Truncation of the distribution of ground-motion residuals

Recent studies to assess very long-term seismic hazard in the USA and in Europe have highlighted the importance of the upper tail of the ground-motion distribution at the very low annual frequencies of exceedance required by these projects. In particular, the use of an unbounded lognormal distribution to represent the aleatory variability of ground motions leads to very high and potentially unphysical estimates of the expected level of shaking. Current practice in seismic hazard analysis consists of truncating the ground-motion distribution at a fixed number (ε _max) of standard deviations (σ). However, there is a general lack of consensus regarding the truncation level to adopt. This paper investigates whether a physical basis for choosing ε _max can be found, by examining records with large positive residuals from the dataset used to derive one of the ground-motion models of the Next Generation Attenuation (NGA) project. In particular, interpretations of the selected records in terms of causative physical mechanisms are reviewed. This leads to the conclusion that even in well-documented cases, it is not possible to establish a robust correlation between specific physical mechanisms and large values of the residuals, and thus obtain direct physical constraints on ε _max. Alternative approaches based on absolute levels of ground motion and numerical simulations are discussed. However, the choice of ε _max is likely to remain a matter of judgment for the foreseeable future, in view of the large epistemic uncertainties associated with these alternatives. Additional issues arise from the coupling between ε _max and σ, which causes the truncation level in terms of absolute ground motion to be dependent on the predictive equation used. Furthermore, the absolute truncation level implied by ε _max will also be affected if σ is reduced significantly. These factors contribute to rendering a truncation scheme based on a single ε _max value impractical.     

2020年中国龙卷过程及灾情特征

2021年5月14日20∶40前后,湖北省武汉市蔡甸区千子山发生龙卷灾害。基于详细的现场灾情调查和观测资料综合分析判断：(1) 本次灾害具有受灾路径长、纵横比大,受灾指示物有辐合倒伏、扭曲、被拔起和抛射等龙卷破坏的典型特征,确认为龙卷风灾害。(2) 龙卷自西向东移动,总路径长度约17.95km,其中连续路径约11km,最大破坏直径1000m,平均破坏直径800 m。龙卷经历了触地初生、加强成熟到跳跃减弱三个阶段,在影响路径的后半段,龙卷强度较弱,有跳跃式前进的特征。综合评估本次龙卷最大强度为中国龙卷强度行业标准三级(相当于美国EF3级)。(3) 雷达资料分析表明,这是一次典型的超级单体龙卷,伴随有强中气旋和龙卷涡旋(TVS)发展,超级单体中气旋和TVS加强,旋转速度、最强切变加大以及顶高底高下降时,龙卷触地引起地面灾害,地面最强破坏路径位于中气旋和TVS路径南侧。对于超级单体龙卷,可依据中气旋和TVS演变特征进行龙卷预警业务试验。

     

基于缓解沙漠高速公路风沙危害的路基参数优化——以榆靖高速公路为例

在沙漠地区修筑高速公路时,风沙对公路路基的危害是公路安全和运营的最大影响因子之一。为了寻求最适合沙漠地区高速公路风沙危害最经济的理论路基断面形式,通过对榆（林）靖（边）沙漠高速公路各种路基实测数据应用数学模型进行定量分析,查明了影响路基沙害程度的主要参数,提出了减少路基沙害程度的设计理念,并对不同路基形式的沙害程度进行了比较,给出了路基沙害程度较小的路基断面形式及参数值。研究成果对今后在沙漠地区修筑高速公路设计及施工具有一定的指导意义。     

Crack nucleation in saturated porous media

Crack nucleation has been the subject of important contributions in the last two last decades. However, it seems that few attention has been granted to the case of saturated porous media. This is the question addressed in the present paper which is devoted to nucleation in traction mode. From a physical point of view, nucleation is a sudden phenomenon, so that the material response is both adiabatic and undrained. In the spirit of the variational approach, the nucleated crack is viewed as the final state of a region of space in which the material undergoes a full damage process. In traction mode, the opening of a saturated crack in undrained condition induces a drop of fluid pressure. In case of low fluid compressibility, the presence of the fluid delays the brittle failure usually associated with nucleation, as long as the fluid pressure remains above the saturation vapor pressure. Nucleation is therefore possible only if a partial vaporization of the fluid takes place.     

南海东北部洋陆过渡区域地震折射波衰减特征

地震波衰减研究是了解岩石圈构造特征的有效方法.本文基于OBS2016-2测线的海底地震仪(OBS)数据, 首次对南海东北部洋陆过渡区域地震波衰减特征进行研究, 通过正演模拟获得该区域二维纵波衰减(Q_P)结构.结果表明, 下陆坡的上地壳存在一个宽约40 km, 厚度约为4~5 km的高衰减区, 其特征为低纵波和横波速度(V_P为5.5~6.3 km·s^-1和V_S为3.1~3.6 km·s^-1)以及较低的波速比(V_P/V_S为1.72~1.80), 对应较低的Q_P(280~410), 推测与断裂发育有关, 且受到火山活动的影响.洋陆过渡及洋壳区域的上地壳高衰减区具有低Q_P(300~400)和高V_P/V_S(1.90~1.96)特征, 可能对应较多的断裂发育及流体运移.洋陆过渡区域下地壳高速异常体表现为相对低的Q_P(550~600), 对应较高的V_P(7.0~7.8 km·s^-1)和V_S(3.5~3.8 km·s^-1)以及较高的V_P/V_S(1.85~1.96), 推测与蛇纹石化作用有关.蛇纹石化可能进一步增加岩石的孔隙度并导致更多的流体运移, 使得洋陆过渡及洋壳区域存在较高的地震波衰减.Q_P结构有助于我们分析南海大陆边缘的地震波衰减特征, 结合V_P、V_S以及V_P/V_S, 可以更好地了解该区域地质结构和岩石属性, 对进一步挖掘OBS数据信息有重要参考价值.

     

滑坡的摩擦力与正压力力偶的地震波场模拟

滑坡的地震波反演是确定滑坡动力学过程的有效途径.然而,目前的滑坡地震波反演大多基于点源模型,将滑坡面近似为点源,仅考虑滑体作用于滑床的摩擦力及其变化.但实际滑坡过程中,由于重力和滑动距离的存在,滑床还受到一个逐渐增加的正压力力偶作用.为定量探讨这一正压力力偶对滑坡地震波场的贡献,我们基于有限滑坡面模型,分别正演模拟了滑坡过程中摩擦力和正压力力偶的地震波场,得到了正压力力偶地震波场在整个滑坡地震波场中的能量比例及其随距离的变化.研究发现,正压力力偶地震波场具备近场项衰减特征,相较于摩擦力波场随距离衰减更快.正演模拟显示,正压力力偶地震波场在滑坡尺度2~3倍距离范围内较为显著;但在更远距离上,由于其幅度大致随距离的平方衰减,其贡献几可忽略.此外,正压力力偶波场在波形特征上与摩擦力波场也存在明显区别,二者的相对大小与摩擦系数和坡度等参数密切相关.本文模拟分析表明,完整的滑坡近场地震波场应该同时考虑摩擦力和正压力力偶的贡献;滑坡动力学参数反演中,利用近场地震波记录,考虑有限尺度的滑坡面,原则上我们不仅可以确定传统滑坡动力学参数,还有可能确定摩擦系数和流体压力等参数在空间上的变化分布.

     

4D seismic time-lapse monitoring of an active cold vent,northern Cascadia margin

Two single-channel seismic (SCS) data sets collected in 2000 and 2005 were used for a four-dimensional (4D) time-lapse analysis of an active cold vent (Bullseye Vent). The data set acquired in 2000 serves as a reference in the applied processing sequence. The 4D processing sequence utilizes time- and phase-matching, gain adjustments and shaping filters to transform the 2005 data set so that it is most comparable to the conditions under which the 2000 data were acquired. The cold vent is characterized by seismic blanking, which is a result of the presence of gas hydrate in the subsurface either within coarser-grained turbidite sands or in fractures, as well as free gas trapped in these fracture systems. The area of blanking was defined using the seismic attributes instantaneous amplitude and similarity. Several areas were identified where blanking was reduced in 2005 relative to 2000. But most of the centre of Bullseye Vent and the area around it were seen to be characterized by intensified blanking in 2005. Tracing these areas of intensified blanking through the three-dimensional (3D) seismic volume defined several apparent new flow pathways that were not seen in the 2000 data, which are interpreted as newly generated fractures/faults for upward fluid migration. Intensified blanking is interpreted as a result of new formation of gas hydrate in the subsurface along new fracture pathways. Areas with reduced blanking may be zones where formerly plugged fractures that had trapped some free gas may have been opened and free gas was liberated.     

Documenting hurricane impacts on coral reefs using two-dimensional video-mosaic technology

Four hurricanes impacted the reefs of Florida in 2005. In this study, we evaluate the combined impacts of hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma on a population of Acropora palmata using a newly developed video‐mosaic methodology that provides a high‐resolution, spatially accurate landscape view of the reef benthos. Storm damage to A. palmata was surprisingly limited; only 2 out of 19 colonies were removed from the study plot at Molasses Reef. The net tissue losses for those colonies that remained were only 10% and mean diameter of colonies decreased slightly from 88.4 to 79.6 cm. In contrast, the damage to the reef framework was more severe, and a large section (6 m in diameter) was dislodged, overturned, and transported to the bottom of the reef spur. The data presented here show that two‐dimensional video‐mosaic technology is well‐suited to assess the impacts of physical disturbance on coral reefs and can be used to complement existing survey methodologies.