Assimilating along-track SLA data using the EnOI in an eddy resolving model of the Agulhas system

The greater Agulhas Current is one of the most energetic current systems in the global ocean. It plays a fundamental role in determining the mean state and variability of the regional marine environment, affecting its resources and ecosystem, the regional weather and the global climate on a broad range of temporal and spatial scales. In the absence of a coherent in-situ and satellite-based observing system in the region, modelling and data assimilation techniques play a crucial role in both furthering the quantitative understanding and providing better forecasts of this complicated western boundary current system. In this study, we use a regional implementation of the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model and assimilate along-track satellite sea level anomaly (SLA) data using the Ensemble Optimal Interpolation (EnOI) data assimilation scheme. This study lays the foundation towards the development of a regional prediction system for the greater Agulhas Current system. Comparisons to independent in-situ drifter observations show that data assimilation reduces the error compared to a free model run over a 2-year period. Mesoscale features are placed in more consistent agreement with the drifter trajectories and surface velocity errors are reduced. While the model-based forecasts of surface velocities are not as accurate as persistence forecasts derived from satellite altimeter observations, the error calculated from the drifter measurements for eddy kinetic energy is significantly lower in the assimilation system compared to the persistence forecast. While the assimilation of along-track SLA data introduces a small bias in sea surface temperatures, the representation of water mass properties and deep current velocities in the Agulhas system is improved.     

Baroclinic,Kelvin and inertia-gravity waves in the barostrat instability experiment

The differentially heated rotating annulus is a laboratory experiment historically designed for modelling large-scale features of the mid-latitude atmosphere. In the present study, we investigate a modified version of the classic baroclinic experiment in which a juxtaposition of convective and motionless stratified layers is created by introducing a vertical salt stratification. The thermal convective motions are suppressed in a central region at mid-depth of the rotating tank, therefore double-diffusive convection rolls can develop only in thin layers located at top and bottom, where the salt stratification is weakest. For high enough rotation rates, the baroclinic instability destabilises the flow in the top and the bottom shallow convective layers, generating cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies separated by the stable stratified layer. Thanks to this alternation of layers resembling the convective and radiative layers of stars, the planetary’s atmospheric troposphere and stratosphere or turbulent layers at the sea surface above stratified waters, this new laboratory setup is of interest for both astrophysics and geophysical sciences. More specifically, it allows to study the exchange of momentum and energy between the layers, primarily by the propagation of internal gravity waves (IGW). PIV velocity maps are used to describe the wavy flow pattern at different heights. Using a co-rotating laser and camera, the wave field is well resolved and different wave types can be found: baroclinic waves, Kelvin and Poincaré type waves. The signature of small-scale IGW can also be observed attached to the baroclinic jet. The baroclinic waves occur at the thin convectively active layer at the surface and the bottom of the tank, though decoupled they show different manifestation of nonlinear interactions. The inertial Kelvin and Poincaré waves seem to be mechanically forced. The small-scale wave trains attached to the meandering jet point to an imbalance of the large-scale flow. For the first time, the simultaneous occurrence of different wave types is reported in detail for a differentially heated rotating annulus experiment.     

Variations in the characteristics of acoustic gravity waves according to simulation data

The characteristics of different-scale acoustic gravity waves (wavelengths of 100–1200 km, periods of 10–50 min) under different geophysical conditions have been studied using a numerical model for calculating the vertical structure of these waves in a nonisothermal atmosphere in the presence of an altitudedependent background wind and in a situation when molecular dissipation is taken into account. It has been established that all considered acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) effectively reach altitudes of the thermosphere. The character of the amplitude vertical profile depends on the AGW scales. The seasonal and latitudinal differences in the AGW vertical structure depend on the background wind and temperature. A strong thermospheric wind causes the rapid damping of medium-scale AGWs propagating along the wind. Waves with long periods to a lesser degree depend on dissipation in the thermosphere and can penetrate to high altitudes. A change in the geomagnetic activity level affects the background wind vertical distribution at high latitudes, as a result of which the AGW vertical structure varies.     

Experimental investigation of stratorotational instability using a thermally stratified system: instability,waves and associated momentum flux

Stratorotational instability (SRI) has been proposed as a mechanism for outward angular momentum transport in Keplerian accretion disks. A particular designed Taylor–Couette laboratory experiment with axial stratification is suitable for studying the instability. Bottom endplate is cooled and top endplate is heated to achieve axial stratification. Due to constructive constraints, endplates are visually unamenable and quantitative measurement techniques in the co-rotating frame can only be done by looking through the outer cylinder. For this purpose, we built a co-rotating mini-PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) system with a camera having a tilted viewing angle regarding the horizontal laser sheet. The aim of this study is (i) to quantify the uncertainty of the mini-PIV together with the used calibration technique and (ii) to compare experimental findings on SRI with theoretical predictions.

We perform measurements of the azimuthal and radial component of the velocity in axial stably stratified Taylor–Couette flows, consider velocity profiles and do frequency-filtering and flow decomposition. The absolute error of the mini-PIV system is 2% and we realised that stratified Taylor–Couette flows have smaller Ekman endwall effects than homogeneous ones. Still, Ekman pumping has an impact of the flow and might be responsible for differences between the data and theoretical models ignoring the endwalls. Here we focus on the flow structure during transition to SRI, the drift rate of SRI modes and the radial momentum flux as a function of the Reynolds number. Whereas the structure in form of trapped boundary Kelvin modes and the drift rate corresponds well with earlier predictions, the momentum flux shows a nonlinear dependency with respect to the Reynolds number. Away from the region of transition, theoretical models show a linear relationship. Several possible reasons for the mismatch between the experimental and theoretical models are discussed. Most important, we experimentally demonstrated that in the Rayleigh stable flow regime the SRI can provide a significant amount of outward momentum flux which makes this instability interesting in the context of accretion disks and also of atmospheric vortices where rotation and stratification also play a significant role.     

Monsoonal quasi-stationary ultralong waves of the tropical troposphere predicted by a real data prediction over a global tropical belt

The mechanisms of the maintenance of the tropical upper tropospheric quasi-stationary ultralong waves during the northern hemisphere summer season are briefly reviewed and discussed. Diagnostic and prognostic studies indicate that the waves are maintained by the land-ocean contrast heating. These scales of motion as a whole (sum of the zonal wavenumbers 1, 2 and 3) are considered to supply kinetic energy to all other scales of motion.The ultralong waves predicted in the real data numerical prediction experiment over the global tropics using a multi-level primitive equation model are examined and compared with the observed climatological waves. The predicted waves are found to have several similarities with the observations. Further investigations of the baroclinic nature of the waves indicate that their thermal structure is essential for understanding their dynamics.The vorticity budget computations are performed for the predicted ultralong waves at 200 mb and also compared with the climatological observations. It is found that the advection term is one of the leading terms in the vorticity equation.This study indicates that the tropical quasi-stationary ultralong waves are fully nonlinear, non-geostrophic, three-dimensional waves forced mainly by the convective heating over the monsoon Indian subcontient.     

An experiment to study and control the Langmuir sheath around INTERBALL-2

The satellite INTERBALL-2 has an orbit with high inclination (62.8°), covering the altitude range between a few hundred and about 20000 km. The ambient plasma conditions along this orbit are highly variable, and the interactions of this plasma with the spacecraft body as well as the photo-electron sheath around it are considered to be interesting topics for detailed studies. The electric potential of the spacecraft with respect to the ambient plasma that develops as a result of the current equilibrium reacts sensitively to variations of the boundary conditions. The measurement and eventual control of this potential is a prerequisite for accurate measurements of the thermal plasma. We describe the purpose and technical implementation of an ion emitter instrument on-board INTERBALL-2 utilising ion beams at energies of several thousand electron volts in order to reduce and stabilise the positive spacecraft potential. First results of the active ion beam experiments, and other measures taken on INTERBALL-2 to reduce charging are presented. Furthermore, the approach and initial steps of modelling efforts of the sheath in the vicinity of the INTERBALL-2 spacecraft are described together with some estimates on the resulting spacecraft potential, and effects on thermal ion measurements. It is concluded that even moderate spacecraft potentials as are commonly observed on-board INTERBALL-2 can significantly distort the measurements of ion distribution functions, especially in the presence of strongly aniso-tropic distributions.     

Combining T/P altimetric data with hydrographic data to estimate the mean dynamic topography of the North Atlantic and improve the geoid

The mean dynamic topography of the surface of the North Atlantic is estimated using an inverse model of the ocean circulation constrained by hydro-graphic and altimetric observations. In the North Atlantic, altimetric observations have no significant impact on the topography estimate because of the limited precision of available geoid height models. They have a significant impact, however, when uncertainties in the density field are increased to simulate interpolation errors in regions where hydrographic data are scarce. This result, which moderates the conclusion drawn by Ganachaud and co-workers of no significant contribution of altimetric observations to the determination of the large-scale steady circulation, reflects the simple idea that altimetric data are most useful near the surface of the ocean and in areas where the hydrography is poorly determined. One application of the present inverse estimate of the mean dynamic topography is to compute a geoid height correction over the North Atlantic which reduces the uncertainty in the geoid height expanded to spherical harmonic 40 down to a level of about 5 cm.     

大功率高频电波加热电离层中参量衰减不稳定性研究(1):数值模拟

参量衰减不稳定性(Parametric Decay Instability,PDI)在大功率高频(High frequency,HF)电波与电离层等离子体相互作用的过程中扮演着十分重要的角色,本文采用广义Zakharov方法对常规的等离子体流体力学方程组进行相应处理后,并在近似实际的电离层背景和电波传播模型下,构建了高频电波加热电离层激发PDI的数值计算模型.模拟结果发现:在毫秒量级的时间尺度上,大功率高频电波在寻常波(Ordinary wave,O波)反射点高度附近激发出了朗缪尔波(Langmuir wave)和离子声波(Ion-Acoustic wave)两种等离子体静电波模,模拟中产生的朗缪尔波和离子声波相应波数为5~11rad·m~(-1),结果与利用色散关系求出的理论值4~7 rad·m~(-1)近似一致,密度扰动幅值从10~6m~(-3)量级指数级增长到了10~(10)m~(-3)量级,直至能显著影响与"低频"密度背景相关的等离子体频率后,出现了等离子体"空穴"结构以及朗缪尔波被"俘获"现象,在扰动空间内的小尺度静电场幅值最高能达到100 V·m~(-1)量级,最终造成一种强烈的局地化"空穴"湍流现象.本文的研究有助于深入理解PDI的物理机制,对研究大功率高频电波与电离层等离子体之间复杂的非线性相互作用也有着非常重要的意义.     

地震槽波的数学-物理模拟初探

针对地震槽波在低速层的传播特性,开展了煤层内地震槽波勘探的数值模拟和物理模拟研究的初探工作.在数值模拟研究方面,采用交错网格有限差分法对煤层中的地震槽波进行三分量全波场模拟.基于波场快照和人工合成地震记录研究了不同模型中的波场特征和各种波型的传播规律.在物理模拟方面,通过选用不同配比的环氧树脂和硅橡胶类材料构建地震槽波物理模型,利用透射法和反射法观测系统获得了清晰的地震槽波记录以研究槽波的地震学特征.研究表明,在煤层内槽波的地震波场中,Love型槽波的能量小于Rayleigh型槽波的SV分量,大于Rayleigh型槽波的SH分量.相对于Love型槽波和Rayleigh型槽波的SH分量,Rayleigh型槽波的SV分量在围岩中的泄露能量较强.在煤层界面附近的围岩中,地震波仍以槽波形式传播,随着距离的增加能量逐渐衰减.随着煤层变薄,煤层槽波主频向高频方向移动,频散现象增强,传播速度增大.

     

汶川地震失稳机制的数值模拟研究

考虑断层的软化特性,建立垂直于龙门山断裂带并包含四川盆地和川西高原在内的汶川地震不稳定性地震力学模型.采用有限元方法计算得到了描述整个岩石力学系统稳定性状态和过程的平衡路径曲线.在此基础上,采用稳定性理论研究了汶川地震从孕育到发生的过程,讨论了断层倾角和断层材料参数对地震失稳的影响.数值模拟结果显示,系统只存在稳定的断层无震滑动和不稳定的地震失稳2种状态.断层倾角、初始内摩擦系数、初始黏聚力和强度曲线形状参数的增加会导致系统趋向不稳定的地震失稳状态.而强度曲线胖度参数的增加有助于系统进入稳定的断层缓慢无震滑动状态.地震失稳前,在平衡路径曲线的应力峰值点和失稳点之间,断层错动加速,应变能开始释放并且应力开始减小,是失稳的前兆.最后在失稳点发生应力突跳,地震发生,其间伴随应变能的急剧释放、应力降和断层突然错动.无论是稳定的断层无震滑动还是不稳定的地震失稳,系统重新进入应力和应变能增加状态后,应力和应变能的增速由远场加载速度、岩石力学系统的结构和围岩材料属性决定,与断层软化特性参数无关.

     

Secondary planetary waves in the middle atmosphere: numerical simulation and analysis of the neutral wind data

A numerical simulation of secondary waves generated by nonlinear interaction has been used to interpret the behaviour of planetary waves observed by a meteor radar in the UK (53°27′N, 1°35′W) during the summer of 1992. A new explanation is proposed for the long-period variability of the (3,0) mode quasi-two-day wave in the mesosphere and lower-thermosphere, involving the (2,0) Rossby-gravity mode and pseudo-two-day secondary waves with the same zonal wavenumbers as those of the primary (2,0) and (3,0) modes. These pseudo-two-day secondary waves arise from the nonlinear interaction of the Rossby-gravity modes with long-period oscillations of the zonally averaged flow in the equatorial stratosphere, which can be generated by the interaction between the 10 and 16 day planetary waves. Other maxima existing in the neutral wind power spectra can be identified with various secondary waves originating from nonlinear interaction between the quasi-two-day and long-period planetary waves.     

地震散射波模拟成像方法在铜陵某矿区的应用

针对深部隐伏的金属矿床,以铜陵某矿区为例,应用散射波正演模拟技术,对金属矿地震数据野外采集中涉及的偏移距、覆盖次数、道间距等参数进行了不同炮记录的模拟对比,辅助指导非均匀地质体金属矿地震勘探野外数据采集的观测系统设计;针对该地区实际采集的地震数据,应用基于等效偏移距的共散射点成像方法,对金属矿地震数据进行了处理,通过与常规反射波法处理结果对比,散射成像效果较好,说明散射波技术在金属矿地震勘探中应用有一定的可行性和适用性.     

Real time hybrid simulation: from dynamic system,motion control to experimental error

Real‐time hybrid simulation (RTHS) has increasingly been recognized as a powerful methodology to evaluate structural components and systems under realistic operating conditions. It is a cost effective approach compared with large scale shake table testing. Furthermore, it can maximally preserve rate dependency and nonlinear characteristics of physically tested (non)structural components. Although conceptually very attractive, challenges do exist that require comprehensive validation before RTHS should be employed to assess complicated physical phenomena. One of the most important issues that governs the stability and accuracy of an RTHS is the ability to achieve synchronization of boundary conditions between the computational and physical substructures. The objective of this study is to propose and validate an H_∞ loop shaping design for actuator motion control in RTHS. Controller performance is evaluated in the laboratory using a worst‐case substructure proportioning scheme. A modular, one‐bay, one‐story steel moment resisting frame specimen is tested experimentally. Its deformation is kept within the linear range for ready comparison with the reference closed‐form solution. Both system analysis and experimental results show that the proposed H_∞ strategy can significantly improve both the stability limit and test accuracy compared with several existing strategies. Another key feature of the proposed strategy is its robust performance in terms of unmodeled dynamics and uncertainties, which inevitably exist in any physical system. This feature is essential to enhance test quality for specimens with nonlinear dynamic behavior, thus ensuring the validity of the proposed approach for more complex RTHS implementations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Toward a global ocean data assimilation system based on ensemble optimum interpolation: altimetry data assimilation experiment

A global ocean data assimilation system based on the ensemble optimum interpolation (EnOI) has been under development as the Chinese contribution to the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment. The system uses a global ocean general circulation model, which is eddy permitting, developed by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In this paper, the implementation of the system is described in detail. We describe the sampling strategy to generate the stationary ensembles for EnOI. In addition, technical methods are introduced to deal with the requirement of massive memory space to hold the stationary ensembles of the global ocean. The system can assimilate observations such as satellite altimetry, sea surface temperature (SST), in situ temperature and salinity from Argo, XBT, Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO), and other sources in a straightforward way. As a first step, an assimilation experiment from 1997 to 2001 is carried out by assimilating the sea level anomaly (SLA) data from TOPEX/Poseidon. We evaluate the performance of the system by comparing the results with various types of observations. We find that SLA assimilation shows very positive impact on the modeled fields. The SST and sea surface height fields are clearly improved in terms of both the standard deviation and the root mean square difference. In addition, the assimilation produces some improvements in regions where mesoscale processes cannot be resolved with the horizontal resolution of this model. Comparisons with TAO profiles in the Pacific show that the temperature and salinity fields have been improved to varying degrees in the upper ocean. The biases with respect to the independent TAO profiles are reduced with a maximum magnitude of about 0.25°C and 0.1 psu for the time-averaged temperature and salinity. The improvements on temperature and salinity also lead to positive impact on the subsurface currents. The equatorial under current is enhanced in the Pacific although it is still underestimated after the assimilation.     

数值模拟静态应力扰动下的断层失稳:结果分析兼与Dieterich模型和Coulomb模型的对比

基于大量岩石力学实验,Dieterich和其他研究者(Dieterich, 1978; Ruina, 1983)首先提出了描述岩石摩擦过程的速率-状态摩擦定律(R-S摩擦定律).如今R-S摩擦定律已成为研究地震成核等地震演化机制的有效手段.Dieterich (1992, 1994)最早提出了描述受静态剪应力扰动后断层失稳时间提前或推后的余震触发机制的解析模型.现在Dieterich模型已经成为解释余震随时间衰减规律的Omori定律等地震观测现象的有力工具.与之相对应,广泛使用的Coulomb应力失稳模型也可以给出断层受到静态剪应力扰动后,断层失稳时间的提前和推后量.Dieterich模型和Coulomb应力失稳模型基于不同的物理方法,所以在进行地震危险性评估时,二者均有各自的局限性.本文利用R-S摩擦定律控制的1-D弹簧-滑块模型,模拟计算了理论地震循环以及在不同静态剪切应力扰动下,失稳时间的提前和推后量的变化情况,然后将计算得到的时间提前和推后量分别与Dieterich模型和Coulomb模型的相应计算结果进行了定量化对比和差异性分析,并给出了相应的解释.数值模拟结果显示,对于R-S摩擦定律在参数不变的条件下,断层模型失稳时间的提前和推后量的大小强烈依赖于静态剪应力扰动的大小和作用时间,而且绝对值相同的正、负向静态剪应力扰动造成的失稳时间的提前和推后量的变化情况并不完全一致.在震后松弛/滑移阶段和闭锁阶段,时间提前和推后量是常数,且随静态剪应力扰动绝对值的增大而增大,两者的比值接近于1.0,这与Dieterich模型和Coulomb模型的结果是一致的,相应的差值小于两模型结果的10%.而在自加速阶段,模拟计算结果则存在与Dieterich模型和Coulomb模型结果不同的特征.首先,在自加速阶段模拟计算结果均偏离Coulomb模型,而且时间提前和推后量的比值小于1.0,相异于Coulomb模型的论断.不过当受到正向静态剪应力扰动后,Dieterich模型的结果和模拟计算结果是一致的,最大相差量不超过Dieterich模型结果的7%,可接近0.对于负向静态剪应力扰动,当其绝对值较小时,Dieterich模型的结果很接近模拟计算结果,相差量不超过该结果的14%.但对于绝对值较大的情况,模拟计算结果远大于Dieterich模型的结果,最大可达Dieterich模型结果的35倍,这是由于负向静态剪应力扰动后使得Ω=δθ/dc>>1的条件不再成立,进而使得Dieterich模型不再成立.总的来说,与模拟计算相比Dieterich模型可以很好地描述1-D断层受扰后失稳时间提前和推后量的变化情况,并且可以体现出正、负静态剪切应力扰动后失稳时间提前量和推后量变化的差异性,而Coulomb模型则不能完整地给出受到静态剪应力扰动后断层失稳时间提前或推后的估计值.     

On the instability of internal gravity waves propagating at small but finite angles to the vertical

The question of the instability of internal gravity waves (IGWs) propagating at small angles to the vertical is re-visited. The case of an IGW of finite-amplitude propagating at a very small but finite angle to the vertical is considered. This angle serves as a small parameter in the problem, and the instability of such an IGW is investigated by using the Fourier method and the Sivashinsky integral relations. The analysis undertaken confirms the existence of short-wave instability for small IGW amplitudes and for an arbitrarily small value of their propagation angle to the vertical. For small viscosity and thermal conductivity of the fluid medium, the growth rate of the most unstable mode is proportional to the square of the amplitude of the IGW. The results obtained may be of interest for interpreting the results of observations and confirming the existence of turbulence in the middle atmosphere.     

An experiment to gauge an ungauged catchment: rapid data assessment and eco-hydrological modelling in a data-scarce rural catchment

Abstract

We conducted a PUB (predictions in ungauged basins) experiment looking at hydrology and crop dynamics in the semi-arid rural Mod catchment in India. The experiment was motivated by the aims (a) to develop a coupled eco-hydrological model capable of analysing land-use strategies concerning crop water need, erosion protection, crop yield and resistivity against droughts and floods, and (b) to assess the feasibility of a strategy for collecting the necessary data in a data-scarce region. Our experiment combines parsimonious data assessment and eco-hydrological model coupling at the lower mesoscale. Linking bottom-up sampling of functionally representative soil classes and top-down regionalization based on spectral properties of the same resulted in a comprehensive distributed data basis for the model. A clear focus on the dominating processes and the catena as the organizing landscape element in the given environmental setting enabled this. We employed the WASA (Water Availability in Semi-Arid environments) model for uncalibrated process-based water balance modelling and integrated a crop simulation subroutine based on the SWAP (Soil Water Atmosphere Plant) model to account for crop dynamics, feedbacks and yield estimation. While we found the data assessment strategy and the hydrological model application largely feasible, in terms of its accounting for scale, processes and model concepts, the simulation of feedbacks with crops was problematic. Contributing to the PUB issue, more general conclusions are drawn concerning spatially-distributed structural information and uncalibrated modelling.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor F. Hattermann     

在套管中激发环向传播的准SH波的有限元模拟及实验研究

目前评价固井质量的声波测井方法均是在井内泥浆中辐射声波,再耦合到套管中激发套管波,这种测量方式在重泥浆或含气的井筒内应用时受到了限制.本文将电磁超声换能器引入到套管井中,无需井内介质的声耦合直接在套管中激发沿着套管轴向偏振、周向传播的准SH波.利用多物理场有限元仿真技术优化设计了磁盘阵列式的偏置磁场和跑道型线圈结构的电磁超声换能器,基于洛伦兹力机理实现了在铁磁材料的套管中激发和接收环向传播的准SH波的电磁超声转换技术.根据优化设计结构在实验室研制了电磁超声换能器,有限元模拟和实验室测量均观测到了沿套管环向传播的零阶及一阶准SH波.有限元模拟结果还显示在胶结良好的套管井中,准SH波一边沿着套管环向传播,一边向水泥环中辐射准SH波; 在水泥和地层界面准SH波还会发生反射,再耦合到套管中被接收器接收到,通过对比硬地层和软地层两种套管井模型中接收的反射波信息,可观测到反射的准SH波相位相反,反射波和直达波的相位变化充分验证了准SH波的传播特征.