Bin Zhang

Comparative analysis of time-scaling properties about water pH in Poyang Lake Inlet and Outlet on the basis of fractal methods

Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multifractal methods are applied to the time-scaling properties analysis of water pH series in Poyang Lake Inlet and Outlet in China. The results show that these pH series are characterised by long-term memory and multifractal scaling, and these characteristics have obvious differences between the Lake Inlet and Outlet. The comparison results suggest that monofractal and multifractal parameters can be quantitative dynamical indexes reflecting the capability of anti-acidification of Poyang Lake. Furthermore, we investigated the frequency-size distribution of pH series in Poyang Lake Inlet and Outlet. Our findings suggest that water pH is an example of a self-organised criticality (SOC) process. The results show that it is different SOC behaviours that result in the differences of power-law relations between pH series in Poyang Lake Inlet and Outlet. This work can be helpful to improvement of modelling of lake water quality.

MONOFRACTAL AND MULTIFRACTAL SCALING ANALYSIS OF pH TIME SERIES FROM DONGTING LAKE INLET AND OUTLET

The water pH series from Dongting Lake Inlet and Outlet in China are analyzed by detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), spectral analysis and multifractal methods. The results show that these pH series are characterized by long-term memory, 1/f noise and multifractal scaling, and these characteristics have obvious difference between the Lake Inlet and Outlet. The comparison results show that monofractal (DFA exponent) and multifractal (Δα, Δf, B) parameters can be quantitative dynamical indexes reflecting the capability of anti-acidification of Dongting Lake. Furthermore, we investigate the frequency-size distribution of pH series from Dongting Lake Inlet and Outlet. Our findings suggest that water pH is an example of a self-organized criticality (SOC) process. Based on concept of self-organized ctiticality, we analysis the cause that different scale-free power-law behavior between pH series from Dongting Lake Inlet and Outlet. This work can be helpful to improvement of modeling of lake water quality.

Morphology and controlling factors of the longitudinal profile of gullies in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley

The morphology of the gully longitudinal profile (GLP) is an important topographic index of the gully bottom associated with the evolution of the gullies. This index can be used to predict the development trend and evaluate the eroded volumes and soil losses by gullying. To depict the morphology of GLP and understand its controlling factors, the Global Positioning System Real-time Kinematic (GPS RTK) and the total station were used to measure the detail points along the gully bottom of 122 gullies at six sites of the Yuanmou dry-hot Valley. Then, nine parameters including length (Lt), horizontal distance (Dh), height (H), vertical erosional area (A), vertical curvature (Cv), concavity (Ca), average gradient (Ga), gully length-gradient index (GL), normalized gully length-gradient index (Ngl), were calculated and mapped using CASS, Excel and SPSS. The results showed that this study area is dominated by slightly concave and medium gradient GLPs, and the lithology of most gullies is sandstone and siltstone. Although different types of GLPs appear at different sites, all parameters present a positively skewed distribution. There are relatively strong correlations between several parameters: namely Lt and H, Dh and H, Lt and A, Dh and A, H and GL. Most GLPs, except three, have a best fit of exponential functions with quasistraight shapes. Soil properties, vegetation coverage, piping erosion and topography are important factors to affect the GLP morphology. This study provides useful insight into the knowledge of GLP morphology and its influential factors that are of critical importance to prevent and control gully erosion.

Scaling behavior of magnitude clusters in aftershock sequence: An example of the Wenchuan Earthquake, China

The Gutenberg-Richter and Omori Laws, which are generally used to characterize the temporal distribution of aftershock, failed to reflect the statistic properties of climatic outbreak of aftershock energy. Based on a new concept of magnitude clusters describing the fluctuation of aftershock energy release of the Wenchuan Earthquake, we discovered that the pattern of the continuous high-magnitude aftershock follows a power-law rather than a non-Poisson distribution. This suggests that the aftershocks with high magnitudes are statistically clustered. We then divided the aftershock sequences into three sections and demonstrated that though the probability of strong outbreaks decreased with time, there exists a high possibility of the occurrence of isolated high-magnitude aftershocks in the future. Based on self-organized criticality theory, the mechanisms of the power-law pattern of magnitude clusters are discussed. This discovery may be used to guide future aftershock predication and the associated post-disaster reconstruction.

Influences of different surveying and mapping methods on fractal characteristics of gully-head shoulder lines

Abstract Accurate quantification of gully shoulder lines (gully borderlines) will help better understand gully formation and evolution. Surveying and mapping are the most important ways to obtain precise morphology. To evaluate the influences of different steps of surveying and of curve-fitting methods of mapping on the morphology of the shoulder line characterized by fractal dimensions, 13 shoulder lines at gully heads were surveyed using a total station and then mapped with different methods of curve fitting, with the fractal dimensions calculated by maps compared with those measured in the field. Fractal dimensions by field measurement ranged from 1.185 to 1.456. Compared with field measurements, the average absolute errors of polygonal line, quadratic B-spline, and arc-fitting methods are 0.045, 0.040, and 0.046, respectively; the average relative errors are 3.48, 3.13, and 3.59%. Therefore, the quadratic B-spline method has a higher accuracy. The standard error of the fractal dimension tends to be larger as average step length increases. The error is ~5% when the step length is 0.7 m, which is advisable for field surveying. This study will help promote the efficiency of field surveying and mapping, and thus promote the accuracy and credibility of gully morphology.

Ecological restoration strategy for Yuanmou dry-hot valley based on immune defensive structure

It is necessary to take a more effective ecological restoration strategy in ecosystem-degraded regions typically represented by Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley, in order to reverse the trend of ecosystem services degradation. The four defensive hierarchical structures of natural immune system can resist the invasion of pathogenic microorganism and keep the organism healthy. The defensive hierarchical structure of immune system can be used for reference to build a strategy framework for sustainable ecological restoration, which is a trinity - the best way is to control or eliminate degradation factors, the lesser one is to cut off their contact with ecosystem, and the unwise but needed way is to take pertinence measures to control the degradation that has occurred. Accordingly, a strategy for restoring the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley ecosystem is presented. The ecological restoration strategy based on defensive hierarchical structure has important guiding significance to restoration and control of other ecology degraded regions.

Morphology and controlling factors of step-pools in rills based on field investigation in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley, China

ABSTRACT Rill erosion is well developed in Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley. The appearance of step-pools in rills (SPRs) is an early stage of erosion and necessary condition for rill development. We measured length, width, depth of plunge pools, and length, height, and slope of step walls. We observed the developmental environment of every SPR in the field. Through research on relationships among SPR parameters, morphological characteristics, and control factors, we conclude that (1) correlations of step slope with pool length and width, and of step length with pool width are not evident (p > 0.1); correlations of pool length with step height and length are evident (p < 0.1); correlations of step slope with pool depth, and of step height with pool width are significant (p < 0.05); and correlations of pool depth with step length and height are highly significant (p < 0.01). Plunge-pool length is affected by soil properties and step height, but not by step gradient. (2) SPR formation shows a coupling effect of a single factor or many factors, such as terrain conditions, vegetation, confluence area, soil properties, and boundary conditions, and the shapes and scales of SPRs notably change with differences of the main control factors.

Modeling the morphology of gully cross sections in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley

Abstract Characterizing gully cross sections (GCs) is essential for calculating the volume and erosion rate of the gully. However, little research has focused on modeling the morphology of GCs. This study investigated 456 GCs with a laser distance meter located at the mouth, middle, and head of 152 gullies in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley of China; mapped them with AutoCAD software; fitted them with 2nd–6th degree polynomial functions, and discussed the correlation between the coefficients and the morphology of GCs. The results showed that: (1) using a 2nd-degree polynomial function (y = ax2 + bx + c) to describe the morphology of GCs produced a better result than other polynomial functions; (2) the coefficient a of 2nd-degree polynomial function was correlated with depth (r = −0.226, p < 0.01), gradient (r = 0.545, p < 0.01), and activities; and (3) the symmetry axis (−b/2a) of 2nd-degree polynomial function increased with gully change from left-deflection to right-skewed, and the absolute value showed the asymmetrical degree (r = 0.216, p < 0.01). This study will not only help to understand the morphology and evolution of gullies, but will also provide a scientific basis for prevention of gully erosion.

Analysis of Ecosystem Degradation Factors in Yuanmou Arid-Hot Valleys Based on Interpretative Structural Model

For ecological restoration and reconstruction of the degraded area, it is an important premise to correctly understand the degradation factors of the ecosystem in the arid-hot valleys. The factors including vegetation degradation, land degradation, arid climate, policy failure, forest fire, rapid population growth, excessive deforestation, overgrazing, steep slope reclamation, economic poverty, engineering construction, lithology, slope, low cultural level, geological hazards, biological disaster, soil properties etc, were selected to study the Yuanmou arid-hot valleys. Based on the interpretative structural model (ISM), it has found out that the degradation factors of the Yuanmou arid-hot valleys were not at the same level but in a multilevel hierarchical system with internal relations, which pointed out that the degradation mode of the arid-hot valleys was “straight (appearance)-penetrating-background”. Such researches have important directive significance for the restoration and reconstruction of the arid-hot valleys ecosystem.