A parallelizable method for two‐phase flows in naturally‐fractured reservoirs

A parallelizable, semi‐implicit numerical method is proposed for the study of naturally‐fractured reservoir systems. It has proved to be computationally efficient in producing accurate numerical solutions for the dual‐porosity model for immiscible, two‐phase flow in such reservoirs. The method combines hybridized mixed finite elements, a new version of the modified method of characteristics, a sophisticated operator‐splitting procedure for separating the pressure calculation in the fractures from that of the saturation, another operator splitting to handle the interaction of the matrix blocks and the fractures, and domain decomposition iterative procedures for both the pressure and the saturation. It permits moderately long time steps for the pressure and the saturation in the fractures and matrix blocks by using short, inexpensive microsteps to treat the transport portion of the saturation equation in the fractures. This paper is devoted to the formulation of the method and a discussion of numerical results for five‐spot and vertical cross‐section examples.     

The distribution and configuration of tree cover in urban Hong Kong

The urban tree cover of a sample area in Hong Kong, selected for its exceptionally good tree cover that penetrate the built-up matrix, was mapped at 15000 scale using aerial photographs. Distribution and configuration of cover was quantified by systematic line sampling. Sampled segments were assigned to appropriate habitat types, urban zones and land uses. Chi-square analysis was employed to detect associations between some observed pairs. Attributes to characterize tree cover and habitats were proposed. Tree cover was found predominantly on slopes well mixed with the urban matrix. Patches of trees in roadside habitats and offroad open spaces were small and disconnected in rigid geometric patterns. Natural slopes unaffected by urban development supported woodlands at high elevation outside the city boundary. Cover in artificial or natural residual slopes (undeveloped slopes embedded within the urban matrix) showed wide variations. Most of the narrow curvilinear units were oriented along contours and situated between roads and buildings. Cover and segment size increased progressively from coastal reclaimed zones to the upslope lands. Areas of high-density land use had scanty cover; most tree cover was found outside subdivided lots in places of lower density land use. Topographical control of urban morphology, habitat and cover characteristics were evident. The dimension, orientation and connectedness of the largely unplanned residual-slope cover were inadequate as wildlife refuges. The principles and possible applications of island biogeography theory in the urban setting was assessed. The dynamic interaction between urbanization and tree cover was summarized. Potential for neighborhood nature parks should not be wasted. Possibilities to protect and enhance tree cover and mould its configuration in a landscape plan in existing and new urban areas were discussed.     

On the estimation of long-wave radiation flux from clear skies

Summary Data from measurements of long-wave radiation at Barcelona were used to test the validity of several methods for computing this component of the radiation balance in clear sky conditions.Two types of formulae, the analytically derived formulae of Swinbank and Brutsaert 1 and 2 and the empirically obtained formulae of Brunt, Idso and Jackson and Idso 1 and 2 were used in the test.Most of these methods are derived for a particular location and utilize local empirical coefficients. However, there are several which have been considered more universal.Estimates by the two methods give approximately the same value when the screen level air temperature is above 0°C.In addition, the test for temperatures below 0°C shows several discrepancies between the observed and estimated values of long-wave atmospheric radiation. This fact suggests that modifications may be needed for both analytical and empirical formulae. However, since we have few measurements in the temperature regime below 0°C, this statement cannot be justified as a conclusion of this study.

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Zusammenfassung Es werden Daten der langwelligen atmosphärischen Strahlung bei Barcelona herangezogen, um verschiedene Methoden zur Bestimmung dieser Komponente der Strahlungsbilanz bei klarem Himmel zu vergleichen. Dazu werden zwei unterschiedliche Formeltypen, die analytischen nach Swinbank und Brutsaert (1 und 2) und empirische nach Brunt, Idso und Jackson sowie Idso (1 und 2) benützt.Von diesen Methoden wurden die meisten für einen bestimmten Ort entwickelt und verwenden daher lokale empirische Koeffizienten. Allerdings gibt es einige, die als allgemein verwendbar angesehen werden.Für beide Typen der Abschätzung ergeben sich für Lufttemperaturen über 0°C im Hüttenniveau ähnliche Werte. Bei Lufttemperaturen unter 0°C zeigen sich jedoch einige Unterschiede zwischen den beobachteten und geschätzten Werten der langwelligen atmosphärischen Strahlung. Das legt nahe, die Koeffizienten sowohl für die analytischen als auch die empirischen Formeln anzupassen. Leider war das auf Grund des geringen Datenmaterials bei Temperaturen unter 0°C innerhalb dieser Untersuchung nicht möglich.

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With 2 Figures     

Conceptualising and measuring psychological preparedness for disaster: The Psychological Preparedness for Disaster Threat Scale

Natural Hazards - Most research on household disaster preparedness has focussed on physical, or material, preparation. Recently, researchers have turned attention to investigating psychological, or...     

Subsidence associated with the LUSI mud eruption,East Java,investigated by SAR interferometry

A mud volcano LUSI initiated its eruption on 29 May 2006, adjacent to a hydrocarbon exploration well in East Java. Ground subsidence in the vicinity of the LUSI eruptive vent was well recorded by a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) PALSAR onboard the Japanese ALOS satellite. We apply an Interferometric SAR (InSAR) technique on ten PALSAR data scenes, acquired between 19 May 2006 and 21 May 2007, in order to obtain continuous maps of ground displacements around LUSI. Although the displacements in the area closest to the eruptive vent (spatial extension of about 1.5 km) are not detectable because of the erupted mud, all the processed interferograms indicate subsidence in an ellipsoidal area of approximately 4 km (north–south) × 3 km (east–west), centered at the main eruptive vent. In particular, interferograms spanning the first four months until 4 Oct. 2006 and the subsequent 46 days between 4 Oct. 2006 and 19 Nov. 2006 show at least about 70 cm and 80 cm of displacements away from the satellite, respectively. Possible causes of the subsidence, i.e., 1) loading effect of the erupted mud, 2) creation of a cylindrical mud conduit, and 3) pressure decrease and depletion of materials at depth, are investigated. The effects of the first two causes are found to be insufficient to explain the total amount of subsidence observed in the first six months. The third possibility is quantitatively examined using a boundary element approach by modeling the source of deformation as a deflating oblate spheroid. The spheroid is estimated to lie at depths of a few hundred to a thousand meters. The estimated depths are significantly shallower than determined from analyses of erupted mud samples; the difference is explained by presence of significant amount of inelastic deformation including compaction and downward transfer of material.     

Global GPS data analysis at the National Geodetic Survey

NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) has been one of the Analysis Centers (ACs) of the International GNSS Service (IGS) since its inception in 1994. Solutions for daily GPS orbits and Earth orientation parameters are regularly contributed to the IGS Rapid and Final products, as well as solutions of weekly station positions. These solutions are combined with those of the other ACs and then the resultant IGS products are distributed to users. To perform these tasks, NGS has developed and refined the Program for the Adjustment of GPS EphemerideS (PAGES) software. Although PAGES has continuously evolved over the past 15 years, recent efforts have focused mostly on updating models and procedures to conform more closely to IGS and the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) conventions. Details of our processing updates and demonstrations of the improvements will be provided.