On the ring current energy injection rate

Assuming that the formation of the ring current belt is a direct consequence of an enhanced crosstail electric field and hence of an enhanced convection, we calculate the total ring current kinetic energy (K_R) and the ring current energy injection rate (U_R) as a function of the cross-tail electric field (E_CT); the cross-tail electric field is assumed to have a step function-like increase. The loss of ring current particles due to recombination and charge-exchange is assumed to be distributed over the whole ring current region. It is found that: (1) the steady-state ring current energy K_R is approximately linearly proportional to E_CT; (2) the characteristic time t_c for K_R to reach the saturation level is 3–4 h; (3) the injection rate U_R is proportional to E_CT^β where β ? 1.33?1.52; and (4) the characteristic time t_p for U_R to reach the peak value is 1–2 h and the peak U_R value is 50% higher than the steady-state value. Since β is now determined specifically for an enhanced convection, an observational determination of the relationship between E_CT(or φ_CT) and U_R is essential to a better understanding of ring current formation processes. If the observed β is greater than 1.5, additional processes (e.g. an injection of heavy ions from the ionosphere to the plasma sheet and subsequently to the ring current region) may be required.     

A dynamo theory of solar flares

It is proposed that the solar flare phenomenon can be understood as a manifestation of the electrodynamic coupling process of the photosphere-chromosphere-corona system as a whole. The system is coupled by electric currents, flowing along (both upward and downward) and across the magnetic field lines, powered by the dynamo process driven by the neutral wind in the photosphere and the lower chromosphere. A self-consistent formulation of the proposed coupling system is given. It is shown in particular that the coupling system can generate and dissipate the power of 10²⁹ erg s^#X2212;1 and the total energy of 10³² erg during a typical life time (10³ s) of solar flares. The energy consumptions include Joule heat production, acceleration of current-carrying particles along field lines, magnetic energy storage and kinetic energy of plasma convection. The particle acceleration arises from the development of field-aligned potential drops of 10–150 kV due to the loss-cone constriction effect along the upward field-aligned currents, causing optical, X-ray and radio emissions. The total number of precipitating electrons during a flare is shown to be of order 10³⁷–10³⁸.     

Experimental study of extreme shear stress for shallow flow under simulated rainfall

The raindrop impact and overland flow are two major factors causing soil detachment and particle transportation. In this study, the turbulent characteristics of the shallow rain‐impacted water flow were investigated using a 2‐D fibre‐optic laser Doppler velocimetry (FLDV) and an artificial rainfall simulator. The fluctuating turbulent shear stress was computed using digital data processing techniques. The experimental data showed that the Reynolds shear stress follows a probability distribution with heavy tails. The tail probability increases with an increase of rainfall intensity or raindrop diameter, and it decreases with an increase of Reynolds number. A modified empirical equation was derived using both the raindrop diameter and rainfall intensity as independent variables to provide a better prediction of the Darcy‐Weisbach friction coefficient f under rainfall conditions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simultaneous identification of parameter,initial condition,and boundary condition in groundwater modelling

In this paper, we perform an inverse method to simultaneously estimate aquifer parameters, initial condition, and boundary conditions in groundwater modelling. The parameter estimation is extended to a complete inverse problem that makes the calibrated groundwater flow model more realistic. The adjoint state method, the gradient search method, and the least square error algorithm are combined to build the optimization procedure. Horizontal two‐dimensional groundwater flow in a confined aquifer is exemplified to demonstrate the correlation between unknowns, the contribution of observation, as well as the suitability of applying the inverse method. The correlation analysis shows the connection between storage coefficient and initial condition. Besides, transmissivity and boundary conditions are also highly correlated. More observations at different location and time are necessary to provide sufficient information. A time series of unsteady head is requested for estimation of storage coefficient and initial condition. Observation near boundary is very effective for boundary condition estimation. The observation at pumping well mostly contributes to the estimation of transmissivity. According to all observations, it is possible to identify parameters, initial condition, and boundary condition simultaneously. Furthermore, the results not only illustrate the traditional assumption of known boundary condition but also initial condition, which may cause an incorrect estimation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tradeoff between the number of firefighting resources and the level of fire ignition prevention efforts in the Republic of Korea

This study explores the tradeoff relationship between the number of initial attack firefighting resources and the level of fire ignition prevention efforts mitigating the probability of human-made fires in the Republic of Korea, where most fires are caused by human activities. To examine this tradeoff relationship, we develop a hybrid model that combines a robust optimization model with a stochastic simulation model. The robust optimization minimizes the expected number of fires not receiving a pre-defined response, such as the number of firefighting resources that must arrive at the fire within half an hour, subject to budget constraints and uncertainty about the daily number and location of fires. The simulation model produces a set of fire scenarios in which a combination of number, location, ignition time, and intensity of fires occur. Results show that fire ignition prevention is as cost-effective as initial attack firefighting resources given the current budget in the Republic of Korea for reducing the expected number of fires not covered by the predefined response. The mixed policy of fire suppression and fire prevention may produce some gains in efficiency relative to the dominant policy of strong fire suppression strategies.     

Volume estimation of small scale debris flows based on observations of topographic changes using airborne LiDAR DEMs

This paper describes a geographic information system(GIS)-based method for observing changes in topography caused by the initiation, transport, and deposition of debris flows using highresolution light detection and ranging(LiDAR) digital elevation models(DEMs) obtained before and after the debris flow events. The paper also describes a method for estimating the volume of debris flows using the differences between the LiDAR DEMs. The relative and absolute positioning accuracies of the LiDAR DEMs were evaluated using a real-time precise global navigation satellite system(GNSS) positioning method. In addition, longitudinal and cross-sectional profiles of the study area were constructed to determine the topographic changes caused by the debris flows. The volume of the debris flows was estimated based on the difference between the LiDAR DEMs. The accuracies of the relative and absolute positioning of the two LiDAR DEMs were determined to be ±10 cm and ±11 cm RMSE, respectively, which demonstrates the efficiency of the method for determining topographic changes at an scale equivalent to that of field investigations. Based on the topographic changes, the volume of the debris flows in the study area was estimated to be 3747 m3, which is comparable with the volume estimated based on the data from field investigations.     

AN OVERVIEW ON THE URBAN-RURAL INTERACTION IN THE PAST 50 YEARS IN CHINA

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Confirmation of a meteoritic component in impact‐melt rocks of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure,Virginia, USA—Evidence from osmium isotopic and PGE systematics

Abstract— The osmium isotope ratios and platinum‐group element (PGE) concentrations of impact‐melt rocks in the Chesapeake Bay impact structure were determined. The impact‐melt rocks come from the cored part of a lower‐crater section of suevitic crystalline‐clast breccia in an 823 m scientific test hole over the central uplift at Cape Charles, Virginia. The ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of impact‐melt rocks range from 0.151 to 0.518. The rhenium and platinum‐group element (PGE) concentrations of these rocks are 30–270x higher than concentrations in basement gneiss, and together with the osmium isotopes indicate a substantial meteoritic component in some impact‐melt rocks. Because the PGE abundances in the impact‐melt rocks are dominated by the target materials, interelemental ratios of the impact‐melt rocks are highly variable and nonchondritic. The chemical nature of the projectile for the Chesapeake Bay impact structure cannot be constrained at this time. Model mixing calculations between chondritic and crustal components suggest that most impact‐melt rocks include a bulk meteoritic component of 0.01–0.1% by mass. Several impact‐melt rocks with lowest initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios and the highest osmium concentrations could have been produced by additions of 0.1%–0.2% of a meteoritic component. In these samples, as much as 70% of the total Os may be of meteoritic origin. At the calculated proportions of a meteoritic component (0.01–0.1% by mass), no mixtures of the investigated target rocks and sediments can reproduce the observed PGE abundances of the impact‐melt rocks, suggesting that other PGE enrichment processes operated along with the meteoritic contamination. Possible explanations are 1) participation of unsampled target materials with high PGE abundances in the impact‐melt rocks, and 2) variable fractionations of PGE during syn‐ to post‐impact events.     

A TEM and EELS study of carbon in a melt fragment from the Gardnos impact structure

A carbon‐rich melt fragment from the Gardnos impact structure has been studied for a better understanding of the preservation and structural form(s) of carbon that have been processed by impact melting. The carbon was analyzed in situ in its original petrographic context within the melt fragment, using high‐resolution techniques including focused ion beam‐transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Results show that the carbon is largely uniform and has a nanocrystalline grain size. The Gardnos carbon has a graphitic structure but with a large c/a ratio indicating disorder. The disorder could be a result of rapid heating to high temperatures during impact, followed by rapid cooling, with not enough time to crystallize into highly ordered graphite. However, temperature distribution during impact is extremely heterogenous, and the disordered Gardnos carbon could also represent material that avoided extreme temperatures, and thus, it was preserved. Understanding the structure of carbon during terrestrial impacts is important to help determine if the history of carbon within extraterrestrial samples is impact related. Furthermore, the degree of preservation of carbon during impact is key for locating and detecting organic compounds in extraterrestrial samples. This example from Gardnos, together with previous studies, shows that not all carbon is lost to oxidation during impact but that impact melting can encapsulate and preserve carbon where it is available.