Assessing the vegetation canopy influences on wind flow using wind tunnel experiments with artificial plants

Wind erosion causes serious problems and considerable threat in most regions of the world. Vegetation on the ground has an important role in controlling wind erosion by covering soil surface and absorbing wind momentum. A set of wind tunnel experiments was performed to quantitatively examine the effect of canopy structure on wind movement. Artificial plastic vegetations with different porosity and canopy shape were introduced as the model canopy. Normalized roughness length (Z ₀/H) and shear velocity ratio (R) were analyzed as a function of roughness density (λ). Experiments showed that Z ₀/H increases and R decreases as λ reaches a maximum value, λ _max, while the values of Z ₀/H and R showed little change with λ value beyond as λ _max.     

朝鲜半岛古元古代摩天岭群的碎屑锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

克拉通内部活动带变质沉积建造蕴藏了早期超大陆形成中地体聚-散动力学过程的重要信息,碎屑锆石年代学则是揭示这种信息的最佳工具之一。针对华北(中-朝)克拉通最具代表性的古元古代活动带(辽-吉-朝活动带)中巨量沉积建造精细表征方面的空白区域,本文开展了朝鲜半岛检德地区摩天岭群的碎屑锆石年代学研究。SIMS U-Pb定年结果显示,北大川组变火山碎屑岩样品的锆石年龄谱记录了约2.53Ga的主要年龄峰值和约2.19Ga的最年轻峰值,说明北大川组开始沉积的时代应该晚于2.2Ga。南大川组变沉积岩样品碎屑锆石记录的最年轻峰值年龄为约2.02Ga,说明南大川组的沉积时代应该不早于2.02Ga;其锆石年龄谱记录了一个主要年龄峰值区域(2.02~2.18Ga)、一个次要年龄峰值(约2.46Ga)和一些2.78~3.30 Ga的古老年龄,指示其物质源区主要为同区古元古代地质体和邻近地体上的太古宙变质基底。区域对比表明,摩天岭群与中国境内辽吉活动带中的辽河群及集安群/老岭群具有基本一致的碎屑锆石年龄谱,说明它们不仅是同一时代的产物,而且分享类似的物质源区。这些时代一致、物源相近的沉积建造可以为甄别古元古代辽-吉-朝活动带的大地构造属性提供重要参考。与沉积年龄相近的碎屑锆石占据主导的碎屑锆石年龄谱反映了汇聚板块边缘各类盆地的典型特征,而相悖于大部分碎屑锆石年龄远大于地层沉积年龄的裂谷型盆地。     

Quality control methods for KOOS operational sea surface temperature products

Sea surface temperature SST obtained from the initial version of the Korea Operational Oceanographic System(KOOS) SST satellite have low accuracy during summer and daytime. This is attributed to the diurnal warming effect. Error estimation of SST data must be carried out to use the real-time forecasting numerical model of the KOOS. This study suggests two quality control methods for the KOOS SST system. To minimize the diurnal warming effect, SSTs of areas where wind speed is higher than 5 m/s were used. Depending on the wind threshold value, KOOS SST data for August 2014 were reduced by 0.15°C. Errors in SST data are considered to be a combination of random, sampling, and bias errors. To estimate bias error, the standard deviation of bias between KOOS SSTs and climatology SSTs were used. KOOS SST data yielded an analysis error standard deviation value similar to OSTIA and NOAA NCDC(OISST) data. The KOOS SST shows lower random and sampling errors with increasing number of observations using six satellite datasets. In further studies, the proposed quality control methods for the KOOS SST system will be applied through more long-term case studies and comparisons with other SST systems.     

Effects of Trichoderma harzianum YC_(459) and soil types on seed germination and seedling growth in rock slope restoration

We carried out experiments with various concentrations of Trichoderma harzianum YC459 in different soil types(forest soil, mixed soil,merchantable soil, and leaf mold soil) to evaluate its effect on seed germination and seedling establishment of four species(Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Dianthus barbatus var. asiaticus Nakai,Lespedeza cyrtobotrya Miq., and Parthenocissus tricuspidata Planch) for rock slope restoration. We also investigated the use of drilled slanted holes on the rock slopes for seedling establishment. The results showed that T. harzianum concentration had significant effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and seedling survival for all the species with different soil types. Seed germination and survival rates peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil and decreased as T. harzianum concentration increased from 5% to 10%. Seedling survival rates of all four species were generally lowest at 0% T. harzianum concentration in all soil types.The height of F. arundinacea and L. cyrtobotrya peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration whereas that of D. barbatus and P. tricuspidata peaked at 10%T. harzianum concentration. We concluded that 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil is appropriate for seed germination and seedling survival rates of most species, thus enhancing seedling establishment. Practical application of the findings of this study will contribute in the vegetation restoration of steep rocks in mountain environments.     

Down-scaled regional ocean modeling system (ROMS) for high-resolution coastal hydrodynamics in Korea

A down-scaled operational oceanographic system is developed for the coastal waters of Korea using a regional ocean modeling system(ROMS).The operational oceanographic modeling system consists of atmospheric and hydrodynamic models.The hydrodynamic model,ROMS,is coupled with wave,sediment transport,and water quality modules.The system forecasts the predicted results twice a day on a 72 h basis,including sea surface elevation,currents,temperature,salinity,storm surge height,and wave information for the coastal waters of Korea.The predicted results are exported to the web-GIS-based coastal information system for real-time dissemination to the public and validation with real-time monitoring data using visualization technologies.The ROMS is two-way coupled with a simulating waves nearshore model,SWAN,for the hydrodynamics and waves,nested with the meteorological model,WRF,for the atmospheric surface forcing,and externally nested with the eutrophication model,CE-QUAL-ICM,for the water quality.The operational model,ROMS,was calibrated with the tidal surface observed with a tide-gage and verified with current data observed by bottom-mounted ADCP or AWAC near the coastal waters of Korea.To validate the predicted results,we used real-time monitoring data derived from remote buoy system,HF-radar,and geostationary ocean color imager(GOCI).This down-scaled operational coastal forecasting system will be used as a part of the Korea operational oceanographic system(KOOS) with other operational oceanographic systems.     

Late Paleozoic tectonic evolution in northern Korean Peninsula

Since Late Proterozoic era, the Korean Peninsula has been evolved into a state with relatively stable regions and orogenic belts which were developed differently each other. The Late Paleozoie （Late Carboniferous-Early Triassic） sediments are well developed in the Korean Peninsula, and called the Pyongan System. The Pyongan System from Late Carboniferous to Lower Triassic is distributed in the Pyongnan and Hyesan-Riwon Basins, and Rangrim Massif, and divided into Hongjom （ C2 ）, Ripsok （ C2 ）, Sadong （ C2-P1 ）, Kobangsan and Rokam （Taezhawon） （P2-T1） sequences. The sediments of the Tumangang Orogenic Belt are called Tuman System which is composed of the Amgi Series, consisting of elastic formation with mafic effusive material, overlaid by the Kyeryongsan Series, consisting mainly of marie volcano sediments. The Songsang Series which rests on the Kyeryongsan Series mainly consists of elastic formation with minor felsic effusive material. In the Tumangang Orogenic Belt the tectonic movement, called Tumangang Tectonic Movement, occurred in the Lower Permian-Lower Triassic.     

Species delimitation in the green algal genus Codium (Bryopsidales) from Korea using DNA barcoding

Codium, one of the largest marine green algal genera, is difficult to delimit species boundary accurately based on morphological identification only. DNA barcoding is a powerful tool for discriminating species of seaweeds. The plastid elongation factor TU(tuf A) is considered as maker to perform DNA barcoding of green algal species than rbc L gene due to universality and rapid evolution rate. We conducted DNA barcoding application to Codium specimens from the Jeju Island, Korea to overcome the limit of morphological identification and to confirm the species diversity. As a result of applying tuf A marker, we newly generated fifty-five tuf A barcodes to resolve eight species. Tuf A marker exhibited 6.1%–21.8% interspecific divergences, wider than the gap of rbc L exon 1,3.5%–11.5%. Molecular analysis of rbc L exon 1 sequences of Codium revealed eight distinct species like tuf A analysis separated in five phylogenetic groups. DNA barcoding of the genus Codium using tuf A marker is more helpful to overcome the limit of morphological identification, and this is more potential to reveal cryptic species and to resolve the relationships among subspecies than rbc L analysis alone. The complement of tuf A barcoding and rbc L analyses including morphology for the genus Codium in the northwestern Pacific will give much more reliable achievement for discovering species diversity and resolving the phylogenetic relationships.     

Simulation of the extreme waves generated by typhoon Bolaven (1215) in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea

Record-breaking high waves occurred during the passage of the typhoon Bolaven (1215) (TYB) in the East China Sea (ECS) and Yellow Sea (YS) although its intensity did not reach the level of a super typhoon. Winds and directional wave measurements were made using a range of in-situ instruments mounted on an ocean tower and buoys. In order to understand how such high waves with long duration occurred, analyses have been made through measurement and numerical simulations. TYB winds were generated using the TC96 typhoon wind model with the best track data calibrated with the measurements. And then the wind fields were blended with the reanalyzed synoptic-scale wind fields for a wave model. Wave fields were simulated using WAM4.5 with adjustment of C_d for gust of winds and bottom friction for the study area. Thus the accuracy of simulations is considerably enhanced, and the computed results are also in better agreement with measured data than before. It is found that the extremely high waves evolved as a result of the superposition of distant large swells and high wind seas generated by strong winds from the front/right quadrant of the typhoon track. As the typhoon moved at a speed a little slower than the dominant wave group velocity in a consistent direction for two days, the wave growth was significantly enhanced by strong wind input in an extended fetch and non-linear interaction.     

Meteorites at Meridiani Planum provide evidence for significant amounts of surface and near‐surface water on early Mars

Abstract– Six large iron meteorites have been discovered in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity in a nearly 25 km‐long traverse. Herein, we review and synthesize the available data to propose that the discovery and characteristics of the six meteorites could be explained as the result of their impact into a soft and wet surface, sometime during the Noachian or the Hesperian, subsequently to be exposed at the Martian surface through differential erosion. As recorded by its sediments and chemical deposits, Meridiani has been interpreted to have undergone a watery past, including a shallow sea, a playa, an environment of fluctuating ground water, and/or an icy landscape. Meteorites could have been encased upon impact and/or subsequently buried, and kept underground for a long time, shielded from the atmosphere. The meteorites apparently underwent significant chemical weathering due to aqueous alteration, as indicated by cavernous features that suggest differential acidic corrosion removing less resistant material and softer inclusions. During the Amazonian, the almost complete disappearance of surface water and desiccation of the landscape, followed by induration of the sediments and subsequent differential erosion and degradation of Meridiani sediments, including at least 10–80 m of deflation in the last 3–3.5 Gy, would have exposed the buried meteorites. We conclude that the iron meteorites support the hypothesis that Mars once had a denser atmosphere and considerable amounts of water and/or water ice at and/or near the surface.