The Wave Energy Concentration at the Agulhas Current off South Africa

The case of a freak wave collision with the ship in the Agulhas current is described. The explanation of the appearance of the freak wave as a result of wind-wave transformation in the Agulhas current is given. Swell is captured and intensified by the counter-current and is located in the neighbourhood of the maximum value of the current velocity, as a result of which there is a great concentration of wave-energy density. The superposition of wind and sea with swell transformed by the current promotes the formation of the freak waves. Using a simple mathematical analysis, an optimal ship track is proposed which could reduce the risk of collision with a freak wave.     

Electromagnetic 2.5-dimensional forward modelling with a boundary integral formulation

An effective and accurate technique for the numerical solution of 2-D electromagnetic scattering problems with 3-D sources is presented. This solution introduces a set of the usual boundary integral equations and uses a scalar Green's function. In this scalar version, the unknowns of the problem are the boundary values of the longitudinal fields and their normal derivatives in the Fourier domain. A generalization of the usual boundary integral formulation enables us to handle a large class of models composed of piecewise homogeneous domains, including contiguous domains, multiply-connected domains and unbounded domains. This formulation involves the solution of a system of linear equations, and results in a significant saving in computation time in comparison with other rigorous methods.
  The requirements for the numerical implementation of this solution are described in detail. Numerical tests were carried out using the important example of electromagnetic tomography. The specific symmetry properties of the response function in this case are illustrated. Numerical accuracy is verified over a large frequency range, up to 1  MHz.     

Finite-element modelling of Tertiary paleostress fields in the eastern part of the Tajo Basin (central Spain)

Three subsequent Tertiary paleostress fields that are deduced from fault-slip data for the eastern part of the Tajo Basin are analyzed by finite-element studies. The modelling results show that maximum horizontal stresses (S_Hmax) are mainly controlled by the geometry of the model limits and the boundary conditions applied. The models are used to test two hypotheses on the origin of the Altomira Range. A local stress field responsible for its formation (‘Altomira') can be modelled successfully by superposition in time and place of two major paleostress fields (‘Iberian' and ‘Guadarrama'). Stress trajectories have been modelled with respect to a homogeneous cover and heterogeneous basement to investigate the role of rheological contrasts between different basement blocks on the orientation of the stress field. Results of this kind of modelling suggest a mechanical decoupling between the cover and the basement, especially for the ‘Altomira' paleostress field.     

Middle Proterozoic–early Palaeozoic evolution of central Baltoscandian intracratonic basins: evidence for asthenospheric diapirs

The three intracratonic sedimentary basins located in central Baltoscandinavia, namely the Bothnian Gulf basin, the Bothnian Sea basin and the Baltic basin, developed in response to Middle Proterozoic and Late Proterozoic tectonic events, separated in time by about 800 Ma. Only the Baltic basin was subsequently affected by Caledonian orogenesis and Mesozoic rifting. Crustal extension was minor or did not take place during the Proterozoic basin evolution phases. However, according to the Moho topography, crustal thinning did take place. This was probably a result of subcrustal magmatism. On a craton-wide scale, the ages of granitoids, which intruded during the Middle Proterozoic basin formation, generally decrease from east to west. This fact, combined with the evidence provided by mantle-derived flood basalt magmatism, points to a moving asthenospheric diapir as the cause for basin development. Asthenospheric upwelling was probably also responsible for the second, Late Proterozoic, basin evolution phase, as evidenced by the lack of crustal thinning and extension, and the occurrence of tholeiitic intrusions. In addition, a Late Proterozoic thermally induced palaeo-high, located at about the position of the intracratonic basins, is compatible with indications from glaciations. As the ages of Late Proterozoic intracratonic basins also decrease from east to west across the craton, the location of asthenospheric diapirism during this time interval was also moving. For the Fennoscandian lithosphere, the presence of fundamental lithospheric weakness zones (e.g. terrane boundaries) might be an explanation for the formation of two generations of basins originating from asthenospheric upwelling at about the same location in the Fennoscandian Shield. The spacing and size of the Proterozoic intracratonic basins suggest that the asthenospheric diapirism was not deep seated. Therefore, sublithospheric convective processes might be the cause for the asthenospheric upwellings. Such processes are related to Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities in the sublithospheric mantle. Emplacement of an asthenospheric diapir causes a thermal bulge at the surface of the lithosphere. Modelling results demonstrate that erosion of the surficial high, succeeded by cooling of the lithosphere, can explain the accumulation of early Palaeozoic sediments in the Bothnian Sea basin, taking into account post-Ordovician vertical and lateral erosion of the basin fill.     

Application of the DDM and fracture mechanics model on the simulation of rock breakage by mechanical tools

A DDM (displacement discontinuity method) program coupled with a modified energy criterion is used to simulate the development of cracks and chips by indentation tools. In our analysis a cavity model is applied to represent the expansion of crushed rock to the surrounding rock and the cracks are formedin two-dimensional and quasi-static conditions. The model parameters, rock properties and load magnitudes are varied in the numerical calculations. The results show that chips are formed by multiple mechanisms of either tension or shear, or their combinations. The cracks may either propagate to the free surface to form chips or rest in the rock subsurface. The crack development is dependent upon rock and fracture properties, loading force and tool characteristics. The DDM is a convenient tool in the study of rock fragmentation and cracks.     

A hybrid discrete-continuum approach to model hydro-mechanical behaviour of jointed rocks

A hybrid discrete-continuum approach has been presented in this paper to simulate water flow in the near and far fields of deformable fractured rocks. In the near field, the discrete model is used; while in the far field, the equivalent continuum model is employed. The discrete element method (with the static relaxation algorithm) is used in the near field and the boundary integral equation method in the far field. Along the interface of these two domains, both mechanical and hydraulic compatibility conditions are satisfied. Fully coupled hydro-mechanical analysis can be conducted in the combined near and far fields. Application to a dam foundation problem has demonstrated the capability of the developed approach.     

A Simulation Study on the Evolution of Groundwater Circulation Systems in Cenozoic Basins of Northern China

Three Cenozoic basins-the Qaidam basin, the Weihe graben-type basin and the North China plain-which are different in climatic conditions, geological settings and run-off types, are selected for the study. Based on an analysis of background information of the transect along the middle-latitude region, studies of groundwater dynamics, geochemistry, simulation of water circulation of the main elements as well as isotopic chronology, the information on global changes is collected, the formation of groundwater circulation systems and their evolution under stacked impacts of natural conditions and human activities are discussed, and a correlation is made between the evolutionary features of the above systems in these basins since 25 ka B.P. All these have laid a good foundation for further generalizing the evolutionary model of land water in northern China.