Three-year changes of surface albedo of degraded grassland and cropland surfaces in a semiarid area

Diurnal, seasonal and interannual variations of surface albedo of degraded grassland and cropland surfaces at a semiarid area of Tognyu have been investigated based on the continuous three years observational data from 2003 to 2005. The changes of surface albedo with solar elevation angle and soil moisture have been discussed also. It has been found that surface albedo has almost the same diurnal and seasonal variations on degraded grassland and cropland surfaces in the semiarid area, while surface albedo is large in winter and small in summer. The diurnal variation of the surface albedo has relationship with the weather condition. The diurnal cycle of the surface albedo likes the ＂U＂ shape curve in sunny day, while it is low-high after the rain, and high-low after the snow. The surface albedo has large variation in cloudy day, while it has no any variation in overcast day. The large difference of the surface albedo can be 0.04 in winter between two land surfaces, because the snow has large effects on the surface albedo in winter. The rainfall is an important factor in summer on the surface albedo, while the difference of the surface albedo is 0.01 only between two land surfaces. The differences of the surface albedo can also be 0.04 in autumn due to vegetation growing. The seasonal-average surface albeo from 2003-2005 is 0.25, 0.22, 0.24, 0.32 respectively in spring, summer, autumn and winter on the degraded grassland surface, while it is 0.25, 0.21,0.22, 0.33 respectively in spring, summer, autumn and winter on the cropland surface. The surface albedo becomes smaller with the increase of solar elevation angle. When the solar elevation angle is greater than 40°, the surface albedo changes very little and tends to be a constant. The surface albedo has negative exponent functions with soil moisture in the growing season.     

Investigation of Prevalence Rate of Acute Severe Altitude Disease of Construction Groups at High Altitude

Objective： To know the prevalence rate of the acute severe altitude disease of the crowds who are working on the high altitude and the influential foctors upon the people. Method By epidemiology, a survey of 27606 persons who are working on the plateau has been made in the past three years, of which 229 persons had got the disease. 8175 persons who had received finer basic preventions in the group （Group A）, has been compared with 19430 persons who had a weak or no basic provention in the group （ Group B） ; the groups working on the plateau with 3 different elevations of above - 3600, - 4600 ＆ 5072 meters sea level have been compared. Resuts： The prevalence rate is 0.83 % in total groaps, of wich, high altitude pulmonary edema is 0.50%, high altitude cerebral edema is 0.28%, the patients who has got both the above diseases is 0.05%. The prevalance rates of the above in Group B and those of higher elevation are higher than those in Group A. 0.32% in Group A, and 1.04% in Group B. （x^2 = 36.95, p 〈 0.001） ;the prevalence rate on the 3 different high elevations are 0.00%, 0.68% and 1.34% in proper order. The prevalence rate of individuals groups in the highest 4.82% （the first year） and 2.26% （the next year ） and all the diseases came on the groups working on the highest elevation areas. Conclusion： The prevalence rate of acute severe plateau disease is very stem, the main influential factors are the height above the sea level, and the level of basic prvention for the crowds. Enhancing the protection of the labourers and medical safeguard, and social psychological adaption can cut down the prevalence rate, and this is the first important problem to solve for the plateau medicine and support from the society.     

Subclinical high altitude pulmonary edema: A clinical observation of 12 cases in Yushu

During the Yushu Earthquake on April 14, 2010, a high incidence of acute high altitude illness was observed in the mountain rescuers, and 0.73 % of these patients suffered from high altitude pulmonary edema, of which 12 patients developed subclinical pulmonary edema and concomitantly contracted acute mountain sickness. Symptoms and signs were atypically high heart rate with high respiratory rate, striking cyanosis, and significantly low oxygen saturation, whereas no moist rates were heard on auscultation, and Chest X-ray showed peripheral with a patchy distribution of mottled infiltrations in one or both lung fields. We believe that subclinical high altitude pulmonary edema is an earliest stage of pulmonary edema at high altitude. The possible pathogenesis and the diagnosis were discussed.     

Research advance in failure risk and local strength failure for high arch dams

To develop national economy and use the water resources and hydropower resources sufficiently,a lot of high arch dams,with the height of more than 200 m,have been and will be built in China.Although arch dams have good mechanical behavior,there is still failure possibility due to the huge water pressure and high stress level in dam,complex topographic and geologic conditions,formidable environment and high intensity earthquake.As one of the three main aspects concerning the safety of high arch dam,the study on global destruction,has been elaborated in the literatures,and research advance in the other two aspects,namely the failure risk and local damage of high arch dams,will be reviewed in this paper.In recent years,the failure risk of high arch dams has been investigated,and the model for identifying dam failure risk factors has been established.It is shown that the foundation deterioration and strong earthquake are the major risk sources for high dam failure.With the fault tree method,the failure mode and failure probability of high arch dams are studied,and the principle for determining failure mode and the method of calculating failure probability are proposed.Meanwhile,the determination principle of acceptable risk standard for high arch dam was proposed,and the acceptable risk rate and the acceptable standard value of various risk losses were given.For the local damage of arch dam,it is pointed out that the local damage belongs to the strength failure at material level.The study on local failure mechanism of arch dam is reviewed,based on the theories that from traditional strength theory to damage mechanics and meso-mechanics theory.Aiming at the cracking,the main pattern of local failure of high concrete dam,the research advances in the analysis methods and cracking criteria for smeared crack model and discrete crack model are summarized,and the research findings of preventive measures for local failure are shown.     

Recent temperature increase recorded in an ice core in the source region of Yangtze River

Interests on climate change in the source region of Yangtze River have been raised since it is a region with the greatest warming over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). A 70-year history of precipitation δ~(18)O has been recovered using an ice core record retrieved in a plat portion of the firn area in the Guoqu Glacier (33°34′37.8″N, 91°10′35.3″E, 5720 m a.s.l.), Mt. Geladaindong (the source region of Yangtze River), in November, 2005. By using a significant positive relationship between ice core δ~(18)O record and summer air temperature (July to September) from the nearby meteorological stations, a history of summer air temperature has been reconstructed for the last 70 years. Summer temperature was relatively low in 1940s and high in 1950s to the middle of 1960s. The lowest temperature occurred in the middle of 1970s. Temperature was low in 1980s and dramatically increased since 1990s, keeping the trend to the begin-ning of the 21st century. The warming rate recorded in the ice core with 0.5℃/10 a since 1970s is much higher that that in the central TP and the Northern Hemisphere (NH), and it becomes 1.1℃/10 a since 1990s which is also higher than these from the central TP and the NH, reflecting an accelerated warm-ing and a more sensitive response to global warming in the high elevation region.     

Medical Mountain Rescue in the Yushu Earthquake: Have lessons been learned?

On April 14, 2010, an earthquake reaching 7.1 Richter scale struck Jiegu Town of Yushu, a mountain rescue operation promptly unfolded. All injurers have a direct assess to medical care, and immediately rescued and rapidly evacuated by air to Xining and Golmud at lower altitudes and admitted to advanced hospitals. Almost all of the injurers have been completely recovered. Yushu quake was a highest earthquake in the world, a high incidence of acute altitude illness, which was observed in about 80% of the lowland rescuers at an altitude of 4 000m. “Rescue the rescuers” becomes a major task of the Qinghai-Tibetan rescue teams, all the severe patients rapidly descend to Xining and treated promptly and effectively the outcome was excellent, all patients survived. After the quake, a long and arduous task of reconstruction of what has been destroyed. Medical teams continue to work in the Yushu quake area because some 30,000 workers and carders are now here for rebuilding where the quake was centered. Thus the treatment and prevention of altitude illness are still critical tasks for medical teams. Although all the fights were meet with success, there are more experiences and lessons we have been learned from the medical mountain rescue during the quake and the period of reconstruction, reported here are sum up of our experiences from the medical mountain rescue operation in Yushu earthquake and draw the lessons that we should be learned. With the possibly increased earthquake occurred in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, we also should be prepared against quake disasters and further rescue training in the high mountains will increased rescue capacities.     

Seismic tomography of the Moon

We attempted to determine the first three-dimensional P and S wave velocity and Poisson＇s ratio structures of the lunar crust and mantle down to 1000 km depth under the near-side of the Moon by applying seismic tomography to the moonquake arrival-time data recorded by the Apollo seismic network operated during 1969 to 1977. Our results show that significant lateral heterogeneities may exist in the lunar interior. Because there is no plate tectonics in the Moon, the lateral heterogeneities may be produced at the early stage of the Moon formation and evolution, and they have been preserved till today. There seems to be a correlation between the distribution of deep moonquakes and lateral velocity variations in the lunar lower mantle, suggesting that the occurrence of deep moonquakes may be affected by the lunar structural heterogeneity in addition to the tidal stresses. Although this is an experimental work and the result is still preliminary, it indicates that tomographic imaging of the lunar interior is feasible.     

Moisture effect on the combustion of a single copper concentrate particle in a flash smelting furnace

A mathematical model has been presented to study the combustion of a single copper concentrate particle with high moisture content. By using the presented model, the effect of particle moisture content on particle temperature, sulfur oxidation, and combustion heat generation has been evaluated. The mineralogical composition of the commonly used concentrate at Khatoonabad flash smelting furnace has been used in this study. It was found that the particle moisture content is removed in the sub-second time range and thus the moisture has marginal impact on the variation of particle temperature and on the reaction rate when the gas temperature is assumed to be constant in the reaction shaft. When a concentrate with high moisture content is charged, the particle size enlargement due to the agglomeration of concentrate particles causes an abrupt fall in the particle reaction rate.     

Study on crustal, lithospheric and asthenospheric thickness beneath the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and its adjacent areas

Based on the results of pure dispersions of Rayleigh wave tomography in the Qinghai-Tlbet Plateau and its adjacent areas, tsklng S wave velocities from previous linear inversion as the initial model, using the simulated annealing algorithm, a nonlinear simultaneous inversion has been carried out for S wave velocity and thickness of different layers, including the crust, the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. The results indicate： The crustal thickness shows strong correlation with geology structures sketched by the sutures and major faults. The crust is very thick in the Qinghal-Tibet Plateau, varying from 60 km to 80 kin. The Ilthospherlc thickness in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Is thinner （130-160 kin） than Its adjacent areas. And two blocks can be recognized, divided by an NNE strike boundary running between 90°E-92°E inside the plateau. Its asthenosphere is relatively thick, varies from 150 km to 230 kin, and the thickest area is located in the western Qiangtsng. India has a thinner crust （32-38 kin）, a thicker lithosphere of 190 km and a rather thin asthenosphere of only 60 kin. Sichuan and Tarlm basins have the crust thickness less than 50 kin. Their Iithospheres are thicker than the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and their asthenospheres are thinner. A discussion has been made on the character and formation mechanism of the typical crust-mantle transition zone in the western Qiangtsng block.     

Automated detection of lunar craters based on object-oriented approach

The object-oriented approach is a powerful method in making classification. With the segmentation of images to objects, many features can be calculated based on the objects so that the targets can be distinguished. However, this method has not been applied to lunar study. In this paper we attempt to apply this method to detecting lunar craters with promising results. Craters are the most obvious fea- tures on the moon and they are important for lunar geologic study. One of the important questions in lunar research is to estimate lunar surface ages by examination of crater density per unit area. Hence, proper detection of lunar craters is necessary. Manual crater identification is inefficient, and a more efficient and effective method is needed. This paper describes an object-oriented method to detect lunar craters using lunar reflectance images. In the method, many objects were first segmented from the image based on size, shape, color, and the weights to every layer. Then the feature of ＂contrast to neighbor objects＂ was selected to identify craters from the lunar image. In the next step, by merging the adjacent objects belonging to the same class, almost every crater can be taken as an independent object except several very big craters in the study area. To remove the crater rays diagnosed as craters, the feature of ＂length/width＂ was further used with suitable parameters to finish recognizing craters. Finally, the result was exported to ArcGIS for manual modification to those big craters and the number of craters was acquired.     

Photometric modeling of the Moon using Lommel-Seeliger function and Chang’E-1 IIM data

The imaging intefferometer （IIM） aboard the Chang＇E-1 lunar orbiter is the first multispectral imaging spectrometer for Chinese lunar missions. Before science applications （e.g., FeO and TiO= mapping） of the IIM raw data, the radiance variation due to changes in illumination and viewing geometry has to be removed from the radiometrically calibrated IIM Level 2A images. To achieve this, we fit the IIM Level 2A radiance data with a Lornmel-Seeliger photometric model consisting of an exponential term and a fourth order polynomial in the phase function, without distinguishing between lunar maria and highlands. The exponential and the fourth order polynomial parameters are derived separately by fitting to two datasets divided at a solar phase angle threshold, avoiding a decrease in the phase function close to zero phase angle. Different phase angle thresholds result in coincident fitting curves between 20° and 75°, while large discrepancies occur at other phase angles. Then the derived photometric model is used to normalize the IIM Level 2A data to radiance values at an incidence and phase angle of 30° and emission angle of 0°. Our photometric model is validated by comparing two photometrically normalized IIM radiance spectra covering the same areas, showing a relative deviation consistent with the IIM preflight calibration.     

A coupled model of TiN inclusion growth in GCr15SiMn during solidification in the electroslag remelting process

TiN inclusions observed in an ingot produced by electroslag remelting (ESR) are extremely harmful to GCr15SiMn steel. There-fore, accurate predictions of the growth size of these inclusions during steel solidification are significant for clean ESR ingot production. On the basis of our previous work, a coupled model of solute microsegregation and TiN inclusion growth during solidification has been estab-lished. The results demonstrate that compared to a non-coupled model, the coupled model predictions of the size of TiN inclusions are in good agreement with experimental results using scanning electron microscopy with energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Because of high cooling rate, the sizes of TiN inclusions in the edge area of the ingots are relatively small compared to the sizes in the center area. Dur-ing the ESR process, controlling the content of Ti in the steel is a feasible and effective method of decreasing the sizes of TiN inclusions.     

Precise positioning of the Chang’E-3 lunar lander using a kinematic statistical method

A kinematic statistical method is proposed to determine the position for Chang’E-3(CE-3) lunar lander.This method uses both ranging and VLBI measurements to the lander for a continuous arc,combing with precise knowledge about the motion of the moon as provided by planetary ephemeris,to estimate the lander’s position on the lunar surface with high accuracy.Accuracy analyses are carried out with simulation data using the software developed at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory in this study to show that measurement errors will dominate the position accuracy.Application of lunar digital elevation model(DEM) as constraints in the lander positioning is also analyzed.Simulations show that combing range/doppler and VLBI data,single epoch positioning accuracy is at several hundred meters level,but with ten minutes data accumulation positioning accuracy is able to be achieved with several meters.Analysis also shows that the information given by DEM can provide constraints in positioning,when DEM data reduce a 3-dimensional positioning problem to 2-dimensional.Considering the Sinus Iridum,CE-3 lander’s planned landing area,has been observed with dedicated details during the CE-1 and CE-2 missions,and its regional DEM model accuracy may be higher than global models,which will certainly support CE-3’s lander positioning.     

Contributions of different land cover types in Otindag Sandy Land and Bashang area of Hebei Province to the material source of sand stormy weather in Beijing

Different land cover types in Otindag Sandy Land and Bashang area of Hebei Province are linked to a material source of sand stormy weather in Beijing based on results of field vegetation and soil survey and laboratory works. Results of grain size analysis show that dust release potential in per unit area of moving sandy land is small,while lowland meadow and meadow steppe in stony hills have high potential of releasing dusts in per unit area during sand stormy weather occurrence. Further considering the effects of vegetation, it is inferred that the moving sandy land served as a material source of past dust storm and the possibility of dust release in per unit area is low in current time.Typical steppe in stony hills is undergoing desertification and its dust release possibility in per unit area is high. Farmland has strong potential of release dusts when they are ploughed in spring, but a large amount of therophytes grow and thus prevent dusts from release when cultivation was terminated.Potentials of dust release in per unit area in fixed sand dunes,stony mountain meadow steppe and low land meadow are lowdue to high cover of perennials. Sand dune reactivation and desiccation of lakes and lowlands under estimated future climatic change will make them serve as a future material source of sand stormy weather.     

The thermal history of the miarolitic granite at Xincun, Fujian Province, China

The thermal history of the late Mesozoic miarolitic granite has been studied based on zircon U-Pb dating, whole rock Rb-Sr dating and K-Ar dating of muscovite, biotite and K-feldspar from the same rock sample. From the beginning of zircon crystallization to the closure of K-Ar system of biotite, the granite body had a slow cooling rate (11.0℃/Ma) and an ascending rate (0.07 mm/a). From the end of this stage to the closure of K-Ar system of K-feldspar, the granite body increased its cooling rate (45℃/Ma) and ascending rate (0.36 mm/a). The thermal history of the Xincun granite with a slow cooling rate at the early stage and a fast cooling rate at the late stage may have been related to the fact that the Fujian coastal area had very high geothermal gradient in the late Mesozoic and evident decrease in geothermal gradient in the early Cenozoic.     

Remote sensing of spatial patterns of urban renewal using linear spectral mixture analysis: A case of central urban area of Shanghai (1997―2000)

It is very important to integrate remote sensing with urban geography that the spectral mixture analysis technique is applied to urban land cover evolvement and its eco-environmental effect. Urban land cover is mainly composed of complicated artificial materials, which is the key factor to limit the development of the spectral mixture analysis technique. There are two main aspects in which the technique of spectral mixture analysis is applied to urban geography： one is to calculate vegetation fraction; the other is to build quantitative model of the urban impervious surface obtained from the combination between high albedo fraction and low albedo fraction. The technique of spectral mixture analysis is firstly applied to study urban renewal pattern, scale and mode which happened in Shanghai City from 1997 to 2000,     

Simulating a typhoon storm surge in the East Sea of China using a coupled model

A coupled numerical model with a 2’?2’ resolution grid has been developed and used to simulate five typical typhoon storm surges (5612, 7413, 7910, 8114, 9711) in the East Sea of China. Three main driving forces have been considered in this coupled model: wave radiation stress, combined wave-current bottom shear stress and wave-state dependent surface wind stress. This model has then been compared with in situ measurements of the storm set-up. The effect of different driving force components on the total storm surge has also been investigated. This study has found that the coupled model with high resolution is capable of simulating the five typical typhoons better than the uncoupled models, and that the wave-dependent surface wind stress plays an important role in typhoon storm surge-wave coupling in this area and can increase the storm set-up by 1m. The study of the five typhoon cases has shown that the general coupling effects could increase storm set-up by 20% to 32%. Thus, it is suggested that to predict typhoon storm surges in the East Sea of China, a storm surge-wave coupled model be adopted.     

A necklace of pearl in high altitude medicine and hypoxic physiology in Yushu Earthquake

During Yushu Earthquake,a large number of rescuers flocked to the mountainous quake areas. Under such a very specific circumstance,a high incidence of acute altitude illness was observed in rescuers who rapidly traveled from near sea level to an altitude of 4 000 m. It is evident that acute altitude illness leads to a significant human and economic toll,and also seriously influences the mountain rescue operation. So what does this teach us about mountain rescue in Yushu? Professor Wu Tianyi and many other authors collected shining points of the experiences and drew the lessons from the Yushu Earthquake into this special issue in Engineering Sciences which is like to thread pearl beads for a necklace. What readers learn from this special issue will have implications for the health and well-being of all high altitude populations all over the world.     

Technologies of oxygen supply for life support during the development of mineral resources in high altitude areas

In order to fulfill the needs of life-support oxygen supply during the development of plateau mineral resources,four oxygen supply patterns suitable for the plateau mine in specific environment were developed:tunnel face diffusive oxygen supply,tunnel oxygen-bar car,carried oxygen cylinder and portable oxygen generator. Through the study of safety oxygen supply experiments in low- pressure plateau areas,the mathematical relationship between maximum integration of secure oxygen volume and altitude has been achieved. Oxygen supply safety control should follow this relationship in plateau mines during the time of executing tunnel face or in room air diffusive oxygen supply. The application results of life-support oxygen supplement technologies in the development of mineral resources in high altitude areas show that the oxygen supply for tunneling miners in plateau mines can not only effectively enhance the oxygen saturation,reduce the pulse rate and the breath rate per minute,but also improve various symptoms caused by altitude hypoxia and high-intensity physical labor.     

Progress in modeling of fluid flows in crystal growth processes

Modeling of fluid flows in crystal growth processes has become an important research area in theoretical and applied mechanics. Most crystal growth processes involve fluid flows, such as flows in the melt, solution or vapor. Theoretical modeling has played an important role in developing technologies used for growing semiconductor crystals for high performance electronic and optoelectronic devices. The application of devices requires large diameter crystals with a high degree of crystallographic perfection, low defect density and uniform dopant distribution. In this article, the flow models developed in modeling of the crystal growth processes such as Czochralski, ammonothermal and physical vapor transport methods are reviewed. In the Czochralski growth modeling, the flow models for thermocapillary flow, turbulent flow and MHD flow have been developed. In the ammonotbermal growth modeling, the buoyancy and porous media flow models have been developed based on a single-domain and continuum approach for the composite fluid-porous layer systems. In the physical vapor transport growth modeling, the Stefan flow model has been proposed based on the flow-kinetics theory for the vapor growth. In addition, perspectives for future studies On crystal growth modeling are proposed.