Geophysical flows under location uncertainty,Part II Quasi-geostrophy and efficient ensemble spreading

Models under location uncertainty are derived assuming that a component of the velocity is uncorrelated in time. The material derivative is accordingly modified to include an advection correction, inhomogeneous and anisotropic diffusion terms and a multiplicative noise contribution. In this paper, simplified geophysical dynamics are derived from a Boussinesq model under location uncertainty. Invoking usual scaling approximations and a moderate influence of the subgrid terms, stochastic formulations are obtained for the stratified Quasi-Geostrophy and the Surface Quasi-Geostrophy models. Based on numerical simulations, benefits of the proposed stochastic formalism are demonstrated. A single realization of models under location uncertainty can restore small-scale structures. An ensemble of realizations further helps to assess model error prediction and outperforms perturbed deterministic models by one order of magnitude. Such a high uncertainty quantification skill is of primary interests for assimilation ensemble methods. MATLAB^® code examples are available online.     

Simulating Head Recovery and Intermittent Discharge in Free Flowing Wells

Modeling of the head recovery (buildup) in and intermittent operation of flowing wells lacks rigorous analytical tools. Presently different methods are applied in discharging and recovery phases. The presented reliable approximate solution considers a continuous free flow process and time variant screen loss parameters. The latter are temporarily set to large value to prevent inflow into the well bore during the single recovery or in repeated shut down periods. This method is called as screen loss control or SLC technique and is verified by means of comparative analysis with the constant rate pumping‐recovery test simulated in leaky aquifer. The evaluation of the free flow and recovery test in the free flowing well 28 (Artesia Heights) concluded with calibrated parameters close to those obtained in the earlier analyses based on split well flow process. The simulation of intermittent flowing well operation also underwent successful validation resulting in reasonable values of the Q_w and s response functions.     

A wind tunnel investigation of particle segregation,ripple formation and armouring within sand beds of systematically varied texture

This paper reports on a wind tunnel investigation of particle segregation, ripple formation and surface armouring within sand beds of systematically varied particle size distribution, from coarsely skewed to bimodal. By design, the system was closed with no external inputs of mass from an external particle feed. Particles too coarse to travel in saltation for the given range in wind speed were dyed red in order to distinguish them in optical images from finer sand particles, which could be entrained into the unidirectional airflow. A 3D laser scanner measured the changing bed topography at regular time intervals during 18 experiments involving varied combinations of wind speed and bed texture. Image classification techniques were used to investigate the coincident self‐organization of the two populations of particles, as distinguished by their colour. As soon as saltation commenced, some of the red particles segregated into thin discontinuous patches. Particle trapping and sheltering on these rough patches was strongly favoured, causing them to grow preferentially. During the earliest stages of formation, bedform growth coincided with: (i) rapid coarsening of the surface texture; and (ii) the merging of proto‐ripple ‘crests’ to generate larger rhythmic bedforms of lower frequency. Consistent with previous work, ripple size was observed to increase under stronger winds when not exceeding the threshold for entrainment of the coarse‐mode or red particles from the crest. With declining rates of mass transport and particle segregation as the bed surface armoured, and the consequent deceleration of ripple propagation through to the end of each experiment, all surfaces eventually attained a steady‐state morphometry. At saturation, the largest ripples developed on beds having the lowest initial concentration of red particles. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the significance of the climate-dataset time resolution in characterising wind-driven rain and simultaneous wind pressure. Part I: scalar approach

Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment - The joint action of wind-driven rain and wind pressure is the main cause of water penetration in building facades, which causes various...     

Alteration,Chemical Processes,and Parent Rocks of Haléo-Danielle Plateau Bauxite,Adamawa–Cameroon

Lithology and Mineral Resources - The Haléo-Danielle Plateau bauxite deposit forms the largest part of the 15 km long Minim-Martap Bauxite ore district in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon. The...     

Lagged rejuvenation of groundwater indicates internal flow structures and hydrological connectivity

Large proportions of rainwater and snowmelt infiltrate into the subsurface before contributing to stream flow and stream water quality. Subsurface flow dynamics steer the transport and transformation of contaminants, carbon, weathering products and other biogeochemistry. The distribution of groundwater ages with depth is a key feature of these flow dynamics. Predicting these ages are a strong test of hypotheses about subsurface structures and time-varying processes. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based groundwater ages revealed an unexpected groundwater age stratification in a 0.47 km² forested catchment called Svartberget in northern Sweden. An overall groundwater age stratification, representative for the Svartberget site, was derived by measuring CFCs from nine different wells with depths of 2–18 m close to the stream network. Immediately below the water table, CFC-based groundwater ages of already 30 years that increased with depth were found. Using complementary groundwater flow models, we could reproduce the observed groundwater age stratification and show that the 30 year lag in rejuvenation comes from return flow of groundwater at a subsurface discharge zone that evolves along the interface between two soil types. By comparing the observed groundwater age stratification with a simple analytical approximation, we show that the observed lag in rejuvenation can be a powerful indicator of the extent and structure of the subsurface discharge zone, while the vertical gradient of the age-depth-relationship can still be used as a proxy of the overall aquifer recharge even when sampled in the discharge zone. The single age stratification profile measured in the discharge zone, close to the aquifer outlet, can reveal the main structure of the groundwater flow pattern from recharge to discharge. This groundwater flow pattern provides information on the participation of groundwater in the hydrological cycle and indicates the lower boundary of hydrological connectivity.     

Forests and floods: Using field evidence to reconcile analysis methods

The extent to which forests, relative to shorter vegetation, mitigate flood peak discharges remains controversial and relatively poorly researched, with only a few significant field studies. Considering the effect purely of change of vegetation cover, peak flow magnitude comparisons for paired catchments have suggested that forests do not mitigate large floods, whereas flood frequency comparisons have shown that forests mitigate frequencies over all magnitudes of flood. This study investigates the apparent inconsistency using field-based evidence from four contrasting field programmes at scales of 0.34–3.1 km². Repeated patterns are identified that provide strong evidence of real effects with physical explanations. Magnitude and frequency comparisons are both relevant to the impact of forests on peak discharges but address different questions. Both can show a convergence of response between forested and grassland/logged states at the highest recorded flows but the associated return periods may be quite variable and are subject to estimation uncertainty. For low to moderate events, the forested catchments have a lower peak magnitude for a given frequency than the grassland/logged catchments. Depending on antecedent soil saturation, a given storm may nevertheless generate peak discharges of the same magnitude for both catchment states but these peaks will have different return periods. The effect purely of change in vegetation cover may be modified by additional forestry interventions, such as road networks and drainage ditches which, by effectively increasing the drainage density, may increase peak flows for all event magnitudes. For all the sites, forest cover substantially reduces annual runoff.     

Morphological signatures of deglaciation and postglacial sedimentary processes in a deep fjord-lake (Grand Lake,Labrador)

High-resolution multibeam bathymetric data and acoustic sub-bottom profiles were recently collected in Grand Lake (Labrador), one of the deepest lake basins in eastern North America, to reconstruct: (1) the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) west of Lake Melville and (2) the history of sedimentation since deglaciation in this 54 km-long, 3 km-wide fjord-lake. Our results provide a morphostratigraphical framework that brings new insights to the style and pattern of retreat of the LIS in the region, as well as deglacial and postglacial sedimentary dynamics. Terrestrial glacial lineations observed on a digital elevation model (DEM) provide evidence of a previously undocumented ice stream in the Grand Lake area. This newly mapped ice stream suggests that the calving bay formed in Lake Melville triggered a reorganization of the regional drainage pattern of the LIS. The sedimentary infill of Grand Lake consists of a sequence of deglacial to postglacial sediments that contain deposits related to a series of mass movements. The 8.2 cal ka BP cold event is recorded in Grand Lake by a series of closely spaced moraines deposited at the outlet of the fjord-lake to form a morainic complex similar to the Cockburn morainic complex on Baffin Island. During deglaciation, a dense dendritic network of proglacial gullies incised into the steep sidewalls of the lake. Since deglaciation, paraglacial and postglacial sedimentation has led to the deposition of large prograding deltas at the fjord head, where density currents remain active today and have formed a series of sediment waves on the frontal slopes and a prodeltaic environment. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using visibility analysis to improve point density and processing time of SfM-MVS techniques for 3D reconstruction of landforms

Image network geometry, including the number and orientation of images, impacts the error, coverage, and processing time of 3D terrain mapping performed using structure-from-motion and multiview-stereo (SfM-MVS). Few studies have quantified trade-offs in error and processing time or ways to optimize image acquisition in diverse topographic conditions. Here, we determine suitable camera locations for image acquisition by minimizing the occlusion produced by topography. Viewshed analysis is used to select the suitable images, which requires a preliminary digital elevation model (DEM), potential camera locations, and sensor parameters. One aerial and two ground-based image collections were used to analyse differences between SfM-MVS models produced using: (1) all available images (ALL); (2) images selected using conventional methods (CON); and (3) images selected using the viewshed analysis (VIEW). The resulting models were compared with benchmark point clouds acquired by a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and TLS-derived DEMs. The VIEW datasets produced denser point clouds (28–32% more points) and DEMs with up to 66% reduction in error compared with CON datasets due to reduction of gaps in the DEM. VIEW datasets reduced processing time by 37–76% compared with ALL, with no reduction in coverage or increase in error. DEMs produced with ALL and VIEW datasets had similar slope and roughness, while slight differences that may be locally important were observed for the CON dataset. The new method helps optimize SfM-MVS image collection strategies that significantly reduce the number of images required with minimal loss in coverage or accuracy over complex surfaces. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.