Finite element formulation and algorithms for unsaturated soils. Part II: Verification and application

The finite‐element formulation and integration algorithms developed in Part I are used to analyse a number of practical problems involving unsaturated and saturated soils. The formulation and algorithms perform well for all the cases analysed, with the robustness of the latter being largely insensitive to user‐defined parameters such as the number of coarse time steps and error control tolerances. The efficiency of the algorithms, as measured by the CPU time consumed, does not depend on the number of coarse time steps, but may be influenced by the error control tolerances. Based on the analyses presented here, typical values for the error control tolerances are suggested. It is also shown that the constitutive modelling framework presented in Part I can, by adjusting one constitutive equation and one or two material parameters, be used to simulate soils that expand or collapse upon wetting. Treating the suction as a strain variable instead of a stress variable proves to be an efficient and robust way of solving suction‐dependent plastic yielding. Moreover, the concept of the constitutive stress is a particularly convenient way of handling the transition between saturation and unsaturation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of spatial variation characteristics on contouring of design storm depth

The ordinary kriging method, a geostatistical interpolation technique, was applied for developing contour maps of design storm depth in northern Taiwan using intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) data. Results of variogram modelling on design storm depths indicate that the design storms can be categorized into two distinct storm types: (i) storms of short duration and high spatial variation and (ii) storms of long duration and less spatial variation. For storms of the first category, the influence range of rainfall depth decreases when the recurrence interval increases, owing to the increasing degree of their spatial independence. However, for storms of the second category, the influence range of rainfall depth does not change significantly and has an average of approximately 72 km. For very extreme events, such as events of short duration and long recurrence interval, we do not recommend usage of the established design storm contours, because most of the interstation distances exceed the influence ranges. Our study concludes that the influence range of the design storm depth is dependent on the design duration and recurrence interval and is a key factor in developing design storm contours. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exposure dating and reinterpretation of coarse debris accumulations (‘rock glaciers’) in the Cairngorm Mountains,Scotland

Relict rock glaciers have considerable potential for contributing to palaeoclimatic reconstruction, but this potential is often undermined by lack of dating control and problems of interpretation. Here we reinvestigate and date four proposed ‘rock glaciers’ in the Cairngorm Mountains and show that the morphology of only one of these appears consistent with that of a true rock glacier produced by creep of underlying ice or ice‐rich sediment. All four features comprise rockslide or rock avalanche runout debris, and the possibility that all four represent unmodified runout accumulations cannot be discounted. Surface exposure dating of the four debris accumulations using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be produced uncertainty‐weighted mean ages of 15.4 ± 0.8 ka, 16.2 ± 1.0 ka, 12.1 ± 0.6 ka and 12.7 ± 0.8 ka. All four ages imply emplacement under cold stadial conditions, two prior to the Windermere Interstade of ca. 14.5–12.9 cal. ka BP and two during the Loch Lomond Stade of ca. 12.9–11.5 cal. ka BP. The above ages indicate that paraglacial rock‐slope failure on granite rockwalls occurred within a few millennia after deglaciation. The mean exposure ages obtained for runout debris at two sites – Strath Nethy (16.2 ± 1.0 ka) and Lairig Ghru (15.4 ± 0.8 ka) – are consistent with basal radiocarbon ages from Loch Etteridge, 22 km to the southwest (mean = 15.6 ± 0.3 cal. ka BP) and imply widespread deglaciation of the Cairngorms and adjacent valleys before 15 ka and possibly 16 ka. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

STUDY ON BEIJING''''S EMERGING MOBILE COMMUNICATION INDUSTRIAL CLUSTER AND ITS POLICY IMPLICATIONS

1INTRODUCTIONClusters,definedasgeographicallyproximategroupsofinterconnectedcompaniesandassociatedinstitutionsinparticularfields,linkedbycommonalitiesandcomple-mentarities(PORTER,2000),havearousedanintenseinterestofurbanandregionalplanningresearchersandpolicymakersoverthepastdecades.Itiswidelyrecog-nizedthatclusterscanpromoteproductivityandinno-vation,developlocalcompetitiveadvantages.Popular-izedbyMichaelPORTERinhisbook“TheCompetitiveAdvantageofNationsin1990,theclusterisnotanewcon…     

Uncoupling of coupled flows in soil—a finite element method

Coupled flow of water, chemicals, heat and electrical potential in soil are of significance in a variety of circumstances. The problem is characterized by the coupling between different flows, i.e. a flow of one type driven by gradients of other types, and by the dual nature of certain flows, i.e. combined convection and conduction. Effective numerical solutions to the problem are challenged due to the coupling and the dual nature. In this paper, we first present a general expression that can be used to represent various types of coupled flows in soil. A finite element method is then proposed to solve the generalized coupled flows of convection-conduction pattern. The unknown vector is first decomposed into two parts, a convective part forming a hyperbolic system and a conductive part forming a parabolic system. At each time step, the hyperbolic system is solved analytically to give an initial solution. To solve the multi-dimensional hyperbolic system, we assume that a common eigenspace exists for the coefficient matrices, so that the system can be uncoupled by transforming the unknown vector to the common eigenspace. The uncoupled system is solved by the method of characteristics. Using the solution of the hyperbolic system as the initial condition, we then solve the parabolic system by a Galerkin finite element method for space discretization and a finite difference scheme for time stepping. The proposed technique can be used for solving multi-dimensional, transient, coupled or simultaneous flows of convection-conduction type. Application to a flow example shows that the technique indeed exhibits optimality in convergence and in stability.     

AN ECOLOGICAL STUDY OF FOULING ORGANISMS IN XISHA ISLANDS

Monthly and seasonal panel experiments were carried out in the Yongxing Island from September 1979 to August 1981. Altogether 119 species of fouling organisms are collected, of which, Hydroides elegans, Serpula vermicular is, Scrupocellaria longispinosa, Amathia distant, Enteromorpha spp. and Ostrea spp. are dominant species. Fouling of organisms may occur all the year round with evident seasonal variations, Species succession in the process of community formation is very evident and the climax has arrived after two years. Great variation exists between fouling organisms in different years and at different stations.     

ELASTIC CLASSIFICATION OF MODIFIED WATER MASS IN SHALLOW SEA

In this paper, the principle and steps for differentiating water masses by fuzzy cluster method are introduced, and a scalar formula based on Euclidean distance and a method for determining objectively the number of water masses by F-test are proposed. Consequently, a method and specific steps for differentiating modified water masses in shallow sea according to fuzzy elastic classification are given. Computation of the membership degree in which each sample belongs to every water mass determines conveniently and quantitatively the cores, boundaries of water masses and mixed zones. An example for the Huanghai Sea and East China Sea is shown and compared with previous results.     

海上矿石运输最优船队的组建

针对海上矿石运输，介绍了一种完成定量任务并能使投资费用最少为目标的最优船队组建方法，同时对易变参数进行了灵敏度分析，使决策更加科学化     

雪宝顶碱性花岗岩岩石地球化学与成矿控制

对雪宝顶碱性花岗岩具有高丰度的W、Sn、Be含量和W、Sn矿化花岗岩的微量元素组合特征进行了分析，结果显示：稀土元素具有∑REE含量与LREE／HREE比值偏低和负Eu异常的特点；元素比值K／Rb，U／Th，Nb／Ta的规律性变化以及矿脉产状特征等表明W-(Sn)-Be脉状矿床形成于岩浆演化晚期，与岩浆期后的热液活动有关。     

黄海海域陆相中生界地震反射特征及靶区优选

利用前人对黄海海域油气勘探成果，作者对北黄海盆地，南黄海盆地北部坳陷陆相中生界进行了研究。结果认为：黄海海域陆相中生界分布广、厚度大、具有良好的生、储、盖组合，是该区下步油气战略性调查的首选目标。并提出北黄海陆相中生界油气勘探应以东部凹陷为主，同时兼顾中部凹陷。南黄海北部坳陷近期油气勘探重点应选择北部凹陷和加大东北凹陷的研究力度。南黄海南部坳陷陆相中生界油气勘探重点放在南五和南七凹陷。