Preliminary Results on Hydrological and Hydrochemical Features of Kartamak Glacier Area in Mt. Muztag Ata

The variations of the meltwater runoff draining from Kartamak Glacier in Mt. Muztag Ata in China were studied by using the measured hydrological data from 1 June to 25 August 2003. The meltwater runoff is mainly affected by ambient temperature and precipitation. Meltwater and precipitation samples were collected from 10 to 23 August 2003. Their pH, EC (electric conductivity) and the major ions (Na^+, K^+, Ca^(2+), Mg^(2+), Cl^-, NO_3^-, SO_~4^(2-)) were determined. pH values showed a positive correlation with EC values for all samples. Meltwater samples were slightly alkaline. Sulfate and calcium were the dominant anion and cation in the measured ions, respectively. All the ion concentrations had inverse relationships with runoff or water level. In order to discuss the origins of dissolved chemical substances in the glacial meltwater, a principal component analysis was carried out. The results showed that water-rock interaction determined the ion components of the meltwater.

Research on Water Resources Conservation of Mountain River Based on the Concept of Region Partition

Presently concepts and methods related to water resources conservation of mountain rivers are seriously insufficient,and its level is far from being adaptable to the development of a harmonious society.As mountain ecosystems play a key role in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and the characteristics of mountain ecosystems and hydrologic features of mountain river follow strong temporal and spatial distribution,partition theory can be applied to the water resources conservation of mountain river.This theory observes the following partition principles:regional relativity,spatial continuity,integralcounty,meeting management needs,hierarchical principle,and comparability principle.And it lays equal emphasis on both water resources conservation and environmental protection,on both water quality conservation and water quantity protection,on the combination of water features,water cycle and water pollution.In the partition methods,index method and map superposition method will be applied in region partition.The example of region partition of water resources conservation in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River shows that the partition theory is practicable in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and it provides a platform for future study in water resources conservation.

Hydrological Characteristics of the Rongbuk Glacier Catchment in Mt.Qomolangma Region in the Central Himalayas,China

From 8 April to 11 October in 2005, hydrological observation of the Rongbuk Glacier catchment was carried out in the Mr. Qomolangma （Everest） region in the central Himalayas, China. The results demonstrated that due to its large area with glacier lakes at the tongue of the Rongbuk Glacier, a large amount of stream flow was found at night, which indicates the strong storage characteristic of the Rongbuk Glacier catchment. There was a time lag ranging from 8 to 14 hours between daily discharge peaks and maximum melting （maximum temperature）. As melting went on the time lag got shorter. A high correlation was found between the hydrological process and daily temperature during the ablation period. The runoff from April to October was about 80% of the total in the observation period. Compared with the discharge data in 1959, the runoff in 2005 was much more, and the runoff in June, July and August increased by 69%, 35% and 14%, respectively. The rising of temperature is a major factor causing the increase in runoff. The discharges from precipitation and snow and ice melting are separated. The discharge induced by precipitation accounts for about 20% of the total runoff, while snow and ice melting for about 80%.

Watershed classification by remote sensing indices： A fuzzy c-means clustering approach

Determining the relatively similar hydrological properties of the watersheds is very crucial in order to readily classify them for management practices such as flood and soil erosion control. This study aimed to identify homogeneous hydrological watersheds using remote sensing data in western Iran. To achieve this goal, remote sensing indices including SAVI, LAI, NDMI, NDVI and snow cover, were extracted from MODIS data over the period 2000 to 2015. Then, a fuzzy method was used to clustering the watersheds based on the extracted indices. A fuzzy c-mean(FCM) algorithm enabled to classify 38 watersheds in three homogeneous groups.The optimal number of clusters was determined through evaluation of partition coefficient, partition entropy function and trial and error. The results indicated three homogeneous regions identified by the fuzzy c-mean clustering and remote sensing product which are consistent with the variations of topography and climate of the study area. Inherently,the grouped watersheds have similar hydrological properties and are likely to need similar management considerations and measures.

Assessment of potential impacts to surface and subsurface water bodies due to longwall mining

Ground movements due to longwall mining operations have the potential to damage the hydrological balance within as well as outside the mine permit area in the form of increased surface ponding and changes to hydrogeological properties. Recently, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement(OSMRE) in the USA, has completed a public comment period on a newly proposed rule for the protection of streams and groundwater from adverse impacts of surface and underground mining operations(80 FR 44435). With increased community and regulatory focus on mining operations and their potential to adversely affect streams and groundwater, now there is a greater need for better prediction of the possible effects mining has on both surface and subsurface bodies of water. With mining induced stress and strain within the overburden correlated to changes in the hydrogeological properties of rock and soil, this paper investigates the evaluation of the hydrogeological system within the vicinity of an underground mining operation based on strain values calculated through a surface deformation prediction model. Through accurate modeling of the pre- and post-mining hydrogeological system, industry personnel can better depict mining induced effects on surface and subsurface bodies of water aiding in the optimization of underground extraction sequences while maintaining the integrity of water resources.

Projection of future streamflow of the Hunza River Basin,Karakoram Range(Pakistan)using HBV hydrological model

Hydrologiska Byrans Vattenbalansavdeling(HBV) Light model was used to evaluate the performance of the model in response to climate change in the snowy and glaciated catchment area of Hunza River Basin. The study aimed to understand the temporal variation of streamflow of Hunza River and its contribution to Indus River System(IRS). HBV model performed fairly well both during calibration(R2=0.87, Reff=0.85, PBIAS=-0.36) and validation(R2=0.86, Reff=0.83, PBIAS=-13.58) periods on daily time scale in the Hunza River Basin. Model performed better on monthly time scale with slightly underestimated low flows period during bothcalibration(R2=0.94, Reff=0.88, PBIAS=0.47) and validation(R2=0.92, Reff=0.85, PBIAS=15.83) periods. Simulated streamflow analysis from 1995-2010 unveiled that the average percentage contribution of snow, rain and glacier melt to the streamflow of Hunza River is about 16.5%, 19.4% and 64% respectively. In addition, the HBV-Light model performance was also evaluated for prediction of future streamflow in the Hunza River using future projected data of three General Circulation Model(GCMs) i.e. BCC-CSM1.1, CanESM2, and MIROCESM under RCP2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 and predictions were made over three time periods, 2010-2039, 2040-2069 and 2070-2099, using 1980-2010 as the control period. Overall projected climate results reveal that temperature and precipitation are the most sensitiveparameters to the streamflow of Hunza River. MIROC-ESM predicted the highest increase in the future streamflow of the Hunza River due to increase in temperature and precipitation under RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios from 2010-2099 while predicted slight increase in the streamflow under RCP2.6 during the start and end of the 21 th century. However, BCCCSM1.1 predicted decrease in the streamflow under RCP8.5 due to decrease in temperature and precipitation from 2010-2099. However, Can ESM2 predicted 22%-88% increase in the streamflow under RCP4.5 from 2010-2099. The results of this study could be useful for decision making and effective future strategic plans for water management and their sustainability in the region.

Comparative Mountain Hydrology: A Case Study of Wis?ok River in Poland and Chaohe River in China

Hydrological processes in river basins of similar size and morphology may differ significantly due to different climatic conditions. This paper presents a comparative analysis of hydrological characteristics of two river basins located in different climatic zones: the Wisok River Basin in the south-eastern Poland and the Chaohe River Basin in the northern China. The criteria of their choice were similarities in the basin area, main river length and topography. The results show that climate plays a key role in shaping fluvial conditions within the two basins. It is concluded that: 1) precipitation in the Wisok River Basin is more evenly distributed in the yearly cycle, while in the Chaohe River Basin it is highly concentrated in the few summer months; 2) spring snowmelt significantly contributes to runoff in the Wisok River Basin, while its role in the Chaohe River Basin is negligible; 3) in the Wisok River Basin, besides the peak flow in spring, there is also a period of high water in summer resulting from precipitation, while in the Chaohe River Basin there is only one high water period in summer; 4) the Wisok River Basin shows relatively higher stability in terms of the magnitude of intra- and inter-seasonal discharges; 5) during the multi-year observation period, a decrease in both precipitation and runoff was recorded in the two river basins.

Role of hydro-geochemical functions on karst critical zone hydrology for sustainability of water resources and ecology in Southwest China

Focusing on sustainability of water resources and ecology in the complex karst critical zone, we illustrated functions of the hydro-geochemical analysis on hydrology from the aspects of connection and interaction among hydrology–vegetation–soils/rock fractures along the karst subsurface profile. We reviewed isotopic and geochemical interpretations on tracing water sources for plant uptake, quantifying watershed outlet flow composition and residence times, and evaluating long-term evolution among climate–landscape–hydrology in the karst critical zone. In this paper, the application of the hydro-geochemical analysis on the above aspects in the karst areas of southwest China was summarized.

EU and international policies for hydrometeorological risks:Operational aspects and link to climate action

Changes in hydrometeorological characteristics and risks have been observed and are projected to increase under climate change. These considerations are scientifically well studied and led to the development of a complex policy framework for adaptation and mitigation for hydrometeorological risks. Awareness for policy actions is growing worldwide but no legal framework is in place to tackle climate change impacts on water at a global scale. With the example of international frameworks and the legislation on EU-level, this article elaborates that hydrometeorological risks are not considered in the framework of one single policy. However, various policy instruments are directly or indirectly considering these risks at different operational levels. It is discussed that a tailor-made framework for hydrometeorological risks would improve coordination at international or national level. A major drawback for a single operational framework is that hydrometeorological risks are scientifically tackled in two large communities: the disaster risk reduction community and the climate change adaptation community, both of which are bound to different research and operational funding budgets. In future, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will need been seen as a complementary set of actions that requires collaboration.

Floodwater utilization of the Three Gorges Project

Floods are both risks and resources. Floodwater utilization is an important part of flood management. Considering the rising shortage of water resources, serious water pollution, and undersupply of electric power, it’s imperative to strengthen flood management. In light of the hydrological characteristics of the Three Gorges Project (TGP) on the Yangtze River in P. R. China, we investigated the necessity and feasibility of TGP floodwater utilization, proprosed dynamic control of limited water level during flood season of the reservoir and basin-wide integrated floodwater management as strategies, and identified problems that might occur in practice.

Global and Regional Impacts of Vegetation on the Hydrological Cycle and Energy Budget as Represented by the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3)

The effects of vegetation and its seasonal variation on energy and the hydrological cycle were examined using a state-of-the-art Community Atmosphere Model （CAM3）. Three 15-year numerical experiments were completed： the first with realistic vegetation characteristics varying monthly （VEG run）, the second without vegetation over land （NOVEG run）, and the third with the vegetation characteristics held at their annual mean values （VEGMEAN run）. In these models, the hydrological cycle and land surface energy budget were widely affected by vegetation. Globaland annual-mean evapotranspiration significantly increased compared with the NOVEG by 11.8% in the VEG run run, while runoff decreased by 13.2% when the realistic vegetation is incorporated. Vegetation plays different roles in different regions. In tropical Asia, vegetation-induced cooling of the land surface plays a crucial role in decreasing tropical precipitation. In middle latitudes and the Amazon region, however, the vegetation-induced increase of evapotranspiration plays a more important role in increasing precipitation. The seasonal variation of vegetation also shows clear influences on the hydrological cycle and energy budget. In the boreal mid-high latitudes where vegetation shows a strong seasonal cycle, evapotranspiration and precipitation are higher in the summer in the VEG run than in the VEGMEAN run.

The hydrologic record of karst systems: linking soil moisture to the carbon isotope signatures of soils above the Blue Spring cave system

Speleothem carbonates are precipitated continuously from inorganic carbon dissolved in seepage water infiltrating from the land surface,that reflects a mixture of atmospheric CO_2,respired soil carbon,and epikarst sources,each with distinct δ^(13)C values.To aid in deconvolving these signatures,soil samples were collected above the Blue Spring cave system in Sparta,Tennessee,USA and subjected to a series of incubation experiments,in order to constrain the correlation between CO_2respiration rates and soil moisture.This relationship is used to parameterize a simple mixing model which predicts the relationship between δ^(13)C and soil moisture in fluids infiltrating into the underlying cave system.

Primary Endodermal Sinus Tumor in the Posterior Cranial Fossa:Clinical Analysis of 7 Cases

Objective To clarify the clinical features,therapeutic method and outcomes of the primary endodermal sinus tumors(ESTs)in the posterior cranial fossa.Methods The English literatures on EST in the posterior cranial fossa were retrieved from PubMed and reviewed.And a 4-year-old boy diagnosed with EST in our hospital was reported.The clinical manifestations,therapy,pathologic features,and prognosis of these cases were analyzed.Results Only seven cases of the ESTs in the posterior cranial fossa were enrolled in this review,including six cases searched from the PubMed and one case from our hospital.Six patients were boy and one patient’s gender was not available from the report.Ages ranged from 1 to 5 years(mean 3.14 years).The mean tumor size in our cohort was 4.4 cm.Six cases came from East Asia.Schiller-Duval bodies were found in all seven neoplasms.All tumors were positive for alpha-fetoprotein.The alpha-fetoprotein level in serum was increased to a very high level before therapy and depressed quickly after the effective chemotherapy.The mean follow-up time was 24.4 months(range 5-52 months).Six tumors were totally removed,and four of them recurred.Three cases died including one whose tumor was partially removed.Conclusions The serum alpha-fetoprotein level is well correlated with the severity of the tumor.A combination of operation and chemotherapy might be the effective management for EST in the posterior cranial fossa.The prognosis of extragonadal intracranial EST is poor.

Analysis of Surface and Ground Water Exchange in Two Different Watersheds

Water regime of Albanian rivers is a Mediterranean typical one. During the wet period, it flows 85%-90% of the annual flow and the dry period represents only 10%-15% of the annual amount. In this paper the water regime of the Semani and Vjosa River is analyzed. These are two rivers with total different hydro-geological characteristics. Vjosa river watershed is mainly composed of massif calcareous rocks that are streaky and karstifled. A totally different view is in the other river, in Seman where the impermeable rocks dominate. Even the distribution of the precipitation is quite different. In the Vjosa River the amount of the precipitation varies from 1,500 mm to 2,500 mm per year and in Semani River only 1,100 mm per year. The flow in the wet period is mainly a result of the precipitation and the minimum discharge occurs during the dry period representing the base flow that is the contribution from the groundwater. In this point of view the flow in the dry period is also an indicator of the underground water resource. During the dry period the watershed gives what it received and what has cumulated during the wet period. This is more evident in the case of a karstic watershed. The recession curves were analysed for all the hydrometric stations in both river basins and the parameters of these curves are evaluated. These results are analyzed and compared between the two different watersheds reflecting the differences on water exchange of surface and ground water. Finally, an assessment of groundwater resources in both hydro geological basins is worked out.

The research of Chinese karst ecological hydrology

Karst environment is very common in southwest China. Soil and vegetation are the most sensitive elements for the variation of karst environment. The weathering of carbonate is important soil formation mechanism in karst area, but its soil forming ability is so poor that the thickness of soil layer becomes thin by the water erosion, though the soil loss is insignificant but serious. The karst process, the ecology process, the hydrology process are three important circulation mechanisms in the karst multiple media environment. In the Chinese North and South karst area, the eco-environmental protection and restoration has already been the important part as the national territorial resources and the environmen- tal comprehensive development and management. The character of karst plants mainly depends on the environmental conditions, i.e. lack of water, richness of Ca, poor soil and shortage of organic matter. The plants have low growth pace and low life-form resource; it is vulnerable under the disturbance of irrational human activities. Therefore, the rocky desertification is the final result of karst ecosystem degradation. But ecological condition is severe in the North and South karst area, especially in the south karst stone mountainous area and the north arid karst area. There are many problems with the eco-environmental protection and restoration. This paper takes the karst multiple media environment as a core, comprehensively discusses the relations of the three processes – karst, hydrology, and ecology, and puts forward the direction of the research on karst ecology hydrology and the future.

Application of digital elevation model in delineating drainage networks

A practical method to extract drainage network from DEM (digital elevation model) is introduced. DEM pretreatment includes depression and flat areas treatment. The flow direction of each grid cell in DEM is calculated according to the 8-direction pour point model, and then the flow accumulation grid from the flow direction grid. With the flow accumulation grid, streams are defined according to the given threshold value of flow accumulation. Taking Gufo River watershed as an example, the extraction of drainage network was done from DEM. The results are basically consistent with the digitized drainage network from the relief maps.

Technology Embedded Imagination for Arab Women

With advancing channels of communication easing the availability of technological tools, the young minds of women in the Arabian Peninsula are ready to adopt forthcoming challenges. The embrace of storytelling in the digital realm by these young minds reflects the interplay of traditional culture, western modernism, and changes brought about by media industries. These women have adopted and used new media as a vehicle to maneuver their interesting and fresh ideas and have seen the rectilinear screen of a computer as an exit through which to come out and say something to the masses. The thinking methodology has culminated in pragmatic and dynamic visuals in order to celebrate, inform, and create awareness about the issues that they see in the region and among the people. With this freedom of expression, they are creating a new visual culture and transforming themselves into a meaningful workforce. With emerging technological tools, they blend intuitive, pragmatic, emotional, and contextual imagination with a highly-sophisticated production pipeline in order to incorporate the challenges of synthesizing ＂dialect＂ and ＂codes＂ that have traditionally been segregated in the culture. Their work is an amalgamation of arts/design, animation, life footage, and meaningful communication. With cyclical evaluation, they entwine the two elements, creativity, and technicality with massive exposure of Digital Assists Management （DAM）. This paper explains how current technological tools and contextualized teaching instructions foster meaningful content with the elicitation and mergence of Arab anthropological characteristics.

A case study of regional eco-hydrological characteristics in the Tao River Basin, northwestern China, based on evapotranspiration estimated by a coupled Budyko Equation-crop coefficient approach

In a case study in Tao River Basin, China, we derived a high spatial-resolution regional distribution of evapotranspiration(ET) using the single crop coefficient method and Budyko equation. We then further analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of this diverse eco-hydrological basin from 2001–2010. The results suggest that the single crop coefficient method based on leaf area index captures better spatial and temporal dynamics of the regional ET than did the Budyko Equation method. The rising temperature was the main reason for the increasing ET in the Tao River Basin during 2001–2010. Areas with high ET efficiency were distributed mainly in the areas where the vegetation coverage was high, and a lower runoff coefficient responded. The estimated spatial patterns of ET allowed an improved understanding of the eco-hydrological processes within the Tao River Basin and the method used might be generalized as a reference for future regional-scale eco-hydrological research.