Quantitative analysis of springs

Growing demand for groundwater resources and stringent environmental concerns has led to large groundwater investigations, including characterization of aquifer systems that are hydraulically connected to springs. A pumping test is one of the most reliable means of quantifying hydraulic characteristics and the response of natural springs to pumping because it yields results that, in general, are representative of a larger area than are results from a single point observation. Recharge to the aquifer sustaining discharge from springs must be evaluated prior to the utilization of springs. The spring hydrograph is analyzed, as the shape of a hydrograph is a reflection of the response of the aquifer to recharge. The form and rate of recession provide significant information on the storage, lithological composition, and structural characteristics of the aquifer system sustaining the spring. Water tracing techniques have been developed and used over a period of centuries to delineate catchment boundaries, estimate groundwater flow velocities, determine areas of recharge, and identify sources of pollution of spring water.     

Implementation of configuration dependent stiffness proportional damping for the dynamics of rigid multi-block systems

The distinct element method (DEM) has been used successfully for the dynamic analysis of rigid block systems. One of many difficulties associated with DEM is modeling of damping. In this paper, new procedures are proposed for the damping modeling and its numerical implementation in distinct element analysis of rigid multi-block systems. The stiffness proportional damping is constructed for the prescribed damping ratio, based on the non-zero fundamental frequency effective during the time interval while the boundary conditions remain essentially constant. At this time interval, the fundamental frequency can be estimated without complete eigenvalue analysis. The damping coefficients will vary while the damping ratio remains the same throughout the entire analysis. A new numerical procedure is developed to prevent unnecessary energy loss that can occur during the separation phases. These procedures were implemented in the development of the distinct element method for the dynamic analyses of piled multi-block systems. The analysis results for the single-block and two-block systems were in a good agreement with the analytic predictions. Applications to the seismic analyses of piled fourblock systems revealed that the new procedures can make a significant difference and may lead to much-improved results.     

An evaluation of the role played by remote sensing technology following the World Trade Center attack

Remote sensing technology has been widely recognized for contributing to emergency response efforts after the World Trade Center attack on September 11th, 2001. The need to coordinate activities in the midst of a dense, yet relatively small area, made the combination of imagery and mapped data strategically useful. This paper reviews the role played by aerial photography, satellite imagery, and LIDAR data at Ground Zero. It examines how emergency managers utilized these datasets, and identifies significant problems that were encountered. It goes on to explore additional ways in which imagery could have been used, while presenting recommendations for more effective use in future disasters and Homeland Security applications. To plan adequately for future events, it was important to capture knowledge from individuals who responded to the World Trade Center attack. In recognition, interviews with key emergency management and geographic information system (GIS) personnel provide the basis of this paper. Successful techniques should not be forgotten, or serious problems dismissed. Although widely used after September 11th, it is important to recognize that with better planning, remote sensing and GIS could have played an even greater role. Together with a data acquisition timeline, an expanded discussion of these issues is available in the MCEER/NSF report “Emergency Response in the Wake of the World Trade Center Attack; The Remote Sensing Perspective” (Huyck and Adams, 2002)     

Special Solutions in a Simplified Restricted Three-Body Problem with Gravitational Radiation Taken into Account

The distinctive feature of the relativistic restricted three-body problem within the c ^–5 order of accuracy (2 post-Newtonian approximation) is the presence of the gravitational radiation. To simplify the problem the motion of the massive binary components is assumed to be quasi-circular. In terms of time these orbits have linearly changing radii and quadratically changing phase angles. By substituting this motion into the Newtonian-like equations of motion one gets the quasi-Newtonian restricted quasi-circular three-body problem sufficient to take into account the main indirect perturbations caused by the binary radiation terms. Such problem admits the Lagrange-like quasi-libration solutions and rather simple quasi-circular orbits lying at large distance from the binary.     

Stochasticity of planetary orbits in double star systems. II

Cosmogonical theories as well as recent observations allow us to expect the existence of numerous exo-planets, including in binaries. Then arises the dynamical problem of stability for planetary orbits in double star systems. Modern computations have shown that many such stable orbits do exist, among which we consider orbits around one component of the binary (called S-type orbits). Within the framework of the elliptic plane restricted three-body problem, the phase space of initial conditions for fictitious S-type planetary orbits is systematically explored, and limits for stability had been previously established for four nearby binaries which components are nearly of solar type. Among stable orbits, found up to distance of their sun of the order of half the binarys periastron distance, nearly-circular ones exist for the three binaries (among the four) having a not too high orbital eccentricity. In the first part of the present paper, we compare these previous results with orbits around a 16 Cyg B-like binarys component with varied eccentricities, and we confirm the existence of stable nearly-circular S-type planetary orbits but for very high binarys eccentricity. It is well-known that chaos may destroy this stability after a very long time (several millions years or more). In a first paper, we had shown that a stable planetary orbit, although chaotic, could keep its stability for more than a billion years (confined chaos). Then, in the second part of the present paper, we investigate the chaotic behaviour of two sets of planetary orbits among the stable ones found around 16 Cyg B-like components in the first part, one set of strongly stable orbits and the other near the limit of stability. Our results show that the stability of the first set is not destroyed when the binarys eccentricity increases even to very high values (0.95), but that the stability of the second set is destroyed as soon as the eccentricity reaches the value 0.8.     

断陷湖盆隐蔽油藏预测及勘探的关键技术--高精度地震探测基础上的层序地层学研究

近十余年世界的我国隐蔽油藏勘探取得了巨大进展,其关键技术是高精度的三维地震及在此基础上的层序地层学研究,二者的结合已被油气产业部门当作勘探中的“权威性技术”。断陷湖盆在我国东部含油气资源的重要性居首位,控制层序形成演化的诸因素中,构造,古气候和在区域古地理格局中的位置对湖盆的类型和演化起着决定作用,需要按照断陷湖盆的沉积构造演化特征建立有预测功能的层序构成模式,在成熟的勘探区,重新建立等时层序地层格架,进行体系域精度的工业制图,阐明沉积体系的分布规律,使用高精度地球物理技术对圈闭定位,并对构造坡折带和低位域扇体给予重点注意,用这种技术方法指导隐蔽油气藏的勘探,已经并必将有许多重要发现。     

沙区绿洲人地系统演进探讨——以民勤盆地为例

资源与环境问题已成为当代人类生存与发展的重大问题,它通过人地系统中人与地之间的相互联系,以各种方式和强度作用于人类。人地系统有其运行规律和演进机制,要建立协调的人地关系、促进沙区绿洲的可持续发展,就必须清楚地了解其人的地系统的动态演进机制。通过分析民勤盆地人地系统的演进过程,提出了人地系统演进的机制和驱动力,从而为更好地调控沙区绿洲人地系统的演进提供依据。     

电子信息系统雷灾风险评估方法

灾害是一种风险,防治灾害就是管理并降低或者消除风险。需要正确认识和评估风险,对于雷电灾害来说就是开展雷电灾害风险评估,进而实施合理的雷电防护。因此,雷击风险评估是防雷设计工作之前的最重要的环节,为了全面、具体实施全方位的雷电防护提供客观、准确、科学的依据,本文针对电子信息系统雷电灾害的特点,在详细分析各种灾害成因的基础上,通过理论计算,提出了对雷电灾害进行风险评估的方法。     

Effect of common point selection on coordinate transformation parameter determination

The use of satellite positioning techniques commonly requires a transformation from a Conventional Terrestrial coordinate system to a Geodetic coordinate system, or vice versa. For such a transformation, the main problem is the determination of transformation parameters between these coordinate systems. The transformation parameters are estimated by a least-squares process using “common” points, i.e., those points whose coordinates are known in both systems. Therefore, the precision of so estimated transformation parameters is closely related to certain characteristics of the common points. In this contribution, we have formulated some theoretical relations between the transformation parameters and the number and the distribution of common points, and corroborated the theoretical results numerically, using a simulated geodetic network.