Understanding and managing the morphology of branches incising into sand-clay deposits in the Dutch Rhine Delta

In the Rhine-Meuse delta in the south-western part of the Netherlands,the morphology of the river branches is highly dependent on the erodibility of the subsoil.Erosion processes that were initiated after closure of the Haringvliet estuary branch by a dam(in 1970),caused a strong incision of several connecting branches.Due to the geological evolution of this area the lithology of the subsoil shows large variations in highly erodible sand and poorly erodible peat and clay layers.This study shows how the geological information can be used to create 3D maps of the erodibility of the sub-soil, and how this information can be used to schematize the sub-soil in computational models for morphological simulations.Local incisement of sand patches between areas with poorly erodible bed causes deep scour holes,hence increasing the risk on river-bank instability(flow slides) and damage to constructions such as groynes,quays,tunnels, and pipelines.Various types of mathematical models,ranging from 1D(SOBEK) to quasi-3D(Delft3D) have been applied to study the future development of the river bed and possible management options.The results of these approaches demonstrate that models require inclusion of a layer-bookkeeping approach for sub-soil schematization, non-uniform sediment fractions(sand-mud),tidal and river-discharge boundary conditions,and capacity-reduction transport modeling.For risk-reducing river management it has been shown how the development of the river bed can be addressed on a large scale and small scale.For instance,the use of sediment feeding and fixation of bed can be proposed for large-scale management,while monitoring and interventions at initiation of erosion can be proposed as response to small-scale developments that exceed predefined intervention levels.     

RATIONAL BASIS FOR SUSPENDED SEDIMENT MODELING

This paper presents a rational basis to model the transport of suspended sediment. The loose-boundary condition for 3D models and the adjustment coefficients for both the depth-integrated 2D and laterally integrated 1D models are treated comprehensively. A combination of Dirichlet and Neumann conditions is proposed as the loose-boundary condition. The adjustment coefficient for 2D models is obtained on the basis of the proposed boundary condition and analytical solutions developed for some simple cases of non-equilibrium transport of sediment in uniform flows. The adjustment coefficient for 1D models for natural rivers is further obtained from lateral integration. Comparisons with analytical solutions and a considerable amount of laboratory and prototype data show that mathematical models developed along the proposed line of attack would well simulate the transport of suspended sediment in practical problems.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN ALLUVIAL RIVER WITH FLOODPLAINS

1 INTRODUCTION The transport of sediment in rivers with active floodplains is a two-dimensional process because the main channel and the floodplain can have very different transport capacities. Therefore, two-dimensional (2D) models are often used to simulate the streamwise and transverse variations of sediment erosion and deposition. Many 2D numerical models have been presented to simulate sediment transport in floodplains (James, 1985; Pizzuto, 1987; Howard, 1992; Nicholas and Walli…     

Benchmarking of two three-dimensional numerical models in time/space domain to predict railway-induced ground vibrations

In the last 30 years,the scientific community has developed and proposed different models and numerical approaches for the study of vibrations induced by railway traffic.Most of them are formulated in the frequency/wave number domain and with a 2.5D approach.Three-dimensional numerical models formulated in the time/space domain are less frequently used,mainly due to their high computational cost.Notwithstanding,these models present very attractive characteristics,such as the possibility of considering nonlinear behaviors or the modelling of excess pore pressure and non-homogeneous and non-periodic geometries in the longitudinal direction of the track.In this study,two 3D numerical approaches formulated in the time/space domain are compared and experimentally validated.The first one consists of a finite element approach and the second one of a finite difference approach.The experimental validation in an actual case situated in Carregado(Portugal)shows an acceptable fitting between the numerical results and the actual measurements for both models.However,there are some differences among them.This study therefore includes some recommendations for their use in practical soil dynamics and geotechnical engineering.     

Simulating bed evolution following the Barlin Dam (Taiwan,China) failure with implications for sediment dynamics modeling of dam removal

The failure of the Barlin Dam in Taiwan, China offers an important case study for evaluating concepts in modeling the rapid erosion and channel recovery following intentional and unplanned dam removals. We present a modeling effort that applied a 1D and quasi-2D uncoupled hydraulics and sediment model (NETSTARS) to evaluate how discretization and parameterization influence thefitofbed elevationpredic-tions to observations following dam failure. Our analysis evaluated the model sensitivity to sediment transport function, active layer thickness, and number of stream tubes used to define the cross-section. Results indicate that a) the model is more sensitive to active layer thickness and sediment transport function than to the number of stream tubes, b) development of dam removal models are likely to benefit from varying the active layer thickness in time, and c) increased lateral discretization does not appear to improve model fit in the steep and rapidly changing river environment at our site. We conclude with discussion on differences between, identifying the need for, and general use of 1D, quasi-2D, and fully 2D models in dam removal and failure analysis.     

An explicit method for numerical simulation of wave equations: 3D wave motion

In this paper, an explicit method is generalized from 1D and 2D models to a 3D model for numerical simulation of wave motion, and the corresponding recursion formulas are developed for 3D irregular grids. For uniform cubic grids, the approach used to establish stable formulas with 2M-order accuracy is discussed in detail, with M being a positive integer, and is illustrated by establishing second order (M=1) recursion formulas. The theoretical results presented in this paper are demonstrated through numerical testing.     

A 2D well-balanced,coupled model of water flow,sediment transport,and bed evolution based on unstructured grids with efficient variable storage strategy

In recent decades,a few Godunov-type,finite volume two-dimensional(2D)unstructured grid,coupled flow,and sediment models(GF2DUCM)have been developed for flows over erodible beds.These kinds of models are generally analyzed as a Vertex Model(VM)that define topography at the cell vertex,which can lead to the non-conservation of mass regarding flow,sediment,and bed evolution.Here,a full cellcantered variable storage method(Central Model or CM)is applied as the solution of the GF2DUCM.In this method,terrain elevation is defined at the cell centroids;this accurately describes the physical relations between the water depth and topography deformation.This approach can fully eliminate calculation errors in topography deformation at local cells caused by the interpolation of topography deformation at the cell vertex,and reduced uncertainty in the computation of the GF2DUCM.The model performance is systematically tested using a series of laboratory experiments,which demonstrate the mass conservation feature and high accuracy in reproducing hydrodynamic and morphological processes.     

Seismic performance of an existing bridge with scoured caisson foundation

A three-dimensional rigid body on the shape of a parallelepiped is modelled in order to rock on a side or a vertex of the base,in order to evaluate the seismic response of rigid blocks lying on a horizontal support.The center of mass of the body is considered as eccentric with respect to its geometric center.As seismic input,three Italian recorded accelerograms,with different spectral content,are used.The study is mainly conducted to highlight the differences between the seismic response of 2D and 3D models of rigid blocks,with the aim to understand if,in some cases,the use of the 3D model of rigid block is required to obtain safer results.In fact,the outcomes show that in some ranges of the geometrical and mechanical parameters that characterize the excitation and the body,a two-dimensional model,which is not able to consider the 3D rocking on a vertex,can provide unsafe results.In particular,it is found that the overturning process of the three-dimensional block can occur under excitations which are lower than those which overturn a corresponding two-dimensional block.     

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) numerical simulations on the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere: A review

The magnetosphere is the outermost layer of the geospace, and the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere is the key element of the space weather cause-and-effect chain process from the Sun to Earth, which is one of the most challenging scientific problems in the geospace weather study. The nonlinearity, multiple component, and time-dependent nature of the geospace make it very difficult to describe the physical process in geospace using traditional analytic analysis approach. Numerical simulations, a new research tool developed in recent decades, have a deep impact on the theory and application of the geospace. MHD simulations started at the end of the 1970s, and the initial study was limited to two-dimensional (2D) cases. Due to the intrinsic three-dimensional (3D) characteristics of the geospace, 3D MHD simulations emerged in the 1980s, in an attempt to model the large-scale structures and fundamental physical processes in the magnetosphere. They started to combine with the space exploration missions in the 1990s and make comparisons with observations. Physics-based space weather forecast models started to be developed in the 21st century. Currently only a few space-power countries such as USA and Japan have developed 3D magnetospheric MHD models. With the rapid advance of space science in China, we have developed a new global MHD model, namely PPMLR-MHD, which has high order spatial accuracy and low numerical dissipation. In this review, we will briefly introduce the global 3D MHD modeling, especially the PPMLR-MHD code, and summarize our recent work based on the PPMLR-MHD model, with an emphasis on the interaction of interplanetary shocks with the magnetosphere, large-scale current systems, reconnection voltage and transpolar potential drop, and Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) instability at the magnetopause.     

Recovery of the gravity field from GOCE data by using the invariants of gradient tensor

The gravity field models GUCAS_EGM and GUCAS_EGM_DL are established from GOCE data (GOCE Level 2 Products from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009) based on the method of the invariants of the gravity gradient tensor, where GUCAS_EGM is derived after GOCE gravity gradient data are filtered with FIR, and GUCAS_EGM_DL is computed with an additional Durbin-Levison arithmetic apart from FIR. Since this method, different from current programs dealing with GOCE data, is introduced for the first time, some new problems are required to be discussed in advance; for example, how to filter GOCE gravity gradient data, how to compute the invariants of the gradient tensor, and how to deal with the pole gap and so on. In addition, by comparing our models with ones recommended by ESA, it can be seen that the variations of GUCAS_EGM and the models recommended by ESA to EGM08 are almost equivalent, and the variation of GUCAS_EGM_DL to EGM08 is obviously less than ones of the recommended models.     

Stochastic earthquake source model for ground motion simulation

In the analysis and design of important structures with relatively long life spans, there is a need to generate strong motion data for possible large events. The source of an earthquake is characterized by the spatial distribution of slip on the fault plane. For future events, this is unknown. In this paper, a stochastic earthquake source model is developed to address this issue. Here, 1D and 2D stochastic models for slip distribution developed by Lavallée et al.(2006) are used. The random field associated with the slip distribution is heavy-tailed stable distribution which can be used for large events. Using 236 past rupture models, the spectral scaling parameter and the four stable or Levy's parameters against empirical relationship for known quantities like magnitude or fault length are developed. The model is validated with data from 411 stations of 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. The simulated response spectrum showed good agreement to actual data. Further the proposed model is used to generate ground motion for the 1993 Killari Earthquake where strong motion data is not available. The simulated mean peak ground velocity was in turn related to the intensity(MSK) and compared against values in the literature.     

Resource prediction and assessment based on 3D/4D big data modeling and deep integration in key ore districts of North China

The North China district has been subjected to significant research with regard to the ore-forming dynamics,processes, and quantitative forecasting of gold deposits; it accounts for the highest number of gold reserves and annual products in China. Based on the top-level design of geoscience theory and the method adopted by the National Key R D Project(deep process and metallogenic mechanism of North China Craton(NCC) metallogenic system), this paper systematically collects and constructs the geoscience data(district, camp, and deposit scales) in four key gold districts of North China(Jiaojia-Sanshandao,Southern Zhaoping, Wulong, and Qingchengzi). The settings associated with the geological dynamics of gold deposits were quantitatively and synthetically analyzed, namely: NCC destruction, metallogenic events, genetic models, and exploration models. Three-dimensional(3D) and four-dimensional(4D) geological modeling was performed using the big data on the districts, while the district-scale 3D exploration criteria were integrated to construct a quantitative exploration model. Among them, FLAC3D modelling and the Geo Cube software(version 3.0) were used to implement the numerical simulation of the 3D geological models and the constraints of the fluid saturation parameters of the Jiaojia fault to reconstruct the 4D fault structure models of the Jiaojia fault(with a depth of 5000 m). Using Geo Cube3.0, multiple integration modules(general weights of evidence(Wof E), Boost Wof E, Fuzzy Wof E, Logistic Regression, Information Entropy, and Random Forest) and exploration criteria were integrated, while the C-V fractal classification of A, B and C targets in four districts was carried out. The research results are summarized in the following four areas:(1) Four gold districts in the study area have more than three targets(the depth is 3000 m), and the class A, B and C targets exhibit a good spatial correlation with gold bodies that are controlled by mining engineering at depths greater than 1000 m.(2) The Boost Wof E method was used to identify the target optimization in 3D spaces(at depths of 3000–5000 m) of the Jiaojia-Sanshandao, Southern Zhaoping, and Wulong districts.(3) The general Wof E method is based on the Bayesian theory in 3D space and provides robust integration and target optimization that are suitable for the Jiaojia-Sanshandao and Southern Zhaoping districts in the Jiaodong area; it can also be applied to the Wulong district in the Liaodong area using a quantitative genetic model and an exploration model. Random forest is a multi-objective integration and target optimization method for 3D spaces, and it is suitable for the complex exploration model in the Qingchengzi district of the Liaodong area. The genetic model and exploration criteria associated with the exploration model of the Qingchengzi district were constrained by the common characteristics of the gold fault structure, magmatic rock emplacement in North China, and the strata fold and interlayer detachment structure.(4) Based on the gold reserves and the 3D block unit model of the Sanshandao gold deposit in the Jiaojia-Sanshandao district, the gold contents of the 3D block units in class A and B targets of the ore concentration were estimated to be 65.5% and 25.1%, respectively. The total Au resources of the optimized targets below a depth of 3000 m were 3908 t(including 1700 t reserves), and the total Au resources of the targets at depths from 3000 to 5000 m were 936 t. The study shows that the deep gold deposits in the four gold districts of North China exhibit a strong "transport-deposition" spatial correlation with potential targets. These "transport-deposition" spatial models represent the tectonic-magmatic-hydrothermal activities of the metallogenic system associated with the NCC destruction events and indicate the Au enrichment zones.     

GSTARS computer models and their applications, Part Ⅱ: Applications

In part 1 of this two-paper series, a brief summary of the basic concepts and theories used in developing the Generalized Stream Tube model for Alluvial River Simulation (GSTARS) computer models was presented. Part 2 provides examples that illustrate some of the capabilities of the GSTARS models and how they can be applied to solve a wide range of river and reservoir sedimentation problems. Laboratory and field case studies are used and the examples show representative applications of the earlier and of the more recent versions of GSTARS. Some of the more recent capabilities implemented in GSTARS3, one of the latest versions of the series, are also discussed here with more detail.     

Evaluation of vertical impact factor coefficients for continuous and integral railway bridges under high-speed moving loads

In the railway bridge analysis and design method,dynamic train loads are regarded as static loads enhanced by an impact factor(IF).The IF coefficients for various railway bridges have been reported as a function of span length or frequency of the bridges in Eurocode(2003).However,these IF coefficient values neglect the effects of very high speeds(>200 km/h)and soil-structure interaction(SSI).In this work,a comprehensive study to assess the impact factor coefficients of mid-span vertical displacements for continuous and integral railway bridges subjected to high-speed moving loads is reported.Three different configurations,each for the three-dimensional(3D)continuous and integral bridge,are considered.Also,single-track(1-T)and two-track(2-T)“real train”loading cases for both these bridge types are considered.Subsequently,finite element analysis of the full-scale 3D bridge models,to identify their IF values,considering the effects of SSI for three different soil conditions,is conducted.The IF values obtained from the study for both bridge types are comparable and are greater than the values recommended by Eurocode(2003).The results reveal that with a loss of soil stiffness,the IF value reduces;thus,it confirms the importance of SSI analysis.     

The role of constant optimal forcing in correcting forecast models

In this paper,the role of constant optimal forcing(COF) in correcting forecast models was numerically studied using the well-known Lorenz 63 model.The results show that when we only consider model error caused by parameter error,which also changes with the development of state variables in a numerical model,the impact of such model error on forecast uncertainties can be offset by superimposing COF on the tendency equations in the numerical model.The COF can also offset the impact of model error caused by stochastic processes.In reality,the forecast results of numerical models are simultaneously influenced by parameter uncertainty and stochastic process as well as their interactions.Our results indicate that COF is also able to significantly offset the impact of such hybrid model error on forecast results.In summary,although the variation in the model error due to physical process is time-dependent,the superimposition of COF on the numerical model is an effective approach to reducing the influence of model error on forecast results.Therefore,the COF method may be an effective approach to correcting numerical models and thus improving the forecast capability of models.     

Well-balanced numerical modelling of non-uniform sediment transport in alluvial rivers

The last two decades have witnessed the development and application of well-balanced numerical models for shallow flows in natural rivers.However,until now there have been no such models for flows with non-uniform sediment transport.This paper presents a 1D well-balanced model to simulate flows and non-capacity transport of non-uniform sediment in alluvial rivers.The active layer formulation is adopted to resolve the change of bed sediment composition.In the framework of the finite volume Slope Llmiter Centred(SLIC) scheme,a surface gradient method is incorporated to attain well-balanced solutions to the governing equations.The proposed model is tested against typical cases with irregular topography,including the refilling of dredged trenches,aggradation due to sediment overloading and flood flow due to landslide dam failure.The agreement between the computed results and measured data is encouraging.Compared to a non-well-balanced model,the well-balanced model features improved performance in reproducing stage,velocity and bed deformation.It should find general applications for non-uniform sediment transport modelling in alluvial rivers,especially in mountain areas where the bed topography is mostly irregular.     

Application of experimental design techniques to structural simulation meta-model building using neural network

Neural networks are being used to construct meta-models in numerical simulation of structures. In addition to network structures and training algorithms, training samples also greatly affect the accuracy of neural network models. In this paper, some existing main sampling techniques are evaluated, including techniques based on experimental design theory,random selection, and rotating sampling. First, advantages and disadvantages of each technique are reviewed. Then, seven techniques are used to generate samples for training radial neural networks models for two benchmarks: an antenna model and an aircraft model. Results show that the uniform design, in which the number of samples and mean square error network models are considered, is the best sampling technique for neural network based meta-model building.     

Earthquake-induced landslide displacement attenuation models and application in probabilistic seismic landslide displacement analysis

A landslide displacement (DLL) attenuation model has been developed using spectral intensity and a ratio of critical acceleration coefficient to ground acceleration coefficient. In the development of the model,a New Zealand earthquake record data set with magnitudes ranging from 5.0 to 7.2 within a source distance of 175 km is used. The model can be used to carry out deterministic landslide displacement analysis,and readily extended to carry out probabilistic seismic landslide displacement analysis. DLL attenuation models have also been developed by using earthquake source terms,such as magnitude and source distance,that account for the effects of earthquake faulttype,source type,and site conditions. Sensitivity analyses show that the predicted DLL values from the new models are close to those from the Romeo model that was developed from an Italian earthquake record data set. The proposed models are also applied to an analysis of landslide displacements in the Wenchuan earthquake,and a comparison between the predicted and the observed results shows that the proposed models are reliable,and can be confidently used in mapping landslide potential.     

Changes of the tropical Pacific Walker circulation simulated by two versions of FGOALS model

Here we assessed the performances of IAP/LASG climate system model FGOALS-g2 and FGOAS-s2 in the simulation of the tropical Pacific Walker circulation(WC). Both models reasonably reproduce the climatological spatial distribution features of the tropical Pacific WC. We also investigated the changes of WC simulated by two versions of FGOALS model and discussed the mechanism responsible for WC changes. Observed Indo-Pacific sea level pressure(SLP) reveals a reduction of WC during 1900–2004 and 1950–2004, and an enhancement of WC during 1982–2004. During the three different time spans, the WC in FGOALS-g2 shows a weakening trend. In FGOALS-s2, tropical Pacific atmospheric circulation shows no significant change over the past century, but the WC strengthens during 1950–2004 and 1982–2004. The simulated bias of the WC change may be related to the phase of the multi-decadal mode in coupled models, which is not in sync with that in the observations. The change of WC is explained by the hydrological cycle constraints that precipitation must be balanced with the moisture transporting from the atmospheric boundary layer to the free troposphere. In FGOALS-g2, the increasing amplitude of the relative variability of precipitation(?P/P) is smaller(larger) than the relative variability of moisture(?q/q) over the tropical western(eastern) Pacific over the three time spans, and thus leads to a weakened WC. In FGOALS-s2, the convective mass exchange fluxes increase(decrease) over the tropical western(eastern) Pacific over the past 53 a(1950–2004) and the last 23 a(1982– 2004), and thus leads to a strengthened WC. The distributions of sea surface temperature(SST) trends dominate the change of WC. Over the past 55 a and 23 a, tropical Pacific SST shows an El Ni?o-like(a La Ni?a-like) trend pattern in FGOALS-g2(FGOALS-s2), which drives the weakening(strengthening) of WC. Therefore, a successful simulation of the tropical Pacific SST change pattern is necessary for a reasonable simulation of WC change in climate system models. This idea is further supported by the diagnosis of historical sea surface temperature driven AGCM-simulations.     

Fired Models of Air-gun Source and Its Application

Air-gun is an important active seismic source. With the development of the theory about air- gun array, the technique for air-gun array design becomes mature and is widely used in petroleum exploration and geophysics. In order to adapt it to different research domains, different combination and fired models are needed. At the present time, there are two fired models of air-gun source, namely, reinforced initial pulse and reinforced first bubble pulse. The fired time, space between single guns, frequency and resolution of the two models are different. This comparison can supply the basis for its extensive application.