Impact of urbanization on changes in temperature extremes in Beijing during 1978–2008

To quantify the impact of urbanization on changes in observed surface air temperature and extremes, a homogenized dataset of daily mean, maximum and minimum temperature （Trn, Trnax and Train） observations at 20 stations in Greater Beijing （GBJ） from 1978 to 2008 is analyzed. In contrast with previous studies, a cluster analysis is done to objectively classify observing stations into four categories （urbanized, suburban, rural and mountain）, which is checked with remote-sensing night-light images since the 1990s. At urbanized sites, there is an added warming trend in annual mean Tm representing an average of 10.9% （up to 18.4% or 0.12℃/decade at the most strongly influenced site） of overall warming. Corresponding contributions for Train are 12.7% （up to 20.8% or 0.19℃/decade） and 24% for diurnal temperature range DTR （up to 37.4% or 0.149℃/decade） over the last three dec- ades. Although it has not had a significant impact on daytime records （Tmax）, urbanization has enhanced the increasing （decreasing） trend of extremely warm （cold） nights by an average of 12.7% or 2.07 d/decade （29.0% or 5.06 d/decade） at the urbanized sites since the 1970s.     

Changes of climate extremes of temperature and precipitation in summer in eastern China associated with changes in atmospheric circulation in East Asia during 1960–2008

Climate extremes and changes in eastern China are closely related to variations of the East Asian summer monsoon and corresponding atmospheric circulations.The relationship between frequencies of temperature and precipitation extremes in China during the last half century is investigated using Singular Value Decomposition analysis.During 1980-1996,there was a typical pattern with fewer hot days and more precipitation extremes in the northern part of eastern China,and more hot days and fewer precipitation extremes in the southern part.This geographic pattern tended to reverse after 1997,with fewer hot days and more extreme precipitation days south of the Yangtze River and vice versa to the north.Differences in atmospheric circulation between the former and latter periods are presented.We conclude that a mid-level anomalous high/low,upper-level anomalous easterlies/westerlies over the north/south of eastern China,a weakened East Asian summer monsoon and associated upper-tropospheric center of cooling(30°N,110°E) are all favorable for the changes in frequencies of temperature and precipitation extremes.     

Determining factors in potential evapotranspiration changes over China in the period 1971–2008

Potential evapotranspiration (ET_o) is important to hydrological cycling and the global energy balance. Based on a modified FAO56-Penman-Monteith model, ET_o was simulated for 603 meteorological stations across China in the period 1971–2008. Spatial distribution and temporal change of ET_o were characterized, and the determining factors in ET_o were revealed by sensitivity analysis. Results show obvious regional differences in annual average ET_o and its determining factor. In general, annual average ET_o decreased in the period 1971–2008, but increased since the 1990s. Wind speed and sunshine duration were determining factors in the annual ET_o trend, with smaller contributions from relative humidity and temperature. Declining wind speed was the determining factor in decreasing annual ET_o in northern temperate regions and the Tibetan Plateau. The spatial extent of wind speed influence contracted to northwest China in summer, and expanded to the whole country in autumn. Decreasing sunshine duration was the determining factor in decreasing annual ET_o in subtropical and tropical regions, especially in summer, with a larger spatial influence mainly to the southeast of the farming-pastoral region. ET_o change has distinct impacts on earth surface ecosystems and environment depending on different determining factors.     

Global mean temperature changes during the last millennium

A synthetic study is made on the global or hemispheric mean temperature series for the last millennium worked out by Mann et al., Jones et al., Crowley and Lowery, and Briffa. The global mean temperature series reconstructed by using proxy data at 30 sites by Wang et al. and simulations from AD 1000 to 2000 by energy balance model are described and compared with the series of others. Wang's series gives greater variability and shows the highest correlation coefficient (0.83) with the simulation results. Uncertainties in the reconstructions and simulations are discussed. The errors in reconstructing a global mean temperature series according to 30 sites as used in the research are estimated. Wang's series indicate that temperature average for the 11th century is higher than the mean of the last millennium. It infers that the Medieval Warm Period predominated to some extent over the globe. However, the 20th century is no doubt the warmest century during the last millennium.     

Satellite remote sensing of changes in NO x emissions over China during 1996–2010

Satellite derived NO2 column data have been used to study Chinese national fossil fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.Based on NO 2 retrievals from two satellites (GOME and SCIAMACHY) for 1996-2010,we analyzed the characteristics and evolution of regional pollution related to NO x emissions in China.Satellite observations indicated that the highly polluted regions were expanding.Anthropogenic emission dominated areas have expanded from the east to central and western China,and new highly polluted regions have formed throughout the nation.Bottom-up emission estimates suggested a 133% increase in anthropogenic NOx emissions in East Central China during 1996 to 2010,which was lower than the 184% increase of the NO2 columns measured by the satellites.We found that growth rates of NOx emissions have slowed in Chinese megacities over recent years,in contrast to which,the NOx emissions were soaring in medium-sized cities,indicating that strict controls of NOx emissions from coal-fired facilities are required in China.     

River discharge changes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

THE QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU IS SENSITIVE TO GLOBAL CLI- MATE CHANGES, AND ITS MEAN WARMING AMPLITUDE DURING THE PAST 50 YEARS IS GREATER THAN THAT OF THE NORTHERNHEMISPHERE AND OTHER REGIONS IN THE SAME LATITUDE[1,2]. DUE TO ITS SPECIFIC GEOMORPHIC CONDITIO…     

Environmental changes and lake level fluctuation recorded by lakes on the plain in northern Xinjiang during the late Holocene

Xinjiang Autonomous Region is located in the arid area of westerly of China and there are many arguments about the changes of past temperature and moisture. Most of the lakes on the plain in northern Xinjiang are sealed lakes and terminal lakes. They can evidently reflect the changes in palaeoclimate. The palaeoenvironmental changes of some plain lakes in northern Xinjiang during the late Holocene will be analysed mainly based on the data of pollen, sedimentary facies, loss on ignition （LOI）, susceptibility and grain size from the Sichang Lake, Dongdaohaizi Lake and Aibi Lake. Results reveal an assembled pattern of temperature and moisture dominated by cold-wet and warm-dry. In addition, the impact factor will be discussed.     

Spatio-temporal characteristics of standardized precipitation index in the Taihu basin during 1951–2000

Spatial and temporal characteristics of standardized precipitation index (SPI), which is widely used for drought/flood monitoring, are investigated in this study. The purpose is to obtain a reasonable primary scheme of zoning on the basis of drought/wetness conditions in the study area. Spatio-temporal distributions of SPI with the time scales of 3 months and 12 months are investigated with the datasets of precipitation in the Taihu basin during past decades (1951–2000). Results indicate that SPI series of 3 months show random fluctuation while that of 12 months behaves like 1/f noise. SPI series of 3 months show little trend while that of 12 months show significant trend at several stations. Drought magnitude (DM) is also estimated on the basis of SPI values to assess drought condition. No trend is detected in DMs with time scales of both 3 months and 12 months. Spatial variability of DM is analyzed by mapping the DM with 12 months for extreme drought and wetness, and regional characteristics are analyzed for DM.     

Detection of DNA methylation changes during seed germination in rapeseed （Brassica napus）

DNA methylation is a common yet important modi- fication of DNA in eukaryotic organisms. DNA methy- lation, especially methylation of cytosine (m5C), have both epigenetic and mutagenic effects on various cellu- lar activities such as differential gene exp…     

Microstructural evolution in Al–Zn–Mg–Cu–Sc–Zr alloys during short-time homogenization

Microstructural evolution in a new kind of aluminum(Al) alloy with the chemical composition of Al–8.82Zn–2.08Mg– 0.80Cu–0.31Sc–0.3Zr was investigated. It is found that the secondary phase Mg Zn2 is completely dissolved into the matrix during a short homogenization treatment(470°C, 1 h), while the primary phase Al3(Sc,Zr) remains stable. This is due to Sc and Zr additions into the Al alloy, high Zn/Mg mass ratio, and low Cu content. The experimental findings fit well with the results calculated by the homogenization diffusion kinetics equation. The alloy shows an excellent mechanical performance after the short homogenization process followed by hot-extrusion and T6 treatment. Consequently, a good combination of low energy consumption and favorable mechanical properties is obtained.     

Monitoring dynamic changes of global land cover types:fluctuations of major lakes in China every 8 days during 2000–2010

Remote sensing images can be used to delineate variations in the area of lakes and to assess the influence of environmental changes and human activities.However,because lakes are dynamic,results obtained from individual images acquired on a single date are not representative and do not accurately reflect ongoing changes.In this study,we used 8-day moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer(MODIS)composite data from 2000 to2010 to map water surface changes over 629 lakes in China.We combined automatic extraction of training data and support vector machine classification to derive the spatial distribution of these large water bodies.The producer’s and user’s accuracies for MODIS images were91.06%and 89.81%,respectively,when compared with interpretation results from 30 m resolution Landsat images taken on similar days.Area changes,variability,inundation intensity,and rainy seasons of the 629 lakes were analyzed based on this multi-temporal lake database.The total area of the 629 lakes increased over the study period,primarily as a result of the expansion of lake areas on the Tibetan Plateau.There were 12 lakes with a maximum area[1,000 km2,and six of these decreased in area from 2000to 2010.The shrinkages of Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake were-54.76 and-25.08 km2/a,respectively.The area of lakes on Tibetan Plateau,in northern Xinjiang,northeastern Inner Mongolia,and northeastern China varied little,while lakes on the Yangtze Plain,in southern Inner Mongolia,and central Xinjiang fluctuated considerably.Inundation intensity increased for lakes on the Tibetan Plateau,in northern Xinjiang,Heilongjiang,and Jilin,while inundation extent decreased in central Xinjiang,southern Tibet,southern Inner Mongolia,Sichuan,and on the Yangtze Plain.This study is an attempt to develop high-frequency specific land cover maps to improve applicability of general land cover maps.The lake products serve as an important supplement to hydrologic data.The lake database enables the generation of new land surface process models,which could improve the precision of simulations,based on more accurate observations of dynamic lake systems.     

Conformational changes in the G protein Gs induced by the β2 adrenergic receptor

G protein-coupled receptors represent the largest family of membrane receptors that instigate signalling through nucleotide exchange on heterotrimeric G proteins. Nucleotide exchange, or more precisely, GDP dissociation from the G protein α-subunit, is the key step towards G protein activation and initiation of downstream signalling cascades. Despite a wealth of biochemical and biophysical studies on inactive and active conformations of several heterotrimeric G proteins, the molecular underpinnings of G protein activation remain elusive. To characterize this mechanism, we applied peptide amide hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to probe changes in the structure of the heterotrimeric bovine G protein, Gs (the stimulatory G protein for adenylyl cyclase) on formation of a complex with agonist-bound human β(2) adrenergic receptor (β(2)AR). Here we report structural links between the receptor-binding surface and the nucleotide-binding pocket of Gs that undergo higher levels of hydrogen-deuterium exchange than would be predicted from the crystal structure of the β(2)AR-Gs complex. Together with X-ray crystallographic and electron microscopic data of the β(2)AR-Gs complex (from refs 2, 3), we provide a rationale for a mechanism of nucleotide exchange, whereby the receptor perturbs the structure of the amino-terminal region of the α-subunit of Gs and consequently alters the 'P-loop' that binds the β-phosphate in GDP. As with the Ras family of small-molecular-weight G proteins, P-loop stabilization and β-phosphate coordination are key determinants of GDP (and GTP) binding affinity.     

Effect of changes in flow runoff on the elevation of Tongguan in Sanmenxia Reservoir

This paper presents a study of the variation of the elevation of Tongguan, which is located in the backwater zone of the Sanmenxia Reservoir, in response to changes in flow runoff. The analysis indicated that the rise of the elevation of Tongguan, which is defined as the stage corresponding to a discharge of I000 m^3/s at Tongguan station, is controlled by the stream energy. A close relationship existed between the elevation of Tongguan and the superimposed stream energy that integrates the current and the preceding years‘ flow and dam operation conditions. When the flow runoff remains relatively constant and the pool level of the dam has a relatively large range of variations, then the elevation of Tongguan is primarily controlled by the dam operation conditions. On the other hand, if the flow runoff has a relatively large range of variations and the pool level of the dam remains relatively constant, then the elevation of Tongguan is primarily controlled by the flow conditions. These findings are of importance for optimizing the dam operation in order to lower and control the elevation of Tongguan, and therefore to minimize the backwater effect of the dam operation.     

Trends of the precipitation acidity over China during 1992–2006

The trends of the precipitation acidity from 1992 to 2006 were studied, based on the long-term acid rain observations at 74 sites in China. The results show that there was no remarkable change or extension of acid rain area (i.e., with annual mean of precipitation pH<5.6) during the 15 years. The largest and continuous acid rain area exists in the south of the Yangtze River, while the acid rain areas north of the Yangtze River remain separate. The severe acid rain area (i.e., with annual mean of precipitation pH<4.5) exists mainly in the south of the Yangtze River. The overall precipitation acidity for the 74 stations showed different trends before 1999 and after 2000. In the period 1992–1999, the precipitation acidity at most of the sites remained steady or showed a decreasing trend. After 2000, however, an increasing trend of the precipitation acidity was observed at many sites in North China, Central China, East China, and South China. As a result, the pattern of acid rain area changed during 1992–2006. The precipitation over North China, Central China, and South China became more acidified in the 15 years, with more pronounced trends in North China and the north of Central China. A slight decrease in the precipitation acidity was found in Southwest China, an area characterized as severest acid rain area for about two decades after the early 1980s. Consequently, the center of severe acid rain area in the south of the Yangtze River moved eastwards. The non-hydrogen conductivity (NHC), which is defined as the difference between the measured precipitation conductivity and the H+ conductivity calculated from measured pH, was estimated and treated as a proxy of soluble ions in precipitation. The result shows that the overall trend of the NHC before 1999 was pronounced and positive, while the trend after 2000 was inconspicuous or slightly negative. During 2000–2006, the change rate of pH was positively correlated to that of the NHC at 21 sites, implying that the increasing acidities found at these sites may partly be attributed to the decrease in the concentration of airborne particulate matter in recent years.     

Simulated and reconstructed winter temperature in the eastern China during the last millennium

Since the 1990s, under the auspicious impetus of two international research programs, the “Past Global Changes” (PAGES) and the “Climate Variability and Pre- dictability” (CLIVAR), massive research work has been carried out on climate and environment changes over the past 2000 years[1-3]. But majority of the studies has been centered on obtaining various kinds of climatic proxy data (such as historical documents, tree rings, ice cores, lake cores) and focused on the reconstruction of…     

Climatic changes documented by stable isotopes of sedimentary carbonate in Lake Sugan, northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China, since 2 kaBP

Lake Sugan at the northern edge of the Qaidam Basin was selected as the research object. The temporal sequence of sedimentary cores retrieved from Lake Sugan since 2 kaBP was reconstructed using the ^210Pb, AMS 14C and conventional 14C dating methods. Carbon and oxygen isotopes of carbonate in the fine-grained lake sediments were analysed. Combined with the changes of 8180 values of surface water and air temperature observation data in the study area, it might be thought that the δ^18O value of the carbonate indicates effective moisture, and the changes in δ^13C values are related to annual freeze-up duration of the lake and indirectly indicate air temperature changes in winter half year. From the above, the sequence of climatic changes in the region since 2 kaBP was established. The climatic changes experienced five stages： Warm-dry climate during 0-190 AD： cold-dry climate during 190-580 AD; warm-dry climate during 580-1200 AD （MWP）; cold-wet climate during 1200-1880 AD （LIA）; cold-dry climate during 1880-1950 AD： and climate warming since 1950s. The air temperature changes in winter half year reflected by carbon isotope since 2 kaBP are in good agreement with the historical literature records and other geologic records, which shows that the climate changes recorded by the stable isotopes from Lake Sugan since 2 kaBP are of universal significance.     

Reconstructing temperature change in Central East China during 601–920 AD

Using historical records on first and last frost and snow, spring cultivation, David peach blossom, autumn crop harvest, grade of sea freeze and change in northern citrus boundary, we reconstructed temperature change during 601–920 AD. The mean temperature of the winter half-year (October to April) over Central East China during this period was about −0.22°C higher than that of the present (1961–2000 AD mean). During 601–820 AD, mean temperature was about −0.52°C higher than the present. During 821–920 AD, the mean temperature was 0.42°C lower than the present. The temperature fluctuations were characterized by a maximum amplitude of 1.05°C at the centennial scale, 1.38°C at the 50–year scale, 2.02°C at the 30-year scale, and 2.3°C at the 20-year scale. There were four peaks warmer than today (601–620 AD, mean of 1°C higher temperature; 641–660 AD, 1.44°C; 701–720 AD, 0.88°C; 781–800 AD, 0.65°C). Three cold periods were in 741–760, 821–840, and 881–900 AD, the mean temperature of which was 0.37–0.87°C lower than the present.     

Preparation of Rectorite-TiO2 and Its Application in the Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of Dye Wastewater

A photocatalyst consisting of TiO2 powder and rectorite was prepared and activated utilizing solar light and used for degradation of simulated dye wastewater （methyl solution）. The effects of roasting temperature, the way of adding rectorite, and the amount of the rectorite on the photocatalytic activity have been investigated. The results indicated that rectorite-TiO2 photocatalyst prepared with the right proportional amount of rectorite and titanium dioxide, could effectively degrade the methyl orange solution in sunlight. After reacting in sunlight for 8 hours, the methyl orange decolorization reached 96%. The photocatalytic activity of rectorite-TiO2 was much better than that of TiO2 in sunlight.     

Decadal change of the East Asian summer monsoon and its related surface temperature in Asia-Pacific during 1880–2004

The East Asian summer monsoon （EASM） and its related change of surface temperature in the past century were not clearly ad- dressed due to absence of atmospheric reanalysis data before 1948. On the benchmark of station-observed sea level pressure （SLP） in China, we utilized multiple SLP datasets and evaluated their qualities in measuring the SLP-based EASM index （EASMI）. It is found that the EASMI based on the SLP of the Hadley center version 2 （HadSLP2） has shown the best performance on the inter- annual and decadal time scales. Instead of showing a linear weakening trend pointed out by the previous study, the EASMI has likely exhibited the decadal variability, characterized by weakened trends during 1880-1906, 1921-1936, and 1960-2004, and with enhanced trends during 1906-1921 and 1936-1960, respectively. Corresponding to the weakened and enhanced periods of EASMI since the 1920s, the surface air temperature （SAT） index （SATI） averaged in eastern China has likely shown a warming and a cooling trend, respectively. However, the decadal abrupt transitions between the two indices do not occur concurrently, which results in a weak correlation between two indices on the decadal time scale. Further analysis indicates that there are four key regions where the SAT is significantly correlated with the EASMI, suggesting the joint impact of surface temperature in Asia-Pacific on the EASM during 1880-2004. In which, the decadal change of SAT near the Lake Baikal plays an important role in the linear trends of the EASM before and after 1960.     

Pollen records of Holocene vegetation and climate changes in the Longzhong Basin of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Pollen records with an average time resolution of 20-200 years from Holocene loess sections at Dingxi, Qin'an, and other localities of Gansu Province reveal a detailed history of vegetation and climate changes in the western Loess Plateau. For most time of the Holocene, the landscape was dominated by grasslands or forest steppes. However, during the middle Holocene (7.5-5.8 ka BP), relatively dense forests developed, and the endemic vegetation flourished, suggesting a much warmer and more humid climate condition than the present. Superimposed upon this general pattern are several dry intervals marked by the episodic expansion of grasslands or forest steppe. Xeric vegetation expanded after 3.8 ka BP, indicating a trend towards dry conditions.