Budget of Plant Litter and Litter Carbon in the Subalpine Forest Streams

Investigations on the budget of plant litter and litter carbon in forest streams can provide a key scientific basis for understanding the biogeochemical linkages of terrestrial–aquatic ecosystems and managing forest catchments. To understand the biogeochemical linkages among mountain forests, riparian vegetation, and aquatic ecosystems, the changes in litter input and output from the subalpine streams with stream characteristics and critical periods were investigated in an ecologically important subalpine coniferous forest catchment in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The annual litter input to the stream was 20.14 g m−2 and ranged from 2.47 to 103.13 g m−2 for 15 streams during the one-year investigation. Simultaneously, the litter carbon input to the stream was 8.61 mg m−2 and ranged from 0.11 to 40.57 mg m−2. Meanwhile, the annual litter output varied from 0.02 to 22.30 g m−2, and the average value was 0.56 g m−2. Correspondingly, the litter carbon output varied from 0.01 to 1.51 mg m−2, and the average value was 0.16 mg m−2. Furthermore, the average ratio of litter carbon input to output was 270.01. The maximum and minimum values were observed in the late growing season and the snowmelt season, respectively. Additionally, seasonal variations in temperature, together with the stream length, dominated the input of litter and litter carbon to the stream, while the precipitation, temperature, water level, and sediment depth largely determined their output. Briefly, the seasonal dynamics of litter and litter carbon were dominated by stream characteristics and precipitation as well as temperature patterns.

Numerical Study on Powder Stream Characteristics of Coaxial Laser Metal Deposition Nozzle

A 3D model was established to accurately simulate the internal and external powder stream characteristics of the coaxial discrete three-beam nozzle for laser metal deposition. A k-ε turbulence model was applied in the gas flow phase, and powder flow was coupled to the gas flow by a Euler-Lagrange approach as a discrete phase model. The simulated powder stream morphology was in good agreement with the experimental results of CCD and high-speed camera imaging. The simulation results showed that the length, diameter and shrinkage angle of the powder passage in the nozzle have different effects on the velocity and convergence characteristics of the powder stream. The influence of different particle size distribution and the inner laser shielding gas on the powder stream were also discussed in this study. By analyzing the powder stream caused by different incident directions of powder passage, and the collision process between powder and the inner wall, the basic principle of controlling powder stream convergence was obtained.

The floods in Greece: the case of Mandra in Attica

Floods are one of the most common natural disasters and are extremely dangerous in a global range since they can cause extensive damage to properties or losses in human lives. According to the opinion of many expert scientists, climate change has led to the increase of flooding phenomena over the last years worldwide, as well as in Greece. The aim of this paper is to examine the flooding event that occurred in Mandra area, Attica (Greece) on 14-15 November of 2017. The peak discharge of the Agia Ekaterini and Soures streams was calculated using the rational method (Giandotti) for return periods equal to 10, 100 and 1000 years. The stream characteristics were studied and their behavior during the flood was investigated. Many of the impacts were attributed to the human intervention in the streambeds.