Application of implicit sub-time stepping to simulate flow and transport in fractured porous media

In general, the accuracy of numerical simulations is determined by spatial and temporal discretization levels. In fractured porous media, the time step size is a key factor in controlling the solution accuracy for a given spatial discretization. If the time step size is restricted by the relatively rapid responses in the fracture domain to maintain an acceptable level of accuracy in the entire simulation domain, the matrix tends to be temporally over-discretized. Implicit sub-time stepping applies smaller sub-time steps only to the sub-domain where the accuracy requirements are less tolerant and is most suitable for problems where the response is high in only a small portion of the domain, such as within and near the fractures in fractured porous media. It is demonstrated with illustrative examples that implicit sub-time stepping can significantly improve the simulation efficiency with minimal loss in accuracy when simulating flow and transport in fractured porous media. The methodology is successfully applied to density-dependent flow and transport simulations in a Canadian Shield environment, where the flow and transport is dominated by discrete, highly conductive fracture zones.     

The low seismic activity of the Korean Peninsula surrounded by high earthquake countries

Although the Korean Peninsula is locatednear several great earthquake regions suchas NE China and SW Japan, it has neversuffered from catastrophic earthquakes forthe last 2000 years according to historicaland instrumental records. We investigatedthe low seismicity of Korea based on thehypothesis of the Baikal-Korea Plate (BKP)or Amurian Plate movement which isinitiated by the Baikal Rift Zone spreadingin a southeastward motion with acounter-clockwise rotation due to thecollision of the Indian Plate against theEurasian Plate. Many disastrous earthquakesof NE China, SW Japan and Sakhalin releaselarge amounts of seismic energy along theboundary of the Baikal-Korea Plate. It isnecessary to compute the released seismicenergy along the presumed boundary of theBaikal-Korea Plate compared to the KoreanPeninsula in order to estimate themicro-plate boundary. The total energyreleases (1900–1999) from the majordisastrous earthquakes (M6.0) alongthe Baikal-Korea plate are about10³–10⁴ times as much as theKorean Peninsula (M3.0). The focalmechanisms for the intra-continentalearthquakes near and/or along theBaikal-Korea Plate boundary of NE China, SW Japan, Sakhalin and Mongolia mostlyrepresent the horizontal motions of theright-lateral strike slip type, indicatingthat the Baikal-Korea Plate is acounter-clockwise and transcurrent motion. The relative displacement vectors of GPS(global positioning system) also indicatedthat the Baikal-Korea Plate movescounter-clockwise around the KoreanPeninsula. These factors may indicate thatthe Korean Peninsula is not located at thePlate boundary, but just within a margin ofthe Baikal-Korea Plate which movessoutheastward with a counter-clockwiserotation from the Baikal Rift Zone in NEAsia. Therefore there is no enoughaccumulated strain to generate largeearthquakes in the Korean Peninsula and itmakes the Korean Peninsula free fromseismic hazard of large catastrophicearthquakes.     

Comparison of abstraction scenarios simulated by SWAT and SWAT-MODFLOW

In hydrological modelling of catchments, wherein streams are groundwater-fed, an accurate representation of groundwater processes and their interaction with surface water is crucial. With this purpose, a coupled model was recently developed linking SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) with the fully-distributed groundwater model MODFLOW (Modular Groundwater Flow). In this study, SWAT and SWAT-MODFLOW were applied to a Danish groundwater-dominant catchment, simulating groundwater abstraction scenarios and assessing the benefits and drawbacks of SWAT-MODFLOW. Both models demonstrated good performance. However, SWAT-MODFLOW provided more realistic outputs when simulating abstraction: the decrease in streamflow was similar to the volume of water abstracted, while in SWAT the impact was negligible. SWAT also showed impacts on streamflow only when abstractions were taken from the shallow aquifer, not from the deep aquifer. Overall, SWAT-MODFLOW demonstrated wider possibilities for groundwater analysis, providing more insights than SWAT in supporting decision making in relation to environmental assessment.     

利用远震接收函数研究黄海周边地区的地壳上地幔结构

利用宽频带流动台站(YSBSN)记录的远震波形数据和远震接收函数方法,反演了黄海东、西两侧地壳上地幔的S波速度结构.结果表明,莫霍面深度在30~38 km之间变化,位于中方一侧的JNN台下方地壳厚度最大,可以归因于华北板块和扬子板块的碰撞;韩方一侧的地壳厚度自北向南逐渐变厚,但仍然难以厘定朝鲜半岛南部潜在碰撞带的位置,这些问题的解决需要更大范围的流动台站观测.由于部分台站位于巨厚的沉积层和多孔的火山岩之上,与浅部构造的相关性使得接收函数表现出较大振幅的混响,从而影响了来自深部结构的转换震相.     

Tectonic evolution at an early proterozoic continental margin: The Svecokarelides of eastern Finland

The early Proterozoic history of the Baltic Shield in Fennoscandia provides evidence of fragmentation of a late Archaean craton, continental sedimentation and then back-arc spreading, interpreted as being associated with the uprise of a mantle diapir. Basin subsidence and infilling with flysch debris is explained on the basis of thermal decay, locking of a subduction zone and erosion of an uplifted arc. Compressive tectonism in the Karelian part of the Svecokarelian orogen resulted in obduction of the contents of the back-arc basin on to the continental foreland. Further compression caused further thickening of the supracrustal pile and interdigitation of tectonic slices of basement and cover due to thrusting. Subsequently movement was resolved along major NW-trending wrench-faults that generally follow the margin of teh craton and which represent zones of reactivation of planar features developed in late Archaean times. As the crustal pile was warped and uplifted in subsequent deformational phases, the deep levels of the wrench-faults acted as sites of granitoid emplacement.The tectonic activity in the Karelian part of the Svecokarelides is interpreted as the response to the northward movement of oceanic lithosphere in the Svecofennian part of the orogen where successively-formed early Proterozoic island arcs moved northwards and were intensely deformed, associated with the development and emplacement of large masses of igneous material. The resultant orogen, consisting of a stable craton, obducted nappes, exotic terrane, transcurrent faults and island arcs that moved obliquely to the margin of the craton, shows many similarities in development to that of the western Cordillera of North America.     

Reconstruction of historical nutrient levels in Korean and Japanese coastal areas based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages

Dinoflagellate cysts acquired from sediment cores were analyzed in order to reconstruct historical nutrient levels in Gamak Bay, Korea and Ariake Bay, Japan. Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages in Gamak Bay were characterized by high proportions of heterotrophic cysts such as Brigantedinium spp., Protoperidinium americanum and Polykrikos cysts, which suggested that nutrients levels may have already been high before 1970s, and then increased further to the hypertrophic conditions of the 1990s. In contrast, dinoflagellate cyst assemblages in Ariake Bay were characterized by high relative abundances of Lingulodinium machaerophorum and Spiniferites spp., which suggested that nutrient levels in Ariake Bay had increased gradually since the mid 1960s, and may have been significantly enhanced by the mid 1980s. Dinoflagellate cyst assemblages reflecting environmental changes in the two bays are contrasting, perhaps due to different nutrient enrichment mechanisms. This suggests that the indicators of nutrient levels encoded in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages may exhibit site-specific information.     

Microbiological response to well pumping

To better constrain sampling strategies for observing biologically sensitive parameters in ground water, we vigorously pumped for 120 h a lightly pumped well completed in a confined glacial aquifer while observing how various physical and chemical parameters evolve in the water produced. The parameters commonly monitored when sampling a well stabilized within about an hour, after 5 wellbore volumes were produced; these parameters include temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential (Eh), and electrical conductivity. The concentrations of ferrous iron, sulfide, and sulfate and various biological or biologically sensitive parameters, including the concentrations of dissolved hydrogen and methane, direct cell counts, and the microbial community profile, in contrast, required more than 8 h or 36 well volumes to stabilize. We interpret this result to mean that the zone of influence of the wellbore on biologic processes in the aquifer extends beyond the commonly recognized zone where physical properties are affected. A second period of adjustment of these biologically sensitive parameters began after about 50 h of pumping, following displacement of 230 wellbore volumes, and continued to the end of the experiment. During this period, the cell density and the composition of the microbial community suspended in the water samples changed. This finding indicates that the microbial community in and near the wellbore changed in response to pumping and the changes affected aspects of the composition of water produced from the well. The study demonstrates the importance of allowing adequate pumping time when sampling ground water for the analysis of biologically sensitive parameters.     

Optimal seismic retrofit model for steel moment resisting frames with brittle connections

Based on performance-based seismic engineering, this paper proposes an optimal seismic retrofit model for steel moment resisting frames (SMRFs) to generate a retrofit scheme at minimal cost. To satisfy the acceptance criteria for the Basic Safety Objective (BSO) specified in FEMA 356, the minimum number of upgraded connections and their locations in an SMRF with brittle connections are determined by evolutionary computation. The performance of the proposed optimal retrofitting model is evaluated on the basis of the energy dissipation capacities, peak roof drift ratios, and maximum interstory drift ratios of structures before and after retrofitting. In addition, a retrofit efficiency index, which is defined as the ratio of the increment in seismic performance to the required retrofitting cost, is proposed to examine the efficiencies of the retrofit schemes derived from the model. The optimal seismic retrofit model is applied to the SAC benchmark examples for threestory and nine-story SMRFs with brittle connections. Using the retrofit efficiency index proposed in this study, the optimal retrofit schemes obtained from the model are found to be efficient for both examples in terms of energy dissipation capacity, roof drift ratio, and maximum inter-story drift ratio.