Analysis of seafloor backscatter strength dependence on the survey azimuth using multibeam echosounder data

The sediment backscatter strength measured by multibeam echosounders is a key feature for seafloor mapping either qualitative (image mosaics) or quantitative (extraction of classifying features). An important phenomenon, often underestimated, is the dependence of the backscatter level on the azimuth angle imposed by the survey line directions: strong level differences at varying azimuth can be observed in case of organized roughness of the seabed, usually caused by tide currents over sandy sediments. This paper presents a number of experimental results obtained from shallow-water cruises using a 300-kHz multibeam echosounder and specially dedicated to the study of this azimuthal effect, with a specific configuration of the survey strategy involving a systematic coverage of reference areas following “compass rose” patterns. The results show for some areas a very strong dependence of the backscatter level, up to about 10-dB differences at intermediate oblique angles, although the presence of these ripples cannot be observed directly—neither from the bathymetry data nor from the sonar image, due to the insufficient resolution capability of the sonar. An elementary modeling of backscattering from rippled interfaces explains and comforts these observations. The consequences of this backscatter dependence upon survey azimuth on the current strategies of backscatter data acquisition and exploitation are discussed.     

Long term evolution of distant retrograde orbits in the Earth-Moon system

This work studies the evolution of several Distant Retrograde Orbits (DROs) of varying size in the Earth-Moon system over durations up to tens of millennia. This analysis is relevant for missions requiring a completely hands off, long duration quarantine orbit, such as a Mars Sample Return mission or the Asteroid Redirect Mission. Four DROs are selected from four stable size regions and are propagated for up to 30,000 years with an integrator that uses extended precision arithmetic techniques and a high fidelity dynamical model. The evolution of the orbit’s size, shape, orientation, period, out-of-plane amplitude, and Jacobi constant are tracked. It has been found that small DROs, with minor axis amplitudes of approximately 45,000 km or less decay in size and period largely due to the Moon’s solid tides. Larger DROs (62,000 km and up) are more influenced by the gravity of bodies external to the Earth-Moon system, and remain bound to the Moon for significantly less time.     

The Mathematic Models of the Kalman Filtering for Across-Fault Measurement

This paper makes a probe into the application of the Kalman filtering method to the data processing of across-fault measurements.On the basis of statistical regression,the mathematic and stochastic models of filtration are established by combining the regression method with Kalman filtering.In the filtering computation,not only the randomness of fault movements but also the time-dependent variation of environmental effects have been taken into consideration.By use of the adaptive filtering method,an estimation of the dynamic noise variance matrix is obtained through iteration.Models for one measuring line(leveling line or baseline),two measuring lines(both leveling lines or both baselines)and four measuring lines(two leveling lines and two baselines)are derived and established systematically.By means of these models,the data of across-fault measurements can be processed dynamically in real-time to provide the filtered values of height difference between benchmarks or baseline length at different time in     

A comparison of windows and maximum entropy methods for MT transfer function estimation

The ability of the Maximum Entropy Spectral Estimate (MEM) to handle magnetotelluric signals was investigated. To this end simulations of naturally occurring signals and real data were spectral analyzed both by a standard FFT technique and by MEM. The method developed for the simulation of the time series, provides accurate amplitudes and phase, and turns out to be a good test procedure for spectral analysis methods, as they apply to MT signal processing. The final estimation of the apparent resistivity was better achieved by the FFT technique. Oscillations were observed in the estimation of the apparent resistivities by MEM.     

NUMERICAL EXPERIMENT OF THE INFLUENCES OF HEAT AND WIND STRESS ON THE EQUATORIAL OCEAN CIRCULATION

A time-dependent linear model on the equatorial beta plane is developed in this paper.Its verticalstructure consists of two active layers with equal density and temperature above the thermocline and aquasi-stationary layer with constant density below the thermocline.The results of nurnericat experiments show that the direct influence of heat on the equatorial ocean ismuch smaller than that of wind stress.Nevertheless,through the tropical ocean-atmosphere interaction,the change of wind stress resulting from the thermal forcing may set a determinant effect on the equilibriumand anomalous development of the ocean-almosphere circulation.     

The Residual Deformation and Equivalent Source of the Lancang-Gengma Earthquake

In this paper,the equivalent force inside the source which produces a large area deformation field is calculated by using the records of residual deformation,S wave radiation of shear dislocation source and Green function of the Lancang-Gengma earthquake.Under the action of equivalent force whose intensity was 1.103×1013 N,the crust derm of northeast segment of seismic fault had finished the upraise and formed permanent irrecoverable deformation within 20.46 min after the major earthquake occurred.The authors indicate that the residual deformation would split into 2 deformation fields with different propagation velocities and different directions in the Song-distance propagation process.     

THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES AND ROLE OF THERMALS IN THE STRATUS-TOPPED BOUNDARY LAYER

From results of two large-eddy simulation of stratus-topped boundary layer,the structure,thermodynamic prop-erties and role of thermals are investigated by using conditional sampling methods,which divided the thermals into thewarm/moist,cool/dry,warm/dry and cool/moist events.The results show that the main turbulent circulation in thestratus-topped boundary layer is composed of the warm/moist updraft and cool/dry downdraft.Below entrainmentregion,the warm/moist updrafts and cool/dry downdrafts are,respectively,positively and negatively buoyant andcontribute most to total fluxes and variances.Evaporative cooling has important effect on the structure and thermodynamic properties of thermals instratus-topped boundary layer.     

THE ROLES OF BOUNDARY-LAYER DYNAMICS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MADDEN-JULIAN OSCILLATION

In this paper,a tropical atmospheric model of relevance to shorts-term climate variations(Wang and Li 1993)is util-ized for study of the development of Madden-Julian oscillation.The model contains an interactive process ofboundary-layer Ekman convergence and precipitation heating.The model is solved by expanding dependent variables interms of parabolic cylindrical functions in the meridional direction and truncating three meridional modes n=0,2,4 forequatorial symmetric solutions.The free wave solutions obtained under long-wave approximation are induced as aKelvin wave and two Rossby waves.After considering the effect of boundary-layer dynamic process,the modifiedKelvin wave becomes unstable in long-wave bands with a typical growth rate on an order of 10~(-6) s~(-1)and an eastwardphase speed of 10 m s~(-1);the most unstable mode is wavenumber one.These theoretical results are consistent with the ob-served Madden-Julian oscillation in equatorial area.For the two modified Rossby waves,one with a smaller meridionalscale(n=4)decays except for extra long-waves;the other with a larger meridional scale(n=2)grows in short-wavebands.This may be relevant to explaining the westward propagation of super cloud clusters in the Madden-Julianoscillation.The theory suggests that the boundary-layer dynamic process is an important mechanism in the develop-ment of the Madden-Julian oscillation.     

山东山旺盆地中新世两个蚂蚁新属（Heteromyrmex Zhang,1989和Tolylasius Zhang,1989）的修正

1989年,张俊峰发表了山东山旺盆地中新世（N2）2个蚂蚁新属新种：Heteromyrmex atopogaster Zhang,1989和Tolylasius inflatus Zhang,1989。经检验,前一个属是基于不实的观察结果,新属、种应予废除,作为未定属种归人蚁亚科（Formicinae);后一个属的建属根据都非建属的根据,其他的特征系毛蚁属（Lasius)的属征范围,没有建属条件,属应予废,保留其种,转移到毛蚁属。