Monitoring wetland ditch water levels in the North Kent Marshes,UK, using Landsat TM imagery and ground-based measurements

Abstract

An understanding of hydrology is a prerequisite for ensuring the successful management, conservation and restoration of wetland environments. Frequently, however, little is known about historical hydrological conditions, such as water levels, within wetlands. Moreover, many channel and ditch systems in wetlands are not routinely monitored, except perhaps for research purposes. A methodology is presented herein which makes use of satellite imagery to indirectly provide remotely sensed observations of water levels within channels and ditches. Using multi-temporal Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery and simultaneous ground-based measurements of water levels, statistical relationships are established between satellite-derived effective wet ditch widths and measured water levels in the drainage system of the Elmley Marshes, southeast England. These relationships can be used subsequently to estimate historical ditch water levels and to monitor contemporary ditch water levels in the wetland. The study shows that satellite imagery has much to offer in monitoring changes in the hydrological regime of wetlands and in providing complimentary approaches to field monitoring.     

THE INFLUENCE OF SLOPE AND RAIN INTENSITY ON RUNOFF AND INFILTRATION / L'influence de l'inclinaison de terrain et de l'intensité de pluie sur l'écoulement et l'infiltration

Abstract

The design and construction of a special-purpose laboratory catchment and rainfall simulator is described. The equipment consists of a soil catchment area that can be inclined at various angles. Additional instrumentation then measures the flow of water across the surface of, and through, the soil bed. Precipitation is provided by a unit that simulates rainfall at particular rates with uniform distribution.

The equipment was used to examine infiltration, runoff and other hydrological properties of a number of soils under different rainfall intensities and with different catchment slopes. Correlations were obtained for these variables.     

Seismic demand models for probabilistic risk analysis of near fault vertical ground motion effects on ordinary highway bridges

The influence of vertical ground motions on the seismic response of highway bridges is not very well understood. Recent studies suggest that vertical ground motions can substantially increase force and moment demands on bridge columns and girders and cannot be overlooked in seismic design of bridge structures. For an evaluation of vertical ground motion effects on the response of single‐bent two‐span highway bridges, a systematic study combining the critical engineering demand parameters (EDPs) and ground motion intensity measures (IMs) is required. Results of a parametric study examining a range of highway bridge configurations subjected to selected sets of horizontal and vertical ground motions are used to determine the structural parameters that are significantly amplified by the vertical excitations. The amplification in these parameters is modeled using simple equations that are functions of horizontal and vertical spectral accelerations at the corresponding horizontal and vertical fundamental periods of the bridge. This paper describes the derivation of seismic demand models developed for typical highway overcrossings by incorporating critical EDPs and combined effects of horizontal and vertical ground motion IMs depending on the type of the parameter and the period of the structure. These models may be used individually as risk‐based design tools to determine the probability of exceeding the critical levels of EDP for pre‐determined levels of ground shaking or may be included explicitly in probabilistic seismic risk assessments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mean and eddy motion in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea: insight from a numerical model

Insight regarding the mean and eddy motion in the Skagerrak/northern North Sea area is gained through an analysis of model-simulated currents, hydrography, kinetic energy and relative vorticity for the 2 years 2000 and 2001. In this a -coordinate ocean model is used. Since the tidal currents are generally strong in the area, care is exercised to distinguish the mesoscale (eddy) motion from higher-frequency motion such as tides, before computing the mean and eddy kinetic energy. The model-simulated response is first compared with available knowledge of the circulation in the area, and when available, also with sea-surface temperature obtained from satellite imagery. It is concluded that the model appears to faithfully reproduce most of what is known, in particularly the upper mixed layer circulation. An analysis of the mean and eddy kinetic energy reveals that many of the mesoscale structures found in the area are recurrent. This is particularly true for the structures off the southern tip of Norway. Also in general, areas of strong mean and eddy kinetic energy are co-located. The exception is the area off the southern tip of Norway, where the eddy kinetic energy is much larger than its mean counterpart. An analysis of the relative vorticity reveals that the variability found is due to the occurrence of recurrent anticyclonic eddies. It is hypothesized that these eddies are generated due to an offshore veering of the Norwegian coastal current (NCC) as it reaches the eastern end of the Norwegian Trench plateau. Here it becomes a free jet, which is then vulnerable to either barotropic instability caused by the horizontal shear in the jet-like structure of the NCC at this point, or a baroclinic (frontal) instability. The latter may come into play when the NCC veers offshore and its relatively fresh water meets the inflowing saline water of Atlantic origin, a frontogenesis that may become strong enough for cyclogenesis to take place. Due to the depth-independent nature of the model-generated eddies, the barotropic instability is the most likely candidate. It remains to resolve the reason for the offshore veering of the NCC. The most likely candidate mechanisms are vortex squeezing or simply that the coastline curvature is large enough for the NCC to separate from the coast in a hydraulic sense.Responsible Editor: Phil Dyke     

Centrifuge modeling of buried continuous pipelines subjected to normal faulting

Seismic ground faulting is the greatest hazard for continuous buried pipelines.Over the years,researchers have attempted to understand pipeline behavior mostly via numerical modeling such as the finite element method.The lack of well-documented field case histories of pipeline failure from seismic ground faulting and the cost and complicated facilities needed for full-scale experimental simulation mean that a centrifuge-based method to determine the behavior of pipelines subjected to faulting is best to verify numerical approaches.This paper presents results from three centrifuge tests designed to investigate continuous buried steel pipeline behavior subjected to normal faulting.The experimental setup and procedure are described and the recorded axial and bending strains induced in a pipeline are presented and compared to those obtained via analytical methods.The influence of factors such as faulting offset,burial depth and pipe diameter on the axial and bending strains of pipes and on ground soil failure and pipeline deformation patterns are also investigated.Finally,the tensile rupture of a pipeline due to normal faulting is investigated.     

鱼类形态特征与营养级位置之间关系初探

以长江中下游洪泛平原湖泊鱼类为例,探讨鱼类功能性形态特征与其营养级位置之间的关系.所用的116种鱼的食性数据来自于226个鱼类群落,总计16267尾鱼.用几何形态测量法的界标分析法提取鱼类形态特征,相对扭曲度法的前2个主成份能较好地区分鱼类的形态差异,它不仅能够生成散点图,而且能客观地反映出鱼类的形态性状.营养级位置采用肠含物定量分析法,合理地假定肠含物的营养级位置,利用食性数据计算出鱼类的营养级位置.采用广义加性模型分析鱼类营养级位置与功能性形态之间的关系.结果表明:只有当鱼类为植食性鱼类和肉食性鱼类才有特化的功能性形态与之相适应,植食性鱼类有较窄的口裂,而对肉食性鱼类而言,不同生活型的鱼类拥有各自特化的形态特征,如伏击型肉食性鱼类体型呈纺锤形,背鳍靠近头部,眼睛较大且靠上,头部面积较大;而追击型肉食性鱼类体型呈流线型,头部较小,背鳍和腹鳍靠近尾部.而杂食性鱼类在本研究中无更多证据证明有特化的外部形态,亟待进一步研究.     

(ϖμ/ϖT) P of the lower mantle

We estimate (/T) _P of the lower mantle at seismic frequencies using two distinct approaches by combining ambient laboratory measurements on lower mantle minerals with seismic data. In the first approach, an upper bound is estimated for |(/T) _P | by comparing the shear modulus () profile of PREM with laboratory room-temperature data of extrapolated to high pressures. The second approach employs a seismic tomography constraint ( lnV _S / lnV _P ) _P =1.8–2, which directly relates (/T) _P with (K _S /T) _P . An average (K _S /T) _P can be obtained by comparing the well-established room-temperature compression data for lower mantle minerals with theK _S profile of PREM along several possible adiabats. Both (K _S /T) and (/T) depend on silicon content [or (Mg+Fe)/Sil of the model. For various compositions, the two approaches predict rather distinct (/T) _P vs. (K _S /T) _P curves, which intersect at a composition similar to pyrolite with (/T) _P =–0.02 to –0.035 and (K _S /T) _P =–0.015 to –0.020 GPa/K. The pure perovskite model, on the other hand, yields grossly inconsistent results using the two approaches. We conclude that both vertical and lateral variations in seismic velocities are consistent with variation due to pressure, temperature, and phase transformations of a uniform composition. Additional physical properties of a pyrolite lower mantle are further predicted. Lateral temperature variations are predicted to be about 100–250 K, and the ratio of ( lnp/ lnV _S ) _P around 0.13 and 0.26. All of these parameters increase slightly with depth if the ratio of ( lnV _S / lnV _P ) _P remains constant throughout the lower mantle. These predicted values are in excellent agreement with geodynamic analyses, in which the ratios ( ln / lnV _S ) _P and ( / lnV _S ) _P are free parameters arbitrarily adjusted to fit the tomography and geoid data.     

预应力双排支护桩的计算理论研究及工程应用

在总结以往研究成果的基础上,对比分析现有的两种计算模型,提出新的计算模式,将双排桩及桩间土体视为空间等代桁架,并将前后排桩的底端视为弹性约束,同时采用对后排桩施加竖向预应力的方法,来平衡桩侧土压力和改善前后排桩的受力性能。利用有限元程序,通过对3种计算模型的对比分析,并与实测数据的对比,对所提出的计算模型和方法进行了必要的验证。结合工程实例,对影响预应力双排支护桩的关键因素进行了分析,计算分析和工程实例都表明：利用空间等代桁架模型和对后排桩施加竖向预应力的方法可以取得满意的结果。     

自动表面船用于岛礁水深测绘

岛礁具有重要的地位,然而对其附近水深的调查手段却不充分。比较了几种水深测绘手段的优缺点,设计了一种小型自动表面船用于岛礁水深测绘。该表面船底部安装声学测深仪,具备自动定位、导航与运动功能;其尾部安装两个电动推进器提供动力,通过独立控制两个推进器的转速,可实现船体的前进、后退和转向;利用无线电与岸基单元进行数据通讯。根据不同水深测绘条件,该船可以用三种控制方式进行水深测量:直接控制、间接控制和自主控制。测量数据实时传输到岸基单元,并自动存储于船载存储单元。初步试验结果表明,设计的自动表面船测量系统具有可行性。