Analysis and interpretation of Cassini Titan radar altimeter echoes

The Cassini spacecraft has acquired 25 radar altimeter elevation profiles along Titan's surface as of April 2008, and we have analyzed 18 of these for which there are currently reconstructed ephemeris data. Altimeter measurements were collected at spatial footprint sizes from 6-60 km along ground tracks of length 400-3600 km. The elevation profiles yield topographic information at this resolution with a statistical height accuracy of 35-50 m and kilometer-scale errors several times greater. The data exhibit significant variations in terrain, from flat regions with little topographic expression to very rugged Titanscapes. The bandwidth of the transmitted waveform admits vertical resolution of the terrain height to 35 m at each observed location on the surface. Variations in antenna pointing and changes in surface statistics cause the range-compressed radar echoes to exhibit strong systematic and time-variable biases of hundreds of meters in delay. It is necessary to correct the received echoes for these changes, and we have derived correction algorithms such that the derived echo profiles are accurate at the 100 m level for off-nadir pointing errors of 0.3° and 0.6°, for leading edge and echo centroid estimators, respectively. The leading edge of the echo yields the elevation of the highest points on the surface, which we take to be the peaks of any terrain variation. The mean value of the echo delay is more representative of the mean elevation, so that the difference of these values gives an estimate of any local mountain heights. Finding locations where these values diverge indicates higher-relief terrain. Elevation features are readily seen in the height profiles. Several of the passes show mountains of several hundred m altitude, spread over 10's or even 100's of km in spatial extent, so that slopes are very small. Large expanses of sub-100 m topography are commonplace on Titan, so it is rather smooth in many locations. Other areas exhibit more relief, although the overall observed variation in surface height on any pass is less than about 1 km. Some elevation features correspond to observed changes in brightness in Cassini infrared images, but many do not. Correspondence between the imaging SAR ground tracks and the altimeter paths is limited, so that identifying elevation changes with higher resolution SAR features is premature at present.     

Simplified multi-block constitutive model predicting earthquake-induced landslide triggering and displacement along slip surfaces of saturated sand

Slopes consisting of saturated sand have recently moved down-slope tens or hundreds of meters under the action of earthquakes. This paper presents a simplified but accurate method predicting the triggering and displacement of such landslides. For this purpose, a simplified constitutive model simulating soil response of saturated sands along slip surfaces is proposed and validated. Then, this constitutive model is coupled with the multi-block sliding system model to predict the triggering and displacement of such slides. The multi-block model considers a general mass sliding on a trajectory which consists of n linear segments. The steps needed to apply this method are described in detail. The method was applied successfully to predict the triggering, the motion and the final configuration of the well-documented (a) Higashi Takezawa, (b) Donghekou and (c) Nikawa earthquake-induced slides.     

Modélisation morphodynamique cross-shore d'un estran vaseux

Numerical experiments were performed to simulate the profile evolution of an intertidal mudflat with a 1D cross-shore morphodynamical model. First, the hydrodynamical forcing is a cross-shore tidal current due to semi-diurnal variations of the free surface elevation at the open boundary. Further, considering the conservation of the action density of surface gravity waves, a wave height (and resulting bottom shear stress) calculation is added to the morphodynamical model. Results of the numerical experiments show that the shape of the profile reaches equilibrium. The mudflat progrades continually when the forcing is tide only, whereas it can be steady under the simultaneous action of tide and waves. To cite this article: B. Waeles et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

振动频率对饱和黏性土动力特性的影响

在回顾加荷频率对土样动力特性影响的研究基础上,采用某土石坝心墙防渗黏性土饱和试样,通过动三轴试验,研究了振动频率f对土样动力特性的影响。动强度试验结果表明：当 0.1～4 Hz时,动强度随f的升高而增大,但f继续升高后,动强度却有下降趋势。当 0.1～1.0 Hz时,频率愈高动孔压比愈大;当 1.0～6.0 Hz时,总的趋势为频率愈高,动孔压比愈小。表明频率较高时,动孔隙水压力来不及上升和扩散。较高频率f持续作用下,试样有吸水现象并伴随动孔压的下降。动模量阻尼试验结果是：f愈低,试样动变形开展愈充分;f愈高,动模量和阻尼比愈大。     

淤泥质浅滩泥沙临界起动切应力剖面确定

为了确定淤泥质浅滩泥沙的临界起动切应力垂线剖面,采用音叉密度计在淤泥质连云港徐圩浅滩进行了定点密度垂线分布测量,并针对该海域的泥沙利用长水槽和环形槽开展了泥沙起动室内试验。淤泥密度现场结果表明,浅滩泥沙密度与深度满足对数型关系;室内试验得出密度1 050~1 400 kg/m³的泥沙临界起动切应力值为0.1~1.0 Pa,泥沙临界切应力与密度呈指数关系;进而确定了临界起动切应力与深度的关系即临界起动切应力剖面,该剖面关系式可供数学模型模拟淤泥质浅滩的泥沙起动过程参考。     

Palaeosurfaces and major valleys in the area of the Kjǿlen Mountains,southern Norway - consequences of uplift and climatic change

Protected area management in Norway is undergoing institutional changes with the implementation of management models aimed at increased public participation. At the same time tourism enterprises are increasing in number within the protected areas. Greater levels of interaction with stakeholders place new demands on lead institutions in terms of communication, transparency, involvement, and power sharing. A governance perspective was used to examine some facets of the interaction between a local council managing a national park in Norway and tourism companies using the park for their operations. The main objective was to assess how the tourism sector perceives the cooperation and interface with the management institution. Semi-structured interviews were used, together with a framework of United Nations Development Programme principles of good governance: legitimacy and voice, direction, performance, accountability, and fairness. The results showed rather negative evaluations by the tourism sector, and operators expressed views, implying that the current management model fails to achieve most of the principles of good governance. Although based on a one-sided view by one group of stakeholders, the study suggests that lack of access to important processes and decisions, perceived bias towards traditional conservation, neglect of cultural heritage, and undue restrictions on access could have serious implications for developing an effective management model.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF HEATING ANOMALY EFFECTS OF TIBETAN PLATEAU ON CIRCULATION IN SUMMER

A 5-layer numerical model with p-σ incorporated coordinate system and primitive equations is used to simulatethe effects of heating anomaly at and over the Tibetan(Qinghai-Xizang)Plateau on the circulations in East Asia in sum-mer,The model is described briefly in the text and the results are analysed in somewhat detail.Results show that the sur-face albedo,the drag coefficient,the evaporation rate and the ground temperature all have large influences on the circula-tion near the Plateau and in East Asia.When the heating at the surface increases,the Tibetan high in the uppertroposphere intensifies,too.Its area enlarges and its axis tilts to northwest.The upper tropical easterly increase andshifts to north.The southwesterly in the lower troposphere,in consistence,also increases.The cross-equatorial low-lev-el currents along Somali and South India are influenced to increase their speeds while those over North Australia de-crease.The land low over the Asian Continent deepens.Meanwhile the upward motions over the land of east China andover the Indo-China Peninsula intensify and therefore the precipitation over those areas increases.However,along thecoastal area of China the upward motions and therefore the precipitation decrease.Atmospheric heat source anomaly has large influence on the circulation,too.Simulated results indicate that heatsource anomaly in the lower atmosphere over the Plateau influences the intensity and the position of the monsoon circu-lation while that in the upper atmosphere only affects the intensity.The heating status over the Plateau has slight influ-ence on the westerly jet,north of the Plateau,while it has strong effect on the subtropical jet at the mid and low latitudes.     

基于大涡模拟的小区气候态精细化风环境模拟试验

对具有复杂下垫面的小区精细化风环境进行数值模拟是当前城市气象研究的热点,而针对具有复杂地形的山地型城市（如重庆）的研究还比较匮乏。本文采用能显式分辨下垫面陡峭地形和复杂建筑物的计算流体力学（CFD）模式对重庆市渝北区龙湖社区气候态下的精细化风环境进行高分辨率的数值模拟。结果表明,下垫面能显著调节小区内风场的分布,风速大值区主要出现在九龙湖等开阔区域以及与中尺度背景入流方向一致的街道中。在夏季,小区整体风场以东南风为主,而其他3个季节则以偏东风为主。4个季节中,夏季小区内的风速最大,平均风速为0.3 m/s左右,局地能出现大于背景风的风速,可达0.8 m/s;其他3个季节的风速则较弱,区域平均的风速在0.2 m/s左右。不同的建筑物布局对局地风环境的影响也不同:单个孤立高层建筑迎风面的近地面存在明显地绕流,局地风速有所增加,而在背风面则形成尾流区,水平风速较低;在低矮分散的建筑群,建筑物的整体高度不高,区域内流场相对来说比较一致,风速较大,有利于小区的通风;在密集高层建筑群内,由于建筑物群本身的布局比较封闭,加之不同建筑物的环流场存在相互干扰及影响,使得小区近地面风速几乎为零,不利于小区通风和污染物扩散。建筑物的这些影响在城市冠层内尤为明显,高度越高这种影响越弱。     

Nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil

This article presents a method for the nonlinear analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil. The method considers the force and the moment equilibrium to derive the system equations for a rigid pile under a lateral eccentric load. The system equations are then solved using an iteration scheme to obtain the response of the pile. The method considers the nonlinear variation of the ultimate lateral soil resistance with depth and uses a new closed‐form expression proposed in this article to determine the lateral bearing factor. The method also considers the horizontal shear resistance at the pile base, and a bilinear relationship between the shear resistance and the displacement is used. For simplicity, the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction is assumed to be constant with depth, which is applicable to piles in overconsolidated clay. The nonlinearity of the modulus of horizontal subgrade reaction with pile displacement at ground surface is also considered. The validity of the developed method is demonstrated by comparing its results with those of 3D finite element analysis. The applications of the developed method to analyze five field test piles also show good agreement between the predictions and the experimental results. The developed method offers an alternative approach for simple and effective analysis of laterally loaded rigid piles in cohesive soil. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical modeling of fluid‐driven fractures in cohesive poroelastoplastic continuum

In this article, we investigate the main parameters that influence the propagation of a fluid‐driven fracture in a poroelastoplastic continuum. These parameters include the cohesive zone, the stress anisotropy, and the pore pressure field. The fracture is driven in a permeable porous domain that corresponds to weak formation by pumping of an incompressible viscous fluid at the fracture inlet under plane strain conditions. Rock deformation is modeled with the Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion with associative flow rule. Fluid flow in the fracture is modeled by the lubrication theory. The movement of the pore fluid in the surrounding medium is assumed to obey the Darcy law and is of the same nature as the fracturing fluid. The cohesive zone approach is used as the fracture propagation criterion. The problem is modeled numerically with the finite element method to obtain the solution for the fracture length, the fracture opening, and the propagation pressure as a function of the time and distance from the pumping inlet. It is demonstrated that the plastic yielding that is associated with the rock dilation in an elastoplastic saturated porous continuum is significantly affected by the cohesive zone characteristics, the stress anisotropy, and the pore pressure field. These influences result in larger fracture profiles and propagation pressures due to the larger plastic zones that are developing during the fracture propagation. Furthermore, it is also found that the diffusion process that is a major mechanism in hydraulic fracture operations influences further the obtained results on the fracture dimensions, plastic yielding, and fluid pressures. These findings may explain partially the discrepancies in net pressures between field measurements and conventional model predictions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.