Validation of the stream function method used for reconstruction of experimental ionospheric convection patterns

In this study we test a stream function method suggested by Israelevich and Ershkovich for instantaneous reconstruction of global, high-latitude ionospheric convection patterns from a limited set of experimental observations, namely, from the electric field or ion drift velocity vector measurements taken along two polar satellite orbits only. These two satellite passes subdivide the polar cap into several adjacent areas. Measured electric fields or ion drifts can be considered as boundary conditions (together with the zero electric potential condition at the low-latitude boundary) for those areas, and the entire ionospheric convection pattern can be reconstructed as a solution of the boundary value problem for the stream function without any preliminary information on ionospheric conductivities. In order to validate the stream function method, we utilized the IZMIRAN electrodynamic model (IZMEM) recently calibrated by the DMSP ionospheric electrostatic potential observations. For the sake of simplicity, we took the modeled electric fields along the noon-midnight and dawn-dusk meridians as the boundary conditions. Then, the solution(s) of the boundary value problem (i.e., a reconstructed potential distribution over the entire polar region) is compared with the original IZMEM/DMSP electric potential distribution(s), as well as with the various cross cuts of the polar cap. It is found that reconstructed convection patterns are in good agreement with the original modeled patterns in both the northern and southern polar caps. The analysis is carried out for the winter and summer conditions, as well as for a number of configurations of the interplanetary magnetic field.     

Field-aligned currents and parallel electric field potential drops at Mars. Scaling from the Earth’ aurora

The observations of electron inverted ‘V’ structures by the MGS and MEX spacecraft, their resemblance to similar events in the auroral regions of the Earth, and the discovery of strong localized magnetic field sources of the crustal origin on Mars, raised hypotheses on the existence of Martian aurora produced by electron acceleration in parallel electric fields. Following the theory of this type of structures on Earth we perform a scaling analysis to the Martian conditions. Similar to the Earth, upward field-aligned currents necessary for the generation of parallel potential drops and peaked electron distributions can arise, for example, on the boundary between ‘closed’ and ‘open’ crustal field lines due to shears of the flow velocity of the magnetosheath or magnetospheric plasmas. A steady-state configuration assumes a closure of these currents in the Martian ionosphere. Due to much smaller magnetic fields as compared to the Earth case, the ionospheric Pedersen conductivity is much higher on Mars and auroral field tubes with parallel potential drops and relatively small cross scales to be adjusted to the scales of the localized crustal patches may appear only if the magnetosphere and ionosphere are decoupled by a zone with a strong E_∥. Another scenario suggests a periodic short-circuit of the magnetospheric electric fields by a coupling with the conducting ionosphere.     

Microwave Neutral Line Associated Source and a Current Sheet

Neutral Line associated Sources (NLSs) are quasi-stationary microwave sources projected onto vicinities of the neutral line of the photospheric magnetic field. NLSs are often precursors of powerful flares, but their nature is unclear. We endeavor to reveal the structure of an NLS and to analyze a physical connection between such a source with a site of energy release in the corona above NOAA 10488 (October/November 2003). Evolution of this AR includes emergence and collision of two bipolar magnetic structures, rise of the main magnetic separator, and the appearance of an NLS underneath. The NLS appears at a contact site of colliding sunspots, whose relative motion goes on, resulting in a large shear along a tangent. Then the nascent NLS becomes the main source of microwave fluctuations in the AR. The NLS emission at 17 GHz is dominated by either footpoints or the top of a loop-like structure, an NLS loop, which connects two colliding sunspots. During a considerable amount of time, the emission dominates over that footpoint of the NLS loop, where the magnetic field is stronger. At that time, the NLS resembles a usual sunspot–associated radio source, whose brightness center is displaced towards the periphery of a sunspot. Microwave emission of an X2.7 flare is mainly concentrated in an ascending flare loop, initially coinciding with the NLS loop. The top of this loop is located at the base of a non-uniform bar-like structure visible in soft X-rays and at 34 GHz at the flare onset. We reveal i) upward lengthening of this bar before the flare onset, ii) the motion of the top of an apparently ascending flare loop along the axis of this bar, and iii) a non-thermal microwave source, whose descent along the bar was associated with the launching of a coronal ejection. We connect the bar with a probable position of a nearly vertical diffusion region, a site of maximal energy release inside an extended pre-flare current sheet. The top of the NLS loop is located at the bottom of this region. A combination of the NLS loop and diffusion region constitutes the skeleton of a quasi-stationary microwave NLS.     

大地电导率横向突变处磁暴感应地电场的邻近效应

大地电性结构的横向变化会对磁暴时的感应地电流和地面电磁场产生影响.本文假设扰动地磁场变化的源为地面以上一定高度的面电流,以某一典型层状大地电导率结构为基础,构造含有电导率横向突变的地电模型.针对感应电流的方向与横向分界面平行的情形,采用伽辽金有限元法对电导率横向突变处的感应地电场进行了分析,揭示了电导率横向差异产生的趋肤效应和邻近效应的机理,针对与电性结构分界面平行的输电线路,从评估地磁感应电流的角度讨论了影响的严重程度和范围.     

斜入射平面电磁波的视电阻率及其影响

传统的大地电磁法及音频大地电磁法都假设平面电磁波垂直入射地球表面,且忽略位移电流的影响.实际中,电磁波并不总是垂直入射地球表面,在某些情况下,位移电流也不可忽略.本文以新的方式推导了全电流条件下平面电磁波倾斜入射层状介质表面时的波阻抗公式,分析了位移电流、入射角、磁导率以及介电常数对TE和TM模式视电阻率之间相对差别的影响.结果表明:电磁波垂直入射地球表面时,TE和TM模式视电阻率相等,该特性与位移电流大小、磁导率和介电常数变化无关.当位移电流可忽略时,TE和TM模式视电阻率相等,该特性与入射角、磁导率和介电常数变化无关.当电磁波倾斜入射且位移电流不可忽略时,TE和TM模式视电阻率不相等,两者的差别随位移电流和入射角的增大而增大且与磁导率和介电常数有关.一般地,当位移电流超过传导电流的5%时,其影响就不可忽略.因此,实际数据处理及反演解释中,对特殊地质条件或频率很高时,应考虑位移电流、入射角、磁导率以及介电常数对TE和TM两种视电阻率模式之间差异的影响,否则可能得不到正确的结论.     

基于非结构化网格的任意复杂2D RMT有限元模拟

射频大地电磁法(RMT)是以潜艇天线发射的射线源等作为场源的一种地球物理勘探方法,目前被广泛应用于近地表工程和环境地球物理勘探.RMT数据解释常采用基于静态假设的大地电磁法(MT)程序,往往会反演出不真实的浅层目标体.为解决这一长期困扰RMT资料解释的问题,本文实现了考虑位移电流的RMT有限元数值模拟.为了处理任意复杂模型,如起伏地形,非结构的三角形网格被用于离散RMT模型.首先通过算例对比,验证了程序的正确性和可靠性.通过Dike模型讨论了空气层厚度对RMT数值解的影响,结果表明当空气层厚度大于1/4波长即可满足精度要求.以山脊模型为例计算了位移电流对RMT响应的影响,表明位移电流的影响会随着山脊高程的增加而增大.最后通过舒家店实际模型进一步验证了位移电流在RMT中的重要性.     

Horizontal distribution and transport processes of bloom-forming Microcystis in a large shallow lake (Taihu, China)

The horizontal distribution of bloom-forming Microcystis in a specific lake area and the transport of Microcystis by wind-driven lake currents between Meiliang Bay and the open water of Taihu Lake were measured during continuous field observations from August 21 to 25, 2006. During the observations, the horizontal distributions of Microcystis, represented by Chlorophyll a, showed a clear concentration toward downwind lake areas. According to the lake currents and the Chl a concentrations on the boundary line between the Meiliang Bay and the open water, the transported Chl a was less than 2% of the total weight of Chl a in Meiliang Bay on August 22, 24 and 25. The results suggest that the horizontal distribution of the bloom-forming Microcystis was strongly affected by the wind conditions, and the wind-driven Microcystis accumulation was mainly determined by surface drift; the transport of Microcystis by lake currents was much less important in this large, shallow lake.     

日本东北M_W9.0地震海啸在港池及邻近区域诱发的涡流危险性计算与评估分析

海啸造成的灾害与损失并非都与淹没有关,特别是港口中海啸诱导的强流会对船只及海事设施产生重要的影响及损害.由于海啸流观测数据稀缺及海啸诱导涡流机制的不确定性,过去60年海啸科学主要集中于对海啸波特征及淹没过程的研究与分析,海啸流模拟及验证工作开展较少,导致对海啸流基本特征及其造成灾害现象的曲解.开展海啸诱导的涡流研究及预警服务显得尤为重要及紧迫.考虑快速海啸预警需要,综合对比海啸诱导涡流的物理框架及模型方法,探索兼顾效率与计算精度的海啸流模拟方法是本文的核心工作及出发点.通过分析浅层湍流相干结构(TCS)产生的主要物理耗散机制,确定了考虑2D水平耗散机制的非线性浅水方程可用于海啸涡流的模拟分析.基于高精、高分辨率有限体积模型Geoclaw建立了三个精细化的港口海啸流模型,模型分辨率为5m.利用基于海啸浮标反演的海啸源模型作为初始条件,模拟分析了日本东北地震海啸在远场的海啸波流特征.海啸波流特征模拟结果与观测吻合较好,结果可信.对比发现:波驱动的自由表面流,小的位相或波幅误差就会导致大的流速误差,流的模拟和预报相对波幅来说更具挑战性.研究了海啸波流能量在港池中的分布特征,得到:港池入口及防波堤两端常被强流控制,具有极高的危险性;相对于波幅的空间变化,海啸流具有更强的空间敏感性;所建立的高分辨率海啸模型模拟再现了日本海啸在近场的涡旋结构,给出了与观测基本一致的涡流特征.最后,引入海啸流危险等级标准,分析了港口海啸流危险性等级分布、船只疏散的安全深度及回港的时间周期.针对港口、海湾同时考虑海啸波流特征的海啸预警与评估对于港口应急管理者科学决策具有重要意义.     

Features and formation processes of multiple deposition layers from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami at Ban Nam Kem,southern Thailand

Multiple‐layered tsunami deposits have been frequently reported from coastal stratigraphic sequences, but the formation processes of these layers remain uncertain. A terrestrial sandy deposit formed by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami was investigated at Ban Nam Kem, southern Thailand. Four internal layers induced by two tsunami waves were identified in the tsunami deposit. Sedimentary structures indicated that two units were formed by run‐up currents caused by the tsunami and the other two units were deposited by the backwash flows. Graded bedding was common in the layers, but inverse grading was observed at limited intervals on the surveyed transects. The characteristics of the multiple‐layered tsunami deposit vary remarkably over a very short distance (<1 m) in response to the local topography. Remarkable asymmetries in thickness and grain‐size distribution are recognized between the run‐up and backwash flow deposits. On the basis of the interpretation of sedimentary structures, the formation process of the multiple‐layered tsunami deposit observed in this study can be explained in a schematic model as the modification of the ideal tsunami sequence by local erosion and the asymmetric hydraulic properties of tsunami waves, such as the maximum shear velocity and the heterogeneity of the flow velocity field.     

Morphodynamique d'une dune sous-marine du détroit du pas de CalaisMorphodynamics of an undersea sandwave of the Dover Straits

This paper investigates the dynamics of sandwaves in relationship with tidal currents and weather conditions. The studied sandwaves are located in the Dover Straits and are covered by megaripples. These megaripples have migration speeds of $\text{1 }\text{m}\text{h}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$ and slopes of 34°, suggesting the potential for avalanches to occur along the flanks of the sandwave. Tidal cycles without reversing currents were observed during stormy weather. Wind-induced currents lead to a unidirectional migration of megaripples and sandwaves. Well-defined areas without megaripples were observed and correlated with an increase in sandwave height. We propose interpretations for understanding sandwave saturation and migration. To cite this article: D. Idier et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 1079–1085.