Man-made Changes Research Articles

MULTI BAND INSAR ANALYSIS OF SUBSIDENCE DEVELOPMENT BASED ON THE LONG PERIOD TIME SERIES

Abstract. The SAR Interferometry (InSAR) application has shown great potential in monitoring of land terrain changes and in detection of land deformations such as subsidence. Longer time analysis can lead to understand longer trends and changes. Using different bands of SAR satellite (C- from ERS 1-2 and Envisat, L- from ALOS) over the study area, we achieve knowledge of movements in long-term and evaluation of its dynamic changes within observed period of time. Results from InSAR processing fit with the position changes in vertical direction based on GPS network established over the basin as an effective geodetic network. Time series (StaMPS PS+SB) of several points over Çumra County in eastern part of Konya City show a general trend of the deformation that is expected to be approximately between -13 to -17 mm/year. Northern part of Karaman is affected by faster subsidence, borders of the subsidence trough were identified from Envisat. Presenting InSAR results together with GIS information about locations and time of occurrence of sudden subsidence, urban/industrial growth in time and climate changes helps in better understanding of the situation. This way, the impact of natural and man-made changes will be shown for urban planning thanks to InSAR and GIS comparisons with hydrogeological modeling. In this study we present results of differential and multitemporal InSAR series using different bands and GIS conjunction associated with seasonal and temporal groundwater level changes in Konya Closed Basin.

Modeling Spatial Pattern of Salinity using MIKE21 and Principal Component Analysis Technique in Urmia Lake

Urmia Lake in the northwestern of Iran is a hypersaline water body and has become an environmentally important issue especially due to the presence of an infrequent aquatic species, Artemia Urmiana. During the last three decades, several considerable man-made changes including river damming and construction of a causeway across the lake affected the lake salinity. This article aims to propose a new approach of salinity modeling using a reduced-order model based on MIKE21 simulation model, in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA) technique. At first, spatial variation of salinity in the lake was simulated by MIKE21 to prepare the input information for the PCA. Then, the dominant modes of salinity were determined by PCA technique while MIKE21 simulated results were compared with the output of developed reduced order model. Findings indicated that MIKE21's results closely matched the experimental data collected by field study. Also, the first 10 PCs among 974 modes computed by the reduced order model conserved approximately over 93% of the system variance. Therefore, the reduced order model was sufficient to capture the variation of salinity in the lake using a few first PCs. In other words, it was generally found that improvements in the simulated salinity in the lake provided by reduced order model were comparable to MIKE21 simulations.

FUNCTIONING CHARACTERISTICS OF URBANIZED CATCHMENT BASIN (KHODYNKA RIVER IN MOSCOW AS AN EXAMPLE)

Seven types of relatively homogeneous natural-technogenic subsystems were revealed within the basin of Hodynka - the left tributary of the Moscow river. Geomorphologic and hydrologic conditions, man-made changes of relief, vibrating effects play a great role in stability or instability of the subsystems. Ground water level changes in the ancient valley governed the activation of karst and suffusion.

Introduction to microseismic source mechanisms

Microseismic events are very weak earthquakes that occur at very small spatial scales. Microseismic events can result from natural forces such as tectonic motions (natural seismicity) or they can be induced by man-made changes to the natural stress-strain conditions in the earth (induced seismicity). There is a growing awareness that fluid injection into or fluid withdrawal from the earth's subsurface (e.g., oil/gas production, geothermal energy production, waste-fluid disposal), which changes the pore pressure, stress, and strain conditions in the rock, can induce microseismic events and might eventually lead to larger “felt” seismic events. (See the June 2015 TLE special section on injection-induced seismicity.)

PROBLEMS OF WAR AND ROAD DIGRESSION IN ARID PLAINS

Author suggests and investigates the new in the earth's sciences problem of arid plains destruction due to hostilities and dirt roads exploitation. The history of such man-made changes since the early bronze age are discussed. In the evolution of war and road destruction there are calm (peace) periods and catastrophic (war) ones. The impact of hostilities on the natural environment and relief of arid plains is enormous. The significant natural instability and vulnerability are incident to arid plains: no linear disruption does happen without consequences. Up to 17 active exogenic processes may take part in the development of linear destruction. Their integral effect may result in the formation of anthropogenic plains or in the creation of dissected relief.

Prospective HyspIRI global observations of tidal wetlands

Tidal wetlands are highly productive and act as critical habitat for a wide variety of plants, fish, shellfish, and other wildlife. These ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial environments also provide protection from storm damage, run-off filtering, and recharge of aquifers. Many wetlands along coasts have been exposed to stress-inducing alterations globally, including dredge and fill operations, hydrologic modifications, pollutants, impoundments, fragmentation by roads/ditches, and sea level rise. For wetland protection and sensible coastal development, there is a need to monitor these ecosystems at global and regional scales. Recent advances in satellite sensor design and data analysis are providing practical methods for monitoring natural and man-made changes in wetlands. However, available satellite remote sensors have been limited to mapping primarily wetland location and extent. This paper describes how the HyspIRI hyperspectral and thermal infrared sensors can be used to study and map key ecological properties, such as species composition, biomass, hydrology, and evapotranspiration of tidal salt and brackish marshes and mangroves, and perhaps other major wetland types, including freshwater marshes and wooded/shrub wetlands.

Lifelong bound feet in China: a quantitative ultrasound and lifestyle questionnaire study in postmenopausal women

ObjectiveThe phenomenon of foot binding, also known as ‘lotus feet’, has an enduring and influential history in China. To achieve a man-made smaller foot size, lifelong foot binding may have...

Countervailing effects on pine and oak leaf litter decomposition in human-altered Mediterranean ecosystems.

Species affect the dynamics of litter decay through the intrinsic properties of their litter, but also by influencing the environmental conditions imposed by their canopy, roots, and litter layers. We examined how human-induced changes in the relative abundances of two dominant Mediterranean trees-Pinus halepensis and Quercus calliprinos-impact leaf litter decomposition. A reciprocal transplant experiment tested decomposition of pine, oak, and mixed leaf litter in oak woodland and pine forest ecosystems with different relative abundances of pine and oak. Using likelihood methods, we tested the importance and magnitude of the environmental effects of local species abundance, litter layer composition, and soil properties on litter mass loss. Oak litter decomposition was slower than pine, and had an antagonistic effect on mixed litter decay. These results differ from other reported pine-oak associations, and are probably associated with a higher content of tannins and phenols in oak compared to pine litter in our study sites. The environmental effects of the two species were opposite to their litter decomposition dynamics. An increased proportion of pine in the oak woodlands and a higher content of pine needles in the litter layer of pine forests reduced decay rates. The presence of more oak and broadleaf litter in the litter layer accelerated decomposition in pine forests. Our results highlight the importance of considering multidimensional species effects mediated by both chemical and physical properties, and imply that man-made changes in the composition and configuration of plant communities may result in complex unpredicted consequences to ecosystem biogeochemistry.

Factors Contributing to the 2005-Present, Rapid Rise in Lake Levels, Dominican Republic and Haiti (Hispaniola)

Lakes Enriquillo and Azuei, the two largest lakes in Hispaniola and in the Caribbean, have risen 10 and 5 m respectively within the last 8 years. Higher lake levels have submerged towns, road systems, agricultural lands and utilities, and have threatened to submerge the major overland highway that connects the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In this study, we use CHIRP seismic data, satellite imagery, and regional meteorological data to quantify and assess controls on the recent lake level rises. Although data are limited, the analyses indicate that the lakes’ water level changes may be attributed to a combination of increased rainfall and natural or man-made changes to the hydraulic connectivity of the various water bodies within the drainage basin. We show that a weak correlation exists between changes in Lake Enriquillo’s and Azuei’s water levels and precipitation rates (0.2 and 0.08 respectively, 1984-2012) and that both lakes experience periods of anti-correlation where, for example, water level drops at Lake Azuei (~20 masl) coincide with water level rises at Lake Enriquillo (41 mbsl). From these observations, we propose that the lakes experience intermittent periods of hydraulic connectivity along reactivated or newly developed stratigraphic-controlled sub-surface transport pathways. We also note that moderately small earthquakes along the large active fault system that extends through both lakes may promote or limit hydraulic conductivity on decadal or shorter time scales. The extents to which recent earthquakes have triggered changes in groundwater flow at this site remain unclear but represent an important topic of future research.

Earthquake Catalogue of the Thailand Meteorological Department — A Commentary

In this study, I investigated qualitatively the earthquake catalogue of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), Thailand, with respect to the seismicity patterns of Thailand. The readymade relationships between the different magnitude scales were derived to allow their convenient interconversion. Earthquake declustering was performed in order to screen the main shocks from the foreshocks and aftershocks, reducing the 1998–2009 records from ~48,900 to 2,620 main events. Man-made changes in the seismicity rate were carefully checked for, but only some minor changes were found and these were not related to any network improvements. In order to assess the limit of the earthquake detection in the catalogue the criterion of the magnitude of completeness (Mc) was employed, revealing a high efficiency of earthquake detection at a low Mc (3.0–3.5 Mw), especially for the inland active fault zone that dominates in Southeast Asia. Thus, the TMD's catalogue is one of the alternative catalogues for seismicity investigation of inland earthquakes. Meanwhile for the area surrounding the Sumatra Island and Northern Myanmar, the TMD's network is sufficient only for earthquakes with a Mw> 5.4–6.0 Mw. Thus, some additional seismic recording stations are needed in the Southern and Northern parts of Thailand.

Categorization of the trophic status of a hydroelectric power plant reservoir in the Brazilian Amazon by statistical analyses and fuzzy approaches

The Amazon area has been increasingly suffering from anthropogenic impacts, especially due to the construction of hydroelectric power plant reservoirs. The analysis and categorization of the trophic status of these reservoirs are of interest to indicate man-made changes in the environment. In this context, the present study aimed to categorize the trophic status of a hydroelectric power plant reservoir located in the Brazilian Amazon by constructing a novel Water Quality Index (WQI) and Trophic State Index (TSI) for the reservoir using major ion concentrations and physico-chemical water parameters determined in the area and taking into account the sampling locations and the local hydrological regimes. After applying statistical analyses (factor analysis and cluster analysis) and establishing a rule base of a fuzzy system to these indicators, the results obtained by the proposed method were then compared to the generally applied Carlson and a modified Lamparelli trophic state index (TSI), specific for trophic regions. The categorization of the trophic status by the proposed fuzzy method was shown to be more reliable, since it takes into account the specificities of the study area, while the Carlson and Lamparelli TSI do not, and, thus, tend to over or underestimate the trophic status of these ecosystems. The statistical techniques proposed and applied in the present study, are, therefore, relevant in cases of environmental management and policy decision-making processes, aiding in the identification of the ecological status of water bodies. With this, it is possible to identify which factors should be further investigated and/or adjusted in order to attempt the recovery of degraded water bodies.

Source and progression of a submarine landslide and tsunami: The 1964 Great Alaska earthquake at Valdez

AbstractLike many subduction zone earthquakes, the deadliest aspects of the 1964 M = 9.2 Alaska earthquake were the tsunamis it caused. The worst of these were generated by local submarine landslides induced by the earthquake. These caused high runups, engulfing several coastal towns in Prince William Sound. In this paper, we study one of these cases in detail, the Port Valdez submarine landslide and tsunami. We combine eyewitness reports, preserved film, and careful posttsunami surveys with new geophysical data to inform numerical models for landslide tsunami generation. We review the series of events as recorded at Valdez old town and then determine the corresponding subsurface events that led to the tsunami. We build digital elevation models of part of the pretsunami and posttsunami fjord‐head delta. Comparing them reveals a ~1500 m long region that receded 150 m to the east, which we interpret as the primary delta landslide source. Multibeam imagery and high‐resolution seismic reflection data identify a ~400 m wide chute with hummocky deposits at its terminus, which may define the primary slide path. Using these elements we run hydrodynamic models of the landslide‐driven tsunamis that match observations of current direction, maximum inundation, and wave height at Valdez old town. We speculate that failure conditions at the delta front may have been influenced by manmade changes in drainage patterns as well as the fast retreat of Valdez and other glaciers during the past century.

Joint uncertainty analysis in river water quality simulation: a case study of the Karoon River in Iran

Estimating rivers’ responses to natural and man-made changes is of high importance in river water quality management. It is also necessary to incorporate uncertainties in planning and management of these important systems. The aim of this paper is simultaneously analyzing uncertainties of inputs and parameters of a river water quality simulation model using a novel Markov chain Monte Carlo technique, namely differential evolution adaptive metropolis (DREAM). This technique helps to consider the interaction between the input variables and parameters in water quality simulation results. A DREAM-based uncertainty analysis model is linked with the QUAL2K simulation model to incorporate uncertainties of several inputs and parameters such as headwater quantity and quality, pollution loads and reaeration parameters. A part of the Karoon River located at the southwestern part of Iran is selected for the case study. The results illustrate that the interactions among the parameters and inputs should be taken into account in river water quality simulation. The methodology presented in this paper can accurately provide the statistical characteristics of parameters of the water quality simulation model using the observed values of several water quantity and quality variables.

The grand challenges in marine pollution research

Humans intensified natural MP and certainly created novel stressors through technological innovations. These got magnified as a new quality in the antropocene by man-made changes to soil, atmosphere and waters. The hydrosphere includes the oceans which cover about 70% of the earth’s surface and are providing more than 99% of the earth’s water resources. Man-made effects include industrial (e.g., noise, radiation, heavy metals, nanoparticles), agricultural (e.g., pesticides, antibiotics, fertilizers), and urban pollutants (e.g., organic matter, pharmaceuticals, CO2) which reach the oceans via various pathways, from the atmosphere, aquatic drainages and rivers, from coastal groundwater, and through organisms getting dispersedbetweentheserealms(Sweet,2013).

Characterizing estuarine plume discharge into the coastal ocean using fatty acid biomarkers and pigment analysis

The transformation of estuaries by human activities continues to alter the biogeochemical balance of the coastal ocean. The disruption of this balance can negatively impact the provision of goods and services, including fisheries, commerce and transportation, recreation and esthetic enjoyment. Here we examine a link, between the Elkhorn Slough and the coastal ocean in Monterey Bay, California (USA) using a novel application of fatty acid and pigment analysis. Fatty acid analysis of filtered water samples showed biologically distinct water types between the Elkhorn Slough plume and the receiving waters of the coastal ocean. A remarkable feature of the biological content of the plume entering the coastal ocean was the abundance of bacteria-specific fatty acids, which correlated well with concentrations of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Pigment analysis showed that plume waters contained higher concentrations of diatoms and cryptophytes, while the coastal ocean waters showed higher relative concentrations of dinoflagellates. Bacteria and cryptophytes can provide a source of labile, energy-rich organic matter that may be locally important as a source of food for pelagic and benthic communities. Surface and depth surveys of the plume show that the biogeochemical constituents of the slough waters are injected into the coastal waters and become entrained in the northward flowing, nearshore current of Monterey Bay. Transport of these materials to the northern portion of the bay can fuel a bloom incubator, which exists in this region. This study shows that fatty acid markers can reveal the biogeochemical interactions between estuaries and the coastal ocean and highlights how man-made changes have the potential to influence coastal ecological change.

Garden Plants under Global Climate Change

Climate change refers to man-made changes in our climate, which is caused by changes in temperature, precipitation, and CO2. There is a lot of data coming from all over the world indicating that phenology of garden plants and biodiversity are being impacted by climate change. In the context of climate change, landscape plants can enhance carbon sink function, improve plant design, and mitigate climate change and so on. To determine the impact of these changes on garden plants, scientists would need to strengthen the study of garden plants under global climate change, including different garden type responses to climate change, invaliding species phenology study, extreme weather impacts on landscape plant phenology, the dominant factor of affecting garden plants in different regions, interactions of multiple environmental factors on influence mechanism of garden plants.

Two centuries of coastal change at Caesarea, Israel: natural processes vs. human intervention

The coast at Caesarea, Israel, has been inhabited almost continuously for the last 2,400 years, and the archeological sites are today a major international tourist attraction. Because the sites straddle the shoreline, they are subject to constant damage by wave action, and must therefore be frequently restored. In this paper, local shoreline migrations over the last 200 years are investigated with the aim of distinguishing between natural and man-made coastal changes. In order to assess these changes accurately, geomorphological and sedimentological data were examined based on detailed beach profile measurements, bathymetric surveys, and grain-size analyses. In addition, series of old aerial photographs, as well as historical topographic maps and nautical charts were consulted. The results show that shoreline changes can be grouped into two main time periods. During the first period from 1862 to 1949 before the expansion of modern settlements, the position of the shoreline changed irregularly by up to 30 m. In the second period from 1949 onward, numerous coastal structures have been erected, and various coastal modifications have been carried out. The evaluation of the data suggests that human interventions have had relatively little effect on the overall position of the shoreline, as displacements ranged only from 5 to 18 m. Thus, coastal changes at Caesarea are predominantly due to natural wave action reflected in the heterogeneous geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics of the shore. This contradicts the common assumption that human activities are always mainly responsible for large-scale shoreline modifications in the region. It is concluded that, in order to implement meaningful mitigating countermeasures, coastal archeological sites need to be individually assessed with respect to the dominant factors causing local coastal change.

Emerging Infectious Diseases of Wildlife and Species Conservation.

There has been an increase in the emergence and reemergence of human infectious diseases on a global scale, and zoonotic diseases in which wildlife serves as the reservoir are a large contributing factor. Faced with this situation, there is a necessity to create integrated prevention strategies and predictive models to determine the sites most vulnerable to the emergence of new zoonoses. Cases have been documented in which pathogens responsible for infectious diseases in wild species have been readily transmitted between hosts and have threatened vulnerable declining populations. Habitat destruction and man-made changes in the landscape together with the introduction of alien species are significant environmental variables that affect the ecology of infectious diseases. Thus, the loss of biodiversity is illustrated to be related to both the emergence of new or the exacerbation of existing vector-borne zoonotic diseases through mechanisms such as the loss of the dilution effect and ecological release and simplification. Hence, it is important to consider this factor when assessing disease risk and disease prevention in domestic animals and humans. Diseases like leptospirosis in which water plays an important role are ecosystem health diseases; in fact, the reported higher prevalence of Leptospira spp. in river otters in southern Chile compared with species less adapted to aquatic environments and with terrestrial domestic carnivores provides evidence that man-made landscape alterations, including the introduction of alien species, has exacerbated the transmission and prevalence of leptospirosis in wildlife and thus the risk of human infection.

Detecting and Updating Changes in Lidar Point Clouds for Automatic 3D Urban Cartography

Abstract. This work presents a method that automatically detects, analyses and then updates changes in LiDAR point clouds for accurate 3D urban cartography. In the proposed method, the 3D point cloud obtained in each passage is first classified into 2 main object classes: Permanent and Temporary. The Temporary objects are then removed from the 3D point cloud to leave behind a perforated 3D point cloud of the urban scene. These perforated 3D point clouds obtained from different passages (in the same place) at different days and times are then matched together to complete the 3D urban landscape by incremental updating. Different natural or man-made changes occurring in the urban landscape over this period of time are detected and analyzed using cognitive functions of similarity and the resulting 3D cartography is progressively modified and updated accordingly. The results, evaluated on real data using different standard evaluation metrics, not only demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method but also shows that this method is easily applicable and well scalable, making it suitable for handling large urban scenes.

Conservation of natural and cultural heritage in Dunhuang, China

A country's natural and cultural heritage is created in a unique environment, and for this heritage to survive, it must be preserved in a similar environment. In China, 60years of afforestation to combat desertification near the Mogao Grottoes and the Crescent Moon Spring have shown that attempts to protect the regional environment have not protected these heritage sites, and may actually have endangered them. Conserving the environment's original state may be the most effective solution for heritage conservation where sites have survived under a specific set of physical and environmental conditions for hundreds or thousands of years and may not be able to survive a new environment. Man-made changes should only be attempted with great care to avoid damaging the conditions that have preserved the natural or cultural heritage in the long term.