Towards a comprehensive approach to parameter estimation in land surface parameterization schemes

In climate models, the land–atmosphere interactions are described numerically by land surface parameterization (LSP) schemes. The continuing improvement in realism in these schemes comes at the expense of the need to specify a large number of parameters that are either directly measured or estimated. Also, an emerging problem is whether the relationships used in LSPs are universal and globally applicable. One plausible approach to evaluate this is to first minimize uncertainty in model parameters by calibration. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of some model diagnostics using a slightly modified version of the Simple Biosphere 3 model for a variety of biomes located mainly in the Amazon. First, the degree of influence of each individual parameter in simulating surface fluxes is identified. Next, we estimate parameters using a multi‐operator genetic algorithm applied in a multi‐objective context and evaluate simulations of energy and carbon fluxes against observations. Compared with the default parameter sets, these parameter estimates improve the partitioning of energy fluxes in forest and cropland sites and provide better simulations of daytime increases in assimilation of net carbon during the dry season at forest sites. Finally, a detailed assessment of the parameter estimation problem was performed by accounting for the decomposition of the mean squared error to the total model uncertainty. Analysis of the total prediction uncertainty reveals that the parameter adjustments significantly improve reproduction of the mean and variability of the flux time series at all sites and generally remove seasonality of the errors but do not improve dynamical properties. Our results demonstrate that error decomposition provides a meaningful and intuitive way to understand differences in model performance. To make further advancements in the knowledge of these models, we encourage the LSP community to adopt similar approaches in the future. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of stress strain non-uniformities in the laboratory direct simple shear test specimens using 3D discrete element analysis

The direct simple shear (DSS) device is one of the commonly used laboratory element testing tools to characterize the shear behaviour of soil. The interpretation of results from an element test requires understanding of the degree of stress and strain non-uniformities in a given test specimen. So far, studies on stress and strain non-uniformities in the DSS test have been conducted using direct boundary measurements of stresses in laboratory specimens supported by a continuum based analytical approach. Discrete element modelling now provides a means of modelling the soil behaviour in a realistic manner using a particulate approach. Accordingly, the performance of a DSS specimen was modelled using discrete element modelling with emphasis on assessing stress and strain non-uniformities in the specimen during shearing. The approach allowed for the numerical determination of stresses not only at the boundaries, but also within the DSS specimen. It was shown that mobilised stress ratio distribution throughout the shearing phase for the majority of specimen volume at locations near the central planes parallel and perpendicular to the direction of shearing is fairly uniform. Finally, it was noted that the potential for particle slippage at locations near the specimen centre can result in non-uniform shear strain distributions.     

A non‐coaxial critical state soil model and its application to simple shear simulations

The yield vertex non‐coaxial theory is implemented into a critical state soil model, CASM (Int. J. Numer. Anal. Meth. Geomech. 1998; 22 :621–653) to investigate the non‐coaxial influences on the stress–strain simulations of real soil behaviour in the presence of principal stress rotations. The CASM is a unified clay and sand model, developed based on the soil critical state concept and the state parameter concept. Without loss of simplicity, it is capable of simulating the behaviour of sands and clays within a wide range of densities. The non‐coaxial CASM is employed to simulate the simple shear responses of Erksak sand and Weald clay under different densities and initial stress states. Dependence of the soil behaviour on the Lode angle and different plastic flow rules in the deviatoric plane are also considered in the study of non‐coaxial influences. All the predictions indicate that the use of the non‐coaxial model makes the orientations of the principal stress and the principal strain rate different during the early stage of shearing, and they approach the same ultimate values with an increase in loading. These ultimate orientations are dependent on the density of soils, and independent of their initial stress states. The use of the non‐coaxial model also softens the shear stress evolutions, compared with the coaxial model. It is also found that the ultimate shear strengths by using the coaxial and non‐coaxial models are dependent on the plastic flow rules in the deviatoric plane. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

AN ACCURATE MODEL FOR CALCULATING CORRECTION OF PATH FLEXURE OF SATELLITE SIGNALS

1　IntroductionTherefractionoflight electronicsignalpropa gatinginatmospherehasbeenstudiedbymanysci entistsandsomemodelofatmosphericrefractioncorreetionhaveheenestablished ,includingHopfieldSaastamoinen,DavisandMarinimodels[1 ] .Butthesemodelscanbeusedonlytocalculatethecorrec tionfortherefractionduetoatmosphericdensityvariation ,whilethecorrectionfortherefractionduetothesignalpathflexurecannotbecalculated .Hop fieldhasestimatedsignalpathflexureerrorbythemethodofraytracing[2 ] ,butastrictcorr…     

Effects of boundary conditions and partial drainage on cyclic simple shear test results—a numerical study

Owing to imperfect boundary conditions in laboratory soil tests and the possibility of water diffusion inside the soil specimen in undrained tests, the assumption of uniform stress/strain over the sample is not valid. This study presents a qualitative assessment of the effects of non‐uniformities in stresses and strains, as well as effects of water diffusion within the soil sample on the global results of undrained cyclic simple shear tests. The possible implications of those phenomena on the results of liquefaction strength assessment are also discussed. A state‐of‐the‐art finite element code for transient analysis of multi‐phase systems is used to compare results of the so‐called ‘element tests’ (numerical constitutive experiments assuming uniform stress/strain/pore pressure distribution throughout the sample) with results of actual simulations of undrained cyclic simple shear tests using a finite element mesh and realistic boundary conditions. The finite element simulations are performed under various conditions, covering the entire range of practical situations: (1) perfectly drained soil specimen with constant volume, (2) perfectly undrained specimen, and (3) undrained test with possibility of water diffusion within the sample. The results presented here are restricted to strain‐driven tests performed for a loose uniform fine sand with relative density D_r=40%. Effects of system compliance in undrained laboratory simple shear tests are not investigated here. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于拓扑构建的多边形区域间运算的新方法

提出了一种新的直观的方法进行多边形区域之间的运算.首先将需要计算的多边形区域的边进行自动拓扑构建,利用多边形区域的边将平面划分为n个小多边形区域;然后生成这些多边形区域的内点,通过判断小多边形区域的内点是否在原始多边形区域内来确定小多边形区域是否选取;最后合并选取的小多边形即为所求.试验结果表明,该方法思路清晰、鲁棒性强,在GIS中得到了有效的运用.     

多边形自动生成的一种改进算法

本文提出了一种多边形自动生成的改进算法,对不参与组成多边形的弧段和结点进行分类处理,在搜索多边形之前,排除悬挂结点、悬挂弧段、假悬挂结点和假悬挂弧段的干扰,在搜索多边形的过程中,为弧段建立搜索标志,并对桥进行判断和排除,较好地解决了问题,提高了自动生成多边形的效率。     

基于GIS的小流域土壤侵蚀与产沙的简化模拟

将泥沙输移能力公式与USLE公式相结合,建立了一个简化的分布式小流域产沙模型,并将其应用于川中丘陵区小流域的土壤侵蚀与泥沙输移的空间分布模拟。得到的主要结论:1.该模型适用于川中丘陵区小流域产沙的模拟;2.魏城河流域1980—1987年8 a平均土壤侵蚀量为16.8×104t,侵蚀模数为675.8 t/(km2.a),模拟得到的输沙模数为238.6 t/(km2.a),泥沙输移比为0.35;3.魏城河流域主要以微度侵蚀为主,占到全流域总面积的68%,强度侵蚀占流域面积的1%,主要分布在坡度较陡的流域边缘地带;4.相对其他因子,降雨与坡度对该流域侵蚀产沙的影响更为突出。     

Sensitivity of Nonlinearity on the ENSO Cycle in a Simple Air-sea Coupled Model

In this paper,the influence of the El NioSouthern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle on the sensitivity of nonlinear factors in the numerical simulation is investigated by conducting numerical experiments in a simple air-sea coupled model for ENSO prediction.Two sets of experiments are conducted in which zonal nonlinear factors,meridional nonlinear factors,or both are incorporated into the governing equations for the atmosphere or ocean.The results suggest that the ENSO cycle is very sensitive to the nonlinear factor of the governing equation for the atmosphere or ocean.Thus,incorporating nonlinearity into air-sea coupled models is of exclusive importance for improving ENSO simulation.     

GIS中矢量多边形网格化问题研究

在实际的GIS空间分析过程中,为了更加简便快捷的实现某些特定的空间分析功能,常常需要将不规则的矢量多边形区域转化为规则的格网区域。该文介绍了矢量多边形网格化的四类算法：中心点归属法、面积占优法、重要性法和面积内插法。其中面积内插法又可分为面积权重内插法、基于表面模型的面积内插法和基于统计模型的面积内插法。同时介绍了各类算法的实现思想,并比较了其优劣及应用范围,认为基于表面模型的面积内插法是一种比较理想且极具发展前景的矢量多边形网格化方法。