SANICLAY: simple anisotropic clay plasticity model

SANICLAY is a new simple anisotropic clay plasticity model that builds on a modification of an earlier model with an associated flow rule, in order to include simulations of softening response under undrained compression following K_o consolidation. Non‐associativity is introduced by adopting a yield surface different than the plastic potential surface. Besides, the isotropic hardening of the yield surface both surfaces evolve according to a combined distortional and rotational hardening rule, simulating the evolving anisotropy. Although built on the general premises of critical state soil mechanics, the model induces a critical state line in the void ratio–mean effective stress space, which is a function of anisotropy. To ease interpretation, the model formulation is presented firstly in the triaxial stress space and subsequently, its multiaxial generalization is developed systematically, in a form appropriate for implementation in numerical codes. The SANICLAY is shown to provide successful simulation of both undrained and drained rate‐independent behaviour of normally consolidated sensitive clays, and to a satisfactory degree of accuracy of overconsolidated clays. The new model requires merely three constants more than those of the modified Cam clay model, all of which are easily calibrated from well‐established laboratory tests following a meticulously presented procedure. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

钱二块铀矿床采铀注液结垢趋势的理论分析与预测

用离子系数矩阵法对钱二块铀矿床地浸采铀试验注液中存在的独立离子反应进行了确定,由溶度积规则及反应平衡原理,借助Matlab编程,估算出了钱二块铀矿床地浸采铀试验注液可能会生成的沉淀物种类及数量,为防治结垢提供了一定的理论依据.     

引入差比关系法分析西北太平洋TOPEX/POSEIDON卫星高度计测高数据

TOPEX/POSEIDON(T/P)卫星高度计数据信息中存在周期成分混淆问题.对其中的一类混淆引入差比关系方法对混淆的分潮进行分离.卫星轨道交叉点资料包括升轨和降轨资料,资料量比沿轨点资料多1倍,经分析发现:在已有为期6a多的观测资料时间序列中,在沿轨处混淆的分潮如K₁和SSA在交叉点处不再混淆,可以直接分离.因此首先对交叉点资料进行调和分析.然后由交叉点的分析结果得到分潮间的差比关系,处理到相近的沿轨点处,从而得到沿轨点的调和常数.用引入差比关系方法,对西北太平洋海区6a多的T/P卫星高度计资料进行了潮汐分析,并与沿岸及岛屿验潮站资料进行了比较,所得结果较满意.     

空间尺度转换与跨尺度信息链接:区域生态水文模拟研究空间尺度转换方法综述

空间尺度转换是近年来区域生态水文研究领域的一个基本研究问题。其需要主要是源于模型的输入数据与所能提供的数据空间尺度不一致以及模型所代表的地表过程空间尺度与所观测的地表过程空间尺度不吻合。综述了目前区域生态水文模拟研究中常用的空间尺度转换研究方法,包括向上尺度转换和向下尺度转换。详细论述了2种向下尺度转换方法: 统计学经验模型和动态模型。前者是通过将GCM大尺度数据与长期的历史观测数据比较从而建立统计学相关模型, 然后利用这个统计学经验模型进行向下的空间尺度转换. 然而动态模型并不直接对GCM数据进行向下尺度的转换,而是对与GCM进行动态耦合的区域气候模型(RCM) 的输出数据进行空间尺度转换. 通常后者所获得的数据精度要比前者高,但是一个主要缺点就是并不是全球所有的研究区域都有对应的RCM。还详细论述了2种向上尺度转换方法: 统计学经验模型和斑块模型。前者是建立一个能代表小尺度信息在大尺度上分布的密度分布概率函数, 然后利用这个函数在所需的大尺度上进行积分而求得大尺度所需的信息。而后者是根据相似性最大化原则将大尺度划分为若干个可操作的小尺度斑块,然后将计算的每个小尺度斑块的信息平均化得到大尺度所需的信息。通常在计算这种斑块化的小尺度信息的时候,对每个小尺度也会采用统计学经验模型来计算代表整个斑块小尺度的信息。建议用斑块模型与统计学经验模型相集合的方法来实现向上的空间尺度转换     

A framework of region-based spatial relations for non-overlapping features and its application in object based image analysis

Object based image analysis (OBIA) is an approach increasingly used in classifying high spatial resolution remote sensing images. Object based image classifiers first segment an image into objects (or image segments), and then classify these objects based on their attributes and spatial relations. Numerous algorithms exist for the first step of the OBIA process, i.e. image segmentation. However, less research has been conducted on the object classification part of OBIA, in particular the spatial relations between objects that are commonly used to construct rules for classifying image objects and refining classification results. In this paper, we establish a context where objects are areal (not points or lines) and non-overlapping (we call this “single-valued” space), and propose a framework of binary spatial relations between segmented objects to aid in object classification. In this framework, scale-dependent “line-like objects” and “point-like objects” are identified from areal objects based on their shapes. Generally, disjoint and meet are the only two possible topological relations between two non-overlapping areal objects. However, a number of quasi- topological relations can be defined when the shapes of the objects involved are considered. Some of these relations are fuzzy and thus quantitatively defined. In addition, we define the concepts of line-like objects (e.g. roads) and point-like objects (e.g. wells), and develop the relations between two line-like objects or two point-like objects. For completeness, cardinal direction relations and distance relations are also introduced in the proposed context. Finally, we implement the framework to extract roads and moving vehicles from an aerial photo. The promising results suggest that our methods can be a valuable tool in defining rules for object based image analysis.     

Environmental tracers as indicators of karst conduits in groundwater in South Dakota,USA

Environmental tracers sampled from the carbonate Madison aquifer on the eastern flank of the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA indicated the approximate locations of four major karst conduits. Contamination issues are a major concern because these conduits are characterized by direct connections to sinking streams, high groundwater velocities, and proximity to public water supplies. Objectives of the study were to estimate approximate conduit locations and assess possible anthropogenic influences associated with conduits. Anomalies of young groundwater based on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), tritium, and electrical conductivity (EC) indicated fast moving, focused flow and thus the likely presence of conduits. δ¹⁸O was useful for determining sources of recharge for each conduit, and nitrate was a useful tracer for assessing flow paths for anthropogenic influences. Two of the four conduits terminate at or near a large spring complex. CFC apparent ages ranged from 15 years near conduits to >50 years in other areas. Nitrate-N concentrations >0.4 mg/L in groundwater were associated with each of the four conduits compared with concentrations ranging from <0.1 to 0.4 mg/L in other areas. These higher nitrate-N concentrations probably do not result from sinking streams but rather from other areas of infiltration.     

Earthquake hazard of the northern parts of the Bohemian Massif and Western Carpathians

The new procedure of earthquake hazard evaluation developed by Kijko and Sellevoll is tested and applied for the border region of Czechoslovakia and Poland. The new method differs from the conventional approach. It incorporates the uncertainty of earthquake magnitudes, and accepts mixed data containing only large historical events and recent, complete catalogues. Seismic hazard has been calculated for nine regions determined in the border area. In the investigated area, data of historical catalogues are uncertain or, in many cases, the epicentral intensities are unknown. Thus, a number of assumptions have to be adopted in data preparation of catalogues since the year 1200. The calculated values of parameters b in the Gutenberg-Richter frequency-intensity relation as well as the return periods, seem to be reasonable and are generally confirmed by the results obtained from catalogues for the last 80–130 years.     

Displacement-length scaling relations for faults on the terrestrial planets

Displacement-length (D/L)scaling relations for normal and thrust faults from Mars, and thrust faults from Mercury, for which sufficiently accurate measurements are available, are consistently smaller than terrestrial D/L ratios by a factor of about 5, regardless of fault type (i.e. normal or thrust). We demonstrate that D/L ratios for faults scale, to first order, with planetary gravity. In particular, confining pressure modulates: (1) the magnitude of shear driving stress on the fault; (2) the shear yield strength of near-tip rock; and (3) the Young's (or shear) modulus of crustal rock. In general, all three factors decrease with gravity for the same rock type and pore-pressure state (e.g. wet conditions). Faults on planets with lower surface gravities, such as Mars and Mercury, demonstrate systematically smaller D/L ratios than faults on larger planets, such as Earth. Smaller D/L ratios of faults on Venus and the Moon are predicted by this approach, and we infer still smaller values of D/L ratio for faults on icy satellites in the outer solar system. Collection of additional displacement-length and down-dip height data from terrestrial normal, strike-slip, and thrust faults, located within fold-and-thrust belts, plate margins, and continental interiors, is required to evaluate the influence of fault shape and progressive deformation on the scaling relations for faults from Earth and elsewhere.     

Correlations in aftershock and seismicity patterns

Correlations in space and time play a fundamental role in earthquake processes. One direct manifestation of the effects of correlations is the occurrence of aftershocks due to the stress transfer in the vicinity of a main shock. Less obvious and more speculative changes in correlations may occur in the background seismicity before large earthquakes. Using statistical physics it is possible to introduce a measure of spatial correlations through a correlation length. This quantity characterizes how local fluctuations can influence the occurrence of earthquakes over distances comparable with the correlation length. In this work, the physical basis of spatial correlations of earthquakes is discussed in the context of critical phenomena and the percolation problem. The method of two-point correlation function is applied to the seismicity of California. Well defined variations in time of the correlation length are found for aftershock sequences and background seismicity. The scaling properties of our obtained distributions are analyzed with respect to changes in several scaling parameters such as lower magnitude cutoff of earthquakes, the maximum time interval between earthquakes, and the spatial size of the area considered. This scaling behavior can be described in a unified manner by utilizing the multifractal fit. Utilizing the percolation approach the time evolution of clusters of earthquakes is studied with the correlation length defined in terms of the radius of gyration of clusters. This method is applied to the seismicity of California.