Recent shifts in coastline change and shoreline stabilization linked to storm climate change

Since cuspate coastlines are especially sensitive to changes in wave climate, they serve as potential indicators of initial responses to changing wave conditions. Previous work demonstrates that Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout, North Carolina, which are largely unaffected by shoreline stabilization efforts, have become increasingly asymmetric over the past 30 years, consistent with model predictions for coastline response to increases in Atlantic Ocean summer wave heights and resulting changes in the distribution of wave‐approach angles. Historic and recent shoreline change observations for Cape Fear, North Carolina, and model simulations of coastline response to an increasingly asymmetric wave climate in the presence of beach nourishment, produce comparable differences in shoreline change rates in response to changes in wave climate. Results suggest that the effect of beach nourishment is to compensate for – and therefore to mask – natural responses to wave climate change that might otherwise be discernible in patterns of shoreline change alone. Therefore, this case study suggests that the effects of wave climate change on human‐modified coastlines may be detectable in the spatial and temporal patterns of shoreline stabilization activities. Similar analyses of cuspate features in areas where the change in wave climate is less pronounced (i.e. Fishing Point, Maryland/Virginia) and where local geology appears to exert control on coastline shape (i.e. Cape Canaveral, Florida), suggest that changes in shoreline configuration that may be arising from shifting wave climate are currently limited to sandy wave‐dominated coastlines where the change in wave climate has been most pronounced. However, if hurricane‐generated wave heights continue to increase, large‐scale shifts in patterns of erosion and accretion will likely extend beyond sensitive cuspate features as the larger‐scale coastline shape comes into equilibrium with changing wave conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimal design of superelastic‐friction base isolators for seismic protection of highway bridges against near‐field earthquakes

The seismic response of a multi‐span continuous bridge isolated with novel superelastic‐friction base isolator (S‐FBI) is investigated under near‐field earthquakes. The isolation system consists of a flat steel‐Teflon sliding bearing and a superelastic NiTi shape memory alloy (SMA) device. The key design parameters of an S‐FBI system are the natural period of the isolated bridge, the yielding displacement of the SMA device, and the friction coefficient of the sliding bearings. The goal of this study is to obtain optimal values for each design parameter by performing sensitivity analysis of a bridge isolated by an S‐FBI system. First, a three‐span continuous bridge is modeled as two‐degrees‐of‐freedom with the S‐FBI system. A neuro‐fuzzy model is used to capture rate‐ and temperature‐dependent nonlinear behavior of the SMA device. Then, a set of nonlinear time history analyses of the isolated bridge is performed. The variation of the peak response quantities of interest is shown as a function of design parameters of the S‐FBI system and the optimal values for each parameter are evaluated. Next, in order to assess the effectiveness of the S‐FBI system, the response of the bridge isolated by the S‐FBI system is compared with the response of the non‐isolated bridge and the same bridge isolated by pure‐friction (P‐F) sliding isolation system. Finally, the influence of temperature variations on the performance of the S‐FBI system is evaluated. The results show that the optimum design of a bridge with the S‐FBI system can be achieved by a judicious specification of design parameters. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地震反演驱动的改进匹配追踪煤层识别方法

多类型油气藏储层受到煤层反射干扰, 有效识别与去除煤层地震响应是提高煤系储层地震描述精度的关键技术之一.常规煤层匹配识别欠缺考虑煤层弹性参数的影响, 引起煤层定位不准确、识别可靠性低、运算效率低等问题, 本文充分考虑了弹性参数对煤层具有较好的指示作用, 首次提出了地震反演驱动的改进匹配追踪煤层识别方法.首先根据岩石物理分析, 构建煤层指示因子, 提出匹配追踪煤层指示参数的地震反演方法, 该参数能够较好地刻画煤层空间展布; 基于此, 在地震反演驱动下获得了煤层的先验位置, 将其引入匹配追踪算法中约束匹配追踪搜索邻域, 为缓解现有匹配追踪算法运行效率缓慢, 将经验模态分解(EMD)引入匹配追踪领域, 同时将连续相位替换瞬时相位加快匹配追踪运算效率, 研发了煤层指示因子约束下基于EMD字典的改进匹配追踪煤层识别算法.模型测试验证了本文方法识别煤层的可行性, 实际资料的计算结果表明, 该方法在保持精度的情况下大大提高了计算效率, 此外, 预测的煤层与实际测井解释的煤层基本一致, 有助于油气储层预测和识别, 具有重要的实际应用价值.

     

中国东部地区断裂的缜奏性活动

对中国东部地区断裂的节奏性活动进行了探讨,认为这种节奏性活动主要根据构造地貌进行鉴别,并可分为六种型式:稳定—蠕滑错动;稳定—急速错动;蠕滑—急速错动;交替型蠕滑错动;交替型急速错动和复式错动。地震活动周期与断裂的节奏性活动相关联。断裂活动产生强震的型式有单发式、对偶式和连发式,这三种形式分别出现在不同的断裂中,并取决于不同区域、不同断裂的活动特征。     

Estimating leaf area index by inversion of reflectance model for semiarid natural grasslands

The study developed an integrated reflectance model combining radiative transfer and geometric optical properties in order to inverse leaf area index (LAI) of semiarid natural grasslands. In order to better link remote sensing information with land plants, and facilitate regional and global climate change studies, the model introduced a simple but important geometrical similarity parameter related to plant crown shapes. The model revealed the influences of different plant crown shapes (such as spherical, cylindrical/cuboidal and conic crowns) on leaf/branch angle distribution frequencies, shadow ground coverage, shadowed or sunlit background fractions, canopy reflectance, and scene reflectance. The modeled reflectance data agreed with the measured ones in the three Leymus chinensis steppes with different degradation degrees, which validated the reflectance model. The lower the degradation degree was, the better the modeled data agreed with the measured data. After this reflectance model was coupled with the optimization inversion method, LAI over the entire study region was estimated once every eight days using the eight-day products of surface reflectance obtained by multi-spectral Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) during the growing seasons in 2002. The temporal and spatial patterns of inversed LAI for the steppes with different cover degrees, swamps, flood plains, and croplands agreed with the general laws and measurements very well. But for unused land cover types (sands, saline, and barren lands) and forestlands, totally accounting for about 10% of the study region, the reasonable LAI values were not derived by inversing, requiring further revising of the model or the development of a new model for them. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30500076), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB714407), and the President Foundation of Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. YZJJ200205)     

A procedure for evaluating seismic energy demand of framed structures

Energy serves as an alternative index to response quantities like force or displacement to include the duration‐related seismic damage effect. A procedure to evaluate the absorbed energy in a multistorey frame from energy spectra was developed. For low‐ to medium‐rise frames, it required a static pushover analysis of the structure to determine the modal yield force and ductility factor of an equivalent single‐degree‐of‐freedom system for the first two modes. The energy spectra were then used to determine the energy contribution of each mode. A procedure was also developed to distribute the energy along the frame height based on energy shapes. This study showed that the second‐mode response in some cases needs to be considered to reflect the energy (or damage) concentration in the upper floors. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative response analysis of conventional and innovative seismic protection strategies

The paper presents a numerical investigation aimed at evaluating the improvements achievable through devices for passive seismic protection of buildings based on the use of shape memory alloys (SMA) in place of conventional steel or rubber devices. To get some generality in the results, different resisting reinforced concrete plane frames were analysed, either protected or not. ‘New’ and ‘existing’ buildings were considered depending on whether seismic provisions are adopted in the building design or not. Base isolation and energy dissipation were equally addressed for both conventional and innovative SMA‐based devices. Fragility analyses were performed using specific damage measures to account for comparisons among different damage types; the results were then used to estimate quantitatively the effectiveness of the various protection systems. More specifically, the assessment involved a direct comparison of the damage reduction provided by each protection system with respect to the severe degradation experienced by the corresponding non‐protected frame. Structural damage, non‐structural damage and damage to contents were used on purpose and included in a subsequent phase of cost analysis to evaluate the expected gains also in terms of economic benefits and life loss prevention. The results indicate that base isolation, when applicable, provides higher degrees of safety than energy dissipation does; moreover, the use of SMA‐based devices generally brings about better performances, also in consideration of the reduced functional and maintenance requirements. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

岩浆驱动破裂的形态研究

轴地壳岩浆房是活动扩张中心海洋地壳结构的一个重要组成部分，轴地壳岩浆房通过深部岩浆源的补充，内部岩浆的同化熔融、结晶分异等岩浆房过程，其中的岩浆会破裂上覆的岩石层形成岩浆破裂，并沿岩浆破裂继续向上迁移。本文建立了岩浆迁移的层流模型，从理论上对岩浆迁移问题进行了探讨，并将遗传算法引入到该问题中来，用遗传算法求解了描述岩浆驱动破裂传播的积分方程。如果假设岩浆破裂在远离破裂末梢处的权限宽度为1M，则靠近末梢，破裂的宽度逐渐加大，在末梢处宽度为2m左右。并根据文献对岩浆流体的一些观测参数计算得出，岩浆破裂权限宽度不会很大，一般在1m左右的量级。     

利用自然电位与自然伽马测井曲线划分沉积相带及储层分布

自然电位、自然伽马测井曲线形态和特征与沉积相带及其储集砂体关系密切,它们对不同岩性地层特征响应十分敏感.利用自然伽马、自然电位同步减小的较大幅度评价识别渗砂层,指示划分水下分流河道主体沉积微相带;利用自然伽马、自然电位减小的幅度差评价识别低渗砂、致密砂层,指示划分水下分流河道堤泛(侧翼)沉积微相带;并以自然电位比自然伽马减小幅度的相对细小差异识别油水层.在安塞油田沿河湾地区长6自然伽马、自然电位曲线划分沉积相带及储层的应用中,建立了自然伽马、自然电位划分储层的下限标准,有效地评价了特低渗透储层沉积微相带及储层类型,提高和扩大了测井曲线的应用及效果.     

甘肃省东南部未来地震危险区的模式识别

在综合分析甘肃省东南部地震地质特征的基础上，利用模式识别方法判定未来地震危险区的可能位置．结果表明，本区易发生地震的地点与全新世断裂强烈活动段相吻合，从而提高了对未来地震危险区判定的可信度