Analysis of impact of outfalls on surrounding soil and groundwater environment

With certain outfalls in Baoding as an example and in combination with test results of soil and water samples taken from both sides of such outfalls, the organic contamination compounds influence on the surrounding soil and groundwater environment was analysed, the distribution features of the main organic contamination in soil and groundwater in different depth were discussed, and the vertical and longitudinal migration rule of all kinds of main organic contamination compounds in soil and groundwater in the sewage irrigation area was studied.     

Projected Changes in Kppen Climate Types in the 21st Century over China

Future changes in the climate regimes over China as measured by the Kppen climate classification are reported in this paper. The analysis is based on a high-resolution climate change simulation conducted by a regional climate model (the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) RegCM3) driven by the global model of Center for Climate System Research (CCSR)/National Institute for Environment Studies (NIES)/Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC) MIROC3.2_hires (the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate) under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B scenario. Validation of the model performances is presented first. The results show that RegCM3 reproduces the present-day distribution of the Kppen climate types well. Significant changes of the types are found in the future over China, following the simulated warming and precipitation changes. In southern China, the change is characterized by the replacement of subtropical humid (Cr) by subtropical winter-dry (Cw). A pronounced decrease of the cold climate types is found over China, e.g., tundra (Ft) over the Tibetan Plateau and sub-arctic continental (Ec) over northeast China. The changes are usually greater in the end compared with the middle of the 21st century.     

Spectroscopic studies of synthetic and natural ringwoodite, γ-(Mg,Fe)<Subscript>2</Subscript>SiO<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Synthetic ringwoodite γ-(Mg_1?x Fe _x )₂SiO₄ of 0.4 ≤ x ≤ 1.0 compositions and variously colored micro-grains of natural ringwoodite in shock metamorphism veins of thin sections of two S6-type chondrites were studied by means of microprobe analysis, TEM and optical absorption spectroscopy. Three synthetic samples were studied in addition with Mössbauer spectroscopy. The Mössbauer spectra consist of two doublets caused by ^VIFe²⁺ and ^VIFe³⁺, with IS and QS parameters close to those established elsewhere (e.g., O’Neill et al. in Am Mineral 78:456–460, 1993). The Fe³⁺/Fe_total ratio evaluated by curve resolution of the spectra, ranges from 0.04 to 0.1. Optical absorption spectra of all synthetic samples studied are qualitatively very similar as they are directly related to the iron content. They differ mostly in the intensity of the observed absorption features. The spectra consist of a very strong high-energy absorption edge and a series of absorption bands of different width and intensity. The three strongest and broadest absorptions of them are attributed to splitting of electronic spin-allowed ⁵ T _2g → ⁵ E _g transitions of ^VIFe²⁺ and intervalence charge-transfer (IVCT) transition between ferrous and ferric ions in adjacent octahedral sites of the ringwoodite structure. The spin-allowed bands at ca. 8,000 and 11,500 cm^?1 weakly depend on temperature, whilst the Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ IVCT band at ~16,400 cm^?1 displays very strong temperature dependence: i.e., with increasing temperature it decreases and practically disappears at about 497 K, a behavior typical for bands of this type. With increasing pressure the absorption edge shifts to lower energies while the spin-allowed bands shift to higher energy and strongly decreases in intensity. The IVCT band also strongly weakens and vanishes at about 9 GPa. We assigned this effect to pressure-induced reduction of Fe³⁺ in ringwoodite. By analogy with synthetic samples three broad bands in spectra of natural (meteoritic) blue ringwoodite are assigned to electronic spin-allowed transitions of ^VIFe²⁺ (the bands at ~8,600 and ~12,700 cm^?1) and Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ IVCT transition (~18,100 cm^?1), respectively. Spectra of colorless ringwoodite of the same composition consist of a single broad band at ca. 12,000 cm^?1. It is assumed that such ringwoodite grains are inverse (Fe, Mg)₂SiO₄-spinels and that the single band is caused by the split spin-allowed ⁵ E → ⁵ T ₂ transition of ^IVFe²⁺. Ringwoodite of intermediate color variations between dark-blue and colorless are assumed to be partly inversed ringwoodite. No glassy material between the grain boundaries in the natural colored ringwoodite aggregates was found in our samples and disprove the cause of the coloration to be due to light scattering effect (Lingemann and Stöffler in Lunar Planet Sci 29(1308), 1998).     

<Superscript>57</Superscript>Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy,X-ray single-crystal diffractometry,and electronic structure calculations on natural sinhalites

Natural sinhalites, MgAlBO_4, from the Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka, and from Bodnar Quarry near Hamburg, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA, have been characterized by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, electron microprobe, X-ray single-crystal diffractometry and by electronic structure calculations in order to determine the oxidation state and site occupancy of iron in the sinhalite structure. The samples contain about 3.35 and 1.46 wt% of total iron oxide, respectively. The structure refinement is successful and reproduces the total iron content provided that the substitution of Mg²⁺ by Fe²⁺ on the M2 position only is assumed. The ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra at 77, 293, 573 and 773 K can be resolved into two doublets with hyperfine parameters common for octahedrally coordinated high-spin Fe²⁺. There is no evidence for iron in the tetrahedral site. Electronic structure calculations in local spin density approximation yield hyperfine parameters for Fe²⁺ on the M2-site at 0, 293, 573 and 773 K in quantitative agreement with experiments. Calculated spectroscopic properties for Fe²⁺ on the M1-site are at variance with the experimental data and, thus, indicate that substitution of Al³⁺ by Fe²⁺, if occurring at all, must be accompanied by considerable local expansion and distortion of the M1-octahedron.     

The astrometric observations of planetary satellites, close approaches and occultations of stars by asteroids and mutual events in the systems of planetary satellites with the 26-in. refractor of Pulkovo observatory in 1995-2006

Astrometric and photometric observations of major planets, their satellites and asteroids have been made with the 26-in. refractor of the Pulkovo observatory during the period from 1995 to 2006. The CCD (ST6) and photographic observations were carried out. Accurate relative position of satellites of Jupiter and Saturn have been derived. The positions of Saturn have been calculated using the theoretically predicted coordinates of satellites relative to the planet without measurements of the photographic images of the planet. Also the observations of Hale-Bopp comet and Mercury transit have been made. The 26-in. refractor has been included into the international campaign PHEMU-2003: photometric CCD observations of mutual occultations and eclipses of Galilean satellites. The light curves of the events have been obtained and parameters of the events have been determined.     

Seasonal and spatial characteristics of seawater and sediment at Youngil Bay, southeast coast of Korea

The seasonal geochemical characteristics of the seawater and sediments and the major factors causing heavy metal contamination were investigated at the Youngil bay and the Hyungsan river estuary in the Southeast Coast of Korea, where a world-scale steel-industry complex (Pohang iron and steel industrial complex, POSCO) is located. The seasonal and spatial distribution characteristics of temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, and nutrients of the seawater were studied at 45 fixed stations, especially focusing on the river mouth area. Sediments at 27 stations were examined during winter and summer to determine the major controlling factors for the distribution of metals, using correlation matrix and R-mode factor analyses, and to evaluate the pollution status, using the modified geoaccumulation (I(geo)(')) index. Temperatures for the effluent from the POSCO located at the Hyungsan river mouth were 2-3 degrees C higher compared to other sampling areas, due to the thermal discharge from the POSCO. The DO concentration of the surface water at the Pohang old port was as low as 2-4 mg/L. In spring, the DO value at the Hyungsan river mouth was higher than 12 mg/L, by the mass multiplication of phytoplanktons at the river mouth where seawater temperature and nutrients concentrations were relatively high, resulting in the pH value of higher than 8.3. The nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P) ratios at the river mouth were 20-150 times higher compared to other areas, implying that the nitrogen loading into this semi-enclosed bay is significantly higher than phosphorus and the major nitrogen sources are not only the domestic sewage from the city but the industrial wastewater from the POSCO and other steel factories nearby. The phosphorus concentrations at the Pohang old port were shown 3-10 times higher than those at other stations, due to the inflow of pollutants generated from the nearby ships anchoring and the release of phosphate from the bottom sediment. Results from the sediment analysis showed that the major controlling factors for the distribution pattern of each metal are grain size and organic carbon (C(org)) content. Based on the factor analysis, Al, Fe, Cr, Li, and Pb were shown strongly correlated with the mean grain size (Mz), whereas Cd, Cu, Zn, and Sn with the C(org) content. Results from the fractionation of the sedimentary metals into lattice and labile fractions to characterize the mobility of sediment metals showed that the mineral lattice fraction was high in the order of Al=K>Cr>Li>Sr>Fe, while the labile fraction, which might be released to the overlying water, was in the order of Pb>Zn>Cd>Cu>Ca>Sn. Evaluation of the sediment pollution status by applying (I(geo)(')) of 13 metals showed Cd, Cu, and Zn as high as 1-3 range at the old port. Even though the overall marine pollution mainly by the world-class steel industrial complex in this semi-enclosed bay area studied does not currently pose a serious threat, due to the seawater circulation and the large influx of river discharge, the countermeasures to implement the sediments concentrated with heavy metals, especially at the old port with no seawater circulation, are still warranted for this coastal water environment.     

Possible interaction between tectonic events and seismic noise at Las Cañadas Volcanic Caldera,Tenerife, Spain

Continuous seismic noise is recorded in the volcanic island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). The origin of this noise, strongly augmented by anthropogenic contamination, is still under debate. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between this noise and the occurrence of local tectonic events in the same area. In particular, transitions are sought in the time evolution of dynamic parameters computed on the seismic noise, and examples are shown where abrupt transitions may be associated with the occurrence of tectonic events. These transitions provide further evidence of the existence of a natural origin for at least part of the seismic noise, which is strongly contaminated—if not dominated—by anthropogenic sources.     

Links between global CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> variability and climate anomalies of biomes

The global rate of fossil fuel combustion continues to rise, but the amount of CO₂ accumulating in the atmosphere has not increased accordingly. The causes for this discrepancy are widely debated. Particularly, the location and drivers for the interannual variability of atmospheric CO₂ are highly uncertain. Here we examine links between global atmospheric CO₂ growth rate (CGR) and the climate anomalies of biomes based on (1986–1995) global climate data of ten years and accompanying satellite data sets. Our results show that four biomes, the tropical rainforest, tropical savanna, C₄ grassland and boreal forest, and their responses to climate anomalies, are the major climate-sensitive CO₂ sinks/sources that control the CGR. The nature and magnitude by which these biomes respond to climate anomalies are generally not the same. However, one common influence did emerge from our analysis; the extremely high CGR observed for the one extreme El Niño year was caused by the response of the tropical biomes (rainforest, savanna and C₄ grassland) to temperature.     

A diagnostic study of the impact of El Niño on the precipitation in China

The impact of El Niño on the precipitation in China for different seasons are investigated diagnostically. It is found that El Niño can influence the precipitation in China significantly during its mature phase. In the Northern winter, spring and autumn, the positive precipitation anomalies are found in the southern part of China during the El Niño mature phase. In the Northern summer, the patterns of the precipitation anomalies in the El Niño mature phase are different from those in the other seasons. The negative precipitation anomalies appear in both southern and northern parts of China, while in between around the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River valleys the precipitation anomalies tend to be positive. In the Northern winter, spring and autumn, the physical process by which El Niño affects the precipitation in the southern part of China can be explained by the features of the circulation anomalies over East Asia during the El Niño mature phase (Zhang et al., 1996). The appearance of an anticyclonic anomaly to the north of the maritime continent in the lower troposphere during the El Niño mature phase intensifies the subtropical high in the western Pacific and makes it shift westward. The associated southwesterly flow is responsible for the positive precipitation anomalies in the southern part of China. In the Northern summer, the intensified western Pacific subtropical high covers the southeastern periphery of China so that the precipitation there becomes less. In addition, the weakening of the Indian monsoon provides less moisture inflow to the northern part of China.