Intermittent Phase Transitions in a Slider-block Model as a Mechanism for Earthquakes

— The aperiodic behavior of a two-dimensional stick-slip slider-block model of earthquakes is the subject of this study. The phenomenon of temporal phase transitions between creep and stick-slip motions is thoroughly analyzed and attributed to type-I intermittency. Asymmetry in the elastic forces is shown to play a key role in the emergence of complex behavior in the model. The unpredictability of chaotic bursts in the intermittent regime indicates potential difficulties for earthquake forecasting.     

Transitions to broad cells in a nonlinear thermal convection system

Abstract

This paper explores the properties of a two-dimensional, Boussinesq convection model with an ad hoc term in the buoyancy tendency equation that represents a positive external feedback process acting on the buoyancy fluctuations. Linear stability analyses and nonlinear integrations are presented for the case of constant heat flux boundary conditions. Although the large wavenumber modes grow the fastest from a state of rest, the nonlinear solutions progressively evolve to cells of small wavenumber. Applications to mesoscale cellular convection in the atmosphere are discussed.     

Transitions in thermal convection with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity in a wide box

Numerical models are systematically presented for time-dependent thermal convection of Newtonian fluid with strongly temperature-dependent viscosity in a two-dimensional rectangular box of aspect ratio 3 at various values of the Rayleigh number Ra_b defined with viscosity at the bottom boundary up to 1.6×10⁸ and the viscosity contrast across the box r_η up to 10⁸. We found that there are two different series of bifurcations that take place as r_η increases. One series of bifurcations causes changes in the behavior of the thermal boundary layer along the surface boundary from small-viscosity-contrast (SVC) mode, through transitional (TR) mode, to stagnant-lid (ST) mode, or from SVC mode directly to ST mode, depending on Ra_b. Another series of bifurcations causes changes in the aspect ratio of convection cells; convection with an elongated cell can take place at moderate r_η (10³–10^5.5 at Ra_b=6×10⁶), while only convection of aspect ratio close to 1 takes place at small r_η and large r_η. The parameter range of r_η and Ra_b for elongated-cell convection overlaps the parameter range for SVC and ST modes and include the entire parameter range for TR mode. In the elongated-ST regime, the lid of highly viscous fluid along the top boundary is not literally ‘stagnant’ but can horizontally move at a velocity high enough to induce a convection cell with aspect ratio much larger than 1.     

Transitions to chaotic thermal convection in a rapidly rotating spherical fluid shell

Abstract

Numerical simulations of thermal convection in a rapidly rotating spherical fluid shell heated from below and within have been carried out with a nonlinear, three-dimensional, time-dependent pseudospectral code. The investigated phenomena include the sequence of transitions to chaos and the differential mean zonal rotation. At the fixed Taylor number T _a =10⁶ and Prandtl number Pr=1 and with increasing Rayleigh number R, convection undergoes a series of bifurcations from onset of steadily propagating motions SP at R=R _c = 13050, to a periodic state P, and thence to a quasi-periodic state QP and a non-periodic or chaotic state NP. Examples of SP, P, QP, and NP solutions are obtained at R = 1.3R _c , R = 1.7 R _c , R = 2R _c , and R = 5 R _c , respectively. In the SP state, convection rolls propagate at a constant longitudinal phase velocity that is slower than that obtained from the linear calculation at the onset of instability. The P state, characterized by a single frequency and its harmonics, has a two-layer cellular structure in radius. Convection rolls near the upper and lower surfaces of the spherical shell both propagate in a prograde sense with respect to the rotation of the reference frame. The outer convection rolls propagate faster than those near the inner shell. The physical mechanism responsible for the time-periodic oscillations is the differential shear of the convection cells due to the mean zonal flow. Meridional transport of zonal momentum by the convection cells in turn supports the mean zonal differential rotation. In the QP state, the longitudinal wave number m of the convection pattern oscillates among m = 3,4,5, and 6; the convection pattern near the outer shell has larger m than that near the inner shell. Radial motions are very weak in the polar regions. The convection pattern also shifts in m for the NP state at R = 5R _c , whose power spectrum is characterized by broadened peaks and broadband background noise. The convection pattern near the outer shell propagates prograde, while the pattern near the inner shell propagates retrograde with respect to the basic rotation. Convection cells exist in polar regions. There is a large variation in the vigor of individual convection cells. An example of a more vigorously convecting chaotic state is obtained at R = 50R _c . At this Rayleigh number some of the convection rolls have axes perpendicular to the axis of the basic rotation, indicating a partial relaxation of the rotational constraint. There are strong convective motions in the polar regions. The longitudinally averaged mean zonal flow has an equatorial superrotation and a high latitude subrotation for all cases except R = 50R _c , at this highest Rayleigh number, the mean zonal flow pattern is completely reversed, opposite to the solar differential rotation pattern.     

DNAPL to LNAPL Transitions During Horizontal Cosolvent Flooding

Cosolvent flooding is a technology with the potential to remove nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) sources from the subsurface. It can be used to initiate separate phase mobilization, which allows removal of NAPL within very few pore volumes. Mobilization may result in a sinking DNAPL bank during horizontal flooding of NAPLs denser than water. Reversal of phase density difference between aqueous and DNAPL phases could potentially avoid this downward migration of mobilized DNAPLs. We achieved phase density difference reversal and made DNAPLs float using two components in the cosolvent flooding solution. A low-density cosolvent partitions preferentially into the DNAPL and swells it, which causes a reduction in density of the DNAPL and reversal of the density difference between the NAPL and aqueous phases. A highdensity additive that remains in the aqueous phase allows the cosolvent flooding solution overall to have a density greater than that of water and permits control of the flooding instability. This study focused on tert-butanol as the swelling cosolvent and tetrachloroethylene as the contaminant. In batch tests with sucrose and glycerol as dense additives, phase density difference reversal occurred. To investigate the applicability of phase density difference reversal as a remediation technology, horizontal column and sandbox experiments were performed. These experiments demonstrated the occurrence of phase density difference reversal and effective remediation in horizontal cosolvent floods.     

Transitions in the style of mantle convection at high Rayleigh numbers

The pattern and style of mantle convection govern the thermal evolution, internal dynamics, and large-scale surface deformation of the terrestrial planets. In order to characterize the nature of heat transport and convective behaviour at Rayleigh numbers, Ra, appropriate for planetary mantles (between 10⁴ and 10⁸), we perform a set of laboratory experiments. Convection is driven by a temperature gradient imposed between two rigid surfaces, and there is no internal heating. As the Rayleigh number is increased, two transitions in convective behaviour occur. First we observe a change from steady to time-dependent convection at Ra≈10⁵. A second transition occurs at higher Rayleigh numbers, Ra≈5×10⁶, with large-scale time-dependent flow being replaced by isolated rising and sinking plumes. Corresponding to the latter transition, the exponent β in the power law relating the Nusselt number Nu to the Rayleigh number (NuRa^β) is reduced. Both rising and sinking plumes always consist of plume heads followed by tails. There is no characteristic frequency for the formation of plumes.     

Seacage aquaculture in a World Heritage Area: The environmental footprint of a Barramundi farm in tropical Australia

The fate of aquaculture wastes from a seacage farm within a pristine mangrove environment was studied. Seasonal and tidal differences were most important in determining water quality within receiving waters and obscured any nutrient enrichment effect by the farm. Farm wastes added significantly to the N budget status of the creek system, but overall water quality conformed to Queensland EPA Water Quality standards. Mangrove trees throughout the creek system contained ¹⁵N signatures traceable to aquaculture feeds, but the footprint of the farm itself was best indicated by the ratio of Zn:Li in sediments. The creek became hypoxic (<2 mg l⁻¹) during wet season low tides. Consequently, we recommended monitoring of water-column oxygen concentrations to warn of hypoxic conditions threatening to fish health, as well as Zn:Li ratios in sediment accumulation zones to determine the area of influence of the farm.     

国际历史地震研究动态

20 0 2年 7月 1～ 7日在意大利西西里岛召开了一次历史地震研究国际学术研讨会。此次会议共有来自 3 0多个国家的专家参加 ,正式代表 70多位。会议的主要召集人是 :阿科斯塔(V. Garcia Acosta,墨西哥 ) ,马森 (R. W. M.Musson,英国 )和斯图奇 (M.Stucchi,意大利 )。会议由意大利国家地球物理和火山研究所资助并主办。此次会议可以称为该专题的首次国际学术研讨会 ,主要议题是与会代表各自介绍本国在历史地震领域的研究情况 ,加强了解 ,促进合作。从一些代表的报告中可以看出 ,由于历史、地域及政治等原因 ,各国的情况很不平衡 ,但都给予…     

Electromagnetic induction in the World Ocean

The general state of global investigations of electromagnetic induction in the oceans and also some new results obtained in the past few years in the U.S.S.R. are considered.     

地震保险国际市场发展动态

处于全球主要地震带的30多个多地震国家经历了20世纪90年代地震保险经营期,这是一个破坏性地震多发期,也是伴生地震保险经营苦乐参半的时期.根据作者收集到的相关资料,对地震保险营销市场状况作了初步汇总,对地震带上有关国家的地震活动及其地震危险性的估计、地震保险经营决策过程和营销结果以及从中学到了什么、怎样运用到21世纪前20年代中去的几个问题作了概括的分析.     

Transitions in Human Health: Surviving This Millennium by Learning from the Past One Hundred Millennia

We have been living through several decades of great and rapid changes in the human condition. Life expectancies increased markedly during the twentieth century; populations are becoming 'older'; disease profiles are changing. The world is connecting up economically and electronically, market forces have become increasingly dominant, the post-Cold War political landscape has been transformed, cities are expanding rapidly, and material wealth is accruing — albeit unevenly. Meanwhile, however, a range of large-scale environmental changes is occurring, of which the most apparent is global climate change. This reflects a more fundamental process: the biosphere and its life-support systems are straining under the weight of human numbers, intensified food production, escalating carbon-based energy use and the spread of mass consumption behaviours. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

“天地图”在地震行业中的应用初探

根据地震行业地震信息发布的实际情况,利用“天地图”的GIS服务资源及其开放的网站服务接口API的相关函数,分析地震行业中的地震震中、历史地震分布、监测台站保护区、灾情上报、地震应急避难场所、宏微观异常上报和活动断层7个方面具体应用的空间地理信息及其它信息,在基于“天地图”地图资源的WEBGIS应用中予以实现,并在实际工...