Evaluation and Prediction of the Swelling Characteristics of Nigerian Black Clays

The swelling characteristics of black clays from two major areas of occurrence in Borno State, Nigeria, were investigated in the laboratory. Clay samples derived from lagoonal clay deposits showed high swelling tendencies while those samples derived from Olivine basalts showed medium to high swelling tendencies. Although interparticle swelling was the dominant swelling mechanism, soil samples with higher clay contents exhibited higher swelling tendencies. The developed predictive models show that the free swell percentage as well as the swelling pressure can be predicted from measured values of electrical conductivity, specific gravity, clay content and plasticity index. On the other hand, swell percent can be predicted from measured values of electrical conductivity and specific gravity only.     

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Fire Regimes in the Tropics Based on Magicc and a GISS GCM-Derived Lightning Model

Investigations of the ecological, atmospheric chemical, and climatic impacts of contemporary fires in tropical vegetation have received increasing attention during the last 10 years. Little is known, however, about the impacts of climate changes on tropical vegetation and wildland fires. This paper summarizes the main known interactions of fire, vegetation, and atmosphere. Examples of predictive models on the impacts of climate change on the boreal and temperate zones are given in order to highlight the possible impacts on the tropical forest and savanna biomes and to demonstrate parameters that need to be involved in this process. Response of tropical vegetation to fire is characterized by degradation towards xerophytic and pyrophytic plant communities dominated by grasses and fire-tolerant tree and bush invaders. The potential impacts of climate change on tropical fire regimes are investigated using a GISS GCM-based lightning and fire model and the Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas-Induced Climate Change (MAGICC).     

EFFECT OF THE LINEAR BETA TERM ON MOVEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF TROPICAL CYCLONE*

The dynamics of tropical cyclone is investigated in a nondivergent,barotropic model with no basic flow.The effect of linear beta term on the movement and development of tropical cyclone is emphatically demonstrated.The streamfunction tendency due to the symmetric component of linear beta term appears in a dipole-like pattern with an east-west symmetry,which maintains and intensifies the large-scale beta gyres and causes the tropical cyclone to have a westerly moving component.The streamfunction tendency due to the asymmetric component of linear beta term arises in an ellipse pattern with a north-south major axis,which weakens the tropical cyclone.The streamfunction tendency due to the asymmetric component of linear beta term and the intensity of large-scale cyclonic beta gyre synchronously vary in a fluctuating manner with time.     

NUMERICAL STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE ON TROPICAL CYCLONE INTENSITY-PART I:NUMERICAL EXPERIMENT OF THE TROPICAL CYCLONE INTENSITY RELATED TO SST *

In the context of a model of tropical cyclone intensity based on an improved meso-scale atmospheric model, numerical simulation is performed of the track and intensity variation of tropical cyclones(TC) arising from sea surface temperature(SST) variation over a specified sea region. Evidence suggests that the model is capable of modeling quite welt the track and intensity of TC:SST variation leads to an abrupt change in the cyclone intensity:the response of the cyclone to the abrupt SST change lasts 8-12 h.     

INFLUENCE OF TIBETAN PLATEAU ON AIR-SEA INTERACTION OVER TROPICAL PACIFIC IN OCEAN-ATMOSPHERIC COUPLED SYSTEM*

A hybrid coupled ocean-atmosphere model is designed,which consists of a global atmospheric general circulation model(L9R15 AGCM)and a simple ocean model(ZC ocean model over tropical Pacific).Using the model,experimental predictions are performed for the 1986/87 El Nino event and the 1988/89 La Nina event with and without the Tibetan Plateau respectively(called TP FORC and NTP FORC hereinafter).It is found as follows:(1)The coupled system can successfully predict the El Nino or La Nina event even if the Tibetan Plateau orography is not included in the model.The patterns of SSTA and wind anomalies in the model without the Tibetan Plateau are similar to those with the Tibetan Plateau,which further verifies the fact that ENSO process is mainly caused by the air-sea interaction in tropical Pacific.(2)However.the existence of the Tibetan Plateau exerts its influences on the intensity and duration of El Nino(or La Nina).It is unfavorable to the development and maintenance of westerly anomalies,so to some extent,restrains the development of El Nino,but favors the development of La Nina.(3)Effects of the Tibetan Plateau orography on the wind anomalies in the coupled system are different from those inuncoupled AGCM simulation.     

NUMERICAL STUDY ON FUNCTIONS AFFECTING TROPICAL CYCLONE STRUCTURE AND MOTION*

By using a beta-plane quasigeostrophic barotropic model,four numerical experiments with integration time more than five days are performed.Results show that the vorticity advection term and beta term are two basic factors significantly affecting tropical cyclone structure and motion.     

Holocene History of the Chocó Rain Forest from Laguna Piusbi, Southern Pacific Lowlands of Colombia

A high-resolution pollen record from a 5-m-long sediment core from the closed-lake basin Laguna Piusbi in the southern Colombian Pacific lowlands of Chocó, dated by 11 AMS¹⁴C dates that range from ca. 7670 to 220¹⁴C yr B.P., represents the first Holocene record from the Chocó rain forest area. The interval between 7600 and 6100¹⁴C yr B.P. (500–265 cm), composed of sandy clays that accumulated during the initial phase of lake formation, is almost barren of pollen. Fungal spores and the presence of herbs and disturbance taxa suggest the basin was at least temporarily inundated and the vegetation was open. The closed lake basin might have formed during an earthquake, probably about 4400¹⁴C yr B.P. From the interval of about 6000¹⁴C yr B.P. onwards, 200 different pollen and spore types were identified in the core, illustrating a diverse floristic composition of the local rain forest. Main taxa are Moraceae/Urticaceae,Cecropia,Melastomataceae/Combretaceae,Acalypha, Alchornea,Fabaceae,Mimosa, Piper, Protium, Sloanea, Euterpe/Geonoma, Socratea,andWettinia.Little change took place during that time interval. Compared to the pollen records from the rain forests of the Colombian Amazon basin and adjacent savannas, the Chocó rain forest ecosystem has been very stable during the late Holocene. Paleoindians probably lived there at least since 3460¹⁴C yr B.P. Evidence of agricultural activity, shown by cultivation ofZea maissurrounding the lake, spans the last 1710 yr. Past and present very moist climate and little human influence are important factors in maintaining the stable ecosystem and high biodiversity of the Chocó rain forest.     

华中华东地区上空水汽平衡状况

华中华东地区,为我国纬度较低,涨岸线最长的地区。该区雨水资源,地表水资源量均居全国之首。其维系因子－空中水汽,业经本文计算,其年总蓄留量＋１９７７４．５４亿ｍ＾３,相当水深１３９７ｍｍ,为水资源总量的１．７６倍,全国第一。     

用数字云图确定热带气旋强度的原理和方法

本文采用数字云图资料，分析热带气旋强度与热带气旋中云系结构的关系，提出了云系结构紧密度因子的概念并用云带旋转的圈数表示热带气旋强度的方法。本文对原有关于热带气旋中云系结构的某些因子的取值作了适当调整， 改进了用增强红外云图确定热带气旋强度的方法。 经过对2446组样本的拟合，热带气旋强度最大风速估计值的平均绝对误差为2.48 m/s。本方法可以实现人机交互，能更客观地作出定量估计。对1993年12个热带气旋检验，最大风速平均绝对误差为2.31 m/s。     

西太平洋上层海水溶解甲烷浓度及碳同位素特征研究

对西太平洋上层海水溶解甲烷浓度的研究结果表明，该海域海水甲烷相对于大气甲烷是强烈过饱和的。甲烷浓度及碳同位素组成特征表明这部分甲烷为生物成因。该海域海－气交换过程中甲烷通量在０．７～１０．４ｎｍｏｌｍ－２ｓ－１，明显高于其它开放海域。