Mapping thermal comfort in Iran based on geostatistical methods and bioclimatic indices

The cognition of thermal comfort plays a pivotal role in human life and activities. Recognizing thermal comfort based on climatic parameters is substantially significant. The main objective of the present study is to map thermal comfort using statistics from 43 meteorological stations, from 1970 to 2013. Initially, according to temperature and relative humidity, annual and seasonal thermal comfort conditions were mapped, and later bioclimatic human thermal comfort conditions in line with spatial factors were zoned based on bioclimatic indexes of Temperature Humidity Index (THI), effective temperature (ET) and Relative Strain Index (RSI). Among geostatistical methods, empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK) method with less RSME is more efficient. The annual distribution of temperature changes according to spatial factors of rugged topography and elevation, and latitude affects relative humidity. Thermal comfort in the northern and western half of Iran is higher than the southern and eastern areas of the country. Spatial factors of latitude and altitude reduce bioclimatic uniformity and create small areas with or without thermal comfort conditions. Bioclimatic indicators based on air temperature and relative humidity range of bioclimatic zones show. The results of ET and THI divide the whole country into six zones, from lack of thermal comfort to having thermal comfort conditions. Areas of southern strip as well as central and southeastern parts of the country do not have any human thermal comfort conditions in most of the year.     

Organic petrography of graptolite fragments from Turkey

The reflectance and bireflectance of graptolite fragments (Silurian-Ordovician) from southeast Turkey were examined and the morphology was described using reflected light microscopy. The dispersion of maximum and minimum reflectance of graptolites sectioned parallel and perpendicular to the bedding was also determined. The graptolites were anisotropic and the anisotropy was stronger for sections perpendicular to the bedding. The graptolite fragments show two types of surface morphology: granular and non-granular. The granular type had a rough surface and granular anisotropy, the non-granular fragments showed a smooth surface and basic anisotropy. The fine internal structure of graptolite was evident under crossed-polars. The reflectance of graptolite increased with depth and was higher than other organic material, e.g. bitumen, found in the same sediment. The present study indicates that the reflectance of graptolite in sediment can be used to determine the maturity of the dediment.     

The effects of the polytropic coefficient on plasma sheath in two cases isothermal and adiabatic ion thermal flow

Recently it has been shown that for finite and small values of the electron Debye length, the ion polytropic coefficient is approached to some constant value in the plasma sheath region by decreasing the plasma density. In this paper, using a plasma multi fluid model, the effect of ion polytropic coefficient γ _i on the plasma sheath structure have been examined. The numerical calculations of the basic equation of the model show that the polytropic coefficient strongly affects on the plasma sheath characteristics. The results show that by transition from an isothermal flow (γ _i =1) to an adiabatic flow (γ _i =3), the net current to the wall and the electric potential distribution increase and the sheath width decreases in a thermal plasma sheath.     

Petrology, depositional environment and utilization potential of Late Paleocene coals from the Obed-Marsh deposit, West-Central Alberta, Canada

The Obed-Marsh coal deposit is of Late Paleocene age, and contains over 200 million tons of subbituminous-B to high-volatile bituminous-C coal.Petrographic analysis of three sections from seams 1 and 2 reveals high amounts of huminite and relatively low amounts of liptinite and inertinite, with the exception of some intervals in both seems. The persistent high ratio of huminite to liptinite and inertinite indicates a relatively reducing environment, a feature also expressed by the relatively low inertinite content. Examination of the in-seam profiles also indicates undisturbed peat accumulation over long periods of time.The Obed coals, similar in rank and composition to the Hat Creek coals of British Columbia, formed in a freshwater environment and can be used as feedstock for combustion/gasification. Furthermore, the intervals rich in liptinite and petroleum-like substances may be utilized for liquefaction (hydrogenation).     

The lateral and vertical reflectance and petrological variation of a heat-affected bituminous coal seam from southeastern British Columbia, Canada

Thermally altered pods of coal of very high rank have been observed in a high-volatile-bituminous coal seam in the eastern side of Eagle Mountain, Elk Valley Coalfield, British Columbia. Rank changes have been measured over a strike distance of 7.5 m from 1.24% to 7.1% R_{o max}, corresponding to a rank gradient of 0.78% R_om⁻¹.Petrologically, unaltered to extremely altered vitrinite showing nongranular (basic) anisotropy, mosaic-textured liptinite and pyrolytic carbon are the most abundant components. The limited presence of mosaic on vitrinite is an indication that the coal seam may have been weathered prior to being heat-affected.Evidence points to localized temperatures as high as 1,000°C, which could have been caused by a lightning strike. The eastern side of Eagle Mountain has experienced higher temperatures than the western side, and it appears that the heat ‘front’ and zone of alteration have an irregular pattern, pointing to saturation of parts of the coal seam by water.Four types of pyrolytic carbon having distinct morphology, anisotrophy and optical path with increasing temperature were observed. Reflectance of pyrolytic carbon falls within the zone of heat-affected coals, whereas the optical path of heat-affected Seam 15 samples is different from that of fresh coal with increasing rank.Finally, the reflectance of vitrinite in heat-affected coal is higher than the reflectance of vitrinite in carbonaceous shale in the Seam 15 section.     

Thermal maturity and hydrocarbon potential of the sedimentary succession from the Hecla field in Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada

The thermal maturity and source-rock potential of the Upper Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sediments in the Hecla field, Melville Island, Arctic Canada, have been studied using reflected-light microscopy and Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Approximately 250 polished whole-rock samples were examined and their reflectance (% R₀, random) measured. In addition, approximately 100 samples were subjected to Rock-Eval/TOC analyses.Hydrogen-rich organic matter in the Schei Point Group sediments is dominated by alginite (Tasmanales), dinoflagellate cysts with minor amounts of sporinite, cutinite, resinite and liptodetrinite in an amorphous fluorescing matrix. Vitrinite reflectance in Cretaceous sediments ranges from 0.41 to 0.54%; in Jurassic sediments it ranges from 0.43 to 0.64% and in Triassic sediments from 0.50 to 0.65%. The Triassic Schei Point Group calcareous shales and marlstones contain organic matter mainly of marine origin, whereas the predominantly terrestially-derived organic matter present in the Jameson Bay (Lower Jurassic) and in the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Deer Bay formations have ower TOC. Only the Ringnes Formation has a TOC content of equivalent to or greater than Schei Point source rocks. Within the Schei Point Group, the Cape Richards and Eden Bay members of the Hoyle Bay Formation are slightly richer in TOC than the Murray Harbour Formation (Cape Caledonia Member). Higher average TOC contents (>3.0%) have been reported in the Cape Richards and Eden Bay members in almost all Hecla drillholes.Variations in the level of thermal maturity of Mesozoic sediments in the Hecla field are a function of burial depth. The stratigraphic succession thickens towards the main Sverdrup Basin depocentre located in a N-NE direction. The pattern of the isoreflectance contours at the top of the Triassic (Barrow Formation) is similar to that of formation boundary lines of the same formations, an indication that present-day maturation levels are largely controlled by basin subsidence.     

Probabilistic analysis of soil‐structure interaction effects on the seismic performance of structures

This paper revisits the phenomenon of dynamic soil‐structure interaction (SSI) with a probabilistic approach. For this purpose, a twofold objective is pursued. First, the effect of SSI on inelastic response of the structure is studied considering the prevailing uncertainties. Second, the consequence of practicing SSI provisions of the current seismic design codes on the structural performance is investigated in a probabilistic framework. The soil‐structure system is modeled by the sub‐structure method. The uncertainty in the properties of the soil and the structure is described by random variables that are input to this model. Monte Carlo sampling analysis is employed to compute the probability distribution of the ductility demand of the structure, which is selected as the metrics for the structural performance. In each sample, a randomly generated soil‐structure system is subjected to a randomly selected and scaled ground motion. To comprehensively model the uncertainty in the ground motion, a suite of 3269 records is employed. An extensive parametric study is conducted to cover a wide range of soil‐structure systems. The results reveal the probability that SSI increases the ductility demand of structures designed based on the conventional fixed‐based assumption but built on flexible soil in reality. The results also show it is highly probable that practicing SSI provisions of modern seismic codes increase the ductility demand of the structure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reflected light microscopy of chitinozoan fragments

Certain optical properties of some Silurian-Ordovician chitinozoans have been measured and their morphology described, using polished, block-mounted samples and polished thin sections. The chitinozoans were found to be optically isotropic and many fine details of their morphology were observed using reflected light microscopy. It has also proved possible to recognize chitinozoan fragments in sections made from kerogen concentrates and whole rock samples from early Palaeozoic sediments using reflected light microscopy, reflectance studies indicate their potential use as maturity indicators.