Horizontal and vertical components of earthquake ground motions at liquefiable sites

Field observations on ground motions from recent earthquakes imply that current knowledge is limited with regard to relating vertical and horizontal motions at liquefiable sites. This paper describes a study with the purpose of clarifying this emerging issue to some extent. A series of numerical analyses is carried out on a liquefiable soil deposit with a verified, fully coupled, nonlinear procedure. It is shown that the transformation of vertical motions in the deposit differs considerably from the transformation of horizontal motions. Both the amplitude and frequency content of the horizontal motions are strongly dependent on the shaking level or the associated nonlinear soil behavior. The transfer function for vertical motions is however likely to be independent of the intensity of input motions; no reduction in the amplitude occurs even in the case of strong shaking. The results are shown to be in consistence with the laboratory observations on shaking table tests and recent field observations that less nonlinearity exists for vertical motions. It is also shown that the possibility exists for using information on spectral ratios between the horizontal and vertical surface motions to quickly identify in situ soil behavior and liquefaction that are not readily covered by conventional field or laboratory experimentation procedures.     

The El Salvador earthquakes of January and February 2001: context, characteristics and implications for seismic risk

The small Central American republic of El Salvador has experienced, on average, one destructive earthquake per decade during the last hundred years. The latest events occurred on 13 January and 13 February 2001, with magnitudes M_w 7.7 and 6.6, respectively. The two events, which were of different tectonic origin, follow the patterns of the seismicity of the region although neither event has a known precedent in the earthquake catalogue in terms of size and location. The earthquakes caused damage to thousands of traditionally built houses and triggered hundreds of landslides, which were the main causes of fatalities. The earthquakes have clearly demonstrated trends of increasing seismic risk in El Salvador due to rapid population expansion in areas of high shaking and landslide hazard, exacerbated by deforestation and uncontrolled urbanisation. The institutional mechanisms required for the control of land use and building practice are very weak and present a major obstacle to risk mitigation.     

Spatial variation of seismic motion induced by propagation of body waves

Spatial variation of earthquake ground motion is an important phenomenon that cannot be ignored in the design and safety of strategic structures. Several models have been developed to describe this variation using statistical, mathematical or physical approaches. The latter approach is not specific to an event. A recent contribution, which uses such an approach and called complete stochastic deamplification approach (CSDA), was developed [1]. The aim of this paper is to analyze the spatial variation of earthquake motion induced by the propagation of body waves using the CSDA. Coherency functions are evaluated for the cases of SH–SV–P waves propagating through stratified soil. Results obtained show that the variation of the coherency function is not the same for vertical and horizontal components and that the motion is more coherent at depth than at the free surface. In fact, we found that the rate of decrease with frequency and distance is not the same if P–SV waves propagate through stratified soil.     

Seismic analysis of base-isolated liquid storage tanks using the BE–FE–BE coupling technique

A three-dimensional soil–structure–liquid interaction problem is numerically simulated in order to analyze the dynamic behavior of a base-isolated liquid storage tank subjected to seismic ground motion. A dynamic analysis of a liquid storage tank is carried out using a hybrid formulation, which combines the finite shell elements for structures and the boundary elements for liquid and soil. The system is composed of three parts: the liquid–structure interaction part, the soil–foundation interaction part, and the base-isolation part. In the liquid–structure interaction part, the tank structure is modeled using the finite elements and the liquid is modeled using the internal boundary elements, which satisfy the free surface boundary condition. In the soil–foundation interaction part, the foundation is modeled using the finite elements and the half-space soil media are modeled using the external boundary elements, which satisfy the radiation condition in the infinite domain. Finally, above two parts are connected with the base-isolation system to solve the system's behavior. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the developed method, and an earthquake response analysis is carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the developed technique. The properties of a real LNG tank located in the west coast of Korea are used. The effects of the ground and the base-isolation system on the behavior of the tank are analyzed.     

云南丽江地区断裂构造岩岩组动力学研究

丽江地区构造岩岩组动力学研究表明，研究区内中更新世末构造主压应力保持在北西至北西西方向变化；晚更新世中期之后构造主压应力方向则以北北东至北东方向为主变化，并有逐渐向近南北向转化的特点。因此玉龙雪山东麓断裂在中更新世末曾有过左旋压扭活动为主的历史，兼有左旋、右旋的活动过程，1996年2月3日丽江M7．0地震的破裂过程继承了晚更新世后期断裂的活动特点。     

关于全球板块运动模型ITRF2000VEL若干问题探讨

利用最新的国际地球自转服务（IERS）发布的国际地球参考架ITRF2000速度场，建立了一个独立于任何其它模型、安全基于现代空间大地测量实测结果的现今全球板块运动模型ITRF2000VEL，较百万年平均地质模型NNR－NUVELIA更能真正反映全球板块现今运动特征，相比ITRF96,晚接近于百万年地质模型NNR－NUVELIA，而且ITRF2000参考架在定向、原点和尺度的定义较ITRF96和ITRF97参考架有了改进，但ITRF200VEL模型存在诸多问题：总角动量|L|=0.127，即不为零，与协议参考架（CTRF）不符，存在整体旋转，并建立无旋转NNR－ITRF2000VEL模型，台站不均匀分布全球板块、部分板块界线不明确以及有的板块不满足刚性特征等，这些对ITRF2000的高精度应用和长期维持、地球自转参数的长期变化都将产生一定的影响。     

A DYNAMIC MODE FOR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLOOD/DROUGHT IN YANGTZE RIVER VALLEY AND LOW FREQUENCY WAVE ORIGINATED FROM TROPICAL SEA AREA

According to statistic analysis on sea surface temperature(SST)anomaly features in theNorth Pacific in winters and springs prior to the summer flood/drought in the middle and lowerreaches of the Yangtze River(hereafter referred to as MLRY),a strong signal SST key area thataffects local flood/drought is put forward,that is the equatorial eastern Pacific.The response ofgeneral circulation in the Northern Hemisphere to SST anomaly in the key area is furtherinvestigated. The low frequency wave train structure of correlation between the eastern PacificSST and the height at 500 hPa in the Northern Hemisphere is also studied,which reflects thedynamic features of teleresponse of local flood/drought at extratropics to tropical SST anomaly.Through introducing SST anomaly in the strong signal area in numerical experiments,the flood inYangtze River Valley is successfully simulated and the similar wave train pattern in the flow field isobtained too.Altogether,the physical picture and dynamic mode of the flood in the Yangtze RiverValley are described in this work.     

位移监测在滑坡时空运动研究中的应用

滑坡时空运动特征是滑坡地质体在内因和外因共同作用下，自一种状态向另一种状态转化的地质过程。滑坡位移监测是研究滑坡变形影响因素、动态规律及预测预报的主要途径，特别是滑坡深部位移监测，又为研究滑坡体的时空运动过程提供了重要信息。本文结合几个滑坡的深部位移监测实践，综合分析位移监测信息，研究滑坡体的时空运动特征及发展趋势，为滑坡时空运动系统研究及稳定性预测提供依据。     

A high-resolution diatom reconstruction between 21,000 and 17,4000 14C yr BP from the southern Bolivian Altiplano (18–23°S)

A diatom study of lacustrine sediments in the southern part of the Bolivian Altiplano (Salar of Coipasa) provides a continuous record of the period 21,000–17,500 ¹⁴C yr BP. Constrained by seven AMS ¹⁴C dates, this record provides evidence that the Coipasa basin was filled by a shallow body of water during this time. Diatom/salinity and diatom/ionic composition transfer functions indicate that the lake was saline, dominated by sodium-chloride throughout all the period.A comparison with regional data shows that Lake Titicaca could not have overflowed towards the southern Bolivian Altiplano at that time. As this dry phase was not registered in Lake Coipasa, this lake was probably supplied by winter precipitation originating from the Pacific. But, recent data from the deep basin of Lake Titicaca show that the lake-level was higher during this time interval, and the question arises whether precipitation from Atlantic and Amazonia sources could have played an important role on the Altiplano during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This hypothesis needs to match other available paleoclimatic data from the lowlands of tropical South America, where there is evidence that during the LGM, conditions were drier than today. Global climate simulations suggest a positive P-E on the Altiplano, due to a strong cooling, reducing evaporative demand more than any increase in precipitations. An increase of winter precipitation from the Pacific is in agreement with data from the Chilean coast showing a northward locations of the Westerlies during the LGM. This paleoclimatic hypothesis is also in agreement with a coupled ocean-atmosphere model, which indicates weaker summer precipitation and stronger winter precipitation in the tropical areas.     

CELLULOSE DECOMPOSTION IN TROPICAL PEAT SWAMPS

Given that organic soil is a complex substrate and there are many environmental factors which directly or indirectly control its decomposition processes, the use of standard substrate simplify the system in that the effect of substrate quality could be eliminated and influence of certain environmental conditions such as edaphic factors, acidity and moisture could be focused on. In addition to the forest floor, decomposition potential down the peat profile can also be examined. Cotton strip assay was used to estimate decomposition potentials in tropical peat swamp occupied by different Shorea Albida peat swamp forest communities, The 'Alan Batu' , the ' Alan Bunga' , the 'Alan Padang' and the ' mixed Alan' forest communities.Greatest decay rates on the peat surface took place during the wet period. The moist condition of the wet months appeared to favour the growth and stimulate activities of decomposer population and soil invertebrates. Generally, 50% of cotton tensile loss is achieved after four weeks