L群普通球粒陨石母体的撞击历史

撞击作用发生在太阳系形成和演化的所有阶段,是最基本的地质过程之一.陨石可以从微观尺度记录下这些重要的过程.在所有陨石族群中,L 群普通球粒陨石保留了最完备的冲击变质记录,对撞击发生的时间、冲击过程中的物理条件提供了重要制约.矿物学证据表明,在太阳系形成 100 Ma 内,L 群陨石母体可能发生一次撞击裂解事件,并在随后重组.4. 48 Ga左右,原始小行星带经历大范围的撞击作用,这一事件也记录于L群普通球粒陨石中,可能是由月球大撞击事件溅射的大量碎屑进入到原始主小行星带引起.约800 Ma,包括L群陨石母体在内的内太阳系部分天体经历了同时期撞击事件,可能由这一时期裂解的大质量小行星产生的溅射物引发.L群陨石母体在～465 Ma发生撞击裂解,这一事件在 L 群陨石中保留了丰富的矿物学、年代学记录,并在地球全球奥陶纪地层发现相关信息.综合与该事件相关的所有L群陨石冲击变质特征,本文认为该裂解事件是由一颗大直径(18～22 km)石陨石质小行星,以较低速率(5～6 km/s)撞击导致.同位素年代学数据表明,L 群普通球粒陨石母体很可能未受到晚期大撞击事件的影响,这难以用L群陨石母体过小予以解释.可能的原因有:① L群普通球粒陨石母体在原始主小行星带分布非常有限,导致其受到晚期大撞击事件影响的概率不高;② 晚期大撞击事件对原始主小行星带的影响可能并没有之前估计的那么严重,一个持续时间更长但更加温和的撞击模型更加符合现阶段的观察.     

A hurricane surge risk assessment framework using the joint probability method and surge response functions

Hurricane surge events have caused devastating damage in active-hurricane areas all over the world. The ability to predict surge elevations and to use this information for damage estimation is fundamental for saving lives and protecting property. In this study, we developed a framework for evaluating hurricane flood risk and identifying areas that are more prone to them. The approach is based on the joint probability method with optimal sampling (JPM-OS) using surge response functions (SRFs) (JPM-OS-SRF). Derived from a discrete set of high-fidelity storm surge simulations, SRFs are non-dimensional, physics-based empirical equations with an algebraic form, used to rapidly estimate surge as a function of hurricane parameters (i.e., central pressure, radius, forward speed, approach angle and landfall location). The advantage of an SRF-based approach is that a continuum of storm scenarios can be efficiently evaluated and used to estimate continuous probability density functions for surge extremes, producing more statistically stable surge hazard assessments without adding measurably to epistemic uncertainty. SRFs were developed along the coastline and then used to estimate maximum surge elevations with respect to a set of hurricane parameters. Integrating information such as ground elevation, property value and population with the JPM-OS-SRF allows quantification of storm surge-induced hazard impacts over the continuum of storm possibilities, yielding a framework to create the following risk-based products, which can be used to assist in hurricane hazard management and decision making: (1) expected annual loss maps; (2) flood damage versus return period relationships; and (3) affected business (e.g., number of business, number of employees) versus return period relationships. By employing several simplifying assumptions, the framework is demonstrated at three northern Gulf of Mexico study sites exhibiting similar surge hazard exposure. The framework results reveal Gulfport, MS, USA is at relatively more risk of economic loss than Corpus Christi, TX, USA, and Panama City, FL, USA. Note that economic processes are complex and very interrelated to most other human activities. Our intention here is to present a methodology to quantify the flood damage (i.e., infrastructure economic loss, number of businesses affected, number of employees in these affected businesses and sales volume in these affected businesses) but not to discuss the complex interactions of these damages with other economic activities and recovery plans.     

南极格罗夫山普通球粒陨石的矿物岩石学特征

本文研究了第19次中国南极科学考察队收集的97块普通球粒陨石样品的矿物岩石学特征,在此基础上划分了陨石的岩石学类型、化学群、冲击变质和风化类型。共发现5块非平衡型普通球粒陨石:GRV 020011(L3),GRV 020035(H3),GRV 020054(H3),GRV 020137(L3)和GRV020169(L3)。化学群分类的结果是H群陨石24块,L群70块,LL群3块。多数样品的冲击变质程度较低,但也有少量样品具有S5型的冲击变质特征。样品的风化程度普遍较低,仅GRV020055(H5),GRV022123(L5)和GRV022462(LL6)3块陨石达到了W3型。     

Characteristics of the outer rise seaward of the Manila Trench and implications in Taiwan–Luzon convergent belt, South China Sea

The outer rise on the distal periphery of a subduction system is caused by emplacement of an accreted load onto the flexed oceanic lithosphere. By examining the bathymetry and free-air gravity anomaly data collected by satellite observations and marine reflection seismic data collected during the TAIGER project, we demonstrate the characteristics of the flexural outer rise seaward of the Manila Trench. The region of the outer rise on the westernmost periphery of the Manila subduction system is characterized by the positive free-air gravity anomaly seaward parallel to the Manila Trench and the morphological rise at the south of the Manila subduction system. A flexure simulation is performed based on the flexural profiles along the southern Manila Trench-outer system and the resulting effective elastic thickness values may provide an alternative aspect for the spreading rates of the South China Sea basin. Since both the western periphery of the Taiwan collision belt and Manila subduction belt are dominated by the strain regime of extension of flexural origin, it appears that the strain regime of flexural extension associated with the flexural forebulge of the Western Taiwan Foreland Basin to the north, and the strain regime of flexural extension associated with the outer rise seaward of the Manila Trench to the south are meridionally interconnected. This revised understanding of the strain regime of flexural extension origin west of the Taiwan–Luzon convergent belt provides an alternative point of view on the strain regime offshore SW Taiwan.     

Comparison of capability of time integration methods in capturing dynamic loading

Numerical properties of the time integration method proposed by the first author of this paper in 2007 are the same as those of the constant average acceleration method (AAM) for linear elastic systems, except that the capability to capture dynamic loading was not explored. It was found that there were different quadrature equations to predict the next step displacement increment. A modified quadrature equation of this method was derived so that the equation to determine the next step displacement was numerically equivalent to the equation used in the constant AAM. It was verified that the original form of this method, in general, had a better capability to capture dynamic loadings than the constant AAM. This excellent property, in addition to computational efficiency, will help to make this method competitive with general secondorder accurate integration methods.     

An alternative expression for the variance factors in using Iterated Almost Unbiased Estimation

An alternative expression has been derived for the variance factors when estimating weights according to the Iterated Almost Unbiased Estimation (IAUE) technique. A variance factor can be approximately estimated by finding the ratio of the group redundancy numbers at any two successive iterations. The numerical example of the first-order leveling network of Taiwan indicates: that stabilization of the redundancy number of an observation occurs as the variance factor associated with it converges to unity; that variance factors tend to approach unity for individual groups with large redundancy; and that for those variance factors which fail to converge to unity, the redundancy numbers decrease monotonically as the iteration proceeds. Received: 16 April 1996 / Accepted: 9 June 1998     

台湾及其邻近地区的海啸

台湾位于环太平洋地震带,不仅陆上地震频繁,发生在海外的地震也不少,但其中仅有极少数的海底地震曾引起海啸。然而,由于台湾北部及西部水深极浅,近距离海底地震所引起的海啸有可能会造成重大灾害,对１８６７年发生在台湾基隆附近的海啸曾造成数百人死伤。     

Spatio-temporal Slip, and Stress Level on the Faults within the Western Foothills of Taiwan: Implications for Fault Frictional Properties

We use preseismic, coseismic, and postseismic GPS data of the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake to infer spatio-temporal variation of fault slip and frictional behavior on the Chelungpu fault. The geodetic data shows that coseismic slip during the Chi-Chi earthquake occurred within a patch that was locked in the period preceding the earthquake, and that afterslip occurred dominantly downdip from the ruptured area. To first-order, the observed pattern and the temporal evolution of afterslip is consistent with models of the seismic cycle based on rate-and-state friction. Comparison with the distribution of temperature on the fault derived from thermo-kinematic modeling shows that aseismic slip becomes dominant where temperature is estimated to exceed 200° at depth. This inference is consistent with the temperature induced transition from velocity-weakening to velocity-strengthening friction that is observed in laboratory experiments on quartzo-feldspathic rocks. The time evolution of afterslip is consistent with afterslip being governed by velocity-strengthening frictional sliding. The dependency of friction, μ, on the sliding velocity, V, is estimated to be ${{\partial \mu }/{\partial \, {\rm ln}\, V}} = 8 \times 10^{ - 3}$ . We report an azimuthal difference of about 10–20° between preseismic and postseismic GPS velocities, which we interpret to reflect the very low shear stress on the creeping portion of the décollement beneath the Central Range, of the order of 1–3 MPa, implying a very low friction of about 0.01. This study highlights the importance of temperature and pore pressure in determining fault frictional sliding.     

Photocatalytic degradation of spill oils on TiO(2) nanotube thin films

The nitrogen-doped TiO(2) nanotube (N-TNT) thin films were synthesized using ZnO nanorods as the template and doped with urea at 623K. Under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation, the efficiencies for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue is as high as 30%. About 10% of toluene (representing aromatics in the spill oils) in sea water can be photocatalytically degraded under visible light radiation for 120 min. The aliphatic model compound (1-hexadecene) has, on the contrary, a less efficiency (8%) on the N-TNT photocatalyst. On the average, under visible light radiation, the effectnesses of the N-TNT for photocatalytic degradation of model compounds in the spill oils in sea water are 0.38 mg toluene/gN-TNTh and 0.25 mg 1-hexadecene/gN-TNTh. It is expected that spill oils in the harbors or seashores can be adsorbed and photocatalytically degraded on the N-TNT thin films that are coated onto levee at the sea water surface level.     

Damage detection of a thin plate using modal curvature via macrostrain measurement

Plate structures are employed as important structural components in many engineering applications. Hence, assessing the structural conditions of in-service plate structures is critical to monitoring global structural health. Modal curvature-based damage detection techniques have recently garnered considerable attention from the research community, and have become a promising vibration-based structural health monitoring solution. However, computing errors arise when calculating modal curvatures from lateral mode shapes, which result from unavoidable measurement errors in the mode shapes as identified from lateral vibration signals; this makes curvature-based algorithms that use a lateral measurement only theoretically feasible, but practically infeasible. Therefore, in this study, long-gauge fiber Bragg grating strain sensors are employed to obtain a modal curvature without a numerical differentiation procedure in order to circumvent the computing errors. Several damage indices based on modal curvatures that were developed to locate beam damage are employed. Both numerical and experimental studies are performed to validate the proposed approach. However, although previous studies have reported relative success with the application of these damage indices on a simple beam, only one damage index demonstrated the capability to locate damage when the stiffness of the local region changed near the sensor.