Effects of the geometry of two‐dimensional fractures on their hydraulic aperture and on the validity of the local cubic law

Flow through rough fractures is investigated numerically in order to assess the validity of the local cubic law for different fracture geometries. Two‐dimensional channels with sinusoidal walls having different geometrical properties defined by the aperture, the amplitude, and the wavelength of the walls' corrugations, the corrugations asymmetry, and the phase shift between the two walls are considered to represent different fracture geometries. First, it is analytically shown that the hydraulic aperture clearly deviates from the mean aperture when the walls' roughness, the phase shift, and/or the asymmetry between the fracture walls are relatively high. The continuity and the Navier–Stokes equations are then solved by means of the finite element method and the numerical solutions compared to the theoretical predictions of the local cubic law. Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.066 to 66.66 are investigated so as to focus more particularly on the effect of flow inertial effects on the validity of the local cubic law. For low Reynolds number, typically less than 15, the local cubic law properly describes the fracture flow, especially when the fracture walls have small corrugation amplitudes. For Reynolds numbers higher than 15, the local cubic law is valid under the conditions that the fracture presents a low aspect ratio, small corrugation amplitudes, and a moderate phase lag between its walls.     

CORROSION AND ADHERENCE AT SEA OIL-PLATFORM

Measurements of the adhesive corrosion and protective potentials of 3 Bohai Sea oilplatforms under different cathodic protection showed corrosion still occurred on these platforms undertheir designed protective potentials. Preliminary conclusions from indoor experiments on the relation betweenadhesive corrosion and cathodic protection showed adhering organisms caused the corrosion onthese platforms.     

区域GPS网实时计算可降水量的若干问题

目前地基GPS气象学测得的可降水量 (PWV )精度好于 2mm ,但在利用区域GPS网实时计算每个测站上空的PWV时 ,要涉及到很多常规GPS资料处理时所忽略的问题 ,如需考虑数据处理软件和计算方式的选择、站坐标的确定和约束、轨道的使用方法、网外辅助站最佳数量的确定、海潮对实时计算PWV的影响以及实时应用于气象服务时的端部效应等问题。利用上海GPS综合应用网获取的 2 0 0 2年 6、7月份长江三角洲地区入梅前后的数据 ,分析了利用区域性的GPS网实时计算高精度的PWV时要解决的各种问题 ,探讨了其数据处理方案     

Infiltration at the Tai rain forest (Ivory Coast): Measurements and modelling

Infiltration experiments have been performed at three sites along a well-known catena under virgin tropical rain forest using a portable sprinkling infiltrometer. Experimentally determined infiltration curves are presented. Infiltration curves are also simulated on the basis of the Mein-Larson equation. The parameters for this model have been obtained from the infiltration curves (saturated conductivity) and simple soil moisture determinations (fillable porosity). The agreement between experimentally determined and modelled infiltration is reasonable, provided (a) saturated conductivity as derived from the experimental data is corrected, (b) a storage parameter, also derived from the experimental data, is added to the Mein-Larson model, and (c) the decline in soil porosity with depth is either small or occurs abruptly at shallow depth. Comparison of observed infiltration rates with rainfall intensity shows that Horton Overland Flow has to occur naturally at least on the middle and lower section of the catena. Despite the fact that most parameters can be estimated in principle from basic soil data, it remains advisable to obtain sprinkling infiltrometer field measurements, because of soil variability due to dynamic surface conditions, macroporosity, air entrapment, and irregularity of the wetting front.     

Predicting ground-motion variations at the Turkey-flat test site,California

Results of a single group participating in an international experiment are analyzed. The experiment served to verify computational predictions of the ground-motion variations due to near-surface geological effects at a site established for that purpose by the California Department of Conservation. Based on an acceleration record at a rock location, and geotechnical model of medium, records at the other locations of a nearby sedimentary deposit were predicted. A 2-D finite-difference sensitivity analysis suggested that the lateral wave-propagation effects are negligibly small, and locally 1-D computations are sufficient for the present site. Those computations are compared with observations not available to the authors during the blind prediction. Peak accelerations, peak velocities and RMS accelerations were predicted with errors less than 159%, 114% and 62%, respectively. Maxima of the response spectra were fitted within a factor of 2. The predicted and observed Husid's plots (i.e., the normalized cumulative plots of the acceleration squared) have the correlation coefficients 0.98. The detected misfits do not show any simple relation to the instrument location, component, frequency, or time.     

0421号热带风暴"海马"登陆前后环境场对其移向和强度影响的分析

0421号热带风暴“海马(Haima)”于2004年9月13日12:00在浙江省温州市沿海登陆,登陆后迅速减弱为热带低压,20:00在浙江境内消失.本研究采用物理量诊断分析法,探讨该热带风暴登陆前后涡度场、湿焓场变化对其移向和强度的影响.结果表明,该热带风暴登陆后,涡度(ξ)明显减弱.涡度局地变化(ξ/t)值分布显示,风暴移动方向的后方,涡度减弱的趋势比前方涡度增大的趋势更剧烈;风暴有向其外围(ξ/t)正值中心(即涡度增幅最大)移动的趋势.该热带风暴登陆前、后,湿焓都增大,但登陆后湿焓增大趋势已大大减弱;风暴有向湿焓局地变化(E/t)正值中心移动的趋势,即向能量增强最大的方向移动.     

Shear Failure of a Clamped Dented Tubular Beam Under Lateral Impact

- The shear failure of a rigid-plastic dented clamped tubular beam under the lateral impact of a mass is investigated. Both the denting and the impact point are in the middle span of the beam. It is assumed that denting does not spread during the shear sliding. Numerical results show that the axial force and lateral deflection of the beam are very small at the moment of the occurence of shear failure, which means that the finite deformation effect can be neglected in the shear failure analysis. Also, some aspects of the initial impact energy are investigated.     

Transformation of Lambert Conic Conformal Coordinates from a Global Datum to a Local Datum

This paper treats the problem of how to transform from global datum, for example, from the International Terrestrial Reference System (ITRS), to a local datum, for example, regional or national, for the practical case of the Lambert projection of the sphere or the ellipsoid-of-revolution to the cone. We design the two projection constants n(ϕ₁, ϕ₂) and m(ϕ₁) for the Universal Lambert Conic projection of the ellipsoid-of-revolution. The task to transform from a global datum with respect to the ellipsoid-of-revolution E_A,B² to local datum with respect to the alternative ellipsoid-of-revolution E_a,b², without local ellipsoidal height, is solved by an extended numerical example. Ideas in this paper could be of interest to those working with maps and coordinates transformation from global geodetic datum to local geodetic datum and vice versa, under the Universal Lambert Conic projection, and applicable to precise positioning and navigation, boundary demarcation and determination in the marine environment.     

Atmospheric forcing of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

The increase in marine, land surface, atmospheric and satellite data during recent decades has led to an improved understanding of the air–sea interaction processes in the eastern tropical Pacific. This is also thanks to extensive diagnoses from conceptual and coupled ocean–atmosphere numerical models. In this paper, mean fields of atmospheric variables, such as incoming solar radiation, sea level pressure, winds, wind stress curl, precipitation, evaporation, and surface energy fluxes, are derived from global atmospheric data sets in order to examine the dominant features of the low level atmospheric circulations of the region. The seasonal march of the atmospheric circulations is presented to depict the role of radiative forcing on atmospheric perturbations, especially those dominating the atmosphere at low levels.In the tropics, the trade winds constitute an important north–south energy and moisture exchange mechanism (as part of the low level branch of the Hadley circulation), that determines to a large extent the precipitation distribution in the region, i.e., that associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Monsoonal circulations also play an important role in determining the warm season precipitation distribution over the eastern tropical Pacific through a large variety of air–sea–land interaction mechanisms. Westward traveling waves, tropical cyclones, low latitude cold air intrusions, and other synoptic and mesoscale perturbations associated with the ITCZ are also important elements that modulate the annual rainfall cycle. The low-level jets of the Gulf of California, the Intra-Americas Sea (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) and Chocó, Colombia are prominent features of the eastern tropical Pacific low-level circulations related to sub-regional and regional scale precipitation patterns. Observations show that the Intra-Americas Low-Level Jet intensity varies with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases, however its origin and role in the westward propagation and development of disturbances that may hit the eastern tropical Pacific, such as easterly waves and tropical cyclones, are still unclear. Changes in the intensity of the trade winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (associated with eastern tropical Pacific wind jets) exert an important control on precipitation by means of wind–topography interactions. Gaps in the mountains of southern Mexico and Central America allow strong wind jets to pass over the continent imprinting a unique signal in sea surface temperatures and ocean dynamics of the eastern tropical Pacific.The warm pools of the Americas constitute an important source of moisture for the North American Monsoon System. The northeastern tropical Pacific is a region of intense cyclogenetic activity, just west of the coast of Mesoamerica. Over the oceanic regions, large-scale properties of key variables such as precipitation, moisture, surface energy fluxes and wind stress curl are still uncertain, which inhibits a more comprehensive view of the region and stresses the importance of regional field experiments. Progress has been substantial in the understanding of the ocean and atmospheric dynamics of the eastern tropical Pacific, however, recent observational evidence such as that of a shallow meridional circulation cell in that region, in contrast to the classic concept of the Hadley-type deep meridional circulation, suggests that more in situ observations to validate theories are still necessary.This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.     

热带地区流场异常与江淮特大暴雨成因的研究

本文通过计算和对比分析，得到１９９１年春、夏江淮地区特大暴雨形成的五个基本特征：西北太平洋上副高显著偏西、偏北；较弱的西南季风与东南气流汇合成强西南气流伸向江淮地区；偏东风与强西南风形成的辐合带在江淮地区维持；江淮地区对流层中下部为强上升运动、上部为辐散；１３０°Ｅ附近南半球向北半球的较强越赤道气流持续。