Universal hydrofracturing algorithm for shear-thinning fluids: Particle velocity based simulation

A universal particle velocity based algorithm for simulating hydraulic fractures, previously proposed for Newtonian fluids, is extended to the class of shear-thinning fluids. The scheme is not limited to any particular elasticity operator or crack propagation regime. The computations are based on two dependent variables: the crack opening and the reduced particle velocity. The application of the latter facilitates utilization of the local condition of Stefan type (speed equation) to trace the fracture front. The condition is given in a general explicit form which relates the crack propagation speed (and the crack length) to the solution tip asymptotics. The utilization of a modular structure, and the adaptive character of its basic blocks, result in a flexible numerical scheme. The computational accuracy of the proposed algorithm is validated against a number of analytical benchmark solutions.     

气候模式中云的垂直重叠及其辐射传输问题研究进展

概述了全球气候模式中云的垂直重叠的处理方法及其辐射物理过程的最新研究进展。从云垂直重叠模型的构造、模型在气候模式中的实现方式,得到与观测一致的云重叠结构所采用的数据和方法、重叠云的辐射传输等方面,给出了针对这一国际研究难点问题的最新研究进展。关于气候模式中云的垂直重叠问题的研究至今已取得了许多成果,表现在:重叠模型上有了更为科学的描述形式(如指数衰减重叠);重叠云的辐射传输也有了更快速的处理方法(如蒙特卡洛独立柱近似)并被广泛应用;连续的三维云遥感观测(如CloudSat/CALIPSO)和云分辨尺度的三维云模式的发展为在气候模式中精确描述云的垂直结构提供了丰富的观测资料和模式数据。但是,气候模式中现有的云重叠结构处理及其辐射传输方法还远不够完善,仍然存在很多没有解决的问题需要在未来进行探索。     

Multi-model assessment of global hydropower and cooling water discharge potential under climate change

Worldwide, 98% of total electricity is currently produced by thermoelectric power and hydropower. Climate change is expected to directly impact electricity supply, in terms of both water availability for hydropower generation and cooling water usage for thermoelectric power. Improved understanding of how climate change may impact the availability and temperature of water resources is therefore of major importance. Here we use a multi-model ensemble to show the potential impacts of climate change on global hydropower and cooling water discharge potential. For the first time, combined projections of streamflow and water temperature were produced with three global hydrological models (GHMs) to account for uncertainties in the structure and parametrization of these GHMs in both water availability and water temperature. The GHMs were forced with bias-corrected output of five general circulation models (GCMs) for both the lowest and highest representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5). The ensemble projections of streamflow and water temperature were then used to quantify impacts on gross hydropower potential and cooling water discharge capacity of rivers worldwide. We show that global gross hydropower potential is expected to increase between +2.4% (GCM-GHM ensemble mean for RCP 2.6) and +6.3% (RCP 8.5) for the 2080s compared to 1971–2000. The strongest increases in hydropower potential are expected for Central Africa, India, central Asia and the northern high-latitudes, with 18–33% of the world population living in these areas by the 2080s. Global mean cooling water discharge capacity is projected to decrease by 4.5-15% (2080s). The largest reductions are found for the United States, Europe, eastern Asia, and southern parts of South America, Africa and Australia, where strong water temperature increases are projected combined with reductions in mean annual streamflow. These regions are expected to affect 11–14% (for RCP2.6 and the shared socio-economic pathway (SSP)1, SSP2, SSP4) and 41–51% (RCP8.5–SSP3, SSP5) of the world population by the 2080s.     

年最大值抽样估算的暴雨频率设计值的低估问题探讨

由年最大值抽样（AMS）和年超大值抽样（AES）的基本理论及重现期（RP）的定义可知,AMS并不符合以“事件”为基础的重现期的定义.以美国西南半干旱区1438个雨量站和太湖流域96个雨量站的降雨资料为例,通过经验频率与超过概率的比较,发现AMS估算的暴雨频率设计值偏小,尤其是对常遇频率降雨设计值的影响更加显著.美国的降雨量资料站点多、系列长,实际资料验证与理论分析一致.通过对太湖流域AMS资料的分布形态进行分析的结果表明：太湖流域的站点不多,资料长度不够,且大部分站点在雨量大值区数据稀少,使得频率直方图不连续,是造成我国太湖流域的资料验证效果不理想的可能原因.     

高性能计算技术在气象领域的应用

高性能计算通过应用超级计算机与并行处理技术解决复杂的计算问题,是信息技术发展比较迅猛的领域之一。气象应用始终是高性能计算的重要领域,高性能计算技术有效地解决了高分辨率、高精度气象数值预报模式发展限制,在气象预报预测业务中发挥着核心支撑作用。数十年以来,由于数值天气模式研究和业务运行对计算资源的强烈需求,国内外气象领域高性能计算机及应用迅速发展起来。气象领域对高性能计算能力及系统的可靠性需求日益提升。高性能计算技术将与气象预报应用日益融合,相互影响促进,不断创新发展。为满足气象预报预测业务和科研工作需求,中国气象部门将进一步提升高性能计算能力,并致力于优化集约高性能计算系统布局,高效管理计算资源,发挥最大效益。     

承德初霜冻预报指标分析及其预报方法

应用常规观测资料与ncep1°×1°再分析资料,对承德市各县区初霜的时空分布特征及南北县区初霜出现时间的稳定性进行了分析,在对117个初霜环流形势分析的基础上,建立了初霜预报的天气概念模型;筛选因子,分县区确立了预报指标;采用概率、指标、数值预报产品相结合的方法及概率区间取值法建立了分县区初霜预报模型;检验表明,该模型对于中重度初霜冻预报准确率可达95%以上,对轻度初霜的预报准确率可达68%以上,无漏报出现。     

Modelling long-term HFC emissions from India's residential air-conditioning sector: exploring implications of alternative refrigerants,best practices,and a sustainable lifestyle within an integrated assessment modelling framework

India's growing role in the global climate debate makes it imperative to analyse emission reduction policies and strategies across a range of GHGs, especially for under-researched non-CO₂ gases. Hydrofluorocarbons' (HFCs) usage in cooling equipment and subsequent emissions are expected to increase dramatically in India with the phase-out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) as coolants in air-conditioning equipment. We focus on the residential air-conditioning sector in India and analyse a suite of HFC and alternative coolant gas scenarios for understanding the implications for GHG emissions from this sector within an integrated assessment modelling framework. We find that, if unabated, HFC410A emissions will contribute to 36% of the total global warming impact from the residential air-conditioner sector in India in 2050, irrespective of the future economic growth trajectory, and the remaining 64% is from energy to power residential air-conditioners. A move towards more efficient, low global warming potential (GWP) alternative refrigerants will significantly reduce the cumulative global warming footprint of this sector by 37% during the period 2010–2050, due to gains both from energy efficiency as well as low GWP alternatives. Best practices for reducing direct emissions are important, but only of limited utility, and if a sustainable lifestyle is adopted by consumers with lower floorspace, low GWP refrigerants, and higher building envelope efficiencies, cumulative emissions during 2010–2050 can be reduced by 46% compared to the Reference scenario.

Policy relevance

Our analysis has important implications for Indian climate policy. We highlight that the Indian government's amendment proposal to the Montreal Protocol is a strong signal to the Indian market that the transition away from high GWP refrigerants towards low/zero GWP alternatives will happen sooner or later. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency should extend building energy conservation code policy to residential buildings immediately, and the government should mandate it. Government authorities should set guidelines and mandate reporting of data related to air-conditioner coolant recharge frequency and recovery of scrapped air-conditioner units. For contentious issues like flammability where there is no consensus within the industry, the government needs to undertake an independent technical assessment that can provide unbiased and reliable information to the market.     

Climate change mitigation scenarios and policies and measures: the case of Kazakhstan

This article illustrates the main difficulties encountered in the preparation of GHG emission projections and climate change mitigation policies and measures (P&M) for Kazakhstan. Difficulties in representing the system with an economic model have been overcome by representing the energy system with a technical-economic growth model (MARKAL-TIMES) based on the stock of existing plants, transformation processes, and end-use devices. GHG emission scenarios depend mainly on the pace of transition in Kazakhstan from a planned economy to a market economy. Three scenarios are portrayed: an incomplete transition, a fast and successful one, and even more advanced participation in global climate change mitigation, including participation in some emission trading schemes. If the transition to a market economy is completed by 2020, P&M already adopted may reduce emissions of CO₂ from combustion by about 85 MtCO₂ by 2030 – 17% of the emissions in the baseline (WOM) scenario. One-third of these reductions are likely to be obtained from the demand sectors, and two-thirds from the supply sectors. If every tonne of CO₂ not emitted is valued up to US$10 in 2020 and $20 in 2030, additional P&M may further reduce emissions by 110 MtCO₂ by 2030.     

The use of WorldView-2 satellite imagery to model urban drainage system with low impact development (LID) Techniques

Within a wide range of best management practices for stormwater management in urban areas, there has been an increasing interest in source control measures. Source controls such as low-impact development (LID) techniques are potentially attractive as retrofit options for older developed areas that lack available land to implement conventional measures such as stormwater management ponds. Hence, distributed urban drainage models requiring detailed representation of developed drainage areas should be developed to accurately estimate the benefits that LIDs may provide. This study (1) presents a two-stage classification process on a high-resolution WorldView-2 image, and (2) demonstrates how to use the extracted land cover information in the subsequent hydrologic modelling and assessment of different LIDs’ performance. The proposed two-stage classification method achieved an overall accuracy of 80.6%, whereas a traditional pixel-based achieved 68.4% in classifying the same urban area into six land cover classes. From the classification results, the hydrologic properties of micro-subcatchments were imported in the United States Environmental Protection Agency Storm Water Management Model to assess the performance of LIDs. A reduction of run-off volume 18.2% and 37.1% was found with the implementation of porous pavement and bioretention, respectively, in a typical low-rise residential area located in the city of San Clemente, California, US. The study demonstrates the use of high-resolution remote sensing image to aid in evaluating LID retrofit options, and thus benefits in situations where detailed drainage area information is not available.     

水质关键因素光谱遥感监测技术分析

针对传统水体水质分析方法过度依赖于实地测量和实验室化学分析,需要耗费大量人力物力且效率不高的问题,从水质遥感监测数据获取手段、典型反演监测模型、不同水体光谱遥感监测应用状况、水质遥感监测技术应用及前景等方面分析归纳了使用遥感技术监测水质的新方法。从可用数据类型、数据特征等方面对水质遥感监测数据获取的3种主要手段进行了比较;从复杂程度、使用场景、优缺点等方面对4种典型的反演模型进行了归纳;对遥感数据和模型在Ⅰ类和Ⅱ类水体应用中的常用组合方式进行了分析总结。