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The rapid increase in the proportion of cash crops and livestock production in the Yangtze River Basin has led to commensurate increases in fertilizer and pesticide inputs. Excessive application of chemical fertilizer, organophosphorus pesticides and inappropriate disposal of agricultural waste induced water pollution and potentially threaten Agriculture Green Development (AGD). To ensure food security and the food supply capacity of the Yangtze River Basin, it is important to balance green and development, while ensuring the quality of water bodies. Multiple pollutants affect the transfer, adsorption, photolysis and degradation of each other throughout the soil-plant-water system. This paper considers the impact of multi-pollutants on the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles especially for crops, which are related to achieving food security and AGD. It presents prospective on theory, modeling and multi-pollutant control in the Yangtze River Basin for AGD that are of potential value for other developing regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green port construction has a profound impact on China's international climate commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. To examine the carbon emission reduction potential of 20 major ports in the Yangtze River Delta port cluster of China, this study takes the perspective of environmental efficiency and employs dynamic exogenous variable DEA in efficiency evaluation. The results show the increasing environmental efficiency of the ports in the Yangtze River Delta, rising from 0.5116 in 2013 to 0.7276 in 2019. Also, there are significant spatial differences in efficiency. After considering exogenous variable, the average efficiency has increased from 0.5537 to 0.6276, indicating that regional green development is a critical factor in port environmental efficiency evaluation. Finally, the overall efficiency of input and output have risen, the slackness of carbon emission shows a trend of decreasing, and there is great potential for reducing carbon emissions from the perspective of port environmental efficiency. The previous studies paid less attention to dynamic efficiency, exogenous variables, and carbon emission. Therefore, this paper is the first comprehensive examination on the carbon emission reduction potential of China's Yangtze River Delta port cluster from the perspective of dynamic environmental efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studies the Chongqing hotpot(重庆火锅) and two general types of lead-in phrases(过门) of Chongqing Thumb Fight(划拳). This paper mainly discusses the birthplace and maker of Chongqing hotpot and the origin of the two primary lead-in phrases: Good Brothers(兄 弟好) and Disorderly Chopping Firewood(乱劈柴). The results of studying the Chongqing hotpot and two types of lead-in phrases were found as follows: 1. The Yangtze River is the birthplace of the Chongqing hotpot. 2. The trackers and porters working for the wharves along the Yangtze River create the original Chongqing hotpot. 3. Th encircling rivers cultivate the Good Brothers and the mountainous forests stimulate the Disorderly Chopping Firewood [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate long-term streamflow and flood forecasting have always been an important research direction in hydrology research. Nowadays, climate change, floods, and other anomalies occurring more and more frequently and bringing great losses to society. The prediction of streamflow, especially flood prediction, is important for disaster prevention. Current hydrological models based on physical mechanisms can give accurate predictions of streamflow, but the effective prediction period is only about 1 month in advance, which is too short for decision making. The artificial neural network (ANN) has great potential for predicting runoff and is not only good at handling non-linear data but can also make long-period forecasts. However, most of ANN models are unstable in their predictions when faced with raw flow data, and have excessive errors in predicting extreme flows. Previous studies have shown a link between the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the streamflow of the Yangtze River. In this paper, we use ENSO and the monthly streamflow data of the Yangtze River from 1952 to 2018 to predict the monthly streamflow of the Yangtze River in two extreme flood years and a small flood year by using deep neural networks. In this paper, three deep neural network frameworks are used: stacked long short-term memory, Conv long short-term memory encoder–decoder long short-term memory and Conv long short-term memory encoder–decoder gate recurrent unit. The results show that the use of ConvLSTM improves the stability of the model and increases the accuracy of the flood prediction. Besides, the introduction of ENSO to the experimental data resulted in a more accurate prediction of the time of the occurrence of flood peaks and flood flows. Furthermore, the best results were obtained on the convolutional long short-term memory + encoder–decoder gate recurrent unit model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrialization in China has faced severe problems such as resource depletion and environmental degradation. The Yangtze River economic belt (YREB) strategy is one of the essential strategies for the sustainable development of the Chinese economy. Maximizing economic benefits while using the least resources and the least pollution to the environment is critical for China's sustainable development strategy. This paper proposed the DEA to measure industrial eco-efficiency in the YREB from 2009 to 2018. It analyzed its temporal evolution and spatial differentiation and adopted a spatial econometric model to study how interference in influencing factors affects industrial eco-efficiency. The results revealed that (1) the eastern area of YREB has the highest industrial eco-efficiency compared with the other regions. (2) The industrial total factor productivity in the YREB has been rising over the years, and its change trend shows an inverted "W" pattern of first rising, then falling, then rising, then falling. (3) By further analysis, we observed a statistically significant spatial difference in the Industrial eco-efficiency among the areas in YREB, which suggests that the change scale presents the rule of "downstream bigger than Midstream region and midstream region bigger than "upstream region." (4) The level of economic development, science and technology innovation, and human resources have significantly positive effects on industrial eco-efficiency, and the effect of economic development is of most significant importance. The industrial agglomeration demoted the efficiency of industrial ecology; Science and technology innovations, on the other hand, had a positive spillover effect, while the industrial concentration had a negative spillover effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs the total-factor ecological efficiency (TFEcE) and the total-factor ecological productivity index (TFEcPI) based on the proposed Shephard ecology distance function which is derived from the combination of ecological footprint (EF) and the framework of Shephard energy distance function. The unified framework of TFEcE and TFEcPI enables a more comprehensive analysis by simultaneously allowing for both static and dynamic performance evaluations. This paper evaluates the TFEcE and TFEcPI of regions in Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), China during the period 2000–2014. Findings reveal that the EF in the YREB takes on an ascending trend, and there exist significant differences of EF among various regions. For the YREB and its three areas, TFEcE displays a trend of “decline first and then fluctuate” at different levels, while total-factor ecological productivity (TFEcP) takes on an ascending trend. There exist significant differences of TFEcE across various regions in the YREB, but the regional disparity is found to present a shrinking trend during our study period. The differences of Cumulative TFEcPI between the three areas have expanded due to the remarkable increase of the upper reach from 2007 to 2014 which may be attributed to its backwardness advantages. Further decomposition analysis reveals that TFEcP growth is mainly driven by technological progress, while efficiency change is found to exhibit a negative effect. Finally, a couple of policy recommendations are concluded based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the flood season of 2016, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River suffered the worst flooding since 1999, involving Hunan, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu provinces and the Taihu Basin. Based on the field survey at eight counties on both sides along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province, this paper analyses the features of rainstorm, flood and the resulting disaster in 2016 over there, and identifies problems and difficulties existing in flood prevention and disaster reduction under the new situation of social and economic development. Furthermore, this paper discusses the coping strategies and measures on advancing the comprehensive flood management mode of human-water harmony, managing middle and small rivers and strengthening the key basic research on flood control and disaster reduction under the new situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the emergency capacity of rain-flood disaster in provinces along the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB), China, from 2013 to 2017. In this study, the evaluation index system of emergency capacity on rain-flood disaster was built from the economic-social and environmental-natural aspects, and spatial auto-correlation analysis was used to analyze spatial differentiation characteristics of the emergency capacity. Then, the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) was used to analyze the influence mechanism of the development level of economic-social factors (ESF) subsystem, environmental-natural factors (ENF) subsystem and the coupling level of these two subsystems on the emergency capacity of rain-flood disaster in provinces. The findings show that the emergency capacity distribution of rain-flood disaster in the YREB presented a "decreasing" spatial pattern of eastern, central and western regions. The development of two subsystems has produced spatial spillover effect and diffusion effect on the neighboring areas. There was a high coupling degree between these two subsystems in the YREB. Although spillover effect existed in space, the spillover did not depend on economic distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinling Orogenic Belt is a typical composite continental orogenic belt in China. The Qinling Mountains is not only a natural demarcation that separates China into a southern part and a northern part, in terms of Qinling Orogenic Belt's geography, climate, organisms, and river systems, but also forms a cultural boundary between the Yellow River Civilization to the north and the Yangtze River Civilization to the south. The Xi'an Qinling Zhongnanshan World Geopark is situated in the major portion of the collision zone between the South China and North China plates, which is also a typical section of the Qinling Orogenic Belt. It has been the focus of great attention for its long history of geological evolution, intensive tectonism, various rock types, unique strata, frequent magmatism, and abundant geological heritage sites. This paper clarifies the regional geological background of the Qinling Zhongnanshan World Geopark in 3 aspects, that is, the regional geological setting, regional evolution, and regional strata. With an integrated analysis and classification, the paper describes the main features of geological relics and geological remains of scientific significance in the geopark, on the basis of an investigation and systematic analysis for the geological relic resources of the world geopark. Compared with the geosites in other world geoparks, the sites in the Zhongnanshan area are particularly distinctive, even unique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundings are frequently occurring accidents that pose a serious risk in inland waterways. This paper proposes a flexible decision-support solution for grounded ships in the Yangtze River. The basis of the proposed method is to develop an influence diagram based on a three-layer decision-making framework, to consider the effectiveness of the intervention measures by adding two nodes and establishing the associated conditional probability tables, and to merge the influence diagram and the intervention measures as a flexible decision-support solution. The merits of the proposed method include the intuitive representation of how the influencing factors affect the alternatives using a graphical structure, the flexibility to implement and to consider the intervention measures for grounded ships, and the ability to deal with uncertainty in both numerical data and qualitative information. The results of the case study showed that it is unanimous with the real situations and the intervention measures should be considered to make effective and accurate decision-making for grounding ships. Consequently, the method presented in this paper provides a practical and flexible decision-support solution for grounded ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive comparative empirical analysis on the container shipping network. • Supported by extensive datasets, incorporates the latest development on river basin. • Combine descriptive and explanatory analysis from interdisciplinary approaches. • A large diversity exists in how inland port systems development. The formation of barge networks on rivers and associated inland port systems is subject to a complex set of influencing factors and mechanisms. This paper aims to present a comprehensive comparative empirical analysis focusing on the container shipping (barge) network in the Yangtze and the Rhine. This analysis is supported by extensive datasets on both river basins, incorporates the latest development on both rivers and is grounded on concepts and methods coming from transport geography and economic geography. We find that a large diversity might exist in how inland port systems and related gateway seaports are dealing with cargo flows and supply chains. In view of explaining this diversity, we make a distinction between geographical/nautical aspects, macro-economic factors and institutional/governance factors. In particular, we discuss the role of institutional and governance factors in barge network development by using the concepts of selection, retention and variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiaohuangshan site is an early Neolithic settlement in the lower Yangzi River dating to 9000–7000 BP. In this paper, starch grains extracted from the surfaces of 9 pottery sherds and 6 grinding slabs unearthed from the early Xiaohuangshan phase (9000–8500 cal. BP) are identified from Oryza , Triticeae Tribe, Coix lacryma-jobi , Nelumbo sp., Dioscorea opposita Trunb , Vigna and Quercus spp. Based on the statistical analysis of percentage presence and the minimum numbers of plants identified by starch grains on the grinding slabs and potteries, it can be found that rice has become one of the major staple foods together with Triticeae grasses, Job's tears and acorns, which indicates rice should have been cultivated intentionally at Xiaohuangshan. The results also suggest that grinding slabs from Xiaohuangshan were used mainly for processing wild plants other than rice, and plant residues extracted from their surfaces cannot be utilized independently to explore human's subsistence strategies in that time. In addition, acorns probably were cooked whole in the pottery vessels before they were shelled or ground on the grinding slabs in the Xiaohuangshan site. This paper provides new evidence for the beginning of rice cultivation during the early Neolithic in the Lower Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoproterozoic I-type granites could provide vital insights into the crust–mantle interaction and the crustal evolution along the western Yangtze Block, South China. This paper presents new zircon U–Pb ages, bulk-rock geochemistry, and in situ zircon Lu–Hf isotope on the Dalu I-type granites from the southwestern Yangtze Block. Zircon U–Pb dating show the crystallization ages of 781.1 ± 2.8 Ma for granodiorites and 779.8 ± 2.0 Ma for granites, respectively. The Dalu granodiorites are Na-rich, calc-alkaline, metaluminous to slightly peraluminous (A/CNK = 0.94–1.08). Zircons from granodiorite have positive εHf(t) values (+2.16 to +7.39) with crustal model ages of 1.21–1.54 Ga, indicating juvenile mafic lower crust source. The Dalu granites are high-K calc-alkaline, peraluminous rocks. They have variable zircon εHf(t) values (−4.65 to +5.80) with crustal model ages of 1.31–1.97 Ga, suggesting that they were derived from the mature metasediment-derived melts by the mixing of newly formed mafic lower crust-derived melts. The geochemical variations in Dalu pluton is dominated not only by the different source rocks but also by the different melting temperatures. Combining with the geochemistry and isotopic compositions of I-type granitoids and tectonic setting in the western Yangtze Block, we propose that the Dalu I-type granodiorites–granites associations are the magmatic response from different crustal levels, which were induced by the heat anomaly due to the asthenosphere upwelling in the subduction-related setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U-section steel sheet piles are widely used as support structures in bridge foundation pit excavation. Because of the reduced modulus action (RMA) effect of U-section steel sheet piles, it is difficult to balance structural safety and construction cost in engineering. In this paper, a case study of a foundation pit supported by U-section steel sheet piles in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was carried out. A three-dimensional FEM of the support structure was established and the RMA parameter analysis was conducted. According to the measured data, the RMA value was identified. Based on the RMA value, the support structure of the subsequent foundation pit was optimized and the deformation of the pile head was monitored during the excavation process. The measured deformation was in good agreement with the predicted value, verifying the feasibility of the inferred RMA value. Finally, to solve the uncertainty problem of the U-section steel sheet pile RMA in general situations, an optimization strategy for the design of the U-section steel sheet pile support structure was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has become the world's largest carbon emitter, and coal consumption in the Yangtze River Economic Zone takes over more than one third of the total number in the country. Investigating the main influencing factors of the Yangtze River Economic Zone's CO2 emissions is of vital importance to develop effective environmental policies. The vector autoregression model was applied in the present paper to analyze the driving forces in this area based on the pertinent data from 1985 to 2014. Results show that energy efficiency is the primary influencing factor of the region's carbon emissions, which plays a leading role in mitigating CO2 emissions. Energy structure has an obviously positive impact on the zone's CO2 emissions. Urbanization has continuously promoted coal consumption in this area. These findings are extremely helpful for related departments in the Yangtze River Economic Zone to develop appropriate policies pertaining to energy savings and emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We optimize shipping schedule for steel plants cluster alongside inland river. • The model considers timely demands of steel plants over multiple periods. • A MIP formulation and dynamic programming algorithm are developed. • We explore the iron ore trade volume under various scenarios. Abstract This paper aims to provide an optimal shipping schedule for steel-manufacturing plants cluster alongside the Yangtze River by developing a mixed integer programming formulation. The model takes into account the multi-layer shipping network on the Yangtze River, the dynamic iron ore price and transportation costs, and the timely demands of steel plants over multiple periods. By applying the proposed model to a real-world case, several interesting findings are observed, leading to further useful managerial insights. We also propose an exact solution approach based on a dynamic programming algorithm to a special case of this problem motivated by real-world practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An Inland Waterway Transportation System is often claimed to be safe, efficient and economic. However, traffic congestion and vessel collision have become serious threats to marine safety, especially in the one-way waterways. The aim of this paper is to rank the vessels in the controlled waterways of the upper Yangtze River and to generate the optimal traffic commands for each vessel so as to ensure marine safety and traffic efficiency. In this study, the proposed approach is based on the combination of Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) with an Expert System (ES). Vessel data collected from Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) are first analyzed by experts, and some external environment and internal factors are selected as Significant Influencing Factors (SIFs). FAHP is then used for modelling a hierarchical structure and determining the weight of each SIF. Finally, the sorted vessel sequence and appropriate traffic commands can be achieved using ES. The experiment result shows that the waiting time of vessels is averagely decreased about 22 min compared with the existing Traffic Signal Revealing System. This will not only significantly improve the efficiency and accuracy of the vessel traffic scheduling, but also increase the waterway capacity by reducing the travelling time. Highlights • A novel approach is proposed to enhance vessel traffic scheduling for the controlled waterways in the upper Yangtze River. • Based on Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and the Expert System, the AIS data are discussed and analyzed in detail. • Traffic congestion and vessel collisions in the controlled waterways could be preventable using the proposed approach. • The reliability and efficiency of proposed method have been verified by comparing with Traffic Signal Revealing System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyzed the environment significance and hydrochemical characteristics of the main ions on the supra-permafrost water from the view of space-time and different ablations. The study is conducted through collected 330 samples from June to September in 2016 and 2017 in the Source Region of the Yangtze River (SRYR). The results showed the pattern of ionic dominance based on mean value was following as: Cl− > Na+ > SO 4 2− > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ > NO 3 − > NO 2 − > NH 4 + > F− > Li+. Cl− alone contributed 40.57%, and Cl−, Na+, SO 4 2− and Ca2+ accounted for 94.06% of the total ionic concentrations. The spatial variation of ionic concentration was larger at the initial stage of ablation, and more stable in strong ablation and the end of the ablation stage. The area with elevation of 4500 m was the region where the control source of ions was more sensitive to the hydrochemical characteristics of supra-permafrost water in the study area. Through the analysis of the sources of ions, the anions and cations in supra-permafrost water in the study area were mainly controlled by crustal sources including evaporates rocks and carbonate rocks. The recharge effect of precipitation and snow-melt water only affected the concentration of Cl−, NH 4 +, NO 3 −, F−, Li+ and K+, but did not affect NO 2 −, SO 4 2−, Mg2+ and Ca2+. The hydrochemical type of supra-permafrost water was Ca2+-SO 4 2− in high elevation (>4800 m). However, the hydrochemical type of middle elevation (from 4400 m to 4700 m) was Na+-Cl−. The type of hydrochemistry at low altitude was more complex than at high and middle elevation. This study provides insights on the construction of hydrological models in the cold regions and scientific basis for water resources management in the Tibet Plateaus. Graphical abstract The area with elevation of 4500 m was the region where the control source of ions was more sensitive to the hydrochemical characteristics of supra-permafrost water in the study area. The anions and cations in supra-permafrost water in the study area were mainly controlled by crustal sources including evaporates rocks and carbonate rocks. The recharge effect of precipitation and snow-melt water only affected the concentration of Cl−, NH 4 +, NO 3 −, F−, Li+ and K+, but did not affect NO 2 −, SO 4 2−, Mg2+ and Ca2+. The hydrochemical type of supra-permafrost water was Ca2+-SO 4 2− in high elevation (>4800 m). However, the hydrochemical type of middle elevation (from 4400 m to 4700 m) was Na+-Cl−. The type of hydrochemistry at low altitude was more complex than at high and middle elevation. Unlabelled Image Highlights • The supra-permafrost water is the most widely distributed groundwater type in study area; • The area with elevation of 4500 m was more sensitive to the hydrochemical characteristics of supra-permafrost water; • The recharge effect of precipitation and snow-melt water only affected the concentration of Cl−, NH 4 +, NO 3 −, F−, Li+ and K+. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to effectively promote the construction of the Yangtze River economic belt, it has become China's national strategy to vigorously develop the river-sea-going transportation. In the present paper, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and model test are combined together to develop flat-type river-sea-going ship which is characterized with larger loading capacity, lower fuel consumption, better performance on energy-saving and environmental-friendly, excellent economy and higher transportation efficiency. Key technologies on hydrodynamic performance, structural safety, energy-saving technology and green ship technology are investigated to develop the river-sea-going ship. The developed "4E" level ship has great significance to the implementation of national strategic deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper develops a new paradigm to analyze the eco-efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China and makes a first empirical attempt at examining whether the eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations (UA-s) outperform Non-urban agglomerations (Non-UA-s), or driving the Non-UA-s in promoting eco-efficiency using a dataset of 108 prefectural-level cities during 2003–2014. The main findings are as follows. First, the eco-efficiency of YREB gradually increases during the study period. Cities in UA-s with higher eco-efficiency experience an increasing spatial agglomeration while those in Non-UA-s show a slight downward shift. Second, in terms of eco-efficiency, both statistical test and econometrical test confirm that cities in UA-s outperform those in Non-UA-s. Third, the global and club convergence of eco-efficiency in YREB is ascertained. Forth, the eco-efficiency of UA-s exerts backwash effects on those in Non-UA-s, along with decreasing the convergence speed of eco-efficiency. Special issues are briefly discussed, lastly. Highlights • A new analysis paradigm is developed to explore the YREB's eco-efficiency. • Temporal-spatial evolution and empirical tests are conducted, indicating a proof that eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations outperform that in Non-urban agglomerations. • Urban agglomerations have backwash effects and slight constraints to Non-urban agglomerations in terms of eco-efficiency. • Some special issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The world's W and Sn reserves are about 3.1 and 12 million tons, among which South China accounts for around 45% and 11%, respectively. • W-Sn deposits are concentrated in the Nanling region of central South China and the Yangtze River region of northeastern South China. • Recent studies of W-Sn mineral deposits in South China have advanced our understanding of the distribution and origin of these deposits. • This special issue brings together the latest information in 23 papers that deal with many aspects of the Mesozoic W-Sn mineral deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing industry is an important part of China's industry and plays an important role in China's economic development and industrialization process. In the face of the increasingly fierce competition, the cultivation of professional technical talents in manufacturing is particularly important. The continuing education of professional technical personnel is an important method for enterprises to cope with competition and break through the predicament. Through the literature review of the development of the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta region and the questionnaire survey of professional technical personnel, this paper discovers that the continuing education of technical personnel in region does not necessarily meet the needs of technical personnel and that the teaching mode is single. Also, corresponding innovative solutions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development of a city should occur via the harmonious development of the urban comprehensive carrying capacity (UCC) and economic growth. To study the 84 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2006 to 2014, this paper uses a spatial econometrics model to evaluate the relationship between the UCC and economic growth, and explore the sustainability of urban development. The results infer some novel findings. First, the impact of economic growth on the UCC has inverted “U”-type characteristics. The economic growth pattern of the urban agglomeration weakens the UCC. Second, the impact of the UCC on economic growth has “U”-type characteristics. The development of the UCC plays a significant supporting role in the economic growth of the YREB. In 2014, 84 cities stayed in the descending phase of the inverted “U” curve, and approximately 50 cities of them lied on the rising segment of the “U” curve. Therefore, reconstructing economic growth models to enhance the UCC represents an important method of realizing a city's sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vessel behaviour analysis plays an important role in maritime situational awareness. However, available technology still provides only limited approaches to vessel behaviour analysis. In this paper, we propose a visual analytics framework to interactively explore the characteristics of vessel behaviour by means of integrating visualisation with data mining and a human-computer interaction controlling model, which combines human insight with the enormous storage and processing capacities of computers to gain insight into vessel behaviour. In addition, we provide multiple views for visually analysing vessel trajectories, densities and speeds. Case studies with 15 days' AIS data collected from the middle Hankou channel to Yangluo channel in the Yangtze River demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Flocculation plays an important role in sedimentation of estuaries and continental shelves. The process of flocculation in estuary or shelf is extremely complicated. In this paper, the flocs observed at five sections that include 36 stations within the Yangtze Estuary of the East China Sea were studied systematically using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The characteristics and spatial distributions of the flocs were obtained, and the factors about the spatial distributions of the flocs were discussed. The flocs were divided into 6 types according to their components: mineral flocs, bio-detritus flocs, mineral-biological flocs, organic-mineral flocs, organic-biological flocs and complex flocs. The percent of the mineral flocs is the highest. The mean particle size of the flocs ranges from 4.00 to 5.00 Ф. The sizes of the mineral flocs are the finest, while the sizes of the complex flocs are the coarsest. The percent of mineral flocs is high near the coastal areas and decreases toward the open sea; this trend is similar to those of organic-mineral flocs and complex flocs. High percentage of bio-detritus flocs and organic-biological flocs is observed to the east of the Taiwan Warm Current. The types and spatial distributions of the flocs are restricted by the properties of the water masses, and they are affected by the interactions of electrolytes, organic matter, biological processes and estuarine authigenesis process. The formation of flocs increases the settling velocity of suspended particles and has an important effect on the formation of mud areas on the continental shelf of the East China Sea. Highlights • Approximate 6 types of flocs within Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent seas were discerned. • The characteristics of grain-size patterns and spatial distributions of the flocs were obtained. • Spatial distributions of flocs are mainly controlled by electrolytes interactions, biological and authigenesis processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Yangtze River Delta (YRD) area is one of the important economic zones in China. However, this area faces increasing environmental problems. In this study, we use ground-based multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) network in Eastern China to retrieve variations of NO 2 , SO 2 , and formaldehyde (HCHO) in the YRD area. Three cities of YRD (Hefei, Nanjing, and Shanghai) were selected for long-term observations. This paper presents technical performance and characteristics of instruments, their distribution in YRD, and results of vertical column densities (VCDs) and profiles of NO 2 , SO 2 , and HCHO. Average diurnal variations of tropospheric NO 2 and SO 2 in different seasons over the three stations yielded minimum values at noon or in the early afternoon, whereas tropospheric HCHO reached the maximum during midday hours. Slight reduction of the pollutants in weekends occurred in all the three sites. In general trace gas concentrations gradually reduced from Shanghai to Hefei. Tropospheric VCDs of NO 2 , SO 2 , and HCHO were compared with those from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite observations, resulting in R 2 of 0.606, 0.5432, and 0.5566, respectively. According to analysis of regional transports of pollutants, pollution process happened in YRD under the north wind with the pollution dissipating in the southeast wind. The feature is significant in exploring transport of tropospheric trace gas pollution in YRD, and provides basis for satellite and model validation. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates the outcome of the first release programme for Acipenser dabryanus rehabilitation in its natural habitat and focuses specifically on the growth rate of released juveniles, and on the dispersal of the fish after release. To conserve and restore natural recruitment, the conservation propagation programme has released hatchery-reared juveniles annually in the upper Yangtze River. This paper summarized the release activities and analysed post-release monitoring data. From 2010 to 2012, 7030 juveniles aged 1-3 years were released in the Shuifu and Yibin reaches of the upper Yangtze River. Incidental catches of 112 samples were recorded during the three-year observation period. Recapture sites were located between Yibin and Chongqing reaches (approximate range of 385 km), with 72.3% of the individuals recaptured within 20 km from the release site. Incidental catches were mainly in shallow water within 20 m of the riverbank. Body weight of the released sturgeon initially declined but this lost weight was soon regained. The low recaptured rate indicates that only a few of the released juveniles were able to survive and settle in the upper Yangtze River. The observed movement patterns suggest a potential additional downstream release site for future consideration to improve the performance of the released fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese national fiscal reforms and the transfer of power from the central government to local governments impact the governance of inland waterway transport (IWT). In this paper we argue that the development of IWT on the Yangtze River is strongly influenced by institutional changes at different levels of government in line with the path dependent transformation of the Chinese centrally planned economy. This paper deduces how institutional change of IWT on the Yangtze fails to fulfil its purposes because of institutional legacies and conflicts of interests among the various levels of government and the persistent interwovenness of the state with private enterprises (via SOEs). In order to further stimulate IWT on the Yangtze more institutional changes are on the cards, in particular a need for more (foreign) private involvement and more independent SOEs, but these changes will not necessarily break out of the development path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Different modes of governance will certainly have different impacts on the development of the inland waterway network and inland shipping economy on the Yangtze River and Pearl River in China. The inland waterway transport (IWT) economy on both rivers has recently been considered part of the national economic strategy, and it is necessary to analyze the differences between the two modes of governance applied on the arteries of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River and to explore their different impacts on the development of waterway systems. First, this paper considers the Pearl River Economic Belt as an example for comparing the effects of different modes of governance on the development of IWT systems. Second, from the perspective of systems theory, the economic structures of IWT systems under different modes of governance are described. Third, data are collected from inland shipping industries in the Pearl River system, and system dynamic (SD) models of the IWT system are constructed using the Vensim PLE software suite. Finally, the SD models are employed to compare the differences in the development of spatial patterns of waterway systems under two modes of governance and different investment structures. Highlights • A measurement of capacity of inland waterway network was proposed. • The governance modes of inland waterway transport system in China was analysed. • The impacts of two governance modes on the structure of inland waterway network were compared with SD model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history of Acrossocheilus yunnanensis inferred from four mitochondrial gene sequences. Twenty-two haplotypes were identified for A. yunnanensis. The total haplotype and nucleotide diversities of A. yunnanensis are 0.9206 and 0.024654, respectively. The monophyly of the haplotypes is supported by all phylogenetic analyses. All the haplotypes can be divided into four major lineages. The results of AMOVA and SAMOVA suggest that the best grouping pattern is to divide four groups, and that most of the variation of genetic divergence is present among these groups. The population expansion of A. yunnanensis is not supported by the analyses of population demography. Our results revealing the genetic background of A. yunnanensis will prove helpful in protecting its genetic diversity and utilizing this resource in a reasonable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The displacement of pipe-soil contact points in the radial direction and the wedging effect of surrounding soil on the pipe perimeter during pipe pulling-back may have a substantial effect on predicting pulling forces for horizontal directional drilling installations. However, the influence of pipe-soil interaction on pulling force predictions is not considered in existing methods to predict the required pulling force. This paper provides a model representing the interaction between pipe and borehole. The mechanical characteristics of the pipe-soil interaction were numerically investigated with program ANSYS. Two parameters, the wedging coefficient and pipe displacement, were defined and associated parametric studies were performed to analyze the influences of relative factors based on a Yangtze River crossing project. The wedging coefficient is shown to increase with external load and ovality of the borehole, and decrease with increasing over-cut ratio, Poisson’s ratio and elastic modulus of soil. It can improve the prediction accuracy to consider the wedging effect since the difference among predicted results caused by wedging effect can differ up to 7.7% in example analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is the prior region for achieving China’s strategic development with both economic and ecological goals. Since YREB covers more than 500 million people within a large area, the unbalanced urban sustainable development cannot be neglected. Different from the previous studies, this paper adopts an index of urban state carrying capacity (USCC) to assess the sustainable development in YREB. USCC can reflect the positive effects clearly, and evaluate the carrying capacity without the distortion from the opposite side. The assessment method combines the framework of Indicator-Benchmark Comparison (IBC) and the method of Analytical hieratical process (AHP), and sets up the indicator system for USCC from four perspectives. Based on the panel data for the years 2006–2014 in three scale levels, the analyses of temporal and spatial differentiation are conducted to discuss the unbalanced development in YREB. The results present that the eastern sub-UAs have much higher USCC values than the western ones significantly. The provincial cities and municipalities with higher USCC have strong impacts on their neighborhood cities around them. Further policies are suggested to support for other unbalanced sustainable development urban agglomerations like YREB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first attempt to investigate the emission source control of the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River Urban Agglomerations (MRYRUA), one of the national urban agglomerations in China. An emission inventory of the MRYRUA was developed as inputs to the CAMx model based on county-level activity data obtained by full-coverage investigation and source-based spatial surrogates. A classification technology method for priority control of atmospheric emission sources was introduced and applied in the MRYRUA for the evaluation of the emission sources control on the region-scale and city-scale, respectively. The results demonstrated that the emission sources in the Hefei-centered urban agglomerations contributed the biggest on the mean PM 2.5 concentrations of the MRYRUA and should be taken the priority to control. The emission sources in the Ma'anshan city, Xiangtan city, Hefei city and Wuhan city were the bigger contributors on the mean PM 2.5 concentrations of the MRYRUA among the cities and should be taken the priority to control. In generally, emission sources in cities along the Yangtze River and the tributary should be given the special attention for the regional air quality target attainments. This study can give an understanding of Chinese emissions and provide a valuable preference to policy makers for finding effective mitigation measures and control strategies for reducing national and regional air pollution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Nanhui mudflat (ENM), located in the southern flank of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary, plays a key role in storm protection, defense against sea level rise, and land resource provision for Shanghai, China's largest city. Recently, there has been a great deal of concern for its evolutionary fate, since a drastic reduction in the Changjiang sediment discharge rate and an increased number of estuarine enclosures might negatively impact the environmental protection functions that this mudflat provides. In this paper, a novel method, which employed the envelope lines of instantaneous shoreline positions identified in 436 Landsat satellite images from 1975 to 2016, was used to demonstrate the evolution of the mudflat high and low tide lines in a detailed, quantitative way. Our study reveals the southeast progradation rate of the mudflat doubled from 24 m/yr in 713–1974 CE to 49 m/yr in 1975–1995 CE, probably due to the influence of the estuarine turbidity maximum zone shifting to the ENM. Under the ample sediment input directly from the turbidity maximum zone, the spatial evolution of the ENM was governed predominantly by the changing morphology of the South Passage due to the quick progradation of the ENM, which narrowed the South Passage by pushing the South Passage Trumpet southeastward. Therefore, the ENM experienced rapid accretion during 1975–2016. The accretion rate of the high tide line increased 2–13 times due to vegetation and intertidal enclosures, resulting in the rapid reduction of the intertidal area. The area decreased from 97 km 2 in 1976 to 66 km 2 in 1995, mainly due to vegetation, and continued decreasing to 12 km 2 in 2006 due to the intertidal enclosures. In contrast, the accretion rate of the low tide line increased by 25 times due to subtidal enclosures and caused the intertidal area increased to 78 km 2 in 2015. The almost disappeared intertidal zones in 2006 reappeared. However, this reappearance might be a temporary transitional state, and once the subtidal enclosures are completed, most of the intertidal zones will be replaced by enclosure land. Our study reveals that the drastic reduction in the Changjiang sediment flow to the sea has not caused a decline in the ENM. In contrast, the ENM has experienced rapid accretion in the past 40 years, resulting in the strengthening of its functional abilities to protect Shanghai, an unexpected outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fallout radionuclide 210Pb has been widely used as an environment tracer for estimating deposition rates and revealing sedimentary processes. However, a comprehensive evaluation of different grain size fractions effects on the adsorption of 210Pb is a prerequisite for effective utilization of the tracer. In this paper, 11 cores were collected from different sub-sedimentary environments in the Yangtze Estuary and its adjacent area, x-radiographs of the sediment cores were taken, and the grain size and radioactive 210Pb levels were analyzed systematically; the relationship between grain size and 210Pb was discussed in detail. The results indicated that 226Ra was relatively stable, with no systematic variation from the Yangtze Estuary to inner shelf region or with depth and was unaffected by grain size. In contrast to 226Ra, significant positive correlations between the fine fraction (<32 µm) and 210Pbex were found, particularly between the clay component (<4 µm) and 210Pbex, in all the sediment cores. The 210Pbex profiles were improved significantly after using the linear relationships for quantitatively normalizing the activities to the <4 µm components, and the calibrating 210Pbex profiles of different zones matched the sub-sedimentary environments of the recent reduction in sediment discharge after Three Gorges Dam (TGD) impoundment very well. Also, through the normalization procedure, it was found that the Yangtze-derived clay component may play the most important role in the distribution of 210Pbex in sediments, especially in upper layer 10–15 cm of the cores. When applying 210Pb data to establish the geochronology or study sedimentary processes in the East China Sea or similar sedimentary environments, the grain size effect should be fully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of the runoff variations contributes to a better utilization of water resources and water conservancy planning. In this paper, we analyzed the runoff changes in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) including the spatiotemporal characteristics of intra-annual variation, the trend, the mutation point, and the period of annual runoff using various statistical methods. We also investigated how changes in the precipitation and temperature could impact on runoff. We found that the intra-annual runoff shows a decreasing trend from 1954 to 2008 and from upper stream to lower stream. On the annual runoff sequence, the upstream runoff has a high consistency and shows an increasing diversity from upper stream to lower stream. The mutation points of the annual runoff in the YRB are years 1961 and 2004. Annual runoff presents multitime scales for dry and abundance changes. Hurst values show that the runoffs at the main control stations all have Hurst phenomenon (the persistence of annual runoff). The sensitivity analyses of runoff variation to precipitation and temperature were also conducted. Our results show that the response of runoff to precipitation is more sensitive than that to temperature. The response of runoff to temperature is only one-third of the response to precipitation. A decrease in temperature may offset the impact of decreasing rainfall on runoff, while an increase in both rainfall and temperature leads to strongest runoff variations in the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze River is one of the largest and most important rivers in the world. Over the past several decades, the natural sediment regime of the Yangtze River has been altered by the construction of dams. This paper uses multi-scale entropy analysis to ascertain the impacts of large dams on the complexity of high-frequency suspended sediment dynamics in the Yangtze River system, especially after impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD). In this study, the complexity of sediment dynamics is quantified by framing it within the context of entropy analysis of time series. Data on daily sediment loads for four stations located in the mainstem are analyzed for the past 60 years. The results indicate that dam construction has reduced the complexity of short-term (1–30 days) variation in sediment dynamics near the structures, but that complexity has actually increased farther downstream. This spatial pattern seems to reflect a filtering effect of the dams on the on the temporal pattern of sediment loads as well as decreased longitudinal connectivity of sediment transfer through the river system, resulting in downstream enhancement of the influence of local sediment inputs by tributaries on sediment dynamics. The TGD has had a substantial impact on the complexity of sediment series in the mainstem of the Yangtze River, especially after it became fully operational. This enhanced impact is attributed to the high trapping efficiency of this dam and its associated large reservoir. The sediment dynamics “signal” becomes more spatially variable after dam construction. This study demonstrates the spatial influence of dams on the high-frequency temporal complexity of sediment regimes and provides valuable information that can be used to guide environmental conservation of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the western Yangtze Block, widespread Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic rocks are the key to understanding the Precambrian tectonic‐magmatic evolution of the region. However, their petrogenesis and tectonic setting are still controversial. In this paper, zircon U‐Pb ages, Sm‐Nd isotopic and whole‐rock geochemical data are reported from selected fresh samples in the southern Dechang county, southwestern China, in order to constrain their emplacement age and magma source, as well as their petrogenesis and tectonic setting. They are mainly composed of biotite monzogranite, monzonitic granite, biotite granodiorites, and quartz diorite. Two ages of 1055 ± 43 Ma and 837.6 ± 3.8 Ma were obtained through zircon U‐Pb dating by LA‐ICP‐MS and LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, respectively. According to their major element compositions, the Grenville‐age granites are peraluminous calc‐alkaline series calcic S‐type granite. In contrast, the mid‐Neoproterozoic granites are metaluminous calc‐alkaline series alkalic I‐type granite. Furthermore, the S‐type granites are enriched in LREEs relative to HREEs with (La/Yb)N ratios of 3.85–18.56 and underwent major fractionation with strongly negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.38–0.66). In the MORB‐normalized trace element variation diagram, all the samples are enriched in Ce and large ion lithophile elements such as Rb, Th, and K, and depleted in high field strength elements such as Nb, and Ti, with negative Sr and Ti anomalies. The I‐type granites are enriched in LREEs with slight negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.83–0.93). They are characterized by the enrichment of highly incompatible elements (such as K, Rb, Ba, Th) and LREEs, relative to MORB. Neodymium isotopic data show that the S‐type granites display 143Nd/144Nd values of 0.51241–0.51256, and have εNd (t = 1055 Ma) values of (−3.29) to (−3.81). Calculated tDM ages yield values from 1.87 to 1.91 Ga with the tDM.2stg ages of 1.86 to 1.9 Ga. The I‐type granites have 143Nd/144Nd ratios between 0.51192 and 0.51195, corresponding to initial εNd (t = 837 Ma) values of 1.22 to 5.63. Calculated tDM ages yield values from 1.0 to 1.38 Ga and the tDM.2stg ages yield values from 0.99 to 1.06 Ga. The S‐type granites are distinguished as syn‐collision granite, whereas the I‐type granites were formed as arc magmas according to the Rb‐(Yb+Ta) and R1‐R2 tectonic discrimination diagrams. To conclude, there are two types of spatially associated granite, the Mesoproterozoic S‐type granite which were derived from re‐melting of upper crustal mudstone and/or clastics and resulted from the convergence of two continental plates, and the mid‐Neoproterozoic I‐type granite which formed in continental arc and resulted from mantle‐derived magma mixed crust material, in the western Yangtze Block. Furthermore, we suggest that collision between the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks occurred at about 1055 Ma, and caused the S‐type granite. The I‐type granite related to the subduction of oceanic lithosphere eastward underneath the Yangtze Block in the mid‐Neoproterozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the characteristics of urban expansion is helpful in managing the relationship between urbanization and the ecological and environmental issues related to sustainable development. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program/Operational Line-scan System (DMSP/OLS) collects visible and near-infrared light fromthe Earth's surface at nightwithoutmoonlight. It generates effective time series data for mapping the dynamics of urban expansion. As a major urban agglomeration in the world, the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration (YRDUA) is an important intersection zone of both the "Belt and Road Initiative" and the "Yangtze River Economic Belt" in China. Therefore, this paper analyses urban expansion characteristics of the YRDUA for 1993-2012 from urban extents extracted from the DMSP/OLS for 1993, 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012. First, calibration procedures are applied to DMSP/OLS data, including intercalibration, intra-annual composition, and inter-annual series correction procedures. Spatial extents are then extracted from the corrected DMSP/OLS data, and a threshold is determined via the spatial comparison method. Finally, three models are used to explore urban expansion characteristics of the YRDUA from expansion rates, expansion spatial patterns, and expansion evaluations. The results show that the urban expansion of the YRDUA occurred at an increasing rate from 1993-2007 and then declined after 2007 with the onset of the global financial crisis. The Suxichang and Ningbo metropolitan circles were seriously affected by the financial crisis, while the Hefei metropolitan circle was not. The urban expansion of the YRDUA moved from the northeast to the southwest over the 20-year period. Urban expansion involved internal infilling over the first 15 years and then evolved into external sprawl and suburbanization after 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese central government has released detailed carbon emissions abatement targets at the provincial level, but provides no specific emissions reduction targets at the city level. Most provincial governments simply allocate carbon emissions reduction tasks to their cities based on the GDP of their cities. Allocation approaches, however, should emphasize the most effective distribution to reach overall targets that reflect actual reduction capacities of cities. This paper proposes an allocation method at the city level by combining a data envelop analysis method, an entropy weight method and a clustering analysis method using the Yangtze River Delta region as a case study. Results of our analysis indicate that cities with higher carbon emissions abatement potentials, financial abilities, a larger number of above-scaled industrial enterprises and higher GDP are better positioned to reduce carbon emissions and should be assigned proportionately higher reduction targets. The merits and policy implications of the proposed approach are discussed in comparison to simply using GDP to allocate emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely developed black shales on the Yangtze Platform recorded palaeoceanographic environment information during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition. This paper describes an integrated geochemical study of rare earth elements (REEs), redox‐sensitive trace elements (RSTEs), and total organic carbon (TOC) contents in Ediacaran–Cambrian black shales at Daotuo, northeastern Guizhou Province, South China. Integrated RSTE data from the Daotuo area, in combination with previously published Fe speciation and Mo‐based proxies from another six sections (Shatan, Jiulongwan, Zhongling, Yangjiaping, Longbizui and Wuhe), suggest three major periods of water euxinia during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition. Under these conditions, organic matter and RSTEs experienced various levels of enrichment in the black shales, especially in the lower Jiumenchong Formation. Given the patterns of Mo‐U covariations, metal‐oxyhydroxide particulate shuttles may have operated during the black shale deposition of the Doushantuo Formation (Member II) at Daotuo. Conspicuously, the upper slope water was oxic‐dysoxic during the earliest Cambrian, as determined by the REE, RSTE data and sedimentological characteristics of the Liuchapo Formation and the basal Jiumenchong Formation. The generally low RSTE concentrations in the Bianmachong Formation black shales (Cambrian Series 2, end of Stage 3) suggest a persistently oxic water column in upper slope settings. The coincidence between the marine oxygenation and the development of the ecosystem likely indicates the galvanizing effects of enhanced oxygen and biological element content on the fauna during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Neoproterozoic tectonics of the Yangtze block remains poorly understood because very limited igneous records are available from the time interval of ∼1000–870 Ma. In this paper, our new SIMS U–Pb dating results demonstrate that the Liushudian mafic intrusion and Pinghe alkaline complex in the northwest Yangtze block were emplaced at 888 ± 6 Ma and 891 ± 7 Ma, respectively, representing the products of a ∼890 Ma igneous event. Gabbros from the Liushudian intrusion have rather depleted zircon ɛ Hf( t ) (mean = 10.4) and normal mantle-like zircon δ 18 O (mean = 5.97‰). Their parental magma was thus probably derived from asthenospheric mantle. Geochemically, these mafic rocks have an affinity to continental flood tholeiitic basalts rather than ocean island basalts, as previously thought. In contrast, an ijolite sample from the Pinghe complex has less depleted zircon ɛ Hf( t ) (mean = 5.7) and anomalously high zircon and apatite δ 18 O (mean = 13.76‰ and 13.80‰, respectively). Such a characteristic δ 18 O signal, among the highest yet known for igneous zircons, could be either inherited from a magma source in metasomatized lithospheric mantle or acquired by assimilation of high-δ 18 O supracrustal materials (e.g., limestone, chert) during magma evolution. An intra-plate extensional environment is suggested for the ∼890 Ma igneous event in the northwest Yangtze block, although it is as yet unclear whether this igneous event is related to a mantle plume or not. It could be concluded that magmatism on the western periphery of the Yangtze block was not shut down between ∼1000 and ∼870 Ma, and the ∼890 Ma intra-plate igneous event may mark either the onset of Neoproterozoic continental rifting or the ending of Late Mesoproterozoic to Early Neoproterozoic lithospheric extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of global warming, occurrence of heat waves has increased in most part of Europe, Asia and Australia along with enhanced ozone level. In this paper, observational air temperature and surface ozone in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China during summer of 2013, and the regional chemistry-climate model (RegCM-CHEM4) were applied to explore the relationship between heat wave and elevated ground-level ozone. Observations indicated that YRD experienced severe heat waves with maximum temperature up to 41.1 °C, 6.1 °C higher than the definition of heat wave in China, and can last for as long as 27 days. Maximum ozone reached 160.5 ppb, exceeding the national air quality standard (secondary level) as 74.7 ppb. Moreover, ozone was found to increase at a rate of 4–5 ppb K − 1 within the temperature range of 28–38 °C, but decrease by a rate of − 1.3 ~ − 1.7 ppb K − 1 under extremely high temperature. A typical heat wave case (HW: 24/7–31/7) and non-heat wave case (NHW: 5/6–12/6) were selected to investigate the mechanism between heavy ozone and heat waves. It was found that chemical reactions play the most important role in ozone formation during HW days, which result in 12 ppb ozone enhancement compared to NHW days. Chemical formation of ozone can be influenced by several factors. During heat waves, a more stagnant condition, controlled by anti-cyclone with sink airflow, led to less water vapor in YRD from south and contributed to less cloud cover, which favored a strong solar radiation environment and ozone significantly increasing. High temperature also slightly promote the effect of vertical turbulence and horizontal advection, which beneficial to ozone remove, but the magnitude is much smaller than chemical effect. Our study suggests that the chemical reaction will potentially lead to substantial elevated ozone in a warmer climate, which should be taken into account in future ozone related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unplanned indirect (de facto) wastewater reuse occurs when wastewater is discharged into surface waters upstream of potable drinking water treatment plant intakes. This paper aims to predict percentages and trends of de facto reuse throughout the Yangtze River watershed in order to understand the relative contribution of wastewater discharges into the river and its tributaries towards averting water scarcity concerns. The Yangtze River is the third longest in the world and supports more than 1/15 of the world's population, yet the importance of wastewater on the river remains ill-defined. Municipal wastewater produced in the Yangtze River Basin increased by 41% between 1998 and 2014, from 2580 m 3 /s to 3646 m 3 /s. Under low flow conditions in the Yangtze River near Shanghai, treated wastewater contributions to river flows increased from 8% in 1998 to 14% in 2014. The highest levels of de facto reuse appeared along a major tributary (Han River) of the Yangtze River, where de facto reuse can exceed 20%. While this initial analysis of de facto reuse used water supply and wastewater data from 110 cities in the basin and 11 gauging stations with > 50 years of historic streamflow data, the outcome was limited by the lack of gauging stations at more locations (i.e., data had to be predicted using digital elevation mapping) and lack of precise geospatial location of drinking water intakes or wastewater discharges. This limited the predictive capability of the model relative to larger datasets available in other countries (e.g., USA). This assessment is the first analysis of de facto wastewater reuse in the Yangtze River Basin. It will help identify sections of the river at higher risk for wastewater-related pollutants due to presence of—and reliance on—wastewater discharge that could be the focus of field studies and model predictions of higher spatial and temporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying a parameterized directional distance function approach, this paper estimates the regional eco-efficiency and pollutants' marginal abatement costs in China based on provincial panel data covering the years 2003–2012. We find that China could potentially save capital, labor, land, energy and water by 18.07%, 11.47%, 11.20%, 12.28% and 11.19%, and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), household refuse and waste water by 11.75%, 11.02% and 11.46%, respectively, on condition that all provinces produced fully efficiently, The south and east coastal areas were the most eco-efficient, while the middle Yangtze River and southwest areas performed relatively poor. For the whole country, the average shadow prices of CO 2 , household refuse and waste water were 717.27 Yuan/tonne, 42,936.98 Yuan/tonne and 306.65 Yuan/tonne, respectively. The shadow price of CO 2 revealed significant regional disparities and that of household refuse showed a rapid increase throughout the study period. Our estimates suggest that policymakers should take measures to avoid ineffective capital investment and improve economic output efficiency in inland provinces, especially in the middle Yangtze River, northwest and southwest areas, and facilitate technological cooperation between developed and undeveloped areas. The regional heterogeneity and flexible price mechanism of various pollutants should be taken into consideration when making the reduction allocations among different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economically developed coastal areas have a high water demand, and their groundwater resources can be threatened by salinization. Many methods and tracers have been used to discriminate the source of salinization because a single method does not yield reliable results. In this paper, the shallow confined coastal plain aquifer, north of the downstream Yangtze River in China, is used as a case study to investigate the origin of the salinity and the relevant geochemical processes for this aquifer. Multiple environmental tracers of major ions, minor ions (Br − , I − ), and isotopes ( 18 O, 2 H, 13 C, 87 Sr, 3 H, 14 C) were used so as to provide reliable conclusions. The TDS distribution of the aquifer has an increasing trend, from below 500 mg/L in the inland areas to more than 20,000 mg/L around the southeast coastline. The water chemical type evolves from HCO 3 -Ca to Cl-Na as the TDS increases. The results suggest that the groundwater salinity is influenced by seawater intrusion. The seawater proportions in the groundwater samples range from 0.07% to 94.41% and show the same spatial distribution pattern as TDS. The 3 H and 14 C values show that the highest salinity was mainly caused by a seawater transgression around 6000a B.P. The aquifer is also affected by other hydrogeochemical processes: base exchange has enriched Ca 2+ and depleted K + and Na + , sulfate reduction has reduced the concentration of SO 4 2− and enriched HCO 3 − , and iodine-rich organic matter decomposition has enriched the concentration of I − . The iodine enrichment also suggests paleo-seawater intrusion. In addition, the precipitation of carbonate minerals has decreased the concentration of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and HCO 3 − , albeit to a limited extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed studies on the spatiotemporal patterns of urban agglomeration in the Middle Yangtze River Basin (MYRB) are rare. This paper analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of urbanization in the MYRB using multi-temporal remote sensing data circa 2000, 2008 and 2016 integrated with geographic information system (GIS) techniques and landscape analysis approaches. A multi-level analysis of the rate and intensity, type as well as the landscape changes of urban expansion at regional, prefectural and inner-city levels was performed. Results show that the MYRB experienced rapid urban expansion with an annual expansion rate of 3.199%, especially in the Chang-Zhu-Tan and Poyang Lake metropolitan areas. The small and medium cities presented faster urban expansion than the larger cities with annual growth rates three times the average level. Urban expansion within the three capital cities was further analyzed in detail. It is found that outlying expansion and edge-expansion were the dominant growth patterns at all the three levels. Although urbanization in the MYRB has a remarkable increase in the past sixteen years, its annual growth rate of urban land expansion has fallen behind the three other large urban agglomerations in China as a result. Finally, the spatial evolution of the socioeconomic structure of the MYRB was further explored. It indicated that urban land was distributed mainly along the "northwest-southeast" direction and that the economic spatial interactions among cities showed a pattern of "multi-polarization and fragmentation", which illustrates the weak radiative driving forces of the central cities. The MYRB urban agglomeration faces a great challenge to manage trades-offs between narrowing the intra-regional disparity and maintaining synergetic development among cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran Yangtze platform in South China, which represents depositional settings ranging from coastal to basinal, provides valuable information for understanding climate changes and animal evolution during the Ediacaran Period. Although the shallower settings have been investigated, research on the basinal sections has been limited. This has hampered efforts to establish stratigraphic correlations and understand the oceanographic setting of the Yangtze platform. In this paper, the chemostratigraphy of a basinal section at Fengtan, Hunan Province, is reported based on analyses of stable carbon isotope profiles in carbonates (δ13Ccarb), organic matter (δ13Corg), total organic carbon, 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and Mn, Rb, and Sr concentrations. The basinal section of the Doushantuo Formation, which is represented at Fengtan, provides data supporting regional correlations and oceanography. Three intervals in the Doushantuo Formation are correlated with the Three Gorges: (i) a negative δ13Ccarb anomaly with stable δ13Corg values and altered 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the lower section can be correlated to the boundary between Doushantuo Members 2 and 3 (Interval A); (ii) a relatively high δ13Ccarb anomaly with unaltered 87Sr/86Sr ratios (up to 0.7086) in the middle section corresponding to the lower part of Doushantuo Member 3 (Interval B); and (iii) a negative δ13Ccarb anomaly with lowered δ values in the upper section can be correlated to the long interval of negative δ13Ccarb (Interval C). The Gaskiers glaciation is likely represented in Interval A, and Interval C corresponds to the Shuram excursion reported for other Ediacaran localities. Our correlations confirm the depth gradient of δ13Ccarb in the Yangtze platform and imply that reductive conditions prevailed in the basinal section from the Early to Middle Ediacaran. Under such conditions, anaerobic degradation of organic carbon or methane perturbed the inorganic carbon isotopic compositions and was at least partly responsible for the depth gradient of δ13Ccarb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the making of local climate governance in the Chinese setting where central-local inter-governmental relations continue to play critical part in almost every policy domain. Through analysing the climate responses of the three provincial-level governments at the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), the paper argues that the process of “experimentation under hierarchy” is relevant to understanding the evolving of the subnational climate regime in the YRD region. We find the preponderance of the central authorities in initiating national climate strategies and galvanising responses at the local level. Meanwhile, provincial governments have been able to leverage climate plans and actions to achieve their own gains. These findings suggest that any optimism about subnational climate activism in a Chinese setting has to be mixed with caution. In fact, the shadow of hierarchical authority structure lingers and plays important part in the initiation of subnational response and spurring climate responses and innovations from below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite of the high demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in demanding countries, an ideal means for establishing the LNG supply system has not yet been found in many regions. In this paper, a three-stage stochastic programming method has been proposed for LNG supply system infrastructure development and inventory routing in demanding countries. The minimum daily cost is set as the objective function; and the cost consists of the delivery cost, liquefaction cost, purchase cost, and construction cost. Under the constraints of delivery mode, volume, vehicle, time, and infrastructure construction, a multi-scenario MILP model was established and solved by a hybrid computational method (ACO-MILP), and the optimal infrastructure development and inventory routing were presented as the result. Finally, the method was successfully applied to the LNG supply system along the Yangtze River in China. Furthermore, compared with the other methods, the superiority of the method was verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]