1999年欧洲圣诞节风暴数值模拟分析

对1999年圣诞期间发生在欧洲中西部的圣诞节风暴进行了分析,认为4个主要的低气压系统中的第二个给法国北部带来了强风暴雨,巴黎的Orly机场阵风速度〉47m／s;第四个低压系统沿法国西海岸产生相似的恶劣天气,并在西班牙的北部海岸及地中海沿岸国家造成了毁灭性的破坏。在法国中部风暴最剧烈的时候,最大阵风〉41m／s;在法国和德国之间的区域,达55m／s。圣诞节风暴造成欧洲国家大约140人死亡,其他损失包括树木、街道和房屋被毁,电力系统和电话中断时间长达数天,受影响的人数大约为1000万,财产损失大约为80亿美元。由于风暴的极端强度和快速发展速度,欧洲大多数国家的数值预报中心没有对这次剧烈天气提供足够的预警。为此,利用中尺度数值预报系统（RAMS）模拟圣诞节风暴,并与ECMWF分析资料以及实况观测资料进行了对比分析。结果表明,RAMS模式能够准确模拟风暴的主要特性、低气压的演变和位置移动、发展的关键时间点、风暴演化期间的平均风场;模拟的平均风场和气象观测网的观测结果相一致;模拟的风暴移动时间和主要新闻媒体的报道相吻合;模式计算的一些特定地区平均风速的时间趋势显示,在阿尔卑斯山脉地区,无论是上风区还是下风区,风暴的时间都被准确地预测;模拟的第一次风暴最低气压值较实际值偏低。     

A hypoplastic macroelement formulation for single batter piles in sand

Batter piles are widely used in geotechnical engineering when substantial lateral resistance is needed or to avoid the interference with existing underground constructions. Nevertheless, there is a lack of fast numerical tools for nonlinear soil‐structure interactions problems for this type of foundation. A novel hypoplastic macroelement is proposed, able to reproduce the nonlinear response of a single batter pile in sand under monotonic and cyclic static loadings. The behavior of batter piles (15°, 30°, and 45°) is first numerically investigated using 3D finite element modeling and compared with the behavior of vertical piles. It is shown that their response mainly depends on the pile inclination and the loading direction. Then, starting from the macroelement for single vertical piles in sand by Li et al (Acta Geotechnica, 11(2):373‐390, 2016), an extension is proposed to take into account the pile inclination introducing simple analytical equations in the expression describing the failure surface. 3D finite element numerical models are adopted to validate the macroelement that is proven able to reproduce the nonlinear behavior in terms of global quantities (forces‐displacements) and to significantly reduce the necessary computational time.     

Subduction metamorphism of serpentinite‐hosted carbonates beyond antigorite‐serpentinite dehydration (Nevado‐Filábride Complex,Spain)

At sub‐arc depths, the release of carbon from subducting slab lithologies is mostly controlled by fluid released by devolatilization reactions such as dehydration of antigorite (Atg‐) serpentinite to prograde peridotite. Here we investigate carbonate–silicate rocks hosted in Atg‐serpentinite and prograde chlorite (Chl‐) harzburgite in the Milagrosa and Almirez ultramafic massifs of the palaeo‐subducted Nevado‐Filábride Complex (NFC, Betic Cordillera, S. Spain). These massifs provide a unique opportunity to study the stability of carbonate during subduction metamorphism at P–T conditions before and after the dehydration of Atg‐serpentinite in a warm subduction setting. In the Milagrosa massif, carbonate–silicate rocks occur as lenses of Ti‐clinohumite–diopside–calcite marbles, diopside–dolomite marbles and antigorite–diopside–dolomite rocks hosted in clinopyroxene‐bearing Atg‐serpentinite. In Almirez, carbonate–silicate rocks are hosted in Chl‐harzburgite and show a high‐grade assemblage composed of olivine, Ti‐clinohumite, diopside, chlorite, dolomite, calcite, Cr‐bearing magnetite, pentlandite and rare aragonite inclusions. These NFC carbonate–silicate rocks have variable CaO and CO₂ contents at nearly constant Mg/Si ratio and high Ni and Cr contents, indicating that their protoliths were variable mixtures of serpentine and Ca‐carbonate (i.e., ophicarbonates). Thermodynamic modelling shows that the carbonate–silicate rocks attained peak metamorphic conditions similar to those of their host serpentinite (Milagrosa massif; 550–600°C and 1.0–1.4 GPa) and Chl‐harzburgite (Almirez massif; 1.7–1.9 GPa and 680°C). Microstructures, mineral chemistry and phase relations indicate that the hybrid carbonate–silicate bulk rock compositions formed before prograde metamorphism, likely during seawater hydrothermal alteration, and subsequently underwent subduction metamorphism. In the CaO–MgO–SiO₂ ternary, these processes resulted in a compositional variability of NFC serpentinite‐hosted carbonate–silicate rocks along the serpentine‐calcite mixing trend, similar to that observed in serpentinite‐hosted carbonate‐rocks in other palaeo‐subducted metamorphic terranes. Thermodynamic modelling using classical models of binary H₂O–CO₂ fluids shows that the compositional variability along this binary determines the temperature of the main devolatilization reactions, the fluid composition and the mineral assemblages of reaction products during prograde subduction metamorphism. Thermodynamic modelling considering electrolytic fluids reveals that H₂O and molecular CO₂ are the main fluid species and charged carbon‐bearing species occur only in minor amounts in equilibrium with carbonate–silicate rocks in warm subduction settings. Consequently, accounting for electrolytic fluids at these conditions slightly increases the solubility of carbon in the fluids compared with predictions by classical binary H₂O–CO₂ fluids, but does not affect the topology of phase relations in serpentinite‐hosted carbonate‐rocks. Phase relations, mineral composition and assemblages of Milagrosa and Almirez (meta)‐serpentinite‐hosted carbonate–silicate rocks are consistent with local equilibrium between an infiltrating fluid and the bulk rock composition and indicate a limited role of infiltration‐driven decarbonation. Our study shows natural evidence for the preservation of carbonates in serpentinite‐hosted carbonate–silicate rocks beyond the Atg‐serpentinite breakdown at sub‐arc depths, demonstrating that carbon can be recycled into the deep mantle.     

A full-scale study of Darcy-Weisbach friction factor for channels vegetated by riparian species

In this article, an open channel flow resistance equation, deduced applying dimensional analysis and incomplete self-similarity condition for the flow velocity distribution, was tested using measurements carried out in a full-scale channel equipped with three types of riparian plants (Salix alba L., Salix caprea L. and Alnus glutinosa L.). In the experimental channel, having banks lined with boulders, the vegetation branches were anchored in a concrete bottom. For each species, the measurements were carried out with plants having different amounts of leaves, different plant density and plant area index. The relationship between the scale factor Γ of the velocity profile and the Froude number was separately calibrated by measurements carried out without and with vegetation. The component of Darcy-Weisbach friction factor corresponding to the riparian vegetation f_v was calculated as the difference between the measured friction factor value (channel grain roughness + vegetation) and that calculated for the channel without vegetation in the same hydraulic conditions. Using these f_v values, the relationship between the scale factor Γ and the Froude number was calibrated. In this last relationship, a scaling coefficient a varying with the investigated vegetation type was introduced. This coefficient, as expected, gives the highest friction factor values for vegetation having branches with leaves. The theoretical flow resistance law, coupled with the relationship for estimating the Γ function having a scaling coefficient different for each investigated vegetation type, allowed an accurate estimate of the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor (errors less than or equal to 20% for 82.6% of the investigated cases). Finally, for the investigated vegetation species that are characterized by a condition with few leaves or leafless, the scaling coefficient a resulted strongly related to the bending stiffness. This analysis demonstrated that the highest Darcy-Weisbach friction factors correspond to vegetation species characterized by the highest values of bending stiffness. The friction factor values calculated for this last condition are characterized by errors that were less than or equal to ±20% for 90.6% of cases.     

High-Frequency Response of the Atmospheric Electric Potential Gradient Under Strong and Dry Boundary-Layer Convection

The spectral response of atmospheric electric potential gradient gives important information about phenomena affecting this gradient at characteristic time scales ranging from years (e.g., solar modulation) to fractions of a second (e.g., turbulence). While long-term time scales have been exhaustively explored, short-term scales have received less attention. At such frequencies, space-charge transport inside the planetary boundary layer becomes a sizeable contribution to the potential gradient variability. For the first time, co-located (Évora, Portugal) measurements of boundary-layer backscatter profiles and the 100-Hz potential gradient are reported. Five campaign days are analyzed, providing evidence for a relation between high-frequency response of the potential gradient and strong dry convection.     

Biogeochemical behavior of Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke in the Pitinga mining district, Amazon, Brazil

The vegetal species Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke (Rhamnaceae Family) was chosen as a sampling medium for the lateritic surfaces of the Pitinga Mine in the Amazon region, in order to study the biogeochemical behavior of this species and compare it with the chemical composition of a reference plant. The Pitinga mining district is one of the largest producers of tin in the world. This district contains unique deposits of cryolite and rare metals such as Zr, Nb, Ta, Y and REEs related to granitic bodies that intrude into the volcanic and acid pyroclastic rocks. The results showed that the species A. amazonicus predominantly concentrates significant levels of Zr, Nb, Ta, Th, Be, Sc over U, Hf, Ga and In. These elements are characteristic of the mineral paragenesis for the region, suggesting that this plant can provide a representative sampling medium future geochemical exploration programs in the region.     

Facies analyses and volcanic setting of the giant Neves Corvo massive sulfide deposit,Iberian Pyrite Belt,Portugal

In the Iberian Pyrite Belt, volcanic rocks are relatively scarce, accounting for approximately only 25% of the geologic record, with the remaining 75% consisting of sedimentary units. This association is very clear in the host succession to the Neves Corvo massive sulfide deposit in Portugal. The Neves Corvo host succession comprises the products of explosive and effusive rhyolitic eruptions intercalated with mudstone that records a submarine below-wave-base environment and provides precise biostratigraphic age constraints. The first and second volcanic events involved eruptions at local intrabasinal vents. The first event generated thick beds of fiamme breccia that are late Famennian in age. The fiamme were originally pumice clasts produced by explosive eruptions and were subsequently compacted. The second event was the late Strunian (latest Famennian) effusion of rhyolitic lava that was pervasively quench-fragmented. The third and final event is younger than the massive sulfide deposits poorly represented in the mine area and minor compared with the two other events. The integration of biostratigraphic data with the volcanic facies architecture indicates that the Neves Corvo ore deposits are similar in age to the late Strunian rhyolitic lava. Although regionally the Iberian Pyrite Belt is essentially a sedimentary succession, ore formation at Neves Corvo can be closely linked to discrete volcanic events that produced a relatively narrow range of volcanic facies.     

Fast error analysis of continuous GPS observations

It has been generally accepted that the noise in continuous GPS observations can be well described by a power-law plus white noise model. Using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) the numerical values of the noise model can be estimated. Current methods require calculating the data covariance matrix and inverting it, which is a significant computational burden. Analysing 10 years of daily GPS solutions of a single station can take around 2 h on a regular computer such as a PC with an AMD Athlon^TM 64 X2 dual core processor. When one analyses large networks with hundreds of stations or when one analyses hourly instead of daily solutions, the long computation times becomes a problem. In case the signal only contains power-law noise, the MLE computations can be simplified to a process where N is the number of observations. For the general case of power-law plus white noise, we present a modification of the MLE equations that allows us to reduce the number of computations within the algorithm from a cubic to a quadratic function of the number of observations when there are no data gaps. For time-series of three and eight years, this means in practise a reduction factor of around 35 and 84 in computation time without loss of accuracy. In addition, this modification removes the implicit assumption that there is no environment noise before the first observation. Finally, we present an analytical expression for the uncertainty of the estimated trend if the data only contains power-law noise. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The Contribution of Geoelectrical Investigations in the Analysis of Periglacial and Glacial Landforms in Ice Free Areas of the Northern Foothills (Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica)

All periglacial and glacial landforms investigated in the Northern Foothills have a very thin active layer (0.1–0.3 m thickness) overlying a thin permafrost layer, characterised by electrical resistivities ranging between 13 and 50 kΩm and by different thicknesses. Below this surficial layer, different types of ground ice (with a resistivity range from 8000 to 0.1 kΩm) were detected. These different types of ground ice permitted ice-cored rock glaciers to be distinguished from ice-cemented rock glaciers, subsea permafrost to be identified in some raised beaches, and other interpretations to be suggested about a debris-covered glacier. These results have been obtained by vertical electrical soundings (VES) carried out in ice-free areas of the Northern Foothills, near Terra Nova Bay Station during the tenth national Italian expedition in Antarctica (1994–1995). In these areas on the basis of previous geomorphological research, some landforms such as rock glaciers, raised beaches with patterned ground and debris-covered glaciers were chosen to carry out the VES. The electrical prospection can be considered a good means for understanding the origins of landforms in ice-free areas of Antarctica and for making a contribution to the palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of this continent.