Ice Sheet-Thermohaline Circulation Interactions in a Climate Model of Intermediate Complexity

A vertically integrated dynamic ice sheet model is coupled to the atmosphere-ocean-sea ice-land surface climate model recently developed by Wang and Mysak (2000). The background lateral (east-west) ice sheet discharge rate used by Gallee et al. (1992) is reduced and the planetary emissivity is increased (to parameterize the cooling effect of a decrease of the atmospheric CO₂ concentration), in order to build up substantial ice sheets during a glacial period and hence set the stage for ice sheet-thermohaline circulation (THC) interactions. The following iceberg calving scheme is then introduced: when the maximum model height of the North American ice sheet reaches a critical value (2400 m), a prescribed lateral discharged rate is imposed on top of the background discharge rate for a finite time. Per a small prescribed discharge rate, repeated small iceberg calving events occur, which lead to millennial-scale climate cycles with small amplitudes. These are a crude representation of Dansgaard-Oeschger oscillations. Over one such cycle, the zonally averaged January surface air temperature (SAT) drops about 1.5°C at 72.5°N. However, a large prescribed lateral discharge rate leads to the shut down of the THC. In this case, the January SAT drops about 5°C at 72.5°N, the sea ice extent advances equatorward from 57.5° to 47.5°N and the net ice accumulation rate at the grid of maximum ice sheet height is reduced from 0.24 to 0.15 m/y. Since data strongly suggest that a collapsed THC was not a steady state during the last glacial, we restore the THC by increasing the vertical diffusivity in the North Atlantic Ocean for a finite time. The resulting climate cycles associated with conveyor-on and conveyor-off phases have much larger amplitudes; furthermore, the strong iceberg calving events lead to a larger loss of ice sheet mass and hence the period of the oscillations is longer (several thousand years). This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Harmonic generation past a submerged porous step

Experiments were conducted in a wave flume to study the differences between harmonic evolution of monochromatic waves as they propagate over a submerged impermeable or porous step under non-breaking conditions. Results are used as a preliminary analysis to establish some engineering design criteria on harmonic generation on submerged porous structures. The root-mean-squared wave height evolution is also studied and compared to linear models as a first approximation. It is shown that porous structure increases the effective relative depth and decreases the relative wave height, resulting in a lower Ursell number and a lower chance to generate harmonics. The effective water depth over a step as defined in the paper, provides information to evaluate the potential harmonic generation.     

Impact of Sea-Land Interaction on Evolution of Taihu Lake

1 .IntroductionFor Lakes near the middle andlower reaches of the Yangtze River ,theformationof lake basinsisgreatly affected by geological structures ,andthe interaction betweenrivers and seas .The Taihu Lakeis locatedinthelow-lying plain nearthe east coa…     

Nonlinear Static Finite Element Stress Analysis of Pipe-in-Pipe Risers

Owing to the complexity of the pipe-in-pipe (PIP) riser system in structure, load and restraint, many problems arise in the structural analysis of the system. This paper presents a new method for nonlinear static finite element stress analysis of the PIP riser system. The finite element (FE) model of the PIP riser system is built via software AutoPIPE 6.1. According to the specialties of a variety of components in the PIP riser system, different elements are used so as to model the system accurately. Allowing for the complication in modeling the effects of seabed restraint, a technique based on the bilinear spring concept is developed to calculate the soil properties. Then, based on a pipeline project, the entire procedure of stress analysis is discussed in detail, including creation of an FE model, processing of input data and analysis of results. A wide range of loading schemes is investigated to ascertain that the stresses remain within the acceptable range of the pipe material strength. Finally, the effects of the location of flanges, the thermal expansion of submarine pipelines and the seabed restraint on stress distribution in the riser and expansion loop are studied, which are valuable for pipeline designers.     

Internal wave eigenmodes and their weak nonlinear resonant interaction in a nonlinearly stratified fluid—A preliminary theoretical and experimental study

A preliminary theoretical and experimental study was conducted on internal wave modes and their weak nonlinear resonant interaction in a nonlinearly stratified fluid. An asymptotical solution of the modes and a dispersion relation of internal waves in a stratified fluid with density profile similar to that in our experiment were obtained theoretically. The resonant-interaction mechanism to 2nd order approximation is also discussed. The resonant interaction of the 3rd and 4th mode internal waves excited by the unstable 1st mode wave is analyzed on the basis of data obtained by conductivity probes. The resonant-interaction condition, i.e., ,k ₁+k ₃+k ₄=0, is examined. It is shown that the resonant instability increases with pycnocline thickness and wave maker driving frequency. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.     

二三维联动的虚拟校园设计与实现

传统的2维地理信息系统技术成熟但缺乏3维可视化和分析的能力,而目前的3维地理信息系统发展可拥有3维可视化分析能力,然而还缺少2维地理信息系统的便捷。以二三维联动为开发思路的地理信息系统能够解决这对矛盾。本文基于二三维联动GIS的设计方案,以虚拟校园设计与实现为应用实例,利用ArcEngine（AE）实现二三维联动GIS系统的开发设计,对GIS系统的开发做出了一种新的、有益的尝试。     

三峡库区高切坡致灾因素及防护对策——以重庆市万州区为例

三峡库区百万移民的搬迁建设导致大量高切坡的形成。未及时治理或治理不当的高切坡,不同程度地发生破坏,影响了人们的正常生活,甚至引发了地质灾害。因此,科学认识及治理高切坡十分必要。重庆市万州区高切坡主要有风化及差异风化、崩塌和土体滑塌等破坏形式。影响破坏的因素主要为工程地质条件、气候及时间效应。针对高切坡不同的破坏形式,以安全、经济及环境和谐的人文理念作为设计指导思想,充分论证了高切坡的防护方案,即：削坡、排水以及格构防护较适合万州区高切坡的防护。这些措施,既能很好地解决高切坡的防护问题,又能兼顾环保、降低造价。研究结果可以作为三峡地区高切坡类地质灾害防护设计的参考。也可为其它流域类似问题借鉴。     

含盐量对松嫩平原碳酸盐渍土抗剪强度的影响

松嫩平原分布着大量的碳酸盐渍土,其不良的工程性质给穿越其中的道路质量造成不同程度的影响。由于盐渍土所含易溶盐成分主要为碳酸氢钠,该研究通过向碳酸盐渍土内加入碳酸氢钠制备不同含盐量的盐渍土,进行室内直剪试验。试验表明：随着含盐量的增加土的粘聚力减小,内摩擦角有先减小后变大的趋势;随着含水量的增加,土的含盐量越高,土的粘聚力减小越明显。易溶盐在土中的状态形式是影响其抗剪强度参数变化的一个重要原因。     

GM（1，1）动态模型在吴江市地下水水位预测中的应用

以吴江市地下水水位预测为例,详细阐述了地下水水位时间序列的GM（1,1）动态模型的原理和建立过程,并根据模型的预测值和实测值,对模型的精度进行了检验,结果表明,模型的预测精度达到了99．27％,等级属于Ⅰ级,具有实际的应用价值,为地下水资源的科学管理提供了依据。     

Mechanism for the rapid motion of the Qianjiangping landslide during reactivation by the first impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir, China

The first impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir in China started from a water surface elevation of 95 m on June 1, 2003 and reached 135 m on June 15, 2003. Shortly after the water level reached 135 m, many slopes began to deform and some landslides occurred. The Qianjiangping landslide is the largest one; it occurred on the early morning of July 14, 2003 and caused great loss of lives and property. Field investigation revealed that, although failure occurred after the reservoir reached 135 m, the stability of the slope was already reduced by preexisting sheared bedding planes. To study the mechanism of the rapid motion of this reactivated landslide, two soil samples were taken from a yellow clay layer and a black silt layer in the sliding zone, respectively, and a series of ring shear tests were conducted on the samples. One series of ring shear tests simulates the creep deformation behavior, while the other series simulates different shear rates. Conclusions drawn from analysis of the ring shear tests indicate that the mechanism of the rapid motion of the reactivated landslide was caused by the rate effect of the black silt layer during the motion phase after the creep failure. The yellow clay layer did not play any important role in the rapid motion in the 2003 event.