Horizontal Pressure Research Articles

The impact of vertical and horizontal pressures on policy diffusion: evidence from APLS adoption in China

This study examines the diffusion of governmental self-regulation policy, specifically the Administrative Power List System (APLS) in China, which has received less focus than economic or social policies within horizontal and vertical pressure frameworks. By employing event history analysis and case studies, the research compares local government adoption behavior before and after the central intervention. The findings reveal that, in the absence of strong central directives, local governments are often reluctant to replicate neighboring policies, as they strive for distinctiveness in their innovations. However, once the central government issues mandates, local governments quickly adapt and implement practices observed elsewhere. The study also highlights significant vertical influences from provincial and county governments. During the exploration stage, top-down pressure from provincial governments enhances municipal adoption, although this influence is eventually surpassed by central mandates. Bottom-up learning from county-level pilot programs significantly improves adoption efficiency, especially when local governments face pressure for rapid implementation. This study contributes to the policy diffusion literature by analyzing the diffusion of governmental self-regulation policy and highlighting the mixed impacts of horizontal and vertical pressures on policy learning and adoption, with central intervention playing a crucial role.

Transient Phenomena of Inviscid Accretion Gasradiation Slim Disc in A Gravitational Potential after Adiabatic Perturbations of the Velocities

The formalisms for the analysis of the dynamics of slim inviscid accretion discs in a (also, non-Newtonian) gravitational potential are here developped; the role of the horizontal pressure and that of the entropy gradients are to be characterised. The adiabatic perturbations of the velocity are studied: the paradigms of the Lagrangian perturbations of the velocity are implemented. The perturbations of the slim disc is studied in the Lagrangean formalism of adiabatic perturbations of the velocities. The new conditions on the Eulerian variation of the gravitational potential are outlined. The equations of the transient phenomena are written.

Dynamic signatures: a mathematical approach to analysis

Abstract This study evaluates mathematical tools (principal component analysis, dynamic time warping, and the Kolmogorov–Smirnov hypothesis test) to analyse global and local data from dynamic signatures to reduce subjectivity and increase the reproducibility of handwriting examination using a two-step approach. A data set composed of 1800 genuine signature samples, 870 simulated signatures, and 60 disguises (30 formally similar or ‘autosimulated’ and 30 random but different from usual) provided by 30 volunteers was collected. The first step involved global data analysis using principal component analysis and a hypothesis test performed for 62 global characteristics, and associations of these characteristics were analysed through calculations of multivariate distance followed by a hypothesis test. The second step involved the analysis of local characteristics including vertical and horizontal positions, speed, pressure gradient, acceleration, and jerk point-to-point, by using dynamic time warping followed by a hypothesis test. Optimization of sensitivity and specificity metrics of the hypothesis test was explored by varying its stringency and observing accuracy rates for the simulated and genuine groups. A P-value threshold of 1 × 10−10 was found to be optimal, making the test more restrictive and yielding accuracy rates of 96.7% for genuine global data and 88.9% for simulated data. The same cutoff value for local characteristics provided an average accuracy rate of 95.4% for genuine samples and 94.7% for simulated samples, demonstrating high accuracy for both simulated and genuine samples. However, the method did not offer reasonable accuracy rates for disguises, consistent with observations in traditional handwriting examination. Our approach provided satisfactory results for forensic examination use. The visualization of graphs and signatures and analysis of all identifying elements of handwriting by the examining expert are still essential. In future studies, we plan to perform blind tests to validate our approach and propose a rigorous methodology.

Analytical Mini-Review of Different Sheet Pile Configuration Utilization for Dam Seepage Reduction and Applications on Iraqi Dams

Abstract Seepage is one of the main causes of dams and some other hydraulic structures' failure. Water movement beneath the dam’s base creates piping and uplift pressure under the structure, potentially leading to improper dam operation. This current study focuses on the utilization of a special technique to restrict the transfer of movement water via soil which includes sheet piles under the dam foundation. Sheet pile walls are interlocking pile segments that are embedded in soil to resist horizontal pressure, classified as a flexible retaining system, and capable of tolerating relatively large deformations. Sheet piles are made of various materials, such as wood, concrete, steel, and aluminum, which are suitable for different applications. The role of seepage can be affected by the cutoff utilization. In this study, some Iraqi dam issues due to seepage are explained, also the geological stratum beneath the dam is briefly discussed. the potential use of sheet piles with different configurations has been reviewed to detect the optimum situation for seepage parameters reduction based on their numbers, interval distances, inclinations, and places. Keywords: Seepage, sheet piles, impermeable foundation, Iraqi dams’ issues, and geological stratum.

Turbulent mixed convection in vertical and horizontal channels

Turbulent shear flows driven by a combination of a pressure gradient and buoyancy forcing are investigated using direct numerical simulations. Specifically, we consider the set-up of a differentially heated vertical channel subject to a Poiseuille-like horizontal pressure gradient. We explore the response of the system to its three control parameters: the Grashof number $Gr$ , the Prandtl number $Pr$ , and the Reynolds number $Re$ of the pressure-driven flow. From these input parameters, the relative strength of buoyancy driving to the pressure gradient can be quantified by the Richardson number $Ri=Gr/Re^2$ . We compare the response of the mixed vertical convection configuration to that of mixed Rayleigh–Bénard convection, and find a nearly identical behaviour, including an increase in wall friction at higher $Gr$ , and a drop in the heat flux relative to natural convection for $Ri=O(1)$ . This closely matched response is despite vastly different flow structures in the systems. No large-scale organisation is visible in visualisations of mixed vertical convection – an observation that is confirmed quantitatively by spectral analysis. This analysis, combined with a statistical description of the wall heat flux, highlights how moderate shear suppresses the growth of small-scale plumes and reduces the likelihood of extreme events in the local wall heat flux. Vice versa, starting from a pure shear flow, the addition of thermal driving enhances the drag due to the emission of thermal plumes.

Insight into the seismic response of gravity retaining walls

An extensive study of gravity walls subjected to strong seismic excitation is presented, exploring the role of parameters such as the width of wall, the type of excitation (idealised wavelets or recorded accelerograms), the peak ground acceleration (PGA), the dominant period (TP) of the wavelets, the accelerogram’s polarity and the coefficient of friction of the wall–soil interface. The retaining and foundation soil consists of dry sand layers modeled by a refined constitutive model. Appropriate interface elements, allowing separation and sliding, model the wall–soil interface. Results are presented mainly in terms of time-histories and dimensionless soil pressure distributions. Both horizontal and vertical seismic soil pressures are explored and compared with the classical Mononobe-Okabe–type and Rankine–type pseudostatic analytical solutions. It is shown that reduced acceleration coefficients must be input in such solutions to obtain reasonable results.

Effect of Isotropic and Anisotropic Permeability on Gas Production Behavior of Site NGHP-01-10D in Krishna-Godavari Basin

This study reports an investigation into both isotropic and anisotropic permeability effects on gas production behavior during depressurization-induced natural gas hydrate dissociation at site NGHP-01-10D in the Krishna-Godavari basin. Numerical simulations were performed on a reservoir-scale model incorporating a single vertical well, examining different scenarios of permeability ratios (rrz). The investigation assessed gas and water production rates, cumulative production volumes, the gas-to-water ratio, and the spatial distribution of reservoir parameters throughout a production duration of 3 years. The findings indicate that permeability anisotropy has a substantial impact on hydrate dissociation and gas recovery. For rrz > 1, horizontal pressure propagation was promoted and gas production increased. For example, at t = 1100 days, the total gas production improved from 7.88 × 105 ST m3 for rrz = 1 to 55.9 × 105 ST m3 for rrz = 10. For rrz < 1, vertical pressure propagation resulted in higher water production with concomitantly lower rates of gas production rates. Spatial distribution analysis revealed that higher rrz values led to more extensive radial propagation of pressure drop, temperature decrease, gas saturation increase, and hydrate dissociation. The study concludes that higher horizontal permeability enhances depressurization effects, resulting in higher gas production rates and more favorable gas-to-water ratios.

Calibration of the UBC3D-PLM soil model from Dilatometer Marchetti Test (DMT) for the liquefaction behaviour and cyclic resistance ratio (CRR) of sandy soils

Seismic liquefaction is one of the most devastating natural hazards that can cause significant damage to structures and infrastructure. The liquefaction behaviour is simulated in the finite element code PLAXIS by the UBC3D-PLM constitutive model that is 3-D generalized formulation of the 2-D UBCSAND model developed at the University of British Colombia. The UBC3D-PLM model used in this work was successfully employed in many recent studies, e.g. to evaluate the liquefaction effects on the seismic soil–structure interaction, to assess the dynamic behaviour of earthen embankments built on liquefiable soil and to investigate the seismic performance of offshore foundations. Moreover, UBC3D-PLM model involves many input parameters to model the onset of the liquefaction phenomenon. Therefore, their determination becomes a crucial concern. Previous studies elaborated a specific formulation that requires the corrected Standard Penetration Test (SPT) blow counts as input. However, the Dilatometer Marchetti Test (DMT), compared to the SPT, is more sensitive to several factors that affect the liquefaction resistance such as aging, stress history, overconsolidation and horizontal earth pressure. For this reason, a new parameter selection procedure, which uses the horizontal stress index derived from DMT, was developed in this study.The new relationships were applied for determining the initial parameters of the UBC3D-PLM model to describe the behavior of several liquefiable deposits located in eastern Sicily (Italy) that experienced destructive earthquakes in the past. For each site, the model was calibrated to the DMT-based liquefaction triggering curve, developed by combining DMT correlations with the current method based on SPT test, by the simulation of cyclic direct simple shear tests (CDSS). Finally, CDSS tests were performed by means of the CDSS device at the Soil Dynamics and Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory of the University “Kore” of Enna (Italy). This allowed to validate the applicability of the proposed procedure in simulating the liquefaction behavior of sandy soils.

Prediction of Sand Production from Poorly Consolidated Formations Using Artificial Neural Network: A Case Study, Nahr Umr Formation in Subba Oil Field

Sand production in poorly consolidated formations is a significant challenge to the oil and gas industry, resulting in reduced production and compromised equipment integrity. The oil and gas industry has recently become interested in data analytics because it has significantly simplified, accelerated, and reduced the cost of data visualization. The intriguing new approaches in artificial intelligence development promise to offer long-term solutions to the increasing problems affecting the petroleum industry's operations. Any completion operation in sandstone formations is based on determining whether or not a well will produce sand. It is economically unfavorable to the Nahr Umr Formation to install sand control equipment for wells that don't produce sand. This study aims to create an efficient and precise artificial neural network that can predict sanding in sandstone formations. To achieve this, we developed a two-layered ANN with a back-propagation algorithm using JMP software. The model formulation included various geological and mechanical factors that could impact sand detachment, such as Young’s modulus (YME), Poisson’s ratio, minimum and maximum horizontal stresses (SHMIN and SHMAX), pore pressure, shale volume, and formation strength. The study acquired data from both local fields, specifically the Amarah oilfield, and non-local fields from the literature. Two sets were created from the data: a training set comprising 75% of the data, and a test set comprising 25% of the data, both of which were classified. The speed and accuracy of a learning process in an Artificial Neural Network depends on the size of the data set, the number of hidden layers, and the input parameters. The statistical measures such as accuracy, confusion matrix, root mean square error, and generalized RSquare demonstrate the strong efficacy of the created Artificial Neural Network model. The results indicate a significant likelihood of sand production occurring over the perforation intervals across Su-4 and Su-5 wells. The method's unique feature is its ability to isolate shale areas and identify weak areas capable of producing sand in sandstone formations. In conclusion, it is determined that an Artificial Neural Network employing the back-propagation algorithm is a simple, reliable, and easy-to-use method for accurately predicting sand production.

Settling of two rigidly connected spheres

Laboratory experiments and particle-resolved simulations are employed to investigate the settling dynamics of a pair of rigidly connected spherical particles of unequal size. They yield a detailed picture of the transient evolution and the terminal values of the aggregate's orientation angle and its settling and drift velocities as functions of the aspect ratio and the Galileo number $Ga$ , which denotes the ratio of buoyancy and viscous forces acting on the aggregate. At low to moderate values of $Ga$ , the aggregate's orientation and velocity converge to their terminal values monotonically, whereas for higher $Ga$ -values the aggregate tends to undergo a more complex motion. If the aggregate assumes an asymmetric terminal orientation, it displays a non-zero terminal drift velocity. For diameter ratios much larger than one and small $Ga$ , the terminal orientation of the aggregate becomes approximately vertical, whereas when $Ga$ is sufficiently large for flow separation to occur, the aggregate orients itself such that the smaller sphere is located at the separation line. Empirical scaling laws are obtained for the terminal settling velocity and orientation angle as functions of the aspect ratio and $Ga$ for diameter ratios from 1 to 4 and particle-to-fluid density ratios from 1.3 to 5. An analysis of the accompanying flow field shows the formation of vortical structures exhibiting complex topologies in the aggregate's wake, and indicates the formation of a horizontal pressure gradient across the larger sphere, which represents the main reason for the emergence of the drift velocity.

Dynamic Response Analysis and Liquefaction Potential Evaluation of Riverbed Induced by Tidal Bore

Tidal bores, defined by sudden upstream surges of tidal water in estuaries, exert significant hydrodynamic forces on riverbeds, leading to complex sedimentary responses. This study examines the dynamic response and liquefaction potential of riverbeds subjected to tidal bores in macro-tidal estuaries. An analytical model, developed using the generalized Biot theory and integral transform methods, evaluates the dynamic behavior of riverbed sediments. Key factors such as permeability, saturation, and sediment properties are analyzed for their influence on momentary liquefaction. The results indicate that fine sand reduces liquefaction risk by facilitating pore water discharge, while silt soil increases sediment instability. Additionally, the study reveals that pressure gradients induced by tidal bores can trigger momentary liquefaction, with the maximum liquefaction depth predicted based on horizontal pressure gradients being five times that predicted based on vertical pressure gradients. This research highlights the critical role of sediment characteristics in riverbed stability, providing a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between tidal bores and riverbed dynamics. The findings contribute to the development of predictive models and guidelines for managing the risks of tidal bore-induced liquefaction in coastal and estuarine environments.

Large Eddy Simulation of Cross‐Shore Hydrodynamics Under Random Waves in the Inner Surf and Swash Zones

AbstractA 3D large eddy simulation coupled with a free surface tracking scheme was used to simulate cross‐shore hydrodynamics as observed in a large wave flume experiment. The primary objective was to enhance the understanding of wave‐backwash interactions and the implications for observed morphodynamics. Two simulation cases were carried out to elucidate key processes of wave‐backwash interactions across two distinct stages: berm erosion and sandbar formation, during the early portion of a modeled storm. The major difference between the two cases was the bathymetry: one featuring a berm without a sandbar (Case I), and the other, featuring a sandbar without a berm (Case II) at similar water depth. Good agreement (overall Willmott's index of agreement greater than 0.8) between simulations and measured data in free surface elevation, wave spectrum, and flow velocities validated the model skill. The findings indicated that the bottom shear stress, represented by the Shields parameter, was significant in both cases, potentially contributing substantial sediment transport. Notably, the occurrence of intense wave‐backwash interactions were more frequent in the absence of a sandbar. These intense wave‐backwash interactions resulted in a pronounced horizontal pressure gradient, quantified by high Sleath parameters, exceeding the criteria for momentary bed failure. Additionally, a more vigorous turbulence‐bed interaction, characterized by near‐bed turbulent kinetic energy, was observed in the case lacking a sandbar, potentially augmenting sediment suspension. These insights are pivotal in understanding the mechanisms underlying berm erosion and how sandbar formation serves to protect further beach erosion.

End Connectors Stress Analysis for Horizontal Pressure Vessel

The gas and oil industry extensively utilizes horizontal pressure vessels to store its primary sources. These vessels are designed to withstand high levels of pressure and to release contents in a controlled manner. Although the sphere-shaped storage container is widely regarded as a better-engineered structure, the ease of manufacturing makes horizontal pressure vessels the preferred choice. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of stress distribution in horizontal pressure vessels with various end connections, including hemispherical, ellipsoidal, flat head, and tori-spherical configurations. The study involves analytical and finite element analysis (FEA) to compare the stress distribution across these above-mentioned end connections. Key vessel dimensions, such as internal diameter, vessel thickness, and end connections, have been determined through analytical design. A detailed structural analysis aided in determining which among the different end connectors is best suitable for industry usage.

Experimental study of dam-break-like tsunami loads on vertical structures with overhanging horizontal slabs: Slab with air chamber

Tsunamis pose a significant threat to coastal engineering. A comprehensive physical experiment was conducted to examine the effect of air chambers on vertical structures with overhanging horizontal slabs under tsunami bores. This paper, serving as the second part of the series, contrasts with conditions without air chambers (flat slab as Part I) to underscore the chamber's effects. The experiment employed dam-break waves to simulate tsunamis, and the collected pressure data and experimental images were analyzed. Results show that the chambers restrict water flow, thereby enhancing the impact on the slab. This focusing effect greatly increases both maximum uplift and horizontal pressure (by almost 1.3 times). The uplift pressure rises with increasing chamber volume, while horizontal pressure escalates with greater beam volume. However, both pressures diminish as slab height increases. Water flowing into the chambers disperses air, generating numerous bubbles that accumulate above, forming an air layer that reduces pressure signal fluctuations. This phenomenon of entrained and trapped air is compared and analyzed with existing literature. The maximum pressure of the nearshore air chamber is greater than that of the offshore air chamber by 13% (3.68 kPa vs. 3.27 kPa), while the quasi-steady pressures of the two are almost equal. Differences in pressure between chambers result from the sequence of water flow impacts and reflections. New design envelope equations and conversion coefficients are proposed based on experimental data. The focusing coefficient, considering bore height, slab height, and chamber parameters, is summarized. Novel equations for estimating pressure on a flat slab with specific chambers are proposed, with validation results indicating high accuracy.

Unprecedented monsoon precipitation over southwest Pakistan in 2022: Regional processes in moistening the climatological heat low

AbstractDuring the 2022 Asian summer monsoon, the climatological driest parts of Sindh and Balochistan provinces in southwestern Pakistan and the northern Arabian Sea (regions of climatological heat low, HLOW) experienced unprecedented precipitation (>500% of the normal) whereas precipitation was reduced from the Indo‐Gangetic Plain to the tropical western Pacific. Our working hypothesis is that the weakened large‐scale monsoon is a direct response to tropical sea‐surface temperature: wave responses that develop in response to changes in diabatic heating anomalies over the regional precipitation centers within the Asian monsoon intensify and transition HLOW into an anomalous moist low. To validate the hypothesis, process‐oriented diagnostics are applied to European Centre of Medium‐range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis v5 (ERA5), and numerical experiments are performed with a linear atmospheric general circulation model. Model solutions confirm that the weakened large‐scale monsoon, essentially a linear response, is determined by persistent warm sea‐surface temperature and enhanced precipitation anomalies over the equatorial and southeastern Indian Ocean–Maritime Continent, and Rossby waves emanating from there, and from continental India, deepen the HLOW. Concomitantly, as a Rossby wave response to negative precipitation anomalies over the northern Bay of Bengal and Indochina during June, and their poleward migration during July–August, positive height anomalies develop and intensify over northern India. The resultant horizontal pressure gradient between HLOW and northern India drives concentrated low‐level wind anomalies that are efficient in advecting the strongest climatological moisture gradient to precondition the lower troposphere during June, and in determining the unprecedented precipitation during July–August when the seasonal cycle prevails over HLOW. Model sensitivity to horizontal moisture advection confirms ERA5 diagnostics. Nearly identical tropical forcing and large‐scale weakened monsoon responses are observed during 2010 and 2020. In these years, diagnostics identify subtle changes in latitudinal position of negative precipitation anomalies over the Bay of Bengal and Indo‐Gangetic Plain that lead to lesser contribution by horizontal moisture advection, resulting in weaker positive precipitation anomalies over southwest Pakistan.

A Study on the Factors Controlling the Kinematics of a Reactivated and Slow-Moving Landslide in the Eastern Liguria Region (NW Italy) through the Integration of Automatic Geotechnical Sensors

This paper deals with the investigation of factors influencing the movement patterns of a reactivated slow-moving landslide situated in the eastern Liguria region (NW Italy) through the analysis of extensive ground-based hydrological and geotechnical monitoring data. Subsurface horizontal displacement and pore water pressure data were acquired simultaneously by means of automatic sensors positioned at pre-existing and localized failure zones. The joint examination of field measurements enabled us to explore the connections between rain, pore water pressure, and displacements. The results of continuous displacement monitoring showed that the landslide kinematics involved phases of extremely slow movements alternated with periods of relative inactivity. Both stages occurred prevalently at seasonal scale displaying similar durations. The slow-motion phases took place at relatively constant pore water pressure and were ascribed to mechanisms of viscous shear displacements along failure surfaces. Inactive phases entailed no significant deformations, mostly corresponding to prolonged dry periods. The two motion patterns were interrupted by episodic sharp deformations triggered by delayed (preparation periods from 4 to 11 days) rainfall-induced pore water pressure peaks, which were ascribed to sliding mechanisms taking place through rigid-plastic frictional behaviour. During these deformation events, hysteresis relationships between pore water pressure and displacement were found, revealing far more complex hydro-mechanical behaviour.

Hydraulic fracture characterization of debris-rich ice hole for polar geological drilling based on Peridynamics

Polar geological drilling is crucial to investigating the earth's environment and climate evolution. Hydraulic fracturing occurs around the ice holes when drilling into the complex debris-rich ice before entering the bedrock. Based on the nonlocal theory, the ice-debris structure is considered in the stability of the borehole wall, and a peridynamics model is developed to explore fracture initiation and propagation characteristics around the debris-rich ice hole. The integrated equation describes the mechanical behavior of ice holes, and the continuous and discontinuous spaces are described uniformly around debris-rich ice holes, avoiding the singularity of local continuum mechanics at the interface and crack tip. In this paper, the separation behavior of the interface is simulated between ice and debris. The cracking propagation process, the influence of debris size and shape, and horizontal pressure are analyzed. The results show that at a hydraulic pressure of 4.0 MPa, 8 radial cracks are initiated from the wall of the ice hole containing circular and elliptical debris, with the final crack volume of 0.66% and 1.40%, respectively. The cracks near the hole wall propagate a circumferential direction after turning or branching, leading to peeling in the ice hole containing elliptical debris with inclination angles of 30° and 60°. Hydraulic pressure balances stress distribution around debris-rich holes when horizontal pressure ranges from 1.2 to 2.4 MPa. When drilling into debris-rich ice formations at different debris and horizontal pressures, it is imperative to adjust promptly the density of drilling fluid. This adjustment aims to regulate the hydraulic pressure within the hole, minimize crack distribution, and ensure safe access to bedrock for coring.

Climatology and circulation conditions of potential foehn occurrence in the Polish Tatra Mountains

AbstractFoehn wind occurrence has generated great interest among researchers because of the destructive power and impact on the local climate. Based on anemometric data provided by a high-mountain station on Kasprowy Wierch in the Polish Tatra Mountains, the characteristics of the potential occurrence of foehn wind (referred to as halny in the Polish Tatras) are presented, including its speed and duration, as well as the frequency of occurrence on a multiannual, annual and daily basis. Halny winds occur most frequently in the cold period of the year (Oct–Feb), with the frequency peaking in November, and sporadically in the summer. The occurrence of foehn winds is strongly dependent on the synoptic situation. Therefore, the main aim of the study was to identify the circulation conditions conducive to their occurrence on the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains. Circulation conditions responsible for foehn formation were analysed using gridded sea level pressure (SLP) data from the NCEP-DOE (National Centers for Environmental Prediction-Department of Energy) reanalyses. The occurrence of foehn wind in the Tatra Mountains is associated with a low pressure system over north-western Europe, and above normal pressure over south-eastern Europe. The location and intensity of the centres of atmospheric influence on foehn days can vary, as indicated by the three types of pressure systems favouring the occurrence of the phenomenon, distinguished by the hierarchical grouping method. In type 1, the cyclonic centre spreads over northern Europe, in type 2 over western Europe and in type 3 over north-western Europe. In types 1 and 3, the air masses come from the south-west, and in type 2 more from the south. Type 3 is characterised by the greatest horizontal pressure gradients among the three circulation types and with the greatest SLP anomalies.

Impact of decreasing land–sea horizontal pressure gradient on the lightning activity over western India

AbstractWith future global warming projections, how lightning activity changes in the warmer world is still a debated and challenging question. During the Indian pre‐monsoon season (March–May), land surface heating and moisture availability due to prevailing winds from the neighbouring oceans provide favourable conditions for thunderstorm formation. Based on 24 years of lightning data from 2000 to 2023 detected by Lightning Imaging Sensor/Optical Transient Detector (LIS/OTD) and Indian Lightning Location Network (ILLN), the trend of lightning flashes over western India (15°–22°N, 72.5°–81°E) has been investigated. Our results demonstrate a steady decline in lightning activity during the pre‐monsoon season over western India, which contradicts the previous studies suggesting an increasing lightning trend over the Indian Subcontinent and other parts of the world. Our analysis has shown a falling trend of lightning activity at a rate of −0.066 flashes·km−2 year−1 from 2000 to 2013 (LIS/OTD) and −0.14 M flashes·year−1 from 2014 to 2023 (ILLN). Our observation and previous research strongly suggested that the pressure difference between the land and the neighbouring oceans during pre‐monsoon and monsoon has been weakening for a long time over the Indian region, and we have found a consistent reduction in wind speed over the study region. Here, we propose that the enhanced Indian Ocean warming potentially weakens the land–sea thermal contrast and, thereby, reduces the horizontal pressure gradient. Further, the decreasing trend in the land–sea horizontal pressure gradient resulted in a declining rate of wind speed over western India, affecting moisture transport over land. Thus, the study emphasizes the impact of the decreased land–sea horizontal pressure gradient on declining lighting activity in western India.

A triggering mechanism of quasi-stationary convective bands in the vicinity of southwestern Japan during the summer season as deduced from moisture origins

To find a plausible initiation mechanism of quasi-stationary convective bands (QSCBs) that lead to disasters, we investigated an extreme heavy precipitation event in Kyushu, southwestern Japan, in the middle of August 2021, using a regional spectral model incorporated with isotopic tracers aided by a water-tagging method. In the synoptic environment, the horizontal pressure gradient at low levels between an eastward-migrating Baiu frontal depression (BFD) and the North Pacific subtropical high (NPSH) is intensified to the south of a synoptic-scale front. To the south of the front, QSCBs also lie from the East China Sea to inland Kyushu. We confirm that the merging of the Asian monsoon moisture and the NPSH moisture creates a deep moist layer reaching middle levels from the surface in the vicinity of the QSCBs, providing an extremely unstable condition. Although such an unstable condition is indispensable for the maintenance of the QSCBs, an initiation mechanism is required that accounts for why the QSCBs emerge around the oceanic region where the two primary moisture merges; that appears to be the Ekman pumping mechanism. The strong boundary layer inflow of the NPSH moisture origin enhances the convective instability to the south of the QSCBs. Since the horizontal pressure gradient is attenuated in the vicinity of the BFD's center, on the contrary, the boundary layer flow north of the QSCBs decelerates rapidly, giving rise to upwelling due to the Ekman convergence. The persistent upwelling estimated in this event can lift the air of the Ekman layer up to a few hundred meters in a few hours, allowing it to readily reach the level of free convection. It is reasonable to conjecture that the persistent upwelling triggers the release of enhanced convective instability, leading to the formation of QSCBs. Continuous merging of the two remote moisture origins under the pronounced horizontal pressure gradient will further contribute to the reinforcement of the QSCBs.