The dynamics and thermodynamics of large ash flows

 Ash flow deposits, containing up to 1000 km³ of material, have been produced by some of the largest volcanic eruptions known. Ash flows propagate several tens of kilometres from their source vents, produce extensive blankets of ash and are able to surmount topographic barriers hundreds of metres high. We present and test a new model of the motion of such flows as they propagate over a near horizontal surface from a collapsing fountain above a volcanic vent. The model predicts that for a given eruption rate, either a slow (10–100 m/s) and deep (1000–3000 m) subcritical flow or a fast (100–200 m/s) and shallow (500–1000 m) supercritical flow may develop. Subcritical ash flows propagate with a nearly constant volume flux, whereas supercritical flows entrain air and become progressively more voluminous. The run-out distance of such ash flows is controlled largely by the mass of air mixed into the collapsing fountain, the degree of fragmentation and the associated rate of loss of material into an underlying concentrated depositional system, and the mass eruption rate. However, in supercritical flows, the continued entrainment of air exerts a further important control on the flow evolution. Model predictions show that the run-out distance decreases with the mass of air entrained into the flow. Also, the mass of ash which may ascend from the flow into a buoyant coignimbrite cloud increases as more air is entrained into the flow. As a result, supercritical ash flows typically have shorter runout distances and more ash is elutriated into the associated coignimbrite eruption columns. We also show that one-dimensional, channellized ash flows typically propagate further than their radially spreading counterparts. As a Plinian eruption proceeds, the erupted mass flux often increases, leading to column collapse and the formation of pumiceous ash flows. Near the critical conditions for eruption column collapse, the flows are shed from high fountains which entrain large quantities of air per unit mass. Our model suggests that this will lead to relatively short ash flows with much of the erupted material being elutriated into the coignimbrite column. However, if the mass flux subseqently increases, then less air per unit mass is entrained into the collapsing fountain, and progressively larger flows, which propagate further from the vent, will develop. Our model is consistent with observations of a number of pyroclastic flow deposits, including the 1912 eruption of Katmai and the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo. The model suggests that many extensive flow sheets were emplaced from eruptions with mass fluxes of 10⁹–10¹⁰ kg/s over periods of 10³–10⁵ s, and that some indicators of flow "mobility" may need to be reinterpreted. Furthermore, in accordance with observations, the model predicts that the coignimbrite eruption columns produced from such ash flows rose between 20 and 40 km. Received: 25 August 1995 / Accepted: 3 April 1996     

Numerical study of droplet size dependent chemistry in oceanic,wintertime stratus cloud at southern mid-latitudes

Cloud droplet chemistry is modelled for the first 150 m of rise in a wintertime, mid-latitude, marine stratus cloud using observations made at and near the Cape Grim Baseline Station as a source of input parameters. The emphasis in this work was to study the variation in droplet chemistry as a function of both droplet size and nucleus composition, with a particular focus on the way in which oxidation of dissolved sulfur dioxide varied.At 150 m above the condensation level, solute concentration as a function of droplet size was found to increase by as much as 2 to 3 orders of magnitude for only a factor of 2 increase in droplet radius, primarily as a consequence of the 1/r dependence in the droplet growth equation. This type of size dependence exists at all levels in the model cloud, and has a significant influence on oxidation rate of sulfur dioxide in droplets growing on sulfate nuclei, oxidation by ozone being favoured in the smallest droplets, but oxidation by hydrogen peroxide being favoured in the larger droplets. Oxidation by ozone is favoured at all sizes in droplets formed on sea-salt nuclei as a result of the initially high alkalinity of these droplets, and in the cloud overall is calculated to be the more important oxidation pathway. Although based on a simplified chemical scheme, these results suggest that both size-dependent and nucleus-dependent chemistry of cloud droplets may need to be considered explicitly in cloud modelling work.Volume-weighted mean pH values in the range 5 to 6 were predicted from sensitivity studies in which input variables were varied over reasonable ranges, in agreement with two sets of bulk cloud-water pH data obtained by aircraft near Cape Grim.     

Traction image method for irregular free surface boundaries in finite difference seismic wave simulation

In this study, we propose a new numerical method, named as Traction Image method, to accurately and efficiently implement the traction-free boundary conditions in finite difference simulation in the presence of surface topography. In this algorithm, the computational domain is discretized by boundary-conforming grids, in which the irregular surface is transformed into a 'flat' surface in computational space. Thus, the artefact of staircase approximation to arbitrarily irregular surface can be avoided. Such boundary-conforming gridding is equivalent to a curvilinear coordinate system, in which the first-order partial differential velocity-stress equations are numerically updated by an optimized high-order non-staggered finite difference scheme, that is, DRP/opt MacCormack scheme. To satisfy the free surface boundary conditions, we extend the Stress Image method for planar surface to Traction Image method for arbitrarily irregular surface by antisymmetrically setting the values of normal traction on the grid points above the free surface. This Traction Image method can be efficiently implemented. To validate this new method, we perform numerical tests to several complex models by comparing our results with those computed by other independent accurate methods. Although some of the testing examples have extremely sloped topography, all tested results show an excellent agreement between our results and those from the reference solutions, confirming the validity of our method for modelling seismic waves in the heterogeneous media with arbitrary shape topography. Numerical tests also demonstrate the efficiency of this method. We find about 10 grid points per shortest wavelength is enough to maintain the global accuracy of the simulation. Although the current study is for 2-D P-SV problem, it can be easily extended to 3-D problem.     

Managing sustainable farmed landscape through 'alternative' food networks: a case study from Italy

This paper focuses on a case study of an 'alternative' food network based in the Abruzzo National Park, Italy, to explore how ideas of sustainable farmland management can be expressed through broader understandings of developing networks of care concerned with local economies and societies, high-quality specialist food products, particular 'traditional' farming practices and livestock breeds, as well as the ecology of a farmed landscape. The scheme allows customers, internationally as well as in Italy, to 'adopt' a milking sheep on a large mountain farm. In return, adopters are sent food products from the farm. The adoption scheme is inter-twined with an agri-tourism project which provides accommodation, runs a restaurant and engages in educational activities. The scheme is the result of the individual initiative of its founder, and is associated with a strongly expressed ethical position concerning the value of sustaining valued local rural landscapes and lifestyles, and the importance of 'reconnecting' urban dwellers with rural areas, farming and 'quality' food production. Yet the localness of the scheme is sustained through wider national and international networks: volunteer and paid workers are drawn from several European countries, funding has been acquired from the EU LEADER programme, and internet and transport technologies are essential in connecting with and supplying an international customer base. The broader economy of care instanced in this case study draws attention to a need to develop strategies for sustainable farmland management constructed around wider programmes of social, economic and cultural, as well as environmental, concern.     

中国MODIS卫星影像彩色镶嵌图制作

本文介绍了大范围卫星影像彩色镶嵌图的制作流程．对于大范围卫星影像彩色镶嵌图制作的技术难点（去云、拼接、调色），文章进行了重点介绍并提出技术解决办法．利用MODIS卫星数据制作了两幅全国彩色影像镶嵌图：一幅为红波段（B1）、绿波段（B4）和蓝波段（B3）构成的真彩色合成影像：一幅为红波段（B1）．近红外波段（B2）和蓝波段（B3）构成的假彩色合成影像．两幅影像色彩精美，信息量丰富．     

MRI分割的几何活动轮廓模型的半隐式AOS迭代方法

几何活动轮廓模型以其计算稳定等优点，被广泛用于图像分割。给出一种基于AOS(additive operator splitting)算法的快速活动轮廓模型，将AOS方法与几何活动轮廓模型相结合构造一种半隐式迭代模型，它对迭代步长没有限制，从而可以选择较大的迭代步长，提高了模型的时间效率，并使用区域信息构造系数矩阵，使模型具有全局性。对MR(magnetic resonance)图像分割的实验表明，该模型可以得到较好的分割结果，同时时间效率也有大幅提高，方便了实时应用。     

Spectral Filtering and Classification of Terrestrial Laser Scanner Point Clouds

A method is presented for filtering and classification of terrestrial laser scanner point clouds. The algorithm exploits the four-channel (blue, green, red and near infrared) multispectral imaging capability of some terrestrial scanners using supervised, parametric classification to assign thematic class labels to all scan cloud points. Its principal advantage is that it is a completely data-driven algorithm and is independent of spatial sampling resolution since the processing is performed in four-dimensional spectral feature space. Its application to two data-sets of different spatial extent and spatial and spectral complexity is reported, for which respective overall classification accuracies of 87·0% and 82·0% were achieved. Analysis of the input data with emphasis on the characteristics pertinent to the anticipated outcomes precedes detailed analysis of the classification results and error sources and their causes. Erroneously classified points are attributed to radiometric errors stemming from both detector hardware and physical effects.     

CAPPS多箱模式中光化学模式的嵌套与城市大气臭氧数值预报

为解决城市边界层中大气O₃浓度的预报问题，选用一种简明有效的光化学反应方案建立光化学模式, 并与大气平流扩散的箱格预报模型进行了嵌套，从而将大气化学过程引入到城市空气污染数值预报系统 (CAPPS) 中。同时，根据实际需要研究了VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) 浓度及NO_x源排放量等参数缺测时，根据前期监测浓度采用遗传算法反演未知参数的具体方法。利用2001年9月8~17日在北京舞蹈学院监测的O₃、NO_x资料及相应的气象数据，用改进后的CAPPS模式进行了单箱预报试验。预报试验结果表明，嵌套后的模式对O₃浓度的变化具备一定的预报能力。     

不同辐射传输方案对中尺度降水影响的对比分析

在MM5非静力稳定中尺度气象模式中引进了建立在δ-4流近似和相关-k分布基础上的对云水、雨水、冰晶和霰的辐射特性进行详细描述的辐射传输方案。新建立的辐射传输方案和MM5中原有的辐射传输方案在华南暴雨中的模拟结果相互比较，并与天气实况的对比表明:辐射在中尺度暴雨中起着重要的作用；辐射传输方案对云辐射特性描述的准确程度对于地面降水影响是明显的；不同的辐射传输方案对地面降水的影响存在较大的差异，并且这些差异在白天比在夜间明显；辐射传输过程对地面降水影响的差异主要表现在降水中心上，而对降水的地理分布改变很小；相对而言，不同的辐射传输方案之间对短波描述的差异对地面降水的影响明显，而对长波描述差异的影响不大；新辐射传输方案能够在一定程度上改进MM5对中尺度降水的模拟能力。     

海盐气溶胶和硫酸盐气溶胶在云微物理过程中的作用

利用大气气溶胶和云分档模式研究海盐气溶胶和硫酸盐气溶胶在云微物理过程中的作用, 计算结果表明:云中液态水含量随高度的分布并不随海盐、硫酸盐的数目以及云团上升速度的变化而变化; 随着云滴数目的增加, 云滴的有效半径会减小; 硫酸盐对云滴数目影响起主导作用, 海盐在水汽相对充足情况下增加了云滴数目, 在水汽相对不足的情况下减少了云滴数目; 硫酸盐粒子浓度特别强的情况下 (人类活动污染比较严重时), 如果水汽相对不足, 云滴数目会明显小于硫酸盐粒子浓度; 而海盐粒子的存在, 加剧了水汽的供应不足, 从而可以在很大程度上进一步降低云滴数目。也就是说, 在有些情况下, 如果不考虑海盐气溶胶的作用, 硫酸盐气溶胶对云特性的影响会被过高估计。