The structure of ocean-surface currents measured by Doppler radar

The spatial structure of surface currents collected using a Doppler Radar system off the Florida Keys has been investigated. Surface current vectors were acquired within a rectilinear grid containing 700 nodes, where each node was spaced 1 km apart. Principal component analyses indicate that at least 63% of the variance of the surface currents at the 700 nodal locations can be accounted for by only three principal components. The principal modes of circulation during two separate experiments were extracted and found to be basically the same, although the first two modes were reversed between the two experiments. Coherence spectra were determined for nodal spacings between 1.76 km and 10.48 km, and the results of these analyses indicate that over most of the experimental area, approximately 60% of the variance is coherent over separations of 10.48 km. Application of a synoptic time-series model indicates that accurate prediction of the mean currents over each of the 65-h subrecord lengths was the dominant factor in controlling model performance, and that on the order of 10% error could be expected in using the time-series model to predict the low-frequency fluctuations. This indicates that time-series modeling of surface currents may be feasible and useful in estimating the long-term mixing characteristics of contaminants transported in the surface layer     

太行山前平原非河道条件下地下调蓄功能实验研究--以滹沱河冲洪积平原为例

摘要：通过实验研究探讨了太行山前平原地下调蓄能力,实验研究表明,在汇水坑渗、井灌和引水渠渗条件下,太行山前冲洪积平原地下调蓄功能不仅与地表积水深度、入渗时间有关,而且还与汇水总量的多少有关。单位时间渗漏量的大小与地表蓄水深度呈正相关关系。地表蓄水深度愈大,单位时间渗漏量愈大;累计渗漏量随着入渗时间的延长而增加,渗漏速率随着累计渗漏量的增加而减小。采用井灌方式进行地下调蓄的关键,是选择具有强渗透性的层位。     

A Titanosaurian Sauropod Dinosaur with Opisthocoelous Caudal Vertebrae from the Early Late Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China

We describe a new titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur, Borealosaurus wimani gen. et sp. nov., based on a distinctive mid-distal caudal vertebra from the early Late Cretaceous Sunjiawan Formation exposed in the Shuangmiao village of Beipiao in Liaoning, China. We provisionally refer an isolated tooth crown, a middle caudal vertebra, and a right humerus from the same locality and horizon to this taxon. Borealosaurus is distinguished from other sauropods in its possession of opisthocoelous mid-distal caudal vertebrae. The occurrence of opisthocoelous caudals in Borealosaurus and the Mongolian sauropod Opisthocoelicaudia raises the possibility that these taxa pertain to an as-yet unrecognized titanosaurian subclade endemic to the Cretaceous Asia.     

贝塞尔曲线在虚拟森林景观单树几何模型构建中的应用

虚拟景观模型的生成,需要对实际景观进行抽象和简化。树几何模型和数字高程模型(DEM)是构成虚拟森林景观的两大要素。而树几何模型的构建又是林业GIS三维可视化的基础。在树几何建模中,树干及树枝形状的可视化表达具有突出意义。由于实际树种的复杂性,在计算机中建树模型,通常采用基于过程建模的方式,而这将面临用户如何对模型进行交互式控制的问题：参数太少,不足以描述树形态特征,而参数太多,则模型难以生成和理解。为了解决这个问题,我们引进贝塞尔(Bezier)曲线这种基于控制点的自由曲线来描述树木中的树干以及树枝形状,利用对曲线控制点的变动来控制曲线的形状,进而生成形态各异的树形状,对此,我们基于ActiveX技术生成Bezier曲线控件。结果表明,该方法能够表示多种形状的树干与树枝,具有操作简捷、计算速度快,可视化效果良好的优点。     

碱性玄武岩中幔源岩石包体内尖晶石成分特征及其岩石学成因意义

通过对我国东部北起黑龙江省南至海南省３１个产地的新生代碱性玄武岩中橄榄岩类 （纯橄岩、方辉橄榄岩及二辉橄榄岩） 包体和辉石岩类包体中的１６０ 多个尖晶石电子探针分析数据, 论述了尖晶石的Ｃｒ－Ａｌ, Ｆｅ－Ｍｇ, Ｎｉ－Ｍｇ 主元素及有关比值和端员组分之间的关系, 分析研究了不同岩类包体中尖晶石的颜色、成分及成因之间的联系。并利用所分析的有关橄榄石、斜方辉石、单斜辉石共生矿物的电子探针分析数据, 采用新的、较合理的Ｂｒｅｙ－Ｋｏｈｌｅｒ温度计及Ｋｏｈｌｅｒ－Ｂｒｅｙ 压力计和Ｂａｌｌｈａｕｓ ｅｔａｌ． 氧逸度计算方法进行了计算, 探讨了尖晶石成分与其形成温度、压力和氧逸度状态的关系, 指出了尖晶石成分所反映的地幔亏损程度及部分熔融程度的变化规律及尖晶石 （相） 稳定的温度、压力和氧逸度范围。     

Ground motion characteristics of the Chi‐Chi earthquake of 21 September 1999

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ground motion characteristics of the Chi‐Chi earthquake (21 September 1999) as well as the interpretation of structural damage due to this earthquake. Over 300 strong motion records were collected from the strong motion network of Taiwan for this earthquake. A lot of near‐field ground motion data were collected. They provide valuable information on the study of ground motion characteristics of pulse‐like near‐field ground motions as well as fault displacement. This study includes: attenuation of ground motion both in PGA and spectral amplitude, principal direction, elastic and inelastic response analysis of a SDOF system subjected to near‐field ground motion collected from this event. The distribution of spectral acceleration and spectral velocity along the Chelungpu fault is discussed. Based on the mode decomposition method the intrinsic mode function of ground acceleration of this earthquake is examined. A long‐period wave with large amplitude was observed in most of the near‐source ground acceleration. The seismic demand from the recorded near‐field ground motion is also investigated with an evaluation of seismic design criteria of Taiwan Building Code. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of changing climate on ice cover in three morphometrically different lakes

A one‐dimensional hydrodynamic lake model (DYRESM‐WQ‐I) is employed to simulate ice cover and water temperatures over the period 1911–2014. The effects of climate changes (air temperature and wind speed) on ice cover (ice‐on, ice‐off, ice cover duration, and maximum ice thickness) are modeled and compared for the three different morphometry lakes: Fish Lake, Lake Wingra, and Lake Mendota, located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. It is found that the ice cover period has decreased due to later ice‐on dates and earlier ice‐off dates, and the annual maximum ice cover thickness has decreased for the three lakes during the last century. Based upon simulated perturbations of daily mean air temperatures across the range of ?10°C to +10°C of historical values, Fish Lake has the most occurrences of no ice cover and Lake Wingra still remains ice covered under extreme conditions (+10°C). Overall, shallower lakes with larger surface areas appear more resilient to ice cover changes caused by climate changes.     

Evaluation of Hydraulic Properties of Aquitards Using Earthquake‐Triggered Groundwater Variation

The hydraulic properties of aquitards are not easily obtained because monitoring wells are usually installed in aquifers for groundwater resources management. Earthquake‐induced crust stress (strain) triggers groundwater level variations over a short period of time in a large area. These groundwater anomalies can be used to investigate aquifer systems. This study uses a poroelastic model to fit the postseismic variations of groundwater level triggered by the Chi‐Chi earthquake to evaluate the hydraulic properties of aquitards in the Jhoushuei River alluvial fan (JRAF), Taiwan. Six of the adopted eight wells with depths of 70 to 130 m showed good agreement with the recovery theory. The mean hydraulic conductivities (K) of the aquifers for the eight wells are 1.62 × 10^?4 to 9.06 × 10^?4 m/s, and the thicknesses are 18.8 to 46.1 m. The thicknesses of the aquitards are 11.3 to 42.0 m. Under the isotropic assumption for K, the estimated values of K for the aquitards are 3.0 × 10^?8 to 2.1 × 10^?6 m/s, corresponding to a silty medium. The results match the values obtained for the geological material of the drilling core and those reported in previous studies. The estimated values were combined with those given in previous studies to determine the distribution of K in the first two aquitards in the JRAF. The distribution patterns of the aquitards reflect the sedimentary environments and fit the geological material. The proposed technique can be used to evaluate the K value of aquitards using inverse methods. The inversion results can be used in hydrogeological analyses, contaminant modeling, and subsidence evaluation.     

Effect of storms during drought on post‐wildfire recovery of channel sediment dynamics and habitat in the southern California chaparral,USA

Current global warming projections suggest a possible increase in wildfire and drought, augmenting the need to understand how drought following wildfire affects the recovery of stream channels in relation to sediment dynamics. We investigated post‐wildfire geomorphic responses caused by storms during a prolonged drought following the 2013 Springs Fire in southern California (USA), using multi‐temporal terrestrial laser scanning and detailed field measurements. After the fire, a dry‐season dry‐ravel sediment pulse contributed sand and small gravel to hillslope‐channel margins in Big Sycamore Creek and its tributaries. A small storm in WY 2014 generated sufficient flow to mobilize a portion of the sediment derived from the dry‐ravel pulse and deposited the fine sediment in the channel, totaling ~0.60 m³/m of volume per unit length of channel. The sediment deposit buried step‐pool habitat structure and reduced roughness by over 90%. These changes altered sediment transport characteristics of the bed material present before and after the storm; the ratio of available to critical shear stress (τ_o/τ_c) increased by five times. Storms during WY 2015 contributed additional fine sediment from tributaries and lower hillslopes and hyperconcentrated flow transported and deposited additional sediment in the channel. Together these sources delivered sediment on the order of six times that in 2014, further increasing τ_o/τ_c. These storms during multi‐year drought following wildfire transformed channel dynamics. The increased sediment transport capacity persisted during the drought period characterized by the longer residence time of relatively fine‐grained post‐fire channel sedimentation. This contrasts with wetter years, when post‐fire sediment is transported from the fluvial system during the same season as the post‐fire sediment pulse. Results of this short‐term study highlight the complex and substantial effects of multi‐year drought on geomorphic responses following wildfire. These responses influence pool habitat that is critical to longer‐term post‐wildfire riparian ecosystem recovery. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.