The Wave Energy Concentration at the Agulhas Current off South Africa

The case of a freak wave collision with the ship in the Agulhas current is described. The explanation of the appearance of the freak wave as a result of wind-wave transformation in the Agulhas current is given. Swell is captured and intensified by the counter-current and is located in the neighbourhood of the maximum value of the current velocity, as a result of which there is a great concentration of wave-energy density. The superposition of wind and sea with swell transformed by the current promotes the formation of the freak waves. Using a simple mathematical analysis, an optimal ship track is proposed which could reduce the risk of collision with a freak wave.     

Model of a strong volcanic blast and a method of estimating the mass ejected

A hydrodynamic model of a strong volcanic blast associated with large (caldera-forming) ash–gas-flow eruptions is presented. We show that the mass erupted from a vent influences considerably the damping of the shock wave. If the ejected mass flux is constant, the shock amplitude as a function of distance will decrease slower (in accordance with the inverse 4/3 power law) than that of an atomic explosion (the inverse cube power law). From the modelling, we extract a relation connecting the effective energy of a blast with the mass ejected during the blast phase. The mass released during the largest explosion of the 1883 eruption of Krakatau, and the lateral blast energy at Mount St. Helens on 1980 May 18 are estimated on the basis of the equation obtained.     

On the solar cycle dependence of winds and planetary waves as seen from mid-latitude D1 LF mesopause region wind measurements

At the Collm Observatory of the University of Leipzig LF D1 low-frequency total reflection nighttime wind measurements have been carried out continuously for more than two decades. Using a multiple regression analysis to derive prevailing winds, tides and the quasi-2-day wave from the half-hourly mean values of the horizontal wind components, monthly mean values of mesopause wind parameters are obtained that can be analysed with respect to long-term trends and influences of solar variability. The response of the prevailing wind to the 11-year solar cycle differs throughout the year. While in winter no significant correlation between the zonal prevailing wind and solar activity is found, in spring and summer a negative correlation between the TWC can be seen from the measurements. This is connected with stronger vertical gradients of the zonal prevailing wind during solar maximum than during solar minimum. Since the amplitude of the quasi-2-day wave is dependent on the zonal mean wind vertical gradient, this is connected with a positive correlation between solar activity and quasi-two-day wave activity.Paper Presented at the Second IAGA/ICMA (IAMAS) Workshop on Solar Activity Forcing of the Middle Atmosphere, Prague, August 1997     

Incoherent scatter radar observations of AGW/TID events generated by the moving solar terminator

Observations of traveling ionospheric disturbances (TIDs) associated with atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) generated by the moving solar terminator have been made with the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar. Three experiments near 1995 fall equinox measured the AGW/TID velocity and direction of motion. Spectral and cross-correlation analysis of the ionospheric density observations indicates that ST-generated AGWs/TIDs were observed during each experiment, with the more-pronounced effect occurring at sunrise. The strongest oscillations in the ionospheric parameters have periods of 1.5 to 2 hours. The group and phase velocities have been determined and show that the disturbances propagate in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the terminator with the group velocity of 300–400 m s^–1 that corresponds to the ST speed at ionospheric heights. The high horizontal group velocity seems to contradict the accepted theory of AGW/TID propagation and indicates a need for additional investigation.     

An analysis of anomalous weather and climate around the M S=6.2 earthquake of Zhangbei region

Through analysis we found that some mesoscale anomalous regions (10¹–10² km) of meteorological parameters such as the special drought areas, unusual warm areas, the largest snowfall center, low pressure area together with the epicenter area of M _S=6.2 Zhangbei earthquake on January 10, 1998 are located at the same area, i.e. there appears the “Five areas corresponding” phenomenon. Meanwhile, three times of low pressure evolution are generated and develop in the earthquake area in five days after the occurrence of the earthquake. The abnormal variation of the lower limit of frozen soil layer shows indirectly that unusual warm in earthquake areas are related to the upward thermal conduction from the deeper layer of earth surface.     

Site amplifications in the city of Benevento (Italy): comparison of observed and estimated ground motion from explosive sources

A hybrid approach is applied to construct 2-D synthetic seismograms for explosive sources. The computation of the signals has been performed with a hybrid technique, that couples the modal summation method, describing the P-SV propagation from the source to a target area, to the finite difference method, allowing the computation of the 2-D response of the target area. We use this technique to study the site response in the city of Benevento (Southern Italy). The results are compared both with those obtained for the same model, but considering an extended double-couple source and SH wave propagation and with those derived from a direct analysis of experimental data obtained during the Benevento Seismic Risk Project, funded by the Commission of European Communities. The type and depth of the source and the source-receiver distance can provide different excitations, but the response of the target area, in terms of ratios of response spectra, remains in general stable in the high frequency range (>2 Hz). The explosive source does not excite lower frequencies and is therefore unable to provide estimates of site effects in this frequency range. We also show that it is important to consider both P-SV and SH waves when assessing site effects. Finally, a very good definition of a structural model from geological data is fundamental in order to explain the observed data in the time domain. The observed data validate our synthetic modelling for evaluating the site effects and for a tentative seismic microzonation of the city of Benevento.     

用反射波法振幅比判定单桩相对承载力的尝试

利用动测桩中的桩底反射信号研究了应力波在桩体和土体中的衰减情况。结果表明,应力波在桩体中的衰减比在土中小的多,在考虑了桩周土与反射系数的关系后,尝试给出应用桩底反射信号与桩头人射信号振幅之比判定单桩承载力相对大小的基本理论和初步研究结果。     

储层裂缝特征测井解释方法综述

为了更好地研究裂缝性砂砾岩储层和其它裂缝性储层裂缝的测井解释问题,综述了目前在裂缝性储层裂缝测井解释中主要采用的常规评价、人工神经网络和斯通利波３类方法在识别裂缝带和定量计算储层裂缝参数两个方面的应用原理和研究现状,并指出了今后的一些研究方向。