MM5-HPAC simulation experiments

Summary We evaluate mesoscale model predicted boundary-layer flow and the subsequent HPAC (Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability) dispersion computation. The HPAC software allows for prediction of the effects of surface release of hazardous material into the atmosphere and collateral damage on civilian populations using either observed or numerical weather model data. The advanced mesoscale weather model MM5 was employed in the study. The real-data MM5 model simulations were verified with high-resolution observations from the West Texas Mesonet. MM5 worked well in simulating meteorologically relatively quiescent conditions. We examined the sensitivity of HPAC computations to the MM5 model’s grid resolution, lateral boundary conditions, and input weather data. Results suggest that the MM5-HPAC conjugation can provide useful prediction of airborne transport of hazardous materials near the surface. However, the accuracy of diffusion computations strongly depends on the performance of MM5, which in turn is likely to be a function of weather scenarios. A given state-of-the-art mesoscale model may perform well in some cases but not in others. There is a potential benefit of using several different model winds separately to run HPAC. A composite result of the HPAC runs could give a more comprehensive depiction of the transport of surface hazardous agents.     

Potential impacts of aerosol–land–atmosphere interactions on the Indian monsoonal rainfall characteristics

Aerosols can affect the cloud-radiation feedback and the precipitation over the Indian monsoon region. In this paper, we propose that another pathway by which aerosols can modulate the multi-scale aspect of Indian monsoons is by altering the land–atmosphere interactions. The nonlinear feedbacks due to aerosol/diffuse radiation on coupled interactions over the Indian monsoon region are studied by: (1) reviewing recent field measurements and modeling studies, (2) analyzing the MODIS and AERONET aerosol optical depth datasets, and (3) diagnosing the results from sensitivity experiments using a mesoscale modeling system. The results of this study suggest that the large magnitude of aerosol loading and its impact on land–atmosphere interactions can significantly influence the mesoscale monsoonal characteristics in the Indo-Ganges Basin.     

Effect of agricultural land use on the chemistry of groundwater from basaltic aquifers, Jeju Island, South Korea

Geochemical processes were identified as controlling factors of groundwater chemistry, including chemical weathering, salinization from seawater and dry sea-salt deposition, nitrate contamination, and rainfall recharge. These geochemical processes were identified using principal component analysis of major element chemistry of groundwater from basaltic aquifers in Jeju Island, South Korea, a volcanic island with intense agricultural activities. The contribution of the geochemical processes to groundwater chemistry was quantified by a simple mass-balance approach. The geochemical effects due to seawater were considered based on Cl contributions, whereas the effects due to natural chemical weathering were based on alkalinity. Nitrogenous fertilizers, and especially the associated nitrification processes, appear to significantly affect groundwater chemistry. A strong correlation was observed between Na, Mg, Ca, SO₄ and Cl, and nitrate concentrations in groundwater. Correspondingly, the total major cations, Cl, and SO₄ in groundwater were assessed to estimate relative effect of N-fertilizer use on groundwater chemistry. Cl originates more from nitrate sources than from seawater, whereas SO₄ originates mostly from rainwater. N-fertilizer use has shown the greatest effect on groundwater chemistry, particularly when nitrate concentrations exceed 6–7 mg/L NO₃–N. Nitrate contamination significantly affects groundwater quality and 18% of groundwater samples have contamination-dominated chemistry.     

A new approach of selecting real input ground motions for seismic design: The most unfavourable real seismic design ground motions

This paper presents a new way of selecting real input ground motions for seismic design and analysis of structures based on a comprehensive method for estimating the damage potential of ground motions, which takes into consideration of various ground motion parameters and structural seismic damage criteria in terms of strength, deformation, hysteretic energy and dual damage of Park & Ang damage index. The proposed comprehensive method fully involves the effects of the intensity, frequency content and duration of ground motions and the dynamic characteristics of structures. Then, the concept of the most unfavourable real seismic design ground motion is introduced. Based on the concept, the most unfavourable real seismic design ground motions for rock, stiff soil, medium soil and soft soil site conditions are selected in terms of three typical period ranges of structures. The selected real strong motion records are suitable for seismic analysis of important structures whose failure or collapse will be avoided at a higher level of confidence during the strong earthquake, as they can cause the greatest damage to structures and thereby result in the highest damage potential from an extended real ground motion database for a given site. In addition, this paper also presents the real input design ground motions with medium damage potential, which can be used for the seismic analysis of structures located at the area with low and moderate seismicity. The most unfavourable real seismic design ground motions are verified by analysing the seismic response of structures. It is concluded that the most unfavourable real seismic design ground motion approach can select the real ground motions that can result in the highest damage potential for a given structure and site condition, and the real ground motions can be mainly used for structures whose failure or collapse will be avoided at a higher level of confidence during the strong earthquake. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

重磁遗传算法三维反演中动态数组优化方法

将地下场源划分成很多规划小单元，并且反演这些单元的物性变化是重磁反演，特别是三维反演的重要方向。在应用遗传算法进行该类反演过程中，隐含着数据量大时高维动态数据内存管理问题。为此，作者在本文中提出了简单、有效的动态内存优化方法。     

从遥感影像提取道路特征的方法综述与展望

从遥感影像中提取道路特征已有许多研究，但仍存在许多问题有待解决。本文探讨了道路特征提取的基本思路，对道路特征提取的基本方法和现状进行了较全面的综述，介绍了具有代表性的特征提取方法，并对各个方法的特点进行了分析，最后对道路特征提取的研究前景进行了展望。     

地球自转率潮汐变化尺度因子的确定

地球自转速率的潮汐变化与尺度因子成正比 ,影响尺度因子各种地球物理机制是复杂的 ,主要有液核、海洋动力学 (平衡海潮和非平衡海潮 )、大气、地幔滞弹性等。文中讨论了大气、地幔滞弹性 ,并对影响地球自转尺度因子的同一机制不同理论模型进行了对比分析     

岩石层流变学的研究现状及存在问题

岩石层的流变学是一门综合性的学科，它不仅包括高温高压岩力学实验，而且还包括岩石圈的地质构造，物质组成和温度场特性的研究，70年代以来岩石力学实验和地质热研究的成果推动了岩石层流变学的发展，目前，人们应用已有的实验结果建立了岩石层流变学的剖面，并以此为基础讨论了许多大地构造现象，但是，人们对流变机制的转换，水对岩石层流变性的影响等问题尚不清楚，因此，为了深入的了解岩石层流变性质在岩石层运动学和动力学中的应用，必须开展岩石层流变机制的理论和实验研究，以便建立流变性质的三维分布，本文主要分析了岩石层的流变性质随深度变化的研究结果及其在实际中的应用，讨论了确定岩石层粘度或流变强度的主要因素并对岩石层的流变学研究方向提供了一些看法。     

东北农牧交错区水分条件的空间分异及其对土地利用的影响

大气降水、土壤水分和干燥度指数是在经度方向上控制区域景观格局的主要因素。本文运用最新的调查统计资料，对东北农牧交错区降水、土壤潜在蒸散量、干燥度指数及农作物生长期间土壤水分盈亏量的时间分布进行了分析；提出了研究区内作物生长季期间土壤潜在蒸散量的空间分布规律和干燥度指数的时空变化情形。结合水分条件的空间分布，提出了5种土地利用区域组合类型。