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Horizontal Velocities (horizontal + velocity)
Selected AbstractsHydrology and dynamics of a polythermal (mostly cold) High Arctic glacierEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 12 2006Robert G. Bingham Abstract To improve our understanding of the interactions between hydrology and dynamics in mostly cold glaciers (in which water flow is limited by thermal regime), we analyse short-term (every two days) variations in glacier flow in the ablation zone of polythermal John Evans Glacier, High Arctic Canada. We monitor the spatial and temporal propagation of high-velocity events, and examine their impacts upon supraglacial drainage processes and evolving subglacial drainage system structure. Each year, in response to the rapid establishment of supraglacial,subglacial drainage connections in the mid-ablation zone, a ,spring event' of high horizontal surface velocities and high residual vertical motion propagates downglacier over two to four days from the mid-ablation zone to the terminus. Subsequently, horizontal velocities fall relative to the spring event but remain higher than over winter, reflecting channelization of subglacial drainage but continued supraglacial meltwater forcing. Further transient high-velocity events occur later in each melt season in response to melt-induced rising supraglacial meltwater inputs to the glacier bed, but the dynamic response of the glacier contrasts with that recorded during the spring event, with the degree of spatial propagation a function of the degree to which the subglacial drainage system has become channelized. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Response of a double-wedge base-isolation deviceEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 13 2004J. Enrique Luco Abstract A novel base-isolation device is described and its performance is compared with that of a friction pendulum bearing. In its simplest form, the device consists of two wedges sliding on a horizontal plane in opposite directions and constrained from retreating by ratchets or bilinear dampers. The superstructure rests at the intersection of the two wedges. For a sufficiently large horizontal acceleration of the base, the structure starts to move up the inclined plane of one of the wedges, which remains fixed while the second wedge is slaved to follow the structure. As the direction of the base acceleration reverses, the process is reversed and the structure starts to climb on the second inclined plane while the first wedge follows. The overall result is that the horizontal acceleration of the structure is reduced with respect to that of the base and that kinetic energy associated with horizontal velocities is systematically transformed into potential energy. In the case of motion in a vertical plane, the device has the following advantages over a friction pendulum: (i) the sliding surface is linear instead of curved, (ii) kinetic energy is systematically transformed into potential energy during the strong ground motion, and (iii) the device is slowly self-centering. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Photogrammetric Analysis of Front Range Rock Glacier Flow RatesGEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Issue 4 2005Jason Ronald Janke Abstract Flow rates for rock glaciers in the European Alps have been monitored using photogrammetric techniques; however, a program has not been initiated for similar Front Range, USA, rock glaciers. Horizontal rock glacier displacements were measured by tracking large surficial rocks on temporal orthophotos from 1978, 1990, and 1999. Vertical change was measured by creating digital elevation models (DEMs) from digital stereopairs, then subtracting elevations to detect change. Long-term horizontal velocities ranged from 14 to 20 cm/yr on average, although uncertainty ranged from 4 to 5 cm/yr. On average, vertical elevation changes were negligible with most rock glaciers exhibiting a slight growth or thinning (1,2 cm/yr). Over shorter time scales (c. 10-year periods), horizontal velocities have only increased by about 2 cm/yr. Because horizontal and vertical change is minimal, Front Range rock glaciers appear to be adjusted with current climate, unlike some rock glaciers in the European Alps that have shown increasing subsidence rates or significant increasing or decreasing horizontal velocities. [source] Summary of the Sierra Rotors Project wave and rotor eventsATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 4 2008Vanda Grubi Abstract This study summarizes wave and rotor events observed during the Sierra Rotors Project (SRP). This summary is on the basis of numerical model simulations of SRP events. The events are classified according to the lee-side maxima of vertical and horizontal velocities. Generally, the above classification agrees with the classification on the basis of the obstacle-perpendicular ridge-top winds. The updraft maxima are found to preferentially lie within the leading-edge updraft of a lee wave in the immediate lee and near the crest height of the Sierra Nevada. Simulated waves and lower turbulence zones are illustrated with the wave and rotor structures in two of the strongest SRP events. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Traveltime computation with the linearized eikonal equation for anisotropic mediaGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 4 2002Tariq Alkhalifah A linearized eikonal equation is developed for transversely isotropic (TI) media with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI). It is linear with respect to perturbations in the horizontal velocity or the anisotropy parameter ,. An iterative linearization of the eikonal equation is used as the basis for an algorithm of finite-difference traveltime computations. A practical implementation of this iterative technique is to start with a background model that consists of an elliptically anisotropic, inhomogeneous medium, since traveltimes for this type of medium can be calculated efficiently using eikonal solvers, such as the fast marching method. This constrains the perturbation to changes in the anisotropy parameter , (the parameter most responsible for imaging improvements in anisotropic media). The iterative implementation includes repetitive calculation of , from traveltimes, which is then used to evaluate the perturbation needed for the next round of traveltime calculations using the linearized eikonal equation. Unlike isotropic media, interpolation is needed to estimate , in areas where the traveltime field is independent of ,, such as areas where the wave propagates vertically. Typically, two to three iterations can give sufficient accuracy in traveltimes for imaging applications. The cost of each iteration is slightly less than the cost of a typical eikonal solver. However, this method will ultimately provide traveltime solutions for VTI media. The main limitation of the method is that some smoothness of the medium is required for the iterative implementation to work, especially since we evaluate derivatives of the traveltime field as part of the iterative approach. If a single perturbation is sufficient for the traveltime calculation, which may be the case for weak anisotropy, no smoothness of the medium is necessary. Numerical tests demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of this approach. [source] An implicit three-dimensional fully non-hydrostatic model for free-surface flowsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN FLUIDS, Issue 7 2004Hengliang Yuan Abstract An implicit method is developed for solving the complete three-dimensional (3D) Navier,Stokes equations. The algorithm is based upon a staggered finite difference Crank-Nicholson scheme on a Cartesian grid. A new top-layer pressure treatment and a partial cell bottom treatment are introduced so that the 3D model is fully non-hydrostatic and is free of any hydrostatic assumption. A domain decomposition method is used to segregate the resulting 3D matrix system into a series of two-dimensional vertical plane problems, for each of which a block tri-diagonal system can be directly solved for the unknown horizontal velocity. Numerical tests including linear standing waves, nonlinear sloshing motions, and progressive wave interactions with uneven bottoms are performed. It is found that the model is capable to simulate accurately a range of free-surface flow problems using a very small number of vertical layers (e.g. two,four layers). The developed model is second-order accuracy in time and space and is unconditionally stable; and it can be effectively used to model 3D surface wave motions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A new shallow water model with polynomial dependence on depthMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 5 2008José M. Rodríguez Abstract In this paper, we study two-dimensional Euler equations in a domain with small depth. With this aim, we introduce a small non-dimensional parameter , related to the depth and we use asymptotic analysis to study what happens when , becomes small. We obtain a model for , small that, after coming back to the original domain, gives us a shallow water model that considers the possibility of a non-constant bottom, and the horizontal velocity has a dependence on z introduced by the vorticity when it is not zero. This represents an interesting novelty with respect to shallow water models found in the literature. We stand out that we do not need to make a priori assumptions about velocity or pressure behaviour to obtain the model. The new model is able to approximate the solutions to Euler equations with dependence on z (reobtaining the same velocities profile), whereas the classic model just obtains the average velocity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] |