Periodical mixing of MORB magmas near East Pacific Rise 13°N: Evidence from modeling and zoned plagioclase phenocrysts

Thirty-six basalt samples from near East Pacific Rise 13°N are analyzed for major and trace elements. Different types of zoned plagioclase phenocrysts in basalts are also backscatter imaged, and major element profiles scanned and analyzed for microprobe. Basalts dredged from a restricted area have evolved to different extents (MgO=9.38wt%—6.76wt%). High MgO basalts are modeled for crystalliza-tion to MgO of about 7wt%, and resulted in the Ni contents (≈28 ppm) that are generally lower than that in observed basalts (>60 ppm). It suggests that low MgO basalts may have experienced more intensive magma mixing. High MgO (9.38wt%) basalt is modeled for self-"mixing-crystallization", and the high Ni contents in low MgO basalts can be generated in small scale and periodical self-mixing of new magma (high MgO). "Mixing-crystallization" processes that low MgO magmas experienced accord with recent 226Ra/230Th disequilibria studies for magma residence time, in which low MgO magmas have experi-enced more circles of "mixing-crystallization" in relatively longer residence time. Magma mixing is not homogeneous in magma chamber, however, low MgO magmas are closer to stable composition pro-duced by periodical "mixing-crystallization", which is also an important reason for magma diversity in East Pacific Rise. Zoned plagioclase phenocrysts can be divided into two types: with and without high An# cores, both of which have multiple reversed An# zones, suggesting periodical mixing of their host magmas. Cores of zoned plagioclase in low MgO (7.45wt%) basalt differ significantly with their mantle in An#, but are similar in An# with microlite cores (products of equilibrium crystallization) in high MgO (9.38wt%) basalt, which further shows that plagioclase phenocryst cores in low MgO basalts may have formed in their parental magmas before entering into the magma chamber.     

超大断面低扁平率公路隧洞先成预应力结构新型支护体系数值模拟

为适应日益增长的经济和交通发展需求,修建以4车道公路隧道为代表的超大断面低扁平率公路隧洞的需求初露端倪,这类隧道的低扁平率特征使传统的隧道支护体系面临许多困难,急待开发新型的隧洞支护体系。采用FLAC数值模拟平台研究了基于隧洞“先成结构法”支护理念的“先成预应力结构”新型支护体系在提高超大断面低扁平率公路隧洞洞室稳定性方面的效果,为“先成结构法”支护理念在超大断面低扁平率公路隧洞中的应用实施提供了有力的支持。     

岩爆破坏过程能量释放的数值模拟

岩爆是地下岩石开挖中的一种工程灾害现象,是岩体结构发生破坏时,由于内部储存的弹性能释放并转换为动能而造成动力形式的破坏。岩爆破坏过程中的能量释放与岩体在应力峰值前后的应力-应变特性紧密相关。另外,施工中开挖速度引起的加载速率的变化也会对岩爆的产生有明显影响。以岩体全过程应力-应变曲线试验为基础分析岩爆破坏过程。分析中采用的模型考虑了岩石峰值后应力-应变特性及加载速率的影响。运用数值方法对岩石洞室的开挖过程进行了模拟,在模拟中对岩体破坏的发生及弹性能释放过程进行了分析。数值分析结果显示,岩体洞室开挖过程中岩石破坏由岩体表面向岩体内部发展,岩石的弹性能释放率也随着破坏的发展而不断增加。分析结果还显示,岩体破坏时的弹性能释放速率会随着开挖速率的提高而明显增加。     

北大别造山后穹隆构造的形成过程与变形模拟

北大别穹隆是在早白垩世造山后伸展活动中形成的。其北界为北西西走向、倾向北北东、正左行平移的晓天-磨子潭韧性剪切带,南界为北西走向、倾向南东、右行“逆冲”的五河-水吼韧性剪切带。通过对这两条剪切带的构造观测、运动学分析、石英C轴组构测量、变形温度分析及变形模拟,表明剪切带原先为中地壳同一近水平的韧性拆离剪切带。该拆离剪切带在原始近水平状态时的活动为上盘向280°方位的伸展运动。随后在大规模岩浆活动与北大别穹隆的隆升中,这一剪切带被动地抬升与剥露,而出露于现今的穹隆边界上。变形模拟显示,北大别穹隆构造现今为近EW轴向的背形,其上隆幅度西强东弱。北大别穹隆的形成过程表明为典型的造山带变质核杂岩。     

面向三维地质建模的领域本体逻辑结构与构建方法

结合三维地质建模的应用,分析面向三维地质建模的领域本体的组成和层次结构.结合地质语义的特点,提出突出概念间关系的五元组逻辑结构和基于迭代思想的构建方法.该逻辑结构由概念、概念间语义关系、概念间层次关系、属性和实例组成.基于迭代思想的构建方法分为需求分析、领域共享词语的字典库构建、本体表示、本体集成和本体评估等步骤.以OWL语言描述工具,结合正断层本体实例探讨了面向三维地质建模领域本体逻辑结构的描述和构建方法.     

Physical explanations of variations in river meander migration rates from model comparison

In meandering rivers, the local channel migration rate increases with increasing bend sharpness until it reaches a maximum at a certain critical value of the bend sharpness. Beyond this critical value, the migration rate decreases if bend sharpness increases. Similarly, reach‐averaged migration rates attain a maximum at a certain river sinuosity. This work investigates the physics of these phenomena by comparing the results of two physics‐based models of different complexity, in which the migration rates are proportional to the near‐bank flow velocity excess. In the computational tests the river was allowed to meander progressively, starting from an almost straight planimetry. Both models reproduced the observed peak in the curve describing the local migration rate as a function of the ratio radius of curvature‐channel width (R/B), with a rising limb at lower R/B values and a falling limb at higher R/B values. The rising limb can be explained by the decrease in relative lag distance between near‐bank flow velocity and forcing curvature as R/B increases. The falling limb results from the decrease in local channel curvature and near‐bank flow velocity excess. Since the models do not include flow separation, the results indicate that this phenomenon is not needed to explain the decrease of channel migration rates in sharp bends. The models reproduced also the peak in the curve describing the reach‐averaged migration rates as a function of river sinuosity The increase and then decrease of reach‐averaged migration rates as sinuosity increases appears to be mainly caused by the variation of the reach‐averaged value of the ratio R/B. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of the wave climate for the southern Brazilian shelf

The main objective of this study is the characterization of the wave climate in the Southern Brazilian Shelf (SBS) based on a thorough review of existing field data and on numerical modeling experiments. A quantitative knowledge about the wave climate of this area is important to understand the mechanisms driving episodic mud bank attachments to the sandy shore, and the interaction of these banks with the flow and waves. The statistical analysis of existent data on the wave climate throughout the SBS indicates that the predominant wave directions are 100° and 160° (E–SE), with wave heights varying between 1 and 1.50 m. The wave period varies between 6 and 14 s, with predominance of mean wave period of 8 s (sea conditions) and 12 s (swell conditions). The spectral wave model SWAN version 40.41 [Booij, N., Haagsma, I.J.G., Holthuijsen, L.H., Kieftenburg, A.T.M.M., Ris, R.C., van der Westhuysen, A.J., Zijlema, M., 2004. SWAN Cycle III Version 40.41 Users Manual, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands, p. 118, http://fluidmechanics.tudelft.nl/swan/index.htm] is used to simulate the wave climate for the region. Special attention is given to Cassino Beach, describing the wave climate observed during the Cassino Experiment, carried out in 2005. The verification of the standard SWAN model was carried out based on the comparison between numerical modeling results and available data of significant wave height, peak period, mean wave direction and energy density for the period relative to February of 1998. Results showed satisfactory model predictions of significant wave height and reasonably accurate predictions of peak spectral wave period and direction. The model performance is also considered satisfactory in the representation of the wave climate of the region when the wave spectrum has only one spectral peak, but presents limitations for bimodal wave spectrum. When two spectral peaks are observed, the SWAN model agrees with the spectral level observed in the low frequency, but underestimates the spectral level in the high-frequency band. When considering the presence of mud deposits in the area, model results predict that although the presence of mud attenuates most of the wave energy on the low frequency peak, it has a smaller effect in attenuating the wave energy on the high frequency peak.     

Coordinate mapping of analytical contaminant transport solutions to non-uniform flow fields

Existing analytical solutions to 2D and 3D contaminant transport problems are limited by the mathematically convenient assumption of uniform flow. An approximate method is developed herein for coordinate mapping of 2D (vertically-averaged) transport solutions to non-uniform steady-state irrotational and divergence-free flow fields in single-layer aquifers. The method enables existing analytical transport solutions to be applied to aquifer systems with wells, non-uniform saturated thickness, surface water features, and (to a limited degree) heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and recharge. This mass-conservative coordinate mapping approach is inexact in its approximation of the dispersion process but is still sufficiently accurate for many simple flow systems. The degree of model error is directly proportional to the variation of velocity magnitude within the domain. These mapped analytical solutions are compared to numerical simulation results and the coordinate mapping errors are investigated. The methods described herein may be used in the traditional capacity of analytical transport models, i.e., screening and preliminary site assessment, without sacrificing accuracy by assuming locally uniform flow conditions or applying an ad-hoc coordinate transformation. The solutions benefit from the traditional advantages of analytical methods, particularly the removal of artifacts due to spatial and temporal discretization: no time-stepping or numerical discretization is required.     

Preliminary sensitivity study of eruption source parameters for operational volcanic ash cloud transport and dispersion models — A case study of the August 1992 eruption of the Crater Peak vent, Mount Spurr, Alaska

Ash clouds are one of the major hazards that result from volcanic eruptions. Once an eruption is reported, volcanic ash transport and dispersion (VATD) models are used to forecast the location of the ash cloud. These models require source parameters to describe the ash column for initialization. These parameters include: eruption cloud height and vertical distribution, particle size distribution, and start and end time of the eruption. Further, if downwind concentrations are needed, the eruption mass rate and/or volume of ash need to be known. Upon notification of an eruption, few constraints are typically available on many of these source parameters. Recently, scientists have defined classes of eruption types, each with a set of pre-defined eruption source parameters (ESP). We analyze the August 18, 1992 eruption of the Crater Peak vent at Mount Spurr, Alaska, which is the example case for the Medium Silicic eruption type. We have evaluated the sensitivity of two of the ESP – the grain size distribution (GSD) and the vertical distribution of ash – on the modeled ash cloud. HYSPLIT and Puff VATD models are used to simulate the ash clouds from the different sets of source parameters. We use satellite data, processed through the reverse absorption method, as reference for computing statistics that describe the modeled-to-observed comparison. With the grain size distribution, the three options chosen, (1) an estimated distribution based on past eruption studies, (2) a distribution with finer particles and (3) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration HYSPLIT GSD, have little effect on the modeled ash cloud. For the initial vertical distribution, both linear (uniform concentration throughout the vertical column) and umbrella shapes were chosen. For HYSPLIT, the defined umbrella distribution (no ash below the umbrella), apparently underestimates the lower altitude portions of the ash cloud and as a result has a worse agreement with the satellite detected ash cloud compared to that with the linear vertical distribution for this particular eruption. The Puff model, with a Poisson function to represent the umbrella cloud, gave similar results as for a linear distribution, both having reasonable agreement with the satellite detected cloud. Further sensitivity studies of this eruption, as well as studies using the other source parameters, are needed.     

Multi-physics modeling of flow and transport in porous media using a downscaling approach

Multi-phase flow and transport processes generally occur on different spatial and temporal scales. Very often also, within a physical system, they vary in space meaning that different kinds of processes might take place in different parts of the system. In order to account for the variety of processes and to take their scale-dependence into account, the development of multi-scale multi-physics techniques can be envisaged.