Dating of rockfall damage in trees yields insights into meteorological triggers of process activity in the French Alps

Rockfall release is a rather unpredictable process. As a result, the occurrence of rockfall often threatens humans and (infra)structures. The assessment of potential drivers of rockfall activity therefore remains a major challenge, even if the relative influence of rainfall, snowmelt, or freeze–thaw cycles has long been identified in short-term monitoring projects. In the absence of longer-term assessments of rockfall triggers and possible changes thereof, our knowledge of rockfall dynamics remains still lacunary as a result of the persisting scarcity of exhaustive and precise rockfall databases. Over the last decades, several studies have employed growth disturbances (GDs) in tree-ring series to reconstruct rockfall activity. Paradoxically, these series were only rarely compared to meteorological records. In this study, we capitalize on the homogeneity of a centennial-old reforestation plot to develop two reconstructions – R1 including only growth suppressions, and R2 based on injuries – with limited biases related to decreasing sample size and changes in exposed diameters back in time. By doing so, our study also and quite clearly highlights the large potential that protection forests have in terms of yielding reliable, multidecadal rockfall reconstructions. From a methodological perspective, we find no synchronicity between R1 and R2, as well as an absence of meteorological controls on rockfall processes in R1. This observation pleads for a careful selection of GDs in future reconstructions. In terms of process dynamics, we demonstrate that summer intense rainfall events (>10 mm day⁻¹) are the main drivers for rockfall activity at our study site. Despite the stringency of our detection procedure, correlations between rockfall activity and meteorological variables remain comparable to those reported in previous studies, as a result of the complexity and multiplicity of triggering factors. We therefore call for a more systematic coupling of tree-ring analysis with rockfall and microclimatic monitoring in future studies. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic reliability assessment and the nonergodicity in the modelling parameter uncertainties

Modelling uncertainty can significantly affect the structural seismic reliability assessment. However, the limit state excursion due to this type of uncertainty may not be described by a Poisson process as it lacks renewal properties with the occurrence of each earthquake event. Furthermore, considering uncertainties related to ground motion representation by employing recorded ground motions together with modelling uncertainties is not a trivial task. Robust fragility assessment, proposed previously by the authors, employs the structural response to recorded ground motion as data in order to update prescribed seismic fragility models. Robust fragility can be extremely efficient for considering also the structural modelling uncertainties by creating a dataset of one-to-one assignments of structural model realizations and as-recorded ground motions. This can reduce the computational effort by more than 1 order of magnitude. However, it should be kept in mind that the fragility concept itself is based on the underlying assumption of Poisson-type renewal. Using the concept of updated robust reliability, considering both the uncertainty in ground motion representation based on as-recorded ground motion and non ergodic modelling uncertainties, the error introduced through structural reliability assessment by using the robust fragility is quantified. It is shown through specific application to an existing RC frame that this error is quite small when the product of the time interval and the standard deviation of failure rate is small and is on the conservative side.     

山西定襄七岩泉新旧测氡仪水氡测值稳定性及映震分析

2014年山西定襄七岩泉新增BHC-336智能定标器,对新、旧2套测氡仪的水氡测值,就稳定性、数据一致性、内在质量等进行对比分析,结果显示,因存在系统误差,2台测氡仪水氡测值稳定性均值存在差异,测量精度和性能具有一致性;与新测氡仪相比,旧测氡仪水氡测值相对偏差和均值标准误差更小,精度更高,数据相关程度较高,数据稳定性更好。定襄水氡对华北5级以上地震具有较好的映震能力,新测氡仪对2016年4月7日原平4.6级地震映震效能比旧测氡仪灵敏。     

茂名近海、近岸及陆地站点气象要素对比分析

基于广东省茂名近海海洋浮标站、近岸海上平台站以及陆地电白基准站1年的观测数据,对比分析了风速、风向、温度和湿度的变化特征。(1)三个站点全年的主导风向均呈双峰状,只是主导风向有差异,海洋浮标站和海上平台站以东北风为主,偏南风为辅;而电白基准站主要是东北风和东南风。三个站点的月平均风速最小值都是在8月;最大值海洋浮标站出现在1月,海上平台站为11月,而电白基准站为4月。(2)电白基准站和海上平台站温度年平均日变化呈现出“一谷一峰”型特征;海上浮标站早上有一个低谷,但是峰值不太明显。三个站点月平均温度都是上半年呈上升趋势,下半年呈下降趋势。海洋浮标站纬度更南,受到陆地影响最小,全年高温持续时间最长。(3)三个站点的湿度年平均日变化都是呈“一峰一谷”型,即早晚湿度高,中午到下午低。从日变化振幅上看,电白基准站最大,海上平台站次之,海洋浮标站最小。三个站点湿度月平均都是2—8月湿度较大,最低月份出现在东北季风盛行的11—12月。海洋浮标站出现高湿度的月份最长;海上平台站因为受到陆地的影响,在中午和下午会出现较明显的低值区域。(4)受下垫面的影响,三个站点的风速、温度和湿度的日较差全年平均值,最...     

Middle pleistocene interglacial sediments at Tye green,Stansted Airport,Essex, England

Interglacial lake deposits at Tye Green, Stansted, resting on unweathered till and overlain by a weathered diamicton are correlated with the temperate Hoxnian Stage. The sediments represent the infilling of an isolated kettle-hole type of lake basin formed at the end of the cold Anglian Stage. Through the temperate period this basin was infilled by inorganic and organic sediments that record the development and decline of deciduous forest. Later periglacial conditions are indicated by the final infilling of the basin by reworked till. The sedimentary sequence and vegetational development recorded in the sediments at Tye Green are compared with other Hoxnian sites in eastern England. Changes in deposition rates are interpreted as representing water-table fluctuations resulting from changes in precipitation. The deposits at Tye Green provide a useful stratigraphical marker in the glacial sequence of the district. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vertical distribution of bacteria and archaea in a CO2-rich meromictic lake: A case study of Lake Monoun

In order to assess the diversity and spatial distribution of bacterial and archaeal communities in a CO₂-rich and meromictic lake, samples were collected along the water column of Lake Monoun and analyzed using PCR-DGGE and quantitative analyses of the 16S rRNA gene. The retrieved sequences were affiliated to 6 bacterial phyla and two archaeal phyla which plausible environmental functions map with the physico-chemical parameters of the lake. Unclassified sequences were also detected. This suggests heterogeneity in community composition and existence of potential candidate divisions. For instance, amongst the bacterial sequences, 18.2% matched with methanotrophic bacteria of the order methylococcales and amongst the archaeal sequences, 16.6% matched with methanogenic species of the order methanomicrobiales. Hence, evidencing the existence of methane-related prokaryotes in the lake, a finding that would play a key role in our understanding of the methane puzzle of Lake Monoun. Other groups capable of a wide range of metal and nutrients transformations were also detected, as well as those of unknown functions. The layering of microbial communities also appeared to directly or indirectly depend on oxygen availability. DGGE and qPCR analyses both suggested a scarcity of archaea in the surface samples. Furthermore, qPCR revealed that bacteria were numerically more important than archaea in all the samples. The general distribution along the water column indicated that archaeal abundance increases with depth.     

中部地区粮食生产比较优势分析与基地建设

中部地区是中国重要的粮食主产基地,在分析中部地区粮食生产规模优势、效率优势、综合比较优势和集中度的基础上,进一步探讨了中部地区粮食生产基地建设对策。结论如下:① 1978 年以来,中部地区水稻和小麦具有稳定的比较优势,而玉米和大豆没有比较优势。其中水稻生产的综合优势指数均在1.10 以上;小麦综合优势表现为稳中有升,从1978 年为1.00 上升到2012 年为1.16;玉米的综合优势指数小于0.80;大豆的综合优势呈现下降趋势,从1978 年为0.90 下降到2012 年为0.80。② 整体从横向来看,水稻、小麦、玉米、大豆四大粮食作物的比较优势结构发生了变化。1978 年规模优势大小顺序为:水稻 > 大豆 > 小麦 > 玉米;效率优势为:小麦 > 水稻 > 玉米 > 大豆;综合优势为:水稻 > 小麦 > 大豆 > 玉米。2012 年规模优势为:水稻 > 小麦 > 大豆 > 玉米;效率优势为:小麦 > 水稻 > 大豆 > 玉米;综合优势为:小麦 > 水稻 > 大豆 > 玉米。③ 中国四大区域中的东部地区、西部地区和东北地区粮食生产的集中度均有波动,唯有中部地区的粮食集中度保持稳定上升,其粮食、水稻、小麦、玉米的集中度由1978 年的28.65%、38.13%、28.83%、16.16%分别上升到2012 年的30.08%、39.87%、42.40%、17.16%,2012 年中部地区粮食、水稻、小麦的集中度位于四大区域之首。④分析表明,中部地区粮食生产在全国的地位越来越重要,应采取各项措施促进中部地区粮食生产的稳定与增长。     

Evaluation of geochemical behavior and heavy metal distribution of sediments：The case study of the Tirumalairajan river estuary,southeast coast of India

The purpose of this study was to assess the chemical partitioning of selected heavy metals(Fe,Mn,Cu,Zn,Pb,Cr,Co and Ni) in 10 surface sediments at Tirumalairajan River Estuary in the southeastern coast of India.A five-step sequential extraction technique was used to assess the environmental status of heavy metals.Most of metals were considered to be immobile due to the high availability in the residual fraction of heavy metals.The sediments of Tirumalairajan River estuary had not been polluted by heavy metals,and they didn’t pose any high ecological risk.The seasonal variations of heavy metals were slightly higher in summer than in monsoon season.Factor analysis was also carned out to understand the associations of metals in different fractions with sand,silt,clay,organic matter,pH,salinity and other metals.The relationship between the Q-mode and R-mode cluster analyses was useful for identifying the pollution levels in both seasons.It was proved that the enrichment of heavy metals was related with geogenic and anthropogenic sources.The information on total metal concentrations in sediments was not sufficient for assessing the metal behavior in the environment,but the sequential extraction technique was more effective in estimating the environmental impact of contaminated sediments.     

从中部地区六省比较看中原崛起

随着中部崛起战略的提出和实施,中部各省都在谋求发展。通过中部六省的比较,分析河南的优、劣势及其在中部崛起中的目标定位,进而有针对性地提出加快实现中原崛起的对策和建议。     

中亚五国水土资源开发及其安全性对比分析

由于气候变暖和人类活动的影响,随着人口增长和区域农业灌溉发展,再加上低效率水资源管理等已导致中亚区域水土生态系统的退化.主要针对前苏联解体后到2007年的时段,对中亚五国水土资源开发情况及其对安全状态指标进行对比分析.结果表明:在1988—2007年期间,哈萨克斯坦人口总数逐年减少,人均可更新水资源量和人均总取水量呈逐年增加的趋势;其它中亚4国(吉尔吉斯斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、土库曼斯坦和乌兹别克斯坦)人均水资源量出现逐年降低的趋势;乌兹别克斯坦是最大取水用户国家,次为土库曼斯坦;乌兹别克斯坦和土库曼斯坦是最大农业取水国,哈萨克斯坦是最大工业取水国,乌兹别克斯坦是最大生活取水国.到2005年,塔吉克斯坦和土库曼斯坦的淡水产量降到1989年的99%.在1992—2005年间,除了土库曼斯坦外其它中亚国家人均耕地面积逐年减少;同期,哈萨克斯坦的森林和草地面积有所减少,吉尔吉斯斯坦和乌兹别克斯坦有所扩大,塔吉克斯坦和土库曼斯坦的森林面积基本上保持不变,草地面积有所降低.乌兹别克斯坦是化肥施用和土壤盐渍化强度较严重的国家,土壤盐渍化面积占总灌溉面积从1994年50%扩大到2001年65.9%.