ARMA order model detection using minimum of Kurtosis: application on seismic data

The objective of this study is to find the order and coefficients of non-low-phase causal filters for ARMA (auto regressive moving average) filter model, using the Kurtosis minimization criterion. This method is based on the Kurtosis calculation of the treated sample at the input level and its identification at the output of the ARMA model. For this purpose, the order and coefficients of the AR (auto regressive) part are identified using the Yule-Walker algorithm at order two and then extended to order four. To obtain the MA (moving average) part, the AR components are calculated at first from the ARMA filter by deconvolution. Then, spectrally equivalent and minimum phase (SEMP) MA filter is identified using the Durbin algorithm at second and fourth order. Finally, the correct filter is found when the Kurtosis value of the output ARMA filter reconstituted is the closest to the Kurtosis of introduced signal. The proposed method is then tested on simulated processes and applied to real seismic data to perform blind deconvolution and obtain the reflectivity coefficients of subsoil studied.     

Modeling undertow due to random waves

A numerical model of undertow due to random waves is developed. The model includes three sub-models: (i) a model for multi-directional and multi-frequency random wave transformation, (ii) a surface roller evolution model, and (iii) a model for calculating the vertical distribution and the mean value of the undertow velocity. The calculation of wave trough level is performed based on a theory for the wave asymmetry. The model was successfully validated against small- and large-scale laboratory experiments. Thus, the model is expected to provide reliable input for the modeling of sediment transport and morphological change due to waves and currents.     

Wave forces on, and water-surface fluctuations around a vertical cylinder encircled by a perforated square caisson

The wave forces and moments on and the water surface fluctuations around a vertical circular cylinder encircled by a perforated square caisson were experimentally investigated. The porosity of the outer square caisson was varied from 4.24 to 14.58%. The in-line wave forces on the inner vertical cylinder are influenced by changing the porosity of the outer caisson, whereas the variations in the water surface fluctuations are less influenced in this porosity range. The in-line moment on the vertical cylinder is relatively less sensitive when the porosity is increased from 4.24 to 8.75%, but varies substantially when it is increased from 8.75 to 14.58%. The force and moment ratio (i.e. the ratio of the force or moment on the vertical cylinder, when it is encircled by the perforated caisson to the force or moment on the cylinder without any protection around it) reduces with increased wave height, H, and wave length, L, whereas the wave height ratio (ratio of the wave height at a point in the vicinity of the structure to the incident wave height) is less sensitive for the varying H and L. A new non-dimensional parameter, p^1.5 (D/L)/(H/d), is introduced to predict the in-line force and moment on the inner vertical cylinder, where d is local water depth, D is the diameter of the inner cylinder and p is the porosity of the outer caisson in percentage. Simple predictive equations for forces, moments and water surface fluctuations are provided.     

Processes affecting the hydraulic stability of coastal revetments made of geotextile sand containers

Softer and flexible protection alternatives, such as structures made of geotextile sand containers (GSC) are often used instead of hard coastal structures made of concrete or rubble material.     

Core made of geotextile sand containers for rubble mound breakwaters and seawalls: Effect on armour stability and hydraulic performance

A systematic armour stability and the hydraulic performance, including wave reflection, wave transmission, experimental study in the twin-wave flumes of Leichtweiss-Institute (LWI) is performed on a geocore breakwater and a conventional rubble mound breakwater in order to comparatively determine the wave run-up and wave overtopping. The geocore breakwater consists of a core made of sand-filled geotextile containers (GSC) covered by an armour made of rock. The geocore is more than an order of magnitude less permeable than the quarry run core of a conventional breakwater. As expected, the core permeability substantially affects the armour stability on the seaside slope, the wave transmission and the wave overtopping performance. Surprisingly, however, wave reflection and hydraulic stability of the rear slope are less affected. Formulae for the armour stability and hydraulic performance of the geocore breakwater are proposed, including wave reflection, transmission, run-up and overtopping.     

Estimating potential evapotranspiration without continuous daily data: possible errors and impact on water balance simulations

Abstract

Alternative approaches to estimating monthly and annual potential evapotranspiration (PE) are explored in cases where daily climate data are not routinely recorded. A database consisting of data from 222 weather stations, representing a wide variety of climatic conditions, is used to draw general conclusions. In addition, two PE formulae with different data requirements are used: the standard FAO-56 Penman-Monteith equation, and a simple temperature-based equation. First, we tested the degree of bias introduced by using climate data averaged over long time periods instead of daily data. Second, we explored the sensitivity of PE estimation with respect to variations in sampling frequency of climate variables. The results show that using mean weather data has only a limited effect on monthly and annual PE estimates. Conversely, imperfect sampling of weather data may bias monthly and to a lesser extent annual PE estimates if the sampling period exceeds 5 and 10 days, respectively. Finally, we tested the impact of erroneous weather data on the simulations of annual actual evapotranspiration obtained with the Budyko model. The impact on the Budyko model outputs depends more on the dryness index of a given location than on annual PE; for regions under water stress, the errors in estimation of actual evapotranspiration are very limited, compared to humid regions where available energy is the dominating factor and the propagation of PE errors is important.

Citation Oudin, L., Moulin, L., Bendjoudi, H. & Ribstein, P. (2010) Estimating potential evapotranspiration without continuous daily data: possible errors and impact on water balance simulations. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(2), 209–222.     

Hydrogeological modeling constraints provided by geophysical and geochemical mapping of a chlorinated ethenes plume in northern France

A methodological approach is described which combines geophysical and geochemical data to delineate the extent of a chlorinated ethenes plume in northern France; the methodology was used to calibrate a hydrogeological model of the contaminants’ migration and degradation. The existence of strong reducing conditions in some parts of the aquifer is first determined by measuring in situ the redox potential and dissolved oxygen, dissolved ferrous iron and chloride concentrations. Electrical resistivity imaging and electromagnetic mapping, using the Slingram method, are then used to determine the shape of the pollutant plume. A decreasing empirical exponential relation between measured chloride concentrations in the water and aquifer electrical resistivity is observed; the resistivity formation factor calculated at a few points also shows a major contribution of chloride concentration in the resistivity of the saturated porous medium. MODFLOW software and MT3D99 first-order parent–daughter chain reaction and the RT3D aerobic–anaerobic model for tetrachloroethene (PCE)/trichloroethene (TCE) dechlorination are finally used for a first attempt at modeling the degradation of the chlorinated ethenes. After calibration, the distribution of the chlorinated ethenes and their degradation products simulated with the model approximately reflects the mean measured values in the observation wells, confirming the data-derived image of the plume.     

Modeling sea dike breaching induced by breaking wave impact-laboratory experiments and computational model

Sea dikes are of crucial importance for the defense systems of low-lying coastal areas in countries such as Germany, The Netherlands, Denmark, etc. As sea dike breaching induced by storm surges is regarded as one of the main causes of coastal flood disasters, reliable predictions of both the breach initiation, formation and breach development is urgently needed. Although a simple preliminary model for the simulation of sea dike breaching initiated from the seaside was developed (Stanczak et al., 2006), its limitations showed the necessity for further research and for the development of a more detailed model. This paper therefore provides a summary of the results of laboratory experiments on the erosion of grass and clay revetment of a sea dike induced by breaking wave impact and describes the new detailed computational model, including an uncertainty analysis.     

A numerical model of wave overtopping on seadikes

This paper describes the development of a numerical model for wave overtopping on seadikes. The model is based on the flux-conservative form of the nonlinear shallow water equations (NLSW) solved with a high order total variation diminishing (TVD), Roe-type scheme. The goal is to reliably predict the hydrodynamics of wave overtopping on the dike crest and along the inner slope, necessary for the breach modelling of seadikes. Besides the mean overtopping rate, the capability of simulating individual overtopping events is also required. It is shown theoretically that the effect of wave breaking through the drastic motion of surface rollers in the surfzone is not sufficiently described by the conventional nonlinear shallow water equations, neglecting wave setup from the mean water level and thus markedly reducing the model predictive capacity for wave overtopping. This is significantly improved by including an additional source term associated with the roller energy dissipation in the depth-averaged momentum equation. The developed model has been validated against four existing laboratory datasets of wave overtopping on dikes. The first two sets are to validate the roller term performance in improving the model prediction of wave overtopping of breaking waves. The last two sets are to test the model performance under more complex but realistic hydraulic and slope geometric conditions. The results confirm the merit of the supplemented roller term and also demonstrate that the model is robust and reliable for the prediction of wave overtopping on seadikes.