High Summer Research Articles

Association between Wind Environment and Spatial Characteristics of High-Rise Residential Buildings in Cold Regions through Field Measurements in Xi’an

Research on the correlation between wind and block spatial form focuses mainly on hot and humid cities. However, cold regions are also experiencing high summer temperatures due to global climate change. Enhancing wind speed in blocks through urban spatial control improves comfort. Existing research cannot be directly applied to cold regions due to natural differences. Using Xi’an as an example, this study explores the impact of high-rise residential block spatial form on internal and external wind environments through field measurements and simulations. Optimal strategies for block planning and architectural design are identified to improve the wind environment. Results show that blocks with high buildings on the south and north sides and low buildings in the middle achieve a more comfortable internal wind environment. Gradually increasing building height from south to north has minimal impact on downwind blocks. Reducing the angle between the main facade and dominant wind direction enhances the residential area’s wind environment. Specific spatial planning and design strategies are summarized for early-stage decision-making.

Evaluation of Agricultural Marketing of Tomato and Cucumber in Qatar Agro Climatic Zone

There is a great demand of tomato and cucumber in Qatar than their production. Qatar has been categorized as BWh (B=Arid or Dry; W=Waste or Desert; h=hot) based on the Köppen's classification. In addition to having high summer temperatures, high humidity, intense sun radiation, poor soil, and strong winds, Qatar also has limited precipitation. As a result, the climate is no longer favorable for agricultural production. Furthermore, the conditions are made worse by the scarcity of cultivable agricultural land. Due to these unfavorable circumstances and the growing emphasis on self-sufficiency, Qatar has adopted protected farming methods including greenhouse farming. The current state of Qatar's agriculture production has been examined in this review by taking into account the amount of crop output, the amount of cultivated land, the reliance on imports, and the value of crop production with reference to two major vegetable crops identified as critical commodity by Qatar National Food Security Strategy Programme (QNFSS) i.e. Tomato and Cucumber.

Seasonal and diel patterns in Pacific white‐sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) pulsed calls near Barkley Canyon

AbstractEvaluation of temporal patterns in offshore marine mammal activity through visual data collection can be impaired by light and weather conditions and the cost of ship time. The conditions‐independence and cost‐efficacy of acoustic data collection make it popular for researching the temporal patterns of wild dolphins. However, Pacific white‐sided dolphins (PWSDs) north of Southern California remain under‐researched. This study evaluates diel and seasonal patterns in PWSD communication signals detected in 480 days of near‐continuous passive acoustic data collected over 20 months from the Barkley Canyon node of Ocean Networks Canada's NEPTUNE observatory, offshore Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In this study, a random forest classifier is used to identify PWSD pulsed calls and false positives are manually removed. The resulting acoustic presence‐absence data set is evaluated for seasonal and diel patterns using generalized additive mixed models, considering masking effects from ambient noise. PWSDs are found to be vocally active during all diel periods year‐round, with high summer and low spring activity. Seasonally dependent diel patterns are identified, with PWSD pulsed calls exhibiting no diel pattern in spring, a slight increase in vocal activity during dusk and night in fall and winter, and a notable increase during night and dawn in summer.

Effects of Harvesting Time on Fruit Development Process and Oil Content of Selected Iranian and Foreign Olive Cultivars under Subtropical Conditions.

Climate change and rising global average temperatures across the year may strongly affect olive fruits' development process and their oil yield and quality. There is therefore an urgency to take immediate actions to characterize the wide variability of cultivars in order to identify those with a stable response to high temperatures, particularly in areas like the west of Iran, which is characterized by a warm summer continental climate. The objective of this study is to investigate the process of fruit development and oil accumulation in response to high summer temperature conditions in a set of four Iranian olive cultivars (Shengeh, Roughani, Zard Aliabad, and Dezful) in comparison with four foreign olive cultivars (Konservolia, Sevillana, Manzanilla, and Mission) in seven various harvesting times (20 July, 5 and 20 August, 5 and 20 September, 6 and 21 October). The obtained results evidence a significant positive correlation between fruit dry matter and oil content. High temperatures reduced the oil and dry matter accumulation in the second half of the summer, with severe thermal conditions adversely affecting oil synthesis. Paramount variations were observed among the cultivars regarding oil accumulation, dry matter, and pomological attributes. All of them showed the highest oil content at the last harvest. Among all analyzed varieties, Roughani showed the highest tolerance and adaptive capacity to high temperatures as it accumulated the greatest amount of dry matter as well as oil content in all of the harvesting times, demonstrating a positive correlation between these two traits. Although Shengeh showed the lowest oil content on a dry and fresh weight basis at the first harvesting time, this cultivar generally presented higher fruit development attributes than the other cultivars, highlighting that it benefits from a high temperature.

Seasonal and regional variations of atmospheric ammonia across the South Korean Peninsula

This study aimed to identify the factors causing NH3 emissions in the South Korean Peninsula and West Sea region. To analyze the trends of NH3 and other air pollutants, such as NOx, CO, and NR-PM1, we collected samples from six supersites across the peninsula, a roadside in Seoul, and the West Sea over different sampling periods, ranging from 1 month to 1 year. The highest NH3 concentrations were found at rural areas, ascribed to agricultural activities, particularly NH4NO3 decomposition at high summer temperatures. Areas with low population densities recorded the lowest NH3 concentrations, attributed to the lack of anthropogenic activities. A roadside field experiment confirmed the close link between ambient NH3 and vehicle emissions in urban regions by showing a strong correlation between CO and NOx concentrations and that of NH3. Moreover, we examined oceanic emissions near the eastern coast of South Korea in the West Sea. Long-range transportation studies confirmed that most of the pollutants (NH3, CO, and PM1) were transported by wind from the northeastern region of China. A maritime origin study showed that oceanic emissions and NH4NO3 decomposition in the atmosphere owing to high temperatures were the causing NH3 pollution. These findings provided valuable insights into the emission sources of NH3 in primary air pollutants in South Korea, highlighting the contributions of land-based and oceanic sources. Our study can help inform policymakers and stakeholders for developing effective regional air pollution control strategies.

Novel flexible phase change materials with high emissivity, low thermal conductivity and mechanically robust for thermal management in outdoor environment

High summer temperatures will become the norm as global warming intensifies due to massive energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. High-temperature environments will seriously threaten the health of outdoor workers. It is urgent to adopt new technologies to solve the problem of reducing the thermal stress of workers in an extremely hot environment. Herein, phase change material (PCM) and radiative sky cooling technology were combined and prepared successfully a new kind of flexible composite phase change material (CPCM) with paraffin wax (PW), polypropylene hollow fiber (PP fiber) and Linear styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene triblock copolymer with 30 wt% styrene (SEBS). Compared with the traditional end sealing technology, the melted SEBS can close the end of the fiber easily and cost-effectively. The novel material (10PP) has a high enthalpy of 180.01 J/g, and the thermal conductivity is as low as 0.26 W/ (m· K), the low thermal conductivity of CPCM reduces the transfer of heat from the outside to the inside. Tensile strength is 3.89 MPa, the maximum force that 10PP can withstand reaches 147 N, and the contact angle for the hydrophobicity test is 114.8°, which provides a guarantee for the wide application of the new material in an outdoor environment. Besides, the optical test shows an emissivity (atmospheric window) of 0.955, and the extremely high emissivity facilitates radiative cooling of the material at night. On a clear day, the average temperature difference and maximum temperature difference between 10PP and the environment are 6.403 °C and 13.414 °C respectively. In the simulation experiment of the tent, when the external temperature reaches 60 °C, the surface temperature of the tent with CPCM is about 22 °C lower than that without CPCM. This inspiring work offers a great contribution to flexible passive cooling materials for outdoor applications.

Air Temperature as a Key Indicator of Avocado (Cvs. Fuerte, Zutano, Hass) Maturation Time in Mediterranean Climate Areas: The Case of Western Crete in Greece

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tropical fruit that has gained immense popularity worldwide due to its unique flavor, nutritional value, and numerous health benefits. The growth and maturation of avocados are influenced by various environmental and climatic factors. Temperature is one of the most critical factors, as it plays a significant role in various physiological processes of this fruit. This study aimed to investigate the effect of air temperature on avocado development and assess the harvest maturity period (determined by the dry matter content) of Fuerte, Zutano, and Hass, the most common avocado varieties, grown in Western Crete, Greece. Fruit samples collected from avocado orchards in five regions of Western Crete were subjected to dry matter analysis during the ripening period for the years 2017 to 2022. Maturation time is determined based on the EU regulation for dry matter concentration. The results of this study revealed that dry matter concentration can be affected by both very high summer temperatures and low temperatures during the ripening period. Specifically, high temperatures during the summer months can have a significant impact on avocado development and result in a reduced dry matter concentration. On the other hand, low temperatures during the maturation stage can slow down enzymatic activity and metabolic processes, resulting in delayed ripening and a prolonged time to reach optimal maturity. This delay in maturation and reduced dry matter concentration can significantly affect the harvest timing, as growers may need to wait for the avocados to develop the desired characteristics before they can be harvested. Our findings are the first data on avocado maturation (dry matter concentration) in relation to temperature and provide valuable insights into harvest maturity period of avocado cultivation in Crete and other regions with similar Mediterranean climatic conditions.

Sensitivity of Eurasian Rear-Edge Birch Populations to Regional Climate and Local Hydrological Conditions

South rear-edge populations of widely distributed temperate and boreal tree species such as birches (Betula pubescens and Betula pendula) are considered particularly vulnerable to climate warming, and at the same time, they constitute genetic reservoirs of drought-adapted ecotypes. Here, we compared radial growth patterns and responses to climate, river, or reservoir flows and a drought index of rear-edge (southernmost) populations (Toledo Mountains, central-southern Spain) with populations located in northern Spain of B. pubescens and B. pendula. Then, we performed a comparative analysis across Europe of B. pendula populations. The main climatic constraint of birch growth was a high summer water deficit, although the effect of local hydrological conditions was particularly important in rear-edge populations. We found declining growth trends in rear-edge stands dating from the early 21st century, related to decreasing water availability and increasing aridity. Our results also suggested distinct growth patterns and climate-growth associations of B. pendula across Europe that show how populations further south and in warmer locations were more sensitive to drought stress. Drought-induced growth decline can be exacerbated by local human land uses, leading to reduced river inflow, thus endangering birch populations at their southern distribution limit. Protection of threatened rear-edge birch populations requires adequate management of local water resources.

Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Reserves with Zero Processing of Chernozem in the Conditions of the Forest-Steppe Zone of the Middle Volga Region

The transition from conventional soil treatment technology to zero treatment technology contributes to an increase in carbon sequestration (Sorg) in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere into the soil and, as a result, a reduction in the adverse effects of the greenhouse effect on the ecological state of the environment. The effectiveness of the application of zero tillage is to a greater or lesser extent due to specific agro-climatic conditions, crop rotation systems, fertilizers and plant protection, soil quality and stability. The influence of zero tillage on the dynamics of sorghum reserves and greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, N2O, CH4) in the agro-climatic conditions of crop production (LLC “Orlovka AIC”, Samara region) was investigated. The study was conducted on agrochernozem heavy loam in September–November 2021 in conditions of an abnormally arid growing season and high summer temperatures. On plots with zero tillage, plant residues were received: 268–1720 kg С/ha, 3–66 kg N, 0.2–7.7 kg P and 12–44 kg K/ha. Based on the results obtained, recommendations are proposed for further improving the efficiency of zero tillage technology due, firstly, to reducing its adverse effect on the density of soil composition, and, secondly, taking into account the influence of underlying parent rocks and relief on water erosion of soil and redistribution of granulometric fractions of soil in the agricultural landscape, which will allow using this technology according to principles of adaptive landscape farming.

Why do people take e-scooter trips? Insights on temporal and spatial usage patterns of detailed trip data

Electric scooters (e-scooters) are becoming one of the most popular micromobility options in the United States. Although there is some evidence of increased mobility, reduced carbon emissions, replaced car trips, and associated public health benefits, there is little known about the patterns of e-scooter use. This study proposes a framework for high-resolution analysis of micromobility data based on temporal, spatial, and weather attributes. As a case study, we scrutinized more than one million e-scooter trips of Nashville, Tennessee, from September 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Weather data and land use data from the Nashville Travel Demand Model and scraping of Google Maps Point of Interest (POI) data complemented the trip data. The combination of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and a K-means unsupervised machine learning algorithm identified five distinct e-scooter usage patterns, namely morning work/school, daytime short errand, social, nighttime entertainment district, and utilitarian trips. Among other findings, the most common use of e-scooters in Nashville was daytime short errand trips, contributing to 29% of all e-scooter trips. We found that 7% of all e-scooter trips resembled morning commuting to work or school. Only 16% of trips were classified as Nighttime Entertainment District trips. The average daily number of trips on a typical weekend was 81% higher than a typical weekday. We also found variation in e-scooter usage patterns over a year with high summer ridership patterns. The findings of this study can help city administrations, planners, and micromobility operators to understand when and where people are using e-scooters. Such knowledge can guide them in making data-driven decisions regarding safety, sustainability, and mode substitution of emerging micromobility.

Climate change risk perceptions, vulnerability, and adaptation in high altitude farming regions of Hindu Kush Himalaya

ABSTRACT Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is highly vulnerable to climate change, but there is the least understanding of the impacts of climate change. This study explored local climate change risk perceptions, vulnerability, and adaptive responses in the three HKH countries, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. For this purpose, 379 farm households from low, medium, and high elevations in the study districts of Rasuwa in Nepal, Gilgit in Pakistan and the Central District in Bhutan were surveyed. A semi-structured digital survey was used for data collection. Further, the study used the IPCC climate vulnerability framework to explore the farm-level vulnerability to climate change in three HKH countries. The study revealed that farmers in the study areas strongly agreed that the climate was changing in the region with high summer temperatures and increasing frequency and intensity of weather-related extreme events. Increasing poverty and limited institutional services make farmers more vulnerable to climate risks. Farmers reported reduced agricultural productivity and decreased revenue caused by climate change. Crop yields at high altitudes were slightly higher, but only because of multiple cropping triggered by weather patterns. Lack of information, resources, and institutional support significantly hamper the farmers’ adaptive capacity. A small fraction of the farmers adopted improved crop varieties and land management. The study recommends improving outreach and institutional services, especially climate-specific farm advisory services in HKH countries.

Changes in the Qualitative Composition of the milk of Holstein Cows During Summer Chronic Heat Stress

Seasonal summer heat stress leads to significant economic losses, resulting in a drop in milk yield in dairy cows and a deterioration in milk quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in some qualitative parameters of milk in Holstein cows during chronic heat stress on one of the largest commercial dairy farms Ukraine (50°49′14″ N, 31°49′23″ E). Five multiparous cows of medium lactation with a milk yield of about 30 kg per day were randomly selected into the reference (in the spring, at the end of May) and the experimental group (in the summer, at the end of August). Milk samples were taken from cows during the morning milking. Qualitative analysis of milk included the identification of milk solids-not-fat, density, mass fraction of lactose, fat, protein and minerals, as well as the freezing point, electrical conductivity and active acidity using ultrasonic method. Animals were kept in naturally ventilated barns. The total mixed single-type balanced diet consisting of corn silage and concentrates that the cows received remained unchanged. The sampling of milk from cows of the experimental group was preceded by a continuous 26-day hot period, during which the maximum daily values of the temperature and humidity index did not fall below 72 units. The results showed that in the milk of the animals of the experimental group there was a significant decrease in the content of milk solids-not-fat, the mass fraction of fat and protein (P0.05). The mass fraction of lactose and minerals tended to increase. It should be noted that the average daily milk yield of dairy cows in the herd in spring and summer was almost at the same level. In conclusion, the results of the study showed that high summer temperatures lead to a deterioration in the quality of milk in Holstein cows. Despite the decrease in milk density and freezing point, these figures met the requirements of the standard. Organoleptic indicators of milk, electrical conductivity and active acidity of milk did not change in hot weather, their value indicated the naturalness of milk. The mass fraction of milk fat, which undergoes the greatest change under the influence of seasonal heat stress, is one of the most valuable components of milk, which has a direct effect on nutritional value and purchase price of raw milk. Therefore, a further deeper study of the fatty acid composition of milk using the method of chromato-mass spectrometry will provide valuable data necessary to search for possible herd management strategies to maintain high milk quality under conditions of seasonal heat stress.

Nutrient Flux under the Influence of Melt Water Runoff from Volcanic Territories and Ecosystem Response of Vilyuchinskaya and Avachinskaya Bays in Southeastern Kamchatka

Nutrient fluxes with river runoff can largely determine the state of coastal water ecosystems. The Vilyuchinskaya and Avachinskaya Bays of Kamchatka Peninsula were surveyed on 4–5 July 2022, just after the peak of the spring–summer flood of the Vilyucha and Avacha Rivers associated with the snow melting in volcanic areas. Additionally, water sampling was performed in river water in December 2022, in the period of winter low water. A general undersaturation of CO2 of surface waters was observed in the Vilyuchinskaya and Avachinskaya Bays. Strong supersaturation of CO2 of the near-bottom waters was observed, due to microbial destruction of organic matter, especially in Avachinskaya Bay. This organic matter was formed as a result of photosynthesis in the water column, which subsequently gravitated to the bottom and concentrated in specific bottom depressions in the studied bays. In these depressions, black sediments were found, in which sulfate reduction occurred. The porewater of sediments had a very high concentration of organic carbon, dissolved and organic nitrogen, and phosphates, as well as CO2 partial pressure. The source of nutrients for the studied bays is tephra (volcanic suspended particles), which covers all the watersheds, including the soil and snow, as a result of volcanic activity in the study region. Based on the calculated nutrient fluxes in river runoff for the summer and winter seasons and the DIN/DIP ratios in river, sea, and pore waters, the causes of phytoplankton blooms, including the occurrence of red tides, are discussed. The maximum flux of nutrients and, accordingly, phytoplankton blooms should be expected in the years with the highest volcanic activity and high summer air temperatures, since the melting of nutrient-rich snow and ice will be maximum. This will determine the flux of nutrients in the river runoff of the Kamchatka Peninsula and contribute to phytoplankton blooms.

Spatiotemporal variation of marsh vegetation productivity and climatic effects in Inner Mongolia, China

Net primary productivity (NPP) is a vital ecological index that reflects the ecological function and carbon sequestration of marsh ecosystem. Inner Mongolia has a large area of marshes, which play a crucial role in the East Asian carbon cycle. Under the influence of climate change, the NPP of Inner Mongolian marsh has changed significantly in the past few decades, but the spatiotemporal variation in marsh vegetation NPP and how climate change affects marsh NPP remain unclear. This study explores, for the first time, the spatiotemporal variation of marsh NPP and its response to climatic change in Inner Mongolia based on the MODIS-NPP and climate datasets. We find that the long-term average annual NPP of marsh is 339.85 g⋅C/m2 and the marsh NPP shows a significantly increasing trend (4.44 g⋅C/m2/a; p < 0.01) over Inner Mongolia during 2000–2020. Spatially, the most prominent increase trend of NPP is mainly distributed in the northeast of the region (Greater Khingan Mountains). The partial correlation results show that increasing autumn and summer precipitation can increase the NPP of marsh vegetation over Inner Mongolia. Regarding the temperature effects, we observe a strong asymmetric effect of maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) temperature on annual NPP. A high spring Tmax can markedly increase marsh NPP in Inner Mongolia, whereas a high Tmin can significantly reduce it. In contrast to spring temperature effects on NPP, a high summer Tmax can decrease NPP, whereas a high Tmin can increase it. Our results suggest different effects of seasonal climate conditions on marsh vegetation productivity and highlight the influences of day-time and night-time temperatures. This should be considered in simulating and predicting marsh carbon sequestration in global arid and semi-arid regions.

Life history responses of the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus to temperature change

Temperature is a key environmental factor in ectotherms and influences many life history traits. In the present study, the nymphal development time, sex ratio and wing dimorphism of the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus were examined under the conditions of constant temperatures, naturally varying temperatures (or different generations), and different temperatures combined with different photoperiod. The results showed that from 18 to 28 °C, the developmental time of nymphs was gradually shortened with the increase of temperature, whereas the high temperatures of 30 and 32 °C in the third to fifth instar nymphal stages and high summer temperature of 28.8 and 29.7 °C significantly delayed developmental time and resulted in higher mortality of nymphs. In all treatments, the developmental time was longer in females than males. The nymphs took significantly longer time to develop in the short daylength of 12 h than in longer daylengths of 13, 14, 15 and 16. Differences in developmental time were also found between wing morph, with long-winged individuals being significantly longer than the short-winged individuals at lower temperatures and significantly shorter than the short-winged individuals at higher temperatures. In all treatments, the sex ratio was stable, approaching 1:1, without being affected by temperature, generations and photoperiod. Photoperiod and temperature had significantly influence on the wing dimorphism. Long daylength combined with different temperatures resulted in significantly higher proportions of long-winged morph, whereas the low temperatures combined with the short daylengths in autumn and winter resulted in significantly high proportion of short-winged morph.This study broadens our understanding of the life-history traits of this planthopper and provides basic data for analyzing the effects of climate change on the planthopper reproduction.

A review of rutting in asphalt concrete pavement

AbstractUndoubtedly, rutting in asphalt concrete pavement is considered a major dilemma in terms of pavement performance and safety faced by road users as well as the road authorities. Rutting is a bowl-shaped depression in the wheel paths that develop gradually with the increasing number of load applications. Heavy axle loadings besides the high pavement summer temperature enhance the problem of rutting. According to the AASHTO design equation for flexible pavements, a 1.1 in rut depth will reduce the present serviceability index of relatively new pavement, having no other distress, from 4.2 to 2.5. With this amount of drop in serviceability, the entire life of the pavement in effect has been lost. Therefore, it is crucial to look at the mechanism, possible reasons, as well as techniques, to reduce the rutting in order to offer long service life and safe roadways. To this end, the need has been arising for this research which deals mainly with a thorough review of the existing literature to highlight some key points for the researchers and pavement engineers related to rutting mechanism, measurement, and criteria, both intrinsic (mixture variables) and extrinsic (traffic and temperature) contributory factors to rutting, material characterization, test methods, and prediction methodologies, as well as possible ways to minimize the rutting distress in asphalt concrete pavement. So far, this research attempts to bridge the gap in the literature that frequently only addresses a single aspect of rutting by providing an in-depth review of rutting in asphalt concrete and thereby offers a complete comprehensive understanding of this major distress type.

Engineering and Minerological Characteristics of Sand Dunes of Babylon Governorate, Iraq

The engineering and mierological of sand dunes has been investigated in this paper. The engineering characteristics study involved studying the dimensions of the dunes, their slope angles, analyzing the curvature of their surfaces and sieve analysis. The mierological characteristics included XRD, XRF, and Thin section for specimens. The investigated area involved three differnts zones lie in the Babylon Governorate in the cnter of Iraq. The zones are called Ramlet Rashid, Ramlet Albu Faris and Birmana area. It has a desert environment, which is characterized by little rainfall, ranging from 50 to 200 mm annually, and high summer temperatures that can exceed 50°C, with northwest winds dominating. The grain size distribution of the sand was found to be 99% in an engineering study of sand dune soils. According to USCS, the sand is of the type (Sp), which is sandy badly graded. The bulk density of sand dune soils for the study area locations ranged from 1.287 to 1.376 g /cm3, The lowest concentration was 1.287 g/cm3 in the Bermana area (third site), while the highest concentration was 1.376 g/cm3 at the Ramlet Rashid site (first site), with an average of 1.3315 g/cm3. The internal friction angle (Ø) for sand dune soils for the research area sites ranged from 33 to 34 in the direct shear test, with the minimum being 33 in Ramlet Rashid and the maximum being 34 in Albu Faris. Having a 33.5 percent rate The convergence of the internal friction angle (Ø) values for sand dunes reflects the deposition environment as well as the geometric characteristics of the sand dunes, Because the soil is SP without cohesion and clays, the cohesion (C) values for all sites are (0). The petrographic investigation of sand rise soils uncovered that quartz is the most light mineral tracked down in all areas, trailed by rock pieces, which include: sedimentary rocks (calcareous rocks, carbonates, chert, evaporites, and earth rock sections), trailed by feldspar (antacid and plagioclase feldspar), and volcanic stone parts, transformative shakes and mud-covered grains. Concerning its weighty minerals parts, for the most part hazy minerals, the chlorite bunch, the mica bunch, the amphibole bunch, the pyroxene bunch, zircon, termolite, garnet, rhyolite, staurolite, kainite, rutile, and different minerals by 1%. X-Ray diffraction test uncovered the presence of quartz, albite and calcite, and X-Ray fluorescence tests showed the presence of silica (SiO2) and lime (CaO).

Climate responsive lessons from an architectural and ethnographic study of Hijazi traditional dwellings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

This study investigated the thermal environment in a traditional Hijazi building, the Baeshen House in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a city on the Red Sea. This dwelling, which was built in 1856, was designed based on the accumulated local knowledge and experience of the region’s conditions. Such buildings were constructed to provide thermal comfort without air conditioning to occupants in the hot humid climate of a coastal area. During the time period of December 2021 to August 2022, on-site monitoring was performed in winter and summer to record and analyze field measurements and the effectiveness of thermal comfort strategies. Two different ventilation strategies—i.e. full-day and night-time—were examined. The results showed the thermal mass of the vernacular architecture played an essential role in regulating the indoor air temperature from the extreme outdoor conditions. Moreover, night-time ventilation practices accounted for significant temperature reductions indoors and a more comfortable living environment. It was observed that construction materials, namely, Al-Mangabi stones, played a substantial role in Hijazi architecture in mitigating the impact of severely high summer temperatures, as did specific traditional occupant strategies. The study established that natural cooling ventilation strategies are effective for maintaining thermal comfort and are valuable features of vernacular architecture with a substantial application for modern architectural design.

Automatic Monitoring Alarm Method of Dammed Lake Based on Hybrid Segmentation Algorithm

Mountainous regions are prone to dammed lake disasters due to their rough topography, scant vegetation, and high summer rainfall. By measuring water level variation, monitoring systems can detect dammed lake events when mudslides block rivers or boost water level. Therefore, an automatic monitoring alarm method based on a hybrid segmentation algorithm is proposed. The algorithm uses the k-means clustering algorithm to segment the picture scene in the RGB color space and the region growing algorithm on the image green channel to select the river target from the segmented scene. The pixel water level variation is used to trigger an alarm for the dammed lake event after the water level has been retrieved. In the Yarlung Tsangpo River basin of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the proposed automatic lake monitoring system was installed. We pick up data from April to November 2021, during which the river experienced low, high, and low water levels. Unlike conventional region growing algorithms, the algorithm does not rely on engineering knowledge to pick seed point parameters. Using our method, the accuracy rate is 89.29% and the miss rate is 11.76%, which is 29.12% higher and 17.65% lower than the traditional region growing algorithm, respectively. The monitoring results indicate that the proposed method is a highly adaptable and accurate unmanned dammed lake monitoring system.

Influence of seasonal climatic water deficit and crop prices on rainfed crop grain harvest, repurposing, and abandonment in the western U.S.A.

Increasing climate aridity and drought, exacerbated by global warming, are increasing risks for western United States of America (U.S.A.) rainfed farming, and challenging producers’ capacity to maintain production and profitability. With agricultural water demand in the region exceeding limited supplies and fewer opportunities to develop new water sources, rainfed agriculture is under increasing pressure to meet the nation’s growing food demands. This study examines three major western U.S.A. rainfed crops: barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat. We analyzed the relationship between crop repurposing (the ratio of acres harvested for grain to the total planted acres) to seasonal climatic water deficit (CWD). To isolate the climate signal from economic factors, our analysis accounted for the influence of crop prices on grain harvest. We used historical climate and agricultural data between 1958 and 2020 to model crop repurposing (e.g. forage) across the observed CWD record using a fixed effect model. Our methodology is applicable for any region and incorporates regional differences in farming and economic drivers. Our results indicate that farmers are less likely to harvest barley and spring wheat for grain when the spring CWD is above average. Of the major winter wheat growing regions, only the Northern High Plains in Texas showed a trend of decreasing grain harvest during high CWD. For the majority of major crop growing regions, grain prices increased with lower levels of grain harvest. Interestingly, winter wheat repurposing is significantly higher in the southern Great Plains (∼50% harvested for grain) compared to the rest of the West (∼90%). Our results highlight that the major barley and spring wheat regions’ grain harvests are vulnerable to high spring CWD and low summer CWD, while winter wheat grain harvest is unaffected by variable CWD in most of the West.