Determination of subcatchment and watershed boundaries in a complex and highly urbanized landscape

Urban development significantly alters the landscape by introducing widespread impervious surfaces, which quickly convey surface run‐off to streams via stormwater sewer networks, resulting in “flashy” hydrological responses. Here, we present the inadequacies of using raster‐based digital elevation models and flow‐direction algorithms to delineate large and highly urbanized watersheds and propose an alternative approach that accounts for the influence of anthropogenically modified land cover. We use a semi‐automated approach that incorporates conventional drainage networks into overland flow paths and define the maximal run‐off contributing area. In this approach, stormwater pipes are clustered according to their slope attributes, which define flow direction. Land areas drained by each cluster and contributing (or exporting) flow to a topographically delineated catchment were determined. These land masses were subsequently added or removed from the catchment, modifying both the shape and the size. Our results in a highly urbanized Toronto, Canada, area watershed indicate a moderate net increase in the directly connected watershed area by 3% relative to a topographically forced method; however, differences across three smaller scale subcatchments are greater. Compared to topographic delineation, the directly connected watershed areas of both the upper and middle subcatchments decrease by 5% and 8%, respectively, whereas the lower subcatchment area increases by 15%. This is directly related to subsurface storm sewer pipes that cross topographic boundaries. When directly connected subcatchment area is plotted against total streamflow and flashiness indices using this method, the coefficients of variation are greater (0.93 to 0.97) compared to the use of digital elevation model‐derived subcatchment areas (0.78 to 0.85). The accurate identification of watershed and subcatchment boundaries should incorporate ancillary data such as stormwater sewer networks and retention basin drainage areas to reduce water budget errors in urban systems.     

Watershed delineation using hydrographic features and a DEM in plain river network region

Watershed delineation is a required step when conducting any spatially distributed hydrological modelling. Automated approaches are often proposed to delineate a watershed based on a river network extracted from the digital elevation model (DEM) using the deterministic eight‐neighbour (D8) method. However, a realistic river network cannot be derived from conventional DEM processing methods for a large flat area with a complex network of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and polders, referred to as a plain river network region (PRNR). In this study, a new approach, which uses both hydrographic features and DEM, has been developed to address the problems of watershed delineation in PRNR. It extracts the river nodes and determines the flow directions of the river network based on a vector‐based hydrographic feature data model. The river network, lakes, reservoirs, and polders are then used to modify the flow directions of grid cells determined by D8 approach. The watershed is eventually delineated into four types of catchments including lakes, reservoirs, polders, and overland catchments based on the flow direction matrix and the location of river nodes. Multiple flow directions of grid cells are represented using a multi‐direction encoding method, and multiple outflows of catchments are also reflected in the topology of catchments. The proposed approach is applied to the western Taihu watershed in China. Comparisons between the results obtained from the D8 approach, the ‘stream burning’ approach, and those from the proposed approach clearly demonstrate an improvement of the new approach over the conventional approaches. This approach will benefit the development of distributed hydrological models in PRNR for the consideration of different types and multiple inlets and outlets of catchments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

矿床成矿系列——五论矿床的成矿系列问题

矿床的成矿系列(简称成矿系列)是矿床学领域的一个理论性概念,由五级序次组成。矿床成矿系列是成矿系列的第二序次,是成矿系列的核心部分。矿床成矿系列的划分,以岩浆、沉积、变质、表生和流体(非岩浆-非变质成因流体)5种成矿作用为基本原则,以成矿地质环境为基础,结合成矿的时段与形成的矿床组合进行划分。本文对矿床成矿系列时空范围、时空组成结构、矿化强度与演化、成矿区带内不同矿床成矿系列之间的演化、叠加和复合作用及对指导找矿的意义进行了论述。     

Confronting the nitrogen challenge: Options for governance and target setting

The release of excessive anthropogenic nitrogen contributes to global climate change, biodiversity loss, and the degradation of ecosystem services. Despite being an urgent global problem, the excess nitrogen is not governed globally. This paper considers possible governance options for dealing with excessive nitrogen through target setting, which is an approach commonly adopted to address global environmental problems. The articulation of the nitrogen problem and the numerous international institutions dealing with it, provide evidence of a nitrogen regime characterised by limited coordination and targets covering sources and impacts only partially. This calls for improving the nitrogen governance in the direction of more integrated approaches at the global scale. In this vein, the paper investigates two opposite governance options – here labelled as ‘holistic’ and ‘origin-based’ – and evaluates them for their capability to define solutions and targets for human-induced nitrogen. From the analysis, it emerges that origin-based solutions can be preferable to holistic solutions as they can be more specific and potentially have greater immediate results. Independent from which governance arrangement is chosen, what matters most is the speed at which an arrangement can deploy solutions to combat (fast-growing) nitrogen pollution.     

奇异性理论在弱异常信息提取中的应用—以冀北隐伏中-酸性侵入岩体为例

冀北地区是河北省矿产资源重要聚集地之一,成矿条件优越,其中中-酸性侵入岩体与银铅锌多金属矿床成矿密切相关。然而,大量的第四系覆盖压制了一些深部及隐伏弱异常成矿信息,使得常规化探方法在该覆盖区提取效果微弱。本文运用奇异性分析及主成分分析对冀北1：20万水系沉积物常量元素化探数据进行分析处理,提取区内成矿元素弱异常,并将其与未进行奇异性处理的结果进行对比。结合区域地质背景、物化探资料圈定覆盖区内与中-酸性侵入岩体有关的异常区,对成矿作用、成矿规律进行分析、讨论,以期揭示区内元素富集规律。结果显示,上述组合方法可以有效提取元素弱异常并进行成矿有利区圈定,并且圈定位置与已知岩体位置、区域构造条件相吻合,共圈出隐伏异常点7个,推测其为成矿远景区。     

Peaks of People: Using Topographic Prominence as a Method for Determining the Ranked Significance of Population Centers

This article borrows a statistical method from physical geography—topographical prominence—to suggest a new technique for measuring the relative significance or rank of population centers. Unlike raw population measures, prominence gives consideration to both the spatial intensity of concentrated population areas as well as the spatial dependence or independence of neighboring settlement clusters in relation to one another. We explain how to apply the topographic prominence calculation method to gridded population data and examine its practical utility through case studies of several U.S. states. We then discuss some ways in which parametric choices about point-to-surface transformations can result in considerably different outcomes and offer further suggestions for conceptualizing and measuring population center significance.     

Water resources optimization and eco-environmental protection in Qaidam Basin

In order to realize sustainable development of the arid area of Northwest China, rational water resources exploitation and optimization are primary prerequisites. Based on the essential principle of sustainable development, this paper puts forward a general idea on water resources optimization and eco-environmental protection in Qaidam Basin, and identifies the competitive multiple targets of water resources optimization. By some qualitative methods such as Input-output Model & AHP Model and some quantitative methods such as System Dynamics Model & Produce Function Model, some standard plans of water resources optimization come into being. According to the Multiple Targets Decision by the Closest Value Model, the best plan of water resources optimization, eco-environmental protection and sustainable development in Qaidam Basin is finally decided.     

Water resources optimization and eco-environmental protection in Qaidam Basin

During the development of Qaidam Basin, which is an arid area in Northwest China, rational water resources utilization and optimization are primal prerequisites, and the main restrictive factors include the following facts: scarcy water resources are non-substitutional and uneven distributed in time and space. Based on the essential principle of sustainable development, this paper adopts Multiple Targets Decision by the Closest Value Model, and succeeds in getting the best plan, which can o…     

Study on the fractal character of magnetic anomaly fields and the delineation of tectonic elements in the South China Sea

INTRODUCTION~hon0ffornjcelmtSwnthebasisofthestudyonthecrustaldefonnationanddeVel0prnent,thedistributionofndnereIs,andthendnerogeneticlawr.ThegeornagneticfieklisthecomP0siterefledionoftheformati0nanddefortnationofthecrust.Sornagnct-icsLLrVeydatacomPriseirnPortantbasisfordelincatingthearchiteCtonicelements,dCtendningtheirboundarylines,andanalopngthesanndarystrudriineachelernent,whicharetthernaintasks0fgoophySicalworkers.Thegoornagneticdelineati0nofanareahadforlongbodonequalitativeybyobs…     

Y11B航空物探(电/磁)综合站西北找水初步成果

1997年9月23日～10月8日,在甘肃省安西—敦煌地区用Y11B航空物探(电/磁)综合站和GPS导航定位进行了地下水勘查试生产工作。用均匀大地模型,结合已知的水文地质资料,初步圈定了淡水区、过渡类型水区、咸水区和苦水区及泉水湖。所推断的水质和土壤含盐量与大的水文地质单元和1:20万水文地质普查报告都吻合得很好,且细节更为清楚。对差异较大的地方做了分析和解释。