphic factors, acidity and moisture could be focused on. In addition to the forest floor, decomposition potential down the peat profile can also be examined. Cotton strip assay was used to estimate decomposition potentials in tropical peat swamp occupied by different Shorea Albida peat swamp forest communities, The 'Alan Batu' , the ' Alan Bunga' , the 'Alan Padang' and the ' mixed Alan' forest communities.Greatest decay rates on the peat surface took place during the wet period. The moist condition of the wet months appeared to favour the growth and stimulate activities of decomposer population and soil invertebrates. Generally, 50% of cotton tensile loss is achieved after four weeks     

Climatological characteristics of the tropics in China: climate classification schemes between German scientists and Huang Bingwei

Reviewing some important German scientists who have developed climatic regionalization schemes either on a global or Chinese scale, their various definitions of the tropical climate characteristics in China are discussed and compared with Huang Bingwei's climate classification scheme and the identification of the tropical climate therein. It can be seen that, due to different methodological approaches of the climatic regionalization schemes, the definitions of the tropics vary and hence also their spatial distribution in China. However, it is found that the tropical climate type occupies only a peripheral part of southern China, though it firmly represents a distinctive type of climate that is supsequently associated with a great economic importance for China. As such, the tropical climate type was mostly identified with its agro-climatological significance, that is by giving favourable growing conditions all-year round for perennial crops with a great heat demand. Tropical climate is, hence, conventionally regarded to be governed by all-year round summer conditions "where winter never comes".     

从尼玛地区地质新资料看中特提斯洋的构造演化

班公湖—怒江结合带南缘存在一套中、晚侏罗世稳定浅海碎屑岩沉积，属残余海盆地沉积，表明尼玛地区的俯冲消减机制在中侏罗世以后已结束。结合带南侧三叠系确哈拉群为一套半深水—深水沉积，是陆架边缘沉积序列，代表结合带打开之初的较早期沉积。确哈拉群之上不整合覆盖了一套中侏罗世钙碱性岛弧火山岩系，是班公湖—怒江结合带在早侏罗世向南俯冲对应的滞后弧火山岩。在结合带南侧80～100km范围内分布着一条东西长超过100km的中晚侏罗世后碰撞强过铝花岗岩带，属班公湖—怒江结合带向南俯冲碰撞作用的后碰撞阶段产物。综合认为，尼玛地区中特提斯洋是在三叠纪打开、中侏罗世以前向南俯冲闭合的。结合区域上该结合带闭合时间有早有晚、俯冲方向有南有北的事实，提出中特提斯是一个具有众多互不相通的、时代早晚各不相同的小洋盆共同组成的多岛洋，其间存在许多大小不一、运动方向和性质各不相同的地体。不同时期、不同方向的弧—弧碰撞、弧—陆碰撞造山(造陆)机制是解释中特提斯洋发展演化诸多问题的理想模式。     

西藏南部郎杰学群碎屑物质来源的古水流证据

新近对西藏山南琼果和贡嘎地区(特提斯喜马拉雅北亚带)弱变质的上三叠统深海—半深海沉积地层——郎杰学群地质填图调查,在出露槽模沉积构造的37个古水流点获得了43组数据。赤平投影数据恢复后发现,这一地区主力古水流有南东140°～160°和南西190°～210°两个方向。这一分析结果为郎杰学群沉积物来自北边(未知块体)而非印度次大陆的观点提供了有力证据。     

New structural and petrologic data on Mesozoic schists in the Rhodope (Bulgaria): geodynamic implications

Structural analysis of low-grade rocks highlights the allochthonous character of Mesozoic schists in southeastern Rhodope, Bulgaria. The deformation can be related to the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous thrusting and Tertiary detachment faulting. Petrologic and geochemical data show a volcanic arc origin of the greenschists and basaltic rocks. These results are interpreted as representing an island arc-accretionary complex related to the southward subduction of the Meliata–Maliac Ocean under the supra-subduction back-arc Vardar ocean/island arc system. This arc-trench system collided with the Rhodope in Late Jurassic times. To cite this article: N.G. Bonev, G.M. Stampfli, C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Quantifying Storm Tide Risk in Cairns

The United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)gave rise to an increasing level of attention to the risks posed by a range of naturalhazards and the development of strategies by which to reduce those risks. It waswidely recognised that in order to evaluate risk treatment strategies it was necessaryto `measure' the level of risk that already existed and the level of risk that would beencountered with the treatment strategy(s) in place.This paper outlines the methodology developed under the AGSO (now GeoscienceAustralia) Cities Project to quantify the risk associated with storm tide inundation. It includes the methodology for `measuring' the level of community exposure to storm tide hazards and the methodology for `measuring' community vulnerability. The Far North Queensland city of Cairns is used as the case study to demonstrate the application of these methods.     

Community Vulnerability to Tropical Cyclones: Cairns, 1996–2000

This paper is a partial discussion of a four-year study that investigated the vulnerability of the people living in the Cairns region to the tropical cyclone hazard. The longitudinal case study, focussing on the Cairns Northern Beaches area, was unique in that it included a social and societal `pre-cyclone impact' evaluation of various resident communities within the region, and then two consecutive `post-cyclone impact' studies. The primary research method supported an inductive qualitative approach to the collection and analysis of survey data. Some quantitative methods were invoked to support qualitative research findings. Survey data was collected in five separate questionnaire-based social surveys that were administered between 1996 and 2000. During the study, residents experiencedthe direct impact of two land-falling tropical cyclones. In addition to this, targeted andfocussed tropical cyclone awareness education was made increasingly available withinthe community. The social and demographic attributes that influence the individual'sperception of risk and contribute to our understanding of community vulnerability were examined and evaluated. Changes in the residents' attitudes, cyclone preparednessbehaviours and willingness to respond to cyclone warnings were monitored and measured. Analysis of early survey data indicated that community residents generally had some knowledge of cyclones but a limited understanding of cyclone processes and very little direct personal experience of the cyclone hazard. Individually and collectively, residents frequently demonstrated a biased perception of the risks associated with cyclones. The resident community was shown to be fragmented, with limited support being available to individual households. Initially, residents were found to be poorly prepared for cyclones and unlikely to respond to warnings appropriately. It appeared that, in the event of a land-falling tropical cyclone impacting the area, the community was highly vulnerable to unnecessary loss of property, livelihood and – in extreme circumstances – life. By 2000, Cairns community residents were somewhat better informed about cyclones and certainly more experienced. This paper provides some insight into how cyclone experience and education may synergisticly have contributed to a change in risk perceptions and a reduction in the vulnerability of Cairns residents to the tropical cyclone and storm surge hazards.     

印度洋春、夏季海温对西藏高原夏季降水的影响

利用NCEP提供的1950—1997年全球月平均海表面温度场资料，首先通过EOF分解得到不同季节印度洋海温场空间分布特征，并在此基础上使用合成分析、相关分析和SVD分解等多种方法讨论了印度洋前期和同期海温异常与西藏高原夏季降水变化的关系。寻找出影响高原夏季降水的关键海区，目的为高原夏季早涝预测提供参考依据。     

综合评估环境场影响的热带气旋路径客观相似预报模式

提出一个综合评估环境场影响的热带气旋路径客观相似预报模式。模式应用热带气旋参数、初始和未来环境场，构造客观的相似判据。通过定义非线性的相似指数综合评估历史热带气旋样本在多元判据下的相似程度，从而找到相似样本。应用相似样本的历史路径进行坐标变换和相似指数的权重综合，得到预报路径。模式检验和预报试验表明该模式具有预报技巧。