Quantitative dam break analysis on a reservoir earth dam

Mathematical simulations on dam break or failure using BOSS DAMBRK hydrodynamic flood routing dam break model were carried out to determine the extent of flooding downstream, flood travel times, flood water velocities and impacts on downstream affected residences, properties and environmental sensitive areas due to floodwaters released by failure of the dam structure. Computer simulations for one of the worse case scenarios on dam failure using BOSS DAMBRK software accounted for dam failure, storage effects, floodplains, over bank flow and flood wave attenuation. The simulated results reviewed a maximum flow velocity of 2.40 m/s with a discharge of approximately 242 mз /s occurred at 1.00 km downstream. The maximum discharge increased from 244 m³/s (flow velocity = 1.74 m/s occurred at 8^th. km) to 263 m³/s (flow velocity = 1.37 m/s occurred at 12^th. km); about a 39% drop in flow velocity over a distance of 4.00 km downstream. If the entire dam gives way instantly, some spots stretching from 0.00 km (at dam site) to approximately 3.40 km downstream of the dam may be categorized as “danger zone”, while downstream hazard and economic loss beyond 3.40 km downstream can be classified as “low” or “minimal” zones.     

Transport and Dispersion of a Conservative Tracer in Coastal Waters with Large Intertidal Areas

In late December 1991, an accidental release of 5,700 CI of tritiated water (HTO) from the Savannah River Site was transported via site streams into the Savannah River where it was carried downstream to the coastal zone. HTO released into a semitropical Georgia estuary was forced into the tidal marshes surrounding the estuary as well as discharged directly into the Atlantic Ocean. The spreading of HTO was studied with a 3D hydrodynamic model (ALGE) that includes flooding and draining of intertidal areas. Comparisons of model simulations to measured HTO concentration showed that ALGE simulated well the general increase and decrease of HTO as its plume passed a given area. The “sheet flow” approximation for marsh and small tidal creek flow largely compensated for lack of model resolution and accurate bathymetry in areas with numerous small to medium-sized tidal creeks. The water volume of the unresolved tidal creeks had to be accounted for in the simulations by increasing the initial water depth over the marshes. ALGE and a simple box model both reproduced the trapping of HTO in intertidal areas. The time scale over which intertidal areas import and export HTO back to the tidal channels varies between 10 and 30 days.     

Preparing a seismic hazard model for Switzerland: the view from PEGASOS Expert Group 3 (EG1c)

The seismic hazard model used in the PEGASOS project for assessing earth-quake hazard at four NPP sites was a composite of four sub-models, each produced by a team of three experts. In this paper, one of these models is described in detail by the authors. A criticism sometimes levelled at probabilistic seismic hazard studies is that the process by which seismic source zones are arrived at is obscure, subjective and inconsistent. Here, we attempt to recount the stages by which the model evolved, and the decisions made along the way. In particular, a macro-to-micro approach was used, in which three main stages can be described. The first was the characterisation of the overall kinematic model, the “big picture” of regional seismogenesis. Secondly, this was refined to a more detailed seismotectonic model. Lastly, this was used as the basis of individual sources, for which parameters can be assessed. Some basic questions had also to be answered about aspects of the approach to modelling to be used: for instance, is spatial smoothing an appropriate tool to apply? Should individual fault sources be modelled in an intraplate environment? Also, the extent to which alternative modelling decisions should be expressed in a logic tree structure has to be considered.     

The secular variation of cometary magnitude

This paper calculates the mean variation in absolute magnitude per perihelion passage, ΔH₁₀, for short-period comets from the data of Vsekhsvyatskii and finds a value of 0.30 ± 0.06. Other mechanisms used for estimating cometary decay are reviewed and it is concluded that a more probable value for ΔH₁₀ is about 0.002. Reasons for the discrepancy between these two values are given.     

Permafrost at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in North America

This paper presents three maps that summarize current knowledge as to the extent of Past permafrost and Relict permafrost in North America at approximately the time of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; c. 25–17 ka BP) and during subsequent deglaciation until c. 10 ka BP. Analysis of the post‐1983 literature suggests that the extent of Past permafrost south of the LGM limit was broader in eastern North America and slightly narrower in the Interior Great Plains than previously mapped. The recognition and dating of Relict permafrost in the nonglaciated terrain of the northwestern Arctic suggests that permafrost may be of great antiquity and can persist under changing climatic conditions. The formation of permafrost features during deglaciation suggests that ice‐proximal climatic conditions remained cold at least long enough for short‐lived permafrost aggradation; a latitudinal gradient is evident in the timing of its development as the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated.     

Reply to the comment by Addo Van Pul and John H. Van Boxel on ‘a first order closure scheme to describe counter gradient momentum transport in plant canopies’ by Li,Miller and Lin

Correspondence

Reply to the comment by Addo Van Pul and John H. Van Boxel on a first order closure scheme to describe counter gradient momentum transport in plant canopies by Li, Miller and Lin     

The Hinode Spectro-Polarimeter

The joint Japan/US/UK Hinode mission includes the first large-aperture visible-light solar telescope flown in space. One component of the Focal Plane Package of that telescope is a precision spectro-polarimeter designed to measure full Stokes spectra with the intent of using those spectra to infer the magnetic-field vector at high precision in the solar photosphere. This article describes the characteristics of the flight hardware of the Hinode Spectro-Polarimeter, and summarizes its in-flight performance.     

On the correlation of certain lower Dalradian successions in northwest Donegal

Within the Dalradian Series of Donegal, the Creeslough, Maas and Fintown successions, which have hitherto been regarded as stratigraphically distinct, are correlated. A standard terminology for this sequence is proposed and a detailed correlation is made with the Ballachulish Succession, which thus forms all the country around the Donegal Granites, northwest of the faults and thrusts which separate it from the Islay Succession.