The nature of the L chondrite parent body's disruption as deduced from high-pressure phases in the Sixiangkou L6 chondrite

The disruption of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB) at ~470 Ma is currently the best-documented catastrophic celestial impact event, based on the large number of L chondritic materials associated with this event. Uranium-lead (U-Pb) dating of apatite and its high-pressure decomposition product, tuite, in the Sixiangkou L6 chondrite provides a temporal link to this event. The U-Pb system of phosphates adjacent to shock melt veins was altered to varying degrees and the discordance of the U-Pb system correlates closely with the extent of apatite decomposition. This suggests that the U-Pb system of apatite could be substantially disturbed by high-temperature pulse during shock compression from natural impacts, at least on the scale of mineral grains. Although many L chondrites can be temporally related to the catastrophic LCPB impact event, the shock conditions experienced by each individual meteorite vary. This could be due to the different geologic settings of these meteorites on their parent body. The shock pressure and duration derived from most meteorites may only reflect local shock features rather than the impact conditions, although they could provide lower limits to the impact conditions. The Sixiangkou shock duration (~4 s), estimated from high-pressure transformation kinetics, provides a lower limit to the high-pressure pulse of the LCPB disruption impact. Combined with available literature data of L chondrites associated with this impact event, our results suggest that the LCPB suffered a catastrophic collision with a large projectile (with a diameter of at least 18–22 km) at a low impact velocity (5–6 km s⁻¹). This is consistent with astronomical estimates based on the dynamical evolution of L chondritic asteroids.     

Static bay beach concept for scientists and engineers: A review

Headland-bay beach (HBB) is one of the most prominent physiographic features on the oceanic margin of many countries in the world. Under the influence of a predominant swell, its curved periphery in natural environment may reach static equilibrium and remains stable without sediment supply from updrift and/or a riverain source within its own embayment. Coastal scientists and engineers have attempted to develop mathematical expressions to quantify this ideal bay shape since the 1940s. As the scenario with depleting sediment supply has become a common reality on many parts of the world coastline in more recent time, some coastal engineers have advocated a rational approach to mimicking the static bay shape found in nature in order to mitigate beach erosion as well as for coastal management. Nowadays, many useful applications have emerged since the publication of the parabolic bay shape equation (PBSE) developed for static equilibrium planform (SEP) in late 1980s. The advance in modern computer technologies and international collaboration has further facilitated the exchange of knowledge and applications of this static bay beach concept (SBBC).     

Development and validation of a finite element morphological model for shallow water basins

Recognising the importance of understanding sediment dynamics to evaluate the status of a coastal lagoon environment, this work has been focused on the investigation of the hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes occurring in such basins. In order to describe the lagoon system, a modelling approach combining hydrodynamics, waves and sediment dynamics has been developed. The framework of the numerical model consists of a finite element hydrodynamic model, a third generation finite element spectral wave model and a sediment transport and morphodynamic model for both cohesive and non-cohesive sediments. The model adopts the finite element technique for spatial integration, which has the advantage to describe more accurately complicated bathymetry and irregular boundaries for shallow water areas. The developed model has been applied to test cases and to a very shallow tidal lagoon, the Venice Lagoon, Italy. Numerical results show good agreement with water level, waves and turbidity measurements collected in several monitoring stations inside the Lagoon of Venice. Such a model represents an indispensable tool in analysing coastal problems and assessing morphological impacts of human interference.     

Direct numerical simulations of flow over two-dimensional and three-dimensional ripples and implication to sediment transport: Steady flow

A well resolved and highly accurate direct numerical simulation (DNS) solver has been developed to understand the implication of hydrodynamics to sediment transport. In the first part of the study we focus on steady flow over two-dimensional and three-dimensional ripples at two Reynolds numbers Re_τ = 180 and 400 (defined by channel half-height and wall-friction velocity) in a channel geometry. The DNS scheme is based on a fourth-order vertical velocity and second-order vertical vorticity formulation, which resolves the difficulties in pressure boundary condition encountered when solving the Navier–Stokes equations. The complex boundary introduced due to the ripples has been imposed in the Cartesian domain using an elegant immersed boundary method. Detailed hydrodynamic analysis has revealed turbulence statistics (in particular, the higher order) and henceforth, the flow structures are sensitive — whether the ripples are two-dimensional or three-dimensional. The importance of fluctuating component of the bottom stress in addition to its mean component; and its significance to sediment transport and ripple migration speed have been investigated.     

面波频散反演的数值模拟

大量的数值模拟表明,SVD和LSQRD在面波频散网格反演两步法中的应用效果都很好.但SVD可以用分辨矩阵、信息矩阵和协方差矩阵对解估计进行数学上客观有效的评价;而对于大型稀疏方程组的求解,LSQRD确是一种内存需求小、计算速度快以及分辨抗噪能力都较强的算法 .在现有计算机运算速度较快、内存可以扩充较大的条件下,实测数据量不很大时,应采用SVD算法进行线性反演.     

Effects of atmosphere-ocean interaction on the interannual variability of winter temperature in Taiwan and East Asia

 This study investigated the ocean-atmosphere interaction effect on the winter surface air temperature in Taiwan. Temperature fluctuations in Taiwan and marine East Asia correlated better with a SST dipole in the western North Pacific than the SST in the central/eastern equatorial Pacific. During the warm (cold) winters, a positive (negative) SST anomaly appears in marine East Asia and a negative (positive) SST anomaly appears in the Philippine Sea. The corresponding low-level atmospheric circulation is a cyclonic (anticyclonic) anomaly over the East Asian continent and an anticyclonic (cyclonic) circulation in the Philippine Sea during the warm (cold) winters. Based on the results of both numerical and empirical studies, it is proposed that a vigorous ocean-atmosphere interaction occurring in the western North Pacific modulates the strength of the East Asian winter monsoon and the winter temperature in marine East Asia. The mechanism is described as follows. The near-surface circulation anomalies, which are forced by the local SST anomaly, strengthen (weaken) the northeasterly trade winds in the Philippine Sea and weaken (strengthen) the northeasterly winter monsoon in East Asia during warm (cold) winters. The anomalous circulation causes the SST to fluctuate by modulating the heat flux at the ocean surface. The SST anomaly in turn enhances the anomalous circulation. Such an ocean-atmosphere interaction results in the rapid development of the anomalous circulation in the western North Pacific and the anomalous winter temperature in marine East Asia. This interaction is phase-locked with the seasonal cycle and occurs most efficiently in the boreal winters. Received: 22 October 1999 / Accepted: 5 June 2000     

Precise tidal gravity recorded with superconducting gravimeters at stations Wuhan (China) and Kyoto (Japan)

 Three long series of tidal gravity observations, totalizing approximately 24 years and recorded with three superconducting gravimeters, T004, T008, and T009, at stations Wuhan (China) and Kyoto (Japan), are studied. The tidal amplitude factors and phase differences are determined precisely using Eterna and Nsv techniques. The precision of the main tidal amplitudes is at the same level of 0.01 μGal. The atmospheric gravity signals are corrected using the coefficients determined with a regression method between tidal gravity residual and station air pressure. The oceanic gravity signals are modeled based on five global oceanic models. It is found that the oceanic models developed by the analysis of measurements from Topex/Poseidon altimeters have the best fit to the superconducting gravimeter measurements, since the observed residuals and the discrepancies between the amplitude factors and the theoretical tidal models are reduced more significantly. The long-period gravity variations are dominated by the non-linear drift phenomena of the instruments, and the short-term variations in gravity are due to the background noise at the stations. Received: 20 January 2000 / Accepted: 15 September 2000     

The influence of upstream slope on the local scour at drop structure

The drop structure will fail as a result of local scoring downstream. This paper discusses the influence of a drop structures’ upstream slope to local scour. Empirical equations of the scour hole were developed by laboratory experiment, theoretical assumptions, and regression analysis. These equations include the maximum scour depth and length during the scouring period, the maximum equilibrium scour depth and length, and the unit width scour rate. The four channel slopes (0%, 2%, 4%, and 6%) before the drop structure has been included in the analysis. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to obtain 48 groups of experiments and 419 scour hole profiles during the scouring period. The material used in the scour section is uniform non-cohesive and with a median diameter of d ₅₀ = 0.5 mm. The results have been used to develop empirical equations via regression analysis to determine the coefficients of theoretical equations. The high correlation coefficient indicates that the equations developed in this study are suitable for verifying the characteristics of a scour hole at drop structure in the sloped channel. The semi-empirical equation is more accurate than the empirical equation. Compared to a horizontal channel, a sloped channel tends to cause a greater equilibrium maximum scour length, shorter equilibrium maximum scour depth, and faster unit-wide scour rate.