Morphological and microtectonic analysis of Quaternary deformation from Puná and Santa Clara Islands, Gulf of Guayaquil, Ecuador (South America)

This paper presents the neotectonic study of Santa Clara and Puná Islands sited in the Gulf of Guayaquil eastern part. Both islands are located on the south-western segment of the fault zone bounding to the east the North Andean Block. Fault motion and morphostructural analysis were carried out from Pleistocene age terrain. A two step deformation characterises the South Puná tectonics. The first step involves the Zambapala Cordillera uplift that post-dates Pleistocene sediments and pre-dates a marine terrace correlated with the M.I.S. 11 or 13 (440–550 ka). The second step is the formation of a pull-apart that shows evidence of 2.9 km dextral offset since the M.I.S. 11 or 13, giving an offset mean rate of 5.3 to 6.6 mm/yr. This rate is higher than the one calculated on the Pallatanga Fault northeast of the study area, in the Western Andean Cordillera, suggesting that deformation is split in different fault segments from the Gulf of Guayaquil to the continent. The Zambapala Cordillera uplift and transpression deformation requires a compressive event that may have been induced by the subduction process during the early Pleistocene.     

Role of the Kazerun fault system in active deformation of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt (Iran)

Field structural and SPOT image analyses document the kinematic framework enhancing transfer of strike-slip partitioned motion from along the backstop to the interior of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in a context of plate convergence slight obliquity. Transfer occurs by slip on the north-trending right-lateral Kazerun Fault System (KFS) that connects to the Main Recent Fault, a major northwest-trending dextral fault partitioning oblique convergence at the rear of the belt. The KFS formed by three fault zones ended by bent orogen-parallel thrusts allows slip from along the Main Recent Fault to become distributed by transfer to longitudinal thrusts and folds. To cite this article: C. Authemayou et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Three dimensional numerical simulation of residential building on shrink–swell soils in response to climatic conditions

Shrink–swell soils can cause distresses in buildings, and every year, the economic loss associated with this problem is huge. This paper presents a comprehensive system for simulating the soil–foundation–building system and its response to daily weather conditions. Weather data include rainfall, solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, all of which are readily available from a local weather station or the Internet. These data are used to determine simulation flux boundary conditions. Different methods are proposed to simulate different boundary conditions: bare soil, trees, and vegetation. A coupled hydro‐mechanical stress analysis is used to simulate the volume change of shrink–swell soils due to both mechanical stress and water content variations. Coupled hydro‐mechanical stress‐jointed elements are used to simulate the interaction between the soil and the slab, and general shell elements are used to simulate structural behavior. All the models are combined into one finite element program to predict the entire system's behavior. This paper first described the theory for the simulations. A site in Arlington, Texas, is then selected to demonstrate the application of the proposed system. Simulation results are shown, and a comparison between measured and predicted movements for four footings in Arlington, Texas, over a 2‐year period is presented. Finally, a three‐dimensional simulation is made for a virtual residential building on shrink–swell soils to identify the influence of various factors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical simulation of the response of a reinforced wall to a high speed train passage

The dynamic response of a mechanically stabilized earth wall to the passing of a high‐speed train is modelled using the finite element method. A three‐dimensional analysis is carried out, using a specific framework that allows performing the analysis with a moderate computational effort. In the first place, a so‐called multiphase approach is used to take into account the reinforcing strips. The moving load is taken into account by performing the calculation in a mobile referential using the properties of symmetry of the train cars and a simplifying assumption of periodicity for the whole train. We also assume a steady state. A partial validation of the approach is obtained by means of a comparison with an analytical solution. The quick increase in displacements induced by the train passing when the speed comes close to the celerity of Rayleigh waves clearly appears in the results. The vertical displacements, vertical stresses in the backfill, tensile forces in the strips and the influence of the stiffness of the soil are discussed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Upper-Tropospheric Environment–Tropical Cyclone Interactions over the Western North Pacific: A Statistical Study

Based on 25-year(1987–2011) tropical cyclone(TC) best track data, a statistical study was carried out to investigate the basic features of upper-tropospheric TC–environment interactions over the western North Pacific. Interaction was defined as the absolute value of eddy momentum flux convergence(EFC) exceeding 10 m s~(-1)d~(-1). Based on this definition, it was found that 18% of all six-hourly TC samples experienced interaction. Extreme interaction cases showed that EFC can reach~120 m s~(-1)d~(-1) during the extratropical-cyclone(EC) stage, an order of magnitude larger than reported in previous studies.Composite analysis showed that positive interactions are characterized by a double-jet flow pattern, rather than the traditional trough pattern, because it is the jets that bring in large EFC from the upper-level environment to the TC center. The role of the outflow jet is also enhanced by relatively low inertial stability, as compared to the inflow jet. Among several environmental factors, it was found that extremely large EFC is usually accompanied by high inertial stability, low SST and strong vertical wind shear(VWS). Thus, the positive effect of EFC is cancelled by their negative effects. Only those samples during the EC stage, whose intensities were less dependent on VWS and the underlying SST, could survive in extremely large EFC environments, or even re-intensify. For classical TCs(not in the EC stage), it was found that environments with a moderate EFC value generally below ~25 m s~(-1)d~(-1) are more favorable for a TC's intensification than those with extremely large EFC.     

强台风海鸥登陆期间近地层风特性分析

利用位于海南文昌市的90 m测风塔观测的强台风海鸥多层测风数据,分析了台风海鸥登陆期间近地层风场时空特征、湍流强度、垂直风切变及阵风因子等风场特性,分析结果表明:台风海鸥登陆期间,近地层各高度风速呈现"M"型双峰特征,最大风速出现在台风后风圈;台风过境前后,风向旋转了180°;近地层风速随高度升高而增大,各高度风速垂直切变符合对数和指数规律;粗糙度长度、风廓线幂指数、湍流强度、阵风系数等风场特性与风速呈负相关关系,随着风速的增加而降低;从台风外围至台风眼,粗糙度长度随风速呈现"增大-减小-增大"特征;台风眼内部风速垂直切变剧烈,前后风圈的风速垂直切变较弱;强风区湍流强度较弱,弱风区湍流强度较强;台风风圈的湍流强度随高度增加而减小,台风眼内湍流强度随高度先减小再增加;台风影响各阶段阵风系数随高度升高而减小,各高度层阵风系数遵循指数定律;阵风系数随风速的增大而减小,当风速达到一定强度时,阵风系数随风速变化不明显。     

IEC的风机选型参数估算方法在中国的适用性研究

国际电工委员会编制的《风力发电机组设计要求》(IEC 61400-1)推荐了针对风电机组安全等级评估的极端风速和湍流强度特征值估算方法,因其简单便捷,在风电领域被广泛采用。利用全国风能资源专业观测网的193座测风塔观测数据,对IEC推荐的极端风速计算方法与我国规范推荐的基于极值I型概率分布方法进行比较,发现两种方法计算的193座塔70 m高度层50年一遇10 min平均最大风速,仅有7座测风塔较为一致,差异在±1%;IEC推荐方法的计算结果多数偏小,其中偏小10%以上的测风塔有121座,偏小30%以上的有44座测风塔,而偏大10%以上的只有9座测风塔;IEC方法计算的极值风速大幅度偏小的测风塔主要分布在台风影响的东南沿海地区,偏差较小的测风塔主要分布在西北和华北地形平缓区域,但同时偏大10%以上的测风塔也多分布在这一地区。以目前行业领域普遍采用的以15 m·s~(-1)风速的平均湍流强度作为风电机组选型指标,与严格按照规范,以15 m·s~(-1)风速段所有样本湍流强度的90%分位数处的值作为指标进行风电机组等级确定作对比,发现193座塔中有46座塔的选型是不安全的,甚至相差两个等级。     

浙江盛夏一次强对流天气的特征及其成因分析

利用常规气象观测资料、区域自动站加密观测资料、GFS 0.5°×0.5°逐6 h分析场数据,以及多普勒雷达、风廓线、微波辐射计探测资料,对2014年7月26日浙江盛夏一次强对流天气过程的特征及其成因进行了诊断分析,结果表明:此次过程发生在副热带高压边缘,由于高空槽东移过程中带来了弱冷空气的渗透,并有大量不稳定能量积聚,形成了午后"上干冷、下暖湿"这样有利于强对流发生的不稳定层结条件和环境背景场。当低层925 hPa的中尺度辐合线和对流层中层700 hPa的垂直上升运动区相重合时,中尺度辐合线附近在未来6 h内产生了强对流,这对强对流的发生发展具有一定的预报指示意义。宁波中尺度辐合线是由偏南风和东北风辐合而成,同时受沿海和喇叭口地形影响,该辐合线早已存在,之后触发了宁波地区的强对流天气。杭州中尺度辐合线是由于宁波雷暴的地面出流增强了偏东风气流,从而加强了偏东风与环境东北风的辐合,导致了杭州中尺度辐合线的形成,随后在辐合线附近出现了剧烈的对流天气。     

华南暖区暴雨研究进展

华南前汛期暴雨预报一直是我国大气科学界的一个研究热点,特别是发生在锋前的暖区暴雨,由于其天气尺度斜压性强迫不明显,环境大气水汽含量丰富,热动力不稳定性强,边界层触发机制复杂,以及特殊的地形和海陆热力差异的外强迫作用,导致暴雨突发性强,地域性特征显著,也是困扰预报业务人员的难点问题。目前我国预报业务中使用的全球数值预报模式对暖区暴雨的预报能力十分有限,高分辨率中尺度数值模式的预报效果也不尽人意。该文回顾了近40年华南前汛期暴雨大部分研究成果,针对华南暖区暴雨的提出及典型背景场、暖区暴雨与低空急流的关系、暖区中尺度对流系统的形成及传播、暖区暴雨触发机制等独特的天气动力学特征进行了系统梳理与分析,并依据前人研究成果及中央气象台预报实践经验,总结提炼了3类华南暖区暴雨类型——边界层辐合线型、偏南风风速辐合型,以及强西南急流型的天气系统配置及触发因子。最后提出针对华南暖区暴雨需要进一步研究的科学问题。     

新疆地区年平均风速数据非均一影响研究

利用惩罚最大F检验(The Penized Maximal F Test,PMFT),对新疆地区105个国家级气象站点建站至2014年逐年平均风速资料进行了均一性检验,并通过订正得出新疆地区年平均风速均一化数据集合;通过对订正后数据与原始数据进行对比评估,讨论数据非均一性对新疆风速的影响,研究结论得出:(1)在95%的显著性水平下,检验出所有待检站点均出现非均一间断点,共计151个;(2)元数据中记录的人为影响因素,超过1/3对年平均风速序列产生了非均一影响,其中仪器换型对年平均风速序列影响最为显著,其次为环境变化;(3)仪器换型和站址迁移对年平均风速的非均一影响与台站风力大小成正比,其它人为因素对年平均风速的影响与台站风力大小成反比;(4)订正后,数据时间序列的均一性得到改善,数据序列明显的趋势拐点趋于缓和,下降趋势普遍增强,数据可用性进一步改善。