Cross-dependence of finite-frequency compressional waveforms to shear seismic wave speeds

Seismic tomography has been one of the primary tools to image the interior of the earth and other elastic structures. To date the inversions of compressional ( P ) and shear ( S ) wave speeds have been carried out separately under the assumption that P traveltimes are affected only by the P wave speed of the elastic media and S traveltimes by the S wave speed. Using numerical and analytical solutions, we show that for finite-frequency seismic waves, S wave speed perturbations may have significant effects on P waveforms. This suggests that when waveform-derived traveltime and amplitude anomalies are used in tomographic inversions, the P -wave measurements should be related to not only P wave speed perturbations but also S wave speed perturbations.     

Why Web GIS May Not Be Enough: A Case Study with the Virtual Research Vessel

During several decades of investigation, the East Pacific Rise seafloor-spreading center at 9°-10°N has been explored by marine geologists, geophysicists, chemists, and biologists, and has emerged as one of the best studied sections of the global midocean ridge. It is an example of a region for which there is now a great wealth of observational data, results, and data-driven theoretical studies. However, these have yet to be fully utilized, either by research scientists or educators. While the situation is improving, a large amount of data, results, and related theoretical models still exist either in an inert, noninteractive form (e.g., journal publications) or as unlinked and currently incompatible computer data or algorithms. Presented here is the prototype of a computational environment and toolset, called the Virtual Research Vessel, to improve the situation by providing marine scientists and educators with simultaneous access to data, maps, and numerical models. While infrastructure is desired and needed for ready access to data and the resulting maps via web GIS in order to link disparate data sets (data to data), it is argued that data must also be linked to models for better exploration of new relations between observables, refinement of numerical simulations, and the quantitative evaluation of scientific hypotheses. For widespread data access, web GIS is therefore only a preliminary step rather than a final solution, and the ongoing implementation of the Virtual Research Vessel (scheduled for final completion in 2004-2005) is a case study for the midocean ridge community to test the effectiveness of moving beyond the data-to-data mode towards data-to-models and data-to-interpretation.     

汶川地震发震断层破裂触发过程

2008年汶川大地震造成北川断裂、彭灌断裂、小渔洞断裂等多条断裂的破裂,呈现出复杂的破裂过程. 对此,以往地震学的研究没有对于各个发震断层的破裂先后顺序给出充分论证. 本文计算由于断层破裂在其他断层段上造成库仑应力的变化,根据其相互触发关系确定断层可能的破裂顺序. 结果表明,各断裂带可能的发震顺序为:主震在北川断裂南端(小渔洞断裂以南的北川断裂虹口段)起始,造成北川断裂的后续段落龙门山镇-清平段和彭灌断裂同时破裂,进而触发小渔洞断裂发生破裂.     

COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION OF RIVER SEDIMENTATION AND MORPHOLOGY - A REVIEW OF THE STATE OF THE ART

In this paper, the state-of-the-art computational simulation technologies for river sedimentation and morphology are comprehensively reviewed. Emphasis is on computational modelling, which includes mathematical modelling equations and closures, numerical solution methods, verification and validation, model integration, and applications. Several important areas of future research are recommended.     

Determination of cave geometry by using a geoelectrical resistivity inverse model

Determination of the geometry and the dimensions of a cave is an important factor considered for planning geotechnical, archeological, speleological studies, and quarrying activities. In recent years, researchers have raised an increasing number of questions related to the shape and size of cavities using 2D geoelectrical resistivity imaging techniques. The inverse model is valuable in detecting the location and extent of subterranean cavities. In this study, a 2D geoelectrical resistivity imaging technique is employed to determine the geometry of a known subterranean cavity. The results provided valuable information and demonstrated the effectiveness of the technique for exploring the size of cavities.     

CFD analysis of the sensitivity of propeller bearing loads to stern appendages and propulsive configurations

The present investigation focuses on the effects of the stern appendages and the propulsion system on the hydro-loads generated by the propeller during off-design conditions, with particular emphasis on the in-plane components. Recent experimental investigations carried out by free running model tests [7], [8] and CFD analysis [5] for a modern twin screw model, highlighted that maneuvers at small drift angles and yaw rates might be as critical as the tighter ones due to complex propeller-wake interactions. Therefore, design criteria should take into account also these operative conditions, in order to reduce the effects of propeller-wake interaction phenomena that degrade the overall propulsive efficiency, induce shaft/hull structural vibration and increase noise emission. In the present study we analyze the effects of geometric and propulsive modifications with respect to the twin screw configuration studied in [5]. In particular, the effect of the centreline skeg, propeller direction of rotation and control strategies of the propulsion plant on the propeller bearing loads have been investigated from the analysis of the nominal wake in maneuvring conditions, computed by unsteady RANSE simulations coupled with a propeller model based on Blade Element Theory. The considered test cases were turning circle maneuvers with different rudder angles at F_N = 0.265.     

Understanding the geometry and distribution of fluvial channel sandstones and coal in the Walloon Coal Measures,Surat Basin,Australia

Understanding the controls on coal seam distribution and geometry is fundamental for planning coal seam gas production. In the Jurassic Surat Basin of South East Queensland, Australia, the spatial continuity of coal seams in the Walloon Coal Measures is highly variable and often difficult to map and predict, even with closely spaced (<1000 m) drillings. This paper investigates the frequency and location of thick sandstone in relation to thick coal seams or plies across three broad stratigraphic divisions, Upper Juandah (UJ), Combined Lower Juandah-Taroom (CLJT) and Condamine Coal Measures (CCM), within the Walloon Coal Measures. Basic depositional facies, e.g. channel, floodplain, marginal mire, and coal mire, were interpreted from geophysical logs. An in-house code was used to count the number of coal plies thicker than 2 m, and channel sandstones thicker than 5 m for the UJ and CLJT and 3 m for the CCM at each borehole. Isopleth maps of the numbers of both coal plies and channel sandstones were generated across the basin for the three subdivisions. Results show that there is an upward stratigraphic trend from thick to thin, and then to thick stacked coal plies. This corresponds to a similar vertical thickness change in channel sandstones. The incidence of thick coal and thick sandstone is associated with rising base level within an early transgressive systems tract which was followed by a high stand prior to a regional erosive event above the UJ. Thick and stacked coal plies have a marked tendency to occur in belts adjacent to the thick channel thoroughfares in the basin.     

Fast accurate computation of shelf waves for arbitrary depth profiles

A simple fast and straightforward, accurate numerical method is proposed for calculating barotropic non-divergent continental shelf waves, above general shelf profiles. The problem is reduced to a linear eigenvalue problem for the along-stream wavenumber k, that can be solved directly with exponential accuracy, using any standard linear eigenvalue package.     

结构非均匀性理论模型的关联维描述

利用二维contor三分"非空"集合生成方法构建了非均匀结构理论模型。通过不断改变分形元三段访问概率及其空间构型,得到了样本值强度及其空间分布各不相同的24种样本,并采用推广G-P法分别求解了关联维。研究结果表明,利用关联维不仅可以表征结构的匀质程度,同时也可以描述其几何分布的非均匀程度,分维值越小反映了结构强度及其空间分布的不均匀性增大的物理本质。作为一种简化、有效刻画几何结构非均匀性的指标,关联维是一种较为合适的选择。