High thresholds for avoidance of sonar by free-ranging long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)     

R. Antunes  P.H. Kvadsheim  F.P.A. Lam  P.L. Tyack  L. Thomas  P.J. Wensveen  P.J.O. Miller 《Marine pollution bulletin》2014

The potential effects of exposing marine mammals to military sonar is a current concern. Dose–response relationships are useful for predicting potential environmental impacts of specific operations. To reveal behavioral response thresholds of exposure to sonar, we conducted 18 exposure/control approaches to 6 long-finned pilot whales. Source level and proximity of sonar transmitting one of two frequency bands (1–2 kHz and 6–7 kHz) were increased during exposure sessions. The 2-dimensional movement tracks were analyzed using a changepoint method to identify the avoidance response thresholds which were used to estimate dose–response relationships. No support for an effect of sonar frequency or previous exposures on the probability of response was found. Estimated response thresholds at which 50% of population show avoidance (SPL_max = 170 dB re 1 μPa, SEL_cum = 173 dB re 1 μPa² s) were higher than previously found for other cetaceans. The US Navy currently uses a generic dose–response relationship to predict the responses of cetaceans to naval active sonar, which has been found to underestimate behavioural impacts on killer whales and beaked whales. The navy curve appears to match more closely our results with long-finned pilot whales, though it might underestimate the probability of avoidance for pilot-whales at long distances from sonar sources.  相似文献   

The initial shear field in models with primordial local non-Gaussianity and implications for halo and void abundances     

Tsz Yan Lam  Ravi K. Sheth  Vincent Desjacques 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2009,399(3):1482-1494

We generalize the Doroshkevich's celebrated formulae for the eigenvalues of the initial shear field associated with Gaussian statistics to the local non-Gaussian   f_nl   model. This is possible because, to at least second order in   f_nl   , distributions at fixed overdensity are unchanged from the case   f_nl = 0  . We use this generalization to estimate the effect of   f_nl ≠ 0  on the abundance of virialized haloes. Halo abundances are expected to be related to the probability that a certain quantity in the initial fluctuation field exceeds a threshold value, and we study two choices for this variable: it can either be the sum of the eigenvalues of the initial deformation tensor (the initial overdensity) or its smallest eigenvalue. The approach based on a critical overdensity yields results which are in excellent agreement with numerical measurements. We then use these same methods to develop approximations describing the sensitivity of void abundances on   f_nl   . While a positive   f_nl   produces more extremely massive haloes, it makes fewer extremely large voids. Its effect thus is qualitatively different from a simple rescaling of the normalization of the density fluctuation field σ₈. Therefore, void abundances furnish complementary information to cluster abundances, and a joint comparison of both might provide interesting constraints on primordial non-Gaussianity.  相似文献   

Urban heat island diagnosis using ASTER satellite images and ‘in situ’ air temperature   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Janet E. Nichol  Wing Yee Fung  Ka-se Lam  Man Sing Wong 《Atmospheric Research》2009,94(2):276-284

This study demonstrates that thermal satellite images combined with ‘in situ’ ground data can be used to examine models of heat island genesis and thus identify the main causes of urban heat islands (UHIs). The models, although proposed over 30 years ago, have not been thoroughly evaluated due to a combination of inadequate ground data and the low resolution of thermal satellite data. Also there has been limited understanding of the relevance of satellite-derived surface temperatures to local and regional scale air temperatures. A cloud-free ASTER thermal image of urban and rural areas of Hong Kong was obtained on a winter night with a well-developed heat island, accompanied by a 148 km vehicle traverse of air temperatures. Over the whole traverse a high R² of 0.80 was observed between surface and air temperatures, with the two datasets showing a similar amplitude and general trend, but with the surface exhibiting much higher local variability than air temperature. Gradients in both surface and air temperature could be related to differences in land cover, with little evidence of large scale advection, thus supporting the population/physical structure model of UHI causation, rather than the advection model. However, the much higher surface and air temperatures observed over the largest urban area, Kowloon, than over any smaller urban centre with similar physical structure in the New Territories, would seem more indicative of the advection model. The image and ground data suggest that Kowloon's urban canopy layer climate is mainly influenced by local city structure, but it is also modified by a strongly developed, regional scale urban boundary layer which has developed over the largest urban centre of Kowloon, and reinforces heating from both above and below.  相似文献   

Seasonal variations of anthropogenic sulfate aerosol and direct radiative forcing over China   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Ti-Jian Wang  Jin-Zhong Min  Yong-Fu Xu  Ka-Se Lam 《Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics》2003,84(3-4):185-198

Summary Regional climate model (RegCM2) and sulfur transport model (NJUADMS) were combined to simulate the distribution of anthropogenic sulfate aerosol burden over China, where a look up table method was applied to illustrate sulfate formation from SO₂-oxidation. Direct radiative forcing of sulfate aerosol was further estimated using the scheme suggested by Charlson et al (1991). Investigations show that the annual average total sulfate column over mainland China is 2.01mg/m² with high value in East and Central areas (more than 7mg/m²). The annual average direct radiative forcing of China is about –0.85W/m². The forcing can reach –7W/m² in Central and East China during the winter season. Total sulfate column shows significant seasonal variations with winter maximum-summer minimum in the Southern part of China and spring maximum-autumn minimum in the northern part of China. Strong seasonal cycles of direct radiative forcing are also found due to the influence of total sulfate column, cloud, relative humidity and the reflectivity of underlying surfaceReceived May 16, 2001; accepted August 5, 2002 Published online: May 8, 2003  相似文献   

Effects of Jpeg Compression on the Accuracy of Digital Terrain Models Automatically Derived from Digital Aerial Images   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Kent W. Lam  Zhilin Li  & Xiuxiao Yuan 《The Photogrammetric Record》2001,17(98):331-342

It is well recognised that data volume represents a huge overhead for softcopy photogrammetry. For example, a file size of 100 Mbytes will be generated from a black and white aerial photograph if digitised with a resolution of 20μm. Large data volumes not only create storage problems but also affect the speed of image processing. As a consequence, data compression of image data is a matter of great significance. This paper describes an investigation into the effects of image compression on the accuracy of digital terrain models (DTMs) extracted from the compressed images. The JPEG system implemented in the Z/I Imaging ImageStation digital photogrammetric workstation (DPW) was used in the study. A systematic test has been carried out on the effect of different levels of JPEG compression (with Q-factors from 1 to 100) on the resulting DTM, which is automatically generated by the DPW using Match-T software. An analysis of the results from the two sites tested shows that image compression tends to cause more significant degradation when the image texture is richer, but that recommendations on Q-factors for use with the ImageStation appear to err on the side of caution. This analysis leads to some tentative conclusions and recommendations both for future investigation and for photogrammetric practice.  相似文献   

On the prediction of relativistic electron fluence based on its relationship with geomagnetic activity over a solar cycle     

H.-L. Lam 《Journal of Atmospheric and Solar》2004,66(18):2162

A study has been carried out to determine the relationship between high energy relativistic (>2 MeV) electron fluence and auroral zone geomagnetic activity for a solar cycle. Data for 1987–1997, spanning Solar Cycle 22, were used in the study. The relativistic electron fluence data were based on fluxes observed by the GOES geosynchronous satellites. The geomagnetic data were the DRX indices derived from a Canadian magnetic observatory located in the auroral zone at Fort Churchill, near the footprint of field lines passing through geostationary satellites. This work, based on data from a solar cycle, confirms earlier findings using limited data from segments of a solar cycle of enhancement in fluence 2–3 days after increases in geomagnetic activity, and shows the cycle dependence of fluence with respect to geomagnetic activity. This study underlines the influence of recurrent coronal holes on fluence level as well as the possible role of Pc5 magnetic pulsations as an electron acceleration mechanism, and highlights the predictability of fluence from ground geomagnetic data. A fluence prediction algorithm can now solely be based on derived expressions relating fluence and DRX. Thus, a simple fluence prediction scheme can easily be implemented to provide a 2–3 day advance warning of space weather conditions hazardous to geosynchronous satellites, since during days of high fluence, the likelihood of internal charging in a satellite is high, with possible discharges that could result in satellite operational anomalies. For verification purpose, daily values of fluence for 1997–2000 and for January 1994 were postcast using the derived expressions. The postcast values were validated, and the results give credence to the fluence prediction scheme.  相似文献   

Organochlorines and dioxin-like compounds in green-lipped mussels Perna viridis from Hong Kong mariculture zones     

M.K. So  X. Zhang  J.P. Giesy  C.N. Fung  H.W. Fong  J. Zheng  M.J. Kramer  H. Yoo  P.K.S. Lam   《Marine pollution bulletin》2005,51(8-12):677

Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides and dioxin-like compounds were measured in green-lipped mussels, Perna viridis, collected from seven mariculture zones in Hong Kong between September and October in 2002 in order to evaluate the status, spatial distribution and potential sources of pollution in these areas. Concentrations ranged from 300 to 4400 ng/g lipid weight for total OCs and 170–1000 ng/g lipid weight for total PCBs (based on 28 congeners). Relatively smaller DDT concentrations in mussels compared with previous studies suggest reduced discharges of DDTs from nearby regions into Hong Kong waters. Detection of a mixture of HCH isomers in the mussels indicated that Hong Kong waters were predominantly contaminated by technical HCHs rather than lindane. Mussel samples from all sampling locations elicited significant dioxin-like activity in the H4IIE-luc bioassay. The greatest magnitude of dioxin-like response (39 pg TEQ/g wet wt.) was detected in mussels from Ma Wan in the western waters of Hong Kong, which is strongly influenced by the Pearl River discharge. Human health risk assessment was undertaken to evaluate potential risks associated with the consumption of the green-lipped mussels. Risk quotient (RQ) for dioxin-like compounds was greater than unity suggesting that adverse health effects may be associated with high mussel consumption.  相似文献   

Analytical and Numerical Study on the Pillar Rockbursts Mechanism   总被引：3，自引：1，他引：3  

S. Y. Wang  K. C. Lam  S. K. Au  C. A. Tang  W. C. Zhu  T. H. Yang 《Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering》2006,39(5):445-467

Summary. Based on cusp-type catastrophe theory, a sample rock–rock model for studying the pillar rockburst mechanism is presented in this paper. It is shown that the stiffness ratio, K, of the roof and floor to the pillar plays an important role in the outbreak of instability. Additionally, simple formulae for the deformation jump and the energy release are derived. Based on the assumption that there exists a proportional relationship between the number of microseismic events and microfractured elements, the theoretical microseismic event rate produced by the double rock sample, loaded in series under uniaxial compression, is obtained. Using a newly developed numerical code, RFPA^2D, the progressive failure process and associated microseismic behavior of the twin rock samples are simulated, which shows that the spatial distribution of microseismic events develops progressively from disorder at the initial loading stage to order prior to the main shock. The numerically simulated results also confirm that a soft roof and floor promote an unstable failure or collapse of pillars, while a stiff roof and floor can lead to a stable failure of pillars. Additionally, the simulated results reproduce the deformation jump and the energy release that occur during a pillar rockburst. It is demonstrated that the proposed model properly simulates the pillar failure process.  相似文献   

Petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in tissues of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins from south China waters     

Leung CC  Jefferson TA  Hung SK  Zheng GJ  Yeung LW  Richardson BJ  Lam PK 《Marine pollution bulletin》2005,50(12):33-1719

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Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediments and mussel tissues from Hong Kong marine waters   总被引：17，自引：0，他引：17  

Liu Y  Zheng GJ  Yu H  Martin M  Richardson BJ  Lam MH  Lam PK 《Marine pollution bulletin》2005,50(11):1173-1184

Sediments and green-lipped mussels, Perna viridis, were used to investigate concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Hong Kong's marine environment. PBDEs have been used extensively over the past two decades as flame retardants in polymer additives for a variety of plastics, computers, furniture, building materials, and fabrics. Many measurements of PBDEs in various environmental matrices have been reported from Belgium, Holland, Japan, Europe and North America, but few measurements are available for the southeast Asian region and Hong Kong. PBDE congeners (n=15) were measured in 13 sediments and nine mussel samples, taken from Hong Kong marine waters. The Sigma15PBDEs in sediments ranged between 1.7 and 53.6 ng g(-1) dry wt, with the highest concentrations located around the most heavily populated areas of Victoria Harbour and Sai Kung, while the lowest concentrations of Sigma15PBDEs were found at more remote locations of Sha Tau Kok, Wong Chuk Bay, Castle Peak Bay, and Gold Coast. Sigma15PBDEs ranged from 27.0 to 83.7 ng g(-1) dry wt of mussel tissues. Although not identical, most of the congeners in sediments were found in mussel tissues, with BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-153 and BDE-183 being the most prominent in both matrices. On the basis of a literature survey, the concentrations of PBDEs reported in Hong Kong sediments and mussel tissues are amongst the highest in the world.  相似文献