Hydrological management strategies for the control of algal blooms in regulated lowland rivers

Reservoirs of lowland floodplain rivers with eutrophic backgrounds cause variations in the hydrological and hydraulic conditions of estuaries and low-dam reservoir areas, which can promote planktonic algae to proliferate and algal bloom outbreaks. Understanding the ecological effects of variations in hydrological and hydraulic processes in lowland rivers is important for algal bloom control. In this study, the middle and lower reaches of the Han River, China, a typical regulated lowland river with a eutrophic background, are selected. Based on the effect of hydrological and hydraulic variability on algal blooms, a hydrological management strategy for river algal bloom control is proposed. The results showed that (a) differences in river morphology and background nutrient levels cause significant differences in the critical threshold flow velocities for algal bloom outbreaks between natural river and low-dam reservoir sections; there is no uniform threshold flow velocity for algal bloom control. (b) There are significant differences in the river hydrological/hydraulic conditions between years with and without algal blooms. The average river flow, water level and velocity in years with algal blooms are significantly lower than those in years without algal blooms. (c) For different river sections where algal blooms occur and to meet the threshold flow velocities, the joint operation of cascade reservoirs and diversion projects is an effective method to prevent and control algal blooms in regulated lowland rivers. This study is expected to deepen our understanding of the ecological significance of special hydrological processes and guide algal bloom management in regulated lowland rivers.     

Study of the flood control scheduling scheme for the Three Gorges Reservoir in a catastrophic flood

The Three Gorges Project is the world's largest water conservancy project. According to the design standards for the 1,000‐year flood, flood diversion areas in the Jingjiang reach of the Yangtze River must be utilized to ensure the safety of the Jingjiang area and the city of Wuhan. However, once these areas are used, the economic and life loss in these areas may be very great. Therefore, it is vital to reduce this loss by developing a scheme that reduces the use of the flood diversion areas through flood regulation by the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), under the premise of ensuring the safety of the Three Gorges Dam. For a 1,000‐year flood on the basis of a highly destructive flood in 1954, this paper evaluates scheduling schemes in which flood diversion areas are or are not used. The schemes are simulated based on 2.5‐m resolution reservoir topography and an optimized model of dynamic capacity flood regulation. The simulation results show the following. (a) In accord with the normal flood‐control regulation discharge, the maximum water level above the dam should be not more than 175 m, which ensures the safety of the dam and reservoir area. However, it is necessary to utilize the flood diversion areas within the Jingjiang area, and flood discharge can reach 2.81 billion m³. (b) In the case of relying on the TGR to impound floodwaters independently rather than using the flood diversion areas, the maximum water level above the dam reaches 177.35 m, which is less than the flood check level of 180.4 m to ensure the safety of the Three Gorges Dam. The average increase of the TGR water level in the Chongqing area is not more than 0.11 m, which indicates no significant effect on the upstream reservoir area. Comparing the various scheduling schemes, when the flood diversion areas are not used, it is believed that the TGR can execute safe flood control for a 1,000‐year flood, thereby greatly reducing flood damage.     

Analytical study of ground motion caused by seismic wave propagation across faulted rock masses

Studying seismic wave propagation across rock masses and the induced ground motion is an important topic, which receives considerable attention in design and construction of underground cavern/tunnel constructions and mining activities. The current study investigates wave propagation across a rock mass with one fault and the induced ground motion using a recursive approach. The rocks beside the fault are assumed as viscoelastic media with seismic quality factors, Q_p and Q_s. Two kinds of interactions between stress waves and a discontinuity and between stress waves and a free surface are analyzed, respectively. As the result of the wave superposition, the mathematical expressions for induced ground vibration are deduced. The proposed approach is then compared with the existing analysis for special cases. Finally, parametric studies are carried out, which includes the influences of fault stiffness, incident angle, and frequency of incident waves on the peak particle velocities of the ground motions.     

RECENT TECTONIC DEFORMATION ANOMALY AND EARTHQUAKES IN GANSU-NINGXIA-QINGHAI AREA

1　IntroductionAccordingtogeologicalstructure ,theGansu Ningxia Qinghaiareabelongstothenortheastmar ginofQinghai Tibetblock .Thisareahasbeenpaidmuchattentionby geo specialistsinChinaandabroadbecauseofitssignificanttectonicmovement,itsintensiveseismicity ,anditsimportanceinearth quakehazardmitigation .IntheDevelopmentPro gramonNationalKeyBasicResearchesundertheProject“MechanismandPredictionofContinentalStrongEarthquakes”,themechanismsofcontinen talstrongearthquakesarestudied ,usinghypo…     

对青藏东北缘现今块体划分、运动及变形的初步研究

利用2维非连续变形分析方法（DDA），以位移代替围压作为边界约束力，研究青藏东北缘现今块体划分及其运动变形。根据该地区地质构造及地震活动，以GPS点测量位移作为模拟结果约束点，得出了较合理的块体划分模型和随时间演化的主应变分布图，并把应变高值区与近几年来发生的5级以上地震作对比，得出了研究区内地震危险性可能较大的区域。另外，对模拟的甘青块体与阿拉善块体的边缘带断裂左旋运动做了大概计算。     

用双三次样条函数和GPS资料反演现今中国大陆构造形变场

将中国大陆现今构造变动视为一种连续的地壳变形,利用双三次样条函数模拟了近期GPS测定的大陆内部及周边地区412个测站速率,反演大陆地区自洽的构造变动速度场和应变率场.模拟结果显示:印度板块与欧亚板块的碰撞、挤压是构成中国大陆内部岩石层水平形变的主要驱动力.印度板块在东喜马拉雅构造结深深插入青藏高原,造成地壳大规模的缩短和抬升.青藏高原东南部的喜马拉雅带、拉萨和羌塘地块以及青藏高原东南边的川滇地区,内部构造活动强烈,其内部的构造变形包含地壳碎片的冲断、褶皱和侧向逃逸.大陆地壳(或岩石圈)的增厚,尤其是喜马拉雅山脉南北向的快速缩短和青藏高原东西向的缓慢拉张,大约吸收了印欧板块会聚量的85%,西藏中东地区东西向的拉张速率达到了(16±2.0)mm/a,且顺时针方向扭转明显.印度板块相对欧亚板块运动的欧拉极为(29.7°N, 19.3°E, 0.392°/Ma);华南地块相对于欧亚大陆向东(102°±7.4°)南的运动速率是(11±1.54)mm/a,华南块体相对欧亚板块运动的欧拉极为(62.25°N, 126.56°E, 0.141°/Ma);塔里木地块相对较稳定,其西部运动速度高于东部运动速度,作顺时针方向旋转.总体上讲,中国大陆运动方向为北偏东呈辐射状,从西部近南北方向的运动转向东部地区东南方向的运动,绕东喜马拉雅构造结有一顺时针方向的旋转.横穿喜马拉雅构造带及青藏内部的南北向压缩速率为(19±2.0)mm/a,横穿西天山构造带的南北向压缩平均速率为(13±1.5)mm/a,横穿东天山构造带的南北向压缩平均速率为(6.0±1.4)mm/a.阿尔金断裂带的左旋走滑速率为(6±1.2)mm/a.     

青藏块体东北缘断层形变与中强地震

对祁连山－海原断裂带近期断层形变特征进行了初步研究，发现多场地，大范围的断层活动异常是中等强度地震发生的显著背景，并且往往与大陆地震活动的阶段性总体状况相呼应；区域形变存在明显的特征量，包括特征形态和特征时间，同一场地在不同地震前的异常特征具有重复性，但会受到背景差异显著的不同地震的影响，目前形变状况表明研究区仍具有发生中强地震的地壳运动背景。     

昆仑山8.1级地震前中国大陆的构造应变背景

利用“网络工程”1998～2001年累积的1181个测站的GPS重复观测资料，采用双三次样条函数模型建立中国大陆水平运动模型速度场，用大地坐标在椭球面上计算各类应变场，详细分析了2001年昆仑山8．1级地震前中国大陆水平构造应变场空间分布特征。各类构造应变场的最高值都出现在喜马拉雅构造带与昆仑山地块内(地震断裂带南侧)，鲜水河—安宁河断裂带次之。分析表明，昆仑山8．1级地震正好发生在张性面膨胀应变率的高值区，第一、第二和最大剪应变率高值区边缘的突变区和最大、最小主应变率的高值区。     

地震前后垂直形变场动态演化的量化指标

提出一种表达垂直形变场动态演化过程的量化指标——区域应变率、应变集中度。在此基础上，对南北地震带各水准监测区近30年的垂直形变资料进行了实际计算．并结合具体震例进行了对比研究。结果表明：量化指标在一定程度上能够反映地震前后形变场的动态演化过程和地壳运动状态，对地震的中长期预报有一定的积极意义。