SEISMIC IMPACT LOADING IN INELASTIC TENSION-ONLY CONCENTRICALLY BRACED STEEL FRAMES: MYTH OR REALITY?

Tension-Only Concentrically Braced Frames (TOCBF) exhibit deteriorating pinched hysteretic behaviour during strong earthquakes. Slender braces transit between an elastic buckling state, a restraightening state, in which they carry almost no load, an elastic tensile loading state as they are suddenly taut and, finally, a tensile yielding state. It has long been suspected that the sudden increase in tensile forces in the braces of TOCBSF creates detrimental impact loading on the connections and other structural elements. No experimental evidence, however, has been provided so far to confirm, or to quantify, this impact phenomenon. This paper addresses this issue through shake table tests of half scale, two-storey, TOCBF models. By normalizing the hysteresis loops of braces obtained from shake table tests to the yield strength of steel obtained from quasi-static tests, the increase in tensile forces in the braces was obtained. Results of dynamic tensile tests on steel coupons under similar strain rates as observed during the shake table tests showed that this increase in tensile forces is not the result of impact, but is rather caused by a yield strength increase of the steel under high strain rate. A procedure is proposed to estimate and account for this increase in tensile forces in the braces at the design stage.     

岩浆运移动力学及其研究进展

岩浆运移动力学是岩浆动力学的重要分支领域,研究内容包括5个方面：运移方式、运移通道、运移途径、运移动力与运移过程的成矿作用。就这5方面的研究进展进行了系统回顾,对尚待进一步研究的科学问题进行了归纳与总结,指出浮力不是弹性岩石圈岩浆运移上升的驱动力,而上地幔岩浆运移方式、弹性岩石圈岩浆往上运移驱动力、岩浆自主破裂形成的动力学机制、中途停歇岩浆重起动再运移的驱动机制、岩浆再停歇和运移过程的结晶与分异及其与围岩相互作用和伴生的元素富集与成矿作用等问题是岩浆运移动力学是尚待进一步攻关与研究的关键性科学问题。     

磁尾爆发性整体流与亚暴的关系

利用星簇Cluster的三颗卫星(C1, C3和C4)在2001年和2002年的数据,研究磁尾爆发性整体流（BBF, Bursty Bulk Flow）事件及其与亚暴的关系. 三颗卫星可以同时观测到同一次BBF事件, 有时只有一颗或两颗观测到BBF,其原因有:（1）等离子体整体流的速度峰值满足BBF选取原则中的峰值要求, 但卫星的运行轨道不满足;（2）卫星处于所要求的区域内,等离子体整体流的速度峰值不满足;（3）中性片的复杂结构及其运动使得选取条件不能同时满足;（4）BBF空间分布高度局域化. 统计研究结果表明：单颗卫星观测存在局限性, C1、C3和C4卫星独立观测到BBF的持续总时间分别占它们联合观测到的5507%、7748%和5552%; 大部分亚暴爆发期间都能观测到BBF, 甚至在一次亚暴爆发期间观测到多次BBF; 少数亚暴爆发期间没有观测到BBF.     

A simulation study of the role of raindrop erosion in the formation of desert pavements

A simple model of raindrop erosion—the combined effects of the detachment of sediment by raindrops and its transport by splash or by overland flow—is developed to examine the role of this process in the formation of desert pavements. Application of the model to soils in areas of existing pavement initially simulates the formation of pavements, but the changing sediment size distributions lead to the subsequent destruction of these modelled surfaces. An improved model that accounts for the feedback effects of the changing size distributions on infiltration and microtopography is then developed. Incorporating these effects allows simulated pavements to be maintained over longer periods. The model yields desert pavements whose particle size compositions differ in response to differences in initial soil characteristics, slope and rainfall intensity. This model is tested against empirical data from a site where there is intershrub pavement and associated mounds of fines beneath desert shrubs. The results successfully predict the accumulation of fines under shrubs but underestimate the development of the pavement between shrubs. These findings suggest that the raindrop erosion mechanism on its own cannot account for the development of the pavement and that some other mechanism leading to the surface concentration of coarse particles must also be operating.     

Ekman drift and vortical structures

In this article, the authors study the influence of a constant wind on the displacement of a vortex. The well known Ekman current develops in the surface layer and is responsible for a transport perpendicular to the wind: the Ekman drift.An additional process is, however, evidenced, whose importance is as strong as the Ekman drift. There indeed exists a curl of the wind-driven acceleration along isopycnic surfaces when they are spatially variable (they enter and leave the depth where the wind stress acts), which generates potential vorticity anomalies. This diabatic effect is shown to generate potential vorticity anomalies which acts on the propagation of vortical waves and non linear vortices.It is shown that this effect drastically reduces the effect of the Ekman drift for linear waves and surface intensified vortices, while extending its effect to subsurface vortices. It also generates along wind propagation, whose sign depends on the vortex characteristics.     

Sulfide intrusion in the tropical seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme

Sulfur and oxygen dynamics in the seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Syringodium filiforme and their sediments were studied in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) in order to explore sulfide intrusion into tropical seagrasses. Four study sites were selected based on the iron concentration in sediments and on proximity to anthropogenic nutrient sources. Meadow characteristics (shoot density, above- and below-ground biomass, nutrient content) were sampled along with sediment biogeochemistry. Sulfide intrusion was high in T. testudinum, as up to 96% of total sulfur in the plant was derived from sediment-derived sulfides. The sulfide intrusion was negatively correlated to the turnover of sulfides in the sediments regulated by both plant parameters and sediment sulfur pools. Sediment iron content played an indirect role by affecting sulfide turnover rates. Leaf production was negatively correlated with sulfide intrusion suggesting that active growth reduced sulfide intrusion. Sulfide intrusion was lower in S. filiforme (up to 44%) compared to T. testudinum consistent with a higher internal nighttime oxygen concentrations found for S. filiforme. When S. filiforme can take advantage of its ability to maintain high internal oxygen concentrations, as was the case on the USVI, it could increase its success in colonizing unvegetated disturbed sediments with potentially high sulfide concentrations.     

新村湾海黾草（Thalassia hemprichii）的生长策略研究

海草的种内差异是它在特定环境中形成生长策略的关键因素。本研究通过将现场实测数据和文献记录进行类比以探讨新村湾海黾草（Thalassia hemprichii）的生长策略。研究结果表明海黾草地下茎伸长速率的差异可以解释该海草生物量和生长的大部分种内差异;新村湾海黾草垂直地下茎和水平地下茎的伸长速率在夏季分别为2．38cm／yr和24．4cm／yr,在冬季分别为1．87cm／yr和29．2cm／yr。海黾草茎枝密度的变化范围是822shootsm^-2至941shoots m^-2,最大值出现在夏季而最小值出现在冬季,生物量的季节变化与此类似。新村湾海黾草通过交替调节垂直地下茎和水平地下茎的伸长速率以适应光照强度和温度的季节变化,从而导致茎枝密度和地上生物量的相应变化。通过这样的生长策略,海黾草可以把夏季干旱和冬季光照强度下降对其生长造成的消极影响降低到最小程度。     

具有不同到达率的带有启动时间及不耐烦策略的多级适应性休假M^X/G/1排队

研究了具有不同到达率的带有启动时间及不耐烦策略的多级适应性休假M^X/G/1排队模型,通过嵌入马尔可夫链方法推导出稳态队长的母函数、等待时间的LST（先到先服务规则）,并验证了稳态队长和稳态等待时间具有随机分解性,而且给出了忙期、全忙期及在线期均值。     

Sedimentary facies,production rates and facies models for recent coralline algal gravels,Co. Galway,Ireland

Five sedimentary facies are described from SCUBA diving examination and sampling of Mannin Bay, Ireland. A Bank facies is built up by the unattached coralline algae Lithothamnium corallioides and Phymatolithon calcareum. This autochthonous facies occurs in shallow sheltered environments. In exposed areas a rippled Clean Algal Gravel facies is found composed of coralline and molluscan debris. In intermediate energy areas a Muddy Algal Gravel facies is found with small amounts of live corallines. Sheltered creeks have a Mud facies which is partly carbonate and partly terrigenous. The shallow water coralline algal sediments are overlapped by a Fine Sand facies of mixed biogenic composition. Each facies is characterized by particular phenotypic growth forms of the unattached corallines. Rates of organic calcium carbonate production are obtained which are found to be similar to rates from shallow tropical non-reef environments. The carbonate sediments of Mannin Bay are compared with similar sediments from Kilkerrin Bay. Ireland, from Brittany and from Falmouth Harbour. From these comparisons, facies models are proposed for these carbonate sediments. The major factor controlling facies distribution is coastal morphology. The present day shelf is considered to be too exposed to preserve complete sequences of the shallow water sediments.     

地磁场强度变化对暴露年代测定的影响及校正

在103-105a的尺度上,地磁场强度变化是影响陆地宇生核素生成速率的主要因素,其影响程度取决于样品的地理位置和暴露时间。根据已有的磁场古强度数据,模拟200 ka以来海拔2 km、25°N和40°N的地表10Be生成速率的变化,进而分析地表宇生核素生成速率变化对岩石暴露年代测定的影响及其模式年龄的校正。校正磁场强度变化后,海拔2 km、25°N上,50-200 ka的模式年龄可被压缩14%~19%,大于1σ的误差,相同海拔40°N上的模式年龄可减小约8%。对中低纬两组模式年龄的校正充分证明,磁场强度引起的陆地宇生核素生成速率变化是暴露年代测定中主要误差源之一,尤其在低纬高海拔地区这一影响更不容忽视。