多维地震动各方向相关性对拱坝动应力的影响

本文将随机振动的虚拟激励法与拱坝-地基动力相互作用FE-BE-IBE时域模型结合，发展了一个可以考虑多维随机地震动作用下的拱坝动力响应计算模型，并用Monte Garlo方法对模型进行了验证，计算结果表明，地震动分量的相关性对结构的动力响应存在一定影响，合理考虑地震动各方向分量的相关性可以更好地计算实际地震作用下的拱坝动力响应。     

倾斜基岩上的土-框架相互作用研究

倾斜基岩上的框架是山地、丘陵地区多见的一种结构形式，但以往对其抗震性能研究很少。本文利用二次开发后的ANSYS对倾斜基岩上的框架的抗震性能进行了上下部相互作用分析。在研究中发现，考虑土一结相互作用后，结构的高阶振型在地震反应中的参与程度提高；可能在结构的地震反应傅里叶谱中形成双峰；并使地震反应沿结构高度的分布不再沿直线变化，而呈锯齿状分布。由于倾斜基岩将降低土层对地震波的放大作用，但基本不改变地基的卓越频率，因此倾斜基岩将会抑制上部结构的地震反应；而倾斜基岩上结构的地震反应分布将比相应平坦基岩上结构的地震反应分布更接近直线形分布，但变化形状基本相同。     

无限域地基有限元分析的简化粘弹性边界

本文提出一种能用于无限域地基动、静力有限元分析的简单人工边界——粘弹边界，采用一层边界单元来实现。该边界弹簧部分采用弹性半空间Mindlin解计算，边界单元采用具有粘性阻尼的粘弹材料，通过确定合理的弹性模量、泊松比和粘性阻尼系数，不仅可以使边界单元能够模拟无限域远场的弹性恢复力，同时可以模拟粘性边界。通过算例分析，验证了该边界的有效性，它可用于土-结构动力相互作用分析。     

土-结构动力相互作用对结构控制的影响

本文研究了土-结构动力相互作用对采取不同控制措施的结构控制效果的影响。文中首先建立了主动调谐质量阻尼器(ATMD)、半主动磁流变阻尼器(MR)和被动多重调谐质量阻尼器(MTMD)等三种结构控制措施在时域中的控制算法和控制律，然后基于子结构法，采用间接边界元方法，通过傅里叶变换，推导了分别安装三种结构控制措施的受控结构在频域中的运动方程，数值仿真分析了某36层高层建筑的地震反应及其控制效果。结果表明，当采用ATMD或MTMD控制时，考虑土-结构动力相互作用后结构地震反应有所减小；当采用MR控制时，考虑土-结构动力相互作用后结构地震反应有很大程度的减小。由此看来，在设计软土地基上高层结构的结构控制措施时，不考虑土-结构动力相互作用对结构控制效果的影响是偏于安全的。     

Forecasting extreme events in the tropical Indian Ocean sector climate

Prospects for forecasting climate variability over the tropical Indian Ocean sector, specifically extreme positive events of the Indian Dipole Mode (IDM), with lead times of a season or more are investigated using the NASA Seasonal-to-Interannual Prediction Project (NSIPP) coupled-model system. The coupled system presents biases in its climatology over the Indian Ocean sector, which include (i) warmest sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) occurring in the central equatorial basin rather than on the eastside with the eastern (western) tropical SSTs up to 1 °C too cool (warm), (ii) a too northwest lying InterTropical Convergence Zonal over the ocean in boreal fall, (iii) a thermocline shallower (deeper) than observed west of Sumatra-Java (north of Madagascar), (iv) a delay of about a month in the onset (cessation) of the southwest (southeast) monsoon in the west (east) in boreal spring (fall). These biases affect the effectiveness of the SST-clouds-shortwave radiation negative feedback, the sensitivity of SST to wind-stress perturbations, and the character of equatorial coupled ocean-atmosphere modes. Despite these biases, ensemble hindcasts of the SST anomalies averaged over the eastern and western poles of the IDM for the decade 1993–2002, which included extreme positive events in 1994 and 1997/1998, are encouragingly good at 3-months lead. The onset of the 1997/1998-event is delayed by about a month, though the peak and decay are correctly timed. At 6-months lead-time, the forecast at the eastern pole deteriorates with either positive or negative false alarms generated each boreal fall. The forecast at the western pole remains good.     

Study of galvanic interactions between pyrite and chalcopyrite in a flowing system: implications for the environment

When galvanic interactions between pyrite and chalcopyrite occur in solution, pyrite, with the higher rest potential, acts as a cathode and is protected whereas chalcopyrite, with the lower rest potential, acts as an anode and its oxidation is increased. In this work a three-electrode system was used to investigate the corrosion current density and mixed potential of a galvanic cell comprising a pyrite cathode and a chalcopyrite anode in a flowing system. The results showed that with increasing concentration of ferric ion in the solution, with increasing acidity, and with increasing flow rate of the solution, the corrosion current density increased and the mixed potential of the galvanic cell became more positive. These experimental results are of direct significance to the control of environmental pollution in mining activity. By using the galvanic model, mixed potential theory, and the Butler–Volmer equation, the experimental results were explained theoretically.     

Seismic Passive Earth Pressure Behind Non-vertical Retaining Wall Using Pseudo-dynamic Analysis

This paper shows a detailed study on the seismic passive earth pressure behind a non-vertical cantilever retaining wall using pseudo-dynamic analysis. A planar failure surface has been considered behind the retaining wall. The effects of soil friction angle, wall inclination, wall friction angle, horizontal and vertical earthquake acceleration on the passive earth pressure have been explored. Unlike the Mononobe–Okabe method, which incorporates pseudo-static analysis, the present analysis predicts a nonlinear variation of passive earth pressure along the wall. The results have been thoroughly compared with the existing values in the literature.     

Comment on “Is there a paleolimnological explanation for ‘walking on water’ in the Sea of Galilee?”

In a recent paper, Nof et al. (J Paleolimnol 35:417–439, 2006) suggest a physical mechanism which could account for the formation of ice on Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) in northern Israel. Based on the sea surface temperature record of sediment cores from the Mediterranean Sea the authors argue that centennial-scale cold events had the potential to trigger local ‘springs ice’ formation on the lake in the past. Here, we demonstrate that a closer inspection of the paleoceanographic record in combination with correlation and regression analyses of meteorological data provides no evidence for such cold events in the lake region during the last 10,000 years. Thus, the formation of ‘springs ice’ on Lake Kinneret was unlikely at least since the beginning of the Neolithic.     

The 1.5–5-day eastward waves in the upper stratosphere–mesosphere as observed by the Esrange meteor radar and the SABER instrument

Data of neutral meridional wind obtained by the meteor radar at Esrange and data of temperature and pressure measured by the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on board the Thermosphere–Ionosphere–Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) spacecraft were studied with respect to a day-to-day atmospheric variability with periods ranging from 1.5 to 5 days. The detailed analysis was carried out for February 2004. Perturbations of the atmospheric parameters at the examined periods appeared mainly as eastward-propagating waves of zonal wavenumbers 1 and 2. We suggested that these waves excited by the jet instability on both flanks of the polar-night jet in the upper stratosphere and mesosphere interact nonlinearly with each other, and this interaction generates secondary waves. The radar observed both primary and secondary waves at mesospheric heights. The data analysis supports this suggestion. Under conditions of weaker instability observed in February 2003 the perturbations of atmospheric parameters of periods ranging from 1.5 to 5 days had smaller amplitudes at heights of the mesosphere than those in February 2004. It was found that the Eliassen-Palm fluxes calculated for the waves generated by the jet instability were mainly downward directed. This result suggests a possible dynamical influence of the mesospheric layers on the lower atmospheric levels.     

Seismic rotational displacement of gravity walls by pseudo-dynamic method: Passive case

Prediction of the seismic rotational displacements of retaining wall under passive condition is an important aspect of design in earthquake prone region. In this paper, the pseudo-dynamic method is used to compute the rotational displacements of rigid retaining wall supporting cohesionless backfill under seismic loading for the passive earth pressure condition. The proposed method considers time, phase difference and effect of amplification in shear and primary waves propagating through both the backfill and the retaining wall. The influence of ground motion characteristics on rotational displacement of the wall is evaluated. Also the effects of variation of parameters like wall friction angle, soil friction angle, amplification factor, shear wave velocity, primary wave velocity, period of lateral shaking, horizontal and vertical seismic accelerations on the rotational displacements are studied. The rotational displacement of the wall increases substantially with increase in amplification of both shear and primary waves, time of input motion, period of lateral shaking and decreases with increase in soil friction angle, wall friction angle. The rotational displacements of the wall also increase when the effect of wall inertia is taken into account. Results are provided in graphical form.