An HWRF-based ensemble assessment of the land surface feedback on the post-landfall intensification of Tropical Storm Fay (2008)

While tropical cyclones (TCs) usually decay after landfall, Tropical Storm Fay (2008) initially developed a storm central eye over South Florida by anomalous intensification overland. Unique to the Florida peninsula are Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades, which may have provided a surface feedback as the TC tracked near these features around the time of peak intensity. Analysis is done with the use of an ensemble model-based approach with the Developmental Testbed Center (DTC) version of the Hurricane WRF (HWRF) model using an outer domain and a storm-centered moving nest with 27- and 9-km grid spacing, respectively. Choice of land surface parameterization and small-scale surface features may influence TC structure, dictate the rate of TC decay, and even the anomalous intensification after landfall in model experiments. Results indicate that the HWRF model track and intensity forecasts are sensitive to three features in the model framework: land surface parameterization, initial boundary conditions, and the choice of planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme. Land surface parameterizations such as the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) Slab and Noah land surface models (LSMs) dominate the changes in storm track, while initial conditions and PBL schemes cause the largest changes in the TC intensity overland. Land surface heterogeneity in Florida from removing surface features in model simulations shows a small role in the forecast intensity change with no substantial alterations to TC track.     

Predicting permeability of tight carbonates using a hybrid machine learning approach of modified equilibrium optimizer and extreme learning machine

Acta Geotechnica - It is a problematic task to perform petro-physical property prediction of carbonate reservoir rocks in most cases, specifically for permeability prediction since a carbonate rock...     

Development of efficiently coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical model to predict hydraulic fracture morphology in heavy oil reservoirs

The aim of the study involves examining the effect of heavy oil viscosity on fracture geometry in detail by establishing a heavy oil fracturing model and conventional fracturing model based on thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) coupled theory, Walther viscosity model, and K–D–R temperature model. We consider viscosity and density within the heavy oil fracturing model as functions of pressure and temperature while that as constants within the conventional fracturing model. A heavy oil production well is set as an example to analyze the differences between the two models to account for the thermo-poro-elastic effect. The results show that temperature exhibits the most significant influence on the heavy oil viscosity while the influence of pressure is the least. In addition, a cooling area with a width of 0–1 m and varied length is generated near the fracture. The heavy oil viscosity increases sharply in this area, thereby indicating an area of viscosity increment. The heavy oil viscosity increases faster and is closer to wellbore, and a high viscosity increment reduces the mobility of the heavy oil and prevents the fracturing fluid from entering into the reservoir. The special viscosity distribution results in significant differences in pore pressure, oil saturation, and changing trends between these two models. In the heavy oil reservoir fracturing model, the thermal effect completely exceeds the influence of pore elasticity, and the values of the fracture length, width, and static pressure exceed those calculated in the conventional fracturing model. Thus, a comparison of the measured values indicates that the results obtained by considering viscosity as a function of temperature and pressure are more accurate. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to provide good guidelines for the design of heavy oil fracturing.     

The dominant driving force for supercontinent breakup: Plume push or subduction retreat?

Understanding the dominant force responsible for supercontinent breakup is crucial for establishing Earth's geodynamic evolution that includes supercontinent cycles and plate tectonics. Conventionally,two forces have been considered: the push by mantle plumes from the sub-continental mantle which is called the active force for breakup, and the dragging force from oceanic subduction retreat which is called the passive force for breakup. However, the relative importance of these two forces is unclear. Here we model the supercontinent breakup coupled with global mantle convection in order to address this question. Our global model features a spherical harmonic degree-2 structure, which includes a major subduction girdle and two large upwelling(superplume) systems. Based on this global mantle structure,we examine the distribution of extensional stress applied to the supercontinent by both subsupercontinent mantle upwellings and subduction retreat at the supercontinent peripheral. Our results show that:(1) at the center half of the supercontinent, plume push stress is ～3 times larger than the stress induced by subduction retreat;(2) an average hot anomaly of no higher than 50 K beneath the supercontinent can produce a push force strong enough to cause the initialization of supercontinent breakup;(3) the extensional stress induced by subduction retreat concentrates on a ～600 km wide zone on the boundary of the supercontinent, but has far less impact to the interior of the supercontinent. We therefore conclude that although circum-supercontinent subduction retreat assists supercontinent breakup, sub-supercontinent mantle upwelling is the essential force.     

电容测试法判断测井电缆系统故障

测井电缆因长途颠簸、拉伸及绞车缠绕挤压,电缆连接器、电缆、绞车滑环、滑环连线等部位极易出现故障。电容测试法是一种简易、快速的检测方法,该法可在现场准确诊断出故障电缆的位置。以四芯铠装电缆为例,每根缆芯的正常阻值约为80Ω/1 000m,两缆芯间的分布电容约为170PPF/1 000m。在实际检测中,根据电容较小时测点的位置,可以有效判断故障部位;而电缆故障位置则可利用电阻及电容的线性关系进行计算予以确定。     

中国地质勘查周期及成因分析

本文开拓性地系统研究建国以来中国地质勘查周期,引入经济周期理论、工业化发展阶段理论、矿产品使用强度理论、政治决策因素、市场因素等对地质勘查周期进行了解释,试图理清多年来认识不清的问题。通过统计建国以来历年地质勘查投入、钻探工作量、见矿异常和发现矿产地等数据,划分了8次地质勘查工作周期。在对我国经济周期和财政周期研究的基础上,提出了地勘工作周期与经济和财政周期相对应的观点。此外,通过研究建国以来工业化进程和国家经济发展战略的选择,结合矿产品使用强度变化趋势,认为在重工业化发展阶段,矿产品使用强度处于高位,从而地勘投入处于高位;在农业、轻工业化发展阶段,地勘工作逐渐走弱。2013年后,随着我国进入工业化后期阶段,地勘工作处于新一轮弱势状态。地勘工作周期体现了长期国家发展战略主动选择、工业化进程与短期财政和经济波动双重叠加的特点,短期政策因素则常对地勘周期波动时有放大或熨平作用。     

天然气藏类型及特征研究进展

研究天然气藏的特征,正确划分天然气藏的类型,指导天然气勘探开发工作。根据国内外相关文献综合分析,分析显示前人对天然气藏类型及特征的研究主要基于圈闭类型、储层岩性、流体特征三方面,并且集中于严格圈闭界限内的气藏;将气源岩、储层、盖层孤立看待。建议以砂、泥岩组合为基础对气藏特征进行研究;将源、储、盖看作一起,研究分布于大范围连片储集体内的气藏。     

Evaluation of petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in shallow groundwater by hydrogeochemical indicators and C, S-isotopes

Biodegradation is one of the main natural attenuation processes in groundwater contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. In this work, preliminary studies have been carried out by analyzing the concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dominant terminal electron accepters or donors, as well as δ ¹³C_DIC and δ ³⁴S_SO4, to reveal the biodegradation mechanism of petroleum hydrocarbons in a contaminated site. The results show that along groundwater flow in the central line of the plume, the concentrations of electron acceptors, pH, and E _h increased but TPH and DIC decreased. The δ ¹³C_DIC values of the contaminated groundwater were in the range of ?14.02 to ?22.28 ‰_PDB and ?7.71 to 8.36 ‰_PDB, which reflected a significant depletion and enrichment of ¹³C, respectively. The increase of DIC is believed to result from the non-methanogenic and methanogenic biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in groundwater. Meanwhile, from the contaminated source to the downgradient of the plume, the ³⁴S in the contaminated groundwater became more depleted. The Rayleigh model calculation confirmed the occurrence of bacterial sulfate reduction as a biodegradation pathway of the petroleum hydrocarbon in the contaminated aquifers. It was concluded that stable isotope measurements, combined with other biogeochemical measurements, can be a useful tool to prove the occurrence of the biodegradation process and to identify the dominant terminal electron-accepting process in contaminated aquifers.     

Holocene palaeoflood events recorded by slackwater deposits along the lower Jinghe River valley,middle Yellow River basin,China

Palaeoflood slackwater deposits (SWDs), are the natural record of overbank flooding and are often found within aeolian loess‐soil profiles along the river valleys of the middle Yellow River basin. These pedo‐stratigraphic sequences are studied using a multi‐disciplinarily approach to reconstruct Holocene hydro‐climatic variations. Our field investigations along the lower Jinghe River valley have identified palaeoflood SWDs at several sites along the riverbanks based on sedimentological criteria. Analytical results, including magnetic susceptibility, particle‐size distribution and concentrations of chemical elements, indicate that these well‐sorted palaeoflood SWD beds were deposited from the suspended sediment load in floodwaters. We identify two episodes of extraordinary palaeoflood events along the Jinghe River valley. These hydro‐climatic events were dated to 4200–4000 and 3200–2800 a BP, by using the optically stimulated luminescence method in combination with archaeological dating of retrieved anthropogenic remains, and with pedo‐stratigraphic correlations with the previously studied Holocene pedo‐stratigraphy in the Jinghe River drainage basin. The flooding events are therefore considered to be a regional expression of known climatic events in the northern hemisphere and demonstrate Holocene climate was far from stable. This study provides important data in understanding the interactions between regional hydro‐climatic systems and global change in semi‐arid and sub‐humid regions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.