Planform Channel Dynamics Along the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River from 1958 to 2008: Analysis Using Landsat Images and Topographic Maps

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Planform Channel Dynamics Along the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia Reaches of the Yellow River from 1958 to 2008: Analysis Using Landsat Images and Topographic Maps Environ Earth Sci (2013) 70:97–106 DOI 10.1007/s12665-012-2106-0 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Planform channel dynamics along the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia reaches of the Yellow River from 1958 to 2008: analysis using Landsat images and topographic maps Zhengyi Yao • Jianhua Xiao • Wanquan Ta • Xiaopeng Jia Received: 15 February 2012 / Accepted: 30 October 2012 / Published online: 15 November 2012 Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012 Abstract Channel planform dynamics were analyzed for 64.3 m to the right from 1990 to 2000, and 2.8 m to the the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia reaches of the Yellow River. right from 2000 to 2008. Map data were analyzed by means of GIS and used to determine the planform characteristics and changes in Keywords Channel planform dynamics Á Channel width, sinuosity, and shoreline migration rates between shifting Á Yellow River Á Ningxia Á Inner Mongolia 1958 and 2008. The study was based on topographic maps of 1958 and 1967, which had been derived from aerial photos and a field survey and from satellite imagery of Introduction 1977, 1990, 2000, and 2008. The channel planform dynamics were determined by comparing sequential The Yellow River is China’s second-longest river, and is changes in the position of the shorelines in these years. famous for its high sand content, frequent floods, unique Sinuosity adjustments were small during the study (range: channel characteristics in the lower reaches (the riverbed is 1.34–1.45). The initial sinuosity (1.45 in 1958) gradually higher than the land outside the banks), and currently decreased to 1.34 in 1990, and then increased to 1.40 in overused water resources (Yu 2002; Fu et al. 2004; Sato 2008. Channel contraction had been the dominant planform et al. 2008). In the lower reaches of the Yellow River, the process, but periodic floods resulted in channel expansion channel changes frequently; 26 large channel changes have (1958–1990). The river’s channel area expanded substan- occurred since 602 B.C. and these changes and the tially from 1958 to 1990 (by 42.1 %), then sharply con- dynamics of the lower reaches of the Yellow River have tracted from 1990 to 2000 (by 45.8 %), with no subsequent been well studied (Xu 2002; Chu et al. 2006). changes. The bank erosion and accretion rates were severe. Many researchers have noticed that the channel plan- The mean erosion rates ranged from 30.7 to 68.3 m/year on form along the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia reaches of the the left side and 27.1 to 58.3 m/year on the right side. The Yellow River changed frequently and dramatically during mean accretion rates ranged from 44.4 to 68.3 m/year on the past half century. the left side and 30.5 to 60.4 m/year on the right side. The Due to a low gradient, loose riverbed materials, and a mean channel midline shifted by 57.8 m toward the right high sediment load, the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia reaches of from 1958 to 2008. The mean channel midline moved the Yellow River are characterized by large channel shifts 4.8 m to right from 1958 to 1967, 54.3 m to the left from and frequent morphological changes (Hou 1996; Hou et al. 1967 to 1977, 44.2 m to the right from 1977 to 1990, 2007). Historically, there have been large channel changes as a result of channel shifts to the right (facing down- stream) along these reaches (Wang 1984; Li et al. 2003). Z. Yao (&) Á J. Xiao Á W. Ta Á X. Jia The resulting bank erosion has become a serious problem Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Cold and Arid at many sites along these reaches, imperiling nearby set- Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, tlements and infrastructure. Recent damage caused by bank Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, People’s Republic of China erosion has been frequently reported, and river channel e-mail: [email protected] changes have created substantial social, economic, and 123 98 Environ Earth Sci (2013) 70:97–106 environmental problems (Wu et al. 2006;Taetal.2008). In the study reaches, there are six gauging stations: For example, the Flood Prevention Office of Bayan Nor Qingtongxia, Shizuishan, Bayan Gol, Sanhuhekou, Zhao- City reported that about 215 km2 of arable land, grass- junfeng, and Toudaoguai. These stations divide the study land, and woodland were lost to erosion and that reaches into five sections. At the Qingtongxia gauging numerous infrastructures (e.g., irrigation ditches, station, mean annual runoff is 238 9 108 m3 and the mean bridges, roads, ports, and buildings) were destroyed from annual sediment load is 1.2 9 108 t (Fig. 2). The sediment 1953 to 2000. transport is mainly concentrated in the flood season. For River channel changes such as bank erosion, down- example, the runoff in flood season is only 1.2 times of that cutting, and bank accretion are natural processes for an in non-flood season, but sediment load in flood season is alluvial river. However, regional developments such as 9.0 times of that in non-flood season. sand mining, infrastructure construction on the riverbank, From Qingtongxia to Shizuishan, the Yellow River artificial cutoffs, bank revetment, reservoir construction, flows over the wide Yinchuan Plain. The river course is and land use alterations have changed the natural geo- 199.0 km long, and the water level falls 47 m along a morphologic dynamics of rivers (Surian 1999; Kesel 2003; gradient of 0.24 %. The width of the riverbed ranges from Surian and Rinaldi 2003; Batalla et al. 2004; Vanacker 200 to 5000 m; the riverbed material is silt and gravel et al. 2005; Wellmeyer et al. 2005). Therefore, channel (mainly coming from mainstream). At the eastern end of stability is often threatened. Such human activities may this section, about 87 km of river runs beside the Hedong even become stronger forces for change than natural events Sandyland. From Shizuishan to Bayan Gol, the Yellow such as floods and droughts. The resulting channel changes River flows along the margin of the Ulan Buh Desert, over cause various environmental and socioeconomic conse- a distance of 150.8 km, and the water level falls 35 m, over quences in terms of navigation, loss of riparian land and a gradient of 0.23 %. The river course narrows to between infrastructure, flood hazards, and the alteration of aquatic 300 and 700 m, and the riverbed material becomes mainly and riparian ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to alluvial silt, with gravel and even rock in some sections describe the planform geometry and migration behavior of (mainly coming from tributaries). To the west of the river, confined meandering section of the Yellow River and to large areas of dunes exist, and about 6.1 9 108 t of sand relate the channel-migration rate of these rivers to basic poured into the Yellow River from 1954 to 2000 (Yang hydrologic and geomorphic controls. Although the new et al. 2003). From Bayan Gol to Hekou, the Yellow River data presented here are clearly of scientific interest to those wriggles its way through the Hetao Plain over a distance of seeking to understand the dynamics of meander migration, 563.7 km, and the water level falls 63 m over a gradient of they are also significant to practical issues such as pre- 0.11 %. The width of the riverbed ranges from 500 to dicting channel-migration rates for engineering and plan- 2500 m, and the riverbed material is loose silt. On the ning purposes. southern bank of this section, there are ten tributaries, named the ‘‘Ten Great Gullies’’. These tributaries origi- nated at the center of the Ordos Plateau (which also is the Study area center of rainstorms of Ordos Plateau) and flows through the Hobq Desert. In the windy season, large amounts of The study area is located along the Ningxia–Inner Mon- dune sand pour into the valleys of the Ten Great Gullies golia reaches of the Yellow River, starting at Qingtongxia and are carried by flooding during the rainy season into the (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) and ending at Hekou Yellow River; these sediments usually block the river’s (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), with a total channel flow, causing dikes to burst and flooding the Hetao Plain length of 913.5 km (Fig. 1). Although this area represents (Zhao et al. 2001; Feng and Zhang 2008). In addition, cold the upper reaches of the river, it resembles the lower winters create ice jams that lead to winter and spring floods reaches because of the low gradient, meandering channel, that cause great losses to the local people (Chen and Ji loose riverbed materials, high sediment load, and large area 2005; Jiang et al. 2008). of surrounding alluvial plains (the Yinchuan Plain and the Since the Liujiaxia Dam (584 km from Qingtongxia, Hetao Plain). The region is characterized by a dry climate, channel distance) began operation in 1968 and the Long- with rare rainfall; the mean annual rainfall ranges from 200 yangxia Dam(918 km from Qingtongxia, channel distance) to 250 mm, with a potential evapotranspiration of began operation in 1986, large dams and reservoirs have 1000–2000 mm. The study reaches have few tributaries increasingly controlled the Yellow River’s discharge and that contribute relatively little discharge to the Yellow attenuated water and sediment yields in the Ningxia–Inner River. The tributaries, which cover a drainage area greater Mongolia reaches (only an important tributary of Huang- than 5000 km2, are the Kushui River, the Dusitu River, and shui River is not control by the great reservoirs).
Recommended publications
  • Spatial Heterogeneous of Ecological Vulnerability in Arid and Semi-Arid Area: a Case of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China
    sustainability Article Spatial Heterogeneous of Ecological Vulnerability in Arid and Semi-Arid Area: A Case of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China Rong Li 1, Rui Han 1, Qianru Yu 1, Shuang Qi 2 and Luo Guo 1,* 1 College of the Life and Environmental Science, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; [email protected] (R.L.); [email protected] (R.H.); [email protected] (Q.Y.) 2 Department of Geography, National University of Singapore; Singapore 117570, Singapore; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 25 April 2020; Accepted: 26 May 2020; Published: 28 May 2020 Abstract: Ecological vulnerability, as an important evaluation method reflecting regional ecological status and the degree of stability, is the key content in global change and sustainable development. Most studies mainly focus on changes of ecological vulnerability concerning the temporal trend, but rarely take arid and semi-arid areas into consideration to explore the spatial heterogeneity of the ecological vulnerability index (EVI) there. In this study, we selected the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on the Loess Plateau of China, a typical arid and semi-arid area, as a case to investigate the spatial heterogeneity of the EVI every five years, from 1990 to 2015. Based on remote sensing data, meteorological data, and economic statistical data, this study first evaluated the temporal-spatial change of ecological vulnerability in the study area by Geo-information Tupu. Further, we explored the spatial heterogeneity of the ecological vulnerability using Getis-Ord Gi*. Results show that: (1) the regions with high ecological vulnerability are mainly concentrated in the north of the study area, which has high levels of economic growth, while the regions with low ecological vulnerability are mainly distributed in the relatively poor regions in the south of the study area.
    [Show full text]
  • Diversion of the Paleo‐Yellow River Channel in the Qingtongxia Area of Ningxia, China: Evidence from Terraces and Fluvial Landforms
    Received: 28 June 2019 Revised: 3 September 2019 Accepted: 13 October 2019 DOI: 10.1002/gj.3684 SPECIAL ISSUE ARTICLE Diversion of the paleo‐Yellow River channel in the Qingtongxia area of Ningxia, China: Evidence from terraces and fluvial landforms Hong Chen1,2 | Guo‐dong Bao1 | Wei Shi1,2 | Jian‐min Hu1,2 1 Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China The Qingtongxia Grand Canyon (QGC) of the Yellow River is a region of intense tec- 2 Key Laboratory of Paleomagnetism and tonic deformation that is located in the southern Yinchuan Basin, at the junction of Tectonic Reconstruction of Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing, China the western margin of the Ordos Plateau and the northeast arcuate structural belt of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. The Yellow River makes a 90° turn as it traverses Correspondence Hong Chen, Institute of Geomechanics, the Qingtongxia area, incising the hard Ordovician sandstones of Niushou Mountain, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, while leaving the relatively soft Quaternary sediments on the northern side of the No.11 Minzudaxue South Road, Haidian District. Beijing 100081, China. channel undisturbed. Despite this apparent inconsistency with the expected pattern Email: [email protected] of river erosion, there has been no significant research to date on the formation of Funding information the QGC. Here, we utilize remote sensing, surficial geomorphology, and shallow cor- Geological Survey Project of the Geological ing to confirm the evolution of the Yellow River channel and formation of the QGC. Survey of China, Grant/Award Numbers: – ‐ DD20160060 and DD20190018; Special Using Landsat Thermic Mapper and ASTER imagery, we identified a N S oriented Funds for Basic Scientific Research Operation zone of high water‐content in the northern part of the QGC that is characterized at Fees of the Chinese Academy of Geosciences, Grant/Award Number: YYWF201616 the surface by marsh and wetlands.
    [Show full text]
  • China Shaping Tibet for Strategic Leverage
    MANEKSHAW PAPER No. 70, 2018 China Shaping Tibet for Strategic Leverage Praggya Surana D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS VI CT N OR ISIO Y THROUGH V KNOWLEDGE WORLD Centre for Land Warfare Studies KW Publishers Pvt Ltd New Delhi New Delhi Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief : Lt Gen Balraj Nagal ISSN 23939729 D W LAN ARFA OR RE F S E T R U T D N IE E S C CLAWS VI CT N OR ISIO Y THROUGH V Centre for Land Warfare Studies RPSO Complex, Parade Road, Delhi Cantt, New Delhi 110010 Phone: +91.11.25691308 Fax: +91.11.25692347 email: [email protected] website: www.claws.in CLAWS Army No. 33098 The Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi, is an autonomous think-tank dealing with national security and conceptual aspects of land warfare, including conventional and sub-conventional conflicts and terrorism. CLAWS conducts research that is futuristic in outlook and policy-oriented in approach. © 2018, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi Disclaimer: The contents of this paper are based on the analysis of materials accessed from open sources and are the personal views of the author. The contents, therefore, may not be quoted or cited as representing the views or policy of the Government of India, or Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) (Army), or the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. KNOWLEDGE WORLD www.kwpub.com Published in India by Kalpana Shukla KW Publishers Pvt Ltd 4676/21, First Floor, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi 110002 Phone: +91 11 23263498 / 43528107 email: [email protected] l www.kwpub.com Contents Introduction 1 1.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    • IPP378 The People's Republic of China Ningxia Hui Autononlous Region Ningxia Highway Improvement Project Public Disclosure Authorized Social Assessment Public Disclosure Authorized Report (Revised draft) Public Disclosure Authorized Shanghai Resettlenlent Investment Management Co. Ltd. Public Disclosure Authorized October 2009 , , " Contents Illustration map of Project expressway and road network ........................................... 1 Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Basic information of the Project ................................................................ 1 1.2 Project affected areas ................................................................................. 5 1.3 Overall objective and prerequisites of Social Assessment .......................... 7 1.4 Basic steps of Social Assessment .................................................................. 8 1.5 Other considerations during Social Assessment ....................................... 15 1.6 The main basis and survey method of Social Assessment ........................ 16 Chapter 2 Socio-economic information of the Project affected areas ..................... 19 2.1 Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region ............................................................ 19 2.2 Yinchuan City ......................................................................................... 22 2.3 Wuzhong City ........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Semi-Arid Regions: a Case Study in Ningxia, China Jie Li1,2†, Xiangxue Zhang3,4†, Li Wang5,6, Chengdong Xu4*, Gexin Xiao7*, Ran Wang1, Fang Zheng1,2 and Fang Wang1,2
    Li et al. BMC Public Health (2019) 19:1482 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7758-1 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Spatial-temporal heterogeneity of hand, foot and mouth disease and impact of meteorological factors in arid/ semi-arid regions: a case study in Ningxia, China Jie Li1,2†, Xiangxue Zhang3,4†, Li Wang5,6, Chengdong Xu4*, Gexin Xiao7*, Ran Wang1, Fang Zheng1,2 and Fang Wang1,2 Abstract Background: The incidence of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) varies over space and time and this variability is related to climate and social-economic factors. Majority of studies on HFMD were carried out in humid regions while few have focused on the disease in arid/semi-arid regions, more research in such climates would potentially make the mechanism of HFMD transmission clearer under different climate conditions. Methods: In this paper, we explore spatial-temporal distribution of HFMD in Ningxia province, which has an arid/semi- arid climate in northwest China. We first employed a Bayesian space-time hierarchy model (BSTHM) to assess the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of the HFMD cases and its relationship with meteorological factors in Ningxia from 2009 to 2013, then used a novel spatial statistical software package GeoDetector to test the spatial-temporal heterogeneity of HFMD risk. Results: The results showed that the spatial relative risks in northern part of Ningxia were higher than those in the south. The highest temporal risk of HFMD incidence was in fall season, with a secondary peak in spring. Meteorological factors, such as average temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed played significant roles in the spatial-temporal distribution of HFMD risk.
    [Show full text]
  • See Front Matter © 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V
    Tectonophysics 420 (2006) 253–266 www.elsevier.com/locate/tecto Crustal structure of the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau from the Songpan-Ganzi terrane to the Ordos basin ⁎ Mingjun Liu a,b, Walter D. Mooney b, , Songlin Li a,b, Nihal Okaya b, Shane Detweiler b a Geophysical Exploration Center, China Earthquake Administration, 104 Wenhua Road, Zhengzhou, Henan 450002, China b U. S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA Received 19 January 2005; received in revised form 17 October 2005; accepted 4 January 2006 Available online 5 May 2006 Abstract The 1000-km-long Darlag–Lanzhou–Jingbian seismic refraction profile is located in the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau. This profile crosses the northern Songpan-Ganzi terrane, the Qinling-Qilian fold system, the Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region, and the stable Ordos basin. The P-wave and S-wave velocity structure and Poisson's ratios reveal many significant characteristics in the profile. The crustal thickness increases from northeast to southwest. The average crustal thickness observed increases from 42 km in the Ordos basin to 63 km in the Songpan-Ganzi terrane. The crust becomes obviously thicker south of the Haiyuan fault and beneath the West-Qinlin Shan. The crustal velocities have significant variations along the profile. The average P-wave velocities for the crystalline crust vary between 6.3 and 6.4 km/s. Beneath the Songpan-Ganzi terrane, West-Qinling Shan, and Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region P-wave velocities of 6.3 km/s are 0.15 km/s lower than the worldwide average of 6.45 km/s.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Impact Assessment Executive Summary
    Public Disclosure Authorized China: Ningxia Highway Project Environmental Impact Assessment Executive Summary Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized December, 2009 Public Disclosure Authorized 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 4 Background .......................................................................................................................... 4 Project Development Objective .......................................................................................... 4 Environmental Assessment Process and Legal Framework ............................................ 5 Project Description .............................................................................................................. 6 2. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES .................................................................... 9 Without Project Scenario .................................................................................................... 9 Corridor Analysis ................................................................................................................ 9 Alternative Analysis for Sections ........................................................................................ 9 3. ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ...................................................................... 10 Physical Setting .................................................................................................................. 10 Sensitive
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial–Temporal Matching Characteristics Between Agricultural Water and Land Resources in Ningxia, Northwest China
    water Article Spatial–Temporal Matching Characteristics between Agricultural Water and Land Resources in Ningxia, Northwest China Jie Du 1,2, Zhaohui Yang 2,*, Hao Wang 1,2,*, Guiyu Yang 2 and Shuoyang Li 2 1 Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Engineering Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China 2 State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (Z.Y.); [email protected] (H.W.); Tel.: +86-10-6878-5708 (Z.Y. & H.W.) Received: 11 June 2019; Accepted: 13 July 2019; Published: 14 July 2019 Abstract: Agricultural water and land resources are key elements of human production and their unbalanced distribution has threatened the sustainable development of agriculture and regional food security. This study is aiming to investigate the spatial–temporal changes of matching characteristics between agricultural water and land resources in Ningxia during 2007 to 2017. The agricultural irrigation water (AIW), farmland area (FA) and effective irrigated area (EIA) were selected as quantity parameters for agricultural water and land resource. Results show that the gravity centers of AIW and EIA both moved in the southeast direction, while the gravity center of FA moved northwestward, which indicated a better spatial matching degree between AIW and EIA. According to the Gini coefficient and total spatial mismatch index, the spatial mismatch between AIW and FA of Ningxia was remedied and that of AIW and EIA was worse.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Antiarch Fish from the Upper Devonian Zhongning Formation of Ningxia, China
    Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Palaeoworld 19 (2010) 136–145 Research paper A new antiarch fish from the Upper Devonian Zhongning Formation of Ningxia, China Lian-Tao Jia ∗, Min Zhu, Wen-Jin Zhao Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi Zhi Men Wai Street, 142, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China Received 2 April 2009; received in revised form 8 December 2009; accepted 9 February 2010 Available online 17 February 2010 Abstract A new antiarch, Ningxialepis spinosa n. gen. n. sp., is described from the Zhongning Formation (Famennian, Late Devonian) of Shixiagou, Qingtongxia, Ningxia, northwestern China. It is characterized by the presence of X-shaped pit-lines, long obstantic margins, high dorsal median spine of the trunk armour formed from the anterior and posterior median dorsal plates, prominent dorsolateral and ventrolateral ridges of the trunk armour, and the anterior median dorsal plate partly overlapping the anterior dorsolateral plate. Ningxialepis is placed as the sister taxon to Jiangxilepis in the Family Jiangxilepidae from South China, based on a phylogenetic analysis of the Euantiarcha. The Jiangxilepidae is redefined. The close affinity between Ningxialepis and Jiangxilepis further corroborates the geographic proximity between the North China and South China blocks in the Late Devonian. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd and Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS. All rights reserved. Keywords: Antiarcha; Placodermi; Late Devonian; Phylogeny; Paleogeography 1. Introduction then, abundant fish fossils (mainly antiarchs and petalichthyids) were recovered from four main Devonian Sections in Ningixa, Pan et al. (1980) first reported Devonian vertebrates in i.e., the Shixiagou and Dadaigou sections of Qingtongxia, the Ningxia, and described two antiarchs (Bothriolepis niushousha- Shanghongya Section of Zhongning, and the Hongshiwan Sec- nensis and Remigolepis zhongningensis) from the Shixiagou tion of Zhongwei (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Shipwreck Evidence and the Maritime Circulation of Medicine Between Iran and China in the 9Th Through 14Th Centuries
    The Abode of Water: Shipwreck Evidence and the Maritime Circulation of Medicine Between Iran and China in the 9th Through 14th Centuries by Amanda Respess A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology and History) in the University of Michigan 2020 Doctoral Committee: Professor Kathryn Babayan, Chair Professor Miranda Brown Assistant Professor Jatin Dua Professor Carla Sinopoli, University of New Mexico Amanda Respess [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4616-701X © Amanda Respess 2020 DEDICATION “...for by reason we have comprehended the manufacture and use of ships, so that we have reached unto distant lands divided from us by the seas; by it we have achieved medicine with its many uses to the body.” - al-Rāzī, The Spiritual Physick of Rhazes, Of the Excellence and Praise of Reason “Whoever has emerged victorious participates to this day in the triumphal procession in which the present rulers step over those who are lying prostrate. According to traditional practice, the spoils are carried along in the procession. They are called cultural treasures, and a historical materialist views them with cautious detachment. For without exception the cultural treasures he surveys have an origin which he cannot contemplate without horror. They owe their existence not only to the efforts of the great minds and talents who have created them, but also to the anonymous toil of their contemporaries.” -Walter Benjamin, On the Concept of History For my family. For Khwāja ʻAlāʼ al-Dīn al-Iṣfahānī, whose gravestone in China gave the title to this work.
    [Show full text]
  • Ningxia Case Study
    Contents Chapter1 - General Situation of Ecological Environment and Economic Development in Ningxia 1.1 General Features of Ecological System ··············································· 6 1.2 General Features of Poverty ···························································· 13 1.3 Relation between Poverty and Ecological Environment ···························· 13 Chapter2 - Challenges of Poverty Reduction through Ecological Construction (PREC) in Ningxia 2.1 Frequent Droughts and Water Resource Deficiency ································· 18 2.2 Insufficient Integration of Environmental Factors and Low Function of Eco-system Service ······································································ 19 2.3 Increasing Conflicts between Eco-system Bearing Capacity and Economic-social Development ············································································ 20 2.4 Difficulties in Poverty Reduction through Ecological Construction ············· 21 Chapter3 - Important Measures Poverty Reduction through Ecological Construction and the Achievements in Ningxia 3.1 Optimizing Water Resource Arrangements and Upgrading Water Efficiency ···· 21 3.2 Optimizing the Arrangement of Man-power and Natural Resources ············ 22 3.3 Powerfully Pushing forward the Rehabilitation and Construction of the Beneficial Cycling System of Ecological Environment ········································ 26 3.4 Upgrading the Comprehensive Capacity of Agricultural Production ············ 29 3.5 Improving the Management of Resource ············································
    [Show full text]
  • Crustal Seismic Imaging of Northeast Tibet Using First and Later Phases Of
    Geophys. J. Int. (2019) 217, 405–421 doi: 10.1093/gji/ggz031 Advance Access publication 2019 January 16 GJI Seismology Crustal seismic imaging of Northeast Tibet using first and later phases of earthquakes and explosions Anhui Sun,1,2 Dapeng Zhao,3 Yuan Gao,1,2 Qinjian Tian1,2 and Ning Liu1,2 1Key Laboratory of Earthquake Prediction, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100036, China. E-mail: [email protected] 2Institute of Earthquake Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100036, China 3Department of Geophysics, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai 980–8578, Japan. E-mail: [email protected] Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/gji/article-abstract/217/1/405/5289872 by guest on 20 February 2019 Accepted 2019 January 15. Received 2019 January 12; in original form 2018 September 25 SUMMARY A new crustal 3-D P-wave velocity model beneath NE Tibet is determined by jointly in- verting 62 339 high-quality first P wave and later PmP-wave arrival-time data from local earthquakes and seismic explosions. Resolution tests show that the use of the PmP data can effectively improve the resolution of crustal tomography, especially that of the middle-lower crust. Widespread but intermittent low-velocity anomalies are revealed in the lower crust be- neath NE Tibet, and the Kunlun fault acts as a transfer structure. High-velocity zones are visible in most parts of the crust below the transition zones bordering the southwestern Ordos basin between 105◦ and 106◦ E longitude. We think that they form an important transpressive boundary to absorb sinistral strike-slip and thrust faulting deformation, like a western front- line of the Ordos basin, which is compatible with the latest GPS observations in the region.
    [Show full text]