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Coprostanol was tested as ecological indicator to trace domestic and manure effluents and to investigate possible pollution sources in surface water. Pollution assessment was performed by analysing NO3 −, NO2 −, coprostanol (5β(H)-Cholestan-3β-ol), and cholestanol (5α(H)-Cholestan-3β-ol) in water samples from 42 sites along rivers in Shimabara and Unzen City, Japan. NO2-N concentration exceeded 0.
For a better understanding of possible physical links between geophysical observables and earthquake characteristics, it is important to analyze statistical spatiotemporal patterns in nature related to such events. For this purpose, characteristic changes in groundwater level (GWL) were observed before and after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake in Japan. Previous research has shown that self-organizin
Frequent land-use changes in urban areas require an efficient and dynamic approach to reform and update detailed plans by re-arrangement of surrounding land-uses in case of change in one or several urban land-uses. However, re-arrangement of land-uses is problematic, since a variety of conflicting criteria must be considered and satisfied. This paper proposes and examines a two-step approach to re
Lack of water resources is a common issue in many countries, especially in the Middle East. Flood spreading project (FSP) is an artificial recharge technique, which is generally suggested for arid and semi-arid areas with two major aims including (1) flood mitigation and (2) artificial recharge of groundwater. This study implemented three state-of-the-art popular models including frequency ratio (
The return of Syrian refugees has been a key topic in several forums and policy discussions over the last few years. Yet, the prospects for their return remain grim. The chapter is intended as a stimulus to further examination of an analytical debate, and offers a range of views on the argument that conditions in Syria are still not ripe for return. The chapter addresses Russia’s refugees policies
The neuroanatomical organization of neurons projecting to the pituitary and the origin of pituitary dopamine and nonapeptides were investigated in the brain of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Carbocyanine tract tracing in combination with tyrosine hydroxylase, arginine vasotocin and isotocin immunocytochemistry for double labelling revealed a previously unknown organization of hypophysiotrophic
Temperature and precipitation extremes are the dominant causes of natural disasters. In this study, seven indices of extreme temperature and precipitation events in Gansu Province, China, were analysed for the period 1961–2017. An abrupt climate shift was recorded during 1980–1981. Thus, the study period was divided into a preshift (before the climate shift) period 1961–1980 and an aftshift (after
Bokrecension
Capacitance sensors are widely used in agriculture for irrigation and soil management purposes. However, their use under saline conditions is a major challenge, especially for sensors operating with low frequency. Their dielectric readings are often biased by high soil electrical conductivity. New calculation approaches for soil water content (θ) and pore water electrical conductivity (ECp), in wh
Possibilities to perform pre- and post-seismic groundwater chemical comparisons on regional groundwater flow systems are rare due to lack of data and observations. The Kumamoto earthquake provides an unusual opportunity to improve the knowledge on earthquake hydrology and earthquake effects on hydrochemistry of groundwater due to a wealth of pre- and post-quake observations. We analyzed 12 physioc
Precipitation can be quantified using a rain gauge network, or a remotely sensed precipitation product. Ultimately, the choice of dataset depends on the particular application, the catchment size, climate and the time period of study. In a region with a long record and a dense rain gauge network, the elevation-modified ground-based precipitation product, PRISM, has been found to work well. However
The paper explores the impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on rainy season precipitation properties over the Yangtze River Basin. The multi-scale moving t-test was used to determine the onset and withdrawal of the rainy season. Results showed the following: (1) Onset and withdrawal of the averaged rainy season over the Yangtze River Basin showed a similar distribution and both progressed
Increasing population has posed insurmountable challenges to agriculture in the provision of future food security, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region where biophysical conditions are not well-suited for agriculture. Iran, as a major agricultural country in the MENA region, has long been in the quest for food self-sufficiency, however, the capability of its land and wate
The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) has provided a valuable precipitation dataset for hydrometeorological studies (1998–2015).However, TMPA shows some differences when compared to the ground-based estimates. In this study, a correction model is developed to improve the accuracy of the TRMM precipitation monthly product by reducing the bias co
Cross-correlations between inter-annual summer rainfall time series (June to August: JJA) for arid Mongolia and global sea surface temperatures (GSST) were calculated for prediction purposes. Prediction of summer rainfall for four vegetation zones, Desert Steppe (DS), Steppe (ST), Forest Steppe (FS), and High Mountain (HM) using GSSTs for time lags of 5, 6, and 7 months prior to JJA rainfall was e
