Liquefaction potential evaluations by energy-based method and stress-based method for various ground motions

An energy-based liquefaction potential evaluation method (EBM) previously developed was applied to a uniform sand model shaken by seismic motions recorded at different sites during different magnitude earthquakes. It was also applied to actual liquefaction case histories in Urayasu city during the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku earthquake and in Tanno-cho during the 2003 M8.0 Tokachi-oki earthquake. In all these evaluations, the results were compared with those by the currently used stress-based method (SBM) under exactly the same seismic and geotechnical conditions. It was found that EBM yields similar results with SBM for several ground motions of recent earthquakes but has easier applicability without considering associated parameters. In Urayasu city, the two methods yielded nearly consistent results by using an appropriate coefficient in SBM for the M9.0 earthquake, though both overestimated the actual liquefaction performance, probably because effects of plasticity and aging on in situ liquefaction strength were not taken into account. In Tanno-cho, EBM could evaluate actual liquefaction performance due to a small-acceleration motion during a far-field large magnitude earthquake while SBM could not.     

Impact of climate indicators on continental‐scale potential groundwater recharge in Africa

In the last decades, human activity has been contributing to climate change that is closely associated with an increase in temperatures, increase in evaporation, intensification of extreme dry and wet rainfall events, and widespread melting of snow and ice. Understanding the intricate linkage between climate warming and the hydrological cycle is crucial for sustainable management of groundwater resources, especially in a vulnerable continent like Africa. This study investigates the relationship between climate‐change drivers and potential groundwater recharge (PGR) patterns across Africa for a long‐term record (1960–2010). Water‐balance components were simulated by using the PCR‐GLOBWB model and were reproduced in both gridded maps and latitudinal trends that vary in space with minima on the Tropics and maxima around the Equator. Statistical correlations between temperature, storm occurrences, drought, and PGR were examined in six climatic regions of Africa. Surprisingly, different effects of climate‐change controls on PGR were detected as a function of latitude in the last three decades (1980–2010). Temporal trends observed in the Northern Hemisphere of Africa reveal that the increase in temperature is significantly correlated to the decline of PGR, especially in the Northern Equatorial Africa. The climate indicators considered in this study were unable to explain the alarming negative trend of PGR observed in the Sahelian region, even though the Standardized Precipitation‐Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) values report a 15% drought stress. On the other hand, increases in temperature have not been detected in the Southern Hemisphere of Africa, where increasing frequency of storm occurrences determine a rise of PGR, particularly in southern Africa. Time analysis highlights a strong seasonality effect, while PGR is in‐phase with rainfall patterns in the summer (Northern Hemisphere) and winter (Southern Hemisphere) and out‐of‐phase during the fall season. This study helps to elucidate the mechanism of the processes influencing groundwater resources in six climatic zones of Africa, even though modelling results need to be validated more extensively with direct measurements in future studies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Changes in potential evapotranspiration and surface runoff in 1981–2010 and the driving factors in Upper Heihe River Basin in Northwest China

Changes in potential evapotranspiration and surface runoff can have profound implications for hydrological processes in arid and semiarid regions. In this study, we investigated the response of hydrological processes to climate change in Upper Heihe River Basin in Northwest China for the period from 1981 to 2010. We used agronomic, climatic and hydrological data to drive the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model for changes in potential evapotranspiration (ET₀) and surface runoff and the driving factors in the study area. The results showed that increasing autumn temperature increased snow melt, resulting in increased surface runoff, especially in September and October. The spatial distribution of annual runoff was different from that of seasonal runoff, with the highest runoff in Yeniugou River, followed by Babaohe River and then the tributaries in the northern of the basin. There was no evaporation paradox at annual and seasonal time scales, and annual ET₀ was driven mainly by wind speed. ET₀ was driven by relative humidity in spring, sunshine hour duration in autumn and both sunshine hour duration and relative humility in summer. Surface runoff was controlled by temperature in spring and winter and by precipitation in summer (flood season). Although surface runoff increased in autumn with increasing temperature, it depended on rainfall in September and on temperature in October and November. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil‐pile interaction in the pile vertical vibration considering true three‐dimensional wave effect of soil

The dynamic response of an end bearing pile embedded in a linear visco‐elastic soil layer with hysteretic type damping is theoretically investigated when the pile is subjected to a time‐harmonic vertical loading at the pile top. The soil is modeled as a three‐dimensional axisymmetric continuum in which both its radial and vertical displacements are taken into account. The pile is assumed to be vertical, elastic and of uniform circular cross section. By using two potential functions to decompose the displacements of the soil layer and utilizing the separation of variables technique, the dynamic equilibrium equation is uncoupled and solved. At the interface of soil‐pile system, the boundary conditions of displacement continuity and force equilibrium are invoked to derive a closed‐form solution of the vertical dynamic response of the pile in frequency domain. The corresponding inverted solutions in time domain for the velocity response of a pile subjected to a semi‐sine excitation force applied at the pile top are obtained by means of inverse Fourier transform and the convolution theorem. A comparison with two other simplified solutions has been performed to verify the more rigorous solutions presented in this paper. Using the developed solutions, a parametric study has also been conducted to investigate the influence of the major parameters of the soil‐pile system on the vertical vibration characteristics of the pile. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于最大发展潜力值的元胞自动机城市扩张模型

在城镇化发展水平及土地开发评价的基础上,评价待扩张区域土地转变潜力分值,基于最大转变潜力分值,提出一种有别于传统元胞自动机模拟城市扩张的新方法。该方法与传统元胞自动机模拟城市扩张相比在迭代方式上存在不同,它克服了传统元胞自动机因阈值设置不同而导致结果不确定的难题。分别将该方法与传统元胞自动机模型应用于武汉主城区,模拟了其2003年到2013年的城市扩张情况,最后,将模拟结果与实际土地利用现状图进行对比发现改进后的新方法在模拟精度上大大提高。     

2000～2015年会理县地表覆盖变化监测

以LandSat多时相影像为数据源,采用基于规则的面向对象分类方法,监测会理县2000～ 2015年地表覆盖变化.结合1∶50 000 DEM数据,分析了会理县地表覆盖构成与转移、变化动态度及潜在退耕地情况.监测分析结论能为会理县加强空间管制、促进土地资源集约利用、指导生态文明建设等提供决策信息支撑.     

内蒙古达茂旗塔林宫地区找矿前景分析

内蒙古达茂旗塔林宫地区位于华北板块北缘与西伯利亚板块南缘的结合带,天山―兴蒙造山系之温都尔庙俯冲增生杂岩带(内蒙古自治区地质矿产局. 1991),白乃庙―哈达庙铜、金、萤石成矿带上(邵和明,张履桥. 2001) 。区域上矿产资源较为丰富,金属矿产主要有铁、稀土、金、铜等,非金属矿产主要有萤石、石灰岩、石英岩等,比较重要的矿床有白云鄂博钒钛稀土矿、查干哈达庙铜矿、乌花敖包金矿、赛乌苏金矿、白乃庙铜金矿、石宝铁矿等。     

阿拉善右旗石窝子―三个井地区找矿潜力分析

内蒙古阿拉善右旗石窝子―三个井地区位于华北板块西北缘与塔里木板块东北缘的结合部位,北部紧邻西伯利亚板块(郝立波等, 2004)。三级成矿带属于朱拉扎嘎―甲生盘元古代、古生代金、铅、锌、硫、铁、铜、铂、镍成矿带（Ⅲ12）,四级成矿带属于朱拉扎嘎金成矿带（Ⅳ123）(内蒙古自治区地质矿产局, 1991)。区域上已发现的矿种主要有煤、盐湖、芒硝、铁、金、磷、石灰岩、石膏、膨润土、滑石、饰面花岗岩等,代表性矿床有叠布斯格、卡休他他铁矿,朱拉扎嘎金矿,脑木洪铜多金属矿等。     

The Upstream “Strong Signals” of the Water Vapor Transport over the Tibetan Plateau during a Heavy Rainfall Event in the Yangtze River Basin

A heavy rainfall event that occurred over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin(YRB) during July11–13 2000 is explored in this study. The potential/stream function is used to analyze the upstream "strong signals" of the water vapor transport in the Tibetan Plateau(TP). The studied time period covers from 2000 LST 5 July to 2000 LST 15 July(temporal resolution: 6 hours). By analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the water vapor flux, vorticity and divergence prior to and during the heavy rainfall event, the upstream "strong signals" related to this heavy rainfall event are revealed. A strong correlation exists between the heavy rainfall event in the YRB and the convective clouds over the TP. The "convergence zone" of the water vapor transport is also identified, based on correlation analysis of the water vapor flux two days and one day prior to, and on the day of, the heavy rainfall. And this "convergence zone" coincides with the migration of the maximum rainfall over the YRB. This specific coupled structure actually plays a key role in generating heavy rainfall over the YRB. The eastward movement of the coupled system with a divergence/convergence center of the potential function at the upper/lower level resembles the spatiotemporal evolution of the heavy rainfall event over the YRB. These upstream "strong signals" are clearly traced in this study through analyzing the three-dimensional structure of the potential/stream function of upstream water vapor transport.