Changes in American urban floodplain occupancy since 1958: the experiences of nine cities

In 1958, researchers from the University of Chicago documented increases in the number of structures in the floodplains of 17 American cities, a phenomenon attributed to the prevalence of flood control structures. Because federal policies have shifted to managing floodplains, this paper updates the 1958 study for nine of the cities. Several trends are apparent. Development pressures determine flood-plain encroachment; floodplain management regulations have been implemented where it was easiest to do so. Further, structural measures continue to dominate. Thus, while many local officials are becoming more aware of advantages of flood-plain regulation, implementation and enforcement are inconsistent and uneven.     

Improved Petrological Modal Analyses from X-ray Powder Diffraction Data by use of the Rietveld Method I. Selected Igneous, Volcanic, and Metamorphic Rocks

Mineral modes have been determined for specimens of eight rocktypes from CuK X-ray powder diffraction data using the Rietveldmethod. The samples include two granites, a granodiorite, adamellite,gabbro, basalt, trachyte, and two granulite-facies metamorphicrocks. Up to eight individual mineral components have been measuredin each sample (no glassy phases were observed), with a detectionlimit of {small tilde}1 wt.%, depending on the mineral assemblage.Marked variations in grain size (i.e., granite vs. trachyte)provide no difficulties for the X-ray method. The X-ray resultscompare very favourably with (1) optical modes determined forthe medium–coarse-grained samples by point counting, (2)normative calculations obtained using locally enhanced catanormand mesonorm software, and (3) corresponding Rietveld modesdetermined, for two samples, from neutron powder data. Wheredifferences occur, these are discussed in relation to the limitationsof each of the methods. The improved accuracy of the X-ray method is due primarily tothe incorporation of the full diffraction profile in the Rietveldanalysis calculations, and the elimination of preferred orientationby collecting the data from samples packed in glass capillaries(i.e., Debye–Scherrer mode). The good agreement of theX-ray and neutron modes shows that the usual problems encounteredwith microabsorption, extinction, and sampling are of littleconcern in these rocks. The results highlight one of the majoradvantages provided by Rietveld modal analysis over the moretraditional ‘reference intensity’ X-ray methods,namely, that the crystal chemistry (and thus the calibrationconstants) of the individual phases can be adjusted dynamicallyduring each individual analysis. This not only provides moreaccurate phase abundances, but also gives important supplementaryinformation about the mineralogy of the major components.     

A Model of Magmatic Crystallization

A computer model simulating fractional crystallization at oneatmosphere pressure incorporates nine broadly-defined minerals—magnetite,olivine, hypersthene, augite, quartz, plagioclase, orthoclase,leucite, and nepheline. The crystallization temperature of eachmineral is considered to be a smooth function of the compositionof the magmatic liquid. These mineral temperature equationsare obtained by multiple linear regression analysis of informationfrom published silicate systems and rock melting experiments.The nine equations are solved for any primary liquid, withinthe broad range of common magma types, to select the crystallizingmineral or minerals. Partition ratios from published experimentsand analyses of lavas and phenocrysts permit calculation ofthe composition of the crystallizing mineral assemblage. Subtractionof a small amount of that composition from the primary liquidyields a new liquid, which may be recycled to yield a sequenceof liquids during fractional crystallization. The crystallizationmodel handles assemblages of co-precipitating minerals, andcan trace progressive saturation in new minerals, substitutionof a new mineral for an old mineral, and cessation of crystallizationof a mineral. The sequences of minerals and liquids derivedfrom a broad set of primary liquids are geologically realistic,so the model is useful in predicting phenocrysts in volcanicrocks and events during crystallization of shallow intrusions.     

桥梁气象专题研究与服务

根据实际开展的桥梁气象专题研究，分析桥梁气象研究与服务如何面对国内大型桥梁建设发展趋势所带来的机遇和挑战，提出开展桥梁气象研究与服务的必要性，并从桥位气候背景、桥位气象参数取值、桥梁气象研究方法以及桥梁施工及营运期气象服务与保障等方面介绍桥梁气象专题研究及服务应开展的主要内容，同时，给出一个已投入实际使用的桥梁施工期气象环境监测与预警系统的建设思路。     

冬春季切变类冰雹发生条件的对比分析

本文以 1996年 12月 31日和 1981年 5月 1日为例 ,对冬、春季节发生在江苏的较大范围的切变类冰雹天气过程作了对比分析。结果指出 ,无论冬季或春季当高原东部有深槽东移 ,冷暖空气在江淮地区交汇 ,地面抬升系统为暖切 ,并有大气层结不稳定 (Δθse( 50 0 - 850 ) <0℃ =中心和较强的风向和风速垂直切变、85 0hPa西南急流轴、85 0hPa最大水汽通量轴线、5 0 0和 85 0hPa正涡度中心等相配置时 ,就可能导致江苏地区较大范围强对流天气的发生。     

A Case study of a snowstorm at the Great Wall Station,Antarctica

A case of a snowstorm at the Great Wall Station was studied using data of NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) analysis, in situ observations and surface weather charts. The storm occurred on August 29th,2006, and brought high winds and poor horizontal visibility to the region.It was found that the storm occurred under the synoptic situation of a high in the south and a low in the north. A low-level easterly jet from the Antarctic continent significantly decreased the air temperature and humidity.Warm air advection at high level brought sufficient vapor from lower latitudes for the snowstorm to develop.The dynamic factors relating to strong snowfall and even the developmentof a snowstorm were deep cyclonic vorticity at middle and low levels,the configuration of divergence at high level and convergence at low level, and strong verticaluplift. There was an inversion layer in the low-level atmosphere during the later phase of the storm.This vertical structure of cold air at low levels and warm air at high levels may have been important to the longevity of the snowstorm.     

An internal-external optimized convolutional neural network for arbitrary orientated object detection from optical remote sensing images

Due to the bird's eye view of remote sensing sensors, the orientational information of an object is a key factor that has to be considered in object detection. ...     

四川九寨黄龙机场高填方地基变形三维动力分析

四川九寨黄龙机场具有高填方、高地震烈度、高海拔等三高的特点,高填方体地基在地震作用下的动力稳定与变形问题成为该机场需着重考虑的主要工程地质问题之一。在对目前各种动力分析方法研究的基础上,选用快速拉格郎日差分分析(FLAC)程序,对该机场元山子沟段高填方地基在地震作用下的变形规律进行了系统地研究,获得了一些有实际意义的认识。