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T Larssen

Publications and source records attributed to T Larssen.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Climate variability and forecasting surface water recovery from acidification: modelling drought-induced sulphate release from wetlands.

Climate-induced drought events have been shown to have a significant influence on sulphate (SO(4)(2-)) export from forested catchments in central Ontario, subsequently delaying recovery of surface waters from acidification. Field and modelling studies have demonstrated that water table drawdown during drought periods promotes oxidation of previously stored (reduced) sulphur (S) compounds in wetlands, with subsequent efflux of SO(4)(2-) upon re-wetting. Although climate-induced changes in processes are generally not integrated into soil-acidification models, MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) includes a wetland compartment that incorporates redox processes driven by drought events. The potential confounding influence of climate-induced drought events on acidification recovery at Plastic Lake, south-central Ontario (under proposed future S emission reductions) was investigated using MAGIC and two climate scenarios: monthly precipitation and runoff based on long-term means (average-climate scenario), and variable precipitation and runoff based on the past 20 years of observed monthly data (variable-climate scenario). The variable-climate scenario included several periods of summer drought owing to lower than average rainfall and higher then average temperature. Nonetheless, long-term regional trends in precipitation and temperature suggest that the variable-climate scenario may be a conservative estimate of future climate. The average-climate scenario indicated good recovery potential with acid neutralising capacity (ANC) reaching approximately 40 micromol(c)L(-1) by 2020 and 50 micromol(c)L(-1) by 2080. In contrast, the forecasted recovery potential under the variable-climate scenario was very much reduced. By 2080, ANC was forecasted to increase to 2.6 micromol(c)L(-1) from -10.0 micromol(c)L(-1) in 2000. Elevated SO(4)(2-) efflux following drought events (introduced under the variable-climate scenario) has a dramatic impact on simulated future surface water chemistry. The results clearly demonstrate that prediction of future water quality, using models such as MAGIC, should take into account changes or variability in climate as well as acid deposition.

Acid Rain↗
PubMed2001

Nitrogen deposition and leaching from two forested catchments in Southwest China--preliminary data and research needs.

Increased nitrogen deposition has resulted in increased nitrogen pools and nitrogen leaching in European and North American forest soils. The development in Asia in general, and China in particular, suggests increased deposition of reduced nitrogen from changes in agricultural practices and of oxidized nitrogen from rapid growth of the transportation sector. Decreased nitrogen retention in forested areas in the future may cause increased NO3- leaching and, thus, acidification and eutrophication in surface waters. The differences in climate, ecosystems, land use, and deposition history make direct application of knowledge from studies in Europe and North America difficult. In Southwest China the potential for nitrogen mobilization from forest soils may be high because of the warm and humid climate, resulting in high decomposition rates of soil organic matter. However, there are very few data available for quantifying the suspected potential for increased nitrogen leaching in forest ecosystems. Here we present data from two forested catchments, dominated by Masson pine (Pinus massoniana), near Guiyang and Chongqing, respectively, in Southwest China. The present nitrogen deposition is moderate, estimated in the range from 10 to 40 kg N ha(-1) year(-1). The C/N ratios of the soils are generally below 15. Nitrate concentrations in soil water are rather variable in space, with highest values of several hundred microequivalents per liter. The turnover rate of nitrogen in the forest ecosystem is quite high compared to the atmospheric deposition rate. At present, nitrate runoff from the catchments is low and intermediate in Guiyang and Chongqing, respectively. More research is needed to improve our ability to predict future nitrogen leaching from subtropical Asian coniferous forests.

Carbon↗
PubMed2000

Evaluation of different approaches for modeling effects of acid rain on soils in China.

Acid deposition is an environmental problem of increasing concern in China. Acidic soils are common in the southern part of the country and soil acidification caused by acid deposition is expected to occur. Here we test and apply two different approaches for modeling effects of acid deposition and compare results with observed data from sites throughout southern China. The dynamic model MAGIC indicates that, during the last few decades, soil acidification rates have increased considerably due to acid deposition. This acidification will continue if sulfur deposition is not reduced, and if reduced more rapidly than base cation deposition. With the Steady State Mass Balance model (SSMB), and assuming that a molar ratio of Ca2+/Al3+ < 1 in soil water is harmful to vegetation, we estimate a slight probability for exceedance of the critical load for present deposition rates. Results from both modeling approaches show a strong dependence with deposition of base cations as well as sulfur. Hence, according to the models, changes in emission control of alkaline particulate matter prior to sulfur dioxide will be detrimental to the environment. Model calculations are, however, uncertain, particularly because available data on base cation deposition fluxes are scarce, and that model formulation of aluminum chemistry does not fully reproduce observations. An effort should be made to improve our present knowledge regarding deposition fluxes. Improvements to the model are suggested. Our work indicates that the critical loads presented in the regional acid deposition assessment model RAINS-Asia are too stringent. We find weaknesses in the SSMB approach, developed for northern European conditions, when applying it to Chinese conditions. We suggest an improved effort to revise the risk parameters for use in critical load estimates in China.

Acid Rain↗
PubMed2000

Acid rain and acidification in China: the importance of base cation deposition.

Acid deposition has been recognized as a serious environmental problem in China. Most acid deposition studies have focused on sulfur deposition and the pH of precipitation. However, as high concentration of alkaline dust is an important feature of the atmosphere in large parts of China, base cation deposition must be taken into account when discussing possible effects on soils and vegetation from acid deposition. We estimate the deposition of sulfur as well as calcium, i.e. the dominating anion and cation, on a regional scale in China using data both from measurements and modeling. The ratio of sulfur/calcium in deposition is then used as an indicator for identifying areas where deposition acidity exceeds alkalinity, and where soils may be at risk to acidification. The dynamic soil acidification model MAGIC is applied with data from two sites receiving high deposition loads in southwest China. The model predictions indicate that considerable soil acidification has been going on for the last decades due to acid deposition inputs. Effects on the spatial distribution of acidic deposition in China, using different future deposition scenarios, are illustrated. As the size of the anthropogenic fraction of the base cation deposition is unknown, different possible future trends in calcium deposition were used. Soil response, according to the model, using different combinations of sulfur and calcium deposition scenarios is shown. Applying the most strict measures to reduce sulfur emission will almost eliminate the acid deposition problem; however, such a scenario is not economically feasible in the short term. A strict, but possibly realistic, future scenario for sulfur may be enough to keep the situation at the present level, assuming only moderate reductions in calcium deposition. With large decreases in base cation deposition, increased soil acidification can be expected even with considerable sulfur emission reductions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1983

Reproducibility and observer variation at computed tomography and ultrasound of the normal pancreas.

In order to evaluate the reproducibility of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US), 13 patients with a normal pancreas were examined twice with the two techniques by the same observers. The results of the measurements of the pancreas were reproducible using both CT and US. In estimating the intraobserver variation at CT in 20 patients, the location and spread of the measurements of the diameters of the pancreatic head were reproducible, but the diameters of the pancreatic body and tail were significantly larger at the second observation. Further, the differences in the measurements of the size and dispersion of the pancreatic diameters at CT between two observers were significant, apart from the diameter of the pancreatic tail, where no significant difference was noted. The differences between two observers were greater than for the same. Using US, the results may indicate that the measurements were even less reproducible than using CT, both for the same observer and between two observers. However, all the measured diameters within the 95 per cent confidence intervals, were within the normal range. Consequently, even if most measurements differed significantly, these differences may probably not lead to any false conclusions concerning the limits of the normal size of the pancreas.

Diagnostic Errors↗