Seafloor Geomorphology and Processes on the Western Continental Margin of India based on Multibeam Acoustic Backscatter Data Analysis

An assessment of the multibeam sonar data of the central Western Continental Margins of India has been carried out to evaluate the seafloor geomorphology and processes by examining the geomorphological attributes e.g., slope, sediments, structures, etc. associated with geomorphic features. The variation in relief and the features located in the region have been mapped and interpreted collectively by utilizing several geospatial mapping tools. The backscatter strength across the area, apparently congruent with the local relief, has helped to examine the sediment movement on the seafloor. The prominent features found in the region include faults, pockmarks, mounds, submarine terraces, and submerged fossil reefs. Several areas with varying topography engender comparable fractal dimension at short scale breaks, and the probability density functions (PDFs) utilizing backscatter data depicting overlapping classes. The present study highlights how fractals and scale break parameters can be utilized to determine the seafloor processes and associated sedimentological dynamics in a complex geographical environment with strong bottom currents, seasonal upwelling, and faulted structure. The role and impact of the various geomorphic processes on the reworking of sediment movement and the overall progression of the seafloor morphology has been revealed for the first time in this part of the ocean bottom.     

基于粒径分维值检验的松散介质渗透系数空间估值——以河北平原为例

为了克服松散含水介质非均质性各向异性对介质渗透系数的求取所带来的困难,以水动力条件为线索,利用互相关法寻找同一时代地层及同一时代地表水的主、次流方向.在主流方向上,建立了石家庄-束鹿-衡水段介质颗粒粒径随距离递变的数学模型,并以此为基础推求无钻孔地段的粒径.同时,运用分形理论,计算了中、上更新统地层主流方向平均粒径空间分布的分维值,并将其作为检验粒径估值正确与否的判据.通过不同岩性的渗透系数-深度模型,实现了用平均粒径预测渗透系数的全过程.     

二维黄金分割法在抗滑桩截面优化设计中的应用

在对抗滑桩截面宽度和截面高度与抗滑桩费用之间的关系进行综合讨论分析的基础上,引入二维黄金分割法与计算机编程方法,编制了专门的计算软件对抗滑桩截面进行优化设计,以实现满足抗滑要求的前提下使单抗滑桩工程总费用达到最低的优化目的.在三峡库区某工程的实例应用表明,该方法具有良好的社会经济效益,对滑坡的治理设计具有较重要的实际应用价值.     

Direct observation of complex Tóthian groundwater flow systems in the laboratory

Based on the theory of gravity‐driven groundwater flow systems, we have developed a complex Flow System Sand‐Box Model (FSM). It enables the visual observations of the development and characteristics and temporal evolution of complex Tóthian flow systems in the laboratory. The configuration of the regional, intermediate and local flow systems can be controlled and observed; hydraulic head, flow direction and travel time can be measured; and the scale and shape of the sub‐flow systems as well as the path lines and flow lines can be observed directly. The experiments demonstrate the Tóthian flow systems in a small basin with multiple sources and sinks. Greater local topographic (water table) undulation will lead to larger local flow systems. Greater regional and less local topographic undulation will enhance the development of intermediate and regional flow systems. In homogeneous media, increasing fluid‐potential differences between source and sink increase the spatial scale of the generated flow systems. The FSM is a useful teaching aid and experimental device to study and develop an intuitive insight into gravity‐driven groundwater flow systems. It helps to visualize and understand the hydraulic properties and controlling factors of Tóthian flow systems and may be used to study problems related to the chemical and temperature characteristics of the flow systems as well. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterizing the hydraulic properties of unsaturated sand considering various porosities and drying‐wetting paths of the retention curve

Previous studies have shown that water retention curve (WRC) and the hydraulic conductivity vary because of changes of the void ratio or porosity of soil. However, limited documents pointed out the change of hydraulic properties of soil when compacted to different porosities while considering both of the drying and wetting processes of the WRC. This information is sometimes necessary for research like finger flow analysis or the occurrence of wetting and drying cycles as what would be seen in the field. Therefore, this study aims to examine the change of WRC characteristics with varied porosity considering both of the drying and wetting path in WRC by conducting a sand box experiment. Results show that the same type of sand compacted to various porosities have different hydraulic parameters. Hydraulic conductivities generally decrease with reduced porosities; shape parameter α of the van Genuchten equation (1980) linearly decreases with declining porosity and shape parameter n in a reversal manner for the sands of interest whether in the drying process or wetting process. The unsaturated properties of sand are further characterized by inspecting the variations of moisture content, matric suction and vertical displacement of soil body subject to periodic changes of the water level by another sand box experiment. The outcomes suggest that the saturated water content and residual water content are changing during the wetting–drying process, which can be an implication of the changed properties of WRC. The characteristics of volumetric deformation might be varied as well because of the observation of the dissimilar patterns of the changing vertical displacements among each wetting–drying process. Infiltration patterns of the sands also are identified through numerical modelling by introducing a constant infiltration flux from the surface followed by a no‐influx condition. Results indicate that less water accumulates in the sand near the surface for the sand compacted to higher porosity, but water can move deeper. Hydraulic conductivity is found as the prime factor dominating the evolvement of wetting fronts. However, shape parameters of water retention curves also affect the infiltration pattern to some extent. In addition, different sands with similar porosities can have quite different infiltrating characteristics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preconditioned IDR(s) iterative solver for non‐symmetric linear system associated with FEM analysis of shallow foundation

Non‐associated flow rule is essential when the popular Mohr–Coulomb model is used to model nonlinear behavior of soil. The global tangent stiffness matrix in nonlinear finite element analysis becomes non‐symmetric when this non‐associated flow rule is applied. Efficient solution of this large‐scale non‐symmetric linear system is of practical importance. The standard Krylov solver for a non‐symmetric solver is Bi‐CGSTAB. The Induced Dimension Reduction [IDR(s)] solver was proposed in the scientific computing literature relatively recently. Numerical studies of a drained strip footing problem on homogenous soil layer show that IDR(s = 6) is more efficient than Bi‐CGSTAB when the preconditioner is the incomplete factorization with zero fill‐in of global stiffness matrix K_ep (ILU(0)‐K_ep). Iteration time is reduced by 40% by using IDR(s = 6) with ILU(0)‐K_ep. To further reduce computational cost, the global stiffness matrix K_ep is divided into two parts. The first part is the linear elastic stiffness matrix K_e, which is formed only once at the beginning of solution step. The second part is a low‐rank matrix Δ, which is re‐formed at each Newton–Raphson iteration. Numerical studies show that IDR(s = 6) with this ILU(0)‐K_e preconditioner is more time effective than IDR(s = 6) with ILU(0)‐K_ep when the percentage of yielded Gauss points in the mesh is less than 15%. The total computation time is reduced by 60% when all the recommended optimizing methods are used. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dimension and entropy in the soil-covered landscape

Both the Hausdorff dimension and the K-entropy supply a measure of the irregularity of the landspace surface. The relationship between the two measures is investigated over a variety of terrains in Britain and a method of calculating the entropy is checked against an independent estimate of the dimension with reasonable agreement. The calculation of the K-entropy requires that the landscape surface be represented by an homogenous ergodic random field. This condition is satisfied by the tendency of soil-covered terrains to progressively approximate to a form well represented by a Gaussian field. Gaussian random fields can either be very smooth, possessing derivatives of all orders at every point or they are highly irregular and non-differentiable everywhere. Within the regular conceptualization the Rice-Kac theory is used to predict the numbers of crossing points and the extent of excursion sets. These predictions are tested against an example terrain from the High Weald of East Sussex with very good agreement, apart from predictions of local maxima. A worked example of the calculation of the K-entropy is given as an appendix. The potential role of information theory in geomorphology extends beyond the use made of entropy in this investigation. In particular ergodic theory has important practical and theoretical implications.     

茶卡盐湖溶洞水平均上渗速率的计算─箱状模型的应用

应用箱状模型的理论，建立了茶卡盐湖及其外围水系的箱状模型，在测定茶卡盐湖丰水季节和枯水季节卤水的水量及流入湖区河水、泉水的流量的基础上，计算了茶卡盐湖溶洞水上渗补给湖水的平均速率，得到了满意的结果。     

断裂对地下水力扩散的影响及其与诱发地震关系的讨论

本文重点讨论了断裂规模、断裂相交网络和断裂力学的性质对地下水力扩散的影响,及其与诱发地震的关系。指出断裂密集成带的地方,水力扩散大。根据流体流动规律,水力扩散沿断裂方向流体流速大,断裂越长越深,沿断裂方向水力扩散距离就越大。而水力扩散随深度的变化,由于不同深度上岩性变化和应力状态的不同,有的深度上的岩类可能出现扩容而增大水力扩散。因此它并不是随围压的增大而单值地减少。 文章指出断裂的末端和断裂的交汇处是地下水富集的地方,在水富集地方的四周,水力扩散比其它地方要大。另外现代活动的张性和张扭性断裂比压性和压扭性断裂的水力扩散大。文章还提出水沿断裂扩散是水库诱发地震的直接原因。水力扩散大的断裂,水库诱发地震的可能性大,规模大而活的断裂诱发地震的震级可能大。