Revisit of well function approximation and an easy graphical curve matching technique for Theis' solution

Some approximations of Theis' solution are reviewed and compared with the numerical evaluation of the exponential integral by means of a short FORTRAN code. A graphical technique of Theis' curve matching is proposed to make this procedure as easy as plotting a graph.     

Identification of anthropogenic radionuclides in the Song Hong (Red) and Song Da (Black) river basins of Vietnam

The concentration and distribution of U were measured in zircon samples separated from the streambed sediments collected at different sites along the rivers of northern Vietnam using semiconductor alpha spectrometry and alpha- and fission-track autoradiography. Based on the absolute U content and distribution, we distinguished two groups of zircon grains of different origin. Group 1 zircons have relatively low and uniform U contents ranging from 280 to 440 μg/g. Group 2 zircons are characterized by heterogeneous U distribution and U contents ranging from 490 to 2040μg/g. The determination of absolute alpha activity values and alpha spectrometric characteristics for a number of group 2 zircon grains indicated the presence of relatively short-lived alpha-emitters. These radionuclides are probably ²¹⁰Po, ²³²U, ²³⁶Pu, ²⁴¹Am, and ²⁴³Am, and all of them can originate exclusively from anthropogenic sources. A comparison of the observed alpha activity values for group 2 zircons with those of group 1 zircons and zircons separated from the suspended colloids in river water samples provided conclusive evidence for traces of anthropogenic radioactive contamination in the Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang, Thac Ba, Viet Tri, and Hanoi streams flowing in the Song Hong (Red) and Song Da (Black) river basins of northern Vietnam and sourced in the southern regions of the neighboring state.     

Kinetics of Fe(III) precipitation in aqueous solutions at pH 6.0-9.5 and 25 °C

The kinetics of Fe(III) precipitation in synthetic buffered waters have been investigated over the pH range 6.0-9.5 using a combination of visible spectrophotometry, ⁵⁵Fe radiometry combined with ion-pair solvent extraction of chelated iron and numerical modeling. The rate of precipitation, which is first order with respect to both dissolved and total inorganic ferric species, varies by nearly two orders of magnitude with a maximum rate constant of 16 ± 1.5 × 10⁶ M⁻¹ s⁻¹ at a pH of around 8.0. Our results support the existence of the dissolved neutral species, Fe(OH)₃⁰, and suggest that it is the dominant precursor in Fe(III) polymerization and subsequent precipitation at circumneutral pH. The intrinsic rate constant of precipitation of Fe(OH)₃⁰ was calculated to be allowing us to predict rates of Fe(III) precipitation in the pH range 6.0-9.5. The value of this rate constant, and the variation in the precipitation rate constant over the pH range considered, are consistent with a mechanism in which the kinetics of iron precipitation are controlled by rates of water exchange in dissolved iron hydrolysis species.     

Modeling complex aquifer systems: a case study in Baton Rouge,Louisiana (USA)

Hydrogeology Journal - This study targets two challenges in groundwater model development: grid generation and model calibration for aquifer systems that are fluvial in origin. Realistic...     

A novel hybrid integration model using support vector machines and random subspace for weather-triggered landslide susceptibility assessment in the Wuning area (China)

This study proposed a hybrid modeling approach using two methods, support vector machines and random subspace, to create a novel model named random subspace-based support vector machines (RSSVM) for assessing landslide susceptibility. The newly developed model was then tested in the Wuning area, China, to produce a landslide susceptibility map. With the purpose of achieving the objective of the study, a spatial dataset was initially constructed that includes a landslide inventory map consisting of 445 landslide regions. Then, various landslide-influencing factors were defined, including slope angle, aspect, altitude, topographic wetness index, stream power index, sediment transport index, soil, lithology, normalized difference vegetation index, land use, rainfall, distance to roads, distance to rivers, and distance to faults. Next, the result of the RSSVM model was validated using statistical index-based evaluations and the receiver operating characteristic curve approach. Then, to evaluate the performance of the suggested RSSVM model, a comparison analysis was performed to other existing approaches such as artificial neural network, Naïve Bayes (NB) and support vector machine (SVM). In general, the performance of the RSSVM model was better than the other models for spatial prediction of landslide susceptibility. The AUC results of the applied models are as follows: RSSVM (AUC = 0.857), followed by MLP (AUC = 0.823), SVM (AUC = 0.814) and NB (AUC = 0.783). The present study indicates that RSSVM can be used for landslide susceptibility evaluation, and the results are very useful for local governments and people living in the Wuning area.     

Soil erosion potential hotspot zone identification using machine learning and statistical approaches in eastern India

Natural Hazards - Land degradation is very severe in the subtropical monsoon-dominated region due to the uncertainty of rainfall in the long term, and most of the rainfall occurs with high...     

Evaluating simplified models in predicting global seismic responses of a shake table–test building isolated by triple friction pendulum bearings

This paper evaluates the ability of simplified superstructure models, including two shear frame models and a single-story model, in predicting global responses of a full-scale five-story steel moment-frame buildings isolated by triple friction pendulum bearings subjected to earthquake motions. The investigated responses include displacement of the isolation system, roof drift, story drift, and floor acceleration. Mechanical properties of the simplified superstructure models were derived from the modal information of a verified full 3-D model. The comparison between the analytical responses and experimental responses shows that the simplified models can well predict the displacement of the isolation system. Furthermore, the shear-frame models are adequate for predicting floor acceleration when the specimen is subjected to horizontal ground motions. However, when the specimen is subjected to 3-D motions, the shear-frame models un-conservatively predict floor acceleration. The full 3-D model improves the prediction of story drift compared with the simplified models for both horizontal and 3-D motions.