A Simple Eddy Viscosity Model of Rough Turbulent Wave Boundary Layer

- A one-layer time-invariant eddy viscosity model is specified to develop a mathematical model for describing the essential features of the turbulent wave boundary layer over a rough bed. The functional form of the eddy viscosity is evaluated based on computational results from a two-equation turbulence model in which the eddy viscosity varies with time and space. The present eddy viscosity model simplifies much of the mathematical complexity in many existing models. Predictions from the present model have been compared with a wide range of experimental data. It is found that the eddy viscosity model adopted in the present study is physically reasonable.     

Microbial biomineralization processes forming modern Ca:Mg carbonate stromatolites

Modern Ca:Mg carbonate stromatolites form in association with the microbial mat in the hypersaline coastal lagoon, Lagoa Vermelha (Brazil). The stromatolites, although showing diversified fabrics characterized by thin or crude lamination and/or thrombolitic clotting, exhibit a pervasive peloidal microfabric. The peloidal texture consists of dark, micritic aggregates of very high‐Mg calcite and/or Ca dolomite formed by an iso‐oriented assemblage of sub‐micron trigonal polyhedrons and organic matter. Limpid acicular crystals of aragonite arranged in spherulites surround these aggregates. Unlike the aragonite crystals, organic matter is present consistently in the dark, micritic carbonate comprising the peloids. This organic matter is observed as sub‐micron flat and filamentous mucus‐like structures inside the interspaces of the high‐Mg calcite and Ca dolomite crystals and is interpreted as the remains of degraded extracellular polymeric substances. Moreover, many fossilized bacterial cells are associated strictly with both carbonate phases. These cells consist mainly of 0·2 to 4 μm in diameter, sub‐spherical, rod‐like and filamentous forms, isolated or in colony‐like clusters. The co‐existence of fossil extracellular polymeric substances and bacterial bodies, associated with the polyhedrons of Ca:Mg carbonate, implies that the organic matter and microbial metabolism played a fundamental role in the precipitation of the minerals that form the peloids. By contrast, the lack of extracellular polymeric substances in the aragonitic phase indicates an additional precipitation mechanism. The complex processes that induce mineral precipitation in the modern Lagoa Vermelha microbial mat appear to be recorded in the studied lithified stromatolites. Sub‐micron polyhedral crystal formation of high‐Mg calcite and/or Ca dolomite results from the coalescence of carbonate nanoglobules around degraded organic matter nuclei. Sub‐micron polyhedral crystals aggregate to form larger ovoidal crystals that constitute peloids. Subsequent precipitation of aragonitic spherulites around peloids occurs as micro‐environmental water conditions around the peloids change.     

COMPARISON BETWEEN RESULTS OF MODEL TESTS AND OBSERVED DATA FOR THE FLUCTUATING BACKWATER REGION OF THE GEZHOUBA RESERVOIR

The fluctuationg backwater region of a reservoir has a twofold property of a river as well as a reservoir and undergoes scouring and deposition alternately. Phys- ical model simulating the fluvial processes in a fluctuating backwater region has to ensure the similarities of both scouring and deposition. This causes some difficulties in model design and the selection of model sediment. This paper describes the model study of the fluctuating backwater region of the Gezhouba Project on the Yangtze River. Plastic particles with specific gravity of 1 .056 are used. The physical. model covers a reach of mountainous river 130 km in length. The experimental results show that the total amount of deposit, its distribution along the reach, the size distribution of the deposit, and lengths of the backwater region for various discharges all agree very well with the measured data in reservoir after 5 years of operation. This fact indicates that the model design, including the selection of model sediment, is quite acceptable.     

Calculation of Wave Reflection Coefficient for Perforated-Pipe Breakwater

The hollow-pipe perforated breakwater is of low reflection. In this paper the functions of reflection coefficients of both regular and random waves are theoretically derived, based on the concept of linear superimposition of reflected and incident waves and with the total flow rate continuity of integral form instead of the non-continuity of the boundary condition, and based on the concept of linear wave spectrum theory. Comparisons between theoretical results presented here and measurements of model tests show reasonable agreement.     

Dynamic Finite Element Analysis for Interaction between Two Phase Saturated Soil Foundation and Platform

In this paper, the foundation soil of offshore structure is simulated as a two phase saturated porous medium. The dynamic equations of porous medium and finite element formulation are given. For structural analysis, the technique of multilevel substructure is used, and the saturated soil analysis is set in the highest level substructure model. Based on these theories a dynamic finite element analysis program DIASS for the analysis of interaction between two phase ocean soil foundation and platform structures has been developed. A numerical example is given here to illustrate the influence of the pore water in soil on the structural response of an ocean platform.     

Fatigue Test of Homemade Z Direction Steel Welded T Tubular Joints

This paper introduces the process and result of fatigue test of steel (Z direction steel) welded T tubular joints used in offshore engineering. Detailed measurement of stress concentration factor, stress distribution, fatigue life and crack development has been performed. Through analysis, an empirical formula of stress concentration factor for T tubular joints, fatigue S-N curve and crack propagation rule are obtained.     

Modification of Wirsching’s Model for Fatigue Reliability Analysis

First,Wirsching＇s model,which is widely employed in fatigue reliability anlysis of marine andoffshore structures,is analysed systematically.It is found that the very important random variable △ inWirsching＇s model can not be directly determined from fatigue experiment because of the irreversibility offatigue test,and in fact,what Wirsching studied from testing results is not △ but α of the statistical Miner＇srule.Second,by use of the statistical Miner＇s rule,a modified Wirsching＇s model is proposed.Thirdly andmore importantly,based on the two-dimensional probabilistic Miner＇s rule,a new model is established forfatigue reliability analysis of structural components subjected to specified cyclic loading of variableamplitude or stochastic time history.In the end,an example is presented,from which it will be seen thatthis new model is very convenient to use and feasible to engineering practice.     

Longshore Current on an Equilibrium Beach

Natural beaches tend to be concave-up rather than planar and are reasonable to be modeled by an equilibrium beach profile. A governing equation for longshore current on an equilibrium beach is derived and its analytical solution is given in this paper. Through comparisons of the present solution and field data of longshore current for a step-type beach, the present solution is found to have fairly agreeable prediction to longshore current inside the surf zone. The effects of the shape of a concave-up beach and turbulent mixing stress on longshore current inside the surf zone are discussed in the present paper.     

Carbonate stromatolites from a Messinian hypersaline setting in the Caltanissetta Basin, Sicily: petrographic evidence of microbial activity and related stable isotope and rare earth element signatures

Lower Messinian stromatolites of the Calcare di Base Formation at Sutera in Sicily record periods of low sea‐level, strong evaporation and elevated salinity, thought to be associated with the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Overlying aragonitic limestones were precipitated in normal to slightly evaporative conditions, occasionally influenced by an influx of meteoric water. Evidence of bacterial involvement in carbonate formation is recorded in three dolomite‐rich stromatolite beds in the lower portion of the section that contain low domes with irregular crinkly millimetre‐scale lamination and small fenestrae. The dominant microfabrics are: (i) peloidal and clotted dolomicrite with calcite‐filled fenestrae; (ii) dolomicrite with bacterium‐like filaments and pores partially filled by calcite or black amorphous matter; and (iii) micrite in which fenestrae alternate with dark thin wispy micrite. The filaments resemble Beggiatoa‐like sulphur bacteria. Under scanning electron microscopy, the filaments consist of spherical aggregates of dolomite, interpreted to result from calcification of bacterial microcolonies. The dolomite crystals are commonly arranged as rounded grains that appear to be incorporated or absorbed into developing crystal faces. Biofilm‐like remains occur in voids between the filaments. The dolomite consistently shows negative δ¹³C values (down to ?11·3‰) and very positive δ¹⁸O (mean value 7·9‰) that suggest formation as primary precipitate with a substantial contribution of organic CO₂. Very negative δ¹³C values (down to ?31·6‰) of early diagenetic calcite associated with the dolomite suggest contribution of CO₂ originating by anaerobic methane oxidation. The shale‐normalized rare earth element patterns of Sutera stromatolites show features similar to those in present‐day microbial mats with enrichment in light rare earth elements, and M‐type tetrad effects (enrichment around Pr coupled to a decline around Nd and a peak around Sm and Eu). Taken together, the petrography and geochemistry of the Sutera stromatolites provide diverse and compelling evidence for microbial influence on carbonate precipitation.     

DESIGN AND REALIZATION OF MAP DIGITIZATION SYSTEM ON MICRO-COMPUTER BASED MAP GRAPHIC WORKSTATION

The main purpose to develop a Map Graphic Workstation on thewidely used micro-computer is that by it the whole processing of map data fromcapturing,managing,editing,updating to graphic outputting can be realized.Map Digitization System（MDS）is the software system to deal with the initial andalso the most important processing.In this paper,the authors introduce a MDSon a micro-computer based Map Grphic Workstation that has been qualitified forthe producation of digital map.Since the system is designed totally independentlyand in the general frame of the Map Graphic Workstation,the capturing and man-aging and other processings for map data are in an integral manner,in which theproducation of digital map can be fulfilled conveniently.At the same time,thesystem is flexible for function extension and widely applicable to the data from dif-ferent sources and with different information characterisitcs(e.g.,the processingof Chinese characters on map).