Sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to downscaling ratios and storm types in rainfall simulation

Accurate information of rainfall is needed for sustainable water management and more reliable flood forecasting. The advances in mesoscale numerical weather modelling and modern computing technologies make it possible to provide rainfall simulations and forecasts at increasingly higher resolutions in space and time. However, being one of the most difficult variables to be modelled, the quality of the rainfall products from the numerical weather model remains unsatisfactory for hydrological applications. In this study, the sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is investigated using different domain settings and various storm types to improve the model performance of rainfall simulation. Eight 24‐h storm events are selected from the Brue catchment, southwest England, with different spatial and temporal distributions of the rainfall intensity. Five domain configuration scenarios designed with gradually changing downscaling ratios are used to run the WRF model with the ECMWF 40‐year reanalysis data for the periods of the eight events. A two‐dimensional verification scheme is proposed to evaluate the amounts and distributions of simulated rainfall in both spatial and temporal dimensions. The verification scheme consists of both categorical and continuous indices for a first‐level assessment and a more quantitative evaluation of the simulated rainfall. The results reveal a general improvement of the model performance as we downscale from the outermost to the innermost domain. Moderate downscaling ratios of 1:7, 1:5 and 1:3 are found to perform better with the WRF model in giving more reasonable results than smaller ratios. For the sensitivity study on different storm types, the model shows the best performance in reproducing the storm events with spatial and temporal evenness of the observed rainfall, whereas the type of events with highly concentrated rainfall in space and time are found to be the trickiest case for WRF to handle. Finally, the efficiencies of several variability indices are verified in categorising the storm events on the basis of the two‐dimensional rainfall evenness, which could provide a more quantitative way for the event classification that facilitates further studies. It is important that similar studies with various storm events are carried out in other catchments with different geographic and climatic conditions, so that more general error patterns can be found and further improvements can be made to the rainfall products from mesoscale numerical weather models. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multidimensional GPR array processing using Kirchhoff migration

We compare the ability of several practical ground-penetrating radar (GPR) array processing methods to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), increase depth of signal penetration, and suppress out-of-plane arrivals for data with SNR of roughly 1. The methods include two-dimensional (2-D) monostatic, three-dimensional (3-D) monostatic, and 3-D bistatic Kirchhoff migration. The migration algorithm is modified to include the radiation pattern for interfacial dipoles. Results are discussed for synthetic and field data. The synthetic data model includes spatially coherent noise sources that yield nonstationary signal statistics like those observed in high noise GPR settings. Array results from the model data clearly indicate that resolution and noise suppression performance increases as array dimensionality increases. Using 50-MHz array data collected on a temperate glacier (Gulkana Glacier, AK), we compare 2-D and 3-D monostatic migration results. The data have low SNR and contain reflections from a complex, steeply dipping bed. We demonstrate that the glacier bed can only be accurately localized with the 3-D array. In addition, we show that the 3-D array increases SNR (relative to a 2-D array) by a factor of three.     

三峡水库蓄水后巴东地区波速比（Vp/Vs）研究

采用固定台站法计算了三峡水库蓄水后湖北省巴东地区ML2.0以上地震的波速比值,并给出了各自的相关系数。结果显示,巴东地区地震波速比值变化与水库地震的震源浅,裂隙发育,水的渗入作用等有关,并存在扩容期间波速比降低,震前波速比回升的现象。     

Variable water‐saturated areas and streamflow generation in the small Ringelbach catchment (Vosges Mountains,France): the master recession curve as an equilibrium curve for interactions between atmosphere,surface and ground waters

In the small Ringelbach research catchment, where studies on the water cycle components in a granitic mountainous environment have been conducted since 1976, the water‐saturated areas that are hydraulically connected to the outlet play a major role in the streamflow generation, as it is here that complex interactions between atmosphere, surface and ground waters take place. During baseflow recession periods, which may last several months between two groundwater recharge events, the atmospheric inputs of water and energy on these contributing areas only explain the streamflow fluctuations observed around the master recession curve, which defines the groundwater contribution: fluctuating above it in the case of precipitation input on these areas, below it in the case of evaporation output from these areas. Streamflow may therefore largely deviate from the master recession curve in the case of long, hot, dry spells. Detailed mapping has shown that their variable extent is well related to baseflow by a loglinear curve. On the other hand, a synthetic master recession curve, well fitted by a second‐order hyperbolic function, has been obtained from numerous pure recession periods. Both based on these two curves, a simple procedure and a simple model have been used to (i) validate the hypothesis that the connected saturated areas are the only permanent variable contributing areas and (ii) simulate the daily streamflow volumes over long baseflow recession periods by a water balance of the aquifer below these areas only. The storm runoff ratio for small to moderate rainfall events is indeed corresponding to the catchment saturated fraction at that time. The volume of daily streamflow oscillations is indeed corresponding to the evaporation at the potential rate from the saturated areas only. In both cases, streamflow naturally tends towards the master recession curve after the end of any atmospheric perturbation. Introducing these findings into TOPMODEL led to significantly improved simulation results during baseflow recession periods. The master recession curve may therefore be considered as a dynamic equilibrium curve. Together with the relationship between saturated extent and baseflow, it provides the main characteristics necessary to understand and model the interactions at this complex interface and the resulting daily streamflow variations during baseflow recession periods in this type of catchment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of methods for quantifying surface sublimation over seasonally snow‐covered terrain

Snow sublimation can be an important component of the snow‐cover mass balance, and there is considerable interest in quantifying the role of this process within the water and energy balance of snow‐covered regions. In recent years, robust eddy covariance (EC) instrumentation has been used to quantify snow sublimation over snow‐covered surfaces in complex mountainous terrain. However, EC can be challenging for monitoring turbulent fluxes in snow‐covered environments because of intensive data, power, and fetch requirements, and alternative methods of estimating snow sublimation are often relied upon. To evaluate the relative merits of methods for quantifying surface sublimation, fluxes calculated by the EC, Bowen ratio–energy balance (BR), bulk aerodynamic flux (BF), and aerodynamic profile (AP) methods and their associated uncertainty were compared at two forested openings in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Biases between methods are evaluated over a range of environmental conditions, and limitations of each method are discussed. Mean surface sublimation rates from both sites ranged from 0.33 to 0.36 mm day^?1, 0.14 to 0.37 mm day^?1, 0.10 to 0.17 mm day^?1, and 0.03 to 0.10 mm day^?1 for the EC, BR, BF and AP methods, respectively. The EC and/or BF methods are concluded to be superior for estimating surface sublimation in snow‐covered forested openings. The surface sublimation rates quantified in this study are generally smaller in magnitude compared with previously published studies in this region and help to refine sublimation estimates for forested openings in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

秸秆加筋粉土的冻胀特性研究

粉土在中国分布广泛,工程中大量涉及,常表现为冻胀敏感性,在冻土地区工程建设中需重点考虑其冻胀特性。为减少粉土冻胀对工程的影响,基于环保的理念,以防腐处理后的麦秸秆作为加筋材料,将其切断后随机掺入粉土中;并对粉土和秸秆加筋粉土试样分别进行了开敞系统下的一维冻胀试验,重点研究了秸秆掺量和长度对粉土冻胀特性的影响。结果表明：秸秆加筋对粉土的冻胀有明显的抑制作用,少量的掺加（0.2%、0.4%）可将接近强冻胀的粉土改良为弱冻胀或不冻胀;在其他条件相同的情况下,试验范围内粉土的冻胀率随秸秆掺量的增加而线性增大,但总体远小于未改良土;秸秆掺量一定时,存在最优秸秆长度,在该长度下,秸秆加筋粉土的冻胀变形量和冻胀率均最小。     

双排桩双梁组合支护刚度计算的改进与位移分析

双排桩支护组合体系作为一种新型悬臂类支护结构,其整体刚度的提升有利于保持基坑边侧的安全稳定。本文依托于张家口万全区某双排桩基坑支护工程案例,以现有双排桩冠梁刚度系数计算方法为基础,引入冠梁与连梁作用效应系数优化改进考虑连梁和冠梁作用的基坑矩形双排桩支护结构横向支撑刚度的计算方法,并对双梁组合支护体系下不同土性对双排桩前后排桩桩身最大横向位移的影响进行探讨。结果显示:（1）在双排桩结构计算中需考虑冠梁与连梁对双排支护桩的共同横向约束作用,并将冠梁与连梁的刚性连接作为一个整体以提高矩形双排桩双梁横向支撑刚度系数。（2）双梁组合支护体系组合刚度对桩顶位移有较大影响,组合刚度为40～50 MN/m下的位移与观测值较为贴近;冠梁计算长度与引入的冠梁与连梁作用效应系数对双梁组合支护体系组合刚度影响较大,计算长度对组合刚度呈负相关,效应系数对组合刚度呈正相关。（3）双梁组合支护体系下双排桩横向支撑刚度受前后排桩竖向与横向位移差影响,前后排桩桩身最大横向位移受土层内摩擦角、黏聚力和土体水平抗力比例系数影响;改变抗拉强度不会影响双排桩桩体位移。在基坑埋深以下及桩底范围内桩身存在位移拐点,拐点处各不同内摩擦角、不同黏聚力条件下位移相等。     

土工膜-土工布界面动力剪切特性试验研究

糙面土工膜（GMX）和无纺土工布（GT）是垃圾填埋场中周边衬垫系统的重要组成部分,其界面特性对于整体填埋场的稳定性尤为重要。但是,目前对GMX-GT界面的动力剪切特性研究较少。为此,利用大型直剪仪,开展了一系列全饱和条件及干燥条件下GMX-GT界面的循环剪切试验,主要研究了竖向应力、位移幅值和循环次数等对GMX-GT界面动力剪切特性的影响,并对比分析了全饱和及干燥两种条件下GMX-GT界面动力剪切特性的差异。研究结果表明,随着位移幅值的增加,GMX-GT界面呈现出由剪切硬化向剪切软化转变的特性。循环剪切作用使得界面的内摩擦角随着位移幅值的增加而增大。GMX-GT界面主要表现为剪缩特性,且总剪缩量随竖向应力、位移幅值和循环次数的增加而增加。剪切刚度随竖向应力和循环次数的增大而增大,随位移幅值的增大而减小。阻尼比随位移幅值的增大而增大,随循环次数的增加而减小,说明位移幅值会增加GMX-GT界面的能量的耗散。GMX-GT界面在干燥条件下的破坏模式与饱和条件下的存在明显差异,干燥条件下GT内部的破坏更加显著,全饱和条件下GMX表面的破坏更加明显。     

生石灰激发GGBS固化高含水率香港海相沉积物的物理力学性质研究

海相沉积物处置已成为一项全球范围的挑战。在传统固化/稳定化方法中,环境污染严重的波兰特水泥(PC)是一种被广泛使用的固化剂。在此背景下,一种环境友好型的固化剂(生石灰与粒化高炉矿渣(简称GGBS)的混合料)取代PC来用在土壤改良领域。使用生石灰激发GGBS固化处理高含水率海相沉积物,并与PC固化海相沉积物进行比较。通过物理、化学试验及无侧限抗压强度试验分析了生石灰-GGBS固化海相沉积物的物理、化学和强度特性。结果表明:与PC固化海相沉积物相比,生石灰-GGBS固化沉积物具有体积收缩大、含水率低和密度略高的物理特性。随着生石灰比例的降低和养护时间的延长,生石灰-GGBS固化沉积物的pH值逐渐降低。生石灰-GGBS固化沉积物的无侧限抗压强度呈先增大(生石灰:固化剂为0.05～0.15)后减小(生石灰:固化剂为0.15～0.3)再增大(生石灰:固化剂为0.3～0.4)的趋势;当生石灰与固化剂的比值为0.15及0.4时,强度达到最大值;当生石灰与固化剂的比值为0.15时,生石灰-GGBS固化沉积物达到的峰值强度是相同条件下PC固化沉积物强度的1.4倍。该研究结果证实了GGBS与少量生石灰组合...     

中国东北地壳结构的地震层析成像

中国东北地区自晚古生代晚期以来,受古亚洲洋、蒙古—鄂霍茨克洋、太平洋构造域的叠加作用,壳幔结构极为复杂。本文收集中国东北地区国家地震台网接收的100 980个P波和91 030个S波到时数据,采用地震走时层析成像方法获得了该地区地壳P波和S波速度结构,进而获得了泊松比结构,用以探讨复杂的地壳结构。成像结果显示：中国东北地区地壳地震波速度结构呈明显的横向不均匀性,不同构造单元和构造单元内部都存在不同程度的不均匀性。松辽盆地整体上浅层地壳以低速异常为主,尤其是S波速度,但部分区域分辨率较低,中下地壳存在较大范围高速异常,推测与太平洋俯冲、后撤导致的岩石圈拆沉和热物质上涌等动力学过程有关;北部的大兴安岭重力梯级带和长白山一线主要表现为低速异常,表明具有大范围的岩浆作用,广泛岩浆作用为固体矿产资源的形成提供热源或物源;长白山、五大连池等近代活动的火山下方部分地壳区域均表现了较强低地震波速度和高泊松比异常结构特征,表明仍存在活动的可能。