From discrete to continuum modelling of boundary value problems in geomechanics: An integrated FEM-DEM approach

Double-scale numerical methods constitute an effective tool for simultaneously representing the complex nature of geomaterials and treating real-scale engineering problems such as a tunnel excavation or a pressuremetre at a reasonable numerical cost. This paper presents an approach coupling discrete elements (DEM) at the microscale with finite elements (FEM) at the macroscale. In this approach, a DEM-based numerical constitutive law is embedded into a standard FEM formulation. In this regard, an exhaustive discussion is presented on how a 2D/3D granular assembly can be used to generate, step by step along the overall computation process, a consistent Numerically Homogenised Law. The paper also focuses on some recent developments including a comprehensive discussion of the efficiency of Newton-like operators, the introduction of a regularisation technique at the macroscale by means of a second gradient framework, and the development of parallelisation techniques to alleviate the computational cost of the proposed approach. Some real-scale problems taking into account the material spatial variability are illustrated, proving the numerical efficiency of the proposed approach and the benefit of a particle-based strategy.     

豫西地区秦岭造山带武当群Nd-Hf同位素组成及其物源特征

武当群变质沉积-火山岩组合是南秦岭地体中重要的基底岩石,其形成时代和地球化学特征可以为理解秦岭造山带的构造演化提供重要的证据.本文报道豫西地区武当群上部沉积岩和下部中-酸性火山岩Sm-Nd同位素和锆石Lu-Hf同位素组成,探讨火山岩成因和沉积岩物源的同位素特征.上部沉积岩的碎屑锆石初始ε_(Hf)值变化在-30～+10之间,对应的模式年龄值t_(DM2)在1.0Ga至3.2Ga之间,初始ε_(Nd)值在-4.0至-6.0之间.沉积物源表现为主要与扬子陆块有亲缘关系的地壳物质和近源的下部火山岩混合的特征.火山岩的锆石初始εHf值变化在-35～+15之间,对应的模式年龄值t_(DM2)在0.8Ga至3.5Ga之间,集中于1.5～1.8Ga和2.2～2.4Ga两个峰值.2个变质石英角斑岩样品初始ε_(Nd)值分别为-9.2和-10.7,而报道的湖北武当群的玄武-安山质熔岩的初始ε_(Nd)值以正值为主.因此,武当群不同类型的火山岩可能存在着成因差异.具有低初始ε_(Nd)值和ε_(Hf)值特征的火山岩可能由地壳物质的重熔而形成的;有些火山岩具有初始ε_(Hf)值变化范围较大(-35～+15)或正初始ε_(Nd)值的特点,可能是壳、幔物质混合成因,有显著的幔源或新生地壳物质的贡献.武当群Nd-Hf同位素组成和碎屑锆石年龄分布特征表明,与扬子陆块有亲缘关系的南秦岭地体在元古代期间可能经历多期地壳增生和再造作用.     

High-resolution simulations for Vietnam - methodology and evaluation of current climate

To assist the government of Vietnam in its efforts to better understand the impacts of climate change and prioritise its adaptation measures, dynamically downscaled climate change projections were produced across Vietnam. Two Regional Climate Models (RCMs) were used: CSIRO’s variable-resolution Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) and the limited-area model Regional Climate Model system version 4.2 (RegCM4.2). First, global CCAM simulations were completed using bias- and variance-corrected sea surface temperatures as well as sea ice concentrations from six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models. This approach is different from other downscaling approaches as it does not use any atmospheric fields from the GCMs. The global CCAM simulations were then further downscaled to 10 km using CCAM and to 20 km using RegCM4.2. Evaluations of temperature and precipitation for the current climate (1980-2000) were completed using station data as well as various gridded observational datasets. The RCMs were able to reproduce reasonably well most of the important characteristics of observed spatial patterns and annual cycles of temperature. Average and minimum temperatures were well simulated (biases generally less than 1oC), while maximum temperatures had biases of around 1oC. For precipitation, although the RCMs captured the annual cycle, RegCM4.2 was too dry in Oct.-Nov. (-60% bias), while CCAM was too wet in Dec.- Mar. (130% bias). Both models were too dry in summer and too wet in winter (especially in northern Vietnam). The ability of the ensemble simulations to capture current climate increases confidence in the simulations of future climate.     

豫西地区秦岭造山带武当群火山岩和沉积岩锆石U-Pb年龄

在南秦岭地体中广泛分布着武当群变质沉积-火山岩组合的基底岩石,是东秦岭造山带重要的岩石单元,但对其形成时代的认识存在分歧.笔者通过对豫西地区武当地体北部武当群上部杨坪组变质沉积岩和下部双台组变质中酸性火山岩锆石u-Pb年龄的测定,认为杨坪组变质沉积岩沉积物源主要由晚元古代(860~640 Ma)和早元古代(2260~1800 Ma)、少量晚太古代和中元古代地壳物质构成,与扬子陆块具有亲缘关系.沉积时代应晚于640 Ma.变质中酸性火山岩形成时代为730~780 Ma之间,峰值(755±6)Ma,与双台组新元古代变质基性火山岩为同期岩浆作用的产物,成因上推测与Rodinia超大陆裂解作用有关.     

越南西北部PhanSiPan地区新生代埃达克质侵入岩时代、成因及构造意义——U-Pb锆石年龄、元素地球化学和Hf同位素证据

越南西北部PhanSiPan地区新生代花岗岩,高SiO2(69.95%～70.52%)、A12O3(15.77%～17.11%)、K2O(4.97%～5.63%)、Na2O(4.29%～4.98%),K2O/Na2O=1.02～1.31、Sr(744×10-6～1316×10-6),贫Y(6.93×10-6～8.06×10-6),低MgO和CaO,富集LILE元素及LREE,亏损HREE具有典型的埃达克岩特征。采用LA-ICPMS方法对该岩体进行了U-Pb同位素定年和Hf同位素分析,结果表明该岩体为始新世(38Ma)岩浆活动的产物。锆石Hf同位素研究结果显示,εHf(t)变化范围为-5.5至+7.3,二阶段Hf模式年龄(tDM2)为652Ma至1466Ma、集中在1.1～1.3Ga,说明花岗岩岩体主要由中-(新)元古代地壳物质部分熔融形成。部分锆石具有正的εHf(t)值,可能指示花岗岩岩浆形成的过程中存在壳-幔混合相互作用。越南西北部Phan Si Pan地区新生代花岗岩和扬子地块-(哀牢山-金沙江-红河带)高钾富碱的岩石形成的时代和机制具有密切的关系,可能与印度-亚洲大陆的碰撞导致红河带区域性走滑断裂系统的形成有关。     

A discrete element study on the deformation and degradation of coal-fouled ballast

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents the results of Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) which quantitively examine the effect of coal fouling on the deformation and degradation of ballast upon...     

Satellite Gravity Anomalies and Their Correlation with the Major Tectonic Features in the South China Sea

The South China Sea (SCS) is a region of interaction among three major plates: the Pacific, Indo-Australian and Eurasian. The collision of the Indian subcontinent with the Eurasian plate in the northwest, back-arc spreading at the center, and subduction beneath the Philippine plate along Manila trench in the east and the collision along Palawan trough in the south have produced complex tectonic features within and along the SCS. This investigation examines the satellite-derived gravity anomalies of the SCS and compares them with major tectonic features of the area. A map of Bouguer gravity anomaly is derived in conjunction with available seafloor topography to investigate the crustal structure. The residual isostatic gravity anomaly is calculated assuming that the Cenozoic sedimentary load is isostatically compensated. The features in the gravity anomalies in general correlate remarkably well with the major geological features, including offsets in the seafloor spreading segments, major faults, basins, seamounts and other manifestations of magmatism and volcanism on the seafloor. They also correlate with the presumed location of continental-oceanic crust boundary. The region underlain by oceanic crust in the central part of the SCS is characterized by a large positive Bouguer gravity anomaly (220–330 mgal) as well as large free-air and residual isostatic anomalies. There are, however, important differences among spreading segments. For example, in terms of free-air gravity anomaly, the southwest section of mid-ocean has an approximately 50 km wide belt of gravity low superimposed on a broad high of 45 mgal running NW–SE, whereas there are no similar features in other spreading segments. There are indications that gravity anomalies may represent lateral variation in upper crustal density structure. For instance, free air and isostatic anomalies show large positive anomalies in the east of the Namconson basin, which coincide with areas of dense volcanic material known from seismic surveys. The Red River Fault system are clearly identified in the satellite gravity anomalies, including three major faults, Songchay Fault in the southwest, Songlo Fault in the Northeast and Central Fault in the center of the basin. They are elongated in NW–SE direction between 20±30'N and 17°N and reach to Vietnam Scarp Fault around 16°30'N. It is also defined that the crustal density in the south side of the Central Basin is denser than that in the north side of the Central Basin.     

Quantification of changes in current intensities induced by wave overtopping around low-crested structures

The phenomenon of overtopping is traditionally studied for well-emerged harbour structures and often focuses on safety and stability. In this paper laboratory tests are presented and analysed to sharpen the hypothesis that overtopping is capable of changing the horizontal circulation pattern around low-crested structures. A unique data set from laboratory experiments was acquired in the wave basin at Delft University of Technology. The experiments were performed using an emerged impermeable low-crested structure (three freeboards and three different wave conditions for each freeboard) and yielded nine different combinations of set-up and overtopping driving forces. Using this information it was possible to quantify the changes in cross-shore and longshore velocity induced by the overtopping and the set-up changes under the different freeboard and wave conditions described. It is found that overtopping enhances the outgoing flows (longshore velocities parallel to the structure) away from the lee side of the structure and dampens the water level gradient driven flow towards the structure.     

Numerical investigation of the effect of seasonal variations of depthof-closure on shoreline evolution

The current study presents the effects of seasonal variations in the depth-of-closure(Dc)on shoreline evolution using a numerical,one-line shoreline model.Beach erosion of the southern beach of the Nha Trang Coast,which is located in south central of Vietnam,is selected as the study area.This study area is immensely influenced by the tropical monsoon climate that has a clear pattern of large waves in the northeast monsoon season and calm waves in the non-monsoon season.The analysis of the long-term measured shoreline variations from a video-camera system has found a strong correlation of these variations to the monsoon-dominated wave characteristics in the Nha Trang Bay.Therefore,a new approach for determining the depth-of-closure with consideration of the seasonal wave climate changes is purposed in the current study.By implementing this new approach into a numerical,one-line shoreline model,it is found that the seasonal variations of Dc appear to better describe the periodical shoreline evolution due to the monsoon-dominated wave characteristics for the Nha Trang Coast.Such important findings are considered to commonly apply for monsoon-dominated coastal regions in general.These findings are useful information not only for scientific readers but also for the coastal authorities and managers in order to make better countermeasure plans against this kind of erosion mechanism in the future.     

The October 13, 2020, deadly rapid landslide triggered by heavy rainfall in Phong Dien,Thua Thien Hue,Vietnam

Landslides - At about 12:00 a.m., on October 13, 2020, a rapid rotational landslide induced by rainfall swept over Ranger Station-7 in Phong Xuan commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue...