Pervasive wetland flooding in the glacial drift prairie of North Dakota (USA)

This article describes a unique flood hazard, produced by the dramatic expansion of wetlands in Nelson County, located within the North American Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, USA. There has been an unprecedented increase in the number, average size, and permanence of prairie wetlands, and a significant increase in the size of a closed lake (Stump Lake) due to a decade-long wet spell that began in 1993 following a prolonged drying trend. Base-line land cover information from the 1992 USGS National Land Cover Characterization dataset, and a Landsat TM scene acquired 9 July 2001 are used to assess the growth of the closed lake and wetland pond surface areas, and to analyze the type and area of various land cover classes inundated between 1992 and 2001. The open water profile in Nelson County changed from one marked by relatively comparable coverage of closed lake and wetland pond areas in 1992, to one in which wetland open water accounted for the vast majority of total open water in 2001. The bulk of the wetland pond area expansion occurred by displacing existing wetland vegetation and agricultural cropland. Producers responded to the flood hazard by filing Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) claims and enrolling cropland in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a federal land retirement program. Land taken out of agricultural production has had an enormous impact upon the agricultural sector that forms the economic base of the rural economy. In 2001 the land taken out of production due to CRP enrollment and preventive planting claims represented nearly 42% of Nelson County’s 205.2 K ha base agricultural land. The patterns obtained from this detailed study of Nelson County are likely to be the representative of the more publicized flood disaster occurring within the Devils Lake Basin of North Dakota.     

Three-dimensional Layer-integrated Modelling of Estuarine Flows with Flooding and Drying

Details are given of the refinement and application of a thee-dimensional (3-D) layer-integrated numerical model of tidal circulation, with the aim of simulating severe tidal conditions for practical engineering applications. The mode splitting strategy has been used in the model. A set of depth-integrated 2-D equations are first solved to give the pressure gradient, and the layer-integrated 3-D equations are then solved to obtain the vertical distributions of the flow velocities. Attention has been given to maintaining consistency of the physical quantities derived from the 2-D and 3-D equations. A TWO=layer mixing length turbulence model for the vertical shear stress distribution has been included in the model. Emphasis has been focused on applying the model to a real estuary, which is geometrically complicated and has large tidal ranges giving rise to extensive flooding and drying. The model has been applied to three examples, including: wind-driven flow in a rectangular lake, tidal circulation in a model rectangular harbour, and tidal circulation in a large estuary. Favourable results have been obtained for both the simple and complex flow beds.     

Ordovician Graptolite Rhabdosome Complication and Its Implications on Sea Level Changes

A total of four times of rhabdosome complication events, i.e., the lateral branching of graptolite stipes during the Late Middle Ordovician, the secondary branching of graptolite stipes at the earliest Upper Ordovician, the early Qiantangjiangian of Upper Ordovician and the middle Qiantangjiangian, respectively, is discussed in this paper. These events and other adaptation events demonstrate close relationships between a diverse graptolite fauna and sea level changes, and consequently can be employed to study sea level fluctuations. It is safe to conclude that the complication of rhabdosome started at the maximum flooding surface (MFS) and terminated at the beginning of regression.     

Architecture of coastal and alluvial deposits in an extensional basin: the Carboniferous Joggins Formation of eastern Canada

Abstract The Joggins Formation was deposited in the Cumberland Basin, which experienced rapid mid‐Carboniferous subsidence on bounding faults. A 600 m measured section of coastal and alluvial plain strata comprises cycles tens to hundreds of metres thick. The cycles commence with coal and fossiliferous limestone/siltstone intervals, interpreted as widespread flooding events. These intervals are overlain by coarsening‐upward successions capped by planar‐based sandstone mounds, up to 100 m in width that represent the progradation of small, river‐generated delta lobes into a standing body of open water developed during transgression. The overlying strata contain sand‐rich heterolithic packages, 1–8 m thick, that are associated with channel bodies 2–3 m thick and 10–50 m wide. Drifted plant debris, Calamites groves and erect lycopsid trees are preserved within these predominantly green‐grey heterolithic sediments, which were deposited on a coastal wetland or deltaic plain traversed by channel systems. The cycles conclude with red siltstones, containing calcareous nodules, that are interbedded with thin sandstones and associated with both single‐storey channel bodies (1–1·5 m thick and 2–3 m wide) and larger, multistorey channels (3–6 m thick) with incised margins. Numerous channel bodies at the same level suggest that multiple‐channel, anastomosed river systems were developed on a well‐drained floodplain. Many minor flooding surfaces divide the strata into parasequences with dominantly progradational and aggradational stacking patterns. Multistorey channel bodies are relatively thin, fine grained and modestly incised, and palaeosols are immature and cumulative. The abundance and prominence of flooding surfaces suggests that base‐level rise was enhanced, whereas the lack of evidence for abrupt basinward stepping of facies belts, coupled with the absence of strong fluvial incision and mature palaeosols, suggests that base‐level fall was suppressed. These architectural features are considered to reflect a tectonic architectural signature, in accordance with the high‐subsidence basinal setting. Evidence for restricted marine influence and variation in floral assemblages suggests modulation by eustatic and climatic effects, although their relative importance is uncertain.     

The 3 June 1994 Java Tsunami: A Post-Event Survey of the Coastal Effects

The paper is a report of the field campaign undertaken by an international team (Italian, French and Indonesian) a few weeks after the occurrence of a tsunami invading the south-eastern coast of Java (Indonesia) and it complements the results of a concurrent field survey by Asian and USA researchers. The tsunamigenic earthquake occurred on 3 of June 1994 in the Indian Ocean about 200 km south of Java. The tsunami caused severe damage and claimed many victims in some coastal villages. The main purpose of the survey was to measure the inundation and the runup values as well as to ascertain the possible morphological changes caused by the wave attacks. Attention was particularly focussed on the most affected districts, that is Lumajang, Jember and Banyuwangi in Java, although also the districts of Negera, Tebanan and Denpasar in Bali were examined. The most severe damage was observed in the Banyuwangi district, where the villages of Rajekwesi, Pancer and Lampon were almost completely levelled by the violent waves. Most places were hit by three significant waves with documented wave height often exceeding 5 m. The maximum runup value (9.50 m) was measured at Rajekwesi, where also the most impressive erosion phenomena could be found. In contrast, only in one place of the neighbouring island of Bali was there a slight tsunami, the rest of the island being practically unaffected.     

海南博螯沿岸地貌与人类活动的潜在影响

The Boao coastal system along the eastern coast of Hainan Island is a dynamic delta-tidal inlet-barrier formed during the late Holocene. The delta developed inside a shallow lagoon barred by a sandy barrier with a narrow, shallow tidal inlet opening. Two major distributary channels separated by small islands characterize the delta. The lagoon is silting up receiving and trapping sediments from both the river and, in minor measure during storms, through the tidal inlet opening and barrier washovers. The barrier at the tidal inlet is highly dynamic and changes its form, accreting (migrating spit) against the inlet during fair-weather conditions and being eroded during storms and river floods.The delta has almost completely filled the lagoon and major concerns exist on the effect that ongoing large development plans may have on the environment. These concerns include the effect on floods and rate of siltation once banks of the islands have been stabilized and floodwater and sediment load are impeded from spreading over the lowlands, and the effect of increasing pollutant loads from the new facilities on the ecosystems of the increasingly restricting lagoon water and on the seashores.     

三元复合驱采出污水回注渗透率的影响因素分析

基于大庆油田三元复合驱采出污水回注对地层存在的损害现象,研究了污水回注渗透率的影响因素。采用室内水驱实验方法,对三元复合驱采出污水中悬浮物、油、碱、聚合物等因素进行了分析,阐述了各种成分对渗透率的影响机理。结果表明,悬浮物颗粒会堵塞孔隙喉道,油产生的“贾敏效应”将增大油水流动阻力,碱与岩石及黏土矿物问的物理化学作用会使地层结垢,聚合物在岩芯中的吸附和滞留共同造成地层渗透率的下降。因此,建议将三元复合驱采出污水中悬浮物、油、碱、聚合物等处理合格后再进行回注,以减轻对地层的损害。     

华南前汛期广东暴雨分区动力特征及特大暴雨分析

依据2009－2013 年华南地区72 测站逐日降水资料,利用 REOF方法、合成分析等方法,分析华南前汛期（4-6 月）暴雨时空特征。结果表明：暴雨降水量占总降水量34.6%,年暴雨日数170天以上。REOF方法分析获得华南前汛期5个暴雨模态区, 其中广东两模态区中心荷载强于其余3个区,降雨更多,雨强更大。合成分析显示,广东北部暴雨区受西风带系统影响为主, 暴雨中尺度系统为气旋及变形场锋生。沿海暴雨区受副热带系统控制为主,中尺度系统主要为低空急流,输送气旋式切变和旋转涡度,及低空速度辐合, 并提供自海上来的充沛水汽,造成沿海区暴雨远强于北部区。 近5 a前汛期广东24 h累积降雨量大于200mm的大暴雨有14次,均发生在沿海暴雨模态区。两区暴雨机制分别为西风带中尺度低值系统锋生降水,和副热带系统暖区登陆地形作用降水。海温SST方面沿海暴雨区环境较北部暴雨区具有更大平均水汽潜热量,含更充沛水汽。而感热场反映沿海暴雨区从下垫面吸收更多热能量,更有利于不稳定暴雨过程维持与加强。对2010 年6 月9 -12 日广东沿海上川岛持续性特大暴雨分析显示,东北阻塞高压强盛与副热带高压西伸北进势均力敌配置,水汽通道和水汽通量散度輻合异常强盛, 湿位涡湿正压项和湿斜压项均构成有利于垂直涡度增长环境, 这些因子维持了特大暴雨过程。     

淮河流域洪水极值非平稳性特征

基于淮河流域9个水文站的月径流量数据,采用Pettitt非参数检验法、GAMLSS模型与洪水频率分析模型等方法,揭示了淮河中上游洪水频率的演变规律,分析基于平稳性和非平稳性条件下的洪水发生强度及洪涝灾害所带来的影响.研究发现:潢川、横排头和蚌埠站点未发生明显变异,其余6个站点发生均值或方差变异,变异时间主要集中在2000年左右.淮河流域的最优拟合分布函数是Weibull;班台、蒋家集和横排头站适宜于非平稳性模型,其余站点选择平稳性模型.各站点非平稳性条件下10年和20年一遇设计流量值与平稳性条件下皮尔逊Ⅲ型分布设计流量值相差不大,但30年一遇、50年一遇和100年一遇的设计流量相差逐渐变大.横排头站和蚌埠站洪水放大因子随着时间增加呈上升趋势且大于1,百年一遇重现期不足80年.各站点年最大洪峰流量与淮河流域、安徽省水灾面积通过了95%或99%的显著性检验.     

东亚冬季风环流异常与中国江淮流域夏季旱涝天气的关系

选取１９５１—１９９１年中的长江淮河流域夏季旱涝各１０年，对它们前期的中高纬大型环流形势，低纬环流特征，垂直环流强弱，热带海洋状况等进行了对比诊断分析，其结果如下：长江淮河流域夏季旱年前冬（１２—１—２月），欧亚中高纬呈经向型环流，东亚大槽较常年强且南伸，乌拉尔山及鄂霍次克海阻塞形势发展，寒潮活动频繁，东亚沿海中低纬冷涌活动强烈，至使该经度带上的跨赤道气流加强，而且使南海至菲律宾地区的对流活动趋于活跃。而涝年前冬则基本上为相反形势。本文的分析清晰地揭示了旱涝年前冬东亚冬季风环流存在着明显的差别，促使我们寻找冬夏季风活动的可能联系及物理机制。