Fractionation of Heavy Metals in Sediments from Dianchi Lake,China

Fractionation of heavy metals in sediments can help in understanding potential hazards of heavy metals. The present study analyzed total concentrations and fractions of selected heavy metals （Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn） in surface sediments from Dianchi Lake, Yunnan Province, China, as well as factors that may affect distributions of the various heavy metal fractions. Total concentrations of the heavy metals decreased in the order Zn 〉 Cu 〉 Pb 〉 Cr 〉 Cd. These heavy metals, except Cr, were much higher than their background levels, indicating that Dianchi Lake was polluted by Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu. Cadmium occurred mainly as the non-residual fraction （sum of the HOAc-soluble, reducible, and oxidizable fractions） （97.6%）, and Zn （55.7%） was also predominantly found in the non-residual fraction. In contrast, most of the Cr （88.5%）, Pb （81.8%）, and Cu （59.2%） occurred in the residual fraction. Correlation analysis showed that total heavy metal concentrations, organic matter and reducible Fe were the main factors affecting the distributions of the various heavy metal fractions. In the Walhai section of Dianchi Lake （comprising 97% of the lake area）, the concentrations of Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu in the non-residual fraction were significantly lower （P ≤ 0.01 or 0.05） than those of the Caohal section （3% of the lake area）. This indicated that potential heavy metal hazards in the Caohai section were greater than the Waihai section.

Characteristics of Extreme Temperature Event and Its Response to Regional Warming in Northwest China in Past 45 Years

Using the daily maximum and minimum temperature dataset from 128 stations from 1960 to 2004 in Northwest China,daily extreme high temperature(EHT)and extreme low temperature(ELT)thresholds were deter-mined by centesimal method for different stations at first,then yearly EHT and ELT events were counted up in differ-ent stations,and the characteristics of their spatio-temporal distribution were diagnosed at last.The study drew follow-ing conclusions:1)The consistent anomaly distribution characteristic was the most important mode of the EHT and ELT events in Northwest China.2)The spatial distribution of the EHT and ELT events can be divided into five sub-regions,namely,the north of Qinghai and west of Gansu,the north of Xinjiang,the south of Xinjiang,the east of Northwest China and the south of Qinghai.3)The EHT events showed remarkable increasing trend in all of five sub-regions,but only in the north of Qinghai and west of Gansu area,sudden change phenomenon occurred;the ELT events showed decreasing trend in all of five sub-regions,and sudden change phenomenon occurred in Northwest China except for south of Qinghai.4)In all of five sub-regions the EHT events showed remarkable 12-14yr period os-cillation,and the ELT event showed significant 13-15yr and 7-8yr period oscillation.5)The EHT and ELT events displayed remarkable positive and negative responses to regional warming of Northwest China respectively.

CHARACTERISTICS OF QUASI-PERIODIC OSCILLATIONS DURING SEA FOG EVENTS

Based on the high-resolution datasets collected in a sea fog field experiment at the northern coast of South China Sea,the variations of liquid water content (LWC) and net longwave radiation flux (NLRF) during two sea fog events on 16th-17th and 18th-19th March,2008 are exaimeed by wavelet analysis,and the cooling mechanisms for fog formation and persistence are also investigated.The main results are shown as follows.(1) Sea fog may develop and persist whether it is cloudy or not aloft.However,when there is cloud aloft the LWC is less and wind speed in sea fog is higher than that in the clear sky.(2) The quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) of NLRF are observed in the formation stage of the two fogs.QPOs of LWC are only found in the developing stage no matter with cloudless or cloudy condition.(3) It is likely that sea fog forms by the cooling effects of longwave radiation and develops through the vertical mixing induced by the radiative cooling at the upper level.(4) During sea fog development and persistence,other mechanisms could also play important roles in fog-layer cooling,such as turbulent heat transport and radiation transport between air-sea interfaces.

Environmental Conditions Determining the Timing of the Lifetime Maximum Intensity of Tropical Cyclones over the Western North Pacific and Their Frequency of Occurrence

Environmental conditions determining the timing of the lifetime maximum intensities of tropical cyclones(TCs)are investigated for the TCs over the western North Pacific during the period 2008-2017.The results show that the land controls the timings of the lifetime maximum intensities in 42% of the TCs over this basin,indicating that accurate track forecasts are beneficial for TC intensity forecasts.With respect to other TCs that are not affected by the land(i.e.,Ocean-TCs),the timings of their lifetime maximum intensities are determined by multiple oceanic factors.In particular,interactions between TCs and cold-core eddies occur in a large proportion(nearly 60%)of Ocean-TCs at or shortly after the times of their lifetime maximum intensities,especially in strong TCs(categories 4 and 5),suggesting that a consideration of the above interactions is necessary for improving TC intensity forecasting skills.In addition,unfavorable oceanic heat content conditions become common as the latitude increases over 25°N,influencing half of the Ocean-TCs.Strong vertical wind shear contributes detrimentally to the atmospheric environment in 17% of the TCs over this basin,especially in moderate and weak TCs.In contrast,neither the maximum potential intensity nor the humidity in the middle level of the atmosphere plays dominant roles when TCs turn from their peak intensities to weakening.

Effects of Urea and Controlled Release Urea Fertilizers on Methane Emission from Paddy Fields: A Multi-Year Field Study

A four-year(2008–2011) field study was implemented in a major rice-growing region of China to better understand the effect of urea and controlled release fertilier(CRF, thermoplastic resin-coated urea in this study) on CH4 emission from paddy fields. Over the four years, the average CH4 emission during the rice growing seasons was 76.9, 65.8 and 64.9 kg CH4ha-1in treatments CK(zero N), U(urea) and C(CRF), respectively. Urea and CRF significantly reduced CH4 emission by 14.4% and 15.6%, and increased average rice grain yield by 25.8% and 19.7%(P < 0.05), respectively, compared with treatment CK. Flooding duration would affect CRF's effect on CH4 emission from paddy fields. Under normal aeration conditions, CH4 emission tended to be 3.9%–15.2% lower in treatment C than in treatment U from 2009 to 2011, while it tended to be 4.2% higher under delayed aeration conditions in 2008. The findings suggest that mid-season aeration(MSA) starting on D30(30 days after rice transplanting), just like the local practice, would optimize the CRF's effect on CH4 emission from rice fields in China. Over the four years, average rice yield did not differ between treatments U and C, and tended to be 5% lower in treatment C than in treatment U.

A local spatial decision support system for developing countries based on MCA,fuzzy sets and OWA–case study of a municipality in Cuba

This paper presents a Spatial Decision Support System for local governments of developing countries.It allows municipality government,enterprises,scientific community and civil society to address decision problems using GIS.The framework is supported by four modules of information technologies:Environmental Decision Support Database,Data Manipulation,Decision Support,and Mapping.A case study is presented covering the implementation of this framework in one municipality of Cuba.An example of land suitability planning for coconut crops is used to evaluate the system performance and usability.Results show local municipalities are able to use this framework to solve local decision problems using state of the art decision making even with low infrastructure development.

RETRIEVAL OF QINGHAI-XIZANG SASWR WITH ERBE AND ISCCP DATA

In the context of 1985—1988 ERBE and 1984—1988 ISCCP planetary scale albedoes and total cloudiness in combination with Qinghai-Xizang actinometric measurements,investigation was performed of the climatic retrieval of surface absorbed shortwave radiation(SASWR)in the research highland.Evidence suggests that the method has given higher fitting accuracy with mean error of 9.8 W m^(-2),whereupon was calculated the monthly mean SASWR flux density at the gridpoints of 2.5°×2.5°resolution over 25—40°N,75—95°E and 63 stations alongside a set of the distribution maps prepared for its basic features.

CLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ATMOSPHERIC NET RADIATION OVER CHINA

In terms of ERBE and ISCCP data.and measured/calculated surface net radiation, computation is performed of the climatic characteristics of ANR(atmospheric net radiation)across China alongside with the discussion and relations to other two kinds of radiation and contributing factors.Evidence suggests a high linear correlation of ANR with atmosphere-absorbed shortwave radiation.whereby can be established a general expression for ANR,which decreases more sharply as a function of altitude and increases slightly with latitude in summer,and changes uniformly in winter.Eventually,a comparison is made of the findings presented in this paper and literatures regarding the ANR pattern and magnitudes,indicating their great difference.

QINGHAI-XIZANG SURFACE LONG-WAVE RADIATION PARAMETERIZATION WITH ITS CLIMATIC CALCULATION

In the context of August 1982- July 1983 radiation balance data of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, detailed study is made of the relation between the active-surface temperature and surface temperature, proposing two parameterization schemes on surface long-wave radiation (SLWR) of the form U=kδσ(T_0 + 273)~4 and U=δσ[(T_0+273)~4+△T)]~4, where k and △T are indicated by parameterization equations, separately, others being in conventional notation. Retrieved verification shows the two formulae to be of the same fitting accuracy with the mean relative error of 3.6% and suitable for computing instantaneous and mean flux density, alongside analyzed daily and annual variations of k and △T. Eventually. SLWR in the target area is investigated and its climatic characteristics examined.