Improved Priority‐Flood method for depression filling by redundant calculation optimization in local micro‐relief areas

Depression filling is a critical step in distributed hydrological modeling using digital elevation models (DEMs). The traditional Priority‐Flood (PF) approach is widely used due to its relatively high efficiency when dealing with a small‐sized DEM. However, it seems inadequate and inefficient when dealing with large high‐resolution DEMs. In this work, we examined the relationship between the PF algorithm calculation process and the topographical characteristics of depressions, and found significant redundant calculations in the local micro‐relief areas in the conventional PF algorithm. As such calculations require more time when dealing with large DEMs, we thus propose a new variant of the PF algorithm, wherein redundant points and calculations are recognized and eliminated based on the local micro‐relief water‐flow characteristics of the depression‐filling process. In addition, depressions and flatlands were optimally processed by a quick queue to improve the efficiency of the process. The proposed method was applied and validated in eight case areas using the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model (SRTM‐DEM) with 1 arc‐second resolution. These selected areas have different data sizes. A comparative analysis among the proposed method, the Wang and Liu‐based PF, the improved Barnes‐based PF, the improved Zhou‐based PF, and the Planchon and Darboux (P&D) algorithms was conducted to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. The results showed that the proposed algorithm is 43.2% (maximum) faster than Wang and Liu's variant of the PF method, with an average of 31.8%. In addition, the proposed algorithm achieved similar performance to the improved Zhou‐based PF algorithm, though our algorithm has the advantage of being simpler. The optimal strategies using the proposed algorithm can be employed in various landforms with high efficiency. The proposed method can also achieve good depression filling, even with large amounts of DEM data.     

Dependence of Tropical Cyclone Intensification on the Latitude under Vertical Shear

The sensitivity of tropical cyclone (TC) intensification to the ambient rotation effect under vertical shear is investigated. The results show that the vortices develop more rapidly with intermediate planetary vorticity, which suggests an optimal latitude for the TC development in the presence of vertical shear. This is different from the previous studies in which no mean flow is considered. It is found that the ambient rotation has two main effects. On the one hand, the boundary layer imbalance is largely controlled by the Coriolis parameter. For TCs at lower latitudes, due to the weaker inertial instability, the boundary inflow is promptly established, which results in a stronger moisture convergence and thus greater diabatic heating in the inner core region. On the other hand, the Coriolis parameter modulates the vertical realignment of the vortex with a higher Coriolis parameter, favoring a quicker vertical realignment and thus a greater potential for TC development. The combination of these two effects results in an optimal latitude for TC intensification in the presence of a vertical shear investigated.     

A Climate Prediction Method Based on EMD and Ensemble Prediction Technique

Observed climate data are processed under the assumption that their time series are stationary, as in multi-step temperature and precipitation prediction, which usually leads to low prediction accuracy. If a climate system model is based on a single prediction model, the prediction results contain significant uncertainty. In order to overcome this drawback, this study uses a method that integrates ensemble prediction and a stepwise regression model based on a mean-valued generation function. In addition, it utilizes empirical mode decomposition (EMD), which is a new method of handling time series. First, a non-stationary time series is decomposed into a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), which are stationary and multi-scale. Then, a different prediction model is constructed for each component of the IMF using numerical ensemble prediction combined with stepwise regression analysis. Finally, the results are fit to a linear regression model, and a short-term climate prediction system is established using the Visual Studio development platform. The model is validated using temperature data from February 1957 to 2005 from 88 weather stations in Guangxi, China. The results show that compared to single-model prediction methods, the EMD and ensemble prediction model is more effective for forecasting climate change and abrupt climate shifts when using historical data for multi-step prediction.     

Measuring place-based accessibility under travel time uncertainty

Travel time uncertainty has significant impacts on individual activity-travel scheduling, but at present these impacts have not been considered in most accessibility studies. In this paper, an accessibility evaluation framework is proposed for urban areas with uncertain travel times. A reliable space-time service region (RSTR) model is introduced to represent the space-time service region of a facility under travel time uncertainty. Based on the RSTR model, four reliable place-based accessibility measures are proposed to evaluate accessibility to urban services by incorporating the effects of travel time reliability. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework, a case study using large-scale taxi tracking data is carried out. The results of the case study indicate that the proposed accessibility measures can evaluate large-scale place-based accessibility well in urban areas with uncertain travel times. Conventional place-based accessibility indicators ignoring travel time reliability can significantly overestimate the accessibility to urban services.     

三角褐指藻与抑食金球藻的竞争及化感作用研究

为探明三角褐指藻（Phaeodactylum tricornutum）对抑食金球藻（Aureococcus anophagefferens）是否具有化感作用,本研究以三角褐指藻和抑食金球藻为实验材料,研究了抑食金球藻在单培养和共培养条件下的生长情况及三角褐指藻培养滤液对其生长和叶绿素荧光参数的影响。结果表明:三角褐指藻对抑食金球藻有明显的化感抑制作用。在单培养体系中,抑食金球藻的生长曲线可用逻辑斯谛增长模型拟合,随着起始密度的增加,环境容量（K）逐渐减小,而抑食金球藻的种群瞬间增长率（r）、进入拐点时间及稳定期细胞密度均较为接近;当三角褐指藻与抑食金球藻以不同起始密度比共同培养时,抑食金球藻的生长均受到了显著地抑制（P<0.05）,但其抑制作用并未与三角褐指藻的密度呈明显的线性关系;滤液培养实验发现,10 mL和15 mL三角褐指藻培养滤液的加入可对抑食金球藻的生长产生显著影响（P<0.05）,对其叶绿素荧光参数没有影响（P>0.05）,25 mL和35 mL三角褐指藻培养滤液的加入可对抑食金球藻的生长和叶绿素荧光参数均产生显著的抑制作用（P<0.05）,叶绿素荧光参数F_v/F_m、ΦPSⅡ、alpha的值降低,Ik的值增加,PSⅡ受到损害。     

陇中黄土高原土壤水分变化特征及其机理分析

基于兰州大学半干旱气候与环境观测站（SACOL）2010年全年的观测资料,对陇中黄土高原半干旱区土壤水分的年变化和日变化特征进行了研究,并通过计算水汽通量与蒸散量,探讨了土壤-地表-大气间水分的交换和运移机理。结果表明：土壤湿度的季节变化主要受降水影响,各季节的平均土壤湿度均呈现出表层和深层低、中间层高的特点,最高值出现在地下10 cm附近;在无降水的情况下,土壤5~20 cm处的含水量呈现出夜间逐渐降低、白天逐渐上升的波形变化,这种变化与土壤水汽通量具有很好的一致性,而水汽通量的方向则受温度梯度的影响;在白天,地表温度高于气温与较深层地温,水汽在向空气蒸散的同时也由地表流向土壤深部,夜晚地表温度则低于较深层地温,水汽由土壤深部流向地表。因此土壤内部的水分蒸发主要出现在夜晚,且主要发生在地表40 cm以内的土壤孔隙中,而白天地表的实际蒸发主要存在土壤浅层0~5 cm,5 cm以下土壤水分的蒸发十分微弱。本研究结果对于改进半干旱区陆面计算模式以及当地的生态环境建设具有一定的参考价值。     

地铁隧道地震反应非线性分析

本文对动力有限元法中的一系列问题进行了讨论,对土体动力本构模型和土-结构接触面模型的设定提出了建议．在此基础上以天津地铁1、2号线工程为实例,分别对水平地震作用下圆形盾构隧道的动位移、动应力与动应变以及地表位移等动力反应进行了非线性分析,得出了一些有益的规律和结论,从而为地铁隧道的抗震设计与研究提供参考和依据。     

Spectral lag of gamma‐ray bursts caused by the intrinsic spectral evolution and the curvature effect

Assuming an intrinsic ‘Band’ shape spectrum and an intrinsic energy‐independent emission profile we have investigated the connection between the evolution of the rest‐frame spectral parameters and the spectral lags measured in gamma‐ray burst (GRB) pulses by using a pulse model. We first focus our attention on the evolution of the peak energy, E_0,p, and neglect the effect of the curvature effect. It is found that the evolution of E_0,p alone can produce the observed lags. When E_0,p varies from hard to soft only the positive lags can be observed. The negative lags would occur in the case of E_0,p varying from soft to hard. When the evolution of E_0,p and the low‐energy spectral index α₀ varying from soft to hard then to soft we can find the aforesaid two sorts of lags. We then examine the combined case of the spectral evolution and the curvature effect of fireball and find the observed spectral lags would increase. A sample including 15 single pulses whose spectral evolution follows hard to soft has been investigated. All the lags of these pulses are positive, which is in good agreement with our theoretical predictions. Our analysis shows that only the intrinsic spectral evolution can produce the spectral lags and the observed lags should be contributed by the intrinsic spectral evolution and the curvature effect. But it is still unclear what cause the spectral evolution (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Experimental investigation of spatially varying effect of ground motions on bridge pounding

Pounding between adjacent bridge structures with insufficient separation distance has been identified as one of the primary causes of damage in many major earthquakes. It takes place because the closing relative movement is larger than the structural gap provided between the structures. This relative structural response is controlled not only by the dynamic properties of the participating structures but also by the characteristics of the ground excitations. The consequence of the spatial variation of ground motions has been studied by researchers; however, most of these studies were performed numerically. The objective of the present research is to experimentally evaluate the influence of spatial variation of ground motions on the pounding behaviour of three adjacent bridge segments. The investigation is performed using three shake tables. The input spatially varying ground excitations are simulated based on the New Zealand design spectra for soft soil, shallow soil and strong rock using an empirical coherency loss function. Results confirm that the spatially nonniform ground motions increase the relative displacement of adjacent bridge girders and pounding forces. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Screening of Emerging Volatile Organic Contaminants in Shallow Groundwater in East China

In order to collect baseline information on the environmental occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater in East China, shallow groundwater samples were collected from five alluvial plains in East China in 2008 to 2009. All samples were analyzed for 54 VOCs representing a wide variety of uses and origins. Sampling sites were mainly selected in the areas to be susceptible to contamination from human activities in terms of previous hydrogeological survey. The data of all samples showed a variety of different hydrogeological systems with potential sources of VOCs, with 36 of the 54 VOCs being found. The most frequently detected compounds include naphthalene (56.9%), chloroform (16.9%), 1,2‐dichloroethane (16.2%), 1,2‐dichloropropane (13.1%), and 1,2,3‐trichlorobenzene (12.3%). The concentrations of methylene chloride, 1,2‐dichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethene, 1,2‐dichloropropane, and tetrachloroethene exceeded the relating drinking water standards. Future work will be needed to identify those factors that are most important in determining the occurrence and concentrations of VOCs in groundwater in China.