Climatic Characteristics of Hail and Risk Zoning of Its Disaster Factor in Anhui Province

[ Objective] The research aimed to study climatic characteristics of hail and dsk zoning of its disaster factor in Anhui Province. [Method] Based on the hail-day records from 82 weather stations in Anhui Province, Chinese Meteorologica/Disaster Dictionary （1951 to 2005） and The Yearbook of Meteorological Disaster in Anhui Province （2006 to 2009）, we discussed the climatic characteristic and dsk zoning of hail disaster in Anhui Province. [Result] The hail days exhibited significant interdecadal variability, and it had a significant negative correlation with annual mean minimum temperature. The hail usually occurred from March to August, most frequently in June but less in autumn and winter. It most likely took place from aftemoon to sunset. The spatial distribution showed that the hail occurred more in northeast of Huaibei, south of Dabie Mountain and some areas of Huangshan Mountain, but less in Jianghuai region. The index of hail intensity was defined by three factors, the diameter, duration and gust grade, and the percentile method was used to grade the intensity of the hail disaster. This work provided a possibility for quantitative assessment of the intensity of hail disaster. The results of hail disaster risk zoning in Anhui Province showed that high dsk zones were concentrated in northeast of Huaibei, and low risk zones were mainly in south of Huaihe River. Finally, vedfied by historic disaster, it showed that the results of risk zoning had a certain rationality and feasibility. Conclusion The research could provide reference basis for hail disaster defense and assessment.

Study on the Causes of Low-temperature Freezing Rain and Snow Disasters in Hunan Province in 2008

[Objective] The aim was to analyze the causes of low-temperature rain and snow disasters in 2008.[Method] Based on the basic meteorological observation data,a primary study was implemented about the severe cold air and frozen rain event.The importance of factors causing disaster,territory and human activity in the formation of low-temperature rain and snow disasters were expounded.[Result] The factors triggering the disasters were so strong that were rarely seen in previous (stronger than that in 1954);the specific terrain was beneficial to the occurrence of the frozen rain;the human being’s action amplified the impacts of disaster events while suffering it.Furthermore,a point of view to minimize the climate disaster damage like this severe frozen rain was proposed.Improvement of forecast capability and accuracy,implementation of the demonstration about climatic feasibility,and propagation to public about the natural disaster’s protection and mitigation and so on were functional aspects.[Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the prediction and forecast of low-temperature rain and snow disasters.

Hazards from lakes and reservoirs: new interpretation of the Vaiont disaster

Hazards in reservoirs and lakes arising from subaerial landslides causing impact waves(or ‘lake tsunamis’) are now well known, with several recent examples having been investigated in detail. The potential scale of such hazards was not widely known at the time of the Vaiont dam project in the 1950s and early 1960s, although a small wave triggered by a landslide at another new reservoir nearby in the Dolomites(northern Italy) drew the possible hazard to the attention of the Vaiont project’s managers. The Vaiont disaster in 1963 arose from a combination of disparate and seemingly unrelated factors and circumstances that led to an occurrence that could not have been imagined at that time. The ultimate cause was a very large landslide moving very rapidly into a reservoir and displacing the water. The resulting wave overtopped the dam to a height of around 175 m and around 2000 people were killed. This paper identifies and examines all of the issues surrounding the Vaiont dam and landslide in order to identify causal factors, contributory factors(including aggravating factors) and underlying factors. In doing so, it demonstrates that the disaster arose from the Vaiont dam project and cannot be attributed simply to the landslide. Underlying geological factors gave rise to the high speed of the landslide, which would have occurred anyway at some time. However, without the contributory factors that account for the presence of the reservoir, i.e. the choice of location for the project and management of the project with respect to a possible landslide hazard, there would have been no disaster. Indeed, the disaster could have been avoided if the reservoir could have been emptied pending further ground investigations. Understanding of this case provides many lessons for future dam projects in mountainous locations but also highlights an ongoing and perhaps under-appreciated risk from similar events involving other water bodies including geologically recent lakes formed behind natural landslide dams.