Characterization of the dynamic behavior of a concrete arch dam by means of forced vibration tests and numerical models

The characterization of the dynamic behavior of an arch dam, and its evolution throughout the structure's lifetime, provides important data for the safety control process. Forced vibration tests remain a reliable technique for this purpose. The Baixo Sabor dam is a 123 m high arch dam recently built in Portugal. Forced vibration tests were performed before and after the reservoir filling. Two techniques for forced vibration test are compared, discrete frequency scanning, the standard methodology, and continuous frequency scanning (sine sweep), a new proposed methodology, which allowed faster results without loss of precision. For the interpretation of test results two numerical models of the dam-reservoir-foundation system were built, and calibrated with the experimental data. A good match of numerical and experimental results was obtained for the six lowest frequencies and corresponding mode shapes.     

How fast does tufa grow? Very high-resolution measurement of the tufa growth rate on artificial substrates by the development of a contactless image-based modelling device

Accurate determination of the tufa growth rate (TGR) is required to answer the fundamental geomorphological question of tufa evolution. The TGR has been measured by various direct and indirect methods. One of the most popular direct methods uses modified micro-erosion meter (MEM), which has several drawbacks. Here, we present for the first time a coordinate measuring macro-photogrammetry device (CMD) for monitoring the TGR in a contactless manner. The CMD was applied on 28 limestone plates at 14 locations within the Skradinski buk area, Croatia, and measurements were performed in the laboratory. The TGR was derived from digital tufa high-resolution models (DTHRMs). The accuracy of the device was evaluated using state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) scanners and error calculation at checkpoints. Moreover, the precision was evaluated with the split test (n = 5). A total of 74 DTHRMs with a spatial resolution of 0.0236 mm were created. The TGR ranged from 0.327 to 19.302 mm a⁻¹, with an average of 5.771 mm a⁻¹. A higher TGR was observed on the limestone plates near mosses, located in fast and turbulent water rather than in stagnant water. We found that specific micro-environmental factors (e.g. proximity to moss) positively affected tufa growth. Erosion events were observed, as well as the presence of aquatic insect larvae (Simuliidae and Chironomidae), which positively affected tufa growth. The CMD is a precise and accurate device that does not suffer from the drawbacks of the MEM method and has many other advantages. It has a high capability of tufa erosion detection, enables the identification of macroinvertebrates, and multispectral or hyperspectral cameras can be mounted on the device for spectral reflectance analysis of the tufa surface. The CMD can be applied in any study requiring a sub-millimetre data quality and involving the comparison of consecutive 3D models and derivation of various parameters of smaller objects. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

珠江三角洲传统村落生态侵蚀时空演变特征

传统村落的保护随着中国第四批保护名录的公布逐渐成为全社会的共识。传统村落是人类与自然环境长期相互作用与有机融合的产物,其周边农田、山林、水塘等自然生态环境使着传统村落生产及生活活动得以延续。1978年改革开放后,快速城市化的背景下,不同背景下的城乡建设使得传统村落周边生态自然环境不断遭受到侵蚀威胁,为其整体保护带来极大的挑战。为开展快速城市化背景下传统村落生态环境的影响研究,本文首先界定了传统村落生态侵蚀的概念,应用侵蚀动力学理论对自我生态侵蚀、外来生态侵蚀、突发性生态侵蚀与生态侵蚀修复4种生态侵蚀方式提出生态侵蚀演变的4种模型,同时以珠江三角洲中国传统村落为研究案例,从时间和空间上对珠江三角洲地区传统村落生态侵蚀情况进行分析,探讨其生态侵蚀演变规律,揭示快速城市化背景下传统村落生态侵蚀的时空演变特征,总结了“城镇建设外侵模式、村落建设扩张模式、道路交通占领模式、综合发展模式”4种传统村落生态侵蚀的用地演化模式,丰富和深化传统村落生态视角的研究,为传统村落的保护和相关规划提供了重要参考。     

Estimating tree canopy cover using harmonic regression coefficients derived from multitemporal Landsat data

The goal of this study was to evaluate whether harmonic regression coefficients derived using all available cloud-free observations in a given Landsat pixel for a three-year period can be used to estimate tree canopy cover (TCC), and whether models developed using harmonic regression coefficients as predictor variables are better than models developed using median composite predictor variables, the previous operational standard for the National Land Cover Database (NLCD). The two study areas in the conterminous USA were as follows: West (Oregon), bounded by Landsat Worldwide Reference System 2 (WRS-2) paths/rows 43/30, 44/30, and 45/30; and South (Georgia/South Carolina), bounded by WRS-2 paths/rows 16/37, 17/37, and 18/37. Plot-specific tree canopy cover (the response variable) was collected by experienced interpreters using a dot grid overlaid on 1 m spatial resolution National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) images at two different times per region, circa 2010 and circa 2014. Random forest model comparisons (using 500 independent model runs for each comparison) revealed the following (1) harmonic regression coefficients (one harmonic) are better predictors for every time/region of TCC than median composite focal means and standard deviations (across times/regions, mean increase in pseudo R² of 6.7% and mean decrease in RMSE of 1.7% TCC) and (2) harmonic regression coefficients (one harmonic, from NDVI, SWIR1, and SWIR2), when added to the full suite of median composite and terrain variables used for the NLCD 2011 product, improve the quality of TCC models for every time/region (mean increase in pseudo R² of 3.6% and mean decrease in RMSE of 1.0% TCC). The harmonic regression NDVI constant was always one of the top four most important predictors across times/regions, and is more correlated with TCC than the NDVI median composite focal mean. Eigen analysis revealed that there is little to no additional information in the full suite of predictor variables (47 bands) when compared to the harmonic regression coefficients alone (using NDVI, SWIR1, and SWIR2; 9 bands), a finding echoed by both model fit statistics and the resulting maps. We conclude that harmonic regression coefficients derived from Landsat (or, by extension, other comparable earth resource satellite data) can be used to map TCC, either alone or in combination with other TCC-related variables.     

The role of submerged berms on the momentary liquefaction around conventional rubble mound breakwaters

Berms deployed at the toe of conventional rubble mound breakwaters can be very effective in improving the stability of the armor layer. Indeed, their design is commonly tackled by paying attention to armor elements dimensioning. Past research studies showed how submerged berms can increase the stability of the armor layer if compared to straight sloped conventional breakwaters without a berm. To fill the gap of knowledge related to the interaction between breakwaters with submerged berm, waves and soil, this research aims to evaluate how submerged berms configuration influences the seabed soil response and momentary liquefaction occurrences around and beneath breakwaters foundation, under dynamic wave loading. The effects of submerged berms on the incident waves transformation have been evaluated by means of a phase resolving numerical model for simulating non-hydrostatic, free-surface, rotational flows. The soil response to wave-induced seabed pressures has been evaluated by using an ad-hoc anisotropic poro-elastic soil solver. Once the evaluation of the seabed consolidation state due to the presence of the breakwater has been performed, the dynamic interaction among water waves, soil and structure has been analyzed by using a one-way coupling boundary condition. A parametric study has been carried out by varying the berm configuration (i.e. its height and its length), keeping constant the offshore regular wave condition, the berm and armor layer porosity values, the water depth and the elastic properties of the soil. Results indicate that the presence of submerged berms tends to mitigate the liquefaction probability if compared to straight sloped conventional breakwater without a berm. In addition, it appears that the momentary liquefaction phenomena are more influenced by changing the berm length rather than the berm height.     

基于GAM的西北太平洋日本鲭资源丰度预测模型建立

日本鲭(Scomber japonicus)是西北太平洋重要的鱼类资源之一,科学预测日本鲭的资源丰度有利于其资源的合理开发和利用。本研究依据日本渔业机构提供的1987–2012年日本鲭太平洋群体的资源量数据,结合产卵场和渔场的海洋环境数据以及气候因子,使用广义加性模型对影响日本鲭太平洋群体的海洋环境和气候因子进行分析,筛选出有显著影响的因子并建立该群体的资源量预测模型。结果表明,与该群体资源量有显著关系的影响因子有:北极涛动指数、太平洋年代际振荡指数、渔场海表面高度、渔场海表面盐度和渔场海表面温度。基于赤池信息准则筛选出的4个资源量预测模型分析表明,包含北极涛动指数、渔场海表面高度和渔场海表面温度的模型有较好的预测效果,该模型的验证结果也通过了t检验(P<0.05),可用于日本鲭太平洋群体资源量的预测。     

A crowd sensing system identifying geotopics and community interests from user-generated content

This paper presents a crowd sensing system (CSS) that captures geospatial social media topics and allows the review of results. Using Web-resources derived from social media platforms, the CSS uses a spatially-situated social network graph to harvest user-generated content from selected organizations and members of the public. This allows ‘passively’ contributed social media-based opinions, along with different variables, such as time, location, social interaction, service usage, and human activities to be examined and used to identify trending views and influential citizens. The data model and CSS are used for demonstration purposes to identify geotopics and community interests relevant to municipal affairs in the City of Toronto, Canada.     

地球磁层的磁场模型

1958年卫星探测发现了磁层,至今已有半个世纪,对磁层电场、电流体系、磁场、粒子分布和等离子体波的探测研究构成了空间物理的重要内容,其结果是各种磁层模型的出现.本文简要综述磁层磁场建模的基本原理、方法和发展历史,对十几种重要的磁层模型的特点、局限性和适用范围进行了对比分析,以Tyganenko模型为例,讨论了磁层模型发展的趋势.     

降水临近预报及其在水文预报中的应用研究进展

随着全球气候变化、自然变迁及陆表生境改变,极端天气频发且呈现出多尺度时空变异特征,对其进行预报和预警一直是气象水文领域关注的焦点。临近预报可较准确地预报未来短时间天气显著变化,是当前预报强降水等极端事件的主要手段。从基于天气雷达0~3 h外推临近预报、融合数值模式0~6 h临近预报的发展历程梳理了临近预报的研究进展,阐述了雷达外推算法的发展进程、雷达外推预报与数值模式预报融合技术进展,指出"取长补短"的0~6 h融合预报在提高降水预报精度、延长降水预见期等多方面有较大的发展潜力,进一步探寻及提升融合技术是未来融合预报发展的核心。将临近预报以气象水文耦合的方式引入水文预报是从源头提高水文预报精度、保障水文预报效果的主要途径,总结了现阶段主流耦合方式、空间尺度匹配技术、水文模型不确定等陆气耦合中的关键问题,阐述了外推临近预报、融合临近预报作为水文预报输入的研究进展,明确了融合临近预报在延长洪水预见期、提高洪水预报精度中存在优势,并讨论了未来的研究重点及发展方向。