scholarly journals Quantifying the Contributions of Environmental Factors to Wind Characteristics over 2000–2019 in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 515
Author(s):  
Yuming Lu ◽  
Bingfang Wu ◽  
Nana Yan ◽  
Weiwei Zhu ◽  
Hongwei Zeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Human Beings

Global climate change and human activities have resulted in immense changes in the Earth’s ecosystem, and the interaction between the land surface and the atmosphere is one of the most important processes. Wind is a reference for studying atmospheric dynamics and climate change, analyzing the wind speed change characteristics in historical periods, and studying the influence of wind on the Earth-atmosphere interaction; additionally, studying the wind, contributes to analyzing and alleviating a series of problems, such as the energy crisis, environmental pollution, and ecological deterioration facing human beings. In this study, data from 697 meteorological stations in China from 2000 to 2019 were used to study the distribution and trend of wind speed over the past two decades. The relationships between wind speed and climate factors were explored using statistical methods; furthermore, combined with terrain, climate change, and human activities, we quantified the contribution of environmental factors to wind speed. The results show that a downward trend was recorded before 2011, but overall, there was an increasing trend that was not significant; moreover, the wind speed changes showed obvious seasonality and were more complicated on the monthly scale. The wind speed trend mainly increased in the western region, decreased in the eastern region, was higher in the northeastern, northwestern, and coastal areas, and was lower in the central area. Temperature, bright sunshine duration, evaporation, and precipitation had a strong influence, in which wind speed showed a significant negative correlation with temperature and precipitation and vice versa for sunshine and evapotranspiration. The influence of environmental factors is diverse, and these results could help to develop environmental management strategies across ecologically fragile areas and improve the design of wind power plants to make better use of wind energy.

Aridity Changes and Related Climatic Drivers in the Drylands of China during 1960–2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-617
Author(s):  
Jinqin Xu ◽  
Yan Zeng ◽  
Xinfa Qiu ◽  
Yongjian He ◽  
Guoping Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Aridity Index ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Precipitation And Temperature

AbstractDrylands cover about one-half of the land surface in China and are highly sensitive to climate change. Understanding climate change and its impact drivers on dryland is essential for supporting dryland planning and sustainable development. Using meteorological observations for 1960–2019, the aridity changes in drylands of China were evaluated using aridity index (AI), and the impact of various climatic factors [i.e., precipitation P; sunshine duration (SSD); relative humidity (RH); maximum temperature (Tmax); minimum temperature (Tmin); wind speed (WS)] on the aridity changes was decomposed and quantified. Results of trend analysis based on Sen’s slope estimator and Mann–Kendall test indicated that the aridity trends were very weak when averaged over the whole drylands in China during 1960–2019 but exhibited a significant wetting trend in hyperarid and arid regions of drylands. The AI was most sensitive to changes in water factors (i.e., P and RH), followed by SSD, Tmax, and WS, but the sensitivity of AI to Tmin was very small and negligible. Interestingly, the dominant climatic driver to AI change varied in the four dryland subtypes. The significantly increased P dominated the increase in AI in the hyperarid and arid regions. The significantly reduced WS and the significantly increased Tmax contributed more to AI changes than the P in the semiarid and dry subhumid regions of drylands. Previous studies emphasized the impact of precipitation and temperature on the global or regional dry–wet changes; however, the findings of this study suggest that, beyond precipitation and temperature, the impact of wind speed on aridity changes of drylands in China should be given equal attention.

scholarly journals Analysis of culturable airborne fungi in outdoor environments in Tianjin, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yumna Nageen ◽  
Michael Dare Asemoloye ◽  
Sergei Põlme ◽  
Xiao Wang ◽  
Shihan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Airborne Fungi ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Urban Site ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Outdoor Environments

Abstract Background Fungal spores dispersed in the atmosphere may become cause of different pathological conditions and allergies for human beings. A number of studies have been performed to analyze the diversity of airborne fungi in different environments worldwide, and in particular in many urban areas in China. We investigated, for the first time, the diversity, concentration and distribution of airborne fungi in Tianjin city. We sampled 8 outdoor environments, using open plate method, during a whole winter season. Isolated fungi were identified by morphological and molecular analysis. Environmental factors which could influence the airborne fungi concentration (temperature, humidity, wind speed, and air pressure) were monitored and analyzed. The effect of different urban site functions (busy areas with high traffic flow and commercial activities vs. green areas) on airborne fungal diversity was also analyzed. Results A total of 560 fungal strains, belonging to 110 species and 49 genera of Ascomycota (80 %), Basidiomycota (18 %), and Mucoromycota (2 %) were isolated in this study. The dominant fungal genus was Alternaria (22 %), followed by Cladosporium (18.4 %), Naganishia (14.1 %), Fusarium (5.9 %), Phoma (4.11 %), and Didymella (4.8 %). A fungal concentration ranging from 0 to 3224.13 CFU m− 3 was recorded during the whole study. Permutational multivariate analysis showed that the month was the most influential factor for airborne fungal community structure, probably because it can be regarded as a proxy of environmental variables, followed by wind speed. The two analyzed environments (busy vs. green) had no detectable effect on the air fungal community, which could be related to the relatively small size of parks in Tianjin and/or to the study season. Conclusions Our study shed light on the highly diverse community of airborne fungi characterizing the outdoor environments of Tianjin, and clarified the role that different environmental factors played in shaping the analyzed fungal community. The dominant presence of fungi with potential hazardous effect on human health, such as Alternaria, Cladosporium and Naganishia, deserves further attention. Our results may represent a valuable source of information for air quality monitoring, microbial pollution control, and airborne diseases prevention.

scholarly journals Wind Power Cogeneration to Reduce Peak Electricity Demand in Mexican States Along the Gulf of Mexico

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quetzalcoatl Hernandez-Escobedo ◽  
Javier Garrido ◽  
Fernando Rueda-Martinez ◽  
Gerardo Alcalá ◽  
Alberto-Jesus Perea-Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Gulf Of Mexico ◽  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Wind Farms ◽  
Electricity Demand ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Thermal Power Plants ◽  
Northeast Region

The Energetic Transition Law in Mexico has established that in the next years, the country has to produce at least 35% of its energy from clean sources in 2024. Based on this, a proposal in this study is the cogeneration between the principal thermal power plants along the Mexican states of the Gulf of Mexico with modeled wind farms near to these thermal plants with the objective to reduce peak electricity demand. These microscale models were done with hourly MERRA-2 data that included wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and atmospheric pressure with records from 1980–2018 and taking into account roughness, orography, and climatology of the site. Wind speed daily profile for each model was compared to electricity demand trajectory, and it was seen that wind speed has a peak at the same time. The amount of power delivered to the electric grid with this cogeneration in Rio Bravo and Altamira (Northeast region) is 2657.02 MW and for Tuxpan and Dos Bocas from the Eastern region is 3196.18 MW. This implies a reduction at the peak demand. In the Northeast region, the power demand at the peak is 8000 MW, and for Eastern region 7200 MW. If wind farms and thermal power plants work at the same time in Northeast and Eastern regions, the amount of power delivered by other sources of energy at this moment will be 5342.98 MW and 4003.82 MW, respectively.

scholarly journals Environmental Geochemistry on a Global Scale

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane A. Plant ◽  
Barry Smith
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Environmental Geochemistry ◽  
The World ◽  
Political Boundaries

Recent population growth and economic development are extending the problems associated with land degradation, pollution, urbanization, and the effects of climate change over large areas of the earth’s surface, giving increasing cause for concern about the state of the environment. Many problems are most acute in tropical, equatorial, and desert regions where the surface environment is particularly fragile because of its long history of intense chemical weathering over geological timescales. The speed and scale of the impact of human activities are now so great that, according to some authors, for example, McMichael (1993), there is the threat of global ecological disruption. Concern that human activities are unsustainable has led to the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development Our Common Future (Barnaby 1987) and the establishment of a United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development responsible for carrying out Agenda 21, the action plan of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Considerable research into the global environment is now being undertaken, especially into issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and water quality. Relatively little work has been carried out on the sustainability of the Earth’s land surface and its life support systems, however, other than on an ad-hoc basis in response to problems such as mercury poisoning related to artisanal gold mining in Amazonia or arsenic poisoning as a result of water supply problems in Bangladesh (Smedley 1999). This chapter proposes a more strategic approach to understanding the distribution and behavior of chemicals in the environment based on the preparation of a global geochemical baseline to help to sustain the Earth’s land surface based on the systematic knowledge of its geochemistry. Geochemical data contain information directly relevant to economic and environmental decisions involving mineral exploration, extraction, and processing; manufacturing industries; agriculture and forestry; many aspects of human and animal health; waste disposal; and land-use planning. A database showing the spatial variations in the abundance of chemical elements over the Earth’s surface is, therefore, a key step in embracing all aspects of environmental geochemistry. Although environmental problems do not respect political boundaries, data from one part of the world may have important implications elsewhere.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Variations of Reference Evapotranspiration and Its Determining Climatic Factors in the Taihang Mountains, China

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 3145
Author(s):  
Tingting Kang ◽  
Zeng Li ◽  
Yanchun Gao
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Reference Evapotranspiration ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is an effective measure of atmospheric water demand of the land surface. In-depth investigations of the relationship between ETo and primary climatic factors can facilitate the adaptable agriculture and optimize water management, especially in the ecologically fragile Taihang Mountains (THM). This work assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of ETo and its driving climatic factors from 1973 to 2016 in THM. Results showed: (1) Annual ETo slightly increased during 1973–2016; relative humidity (RH) decreased more slowly, the temperature increased more rapidly, and wind speed (WS) decreased more rapidly at higher elevation than those at lower elevations; (2) two breakpoints occurred in ETo series at 1990 and 1997, and an “evaporation paradox” existed in 1973–1990; (3) ETo at higher elevations had greater sensitivity to changes in RH and lower sensitivity to changes in Tmax and WS. Sensitivity of ETo to minimum air temperature (Tmin) at middle elevations was lowest among three elevation bands; (4) RH and sunshine duration (SD) were the dominant climatic factors of ETo for most periods and stations. This study helps us understand the impact of climate change on ETo in mountainous areas and confirms reference evapotranspiration in high-elevation areas is particularly sensitive to climate change.

Application of Cluster Analysis and Trend Extraction in Wind Speed Series Consistency Correction

2011 ◽  
Vol 130-134 ◽  
pp. 3425-3429
Author(s):  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Li Ming Wu ◽  
Zuo Min Wang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Trend Extraction ◽  
Consistency Requirement ◽  
Frequency Calculation ◽  
Mean Equality ◽  
Correction Result

In recent years, as affected by climate change and human activities, wind speed shows an obvious downward trend. According to the following three correction methods : correction of the cluster analysis and mean equality, correction of the trend extraction, and the combination of the aforementioned two methods, the wind speed series which meets the consistency requirement of frequency calculation is obtained in this paper. Practical application shows that the correction methods have good adaptability, correction result and great practical value.

scholarly journals Reduction in Sunshine Duration and Related Factors over Mainland China during 1961–2016

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4718
Author(s):  
Zihao Feng ◽  
Bin Guo ◽  
Shoujia Ren ◽  
Yang Li
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Solar Energy ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Sudden Decrease

As a kind of renewable energy, the development and utilization of solar energy is valued by many countries. Sunshine duration (SD), as an important factor to measure solar energy, has also been widely discussed as relevant in terms of distribution and variation. The spatial patterns and variation trends in SD and related factors (wind speed, precipitation, relative humidity, mean temperature and elevation) over mainland China have been studied based on data from 569 meteorological stations during 1961–2016. The results indicated that annual SD decreased significantly at the rate of −40.7 h/10a over mainland China and the decline trend was the most pronounced in the 1980s. Seasonally, the decline rate in SD was the largest in summer (−16.8 h/10a), followed by winter (−9.9 h/10a), autumn (−9.5 h/10a) and spring (−4.5 h/10a), respectively. Spatially, the decline trend in SD was significantly higher in the eastern region than in the western region during 1961–2016, especially in North China. SD was positively correlated with wind speed (R = 0.76); however, it was negatively correlated with mean temperature (R = −0.60) and precipitation (R = −0.41). Moreover, altitude and population density may affect the values and variations of annual SD over mainland China. This study provides a new perspective for the reduction of SD in mainland of China. The drastic changes in SD, such as abrupt changes and sudden decreases, were closely related to volcanic eruptions. Among them, the mean mutation and sudden decrease of SD in the 1980s were due to the long-time weakening of the aerosol accumulated by multiple volcanic eruptions. After the volcanic eruptions in the early 1990s, volcanic aerosols were gradually dissipating, resulting in a small rebound in SD.

scholarly journals Formation and dynamics of sandy dunes in the inland areas of the Hexi Corridor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bing-Qi Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Hexi Corridor ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Fluvial Sediments ◽  
Dynamic Changes ◽  
The North ◽  
Sand Particles ◽  
Moving Speed

Abstract. Dynamic changes of aeolian landforms and desertification under global warming in a middle-latitude desert belt, the Hexi Corridor in China, considered to be one of the source and engine area of sandstorms in China and Northern Hemisphere (NH), is a typical problem of climate change and landscape response, which need a comprehensive understanding of the history and forcing mechanisms of recent landform and environmental changes in the region. Based on the existing high-resolution satellite image interpretations, field investigations and observations, comprehensive evidences from geomorphological, aeolian-physical, granulometrical and geochemical analysis, this study discussed the formation of dune landforms, the mechanism of desertification and their environmental implications in the Hexi Corridor. The analytical results show that 80 % of the sand particles flow within a height of 20–30 cm near the surface, and about half of the sand particles flow within a height of 0.3–0.5 cm near the surface in the Hexi Corridor. The average height of the typical crescent-shaped dunes is about 6.75 m, and the minimum and maximum values are between 2.6 and 11.2 m. On the inter-annual and multi-year time scales, only the crescent-shaped dunes and chains of barchan dunes are moving or wigwagging in the study area, while the parabolic and longitudinal dunes did not move. Under the influence of wind speed, strong wind days and other factors, the dunes at the edge of the Minqin Oasis move the fastest, with a moving speed of about 6.2 m/a. Affected by the main wind direction and other factors, the dunes at the edge of the Dunhuang Oasis move the slowest, with a moving speed of about 0.8 m/a. The main factors affecting the dynamic changes of sandy dunes in the Hexi Corridor are the annual precipitation, the annual average wind speed and the number of annual strong wind days, of which the annual precipitation contributes the largest, indicating that the climate factors have a most important impact on the dynamic change of sand dunes. The cumulative curve of particle size frequency of dune sediments in the Hexi Corridor basically presents a three-segment model, indicating a saltation mode dominated under the action of wind, but superimposed with a small amount of coarser and finer particles dominated by the creeping and suspension models, which is obviously different from that of the Gobi sediments with a dominant two-segment mode. The palaeo-geographical, sedimentological and geochemical evidences indicate that dune sediments in the Hexi Corridor are mainly derived from locally or in-situ raised sandy sediments, which are mainly come from alluvial plains and ancient fluvial sediments, as well as ancient lake plains and lacustrine deposits, aeolian deposits in the piedmont denudation zones of the north and south mountains and modern fluvial sediments in the corridor. In geochemical compositions of major and trace elements, the dunes in the Hexi Corridor have certain similarities and differences to other sandy dunes in the northwest and northern deserts of China or aeolian loess in the Loess Plateau. Sandy dunes in the Hexi Corridor are relatively rich in iron and Co. Considering the proportion of fine particles on the surface, the coverage rate of surface salt crust, and the potential migration of erodible sandy materials, it can be concluded that the Gobi area in the west Hexi Corridor is not the main source area of sandstorms in the middle and east of the corridor, but the north probably is. In the past half century, the warming and humidification of local climate is the main cause of the reduction of sandstorms in the study area, and the Hexi Corridor has a potential trend of anti-desertification, which is mainly controlled by climate change but not human activities. For the oasis areas of the corridor, however, the effective measures to restrict desertification depend on human activities. Restriction of the decline of groundwater is the key to preventing desertification in oases, rather than water transfer from outer river basins.

Denudation, global change and the Anthropocene

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Cendrero ◽  
Juan Remondo ◽  
Luis Forte
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Sedimentation Rates ◽  
Slope Movements ◽  
Natural Agents ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Geomorphic Processes

<p>Changes occurred in denudation/sedimentation processes (understood here as the transfer of solid materials from one place of the earth’s surface to another, by different agents) in the latter part of the Holocene, mainly the last couple of centuries, are examined, trying to estimate rates and assess the role of human and natural agents. Three issues are addressed here, on the basis of some case studies: slope movements and their contribution to denudation and relief evolution; “technological denudation” due to human activities; general evolution of sediment accumulation (consequence of denudation).</p><p>Analyses of materials transfer by, and frequency of, slope movements in N Spain have shown the importance of human influence already in Neolithic times, and more so after the Industrial Revolution. Significant increases have been observed since the middle of last century and slope movements seem to be in some cases the main factor of relief evolution.</p><p>Human activities related to urban-industrial development, infrastructure and mining activities represent an important “human geomorphic footprint” (expressed as volume of materials displaced or area occupied by new “anthropogeoforms”; yearly total or per capita). If the materials thus moved were evenly distributed over all emerged lands they could be presently equivalent to a >1 mm a<sup>-1</sup> (“technological”) denudation. As this is the consequence of growing population, technological and economic development, it will probably intensify with time.</p><p>Sedimentation rates directly determined (Pb-210, Cs-137) in a number of estuaries, lakes and reservoirs show in general a clear increase since early 20<sup>th</sup> century, particularly after its middle. Compilation and analysis of sedimentation rates in a variety of sedimentation environments in different regions of the world, since late 19<sup>th</sup> century, also show, with almost no exception, a similar trend. Comparison with rainfall evolution does not explain the changes observed. However, indicators of the intensity of human activity, especially GDP (Gross Domestic Product; total, not per capita; strongly related to our capacity to transform land), show a good similarity with sedimentation rates trends. This indicator also shows a close correlation with geomorphic disasters frequency (another manifestation of the general intensification of geomorphic processes).</p><p>On the basis of the information gathered and results presented, some tentative conclusions are proposed. It appears that presently humans are, by far, the main denudation agent. Direct and indirect transfer of rock, soil and sediment by human activities could be one order of magnitude greater than by natural agents. The rates of some geomorphic processes seem to have experienced a significant acceleration (about tenfold?) in less than a century, due to land surface transformation rather than to climate change. This “great geomorphic acceleration” represents a part of the “Great Acceleration” occurred after mid-twentieth century. Global geomorphic change (independent of climate change) should thus be considered as one of the characteristics of the Anthropocene, for which the end of World War II would indeed be an appropriate starting date.</p>

scholarly journals Effect of Elevation on Variation in Reference Evapotranspiration under Climate Change in Northwest China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10151
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Linshan Yang ◽  
Meng Zhu ◽  
Jan F. Adamowski ◽  
Rahim Barzegar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Reference Evapotranspiration ◽  
Sunshine Duration ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Meteorological Observations

Through its effects on water and energy cycles, elevation plays an important role in modulating the spatial distribution of climatic changes in mountainous regions. A key hydrological indicator, reference evapotranspiration (ET0) reflects the maximum amount of water transferred to the atmosphere from the land surface. The current scarcity of information regarding elevation’s impact on variation in ET0 under climate change limits our understanding of the extent to which elevation modulates interactions between ET0 and climate change and of the attendant processes involved. Drawing upon long-term (1960–2017) meteorological observations from 84 stations in Northwest China (NWC), we examined (i) spatial and temporal variations in ET0; (ii) the sensitivity and contribution of air temperature (T), sunshine duration (SD), relative humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS) to ET0; (iii) the existence of a relationship between elevation and ET0 trends; and (iv) the major factor in controlling this relationship by using attribution analysis. Overall, annual ET0 in NWC showed a declining trend between 1960 and 2017, though at a change point in 1993, the trend shifted from a decline to a rise. A significant correlation between temporal change in ET0 and elevation confirmed the existence of a relationship between elevation and ET0 variation. The effect of elevation on changes in ET0 depended mainly on the elevation-based tradeoff between the contributions of T and WS: WS was the primary factor contributing to the decrease in ET0 below 2000 m, and T was the dominant factor contributing to the increase of ET0 above 2000 m. The rate of reduction in WS declined as elevation increased, thereby diminishing its contribution to variation in ET0. The present study’s results can serve to guide agricultural irrigation in different elevation zones under NWC’s evolving climatic conditions.

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