An approach to calculating large strain accumulation for discrete element simulations of granular media

For research on granular materials, establishing a method to calculate continuum strain from particle displacements is necessary for understanding the material behaviour at macro-level and developing continuum constitutive models. Existing methods are generally based on constructing a mesh or background grid to calculate strain from particle motions. These methods offer rigorous ways to measure strain for granular materials; however, they suffer from several problems such as mesh distortion and lacking grid-to-particle strain mapping procedure, which hinders their capability of calculating strain accumulation during large deformation processes of granular media. To address this issue, this study proposes a new strain calculation method for discrete element simulations of granular materials. This method describes a particle assembly as an equivalent continuum system of material points, each of which corresponds to a particle centre and represents a continuous region with its initial volume/area presumably equal to the volume/area of Voronoi cells generated in accordance with the particle assembly configuration. Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) interpolation functions are then employed to calculate strain for these material points. This SPH-based method does not require any mesh or background grid for computation, leading to advantages in calculating strain accumulation under large deformation. Simulations of granular materials in both uniform and heterogeneous gradations were carried out, and strain results obtained by the proposed method indicate good agreements with analytical and numerical solutions. This demonstrates its potential for strain calculations in discrete element simulations of granular materials involving large deformations and/or large displacements.     

Improving watershed management practices in humid regions

In many parts of the world, watershed management practices have been extremely effective. However, implementation of soil and water conservation technologies in the humid African highlands, while beneficial in the short term, were remarkably unsuccessful in the long term. Insights from community knowledge perspectives have revealed that alternative methods are needed. Although conservation practices are designed to conserve water in semi‐arid areas, safely draining excess water is needed in humid areas. The objective of this paper is to review current watershed management approaches used in humid regions as exemplified by those used in Ethiopian highlands and then based on these findings propose more effective practices. Although current government sponsored practices primarily protect the hillsides, direct run‐off is generated from areas that become saturated on valley bottoms near rivers and on specific parts of the hillsides with degraded soils (or with highly permeable surface soils) and with perched water tables on slowly permeable horizons at shallow depths. In these areas, direct run‐off is increasing with deforestation and the soil degradation, demanding additional drainage ways that evolve in the form of gullies. Therefore, watershed management interventions for erosion control should prioritize revegetation of degraded areas, increasing sustainable infiltration, and rehabilitating gullies situated at saturated bottomlands.     

Isotope fractionation in the photochemical escape of O from Mars

The production of energetic and escaping neutral O atoms at the current epoch in the martian thermosphere is thought to be dominated by the dissociative recombination process:

     

Constraining the cosmological time variation of the fine - structure constant

The variation of the fine-structure constant α = e ² / ħc can be probed by comparing the wavelength of atomic transitions from the redshift of quasars in the Universe and laboratory over cosmological time scales t ~ 10¹⁰ yr. After a careful selection of pairs of lines, the Thong method with a derived analytical expression for the error analysis was applied to compute the α variation. We report a new constraint on the variation of the fine-structure constant based on the analysis of the C_IV, N_V, Mg_II, Al_III, and Si_IV doublet absorption lines. The weighted mean value of the variation in α derived from our analysis over the redshift range 0.4939 ≤ z ≤ 3.7 is = ( 0.09 ± 0.07)×10⁻⁵. This result is three orders of magnitude better than the results obtained by earlier analysis of the same data on the constraint on Δα/α .     

“Galileo Galilei” (GG) a small satellite to test the equivalence principle of Galileo, Newton and Einstein

“Galileo Galilei” (GG) is a small satellite designed to fly in low Earth orbit with the goal of testing the Equivalence Principle—which is at the basis of the General Theory of Relativity—to 1 part in 10¹⁷. If successful, it would improve current laboratory results by 4 orders of magnitude. A confirmation would strongly constrain theories; proof of violation is believed to lead to a scientific revolution. The experiment design allows it to be carried out at ambient temperature inside a small 1-axis stabilized satellite (250 kg total mass). GG is under investigation at Phase A-2 level by ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) at Thales Alenia Space in Torino, while a laboratory prototype (known as GGG) is operational at INFN laboratories in Pisa, supported by INFN (Istituto Nazionale di fisica Nucleare) and ASI. A final study report will be published in 2009.     

松辽盆地上、下白垩统界线划分

松辽盆地白垩纪发育有热河生物群、松花江生物群和明水生物群,表现为三大生物群有序演化与更替。白垩纪中期是松花江生物群发育期,松花江生物群具有明显的地域性色彩,泉头组被子植物化石Trapaangulata、Platanus septentrionalis和孢粉化石Crenwellia、Xinjiangpollis、Quantonenpollenites、Lythraites和Gothanipollis显示其时代已进入晚白垩世。火山岩锆石SHRI MP法U-Pb年龄测试结果表明,营城组的年龄为(115.1±1.2)~(111.1±0.9)Ma,说明营城组已属晚Aptian期至早Albian期。磁性地层学研究表明,登娄库组-姚家组以稳定的正极性为主,仅在登娄库组上部和姚家组下部分别出现一次短暂的反极性事件。青山口阶下部具一套广泛分布富含有机碳的黑色页岩、油页岩沉积,其干酪根碳同位素表现为明显的正向偏移特征,为古湖泊缺氧事件的产物。结合生物、同位素年代、磁性地层研究的结果,认为青山口阶底部缺氧事件层对应于白垩纪古海洋Cenomanian-Turonian期界线缺氧事件,由此,给出的松辽盆地上、下白垩统的界线划分在泉头组和登娄库组之间。     

中国海相油气田勘探实例之十一 四川盆地五百梯石炭系气田的勘探与发现

五百梯石炭系气田位于重庆市开县和四川省开江县境内,是一个具有统一气水界面的大型整装气田。气田发现于1989年,探明地质储量为539.88×108m3(1993年)。石炭系气藏的气体来源于下伏志留系,为低含硫低含二氧化碳的优质干气。储层沉积相主要为海湾浅滩微相,有形成粒屑白云岩的有利条件,沉积物间歇性暴露水面,后生成岩变化作用彻底,溶孔发育。气田构造处于四川盆地开江古隆起东侧斜坡带,遭受剥蚀程度的不均匀性使局部区域石炭系缺失,由此形成大型构造-地层复合圈闭。论述了气田勘探和发现的历程及石炭系气藏的主要地质特征,总结了取得勘探突破的实践与认识。     

松辽盆地朝73-87井青山口组缺氧事件层的有机地球化学特征

松辽盆地白垩纪青山口组下部广泛分布一套富含有机碳的黑色泥岩、页岩和油页岩沉积,是全盆地划分泉头组与青山口组的一级标志.朝73-87井青山口组黑色页岩、油页岩的地球化学特征研究表明：它具有干酪根碳同位素正偏和重排甾烷含量低,存在28,30一双降藿烷、伽马蜡烷生物标志化合物等有机地球化学特征,表征为白垩纪温室效应时间窗内古湖泊缺氧事件的产物.结合生物地层研究成果,认为青山口期缺氧事件层大体可与白垩纪古海洋Cenomanian-Turonian界线事件层进行对比,进而提出松辽盆地青山口组的时代归属晚白垩世晚cenomanian-Turonian期的新观点.     

Simulation of atmospheric states for a storm surge on the west coast of Korea: model comparison between MM5, WRF and COAMPS

High-quality informations on sea level pressure and sea surface wind stress are required to accurately predict storm surges over the Korean Peninsula. The storm surge on 31 March 2007 at Yeonggwang, on the western coast, was an abrupt response to mesocyclone development. In the present study, we attempted to obtain reliable surface winds and sea level pressures. Using an optimal physical parameterization for wind conditions, MM5, WRF and COAMPS were used to simulate the atmospheric states that accompanied the storm surge. The use of MM5, WRF and COAMPS simulations indicated the development of high winds in the strong pressure gradient due to an anticyclone and a mesocyclone in the southern part of the western coast. The response to this situation to the storm surge was sensitive. A low-level warm advection was examined as a possible causal mechanism for the development of a mesocyclone in the generating storm surge. The low-level warm temperature advection was simulated using the three models, but MM5 and WRF tended to underestimate the warm tongue and overestimate the wind speed. The WRF simulation was closer to the observed data than the other simulations in terms of wind speed and the intensity of the mesocyclone. It can be concluded that the magnitude of the storm surge at Yeonggwang was dependent, not only on the development of a mesocyclone but on ocean effects as well.     

国内气象观测研究现状的文献计量学分析

利用2010-2020年中国知网关于"气象观测"主题文献数据,基于文献计量学对气象观测科技论文的特征进行定量和定性分析.结果表明,10a间关于气象观测主题的科技论文数量呈先上升后下降趋势.该领域核心作者有201人,其中83％的作者来自气象行业内部;发文地域分布呈现出东部高西部低的特点,且发文机构主要为气象部门、高校及科...