Estimation of the 3D correlation structure of an alluvial aquifer from surface-based multi-frequency ground-penetrating radar reflection data

Knowledge about the stochastic nature of heterogeneity in subsurface hydraulic properties is critical for aquifer characterization and the corresponding prediction of groundwater flow and contaminant transport. Whereas the vertical correlation structure of the heterogeneity is often well constrained by borehole information, the lateral correlation structure is generally unknown because the spacing between boreholes is too large to allow for its meaningful inference. There is, however, evidence to suggest that information on the lateral correlation structure may be extracted from the correlation statistics of the subsurface reflectivity structure imaged by surface-based ground-penetrating radar measurements. To date, case studies involving this approach have been limited to 2D profiles acquired at a single antenna centre frequency in areas with limited complementary information. As a result, the practical reliability of this methodology has been difficult to assess. Here, we extend previous work to 3D and consider reflection ground-penetrating radar data acquired using two antenna centre frequencies at the extensively explored and well-constrained Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site. We find that the results obtained using the two ground-penetrating radar frequencies are consistent with each other, as well as with information from a number of other studies at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site. In addition, contrary to previous 2D work, our results indicate that the surface-based reflection ground-penetrating radar data are not only sensitive to the aspect ratio of the underlying heterogeneity, but also, albeit to a lesser extent, to the so-called Hurst number, which is a key parameter characterizing the local variability of the fine-scale structure.     

深渊着陆器坐底位置的精确测量和反演计算

深渊着陆器在下潜过程中,由于受到海流的影响,其坐底位置会偏离投放点,偏离量和偏离方向很难估计,而声学水下定位方法在深渊海区不太适用.通过在海面进行气枪十字放炮作业,利用炮点准确位置和时间信息,以及海底地震仪(Ocean Bottom Seismometer,OBS)记录的直达水波到时,对深渊着陆器的坐底位置进行精确测量可以提供有效定位数据.该方法对采集得到的数据进行预处理,使用蒙托卡洛方法结合最小二乘法,对万泉号着陆器实际坐底位置进行了反演校正,得到三个潜次的位置校正偏移量分别为211m、178m、861m,偏移方向各不相同,校正精度为±20m,比以往的定位精度大为提高.此外,该方法测量确定了三个海底标志物的精确位置,为未来万米无人或载人潜器提供了可靠的水下参考坐标.     

Structural stability of gravity dams: a progressive assessment considering uncertainties in shear strength parameters

Structural sliding stability of gravity dams is generally quantified using deterministic factor of safety, FS_det. Large FS_det (e.g. 3 in normal condition), are used in existing guidelines to guard against material and load uncertainties. Some guidelines allow an arbitrary reduction in FS_det (e.g. 2) when the knowledge in strength parameters increases from material test data. Yet, those reduced FS_det are not based on a rational consideration of uncertainties. Propagation of uncertainties could be done using probabilistic analyses, such as Monte-Carlo simulations (MC) which are complex and challenging for practical use. There is thus a need to develop simplified reliability based safety assessment procedures that could rationalise the adjustment of FS_det. This paper presents a progressive analysis methodology using four safety evaluation formats of increasing complexity: (i) deterministic, (ii) semi-probabilistic (partial coefficient), (iii) reliability based Adjustable Factor of Safety (AFS), and (iv) probabilistic. Comprehensive comparisons are made for the sliding safety evaluation of a 80 m gravity dam. Results are presented in terms of sliding factors of safety, allowable water levels, and demand/capacity ratios. It is shown that the AFS formulation, using direct integration, is simple and practical to use in complement to existing dam safety guidelines before undertaking MC simulations.     

基于局部采样MCMC方法的时移探地雷达反演

马尔科夫链蒙特卡洛方法(MCMC)是一种启发式的全局寻优算法,可以用来解决概率反演的问题.基于MCMC方法的反演不依赖于准确的初始模型,可以引入任意复杂的先验信息,通过对先验概率密度函数的采样来获得大量的后验概率分布样本,在寻找最优解的过程中可以跳出局部最优得到全局最优解.MCMC方法由于计算量巨大,应用难度较高,在地球物理反演中的应用尚处于起步阶段.作者将MCMC方法应用到时移探地雷达(GPR)反演中,并结合双差法对时移的目标区域进行准确反演.在双差法时移反演的过程中,作者对目标区域使用拓展的Metropolis算法进行局部采样,减小了计算量的同时,进一步提高了目标区域的反演精度.最后对合成的数据进行了反演测试,对目标区域的反演误差进行了分析,说明了基于局部采样的MCMC反演方法的有效性,目标区域反演结果特征明显,反演效果好.     

考虑优势流作用的降雨入渗边坡可靠度分析

降雨诱发滑坡是世界上最普遍的地质灾害,而关于降雨入渗对边坡的可靠度分析,优势入渗的影响被长期忽视。使用Comsol Multiphysics对降雨条件下优势入渗做数值求解,利用无限边坡模型计算边坡安全系数;并应用改进Cholesky分解法生成空间相关随机场,使用蒙特卡洛方法分析降雨过程中边坡的可靠度。结合确定性与可靠度计算对比均质入渗与优势入渗在降雨过程中边坡安全性变化：（1）降雨强度较低时,优势入渗安全性较好,而降雨强度较高时,均质入渗更稳定;（2）均质入渗中参数空间变异性是边坡失稳破坏的关键因素,而优势入渗的边坡失稳则由湿润峰快速推进所导致;（3）针对优势入渗模型研究,发现基质域与优势域水力交换强度较大时边坡有更大概率失稳,而较小的水力交换强度可能影响边坡底部的失稳破坏。     

Improving the prediction of extreme FPSO hawser tension,using another highly correlated hawser tension with a longer time record

The floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) is an offshore vessel that produces and stores crude oil prior to tanker transport. Robust prediction of extreme hawser tensions during the FPSO offloading operation is an important safety concern. Excessive hawser tension may occur during certain sea conditions, posing an operational risk. In this paper, the finite element method (FEM) software ANSYS AQWA has been employed to analyze vessel response due to hydrodynamic wave loads, acting on a specific FPSO vessel under actual sea conditions.In some practical situations, it would be useful to improve the accuracy of some statistical predictions based on a certain stochastic random process, given another synchronous highly correlated stochastic process that has been measured for a longer time, than the process of interest. In this paper, the issue of improving extreme value prediction has been addressed. In other words, an efficient transfer of information is necessary between two synchronous, highly correlated stochastic processes. Two such highly correlated FPSO hawser tension processes were simulated in order to test the efficiency of the proposed technique.     

Consolidation in spatially random unsaturated soils based on coupled flow‐deformation simulation

This paper integrates random field simulation of soil spatial variability with numerical modeling of coupled flow and deformation to investigate consolidation in spatially random unsaturated soil. The spatial variability of soil properties is simulated using the covariance matrix decomposition method. The random soil properties are imported into an interactive multiphysics software COMSOL to solve the governing partial differential equations. The effects of the spatial variability of Young's modulus and saturated permeability together with unsaturated hydraulic parameters on the dissipation of excess pore water pressure and settlement are investigated using an example of consolidation in a saturated‐unsaturated soil column because of loading. It is found that the surface settlement and the pore water pressure profile during the process of consolidation are significantly affected by the spatially varying Young's modulus. The mean value of the settlement of the spatially random soil is more than 100% greater than that of the deterministic case, and the surface settlement is subject to large uncertainty, which implies that consolidation settlement is difficult to predict accurately based on the conventional deterministic approach. The uncertainty of the settlement increases with the scale of fluctuation because of the averaging effect of spatial variability. The effects of spatial variability of saturated permeability k_sat and air entry parameters are much less significant than that of elastic modulus. The spatial variability of air entry value parameters affects the uncertainties of settlement and excess pore pressure mostly in the unsaturated zone. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于Ruger近似式预测裂缝型储层的可行性研究

叠前纵波方位各向异性检测裂缝是目前应用最为广泛的方法，该方法主要是利用AVAZ地震资料椭圆拟合的长轴与短轴信息来评价裂缝，该方法在具体应用时，认为裂缝型储层AVAZ响应特征的变化仅由各向异性参数决定，而没有考虑非各向异性参数的影响，从而引起裂缝评价的多解性。为提高该技术的裂缝评价精度，从模型分析入手，将模型中各向异性参数及岩性参数设置为概率密度分布函数，然后采用Monte Carlo随机方法进行叠前AVAZ正演模拟。首先，对各向异性参数对椭圆拟合的影响进行简单分析，得出各向异性参数γ对椭圆扁率B/A与各向异性因子B影响最大、δ次之、ε最小。然后，进一步重点分析不同标准差的速度与密度模型的B/A与B响应特征，得出地层的速度与密度的变化在较小范围内时，该技术评价裂缝才具有一定的可行性，其中，地层纵波和横波速度的变化（尤其是纵波速度）对叠前AVAZ响应影响较大，地层密度几乎没有影响，故当横向岩性变化较大时，该方法在评价裂缝型储层时的结果具有一定的不确定性。      

Comparison of two rainfall–runoff models: effects of conceptualization on water budget components

Rainfall–runoff models with different conceptual structures for the hydrological processes can be calibrated to effectively reproduce the hydrographs of the total runoff, while resulting in water budget components that are essentially different. This finding poses an open question on the reliability of rainfall–runoff models in reproducing hydrological components other than those used for calibration. In an effort to address this question, we use data from the Glafkos catchment in western Greece to calibrate and compare the ENNS model, a research-oriented lumped model developed for the river Enns in Austria developed for the river Enns in Austria, with the operational MIKE SHE model. Model performance is assessed in the light of the conceptual/structural differences of the modelled hydrological processes, using indices calculated independently for each year, rather than for the whole calibration period, since the former are stricter. We show that even small differences in the representation of hydrological processes may impact considerably on the water budget components that are not measured (i.e. not used for model calibration). From all water budget components, direct runoff exhibits the highest sensitivity to structural differences and related model parameters.

EDITOR M.C. Acreman

ASSOCIATE EDITOR S. Huang     

Probabilistic analysis of soil‐structure interaction effects on the seismic performance of structures

This paper revisits the phenomenon of dynamic soil‐structure interaction (SSI) with a probabilistic approach. For this purpose, a twofold objective is pursued. First, the effect of SSI on inelastic response of the structure is studied considering the prevailing uncertainties. Second, the consequence of practicing SSI provisions of the current seismic design codes on the structural performance is investigated in a probabilistic framework. The soil‐structure system is modeled by the sub‐structure method. The uncertainty in the properties of the soil and the structure is described by random variables that are input to this model. Monte Carlo sampling analysis is employed to compute the probability distribution of the ductility demand of the structure, which is selected as the metrics for the structural performance. In each sample, a randomly generated soil‐structure system is subjected to a randomly selected and scaled ground motion. To comprehensively model the uncertainty in the ground motion, a suite of 3269 records is employed. An extensive parametric study is conducted to cover a wide range of soil‐structure systems. The results reveal the probability that SSI increases the ductility demand of structures designed based on the conventional fixed‐based assumption but built on flexible soil in reality. The results also show it is highly probable that practicing SSI provisions of modern seismic codes increase the ductility demand of the structure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.