Evaluating the stress intensity factors of anisotropic bimaterials using boundary element method

This paper presents a boundary element method (BEM) procedure for a linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis in two‐dimensional anisotropic bimaterials. In this formulation, a displacement integral equation is only collocated on the uncracked boundary, and a traction integral equation is only collocated on one side of the crack surface. A fundamental solution (Green's function) for anisotropic bimaterials is also derived and implemented into the boundary integral formulation so that except for the interfacial crack part, the discretization along the interface can be avoided. A special crack‐tip element is introduced to capture the exact crack‐tip behavior. A computer program using FORTRAN has been developed to effectively calculate the stress intensity factors of an anisotropic bimaterial. This BEM program has been verified to have a good accuracy with previous studies. In addition, a central cracked bimaterial Brazilian specimen constituting cement and gypsum is prepared to conduct the Brazilian test under diametral loading. The result shows that the numerical analysis can predict relatively well the direction of crack initiation and the path of crack propagation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growth Of The Summer Daytime Convective Boundary Layer At Anand

The heights of the daytime convective boundary layer (CBL), computed by a one-dimensional model for a bare soil surface at a semi-arid station,Anand, during the dry and hot summer month of May 1997, are presented. As input, the model requires surface heat flux, friction velocity and air temperature as functions of time. Temperature data at the one-metre level from a tower and sonic anemometer data at 9.5 m collected during the period 13–17 May 1997 in the Land Surface Processes Experiment (LASPEX-97) are used to compute hourly values of surface heat flux, friction velocity and Obukhov length following the operational method suggested by Holtslag and Van Ulden [J. Climate Appl. Meteorol. 22,517–529 (1983)]. The model has been tested with different values for the potential temperature gradient ( ) above the inversion. The model-estimated CBL heights comparefavourably with observed heights obtained from radiosonde ascents.     

Active tectonics of the Himalaya

The Himalayan mountains are a product of the collision between India and Eurasia which began in the Eocene. In the early stage of continental collision the development of a suture zone between two colliding plates took place. The continued convergence is accommodated along the suture zone and in the back-arc region. Further convergence results in intracrustal megathrust within the leading edge of the advancing Indian plate. In the Himalaya this stage is characterized by the intense uplift of the High Himalaya, the development of the Tibetan Plateau and the breaking-up of the central and eastern Asian continent. Although numerous models for the evolution of the Himalaya have been proposed, the available geological and geophysical data are consistent with an underthrusting model in which the Indian continental lithosphere underthrusts beneath the Himalaya and southern Tibet. Reflection profiles across the entire Himalaya and Tibet are needed to prove the existence of such underthrusting. Geodetic surveys across the High Himalaya are needed to determine the present state of the MCT as well as the rate of uplift and shortening within the Himalaya. Paleoseismicity studies are necessary to resolve the temporal and spatial patterns of major earthquake faulting along the segmented Himalayan mountains.     

Nonlinear numerical simulation on extreme-wave kinematics

A fully nonlinear numerical model based on a time-domain higher-order boundary element method (HOBEM) is founded to simulate the kinematics of extreme waves. In the model, the fully nonlinear free surface boundary conditions are satisfied and a semi-mixed Euler-Lagrange method is used to track free surface; a fourth-order Runga-Kutta technique is adopted to refresh the wave elevation and velocity potential on the free surface at each time step; an image Green function is used in the numerical wave tank so that the integrations on the lateral surfaces and bottom are excluded. The extreme waves are generated by the method of wave focusing. The physical experiments are carried out in a wave flume. On the horizontal velocity of the measured point, numerical solutions agree well with experimental results. The characteristics of the nonlinear extreme-wave kinematics and the velocity distribution are studied here.     

等离子体片离子分界线的模拟研究

等离子体片离子向内磁层的渗透在亚暴和磁暴过程中都起到了重要作用.以往对于等离子体片离子向内磁层的渗透都是通过固定磁矩的磁层离子漂移轨道理论来进行的.本文将过去的(U,B)空间中固定磁矩的磁层离子漂移轨道理论扩展为固定能量的磁层离子漂移轨道理论,讨论了等离子体片质子在向地球输运过程中,不同能量的质子开放轨道和封闭轨道的分界线的特性,及其随Kp指数的变化.在高能端,随着能量的升高,等离子体片质子分界线地心距离逐渐增大,且分界线的晨侧地心距离远远大于昏侧的地心距离.在低能端,随着质子能量的降低,质子分界线地心距离逐渐增大,且其分界线的昏侧地心距离要大于晨侧的地心距离.模拟结果还显示随着Kp指数的增强,等离子体片中不同能量的质子分界线都向地球移动.但在低能端和高能端,质子分界线的行为是不一样的.在低能端,随着Kp指数的增大,质子内边界形状基本保持不变.但在高能端,随着Kp指数的增大,质子内边界形状也将发生变化.在E=20 keV,Kp=6和E=10 keV,Kp=3两种情况,质子分界线甚至出现了两个分离的区域,一个是环绕地球的封闭轨道区域,一个是晨侧孤立的锥型区域.等离子体片能量为E的质子的内边界就是具有不同磁矩的Alfven层上能量为E的点的连线.TC-1热离子谱仪对等离子体片离子内边界的观测显示模拟结果与观测结果符合得很好.     

山东济阳坳陷始新统-渐新统天文地层界线年龄分析

山东济阳坳陷沙河街组上部天文地层研究是以牛38井沙三段中亚段顶界年龄34.892Ma作为标定,分析和计算出沙二段下亚段底年龄为33.799Ma、沙段二段上亚段底为33.338Ma、沙一段底为32.940Ma和东营组底为31.829Ma。从天文地层界线年龄分析,沙三段-沙二段界线的年龄大致可对比为"国际地层表(2004)"始新统-渐新统界线年龄33.90Ma,而沙二段下亚段-上亚段界线年龄比国际始新统-渐新统界线的滞后大约600ka。在"中国区域地层表"始新统-渐新统界线年龄(32Ma)和"国际地层表"的始新统-渐新统界线年龄(33.9Ma)之差的1.9Myr,大致相当于本区计算的沙一、二段的持续时间。SP数据的小波分析表明,在沙二段-沙三上亚段界线附近,即约33.8Ma之后,约405ka周期开始变得不明显、不规则,幅度亦下降,剧烈突变发生时间在33.4Ma左右。上述界线对应偏心率周期的理论值突变的时间。因此推论始新世-渐新世转折期是偏心率多个理论周期重迭而导致的一个特殊的时期,也是本区沙二段下亚段这段地层形成不整合面的时间,大约在33.8—33.4Ma期间。     

Three‐dimensional nonlinear finite element analysis of pile groups in saturated porous media using a new transmitting boundary

The dynamic behaviour of pile groups subjected to an earthquake base shaking is analysed. An analysis is formulated in the time domain and the effects of material nonlinearity of soil, pile–soil–pile kinematic interaction and the superstructure–foundation inertial interaction on seismic response are investigated. Prediction of response of pile group–soil system during a large earthquake requires consideration of various aspects such as the nonlinear and elasto‐plastic behaviour of soil, pore water pressure generation in soil, radiation of energy away from the pile, etc. A fully explicit dynamic finite element scheme is developed for saturated porous media, based on the extension of the original formulation by Biot having solid displacement (u) and relative fluid displacement (w) as primary variables (u–w formulation). All linear relative fluid acceleration terms are included in this formulation. A new three‐dimensional transmitting boundary that was developed in cartesian co‐ordinate system for dynamic response analysis of fluid‐saturated porous media is implemented to avoid wave reflections towards the structure. In contrast to traditional methods, this boundary is able to absorb surface waves as well as body waves. The pile–soil interaction problem is analysed and it is shown that the results from the fully coupled procedure, using the advanced transmitting boundary, compare reasonably well with centrifuge data. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-resolution cyclostratigraphy of geochemical records from Permo-Triassic boundary section of Dongpan, southwestern Guangxi, South China

Spectral analysis is applied to geochemical data from a deep-water Permian-Triassic Boundary (PTB) section across PTB in Dongpan, Guangxi for high-resolution cyclostratigraphic research. The characteristics of the Milankovitch Cycles have been well recorded in the strata of the Dongpan section. Spectrum on Ce/La records shows especially that the ratios among its three preponderant cycles in the section are 5:2:1, which well displays the phenomenon of the sedimentary cycles driven by orbital force. The Milankovitch theory is further confirmed by the Paleozoic records.     

Tidal currents,energy flux and bottom boundary layer thickness in the Clyde Sea and North Channel of the Irish Sea

A high-resolution three-dimensional model of the Clyde Sea and the adjacent North Channel of the Irish Sea is used to compute the major diurnal and semidiurnal tides in the region, the associated energy fluxes and thickness of the bottom boundary layer. Initially, the accuracy of the model is assessed by performing a detailed comparison of computed tidal elevations and currents in the region, against an extensive database that exists for the M₂, S₂, N₂, K₁ and O₁ tides. Subsequently, the model is used to compute the tidal energy flux vectors in the region. These show that the major energy flux is confined to the North Channel region, with little energy flux into the Clyde Sea. Comparison with the observed energy flux in the North Channel shows that its across-channel distribution and its magnitude are particularly sensitive to the phase difference between elevation and current. Consequently, small changes in the computed values of these parameters due to slight changes of the order of the uncertainty in the open-boundary values to the model, can significantly influence the computed energy flux. The thickness of the bottom boundary layer in the region is computed using a number of formulations. Depending upon the definition adopted, the empirical coefficient C used to determine its thickness varies over the range 0.1 to 0.3, in good agreement with values found in the literature. In the North Channel, the boundary layer thickness occupies the whole water depth, and hence tidal turbulence produced at the sea bed keeps the region well mixed. In the Clyde Sea, the boundary layer thickness is a small fraction of the depth, and hence the region stratifies.Responsible Editor: Phil Dyke     

测氡法快速确定油气田边界及深度

本介绍了运用测氡法快速确定大庆××油气田边界，估算其埋藏深度试验，结果表明，该方法具有可行性和实用性。由于所做工作有限，尚属经验性探讨，还必须从理论和实践上进一步地工作，进而充实、完善它。