Inverse groundwater modelling in the Willunga Basin,South Australia

A new inverse technique for modelling groundwater flow, based on a functional minimization technique, has been used to calibrate a groundwater flow model of a subregion of the Port Willunga aquifer within the Willunga Basin in South Australia. The Willunga Basin is the location of extensive viticulture, irrigated primarily by groundwater, the levels and quality of which have declined significantly over the last 40 years. The new method is able to generate estimates of transmissivity, storativity and groundwater recharge over the whole subregion as a time-varying continuous surface; previous methods estimate local discrete parameter values at specific times. The new method has also been shown to produce accurate head values for the subregion and very good estimates of groundwater recharge. Its ultimate goal will be to provide a new and invaluable tool for significantly improved groundwater resource management. Supported in part by US National Science Foundation grants, DMS-0107492 and DMS-0079478.     

Effects of climate change on the groundwater system in the Grote-Nete catchment,Belgium

The effects of climate change on the groundwater systems in the Grote-Nete catchment, Belgium, covering an area of 525 km², is modeled using wet (greenhouse), cold or NATCC (North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation Change) and dry climate scenarios. Low, central and high estimates of temperature changes are adopted for wet scenarios. Seasonal and annual water balance components including groundwater recharge are simulated using the WetSpass model, while mean annual groundwater elevations and discharge are simulated with a steady-state MODFLOW groundwater model. WetSpass results for the wet scenarios show that wet winters and drier summers are expected relative to the present situation. MODFLOW results for wet high scenario show groundwater levels increase by as much as 79 cm, which could affect the distribution and species richness of meadows. Results obtained for cold scenarios depict drier winters and wetter summers relative to the present. The dry scenarios predict dry conditions for the whole year. There is no recharge during the summer, which is mainly attributed to high evapotranspiration rates by forests and low precipitation. Average annual groundwater levels drop by 0.5 m, with maximum of 3.1 m on the eastern part of the Campine Plateau. This could endanger aquatic ecosystem, shrubs, and crop production.     

Core–mantle boundary deformations and J2 variations resulting from the 2004 Sumatra earthquake

The deformation at the core–mantle boundary produced by the 2004 Sumatra earthquake is investigated by means of a semi-analytic theoretical model of global coseismic and postseismic deformation, predicting a millimetric coseismic perturbation over a large portion of the core–mantle boundary. Spectral features of such deformations are analysed and discussed. The time-dependent postseismic evolution of the elliptical part of the gravity field ( J ₂) is also computed for different asthenosphere viscosity models. Our results show that, for asthenospheric viscosities smaller than 10¹⁸ Pa s, the postseismic J ₂ variation in the next years is expected to leave a detectable signal in geodetic observations.     

Impact of root architecture on the erosion‐reducing potential of roots during concentrated flow

Many studies focus on the effects of vegetation cover on water erosion rates, whereas little attention has been paid to the effects of the below ground biomass. Recent research indicates that roots can reduce concentrated flow erosion rates significantly. In order to predict this root effect more accurately, this experimental study aims at gaining more insight into the importance of root architecture, soil and flow characteristics to the erosion‐reducing potential of roots during concentrated flow. Treatments were (1) bare, (2) grass (representing a fine‐branched root system), (3) carrots (representing a tap root system) and (4) carrots and fine‐branched weeds (representing both tap and fine‐branched roots). The soil types tested were a sandy loam and a silt loam. For each treatment, root density, root length density and mean root diameter (D) were assessed. Relative soil detachment rates and mean bottom flow shear stress were calculated. The results indicate that tap roots reduce the erosion rates to a lesser extent compared with fine‐branched roots. Different relationships linking relative soil detachment rate with root density could be established for different root diameter classes. Carrots with very fine roots (D < 5 mm) show a similar negative exponential relationship between root density and relative soil detachment rate to grass roots. With increasing root diameter (5 < D < 15 mm) the erosion‐reducing effect of carrot type roots becomes less pronounced. Additionally, an equation estimating the erosion‐reducing potential of root systems containing both tap roots and fine‐branched roots could be established. Moreover, the erosion‐reducing potential of grass roots is less pronounced for a sandy loam soil compared with a silt loam soil and a larger erosion‐reducing potential for both grass and carrot roots was found for initially wet soils. For carrots grown on a sandy loam soil, the erosion‐reducing effect of roots decreases with increasing flow shear stress. For grasses, grown on both soil types, no significant differences could be found according to flow shear stress. The erosion‐reducing effect of roots during concentrated flow is much more pronounced than suggested in previous studies dealing with interrill and rill erosion. Root density and root diameter explain the observed erosion rates during concentrated flow well for the different soil types tested. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pure aluminium shear panels as dissipative devices in moment‐resisting steel frames

The use of energy dissipation systems for the seismic control of steel structures represents a valid alternative to conventional seismic design methods. The seismic devices currently employed are mostly based on the metallic yielding technology due to the large feasibility and efficiency they can provide. Within this context, in the current paper an innovative solution based on the adoption of low‐yield‐strength pure aluminium shear panels (SPs) for seismic protection of steel moment‐resisting frames is proposed and investigated. In order to prove the effectiveness of the system, a wide numerical study based on both static and dynamic non‐linear analyses has been carried out, considering a number of different frame‐to‐shear panel combinations, aiming at assessing the effect of the main influential parameters on the seismic response of the structure. The obtained results show that the contribution provided by aluminium SPs is rather significant, allowing a remarkable improvement of the seismic performance of the structure in terms of stiffness, strength and ductility, with the possibility to strongly limit the damage occurring in the members of moment‐resisting frames. In particular, it is clearly emphasized that the stiffening effect provided by SPs allows a more rational design procedure to be adopted, since the serviceability limit state check does not lead to unavoidable and uneconomical increase of the size of main structural members. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

海量数据CDT快速建立及其实时更新

对海量地形数据快速整体CDT生成、实时更新等算法进行了研究，并在AutoCAd环境下研制了公路数字地面模型软件BID－Land,实现了与公路CAD的集成。190多公里国家重点公路工程勘察设计中的实际应用表明，程序算法具有很强的实用性、极高的效率和良好的地形模拟精度。     

2—（2，3，5—三氮唑偶氮）—1，8—二羟基—3，6—萘二磺酸与钴的显色反应及应用

介绍了新水溶性显色剂 2 - ( 2 ,3,5 -三氮唑偶氮 ) - 1 ,8-二羟基 - 3,6-萘二磺酸与钴的显色反应及应用 ,建立了测定钴的新方法。在 pH 9.9的Na2 B4O7 NaOH缓冲液中该试剂与钴形成 1∶1蓝色稳定络合物 ,λmax为 5 88.8nm ,Co的质量浓度在 0～ 1 .0mg/L内符合比尔定律 ,表观摩尔吸光系数为 3.46× 1 0 4 L·mol- 1 ·cm- 1 。所拟方法用于环境水样及维生素B1 2 注射液中的微量钴测定 ,结果与原子吸收法相符 ,5次测定的RSD <1 %。     

略论煤的变质问题

我国煤的变质作用根据受热的主要热源及其作用方式和煤质特征，可归纳为三种基本类型。即：深成变质作用、岩浆热变质作用和动力变质作用。此外，1988年中国地质大学潘治贵等，通过对青海热水矿区研究发现而命名为一种新变质作用类型-热水变质作用。在前人研究的基础上，笔者拟就影响变变质的主要因素谈谈看法，供讨论。     

西北地区水资源若干问题探讨

在对我国西北地区水资源及开发利用现状进行分析的基础上，针对如何认识西北地区的缺水问题，如何评价西北地区地下水资源的重要性，怎样看待深层地下水资源以及开采地下水可能引起的环境地质问题等，进行了较深入的分析论述，指出进一步查清西北地区地下水资源，尤其是中深层地下水资源，并加以科学、适度的开发和合理利用，是解决西北地区水资源短缺问题的重要途径之一。     

卫星遥感在监视地震中的可应用性

阐述了卫星遥感技术及其产品在地震监视中的可应用性。已有震例的研究结果表明 ,震中附近存在着显著的震前地表增热现象。利用 RS热红外卫星遥感资料地气系统射出长波辐射信息 (即 OL R值 ) ,不仅可以有效地预测未来地震发生的区域 ,还可以对地表监测项目 (如地磁、地下流体、形变等 )中资料的可靠程度作出诊断。采用卫星遥感系统与地面监视系统的“融合”,形成空间与地面相结合的多源观测信息支撑的地震监视体系 ,将有助于提高我国的震情监视和预测能力