The influence of floodplain geohydrology on the distribution of Sarcocornia pillansii in the Olifants Estuary on the West Coast, South Africa

The distribution of Sarcocornia pillansii (Moss) A.J. Scott was determined by water-table depth and electrical conductivity (EC) of the groundwater. Where the groundwater was accessible (<1.5 m) and had a low EC (<80 mS cm⁻¹), S. pillansii extended its roots down to the water-table where a suitable water potential gradient was shown to exist between the soil and roots. In areas where the groundwater was too deep and/or hypersaline, the plants grew on hummocks. The unconfined aquifer below the floodplain is linked to the estuary and although diurnal tidal waves were dampened, water-table level fluctuations were recorded between tidal events. The complex geomorphology of the floodplain influences groundwater flow, in turn affecting the distribution of the salt marsh vegetation.     

Predicting tsunami arrivals: Estimates and policy implications

Tsunami is one of a few kinds of natural disasters that leave people some time for escape. This escape time, which is essentially the time for the giant wave to propagate from the epicentre to a coast, has to be estimated without delay upon the occurrence of the incident. With the advancement of water wave theories, much work has been done to model the propagation of tsunamis from deep oceans to shallow water. The authors argue that while much emphasis has been put on the expansion of the high-tech early warning system and the development of complicated tsunami models, a simple-to-use yet accurate predictive model is still wanting. This paper presents a handy linear wave model, which is capable of estimating the arrival time of a tsunami with very good accuracy, as has been verified by comparison with past incidents. With the availability of such a simple model, even local communities without access to a high-tech warning system can readily estimate the time left for emergency evacuation.     

计算机串口记时延迟的测量与分析

动态测量中,需要记录观测量的观测时刻,时刻作为测量的基本观测量,需要较高的计时精度,通过串口利用计算机计时是一种便捷可行的方法,但串口的时延是必须要考虑的因素。本文介绍了计算机串口计时的原理及影响其时延的相关因素,阐述了进行时延测量的方法,并通过实验对影响串口时延的5种因素进行了相应的测试和分析,实验结果表明,通常情况下串口时延在毫秒级,通过提高计时程序优先级的方法可成功将时延减小至0.35m s以内;低动态条件下串口时延对动态测量的影响较小,在某些检测设备中甚至可以忽略。     

Seasonally frozen soil effects on the dynamic behavior of highway bridges

Frozen ground is significantly stiffer than unfrozen ground. For bridges supported on deep foundations, bridge stiffness is also measurably higher in winter months. Significant changes due to seasonal freezing in bridge pier boundary conditions require additional detailing in order to ensure a ductile performance of the bridge during a design earthquake event. This paper reports the latest results obtained from a project that systematically investigated the effects of seasonally frozen soil on the seismic behavior of highway bridges in cold regions. A bridge was chosen and was monitored to study its seismic performance and assess the impact of seasonally frozen soil on its dynamic properties. A Finite Element (FE) model was created for this bridge to analyze the impact of seasonal frost. It was found that when frost depth reaches 1.2 m, the first transverse modal frequency increases about 200% when compared with the no-frost case. The results show that seasonal frost has a significant impact on the overall dynamic behavior of bridges supported by pile foundations in cold regions, and that these effects should be accounted for in seismic design.     

Contested H2O: Science, policy and politics in water resources management in Chile

This paper critically explores the politics that mediate the use of environmental science assessments as the basis of resource management policy. Drawing on recent literature in the political ecology tradition that has emphasised the politicised nature of the production and use of scientific knowledge in environmental management, the paper analyses a hydrological assessment in a small river basin in Chile, undertaken in response to concerns over the possible overexploitation of groundwater resources. The case study illustrates the limitations of an approach based predominantly on hydrogeological modelling to ascertain the effects of increased groundwater abstraction. In particular, it identifies the subjective ways in which the assessment was interpreted and used by the state water resources agency to underpin water allocation decisions in accordance with its own interests, and the role that a desocialised assessment played in reproducing unequal patterns of resource use and configuring uneven waterscapes. Nevertheless, as Chile’s ‘neoliberal’ political-economic framework privileges the role of science and technocracy, producing other forms of environmental knowledge to complement environmental science is likely to be contentious. In conclusion, the paper considers the potential of mobilising the concept of the hydrosocial cycle to further critically engage with environmental science.     

黄河河口拦门沙发育动态

河口拦门沙发育主要取决于河口边界、径流、海洋动力、海面增减水以及河口疏浚等环境要素的相互作用。拦门沙在口门附近呈扇状分布隆起的沙坝,沉积结构为紧密的“铁板沙”.1984-1987年拦门沙自然发育时期,拦门沙长度为7km以上,年平均推进速度1.30km,沙顶高程为-0.1-0.5m;1988-1992年拦门沙人为疏浚发育时期,通过河口疏浚后,拦门沙增长有所减缓,其长度减为4-6km,年平均推进速度降为1.26km,沙顶平均高程下降到-0.7m,相应地减轻了河口地区的防洪压力。     

利用旁压试验的砂土初始状态反演分析

讨论了砂土旁压试验的反分析问题。建议利用旁压试验实测数据反演确定土体的初始状态而非材料参数,材料参数可以通过实验室常规试验确定。主要利用了新型的亚塑性本构模型参数不受土体状态影响的特点。主要内容包括：建立有限元数值模型,利用文献中的试验数据确定了特定砂土的材料参数;通过模拟砂土的实验室旁压试验,验证了数值模型;通过改变土体初始应力状态和相对密实度进行数值计算,并利用数值计算成果,建立了可适用于砂土初始状态反演分析的实测旁压荷载和土体中应力与相对密度的数学关系。     

Disturbed state model for sand–geosynthetic interfaces and application to pull-out tests

Successful numerical simulation of geosynthetic-reinforced earth structures depends on selecting proper constitutive models for soils, geosynthetics and soil–geosynthetic interfaces. Many constitutive models are available for modelling soils and geosynthetics. However, constitutive models for soil–geosynthetic interfaces which can capture most of the important characteristics of interface response are not readily available. In this paper, an elasto-plastic constitutive model based on the disturbed state concept (DSC) for geosynthetic–soil interfaces has been presented. The proposed model is capable of capturing most of the important characteristics of interface response, such as dilation, hardening and softening. The behaviour of interfaces under the direct shear test has been predicted by the model. The present model has been implemented in the finite element procedure in association with the thin-layer element. Five pull-out tests with two different geogrids have been simulated numerically using FEM. For the calibration of the constitutive models used in FEM, the standard laboratory tests used are: (1) triaxial tests for the sand, (2) direct shear tests for the interfaces and (3) axial tension tests for the geogrids. The results of the finite element simulations of pull-out tests agree well with the test data. The proposed model can be used for the stress-deformation study of geosynthetic-reinforced embankments through numerical simulation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Validation of MODIS integrated water vapor product against reference GPS data at the Iberian Peninsula

In this work, the water vapor product from MODIS (MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument, on-board Aqua and Terra satellites, is compared against GPS water vapor data from 21 stations in the Iberian Peninsula as reference. GPS water vapor data is obtained from ground-based receiver stations which measure the delay caused by water vapor in the GPS microwave signals. The study period extends from 2007 until 2012. Regression analysis in every GPS station show that MODIS overestimates low integrated water vapor (IWV) data and tends to underestimate high IWV data. R² shows a fair agreement, between 0.38 and 0.71. Inter-quartile range (IQR) in every station is around 30–45%. The dependence on several parameters was also analyzed. IWV dependence showed that low IWV are highly overestimated by MODIS, with high IQR (low precision), sharply decreasing as IWV increases. Regarding dependence on solar zenith angle (SZA), performance of MODIS IWV data decreases between 50° and 90°, while night-time MODIS data (infrared) are quite stable. The seasonal cycles of IWV and SZA cause a seasonal dependence on MODIS performance. In summer and winter, MODIS IWV tends to overestimate the reference IWV value, while in spring and autumn the tendency is to underestimate. Low IWV from coastal stations is highly overestimated (∼60%) and quite imprecise (IQR around 60%). On the contrary, high IWV data show very little dependence along seasons. Cloud-fraction (CF) dependence was also studied, showing that clouds display a negligible impact on IWV over/underestimation. However, IQR increases with CF, except in night-time satellite values, which are quite stable.