Main features of the sea-breeze in Barcelona

Summary From a data set of sea-breeze observations corresponding to cases of no synoptic-scale flow in Barcelona during the period 1970–89, some features of this wind have been deduced. Maximum velocities of between 6–14 m/s generally occur during 12–16 SLT. Diurnal evolution gives a clockwise rotation of sea breeze so that this wind blows roughly parallel to the shoreline in late afternoon. The rate of the change of direction is in agreement with numerical results from a simple nonlinear sea breeze model.With 7 FiguresThis work has been supported by the DGICYT, Project No. PB87-0718.     

Strong-motion accelerograph array in Santiago,Chile, and preliminary evaluation of site effects

A strong-motion accelerograph array in Santiago, Chile has been installed. One of the sites is located on rock and the other six sites are on soil ground with different surface geology, so that local site effects on ground motions can be studied. As a preliminary evaluation of the site effects, the spectral ratios of weak-motion records at soil sites with respect to the rock site are calculated. The spectral ratios show that the amplification of ground motions with respect to the rock site is approximately 1.25 on dense gravel deposits, 2.5 on stiff pumice ground and 3.5 on soft silt ground.     

Modified borehole jack method for elastic property determination in rocks

SummaryModified Borehole Jack Method for Elastic Property Determination in Rocks This paper describes a method of determining thein-situ elastic properties of rock masses with friction-strain gauges and a lengthened borehole jack.The method involves impressing tangentially-oriented friction gauges on opposite quadrants of a borehole wall, while the remaining quadrants are loaded by the borehole jack with a unidirectional self-equilibrating pair of forces. The tangential normal strains generated at the borehole wall are thus measured concurrently with the loading. To determine the modulus of the rock mass, equations were developed relating the measured tangential normal strains and the applied ram pressures.Several factors which may influence the interpretation of data were thoroughly analyzed. It was shown that variations in the pressure distribution and area of plate-wall contact have negligible effects on the accuracy of data interpretation. End effects were minimized by lengthening the jack and carrying out strain measurements at the central region only where stresses and strains are homogeneous and plane strain conditions exist.The new method has the same desirable mechanical and operational features as the well-known Goodman-Jack method. Most important, however, its theoretical basis is exact with no estimated coefficients required in the reduction of observed data. While the method requires an ideal elastic material, it has a number of other applications for in-situ measurements besides modulus determination. The modified method could be utilized for determining linearity, anisotropy, inhomogeneity, tensile strength and, with an additional operation, the in-situ stress field.

---

ZusammenfassungModifizierte Methode zur Bestimmung der elastischen Kenngröen von Fels mittels einer Bohrlochaufweitungssonde Es wird eine Methode zur Bestimmung der elastischen Kenngrößen von Fels aus In-situ-Versuchen mittels Reibungs-Dehn-meßstreifen und einer verlängerten Bohrlochaufweitungssonde beschrieben.Tangential orientierte Reibungsmeßstreifen werden an gegenüberliegenden Quadranten des Bohrloches angebracht, während die beiden anderen Quadranten mit der Bohrlochaufweitungssonde belastet werden, um Belastung und Verformung gleichzeitig zu messen. Gleichungen wurden entwickelt um daraus den Modul der Steinmasse zu bestimmen.Es wird gezeigt, daß eine ungleichmäßige Verteilung des Druckes und die Platten-Wand-Kontaktfläche einen unbedeuteten Einfluß auf die Exaktheit der Ergebnisse haben. Randeinflüsse wurden verringert, indem Messungen nur in der Mitte der Sonde ausgeführt wurden.Diese neue Methode hat dieselben Vorteile wie die bekannte Goodman-Jack Methode. Am wichtigsten ist aber, daß ihre theoretische Basis exakt ist. Obwohl die Methode nur in einem ideal elastischen Material anwendbar ist, kann sie außer für Modul-Bestimmung auch für andere In-situ-Messungen gebraucht werden, wie z. B. Linearität, Anisotropie, Inhomogenität, Zugfestigkeit und den primären Spannungszustand.

---

RésuméMéthode modifiée pour déterminer les repères élastiques de rochers par une sonde d'élargissement de trous de sonde Cet article décrit une méthode de mesure des propriétés élastiquesin-situ des masses rocheuses, à l'aide d'indicateurs de déformation à friction, et d'un vérin alongé pour trou de sondage.La méthode consiste à imprimer des indicateurs de déformation à friction sur les quadrants opposés de la paroie d'un trou de sondage, et à charger les deux autre quadrants avec deux forces de même direction qui s'équilibrent, utilisant le vérin pour trou de sondage. Les déformations tangentielles normales créées sur la paroie du trou de sondage sont ainsi mesurées avec la charge correspondante. Afin de pouvoir déterminer le module d'élasticité de la masse rocheuse on a développé les équations qui relient les déformations normales tangentielles mesurées aux pressions appliquées.On a analysé en detail plusieurs facteurs qui pourraient influencer l'interprétation des données. On a montré que des variations dans la distribution de la pression, et dans la surface de contact entre le piston et la paroie, ont un effet négligeable sur la précision de l'interprétation des données. Les effets d'extrémités ont été réduits au minimum en alongeant le piston, et en ne mesurant les déformations que dans la région centrale, où les contraintes et déformations sont homogènes et des conditions de deformation plane existent.La nouvelle méthode a les mêmes caractéristiques mécaniques et opérationnelles désirables que la méthode bien connue Goodman-Jack. Encore plus important est le fait que sa base théorique est exacte, et il n'est pas nécessaire d'utiliser des coefficients estimés pour réduire les résultats observés. Bien que la méthode exige un milieu élastique idéal, elle peut être utilisée pour des mesuresin-situ autres que les mesures du module d'élasticité. La méthode modifiée pourrait être utilisée pour déterminer la linéarité, l'anisotropie, le manque d'homogénéité, la résistance à la traction et, avec une opération supplémentaire, le champ des forcesin-situ.

---

---

With 6 Figures     

A spectral analysis of Iberian Peninsula monthly rainfall

Summary A spectral analysis of Iberian Peninsula monthly rainfall series was carried out. The data set consists of monthly precipitation records from 40 meteorological observatories over 74 years (1919–1992). The stations are representative of most of the Iberian Peninsula. The rainfall series were analyzed spatially by means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and temporally by means of the Multi-Taper Method (MTM) of spectral analysis of by Monte-Carlo Singular Spectrum Analysis (MCSSA). The PCA gave six dominant modes of variation which explain 75% of the variance with each component affecting a different region of the Peninsula. The spectral analysis showed 7 year oscillations for the dominant pattern and 2.7 and 16 years for the third pattern. The 7-year oscillation seems to be related to other climatic oscillations recorded in the northern hemisphere while the 2.7-year oscillation could be related to the ENSO phenomenon. Received July 18, 2000 Revised April 19, 2001     

Sediment community metabolism associated with continental shelf hypoxia, Northern Gulf of Mexico

Net fluxes of respiratory metabolites (O₂, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ^?, and NO₂ ^?) across the sediment-water interface were measured using in-situ benthic incubation chambers in the area of intermittent seasonal hypoxia associated with the Mississippi River plume. Sulfate reduction was measured in sediments incubated with trace levels of³⁵S-labeled sulfate. Heterotrophic remineralization, measured as nutrient regeneration, sediment community oxygen consumption (SOC), sulfate reduction, or DIC production, varied positively as a function of temperature. SOC was inversely related to oxygen concentration of the bottom water. The DIC fluxes were more than 2 times higher than SOC alone, under hypoxic conditions, suggesting that oxygen uptake alone cannot be used to estimate total community remineralization under conditions of low oxygen concentration in the water column. A carbon budget is constructed that compares sources, stocks, transformations, and sinks of carbon in the top meter of sediment. A comparison of remineralization processes within the sediments implicates sulfate reduction as most important, followed by aerobic respiration and denitrification. Bacteria accounted for more than 90% of the total community biomass, compared to the metazoan invertebrates, due presumably to hypoxic stress.     

Crustal Thermal Structure of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin Using Fourier and Continuous Wavelet Transforms: A Comparative Analysis Based on Different Magnetic Datasets

Surveys in Geophysics - In this work, we calculated the Curie Point Depth (CPD) for the Brazilian Equatorial Margin using the Fourier and continuous wavelet (CWT) transforms considering a linear...     

Bedrock bedding,landsliding and erosional budgets in the Central European Alps

We explore the controls of the litho‐tectonic architecture on the erosional flux in the 370‐km² Glogn basin (European Alps). In this basin, the bedding and schistosity of the bedrock dip parallel to the topographic slope on the NW valley flank, leading to a non‐dip slope situation on the opposite SE valley side. While the dip slope condition has promoted the occurrence of landslides (e.g. the c. 30‐km² deep‐seated Lumnezia landslide), the opposite non‐dip slope side of the valley hosts >100‐m‐deeply incised tributary streams. ¹⁰Be concentrations of stream sediments yield catchment‐averaged denudation rates that vary between 0.27 ± 0.03 and 2.19 ± 0.37 mm a^?1, while the spatially averaged denudation rate of the entire basin is 1.99 ± 0.34 mm a^?1. Our ¹⁰Be‐based approach reveals that the Lumnezia landslide front contributes c. 30–65% of the entire sediment budget, although it covers <5% of the Glogn basin. This suggests a primary control of the bedrock bedding on erosion rates and processes.     

The first meteorological observations at a tropical high elevation site: Antisana, 1846

Antisana is a stratovolcano with an associated glacier located in the Ecuadorian Andes. Dr Aguirre made meteorological readings every day, at every hour from sunrise to sunset, from December 1845 to December 1846, at Antisana using a meteorological station at 4060 mamsl (meters above mean sea level). Unfortunately, only the monthly average data have been preserved. These meteorological data are here studied and compared with the closest modern stations for monthly values of temperature, rainfall, and pressure. According to these comparisons, the year 1846 was rainy and cold in comparison with the current climate. Moreover, these observations have been useful to help resolve a debate about a possible El Niño event in 1846 with the high precipitation in Antisana and Quito in 1846 discarding the occurrence of an El Niño event. The probable occurrence of a La Niña event is discussed. These data are the earliest known systematic instrumental meteorological observations taken at above 4000 mamsl.     

Prospective scenarios for water quality and ecological status in Lake Sete Cidades (Portugal): The integration of mathematical modelling in decision processes

The design of alternative strategies for water and ecological quality protection at the Lake Verde of Sete Cidades should be coupled with the assessment of future trophic states. Therefore, a mathematical model was developed to make prospective scenarios to reduce the risk of environmental degradation of the lake, and a modified Psenner scheme was used to characterize P distribution in the sediments. The model was able to describe thermal stratification, nutrient cycling (P, NH₄ and NO₃), dissolved O₂, and phytoplankton dynamics in the water column and adjacent sediment layers. Internal P recycling, resulting from thermal stratification and sediment anoxia, was identified as the main cause for the increase of P concentration in the hypolimnion followed by slow transfer to the epilimnion (about 20 μg/L annual average). Cyanobacteria blooms during spring were explained by the availability of P and increased water temperature verified during this season. The most sensitive model parameter was sediment porosity. This parameter has a direct effect in dissolved O₂ and P profiles and also in phytoplankton biomass. Finally, different water quality restoration scenarios were identified and their effectiveness assessed. Without the adoption of remediation measures (scenario control), Lake Verde water quality would deteriorate with annual average concentrations of total P and phytoplankton biomass (dry matter) reaching 34 μg/L and 2 mg/L, respectively, after 10 years of simulation. The reduction of P loads (scenario PORAL) into the lake would improve water quality comparatively to the scenario control, reducing the annual average concentrations of total P from 34 μg/L to 26 μg/L and of phytoplankton from 2 mg/L down to 1.4 mg/L after 10 years of simulation. In scenario sediments, corresponding to a decrease in the organic content of the sediments, a reduction in the concentrations of total P and phytoplankton is expected in the first two years of simulation, but this effect, would be attenuated throughout the years due to organic matter sedimentation. The best strategy is obtained by combining external and internal measures for P remediation. Finally, it is recommended that the model be used to integrate the results of water quality monitoring and watershed management plans.     

Debris flow affecting the Cubatão Oil Refinery,Brazil

On February 6, 1994, a large debris flow developed because of intense rains in a 800-m-high mountain range called Serra do Cubatão, the local name for the Serra do Mar, located along the coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It affected the Presidente Bernardes Refinery, owned by Petrobrás, in Cubatão. The damages amounted to about US $40 million because of the muck cleaning, repairs, and 3-week interruption of the operations. This prompted Petrobrás to conduct studies, carried out by the authors, to develop protection works, which were done at a cost of approximately US $12 million. The paper describes the studies conducted on debris flow mechanics. A new criteria to define rainfall intensities that trigger debris flows is presented, as well as a correlation of slipped area with soil porosity and rain intensity. Also presented are (a) an actual grain size distribution of a deposited material, determined by laboratory and a large-scale field test, and (b) the size distribution of large boulders along the river bed. Based on theory, empirical experience and back-analysis of the events, the main parameters as the front velocity, the peak discharge and the volume of the transported sediments were determined in a rational basis for the design of the protection works. Finally, the paper describes the set of the protection works built, emphasizing their concept and function. They also included some low-cost innovative works.