The use of the Levy-stable distribution for geophysical data analysis

The suitability of the Levy-stable distribution for geophysical data from a sedimentary environment has been investigated. Four types of geophysical well logging measurements from the Choshuichi alluvial fan in central Taiwan were analyzed—long-normal electrical resistivity, short-normal electrical resistivity, natural gamma-ray logging, and spontaneous potential. The results demonstrate that the Levy-stable distribution describes the geophysical data better than a Gaussian distribution. Because the Levy-stable distribution is flexible in fitting data from strongly heterogeneous fields and the traditional Gaussian distribution is only its special case, the Levy-stable distribution should be considered when analyzing geophysical data.     

Methods of obtaining offshore wind direction and sea-state data from X-band aircraft SAR imagery of coastal waters

X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of the Goto Islands of Japan was digitally analyzed to extract air-sea interaction parameters and to assess the potential of texture measures in analysis of SAR ocean imagery. Wind direction is extracted from wind rows, wind streaks, and random turbulence patterns observed in the SAR imagery. Sea-state parameters are either extracted directly from the imagery or estimated using the extracted information in previously established empirical formulas. A convenient method of digitally presenting imagery, local power spectra, and the extracted/estimated parameters is presented. Texture analysis based on gray-level co-occurrence (GLC) matrices is applied to SAR ocean imagery. The inertia measure is shown to extract similar information to the power spectrum. The cluster-shade measure is shown to be sensitive to image phase.     

GWR超导重力仪潮汐观测标定因子的精密测定

超导重力仪被普遍认为是迄今为止观测精度高、连续性和稳定性最好的相对重力仪，但是在获得真实重力场变化之前，必须利用格值（标定因子）对这类仪器的直接输出量（电压变化）进行标定．研究表明，格值的准确度将影响到观测数据的后续分析和资料的解释，本文利用两期（每期３天）FG５绝对重力仪在武汉国际重力潮汐基准站上的同址测量资料和该台站已知潮汐参数，详细研究了超导重力仪标定因子及其精度．      

基培尔预报方程的物理导法及一些解释

基培尔理论预报方法是苏联气象科学中伟大贡献之一,无论对动力气象学及天气学均有深远的影响,实是近代气象学中一个最巨大的成就,值得我们细心学习钻研.因为基培尔方法所用算式十分繁複,初学者有时苦於不易把握算式的物理意义,因而影响对整个方法的领会.     

藏南舌羊齿植物群的发现和其在地质学及古地理学上的意义

喜马拉雅地区一直被传统地质学认为是一个典型的古地槽区,属于劳亚和冈瓦纳两古大陆之间的古地中海的一部分,具有很厚的古生代到老第三纪的海相沉积。本世纪上叶,魏格纳就提出大陆漂移的假说,设想陆块之间曾有过大规模的水平移动,可是大陆固定和海洋永存的传统观念在人们脑海中根深蒂固。     

Strong-motion observation of water-induced earthquakes at Hsinfengkiang reservoir in China

The case history and the research work in regard to the water-induced earthquakes at Hsinfengkiang reservoir, 160 km. northeast of Canton, have been reported elsewhere.^[1] The installation of strong-motion seismograph system at the dam site is a component part of the comprehensive scientific program for studying the water-induced earthquakes at this place. The system was in operation after the occurrence of the main shock (Ms= 6.1) in 1962. Since 1966, a number of accelerograms have been obtained, for the aftershocks, on exposed bedrock in the dam site and at different positions on the dam proper, providing useful data for studying the characteristics and the effects of water-induced earthquakes. This paper, as a supplement to the previous report, gives a presentation of such data with preliminary analysis.     

On the log-linear wind profile and the relationship between shear stress and stability characteristics over the sea

Wind and stability characteristics in the atmospheric surface boundary layer at a height,Z, less than 20 m above the sea were examined in nine oceanic investigations. The analysis lends further support to the utility of the log-linear wind-profile law in the stability region of –0.4Z/L0.9, whereL is the Monin-Obukhov length. However, it is also shown that, inasmuch as better than 90% of the measurements fall within the range of ¦Z/L¦ 0.25, and inasmuch as this correction to the drag coefficient under neutral conditions amounts to less than 10%, the familiar logarithmic wind law may be used rather than the log-linear form. A wind-stress drag coefficient,C _d (=1.2×10^–3 between 1.0 m Z 18.3 m), is thus recommended for general deepwater oceanic applications. The situation over shallow water, which is different, is discussed briefly.     

Performance of hollow composite members subjected to cyclic eccentric loading

This study focused on the experimental examination of how hollow composite members perform when subjected to eccentric lateral loading that induces combined bending and torsional stresses. It was found that premature cracking degraded section integrity and interfered with steel–concrete interaction when members were subjected to combined bending and torsion. It was also found that members' bending capacities and ductilities were significantly reduced when the members were subjected to torsion. Relationships among member performance, magnitude of torsion, and sectional aspect ratios were studied to evaluate the torsional effects on member performances and to establish design references for hollow composite member constructions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Observed and projected climate change in Taiwan

Summary This study examined the secular climate change characteristics in Taiwan over the past 100 years and the relationship with the global climate change. Estimates for the likelihood of future climate changes in Taiwan were made based on the projection from the IPCC climate models. In the past 100 years, Taiwan experienced an island-wide warming trend (1.0–1.4 °C/100 years). Both the annual and daily temperature ranges have also increased. The warming in Taiwan is closely connected to a large-scale circulation and SAT fluctuations, such as the “cool ocean warm land” phenomenon. The water vapor pressure has increased significantly and could have resulted in a larger temperature increase in summer. The probability for the occurrence of high temperatures has increased and the result suggests that both the mean and variance in the SAT in Taiwan have changed significantly since the beginning of the 20th century. Although, as a whole, the precipitation in Taiwan has shown a tendency to increase in northern Taiwan and to decrease in southern Taiwan in the past 100 years, it exhibits a more complicated spatial pattern. The changes occur mainly in either the dry or rainy season and result in an enhanced seasonal cycle. The changes in temperature and precipitation are consistent with the weakening of the East Asian monsoon. Under consideration of both the warming effect from greenhouse gases and the cooling effect from aerosols, all projections from climate models indicated a warmer climate near Taiwan in the future. The projected increase in the area-mean temperature near Taiwan ranged from 0.9–2.7 °C relative to the 1961–1990 averaged temperature, when the CO₂ concentration increased to 1.9 times the 1961–1990 level. These simulated temperature increases were statistically significant and can be attributed to the radiative forcing associated with the increased concentration of greenhouse gases and aerosols. The projected changes in precipitation were within the range of natural variability for all five models. There is no evidence supporting the possibility of precipitation changes near Taiwan based on the simulations from five IPCC climate models. Received February 5, 2001 Revised July 30, 2001     

Global mean sea surface and marine gravity anomaly from multi-satellite altimetry: applications of deflection-geoid and inverse Vening Meinesz formulae

 Global mean sea surface heights (SSHs) and gravity anomalies on a 2^′×2^′ grid were determined from Seasat, Geosat (Exact Repeat Mission and Geodetic Mission), ERS-1 (1.5-year mean of 35-day, and GM), TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P) (5.6-year mean) and ERS-2 (2-year mean) altimeter data over the region 0^∘–360^∘ longitude and –80^∘–80^∘ latitude. To reduce ocean variabilities and data noises, SSHs from non-repeat missions were filtered by Gaussian filters of various wavelengths. A Levitus oceanic dynamic topography was subtracted from the altimeter-derived SSHs, and the resulting heights were used to compute along-track deflection of the vertical (DOV). Geoidal heights and gravity anomalies were then computed from DOV using the deflection-geoid and inverse Vening Meinesz formulae. The Levitus oceanic dynamic topography was added back to the geoidal heights to obtain a preliminary sea surface grid. The difference between the T/P mean sea surface and the preliminary sea surface was computed on a grid by a minimum curvature method and then was added to the preliminary grid. The comparison of the NCTU01 mean sea surface height (MSSH) with the T/P and the ERS-1 MSSH result in overall root-mean-square (RMS) differences of 5.0 and 3.1 cm in SSH, respectively, and 7.1 and 3.2 μrad in SSH gradient, respectively. The RMS differences between the predicted and shipborne gravity anomalies range from 3.0 to 13.4 mGal in 12 areas of the world's oceans. Received: 26 September 2001 / Accepted: 3 April 2002 Correspondence to: C. Hwang Acknowledgements. This research is partly supported by the National Science Council of ROC, under grants NSC89-2611-M-009-003-OP2 and NSC89-2211-E-009-095. This is a contribution to the IAG Special Study Group 3.186. The Geosat and ERS1/2 data are from NOAA and CERSAT/France, respectively. The T/P data were provided by AVISO. The CLS and GSFC00 MSS models were kindly provided by NASA/GSFC and CLS, respectively. Drs. Levitus, Monterey, and Boyer are thanked for providing the SST model. Dr. T. Gruber and two anonymous reviewers provided very detailed reviews that improved the quality of this paper.