Free surface flow impacting on an elastic structure: Experiment versus numerical simulation

The purpose of this study is to investigate the phenomenon of free surface flow impacting on elastic structures, which is a research topic of great interest in ship and ocean engineering. A series of quasi two-dimensional experiments on dam-break with an elastic plate are conducted. The main features of free surface flow impacting on elastic structures including large impacting force, structural vibration, violent free surface flow, are investigated. The coupled FDM–FEM method developed by the authors is applied for numerical simulation of such dam-break problem. Extensive analysis and discussion based on the comparisons between experimental data and numerical results are made and presented in this paper.     

Spatiotemporal variation in the terrestrial vegetation phenology of Iraq and its relation with elevation

Iraq contains the Great Mesopotamian alluvial plain of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Its regional vegetation phenological patterns are worthy of investigation because relatively little is known about the phenology of semi-arid environments, and because their inter-annual variation is expected to be driven by uncertain rainfall and varied topography. The aim of this research was to assess and map the spatial variation in key land surface phenology (LSP) parameters over the last decade and their relation with elevation. It is the first study mapping land surface phenology during last decade over the whole of Iraq, and one of only a few studies on vegetation phenology in a semi-arid environment. Time-series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) data at 250 m spatial resolution and 8 day temporal resolution, were employed to map the spatial variation in three LSP parameters for the major vegetation types in Iraq during 2001–2012. LSP parameters were defined by inflection points after smoothing the vegetation phenological signals using the Fourier technique. The estimated key LSP parameters indicated that the relatively shorter length of season (LOS) in the north of Iraq resulted from a delayed start of season (SOS). Greater spatial variation occurred in the SOS than end of season (EOS), which may be due to the spatial distribution of rainfall and temperature as a function of elevation. A positive correlation was observed for SOS and EOS with elevation for all major land cover types with EOS producing the largest positive correlation (R² = 0.685, R² = 0.638 and R² = 0.588, p < 0.05 in shrubland, cropland and grassland, respectively). The magnitude of delay in SOS and EOS increased in all land cover types along a rising elevation gradient where for each 500 m increase, SOS was delayed by around 25 or more days and EOS delayed by around 22 or more days, except for grassland. The SOS and EOS also varied temporally during the last decade, particularly the SOS in the lowland, north of the country where the standard deviation was around 80 to 120 days, due mainly to the practice of crop rotation and the traditional biennial cropping system. Thus, the results of this research emphasize the effect of elevation on key LSP parameters over Iraq, for all major vegetation types.     

非线性基线长约束条件线性化近似对模糊度解算影响

GNSS动态相对定位中常附加非线性的基线长约束进行解算, 而LAMBDA方法只能处理无约束或者线性约束的模型, 为了应用LAMBDA方法, 应对非线性约束条件进行线性化近似。通常附加该约束后, 模糊度固定成功率会提高, 但对于超短基线有时反而会降低。何种条件下附加线性化近似的基线长约束条件可以提高模糊度固定成功率尚未有定论。本文基于附加基线长约束的GNSS相对定位数学模型, 推导基线长约束条件线性化近似余项对浮点解的最大影响值公式, 给出基线长约束能否线性化近似的诊断条件。当该条件满足时, 线性化近似余项影响可以忽略, 附加线性化近似的基线长约束可以改善浮点解解算精度, 提高模糊度固定成功率;若不满足, 则线性化近似余项影响可能不可以忽略, 附加约束会因浮点解有偏不能固定为正确的模糊度, 并通过算例验证了相关结论。     

基于World Wind的鄱阳湖水位动态变化仿真系统研究

World Wind是由美国宇航局(NASA)开发的三维地理信息系统,也是一款可提供丰富数据的数字地球平台,如何将多源数据实现紧密型二三维耦合是基于World Wind开发专业系统需要解决的重要问题.在.NET开发环境下,以World Wind为仿真内核,开发了水位仿真系统,研究了二三维数据耦合技术,实现了环鄱阳湖生态经济开发区的湖区与航道淹没分析和三维漫游.结果表明,仿真系统流畅地实现了任意点地形高程、水位、水深和航道级别等信息的实时查询,仿真了不同控制水位条件下的鄱阳湖区淹没范围,仿真结果能够服务于鄱阳湖水利枢纽的水位调控决策;该仿真系统在湖泊干旱特征水位等确定中也具有重要的应用价值.     

The Valley of Chin lee

Abstract

This paper is concerned with an instructional design for the teaching of landform geography. A sequence of organizational problems is examined and suggestions made from a previous study of the southern peninsula of Michigan. Considerations of grid design, selection of terrain parameters, and the problem of regional definitions are assessed from both the historic point of view and the results of the pilot study. Of three basic landform parameters, i.e., average elevations, local relief, and average slope, the single criterion of elevation is advocated for the detection of regional homogeniety over large topographic surfaces. However, the use of local relief as a measure of surface texture is proposed for the delineation of individual terrain compartments. Suggested for all age levels above the elementary school, this project is a feasible design for an oft-neglected aspect of physical geography.     

Markets and women's trade: exploring their role in district development in Ghana

The economic importance of periodic and daily markets as well as the crucial role played by women in these markets has been well noted in the development literature on West Africa. While markets in Ghana have been examined in various aspects, not enough work has been done on their potential role within the context of the current decentralized district development process. This article makes the case for market development with the study of markets in two district capitals in the Central Region of Ghana. In both districts, with little industry and a weak tax base, levies on markets serve as a major source of internally generated revenue to local government, namely District Assemblies. The study also indicated that, for many people, the markets in the district capitals serve as the main avenue for interacting with the ‘centre’ (urban), thereby promoting rural‐urban interactions. However, these markets are underdeveloped. This article emphasizes the need to upgrade the infrastructure in these markets in order to generate more revenue for district development, improve agriculture and income, and reduce poverty, especially among women, and generally provide an alternative means to district development.     

Zero mass scalar field with bulk viscous cosmological solutions in Lyra geometry

In this paper, we have investigated spatially homogeneous isotropic Friedmann cosmological model with bulk viscosity and zero-mass scalar field in Lyra manifold. The cosmological models are obtained with the help of the special law of variation for Hubble’s parameter proposed by Bermann (Nuovo Cimento 74B:182, 1983) and power law relation. Some physical properties of the models are discussed.     

On the processing and analysis of the data of the CORONAS-F/SPIRIT and other solar experiments

More than 300000 solar images in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray regions were obtained using two telescopes and four spectroheliometers of the CORONAS-F/SPIRIT device from August 2001 to December 2005. Methods for the processing of such data and extracting physical information are presented, taking into account the experience of processing and analysis of other space experiments on solar research. Some results on applications of the considered methods are presented.     

一种测定非饱和土-水力学参数的方法

详细介绍了非饱和土-水力学参数联合测试系统,该系统分别利用轴平移技术和达西定律测定非饱和土土-水特征曲线和水相渗透系数。通过试验结果对比可以发现,由联合测试系统确定土-水特征曲线与压力板仪溢出水校正称量法确定的土-水特征曲线接近,但由联合测试系统确定的试样残余含水率比使用压力板仪溢出水校正称量法确定的试样含水率要小;由联合测试系统确定的渗透函数,当饱和度较大时,实测值与模型预测值较为接近;当饱和度较小时,实测值与模型预测值相差较大。