China Powers Up Hydropower Construction in Western Region

This paper introduces the abundant hydropower resources in western region in China, the role hydropower will play in the extensive development of western region, the finished reconstruction activities, as well as the basic thought and near and long term targets on western hydropower development.

Recent Strengthening of the Regional Hadley Circulation over the Western Pacific during Boreal Spring

Previous studies suggested that there are large discrepancies in the intensity trend of the zonally averaged Hadley circulation (ZAHC) among different reanalyses. As the land, ocean, and topography are not evenly distributed, the ZAHC may mask the regional variability. Changes in the regional HC have important implications for regional climate change. Here, we detect the long-term trend of the boreal spring regional Hadley circulation intensity over the western Pacific (WPHC) since 1979 in both hemispheres using six reanalysis datasets. Unlike the ZAHC, we find that the trend of the spring WPHC intensity is consistent among various reanalysis datasets. All reanalyses show pronounced strengthening trends for the WPHC in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, which may be partly attributable to the robust warming trends of sea surface temperature in the tropical western Pacific. The result could improve our understanding of Hadley circulation variability at the regional scale and has implications for regional climate changes.

Scattered Rural Settlements and Development of Mountainous Regions in Western Sichuan,China

Making rural settlements of Mountainous Regions in Western Sichuan as the study objects and using symbolic statistical methods, then combining the case study of Daofu County, the paper analyzes the negative impact of the scattered rural settlements on infrastructure construction, farmers＇ income increase and mountain ecological reconstruction in mountainous regions of western Sichuan. The results indicate that economic density is positively related to both rural settlements density （R^2=0.73） and rural population density （R^2=0.77）, and it is the same for relationship between towns density and rural settlements density （R^2=0.88） and between towns density and economic density （R^2=0.71）, and the scattered distribution pattern of the rural settlements and shortage of economic centers is a major factor to the lagged socioeconomic development. On the eco-economic zoning to Daofu County, the paper indicates the spatial distribution model and the industrial development model of the rural settlements need to be changed, and rural population should be concentrated in larger rural settlements with development of off-farm industries while infrastructure construction is to reinforced.

Introduction to the Regional Coupled Model WRF4-LICOM: Performance and Model Intercomparison over the Western North Pacific

Regional coupled modeling is one of the frontiers of regional climate modeling,but intercomparison has not been well coordinated.In this study,a community regional climate model,WRF4,with a resolution of 15 km,was coupled with a high-resolution(0.1°)North Pacific Ocean model(LICOM_np).The performance of the regional coupled model,WRF4_LICOM,was compared to that of another regional coupled model,RegCM4_LICOM,which was a coupling of version 4 of the Regional Climate Model(RegCM4)with LICOM_np.The analysis focused on the 2005 western North Pacific summer monsoon rainfall.The results showed that the regional coupled models with either RegCM4 or WRF4 as their atmospheric model component simulated the broad features over the WNP reasonably well.Quantitative intercomparison of the regional coupled simulations exhibited different biases for different climate variables.RegCM4_LICOM exhibited smaller biases in its simulation of the averaged June–July–August SST and rainfall,while WRF4_LICOM better captured the tropical cyclone(TC)intensity,the percentage contributions of rainfall induced by TCs to the total rainfall,and the diurnal cycle of rainfall and stratiform percentages,especially over land areas.The different behaviors in rainfall simulated by the two models were partly ascribed to the behaviors in the simulated western North Pacific subtropical high(WNPSH).The stronger(weaker)WNPSH in WRF4_LICOM(RegCM4_LICOM)was driven by overestimated(underestimated)diabatic heating,which peaked at approximately 450 hPa over the region around the Philippines in association with different condensation–radiation processes.Coupling of WRF4 with LIOCM is a crucial step towards the development of the next generation of regional earth system models at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

DISCUSSION ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WESTERN MARGIN OF YANGTZE BLOCK AND SOUTHWESTERN SANJIANG REGION IN PROTEROZOIC

The western margin of Yangtze block and southwestern Sanjiang region absorbed much attention from geologists. It has been proved that there occurred a series of plate subduction, collision, assembly, rifting and breakup processes between them since Palaeozoic and the tectonic evolutionary relationship between them is clear. But in Proterozoic this kind of links between them became unclear. Did they undergo the assembly and breakup processes of the Rodinia super continent? This paper will take a primary discussion on this question on the basis of basement component, structure characteristics and magmatic activities.1\ Basement features\;(1) In western margin of Yangtze block its basement is composed of crystalline basement and folded basement, a so\|called double\|layer structure. The crystalline basement is made up of Kangding group, Pudeng Formation and Dibadu Formation, among them Kangding group is a representative and composed mainly of migmatite, compositing gneiss, hornblende schist and granulitite. The isotopic age of crystalline basement is older than 1900Ma, so its geological time is late Archaean to early Proterozoic. The folded basement is composed of Dahongshan group, Hekou group, Kunyang group, Huili group and Yanbian group. Their rock associations are made up mainly of spilite\|keratophyre formation, carbonate formation, clastic rock and clastic rock formation with some basic volcanic rocks. The folded basement is assigned to be early and middle Proterozoic (1000～1700M a).

REGIONAL FEATURES OF LONG-TERM SST VARIATION IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC WARM POOL AREA

The main features of SST interannual and long term variations in the Western Pacific Warm Pool area were studied by using regression analysis, running t test and spectral analysis methods based on monthly mean SST data in the Pacific during 1950-1998. The results showed that the SST inter annual and long term variations in the Western Pacific Warm Pool area had evident regional features. There were significant differences in variation range, phase, period, occurrence time of abrupt variation between SST in the eastern area (east of 160°E) and SST in the western area (west of 160°E).

Regional disparities of phytoplankton in relation to environmental factors in the western Arctic Ocean during summer of 2010

Global warming has caused Arctic sea ice to rapidly retreat,which is affecting phytoplankton,the primary producers at the base of the food chain,as well as the entire ecosystem.However,few studies with large spatial scales related to the Arctic Basin at high latitude have been conducted.This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in phytoplankton community structure and ice conditions.Fifty surface and 41 vertically stratified water samples from the western Arctic Ocean（67.0°–88°26′N,152°–178°54′W） were collected by the Chinese icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July 20 to August 30,2010 during China＇s fourth Arctic expedition.Using these samples,the species composition,spatial distribution,and regional disparities of phytoplankton during different stages of ice melt were assessed.A total of 157 phytoplankton taxa（〉5 μm） belonging to 69 genera were identified in the study area.The most abundant species were Navicula pelagica and Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii,accounting for 31.23% and 14.12% of the total phytoplankton abundance,respectively.The average abundance during the departure trip and the return trip were 797.07×10~2 cells/L and 84.94×10~2 cells/L,respectively.The highest abundance was observed at Sta.R09 in the north of Herald Shoal,where Navicula pelagica was the dominant species accounting for 59.42% of the abundance.The vertical distribution of phytoplankton abundance displayed regional differences,and the maximum abundances were confined to the lower layers of the euphotic zone near the layers of the halocline,thermocline,and nutricline.The species abundance of phytoplankton decreased from the low-latitude shelf to the high-latitude basin on both the departure and return trips.The phytoplankton community structure in the shallow continental shelf changed markedly during different stages of ice melt,and there was shift in dominant species from centric to pennate diatoms.Results of canonical correspondence analysis（CCA） showed that there were two distinct communities of phytoplankton in the western Arctic Ocean,and water temperature,ice coverage and silicate concentration were the most important environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in the surveyed sea.These findings will help predict the responses of phytoplankton to the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice.

Does regional air–sea coupling improve the simulation of the summer monsoon over the western North Pacific in the WRF4 model?

A new regional coupled ocean–atmosphere model,WRF4-LICOM,was used to investigate the impacts of regional air–sea coupling on the simulation of the western North Pacific summer monsoon(WNPSM),with a focus on the normal WNPSM year 2005.Compared to WRF4,WRF4-LICOM improved the simulation of the summer mean monsoon rainfall,circulations,sea surface net heat fluxes,and propagations of the daily rainband over the WNP.The major differences between the models were found over the northern South China Sea and east of the Philippines.The warmer SST reduced the gross moist stability of the atmosphere and increased the upward latent heat flux,and then drove local ascending anomalies,which led to the increase of rainfall in WRF4-LICOM.The resultant enhanced atmospheric heating drove a low-level anomalous cyclone to its northwest,which reduced the simulated circulation biases in the stand-alone WRF4 model.The local observed daily SST over the WNP was a response to the overlying summer monsoon.In the WRF4 model,the modeled atmosphere exhibited passive response to the underlying daily SST anomalies.With the inclusion of regional air–sea coupling,the simulated daily SST–rainfall relationship was significantly improved.WRF4-LICOM is recommended for future dynamical downscaling of simulations and projections over this region.

Meticulous Regionalization of Climate Suitability about Spring Potato Planting in Western Guizhou Based on GIS

[Objective] The study aimed to carry out the regionalization of climate suitability about spring potato planting in Western Guizhou on the basis of GIS technology. [Method] Based on the climatic data of 15 meteorological stations in Western Guizhou during the growing period of spring potato from March to August in 1978-2010, the regionalization indicators of climate suitability about spring potato planting were determined according to the correlation between climatic factors and meteorological yield of spring potato. Afterwards, on the basis of climitic data and corresponding basic geographical information like longitude, latitude, altitude, slope and aspect, the spatial analysis models of division indicators about spring potato planting in Western Guizhou were established by using GIS spatial overlay analysis and used to carry out the township-level regionalization of climate suitability about spring potato planting in Western Guizhou with 100 m×100 m grids. [Result] Based on the relationship between meteorological yield of spring potato and climatic factors in Western Guizhou from 1978 to 2010, eight climatic division indicators, including altitude, average temperature,>10 ℃ active accumulated temperature, precipitation and sunshine hours in the growth stage, average temperature in July, average temperature difference between day and night from July to August, and precipitation from May to July, were chosen for spring potato planting, and each indicator had three levels, namely the most suitable, suitable and sub-suitable. Meanwhile, Western Guizhou was grouped into three areas according to these indicators, including the most suitable area, suitable area and sub-suitable area, and their area accounted for 52%, 45% and 3% of total area of the whole province respectively. [Conclusion] The research could provide scientific references for the production layout and species selection of spring potato in Western Guizhou.

Movements of the Western Pacific Warm Pool Centroid and Their Relationship to Sea Surface Temperature Changes in Nino Regions

By using monthly historical sea surface temperature (SST) data for the yearsfrom 1950 to 2000, the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) climatology and anomalies are studied inthis paper. The analysis of WPWP centroid (WPWPC) movement anomalies and the Nino-3 region SSTanomalies(SSTA) seems to reveal a close, linear relation between the zonal WPWPC and Nino-3 regionSSTA, which suggests that a 9° anomaly of the zonal displacement from the climatological positionof the WPWPC corresponds to about a 1℃ anomaly in the Nino-3 region area-mean SST. This studyconnects the WPWPC zonal displacement with the Nino-3 SSTA, and it may be helpful in betterunderstanding the fact that the WPWP eastward extension is conducive to the Nino-3 region SSTincrease during an El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event.

Characteristics of crustal variation and extensional break-up in the Western Pacific back-arc region based on a wide-angle seismic profile

The marginal sea and back-arc basins in the Western Pacific Ocean have become the focus of tectonics due to their unique tectonic location.To understand the deep crustal structure in the back-arc region,we present a 545-kmlong active-source ocean bottom seismometer(OBS)wide-angle reflection/refraction profile in the East China Sea.The P wave velocity model shows that the Moho depth rises significantly,from approximately 30 km in the East China Sea shelf to approximately 16 km in the axis of the Okinawa Trough.The lower crustal high-velocity zone(HVZ)in the southern Okinawa Trough,with V_(p) of 6.8-7.3 km/s,is a remarkable manifestation of the mantle material upwelling and accretion to the lower crust.This confirms that the lower crustal high-velocity mantle accretion is developed in the southern Okinawa Trough.During the process of back-arc extension,the crustal structure of the southern Okinawa Trough is completely invaded and penetrated by the upper mantle material in the axis region.In some areas of the southern central graben,the crust may has broken up and entered the initial stage of seafloor spreading.The discontinuous HVZs in the lower crust in the back-arc region also indicate the migration of spreading centers in the back-arc region since the Cenozoic.The asthenosphere material upwelling in the continent-ocean transition zone is constantly driving the lithosphere eastward for episodic extension,and is causing evident tectonic migration in the Western Pacific back-arc region.

A New Chronological Report of the Hongshi Breccia-Host Gold Deposit in the Western Qinling Region,China

Objective The western Qinling belongs to the western part of the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen between the North China Block and South China Block. Multiple orogenic events might be responsible for different types of gold mineralization, making the western Qinling gold region one of the most important gold metallogenic belts in China. This region has demonstrated a total gold resource of 〉500 t and more than ten gold deposits with gold resource of 〉20 t. Almost all gold deposits in the western Qinling gold region can be classified into two distinct genetic types as orogenic （such as the Shuangwang,

Variability of Tropical Cyclone in High Frequent Occurrence Regions over the Western North Pacific

In this study, three high frequent occurrence regions of tropical cyclones(TCs), i.e., the northern South China Sea(the region S), the south Philippine Sea(the region P) and the region east of Taiwan Island(the region E), are defined with frequency of TC's occurrence at each grid for a 45-year period(1965–2009), where the frequency of occurrence(FO) of TCs is triple the mean value of the whole western North Pacific. Over the region S, there are decreasing trends in the FO of TCs, the number of TCs' tracks going though this region and the number of TCs' genesis in this region. Over the region P, the FO and tracks demonstrate decadal variation with periods of 10–12 year, while over the region E, a significant 4–5 years' oscillation appears in both FO and tracks. It is demonstrated that the differences of TCs' variation in these three different regions are mainly caused by the variation of the Western Pacific Subtropical High(WPSH) at different time scales. The westward shift of WPSH is responsible for the northwesterly anomaly over the region S which inhibits westward TC movement into the region S. On the decadal timescale, the WPSH stretches northwestward because of the anomalous anticyclone over the northwestern part of the region P, and steers more TCs reaching the region P in the greater FO years of the region P. The retreating of the WPSH on the interannual time scale is the main reason for the FO's oscillation over the region E.

Abbreviated Report of the WHO Western Pacific Region Workshop on National Plans of Action for Nutrition: Key Elements for Success, Constraints and Future Plans

A workshop on National Plans of Action for Nutrition: Constraints, Key Elements for Success, and Future Plans was convened and organized by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Research Malaysia and co sponsored with FAO and UNICEF from 25—29 October 1999. It was attended by representatives of 25 countries in the region and resource persons, representatives from WHO and other international agencies. The objectives of the workshop were to review the progress of countries in developing, implementing and monitoring national plans of action for nutrition (NPANs) in the Western Pacific Region and to identify constraints and key elements of success in these efforts. Most of the countries have NPANs, either approved and implemented or awaiting official endorsement. The Plan formulation is usually multisectoral, involving several government ministries, non governmental organizations, and international agencies. Often official adoption or endorsement of the Plan comes from the head of state and cabinet or the minister of health, one to six years from the start of its formulation. The NPAN has stimulated support for the development and implementation of nutrition projects and activities, with comparatively greater involvement of and more support from government ministries, UN agencies and non-governmental agencies compared to local communities, bilateral and private sectors and research and academic institutions. Monitoring and evaluation are important components of NPANs. They are, however, not given high priority and often not built into the plan. The role of an intersectoral coordinating body is considered crucial to a country's nutrition program. Most countries have an intersectoral structure or coordinating body to ensure the proper implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their NPANs. The workshop identified the constraints and key elements of success in each of the four stages of the NPAN process: development, operationalization, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Constraints to the NPAN process relate to the political and socioeconomic environment, resource scarcity, control and management processes, and factors related to sustainability. The group's review of NPAN identified successful NPANs as those based on recent, adequate and good quality information on the nutritional situation of the country, and on the selection of strategies, priorities and interventions that are relevant to the country and backed up by adequate resources. Continued high level political commitment, a multisectoral approach, and adequate participation of local communities are other key elements for success. The participants agreed on future actions and support needed from various sources for the further development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their NPANs. The recommendations for future actions were categorized into actions pertaining to countries with working NPAN, actions for countries without working NPAN and actions relevant to all countries. There was also a set of suggested actions at the regional level, such as holding of regular regional NPAN evaluation meetings, inclusion of NPAN on the agenda of regional fora by the regional organizations, and strengthening of regional nutrition networks.

Path Choice of New Countryside Construction in Western Region of China under the Perspective of Ecological Environment

General situation of ecological environment in western region is introduced,as well as its relationship with new countryside construction.Result shows that ecological conditions of western region not only play an important role in the achievement of new countryside construction in western region,but also directly affect the ecological safety of eastern region and the sustainable development of China.Problems in new countryside construction in western region are analyzed under the perspective of ecological environment,which are the weak concept of ecological protection,the ecological environment which needs to be improved,the difficulty in agriculture development,and the backward plan for human settlement.According to these problems,path of new countryside construction in western China is pointed out under the perspective of ecological environment,such as promoting ecological economy,developing competitive industries,speeding up spatial planning,optimizing the living environment,changing the traditional concept into scientific and rational development,and restoring the ecological environment by making use of agricultural support.

Shear wave anisotropy in D” region beneath the western Pacific

Using seismic shear phases from 47 Tonga-Fiji and its adjacent region events recorded by the CENC and IRIS, and from 26 northeast Asia and north Pacific events recorded by IRIS, we studied the shear wave anisotropy in D＂ region beneath the western Pacific utilizing the ScS-S differential travel time method and obtained the splitting time values between the radial and transverse components of each ScS wave corresponding to each core-mantle boundary （CMB） reflection point. We found that most shear waves involved horizontally polarized shear wave components traveling faster than vertically polarized shear wave components through the D＂ region. The splitting time values of ScS wave range from -0.91 s to 3.21 s with an average value of 1.1 s. The strength of anisotropy varies from -0.45% to 1.56% with an average value of 0.52%. The observations and analyses show that in the D＂ region beneath the western Pacific the lateral flow is expected to be dominant and the vertical transverse isotropy may be the main anisotropic structure. This structure feature may be explained by the shape preferred orientation of the CMB chemical reaction products or partial melt and the lattice preferred orientation of the lower mantle materials caused by the lateral flow at lowermost mantle.

Estimation of the stress levels in the focal region before and after the 2001 M=8.1 Western Kunlun Mountain Pass earth-quake

A method estimating the stress level in the focal region of an earthquake is proposed here. Taking the 2001 M=8.1 Western Kunlun Mountain Pass earthquake as an example, we estimate its stress level in the focal region before and after it by this method. The results show that the stress level in the focal region just prior to the initiation of this event is approximately 6.3-8 MPa, and about 5-6.7 MPa remained in the focal region after its occurrence. The stress in the focal region decreased by roughly twenty percent after this event.

Research on central village selection in western underdeveloped region:a case study of Lidian Town,Jingning County,Gansu Province,China

Central village selection is the priority of small town construction.Depending on the development potential analysis,classification analysis,and quantitative and qualitative analysis,this article systematically proposes the specific methods of central village selection and also constructs the indicator system used in central village selection in small towns of western underdeveloped region in China.The article also puts forward ideas and methods for selection of central village in the western underdeveloped region through an empirical research on Lidian Town,Jingning County,Gansu Province.In the final part,suggestions and recommendations on how to develop central village for Lidian Town are made.

Coordinated Development of Urbanization and Animal Husbandry Industrialization in Western Regions of China

Animal husbandry industrialization and rural urbanization in western regions of China are not independent,but two aspects of development with mutual interaction. Animal husbandry industrialization provides material basis of progress in productivity for rural urbanization. In turn,rural urbanization provides development conditions,such as industry,technology,science,information,market,finance,transportation,communication,and social service,for animal husbandry industrialization. This paper analyzed existing problems and interaction between animal husbandry industrialization and rural urbanization in western regions are analyzed,and finally it came up with policy recommendations for coordinated development of animal husbandry industrialization and rural urbanization.