Assessing the extent of mangrove change caused by Cyclone Vance in the eastern Exmouth Gulf, northwestern Australia

Changes in mangal area were quantified in the eastern Exmouth Gulf over six years (1999–2004) after Cyclone Vance using Landsat TM satellite imagery and aerial photography. Vance was the strongest tropical cyclone ever to impact the Australian mainland before 2006 and produced wind gusts of more than 280 km h⁻¹. Image data were processed using ENVI™ and IDRISI™ software. Three sets of Landsat TM images from 1999 (a few days before the cyclone), 2002 and 2004 were used, along with 2004 digital aerial photography. A ‘common’ subset of 904 km² was selected from all images and classification was developed using ISODATA™ unsupervised classification to identify spectrally distinct areas followed by principal component analysis (PCA), vegetation indices and supervised classification. Some 12,800 ha of mangrove habitat was present before the cyclone and approximately 5700 ha (44%) was removed by it. Most mangroves lost (74%) between 1999 and 2004 were converted either to bare sediment or to live saltmarshes and this occurred mostly between 1999 and 2002. Five basic categories of damage were conspicuous from imagery and field observations, and evidence suggests that much of the loss was due to the longer term consequences of sediment deposition or smothering, rather than the immediate effects of wind or waves. Mangroves exhibited accelerated recovery between 2002 and 2004, and around 1580 ha regenerated during this time, amounting to a return of 68% of their former coverage. At this recovery rate we estimate that they should have returned to their pre-cyclone area by 2009. Over half of the saltmarsh habitats (54%) were removed by the cyclone (4060 ha) but their recovery has been far more rapid than mangroves. After 5 years, saltmarshes had returned to 87% of their previous area. The 5700 ha of mangrove habitat damaged by Cyclone Vance exceeds any anthropogenic impact that has ever taken place in Western Australia by several orders of magnitude.     

Light regime and components of turbidity in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon

The underwater light regime of a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Albufera des Grau, Balearic Islands) was studied during four years in order to characterise the spatial and temporal variations in the light attenuation coefficient (K) and to assess the relative contribution of the different water components to total light attenuation.     

Assessing New England's waterborne energy imports (1995–2004)

This paper tests four hypotheses relating to the waterborne commerce of New England's imported energy, by port of entry, from 1995 through 2004. It concludes that the region's ports engaged in this fossil fuel traffic are part of a hierarchical system of large, medium, and small ports; that such energy flows have increased over the study period; that localized demand for energy is the principal component leading to growth; and that regional inter-port competition was not stable.     

Compliance costs and the small fisher: A study of exiters from the New Zealand fishery

Over 3000 predominantly small-scale fishers have exited the New Zealand's quota management system (QMS) between its inception in 1986 and 2000. This study, based on the Ministry of Fisheries database and a questionnaire sent to the exiters, establishes that compliance costs in general, and those specifically related to the QMS, were one of the most consistent reasons for exit. Uncertainty about future QMS policy and the high cost of quota were also significant factors. It appears that the small fishers’ perception of high compliance cost can be supported by industry data.     

Developing a conceptual model of marine farming in New Zealand

Survey and Geographic Information System (GIS) data analysis describes the relative influence of biophysical and human variables on site choices made by marine farmers in New Zealand. Community conflicts have grown in importance in determining farm location and different government planning strategies leave distinct signature patterns. Recent legislation empowers local governments to choose among three strategies for future regional aquaculture development. This paper suggests each strategy could result in different spatial outcomes. Simulation modelling of the type described here can provide a better understanding of farmer responses to management approaches and the range of futures that could result from planning choices made today.     

The divergent environmental characteristics of permanently-open,seasonally-open and normally-closed estuaries of south-western Australia

This study has compared the environmental characteristics of the basins and saline lower reaches of the tributaries of eight estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia, which differ in their degree of connectivity with the ocean. Although four estuaries between 115.1° and 121.8° E along that coast remain permanently open to the ocean, the others only become open when the volume of river discharge is sufficient to breach the prominent sand bars at their mouths, which occurs annually following heavy winter and early spring rainfall in some estuaries (seasonally open) and infrequently in others (normally closed). Estuaries to the west of 118.5° E are predominantly permanently open, e.g. Oyster Harbour, or seasonally open, e.g. Broke, Irwin and Wilson inlets, whereas those further east, e.g. Wellstead Estuary and Hamersley, Culham and Stokes inlets, where annual rainfall and thus discharge are much lower, only become open after exceptionally heavy discharge. In permanently and seasonally-open estuaries, pronounced haloclines and oxyclines are present in the narrow rivers but not the wide basins where the waters are subjected to wind-driven mixing. The extent of cyclical seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions differed markedly among the three seasonally-open estuaries and between years in one of those systems. These differences reflected variations in the relationship between the volume of fluvial discharge, which is determined by a combination of the amount of local rainfall, catchment size and extent of clearing of native vegetation, and the amount of intrusion by marine waters, which is largely controlled by the size and duration of the opening of the estuary mouth. The mean seasonal salinities in the basins of the three normally-closed estuaries increased over three years of very low rainfall to 64 in the deepest of these estuaries (Stokes Inlet) to 145 in Hamersley Inlet and to 296 in the shallowest estuary (Culham Inlet). These results demonstrate that the environmental characteristics of estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia differ markedly, even among those of the same type, e.g. seasonally-open estuaries or normally-closed estuaries.     

济南北部地热田地热地质特征浅析

济南北部地热田地热资源类型属于层状裂隙岩溶型,热源是北部齐河-广饶断裂的沟通导热,盖层是第四系、新近系、石炭-二叠系、侏罗系.可利用的、具有开发价值的热储层为奥陶系灰岩热储,该热储层顶板埋深在700～2500m左右,热储层厚度由南向北逐渐增大,单井涌水量2000m3/d左右,孔口水温一般在38～57℃,地热田东部地热水矿化度1.4～3.5g/L左右,西部5.1～7.2g/L左右,地热水中富含氟、锶、偏硅酸等微量元素,具腐蚀性,结垢性弱,具较好的开发利用价值.经计算奥陶系热储层单井可采资源量为7.3×105m3/a,合理井间距为5000m.     

济南张夏组灰岩岩溶地下水供水潜力探讨

济南南部广布巨厚张夏组灰岩,其中赋存优质丰富的岩溶地下水。出露众多泉水,其流量为800～8000m3/d。该文通过简述济南地区张夏组灰岩岩溶地下水的赋存条件与水文地质特征,概略计算与评价其资源量,论证开发利用这一新水源的可行性,以期为济南供水与保泉开辟新途径。     

西太平洋暖池热含量变化与东亚冬季风关系

利用 1955-2003 年 NCEP\NCAR 再分析资料和美国 Scripps 海洋研究所环境数据分析中心 ( JEDAC ) 提供的冬季热含量资料,采用小波分析、相关及合成分析等方法, 分析了西太平洋暖池热含量变化特征及其与东亚冬季风关系.结果表明,西太平洋暖池热含量与东亚冬季风有着非常密切的联系,当西太平洋暖池热含量异常偏高时,对流层低层在菲律宾及以东洋面形成一个异常的气旋性环流,中国大陆上空形成一个异常的反气旋性环流,从而使得东亚冬季风在东南区加强,西北区减弱.     

ENSO事件对西北太平洋热带气旋影响的分级研究

采用1951-2006年联合台风警报中心(JTWC)最佳路径数据集和气候预测中心(CPC) ENSO资料,分析了西北太平洋不同等级热带气旋累积能量(accumulated cyclone energy,ACE)与ENSO指数之间的关系.结果表明;ACE与ENSO指数间存在正相关关系;分级热带气旋中,ENSO事件主要通过超强台风(Super TY)的活动与ACE指数联系起来的,超强台风频数在El Ni(n)o期间多于La Ni(n)a 期间,同时持续时间也更长;ENSO指数和热带气旋活跃季超强台风ACE指数的滞后相关(ENSO指数滞后5个月内)与它们的同时相关大小相当.此外,还研究了分级热带气旋持续时间、强度和频数分别对ACE指数的贡献,结果显示超强台风频数的贡献最大.接下来,利用1951-2006年不同ENSO位相情况下NCEP再分析资料,分析了ENSO影响超强台风发生发展的物理机制.主要结论为:西北太平洋存在一些SuperTY频数与源地分布在ENSO年与平常年相比有明显差异的关键区;ENSO事件改变关键区低层相对涡度以及海表温度是其影响SuperTY源地及频数变化的重要途径.