Function Evolution and Landscape Planning Strategy of Inland Rivers in Beilun Port City of Ningbo

In the history, the main roles of inland rivers in Beilun Port City of Ningbo were desalination,blocking tides, shipping, and flood control. Nowadays, with the continuous spread and deepening ofurbanization, the ecological environment of river courses has been destroyed. In the past, remediationmeasures based on engineering and technology played a certain role, but can not “cure the root cause”. Itshould respect the historical evolution process of river courses, and highlight the ecological service functionand leisure tourism value of river courses from the coordination perspective of urban and rural ecologicalenvironment, economic industries, society and culture in the planning ideas of ecology, production, andlife integration. Four aspects of the measures are as below: protecting and repairing the ecological matrixof river courses;building green space system and maintaining flood control functions through the waternetwork;protecting cultural heritage along the rivers;developing waterfront leisure tourism scenic area.

Characterization of saline soil for the halophytes of largest inland saline wetland of India using geospatial technology

About 23%of the surface area and 44%of the volume of all the lakes are occupied by saline lakes in the world.Importantly,agricultural diversion,illegal encroachment,pollution,and invasive species could cause these lakes to dry up completely or partially by 2025.Illegal saltpan encroachment is causing Sambhar,India’s largest saline lake,to shrink by 4.23%every decade.This study aims to characterize the soil parameters where halophytes are growing.A literature survey was conducted for halophytes and soil characteristics.The study area was divided into four zones for stratified random sampling.Soil sampling was conducted in February 2021.The soil indicators for halophyte selected were pH,electrical conductivity,moisture,salinity,organic carbon,and organic matter.The obtained results were interpolated in the geospatial platform for soil characteristic mapping.It is found that no research is conducted on halophytes of the lake.Studies on soil are also inconsistent and only six common parameters could be identified.Results show that the pH ranged 9.37-7.66,electrical conductivity was 16.1-0.38,moisture 23.37%-1.2%,organic carbon 3.29%-0.15%,organic matter 5.6%-0.2%,and salinity 8.86%-0.72%.Though these results show improved condition as compared to last few years,in long term,the lake is desiccating.During the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration(2021-2030),if these causes are not addressed,the ecosystem may completely dry up.

Modelling Dry Port Systems in the Framework of Inland Waterway Container Terminals

Overcoming the global sustainability challenges of logistics requires applying solutions that minimize the negative effects of logistics activities.The most efficient way of doing so is through intermodal transportation(IT).Current IT systems rely mostly on road,rail,and sea transport,not inland waterway transport.Developing dry port(DP)terminals has been proven as a sustainable means of promoting and utilizing IT in the hinterland of seaport container terminals.Conventional DP systems consolidate container flows from/to seaports and integrate road and rail transportation modes in the hinterland which improves the sustainability of the whole logistics system.In this article,to extend literature on the sustainable development of different categories of IT terminals,especially DPs,and their varying roles,we examine the possibility of developing DP terminals within the framework of inland waterway container terminals(IWCTs).Establishing combined road–rail–inland waterway transport for observed container flows is expected to make the IT systems sustainable.As such,this article is the first to address the modelling of such DP systems.After mathematically formulating the problem of modelling DP systems,which entailed determining the number and location of DP terminals for IWCTs,their capacity,and their allocation of container flows,we solved the problem with a hybrid metaheuristic model based on the Bee Colony Optimisation(BCO)algorithmand themeasurement of alternatives and ranking according to compromise solution(i.e.,MARCOS)multi-criteria decision-making method.The results from our case study of the Danube region suggest that planning and developingDP terminals in the framework of IWCTs can indeed be sustainable,as well as contribute to the development of logistics networks,the regionalisation of river ports,and the geographic expansion of their hinterlands.Thus,the main contributions of this article are in proposing a novel DP concept variant,mathematically formulating the problems of its modelling,and developing an encompassing hybrid metaheuristic approach for treating the complex nature of the problem adequately.

SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION AND UTILIZATION OF WATER RESOURCES IN THE INLAND RIVERBASIN OF ARID NORTHWEST CHINA

Calculated in terms of surface runoff plus irrepeated groundwater, there is about 8. 67 ×1010m3 of total available water resources in the inland river basins of arid Northwest China. Water resources is the decisive factor for survival of oases and human being. But there have arisen several aspects of Serious eco-environment problems resulted from irrational exploitation and utilization. From now on, the development and utilization of water not only requires to promote regional economy, but also needs to protect and improve the environment based on their potential. Sustainable utilization needs to broaden new sources and saving water at first. Then three measures are recommended.

Hydrological and water cycle processes of inland river basins in the arid region of Northwest China

The increasing shortage in water resources is a key factor affecting sustainable socio-economic development in the arid region of Northwest China(ARNC). Water shortages also affect the stability of the region's oasis ecosystem. This paper summarizes the hydrological processes and water cycle of inland river basins in the ARNC, focusing on the following aspects: the spatial-temporal features of water resources(including air water vapor resources, runoff, and glacial meltwater) and their driving forces; the characteristics of streamflow composition in the inland river basins; the characteristics and main controlling factors of baseflow in the inland rivers; and anticipated future changes in hydrological processes and water resources. The results indicate that:(1) although the runoff in most inland rivers in the ARNC showed a significant increasing trend, both the glaciated area and glacial ice reserves have been reduced in the mountains;(2) snow melt and glacier melt are extremely important hydrological processes in the ARNC, especially in the Kunlun and Tianshan mountains;(3) baseflow in the inland rivers of the ARNC is the result of climate change and human activities, with the main driving factors being the reduction in forest area and the over-exploitation and utilization of groundwater in the river basins; and(4) the contradictions among water resources, ecology and economy will further increase in the future. The findings of this study might also help strengthen the ecological, economic and social sustainable development in the study region.

Mutual optimization of water utilization structure and industrial structure in arid inland river basins of Northwest China

Water is a key restricting factor of the economic development and eco-environmental protection in arid inland river basins of Northwest China. Although water supplies are short, the water utilization structure and the corresponding industrial structure are unbalanced. We constructed a System Dynamic Model for mutual optimization based on the mechanism of their interaction. This model is applied to the Heihe River Basin where the share of limited water resources among ecosystem, production and human living is optimized. Results show that, by mutual optimization, the water utilization structure and the industrial structures fit in with each other. And the relationships between the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Heihe River Basin can be harmonized. Mutual benefits of ecology, society and economy can be reached, and a sustainable ecology-production-living system can be obtained. This study gives a new insight and method for the sustainable utilization of water resources in arid inland river basins.

CONCEPT, DISTRIBUTION LAW AND FORMATION MACHANISM OF INLAND SALINE ALKALINE WETLAND─ ─ Taking Songliao Plain for Example

The paper, taking Songliao Plain for example, studied the concept, distribution law and formation mechanism of inland saline alkaline wetland. The inland saline alkaline wetland is distributed over the inland region of arid or semi arid climate; it is the wet or slightly stagnant environment, forming saline alkaline soil and salt vegetation and making the geogra phical environment fonming complex with an ecosystem of saline alkaline wetland. The laws of zone nature and non zone nature control the distribution of the inland saline alkaline wetland that extensively spreads in north part of China and other countries. The inland saline alkaline wetland is formed jointly by atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere including intellectual sphere. Under the special condition, the artificial activity is possibly the key function. In order to improve the human environment, it is a great duty confronting the whole world to rationally transform the inland saline alkaline wetland. Therefore, we presented an anti inland theory to promote the environment transformation.

Climate effects on an inland alpine lake in Xinjiang, China over the past 40 years

Inland lakes are important water resources in arid and semiarid regions. Understanding climate effects on these lakes is critical to accurately evaluate the dynamic changes of water resources. This study focused on the changes in Sayram Lake of Xinjiang, China, and addressed the effects of climate fluctuations on the inland lake based on long-term sequenced remote sensing images and meteorological data from the past 40 years. A geo- graphic information system （GIS） method was used to obtain the hypsometry of the basin area of Sayram Lake, and estimation methods for evaporation from rising temperature and water levels from increasing precipitation were proposed. Results showed that： （1）Areal values of Sayram Lake have increased over the past 40 years. （2） Both temperature and precipitation have increased with average increases of more than 1.8~C and 82 mm, respectively. Variation of the water levels in the lake was consistent with local climate changes, and the areal values show linear relationships with local temperature and precipitation data. （3） According to the hypsometry data of the basin area, the estimated lake water levels increased by 2.8 m, and the water volume increased by 12.9×108 m3 over the past 40 years. The increasing area of Sayram Lake correlated with local and regional climatic changes because it is hardly affected by human activities.

Simulation of hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins: taking the Heihe Mainstream River as an example

The hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins are complicated.It is absolutely significant to quantify mountainous runoff for social,economic and ecological purposes.This paper takes the mountainous watershed of the Heihe Mainstream River as a study area to simulate the hydrological processes of mountainous watersheds in inland river basins by using the soil and water assessment tool(SWAT)model.SWAT simulation results show that both the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and the determination coefficient values of the calibration period(January 1995 to December 2002)and validation period(January 2002 to December 2009)are higher than 0.90,and the percent bias is controlled within±5%,indicating that the simulation results are satisfactory.According to the SWAT performance,we discussed the yearly and monthly variation trends of the mountainous runoff and the runoff components.The results show that from 1996 to 2009,an indistinctive rising trend was observed for the yearly mountainous runoff,which is mainly recharged by lateral flow,and followed by shallow groundwater runoff and surface runoff.The monthly variation demonstrates that the mountainous runoff decreases slightly from May to July,contrary to other months.The mountainous runoff is mainly recharged by shallow groundwater runoff in January,February,and from October to December,by surface runoff in March and April,and by lateral flow from May to September.

A distributed runoff model for inland mountainous river basin of Northwest China

In order to predict the futuristic runoff under global warming, and to approach to the effects of vegetation on the ecological environment of the inland river mountainous watershed of Northwest China, the authors use the routine hydrometric data to create a distributed monthly model with some conceptual parameters, coupled with GIS and RS tools and data. The model takes sub-basin as the minimal confluent unit, divides the main soils of the basin into 3 layers, and identifies the vegetation types as forest and pasture. The data used in the model are precipitation, air temperature, runoff, soil weight water content, soil depth, soil bulk density, soil porosity, land cover, etc. The model holds that if the water amount is greater than the water content capacity, there will be surface runoff. The actual evaporation is proportional to the product of the potential evaporation and soil volume water content. The studied basin is Heihe mainstream mountainous basin, with a drainage area of 10,009 km 2 . The data used in this simulation are from Jan. 1980 to Dec. 1995, and the first 10 years' data are used to simulate, while the last 5 years' data are used to calibrate. For the simulation process, the Nash-Sutcliffe Equation, Balance Error and Explained Variance is 0.8681, 5.4008 and 0.8718 respectively, while for the calibration process, 0.8799, -0.5974 and 0.8800 respectively. The model results show that the futuristic runoff of Heihe river basin will increase a little. The snowmelt, glacier meltwater and the evaportranspiration will increase. The air temperature increment will make the permanent snow and glacier area diminish, and the snowline will rise. The vegetation, especially the forest in Heihe mountainous watershed, could lead to the evapotranspiration decrease of the watershed, adjust the runoff process, and increase the soil water content.

Air–water CO2 flux in an algae bloom year for Lake Hongfeng,Southwest China:implications for the carbon cycle of global inland waters

The carbon cycle of global inland waters is quantitatively comparable to other components in the global carbon budget. Among inland waters, a significant part is man-made lakes formed by damming rivers. Manmade lakes are undergoing a rapid increase in number and size. Human impacts and frequent algae blooms lead to it necessary to make a better constraint on their carbon cycles. Here, we make a primary estimation on the air–water CO_2 transfer flux through an algae bloom year for a subtropical man-made lake—Hongfeng Lake, Southwest China. To do this a new type of glass bottles was designed for content and isotopic analysis of DIC and other environmental parameters. At the early stage of algae bloom,CO_2 was transferred from the atmosphere to the lake with a net flux of 1.770 g·C·m^(-2). Later, the partial pressure(pCO_2) of the aqueous CO_2 increased rapidly and the lake outgassed to the atmosphere with a net flux of 95.727 g·C·m^(-2). In the remaining days, the lake again took up CO_2 from the atmosphere with a net flux of 14.804 g·C·m^(-2). As a whole, Lake Hongfeng released 4527 t C to the atmosphere, accounting for one-third of the atmosphere/soil CO_2 sequestered by chemical weathering in the whole drainage. With an empirical mode decomposition method, we found air temperature plays a major role in controlling water temperature, aqueous pCO_2 and hence CO_2 flux. This work indicates a necessity to make detailed and comprehensive carbon budgets in man-made lakes.

Performances of conventional fusion methods evaluated for inland water body observation using GF-1 image

Satellite remote sensing of inland water body requires a high spatial resolution and a multiband narrow spectral resolution, which makes the fusion between panchromatic(PAN) and multi-spectral(MS) images particularly important. Taking the Daquekou section of the Qiantang River as an observation target, four conventional fusion methods widely accepted in satellite image processing, including pan sharpening(PS), principal component analysis(PCA), Gram-Schmidt(GS), and wavelet fusion(WF), are utilized to fuse MS and PAN images of GF-1.The results of subjective and objective evaluation methods application indicate that GS performs the best,followed by the PCA, the WF and the PS in the order of descending. The existence of a large area of the water body is a dominant factor impacting the fusion performance. Meanwhile, the ability of retaining spatial and spectral informations is an important factor affecting the fusion performance of different fusion methods. The fundamental difference of reflectivity information acquisition between water and land is the reason for the failure of conventional fusion methods for land observation such as the PS to be used in the presence of the large water body. It is suggested that the adoption of the conventional fusion methods in the observing water body as the main target should be taken with caution. The performances of the fusion methods need re-assessment when the large-scale water body is present in the remote sensing image or when the research aims for the water body observation.

Surface latent heat flux anomalies preceding inland earthquakes in China

Using data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction （NCEP）, the paper analyzed the surface latent heat flux （SLHF） variations for five inland earthquakes occurred in some lake area, moist area and arid area of China during recent years. We used the SLHF daily and monthly data to differentiate the global and seasonal variability from the transient local anomalies. The temporal scale of the observed variations is 1-2 months before and after the earthquakes, and spatial scale is about 10°×10°. The result suggests that the SLHFs adjacent the epicenters all are anomalous high value （〉μ＋2σ） 8-30 days before the shocks as compared with past several years of data. Different from the abnormal meteorological phenomenon, the distribution of the anomalies was isolated and local, which usually occurred in the epicenter and its adjacent area, or along the fault lines. The increase of SLHF was tightly related with the season which the earthquake occurs in; the maximal （125 W/m^2, Pu＇er earthquake） and minimal （25 W/m^2, Gaize earthquake） anomalies were in summer and winter, respectively. The abundant surface water and groundwater in the epicenter and its adjacent region can provide necessary condition for the change of SLHF. To further confirm the reliability of SLHF anomaly, it is necessary to explore its physical mechanism in depth by more earthquake cases.

Heavy Metal Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment in Sediments of Xiling Channel Inland Waterway of Guangdong Province

Using the sediment monitoring data of five sections of the Xiling Channel inland waterway of the Pearl River Delta,and using Nemerow composite index,the coefficient of variation,and the index of geoaccumulation( Igeo) and the potential ecological risk index,this paper analyzed and assessed the heavy metal pollution of sediments. The results indicate that Cr reached mild pollution;Cu had a large degree of variation,and the changes of Cr and Zn were significant with fluctuation;the enrichment of heavy metals decreased as follows: Cd > Cu > Cr > Zn> Pb > Ni > Hg > As;Cd had the highest degree of enrichment and belonged to moderate pollution;the ecological hazard of heavy metals was Cd > Hg > Cu > Pb > As > Cr > Ni > Zn,and Cd had the highest ecological hazard and was the main controlling factor of potential ecological risk. In conclusion,the sediments in Xiling Channel inland waterway were polluted by heavy metals to some extent,and cadmium was the main pollutant and had the largest potential ecological risk.

Sulfate Attack on Concrete in an Inland Salt Lake Environment

Several cracks were found on the surface of the concrete foundations that support the steel towers of the Luohe （漯河）-Huaiyung （淮阳） high-voltage electricity transmission line that is 20 years old and situated in an inland salt lake environment in North China. To analyze the deterioration mechanism that led to this condition, field investigations were carried out and several tests were conducted on the soil and the affected concrete, including XRD （X-ray diffraction）, electric probe analysis, and chemical analysis. The results show that the concentration of sulfates is very high （0. 39% wt. -0.67% wt. ） in both the surrounding soil and the material around the coarse aggregates inside the concrete. Hence, sulfate attack could be one of the main causes of concrete deterioration. The percentage of sulfates in the surface layer of the concrete was higher than that in the inner layers of the concrete. The sulfates penetrate into the concrete and react with the hydrates of cement to form ettringite （AFt）, which leads to increase in the volume and cracking of the concrete.

Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations and Stoichiometries Across a Chronosequence of Restored Inland Soda Saline-Alkali Wetlands, Western Songnen Plain, Northeast China

Soil carbon(C), nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) concentrations and stoichiometries can be used to evaluate the success indicators to the effects of wetland restoration and reflect ecosystem function. Restoration of inland soda saline-alkali wetlands is widespread, however, the soil nutrition changes that follow restoration are unclear. We quantified the recovery trajectories of soil physicochemical properties, including soil organic carbon(SOC), total nitrogen(TN), and total phosphorus(TP) pools, for a chronosequence of three restored wetlands(7 yr, 12 yr and 21 yr) and compared these properties to those of degraded and natural wetlands in the western Songnen Plain, Northeast China. Wetland degradation lead to the loss of soil nutrients. Relative to natural wetlands, the mean reductions of in SOC, TN, and TP concentrations were 89.6%, 65.5% and 52.5%, respectively. Nutrients recovered as years passed after restoration. The SOC, TN, and TP concentrations increased by 2.36 times, 1.15 times, and 0.83 times, respectively in degraded wetlands that had been restored for 21 yr, but remained 29.2%, 17.3%, and 12.8% lower, respectively, than those in natural wetlands. The soil C∶N(RC N), C∶P(R CP), and N∶P(R NP) ratios increased from 5.92 to 8.81, 45.36 to 79.19, and 7.67 to 8.71, respectively in the wetland that had been restored for 12 yr. These results were similar to those from the natural wetland and the wetland that had been restored for 21 yr(P > 0.05). Soil nutrients changes occurred mainly in the upper layers(≤ 30 cm), and no significant differences were found in deeper soils(> 30 cm). Based on this, we inferred that it would take at least 34 yr for SOC, TN, and TP concentrations and 12 yr for RC N, R CP, and RN P in the top soils of degraded wetlands to recover to levels of natural wetlands. Soil salinity negatively influenced SOC(r =-0.704, P < 0.01), TN(r =-0.722, P < 0.01), and TP(r =-0.882, P < 0.01) concentrations during wetland restoration, which indicates that reducing salinity is beneficial to SOC, TN, and TP recovery. Moreover, plants were an important source of soil nutrients and vegetation restoration was conducive to soil nutrient accumulation. In brief, wetland restoration increased the accumulation of soil biogenic elements, which indicated that positive ecosystem functions changes had occurred.

Study of temperature and precipitation change in upstream mountain area of the Hexi inland river basin since 1960s

All rivers in the Hexi inland region of Gansu Province, China, originate from the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains. They are located in the southern portion of the region and respectively belong to the three large river systems from east to west, the Shiyang, Heihe and Shule river basins. These rivers are supplied by precipitation, snowmelt and ice-melt runoff from the Qilian Mountain area. Therefore, changes of precipitation and temperature in the upstream watersheds of these rivers have an important effect on changes of mountainous runoff and reasonable utilization of water resources in this region. For this reason, the Qilian Mountain area, upstream watersheds and runoff forming areas of these rivers are chosen as the study area. The change characteristics and variation trend of temperature and precipitation in this area under the backdrop of global warming axe analyzed based on observa- tional data of relational weather and hydrologic stations in the area. Results show that temperatures in the upriver mountain areas of these three large river basins have been increasing, although the increasing degree is differentially affected by global warming. The rising extent of annual and seasonal temperatures in the upstream mountain area of the Shule river basin located in the west- em Qilian Mountains, were all largest over the past 50 years. Precipitation in the upstream mountain areas of Hexi region＇ three river basins located respectively in the western, middle and eastern Qilian Mountains have been presenting an increasing trend to varying degrees as a whole for more than 50 years. This means that climate in the upstream mountain areas of Hexi region＇ three river basins are becoming increasingly warmer and moister over the past 50 years, which will be very good for the ecological en- vironment and agricultural production in the region.

Quality Assessment of FY-4A Lightning Data in Inland China

The Lightning Mapping Imager(LMI)equipped on the FY-4 A(Feng Yun-4 A)geostationary satellite achieves lightning positioning through optical imaging and has the advantages of high temporal resolution,high stability,and continuous observation.In this study,FY-4 A LMI lightning event,group and flash data from April to August 2018 are selected,and their quality are assessed through qualitative and quantitative comparison with the ground-based Advanced Time of Arrival and Direction system(ADTD)lightning observation network data and the American International Space Station(ISS)lightning imaging sensor(LIS)data.The results show that the spatial distributions of FY-4 A lightning are consistent with those of the ground-based ADTD and ISS LIS.The temporal variation in FY-4 A lightning group frequency is consistent with that of ADTD stroke,which reflects that FY-4 A LMI can capture the lightning occurrence in inland China.Quantitative statistics show that the consistency rate of FY-4 A LMI and ISS LIS events is relatively high but their consistency rate is lower in terms of lightning group and flash data.Compared with the lightning observations by the ISS LIS and the ground-based ADTD,FY-4 A LMI reports fewer lightning events in the Tibetan Plateau.The application of Tibetan Plateau lightning data requires further processing and consideration.

An Abrupt Rainfall Decrease over the Asian Inland Plateau Region around 1999 and the Possible Underlying Mechanism

A decadal change in summer rainfall in the Asian inland plateau（AIP） region is identified around 1999. This decadal change is characterized by an abrupt decrease in summer rainfall of about 15.7% of the climatological average amount,leading to prolonged drought in the Asian inland plateau region. Both the surface air temperature and potential evapotranspiration in the AIP show a significant increase, while the soil moisture exhibits a decrease, after the late 1990s. Furthermore,the normalized difference vegetation index shows an apparent decreasing trend during 1999–2007. Three different drought indices—the standardized precipitation index, the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, and the self-calibrating Palmer drought severity index—present pronounced climate anomalies during 1999–2007, indicating dramatic drought exacerbation in the region after the late 1990s. This decadal change in the summer rainfall may be attributable to a wave-like teleconnection pattern from Western Europe to Asia. A set of model sensitivity experiments suggests that the summer warming sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic could induce this teleconnection pattern over Eurasia, resulting in recent drought in the AIP region.

The Use of Hydrogen as a Fuel for Inland Waterway Units

Escalating apprehension about the harmful effects of widespread use of conventional fossil fuels in the marine field and in internal combustion engines in general, has led to a vast amount of efforts and the directing of large capital investment towards research and development of sustainable alternative energy sources. One of the most promising and abundant of these sources is hydrogen. Firstly, the use of current fossil fuels is. discussed focusing on the emissions and economic sides to emphasize the need for a new, cleaner and renewable fuel with particular reference to hydrogen as a suitable possible alternative. Hydrogen properties, production and storage methods are then reviewed along with its suitability from the economical point of view. Finally, a cost analysis for the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines is carried out to illustrate the benefits of its use as a replacement for diesel. The outcome of this cost analysis shows that 98% of the capital expenditure is consumed by the equipment, and 68.3% of the total cost of the equipment is spent on the solar photovoltaic cells. The hydrogen plant is classified as a large investment project because of its high initial cost which is about 1 billion US$; but this is justified because hydrogen is produced in a totally green way. When hydrogen is used as a fuel, no harmful emissions are obtained.