A framework for predicting abrasion rupture of crusts in wind erosion

Crusts play a crucial role in the reduction or control of wind erosion. In this regard, the resilience and durability of crusts are of prime importance. Crusts have high resilience and durability against wind flow shear stresses; however, they are prone to abrasion induced by saltating particles. Therefore, estimating crust durability in abrasion rupture has practical importance. In this study, a cyanocrust and a biocemented sand crust were subjected to a controlled flux of saltating particles for different sandblasting periods to provide a framework for predicting crust rupture. The velocity and pre- and post-collision energy of the saltating particles were measured using high-speed photography. The changes in the strength of the crusts after different periods of sandblasting were determined using a scratch test. The results suggested that the average strength of the cyanocrust and biocemented sand crust became 0.25 and 0.7 of their corresponding initial values after 30 min of sandblasting. Also, the average stiffness of the cyanocrust and biocemented sand crust decreased to 0.5 and 0.9 of their initial values, respectively. Furthermore, the amount of impact energy absorbed by the crusts increased by the deterioration of the crusts. Compiling the results of the wind tunnel experiment and scratch tests yielded an exponential equation which can be used to estimate crust durability in a given condition of saltation. Based on this equation, the cyanocrust and biocemented sand crust will break down entirely after 23 and 449 min, respectively, at a wind velocity of 6.8 m/s and a saltation flux of 1 g/s/m.     

Application of Landsat-8 and ASTER satellite remote sensing data for porphyry copper exploration: a case study from Shahr-e-Babak,Kerman, south of Iran

Abstract

The Shahr-e-Babak region located in the Kerman metallogenic belt is one of the high potential segments of Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc for porphyry copper and epithermal gold mineralization in the south of Iran. This high potential zone encompasses several porphyry copper deposits under exploitation, development and exploration stages. The aim of this study is to evaluate Landsat-8 data and comparison with the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer data-sets for mapping hydrothermal alteration zones related to Cenozoic magmatic intrusions in Shahr-e-Babak region. Previous studies have proven the robust application of ASTER in lithological mapping and mineral exploration; nonetheless, the Landsat-8 data have high capability to map and detect hydrothermal alteration zones associated with porphyry copper and epithermal gold mineralization. In this investigation, several band combinations and multiplications, developed selective principal component analysis and image transformations were developed for discriminating hydrothermal alteration zones associated with porphyry copper mineralization using Landsat-8 data.     

Refining the OSL age of the last earthquake on the Dheshir fault,Central Iran

In Central Iran there are several cities along the Dehshir fault, which have similar geological conditions to that of the city of Bam prior to the 2003 earthquake (Mw 6.5), during which more than 30,000 lives were lost. Optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) samples were collected from the Dehshir fault in order to place constraints on its seismic history. The single aliquot regenerative (SAR) dose measurement protocol on coarse grained quartz extracts was used for this study. This SAR protocol had to be optimized for the low OSL sensitivity by varying both the preheat temperatures and test doses used. Dose recovery tests showed that given laboratory dose could be successfully recovered. However, replicate palaeodose (D_e) data were scattered and consequently ages based on mean D_e's had large uncertainties. As this is thought to largely reflect poor bleaching conditions prior to sediment burial at the site, various statistical procedures were employed in conjunction with the stratigraphic knowledge of the site to try and extract more refined burial ages from the samples. From this the timing of the last earthquake was estimated around 2.0 ± 0.2 kyr. This refined age suggests that the earthquake catalogue of Iran is incomplete and more paleoseismological investigation is required to recognize and date the previous events of Dheshir fault.     

GIS integration of hydrogeological and geoelectrical data for groundwater potential modeling in the western part of greater Kushtia district of Bangladesh

Geographical Information System (GIS) has been used in this paper to delineate groundwater resources potential in the western part of greater Kushtia district of Bangladesh, where urgent attention for augmentation of irrigation water supply is required. Thematic maps of transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, specific yield, net recharge, aquifer thickness, surface water bodies, aquifer resistivity, overburden aquitard thickness and its resistivity have been prepared and assigned weight according to their relative importance using Analytical Hierarchical Process for the preparation of groundwater potential model. Since the values within each thematic map vary significantly, they are classified into various ranges or types and assigned ratings. Finally, the thematic maps are integrated using GIS to prepare the groundwater potential map for the study area in terms of Ground Water Potential Index (GWPI). The evolved map indicates that 22.51% of the study area have GWPI more than 0.70 and therefore, have excellent prospective for exploitation. About 69.12% of the area with GWPI ranging from 0.50 to 0.70 is also quite promising for groundwater abstraction, while the rest 8.37% area having GWPI below 0.50 indicates moderate potential. The obtained map of groundwater potential is found in good agreement with the yields of available pumping test data.     

Deriving preference order of post-mining land-uses through MLSA framework: application of an outranking technique

This study intends to take advantage of a previously developed framework for mined land suitability analysis (MLSA) consisted of economical, social, technical and mine site factors to achieve a partial and also a complete pre-order of feasible post-mining land-uses. Analysis by an outranking multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) technique, called PROMETHEE (preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation), was taken into consideration because of its clear advantages on the field of MLSA as compared with MADM ranking techniques. Application of the proposed approach on a mined land can be completed through some successive steps. First, performance of the MLSA attributes is scored locally by each individual decision maker (DM). Then the assigned performance scores are normalized and the deviation amplitudes of non-dominated alternatives are calculated. Weights of the attributes are calculated by another MADM technique namely, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in a separate procedure. Using the Gaussian preference function beside the weights, the preference indexes of the land-use alternatives are obtained. Calculation of the outgoing and entering flows of the alternatives and one by one comparison of these values will lead to partial pre-order of them and calculation of the net flows, will lead to a ranked preference for each land-use. At the final step, utilizing the PROMETHEE group decision support system which incorporates judgments of all the DMs, a consensual ranking can be derived. In this paper, preference order of post-mining land-uses for a hypothetical mined land has been derived according to judgments of one DM to reveal applicability of the proposed approach.     

Early Cretaceous <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neotrocholina</Emphasis> Reichel, 1956 from the Tirgan Formation,Kopet Dagh sedimentary basin,NE Iran: systematic and biometric interpretation

Neotrocholina Reichel, 1956 is one of the most important benthic foraminifera in Early Cretaceous. Some of the species of this genus are indexes in biostratigraphy especially for this interval (e.g., Neotrocholina friburgensis: Late Barremian–Early Aptian; Neotrocholina aptiensis: Early Aptian). In order to conduct accurate paleontological investigations, sampling from the carbonate units of the Tirgan Formation in Kopet Dagh sedimentary basin is done. According to the occurrence level in the studied stratigraphic sections as well as biometric interpretations, two species of this genus (N. friburgensis and Neotrocholina valdensis) are pointed out.     

THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEO-MORPHOLOGICAL MODELLING OF ESTUARINE WATERS

1 INTRODUCTION Estuaries and coastal zones have been used as means of navigation, disposal of waste material, fishing and many commercial and economic activities over the centuries. One of the most important phenomena in these regions is the suspended sediment transport, which may cause erosion and deposition, and hence changes in the estuarys morphology. In turn, such changes may lead to problems relating to navigation and estuarine management. When the bed boundary of an estuary change…     

Stiffness identification of two- and three-dimensional frames

Four widely used structural system identification methods are presented. Based on Bayesian estimation theory, two new formulae and their derivations are shown. Time domain responses of two frames when subjected to the ground motion of the El Centro earthquake are computed then transformed to the frequency domain. Frequencies and mode shapes of frames are extracted from Fourier spectra. Using these frequencies and mode shapes, a parametric study is conducted, and the system identification methods are compared and discussed. The importance of a prior analytical model on the rate of convergence of the revised parameters is investigated. Recommendations are given regarding the feasibility of each method for more accurate estimation. A model suitable for parameter identification of three-dimensional frames is presented. This model, with different identification methods, is used to estimate the parameters of a two-storey frame.     

An elastoplastic description of frictional destructuration in natural clays and shales

The existence of structuration in natural clays and shales is believed to change their stiffness, yielding, dilatancy and strength characteristics. These constitutive features are widely known to ultimately reunite with those of the reconstituted parent soil upon large straining. However, some experimental results show that such reunification may not occur in isotropic/one-dimensional compression, especially with regard to the critical state friction angle. This peculiar phenomenon has been barely addressed in constitutive models for natural geomaterials. Hence, the present study aims at introducing a structure-dependent critical state friction angle within the subloading yield framework. A new internal variable is introduced in the model of Nakai et al. (Soils Found 51(6):1149–1168, 2011) to capture subtle irreversible degradation of the structured critical state line which also serves as the threshold between contractive and dilatant volume changes. Additionally, a new evolution rule for the proposed destructuration factor is developed by considering important microstructural information revealed by discrete element method simulations. The proposed new modifications not only enhance the model capabilities in predicting bonding effects, but also enrich the classical stress-dilatancy equation by rendering it a function of void ratio, mean stress and the microstructural state. Model simulations of laboratory experimental tests on the Colorado shale as well as Bacinetto clay are presented in order to illustrate the improved predictive capabilities of the new model.     

A multifractal cross-correlation investigation into sensitivity and dependence of meteorological and hydrological droughts on precipitation and temperature

Natural Hazards - Several studies have been conducted on droughts, precipitation, and temperature, whereas none have addressed the underlying relationship between nonlinear dynamic properties and...