Investigation of moment-rotation relation in different joint types and evaluation of their effects on segmental tunnel lining

This paper presents the results of a numerical study that has been performed to investigate the different joint types that affect the moment-rotation relation and ultimate bending moment capacity of a joint. A 3D finite element method was adapted to establish elaborate numerical models of segments. To evaluate the possible differences in moment-rotation behavior between different joint types, 10 different joint types were simulated. Additionally, the effect of different joint types on behavior of a lining ring was investigated. The validity of the peridynamic simulation was tested by comparing results obtained in this paper against the results obtained in a study performed by Hordijk and Gijsbers. Observations of the results demonstrate that in a flat joint, the expanding of joint height increased the rotation stiffness of the joint in the linear branch, and accordingly, the ultimate bending moment of the joint increased. In the ring model, it was observed that the expanding of joint height led to the decreased of ring displacement and stress concentration in the joint. Whenever there were full surface contacts (contact two segment in total cross section) in the joints, the rotation stiffness of the joints in the linear branch became equal, and, as a result, the displacement in the ring model was the same in all joint types. In addition, it was observed that using a convex joint in the ring model increases the displacement of the ring. The ultimate bending moment of bolted joints was higher than that of joints without bolts, especially in the case of a negative moment.     

Characterization of the Tertiary reservoir in Khabbaz Oil Field,Kirkuk area,Northern Iraq

Tertiary reservoir represented by Jeribe, Anah, Azkand, and Azkand/Ibrahim formations has been studied from reservoir characterization point of view in Khabbaz Oil Field/Northern Iraq. Examined thin sections prepared from core rock samples which are selected from the wells Kz-8 and Kz-9 revealed the existence of different microfacies in which are varies types of porosity such as interparticle, intraparticle, moldic, vuggy, and fractures have been noticed. In addition to these different types of diagenetic features are represented mainly by cementation, dolomitization, recrystallization, and dissolution. The available log data for the wells Kz-11, Kz-14, and Kz-16 have been used in characterizing the reservoir properties of the studied formations. The detected lithologies from porosity logs showed domination of limestone, dolomitic limestone, and dolomites in addition to few thin beds of anhydrites in Jeribe Formation and thin beds of sand dominated lithologies in Azkand Formation. Clay content has been calculated from gamma ray log along the studied sections and appeared to be mostly of dispersed clay type as shown from density-neutron porosity crossplot of Thomas-Stieber. Correction from the effect of clay content has been done for all the measured sonic, density, and neutron porosities. The available porosity and permeability values which are measured from core tests in the well Kz-9 for the formations of Jeribe, Anah, and Azkand have been adapted to formalize the best equation for calculating permeability in the other studied wells which have no core test measurements but only log data (Kz-11, Kz-14, and Kz-16 wells). Depending on porosity, permeability, and shale content, the studied sections have been subdivided into seven reservoir units in the wells Kz-11 and Kz-16, and for eight reservoir units in the well Kz-14.     

南海上层经向翻转环流的低频变化

The low-frequency variability of the shallow meridional overturning circulation(MOC) in the South China Sea(SCS) is investigated using a Simple Ocean Data Assimilation(SODA) product for the period of 1900–2010. A dynamical decomposition method is used in which the MOC is decomposed into the Ekman, external mode, and vertical shear components. Results show that all the three dynamical components contribute to the formation of the seasonal and annual mean shallow MOC in the SCS. The shallow MOC in the SCS consists of two cells: a clockwise cell in the south and an anticlockwise cell in the north; the former is controlled by the Ekman flow and the latter is dominated by the external barotropic flow, with the contribution of the vertical shear being to reduce the magnitude of both cells. In addition, the strength of the MOC in the south is found to have a falling trend over the past century, due mainly to a weakening of the Luzon Strait transport(LST) that reduces the transport of the external component. Further analysis suggests that the weakening of the LST is closely related to a weakening of the westerly wind anomalies over the equatorial Pacific, which leads to a southward shift of the North Equatorial Current(NEC) bifurcation and thus a stronger transport of the Kuroshio east of Luzon.     

Microstructure observations in the upper layer of the South China Sea

A general pattern for turbulent mixing in the upper layer of the South China Sea (SCS) is presented based on TurboMAP measurements in April and May 2010. The turbulence level decreased significantly overall from north to south, and weakened from east to west in the northern SCS. The average dissipation rate north of 18°N reaches 1.69 × 10^?8 W/kg, approximately six times larger than that south of 18°N. The mean mixing efficiency in the SCS is 0.2, with a maximum of 0.31 near the Luzon Strait. At one repeatedly occupied station located in the central deep basin, the dissipation rate varies diurnally in the mixed layer and pycnocline due to diurnal heating and cooling by solar radiation and local barotropic tide, respectively.     

AMSR-E sea surface temperature (SST) charts enhancement

Microwave satellite images used for retrieving sea surface temperatures often have such distortions as noise and blurring of the thermal fronts. An image processing approach based on the Mumford-Shah model of optimal image approximation is considered for the solution to this problem. We divide images into flat areas and frontal zones, and then process these areas separately. Image fragmentation is based on automatic detection of the thermal front lines. SST enhancement in frontal zones is achieved by using image deconvolution methods. It has been shown that SST errors in high gradient areas reach 1–3 °C. The proposed approach can decrease this discrepancy.     

Seasonal variations in the nitrogen isotopic composition of settling particles at station K2 in the western subarctic North Pacific

Intensive observations using hydrographical cruises and moored sediment trap deployments during 2010 and 2012 at station K2 in the North Pacific Western Subarctic Gyre (WSG) revealed seasonal changes in δ ¹⁵N of both suspended and settling particles. Suspended particles (SUS) were collected from depths between the surface and 200 m; settling particles by drifting sediment traps (DST; 100–200 m) and moored sediment traps (MST; 200 and 500 m). All particles showed higher δ ¹⁵N values in winter and lower in summer, contrary to the expected by isotopic fractionation during phytoplankton nitrate consumption. We suggest that these observed isotopic patterns are due to ammonium consumption via light-controlled nitrification, which could induce variations in δ ¹⁵N(SUS) of 0.4–3.1 ‰ in the euphotic zone (EZ). The δ ¹⁵N(SUS) signature was reflected by δ ¹⁵N(DST) despite modifications during biogenic transformation from suspended particles in the EZ. δ ¹⁵N enrichment (average: 3.6 ‰) and the increase in C:N ratio (by 1.6) in settling particles suggests year-round contributions of metabolites from herbivorous zooplankton as well as TEPs produced by diatoms. Accordingly, seasonal δ ¹⁵N(DST) variations of 2.4–7.0 ‰ showed a significant correlation with primary productivity (PP) at K2. By applying the observed δ ¹⁵N(DST) vs. PP regression to δ ¹⁵N(MST) of 1.9–8.0 ‰, we constructed the first annual time-series of PP changes in the WSG. This new approach to estimate productivity can be a powerful tool for further understanding of the biological pump in the WSG, even though its validity needs to be examined carefully.     

Dynamical downscaling of future sea level change in the western North Pacific using ROMS

The future regional sea level (RSL) rise in the western North Pacific is investigated by dynamical downscaling with the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) with an eddy-permitting resolution based on three global climate models—MIROC-ESM, CSIRO-Mk3.6.0, and GFDL-CM3—under the highest greenhouse-gas emission scenario. The historical run is forced by the air-sea fluxes calculated from Coordinated Ocean Reference Experiment version 2 (COREv2) data. Three future runs—ROMS-MIROC, ROMS-CSIRO, and ROMS-GFDL—are forced with an atmospheric field constructed by adding the difference between the climate model parameters for the twenty-first and twentieth century to fields in the historical run. In all downscaling, the RSL rise along the eastern coast of Japan is generally half or less of the RSL rise maxima off the eastern coast. The projected regional (total) sea level rises along the Honshu coast during 2081–2100 relative to 1981–2000 are 19–25 (98–104), 6–15 (71–80), and 8–14 (80–86) cm in ROMS-MIROC, ROMS-CSIRO, and ROMS-GFDL, respectively. The discrepancies of the RSL rise along the Honshu coast between the climate models and downscaling are less than 10 cm. The RSL changes in the Kuroshio Extension (KE) region in all downscaling simulations are related to the changes of KE (northward shift or intensification) with climate change.     

天津市滨海新区芦苇湿地恢复适宜性评价

利用综合评价模型,结合地理信息系统技术的空间分析功能,以土地利用、土壤类型、坡度、降雨量和人类干扰活动作为评价因子,对天津滨海新区芦苇湿地恢复进行了适宜性评价。结果表明,较适宜开展湿地恢复的比例为21.46%,一般适宜比例为21.87%,不适宜比例占56.68%,其中较适宜湿地恢复的区域集中分布在北大港湿地自然保护区周边、独流减河下游、北塘入海口以及沿海滩涂,海河流域两侧也有零星分布。在适宜性评价基础上,对未来芦苇湿地恢复与建设的重点区域进行了成效预评估,芦苇对TC、TN、TP的年吸收通量约为1.3935×104、0.0258×104、0.0017×104t,能有效地减少入海排污压力和污染物对近岸海域环境质量的影响。研究结论可为天津湿地治理与生态恢复、土地利用结构调整、景观优化等提供理论依据和科学参考。