Annual Mass Balance of Blue Glacier, USA: 1955–97

Mass changes of Blue Glacier, USA are calculated from topographic maps made from vertical aerial photography in late summer of 1939, 1952, 1957, and 1987, along with laser altimetry flown in June 1996. Changes in elevation between maps were adjusted for seasonal variations in the snow cover, and to account for the ablation between the date of photography and 1 October. Topography obtained from the laser altimetry was adjusted for snow thickness and glacier motion to estimate topography of 1 October 1995. The mass of Blue Glacier has changed less than 7 m (water equivalent) during this 56 year period which is minor compared with other glaciers in the region and elsewhere in the world. Glacier-average annual mass balances, beginning in 1956, have been calculated either from stake measurements and probing of late-season snow, or from a regression analysis using late-season measurements of the equilibrium line altitude. A comparison with the changes derived from surface maps shows values obtained from field measurements are too positive by about 0.4 m a^?1 , indicating that considerable caution is needed when interpreting time series of mass balance. Two alternative time series of mass balance consistent with the long-term mass changes are created by making simple adjustments: (1) a single constant is subtracted from each value so that the series is consistent with the 1957–95 mass change; (2) one constant is subtracted from each value over 1957–87 and another is subtracted from each value over 1987-95 so that the series is consistent with both the 1957–87 and 1987–95 mass changes. The mass balance of Blue Glacier was generally positive until the mid-1970s and negative since. The fluctuations of mass balance closely resemble those of snowfall on the glacier as estimated from the joint distribution of temperature and precipitation. The climate in western Washington was cooler and wetter during the decade before the mid-1970s, but the trend since has been towards warmer and drier conditions.     

Analysis of Winter and Summer Glacier Mass Balances

Seasonal mass balance components b_w (winter balance) and b_s (summer balance) as well as c_t (total accumulation) and a_t (total ablation), can be used directly to infer climate variables. In contrast, a_c (net balance of the accumulation area) and a_a (net balance of the ablation area), and b_a or b_n (annual or net balance) can not. The traditional Alpine system of observations of a_c and a_a , however, can be converted to true seasonal values b_w and b_s if both pairs of components are simultaneously observed for some years, because a correlation between the two pairs of components exists. We analyzed b_w and b_s data and their mean, standard deviations and ratios of these to the corresponding net or annual balances for 50 glaciers with relatively long records representing different regions in the northern hemisphere. We also investigated correlations between seasonal components. A negative correlation between b_w and b_s exists at many glaciers. About two-thirds of the glaciers show insignificant correlations (?0.3 < r < 0.3), implying independence of summer and winter balances. In a few unusual cases the correlations are positive. These different correlations, or lack thereof, may offer insight into feedback conditions that must exist in this climate-related system. The correspondence of the b_w and c_t , and b_s and a_t , appears to depend largely on the relative amounts of summer snowfall, a function of their climatic environment expressed as [α = (b_w+b_s)/2]. The contribution of variability of b_s to the net balance increases markedly with decreasing values of α. The variability of b_w and b_s , and therefore the net balance, has been increasing with time; whether this is due to an increase in climate variability or to other causes is not clear. It appears that b_w has been increasing with time at the highest altitudes, but b_s has been increasing more rapidly especially at low altitudes; the many-glacier average net balance is becoming more negative.     

Modeling pollutant migration in the Upper Palar River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India

 Palar River Basin, a crystalline rock region in North Arcot District (Tamil Nadu), India, possesses vast groundwater potential along and near the river course and its lands are fertile. Serious contamination of both surface water and groundwater has been reported in this basin as a result of uncontrolled discharge of untreated effluents by the tanning industries for the last three decades. The health of the rural farming community and people working in the tanning industries has been seriously affected and they are suffering from occupational diseases such as asthma, chromium ulcers and skin diseases. About an 11000 hectares area of fertile land has lost its fertility. Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration in groundwater at some pockets varies from 3000 to 10000 mg/l. As the discharge of effluents is continuing, a prognosis of further pollutant migration is carried out using a mathematical model. A numerical model of the Upper Palar River Basin was developed using the finite difference technique coupled with method of characteristics and used to predict TDS migration for the next 20 years. Sensitivity analysis was carried out to identify the parameters which are influencing the contaminant migration. Sensitivity analysis shows that advection and not dispersion is the predominant mode of solute migration in Palar Basin. Prognosis using the model confirms that the polluted area zone as well as the concentration of pollutants in the groundwater will continue to increase in future. The study also indicated that even if the pollutant sources are reduced to 25% of the present level, the TDS concentration level in the groundwater, even after 20 years, will not be reduced below 50% of its 1992 level. Received: 20 June 1998 · Accepted: 26 October 1998     

Optimal design and performance evaluation of systems with Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI)

The paper concerns the optimal design and performance evaluation of a Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI) to reduce dynamic vibrations. The system exploits properties of the inerter, a two‐terminal mechanical device able to produce a force proportional to the relative acceleration between terminals, with the ability of generating an apparent mass even two orders of magnitude greater than its own physical mass. A primary single‐degree‐of‐freedom structure is equipped with a classical linear Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), the secondary structure, whose mass is connected to the ground via an inerter. The optimal design of the TMDI is conducted by assuming a white noise process as base input and utilizing three different design methodologies: displacement minimization, acceleration minimization and maximization of the ratio between the energy dissipated in the secondary system and the total input energy. Optimal results obtained with the different methodologies are carried out and compared. Two limit cases are also considered when the inerter is not contemplated: conventional and non‐conventional TMDs, characterized by a low and a large mass ratio, respectively. The TMDI performance is evaluated and compared with conventional and non‐conventional TMDs; moreover, its robustness is assessed with a sensitivity analysis varying the design parameters. Attention is focused not exclusively on the primary structure response but also on the secondary one. Finally, the effectiveness of the optimally designed TMDI is evaluated having considered earthquake base excitation. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of TMDI systems for dynamic response reduction with superior performances and robustness than classical TMDs. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterisation of Fulvic Acids and Glycyrrhizic Acid by Time‐of‐Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Fulvic acids of different origin, spray deposited on polished silicon after dissolution in high‐purity water without any additives, were analysed by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) in combination with oblique 24...36 keV SF₅⁺ ion bombardment. The observed, highly reproducible mass spectra cover more than five orders of magnitude in dynamic range, without background subtraction. Apart from lines due to atomic ions and low‐mass ion fragments, the mass spectra exhibit broad maxima between m/z 200...350, mainly due to a beat‐like superposition of lines at every single mass number, up to at least m/z 400. In the negative ion spectra the beats have a spacing of m/z 14, corresponding to a CH₂‐unit. The high‐mass tails of the spectra extend well beyond m/z 5000, with similar slopes in the positive and the negative ion mass spectra. The negative spectra appear to be less affected by fragmentation products than the positive spectra. Fulvic acids (FAs) of different origin show distinctly different spectra, with mean masses ranging between m/z ≈ 450 and 580 (for a low‐mass cut‐off m/z 150). To further verify the ability of TOF‐SIMS to detect molecules and clusters with masses significantly above the maxima of the FA spectra, samples of glycyrrhizic acid (GA, as GA ammonium salt with molecular weight 840) were also analysed. Parent ions as well as multimers (GA)_n were observed as positive and negative ions, up to n = 4 (m/z 3320). The results are compared with spectra recently obtained by other mass spectrometric techniques.     

2003年民乐-山丹6.1、5.8级地震灾害损失评估

2003年10月25日在甘肃省民乐-山丹交界处相继发生MS6.1和MS5.8地震,造成10人死亡、46人受伤,近5万人失去住所;村镇民用房屋、水利、生命线工程和学校、卫生院所等公共设施严重破坏。震后采用抽样调查、单项调查、填表调查核实的方法,取得了大量的实际资料,将灾区合理的划分为3个评估区,建立了每个评估区的每类建筑物的破坏比、损失比和基础数据资料,分10个专项进行统计分析,通过计算得出了本次地震灾害的经济损失结果。     

南黄海冷水中心内外夏季大型底栖动物群落分析

根据1959年、2004年和2012年夏季航次的调查数据,研究南黄海冷水中心内、外大型底栖动物群落结构及年际变化。使用Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数、Margalef丰富度指数,平均分类差异指数以及丰度生物量比较曲线(abundance-biomass comparison curves,ABC Curves)分析群落的组成与变化,使用相对重要性指数(index of relative importance,IRI)分析群落中的优势种和重要种。研究结果显示,3个航次共鉴定大型底栖动物112种,隶属18纲69科80属;其中冷水中心(Yellow Sea cold water mass core,YSCWMC)内33种,隶属16纲65科75属;冷水中心外87种,隶属7纲30科36属。两因素方差分析(Two-way ANOVA)结果显示三航次间时空尺度上冷水中心内、外的H′、J′和d的差异均不显著,物种丰度和物种生物量也未发生明显的改变。冷水中心内部群落的H′、J′和d变化幅度较冷水中心外部群落小,表明相较冷水中心外的群落,冷水中心内的群落结构较为稳定。分类差异变异指数及ABC曲线分析也显示冷水中心内、外的群落状况良好。通过比较冷水中心内、外物种组成发现冷水中心内软体动物(Mollusk)种类最多,其丰度和生物量在冷水中心内优势明显,且三个航次间软体动物物种改变较小。冷水中心内群落中的多毛类动物(Polychaeta)和棘皮动物(Echinodermata)虽在各年份分别占据优势种地位,丰度极高,但种类极少。冷水中心外群落中的多毛类动物和棘皮动物占据绝对优势,无论是种类数还是生物量都较其他种类高。在调查航次总生物量中,冷水中心内的软体动物生物量占总生物量的38%,而冷水中心外的仅占总生物量的3%,说明软体动物较为适宜生活在低温、高盐的冷水环境中。三年间分析调查显示冷水中心内软体动物的重要种及常见种有薄索足蛤(Thyasira tokunagai)、秀丽波纹蛤(Raetellops pulchella)、短吻蛤(Periploma sp.)、胡桃蛤(Nucula sp.)和日本梯形蛤(Portlandia japonica)。冷水中心对于大型底栖动物中软体动物的生长繁殖具有重要的保护作用,能够维持其群落结构的稳定。     

桂江流域土壤侵蚀估算及其时空特征分析

桂江流域的水土流失现状研究对珠江三角洲的水生态安全有重要的现实意义。采用修正的通用土壤流失方程（RUSLE）估算了桂江流域的土壤侵蚀模数与年侵蚀总量,分析流域内土壤侵蚀的时空分布特征,探讨了影响该区域土壤侵蚀强度的自然与人文因素。结果表明,桂江流域51.8%的地表都在发生不同程度的土壤侵蚀。从全流域平均土壤侵蚀强度来看,属于中度侵蚀。从土壤侵蚀面积来看,约85%的地表处于微度、轻度与中度侵蚀。4-6月的全流域平均土壤侵蚀强度最大,侵蚀总量也是最大的。流域的土壤侵蚀主要发生在高程在30~600m的低山丘陵-高地地貌区内的林地与耕地中。流域内岩溶区的土壤侵蚀强度随着石漠化程度从无到中度逐渐增加,轻、中度石漠化区的土壤侵蚀强度达到强度侵蚀等级。      

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川物质平衡特征

统计了天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川自1980年以来冰川表面的单点物质平衡,分析了不同季节物质平衡及其冰川变化特征。研究表明,1号冰川厚度较之1959年平均减薄了9 599 mm;1997—2002年为实际观测以来连续的强负物质平衡时段,平均物质平衡为-739.6 mm /a。物质平衡与气温、降水的相关分析显示：1号冰川物质平衡主要取决于夏季平均气温的高低,二者具有较好的反相关关系（相关系数为-0.72）,而与降水的关系相对较差。20世纪80年代末以来,1号冰川退缩速度明显增大,尤以2000—2002年为甚,西支冰川退缩速度为连续的高值(退缩速度分别为6.92 m/a、6.95 m/a和6.25 m/a);东支冰川的退缩速度与高度大于4 200 m的高度带区间的平均物质平衡值有较好的相关关系（相关系数为0.65）,表明了1号冰川进退的动力主要源于冰川积累区的物质平衡大小。     

A laboratory study on groundwater quality and mass movement occurrence

In this study, soil samples collected from the sides of two streams with high debris flow potential at Shenmu and Fengchiou village in Nantou County, Taiwan, were used for seepage tank tests in the laboratory. While the tests were being conducted, observations were made to investigate the relationships among displacement of the slope, quality of the seepage water and occurrence of mass movement. The results showed that according to the change rate, displacement could be divided into two stages, namely, the initial failure displacement stage and primary failure displacement stage. While the displacement of the slope was in primary failure displacement stages, the probability of slope failure became much higher. Before general slope failure, electrical conductivity (EC) and sulfate ion (SO₄ ²⁻) concentration of the seepage water increased significantly. The time when EC of the seepage water started to increase rapidly was much earlier than that when displacement of the slope started to increase significantly. Therefore, from the hazard mitigation view, there will be a longer time for response if EC of the seepage water was monitored.