Fast-changing processes in a medium subject to loading as detected by resistivity measurements

Making measurements of electric resistivity at 16 s intervals, the authors noticed fast changes of this parameter prior to the occurrence of the main fracture. The changes are superposed on bay pulsations of increasing amplitude and decreasing period. This finding opens prospects for a wider use of an electric resistivity method and proves the high quality of automatic instruments, in particular their high resolution. It also gives evidence for the occurrence of short-period precursors in the fracture zone while the main fracture is being formed.     

Transport and deposition of suspended particles in saturated porous media: hydrodynamic effect

A laboratory study was undertaken to determine the transport and deposition rate of suspended particles in columns of saturated porous media (gravel and glass beads), where the porous media were subjected to steady-state flow. Silt particles with a mode of 14 μm diameter (used as the suspended particles) and fluorescein (as the conservative tracer) were injected into the columns in short pulses. The breakthrough curves were competently described with the analytical solution of a convection–dispersion equation with a first-order deposition rate. The experiments were performed using different flow rates. The suspended particle size distribution, the porous media, and the flow rates themselves were the main factors retained in this study to investigate the mechanisms governing the transport and deposition kinetics in detail. The results showed the existence of a flow rate, beyond which suspended particles travel faster than the conservative tracer. A decrease of the deposition rate of suspended particles beyond a critical flow velocity was also observed. Such behaviour led to consideration of the couple hydrodynamic-gravity forces at high flow rates. As the hydrodynamic force increases, particle deposition rates are reduced due to the effect of hydrodynamic forces inhibiting the deposition.     

线性矩法估计参数的保证修正值系数B的推求

在设计洪水的抽样误差估计中,采用保证修正值系数B方法估计均方差简单易用。应用线性矩法估计频率分布曲线的参数,有较好的无偏性和有效性,具有一定的应用前景。目前线性矩法的B值诺模图尚未确定,给用线性矩法确定参数时估计抽样误差带来了难度与不便。采用统计试验,分析了离差系数、偏态系数和样本长度对B值的影响,结果表明线性矩法估计参数时仍可采用保证修正值系数B值诺模图方法来估计抽样误差,并推求了不同偏态系数、设计频率情形下的B值,制成了线性矩法的B值诺模图备用。     

Studying Hydrodynamic Instability Using Shock-Tube Experiments

The hydrodynamic instability, which develops on the contact surface between two fluids, has great importance in astrophysical phenomena such as the inhomogeneous density distribution following a supernova event. In this event acceleration waves pass across a material interface and initiate and enhance unstable conditions in which small perturbations grow dramatically. In the present study, an experimental technique aimed at investigating the above-mentioned hydrodynamic instability is presented. The experimental investigation is based on a shock-tube apparatus by which a shock wave is generated and initiates the instability that develops on the contact surface between two gases. The flexibility of the system enables one to vary the initial shape of the contact surface, the shock-wave Mach number, and the density ratio across the contact surface. Three selected sets of shock-tube experiments are presented in order to demonstrate the system capabilities: (1) large-initial amplitudes with low-Mach-number incident shock waves; (2) small-initial amplitudes with moderate-Mach-number incident shock waves; and (3) shock bubble interaction. In the large-amplitude experiments a reduction of the initial velocity with respect to the linear growth prediction was measured. The results were compared to those predicted by a vorticity-deposition model and to previous experiments with moderate- and high-Mach number incident shock waves that were conducted by others. In this case, a reduction of the initial velocity was noted. However, at late times the growth rate had a 1/t behavior as in the small-amplitude low-Mach number case. In the small-amplitude moderate-Mach number shock experiments a reduction from the impulsive theory was noted at the late stages. The passage of a shock wave through a spherical bubble results in the formation of a vortex ring. Simple dimensional analysis shows that the circulation depends linearly on the speed of sound of the surrounding material and on the initial bubble radius.     

南海热带气旋路径集合预报试验

利用3种不同模式的初始资料,通过它们生成得到16个不同的初始场,分别对2004年南海及其周边地区9个热带气旋个例进行集合预报试验,最后筛选得到了7个南海热带气旋初值集合成员,由此初步探讨了南海热带气旋初值集合成员的生成方法。结果表明,采用不同模式的初始资料生成得到初值集合成员的方法用于集合预报,对南海热带气旋路径预报有一些明显的改进。     

Perspectives on present-day sea level change: a tribute to Christian le Provost

In this paper, we first discuss the controversial result of the work by Cabanes et al. (Science 294:840–842, 2001), who suggested that the rate of past century sea level rise may have been overestimated, considering the limited and heterogeneous location of historical tide gauges and the high regional variability of thermal expansion which was supposed to dominate the observed sea level. If correct, this conclusion would have solved the problem raised by the IPCC third assessment report [Church et al, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 881, 2001], namely, the factor two difference between the 20th century observed sea level rise and the computed climatic contributions. However, recent investigations based on new ocean temperature data sets indicate that thermal expansion only explains part (about 0.4 mm/year) of the 1.8 mm/year observed sea level rise of the past few decades. In fact, the Cabanes et al.’s conclusion was incorrect due to a contamination of abnormally high ocean temperature data in the Gulf Stream area that led to an overestimate of thermal expansion in this region. In this paper, we also estimate thermal expansion over the last decade (1993–2003), using a new ocean temperature and salinity database. We compare our result with three other estimates, two being based on global gridded data sets, and one based on an approach similar to that developed here. It is found that the mean rate of thermosteric sea level rise over the past decade is 1.5±0.3 mm/year, i.e. 50% of the observed 3 mm/year by satellite altimetry. For both time spans, past few decades and last decade, a contribution of 1.4 mm/year is not explained by thermal expansion, thus needs to be of water mass origin. Direct estimates of land ice melt for the recent years account for about 1 mm/year sea level rise. Thus, at least for the last decade, we have moved closer to explaining the observed rate of sea level rise than the IPCC third assessment report.     

Geographical distribution of fish catches and temperature variations in the northeast Atlantic since 1945

Warming of the northeast Atlantic is expected to affect the location and productivity of fish stocks. It is examined whether variations in catches of cod, herring, mackerel, anchovy and sardines in the ICES statistical areas are related to variations in ocean temperature. Temperatures at certain locations along the Norwegian coast are taken as proxies for temperatures in the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. It is found that the catches of cod in the North Sea are inversely correlated with temperature and that recruitment and catches of cod in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea are positively related to temperature. There is also some indication of a positive correlation between temperature and the catches of mackerel in the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea, and between temperature and the catches of sardines in the North Sea.     

Relationship between flow speed variability of three tidewater glaciers and surface melt intensity in Greenland between 1979 and 2006

The margin of the Greenland ice sheet has undergone rapid changes over the past decade as a result of the thinning, acceleration, and retreat of many fast-flowing tidewater outlet glaciers. Satellite observations show that three major tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland retreated between 2000 and 2005, with synchronous increases in flow speed, causing a deficit in ice sheet mass budget and the potential for sea level rise. In this study, we investigated whether this acceleration was related to surface melt processes, and found that both flow speed and positive degree day (PDD) anomalies of the three glaciers varied together, indicating a causal relationship. Jakobshavn Isbræ had lower flow speeds before 2000, during which PDD anomalies were negative, except for modest warming in 1993 and 1995. From 1999–2000, during which it is thought a threshold was passed, the flow speed of the glacier started to increase. However, the two glaciers in east Greenland showed a delayed response. Abrupt warming occurred in the vicinity of the two glaciers around 2001, but flow speed did not increase until 2003 for the Helheim Glacier, and until 2004 for the Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. Furthermore, the two eastern glaciers switched to a deceleration mode more quickly than Jakobshavn Isbræ. The observed differences in both acceleration and deceleration among the glaciers suggest that the relationship between surface melt and outlet glacier dynamics is not simple but complex.     

桂北动物物候气候变暖响应

对桂北地区1989~2007年青蛙、蟋蟀始鸣和终鸣以及气温等气候要素1975~2007年同步观测资料的对比分析结果表明,近10年来桂北地区青蛙和蟋蟀始鸣日期呈提前趋势,终鸣日期稳定,始终鸣间隔期及生长繁殖季显著延长;桂林雁山近34年来年平均气温呈显著上升趋势,特别是1997年以来增温显著,在增温过程中以春季增温为主,冬季和秋季增温次之,夏季呈弱降温趋势;2~4月平均气温和3月平均最高气温是影响青蛙和蟋蟀始鸣期和始终鸣间隔期的主要气候生态因子;动物物候变化是动物对气候变暖的响应。     

Reconstruction of Conceptual Prediction Model for the Three Rainfall Patterns in the summer of eastern China under global warming

With the influence of global warming,the global climate has undergone significant inter-decadal variation since the late 1970s.Although El Nio-Southern Oscillation(ENSO)has been the strongest signal for predicting global climate inter-annual variability,its relation with the summer rainfall in China has significantly changed,and its indicative function on the summer rainfall in China has weakened.This has led to a significant decrease in the accuracy rate of early conceptual prediction models for the Three Rainfall Patterns in the summer of eastern China.On the basis of the difference analysis of atmospheric circulation system configuration in summer,as well as the interaction of ocean and atmospheric in previous winter between two phases,i.e.before and after the significant global warming(1951 to 1978 and 1979 to 2012,respectively),we concluded that(1)Under different inter-decadal backgrounds,the atmospheric circulations that impacted the Three Rainfall Patterns in the summer of eastern China showed consistency,but in the latter phase of the global warming,the Western Pacific Subtropical High(WPSH)was on the strong side,the position of which was in the south,and the blocking high in the Eurasia mid-high latitudes was active,while the polar vortex extended to the south,and meridional circulation intensified.This circulation background may have been conducive to the increase of the circulation frequency of Patterns II and III,and the decrease of the circulation frequency of Pattern I,thus leading to more Patterns II and III and fewer Pattern I in the summer rainfall of eastern China.(2)In the former phase,the corresponding previous winter SST fields of different rainfall patterns showed visible differences.The impact of ENSO on North Pacific Oscillation(NPO)was great,and the identification ability of which on Patterns I and II of summer rainfall was effective.In the latter phase,this identification ability decreased,while the impact of ENSO on the Pacific/North American(PNA)teleconnection pattern increased,and the identification ability of the PNA on Patterns II and III also increased.Based on the new inter-decadal climate background,this study reconstructs the conceptual prediction model for the Three Rainfall Patterns in summer of eastern China by using the previous winter PNA and the Eurasian(EU)teleconnection indexes.The fitting effect was satisfying,though it is necessary to be further tested.