Parallel stretching lineations and fold axes oblique to a shear displacement direction—a model and observations

Spatial variations in shear strain rate are expected in ductile shear zones. Where the variation is a change in shear strain perpendicular to the displacement direction, the effect is to rotate the shear slip planes. This is a mechanism for giving a rotation of fold axes into parallelism with the slip and extension direction in a rock. If such a variation in shear strain affects rocks with a strong planar anisotropy it is possible to produce a fabric with an apparent stretching lineation parallel to fold axes, but both significantly oblique to the slip direction. A possible example of this is seen in strongly deformed quartz-mica schists from Syros, Greece, where a stretching lineation is seen parallel to fold hinges over a range of fold axes orientations of at least 40°.     

Thermodynamic and environmental consideration of advanced gas turbine cycles with reheat and recuperator

The role of gas turbine power plants in electrical energy production has been considerably increased in the last two to three decades. Various methods have been proposed to improve the performance of gas turbine cycles. In this research, two methods, a reheat cycle and a cycle with a reheat and a recuperator, were investigated and compared with a simple cycle. The main objective of this paper is to study the performance of an simple cycle and reheat cycle under actual conditions. In this regard, all processes are treated as actual, and in particular a relatively simple and reliable approach is used to predict the amount of cooling air. The results obtained on the basis of a model developed for this research show that reheating in the context of a realistic study may lead to an improvement both in efficiency and in specific net work using recuperator cause to decrease NOx emission.     

Mechanics of a sandy subsoil subjected to cyclic loadings

A simple model for compaction of a sand, that may be useful in various geotechnical applications is presented. The model has been formulated in terms of the cyclic stress and strain amplitudes. The compaction properties of a dry sand are characterized by a common compaction curve described by two coefficients. The second aim of this paper is to show some applications of the theory proposed. The attention has been restricted to the two extreme cases of practical importance, namely to the behaviour of a dry sand (or a saturated sand but in free draining conditions), and to the behaviour of saturated sand in undrained conditions. Some numerical algorithms showing how to deal with those problems are presented and illustrated on the following examples: settlement and pore pressure generation in a soil stratum subjected to an earthquake, settlement of a foundation, pore pressure generation and liquefaction in a sea-bed. The results obtained suggest that the model proposed, as well as a method of dealing with boundary value problems can serve as a useful tool for the analysis of a sandy subsoil subjected to cyclic loadings.     

Towards a budget approach to Pleistocene terraces: preliminary studies using the River Exe in South West England, UK

This paper presents a first approach to using a sediment budget methodology for paired terrace staircase sediments in SW England. Although a budget approach has become firmly established in Holocene fluvial studies, it has not been used in Pleistocene sequences due to the problems of temporal resolution, catchment changes and downstream loss from the system. However, this paper uses a budget approach in a paired non-glaciated basin, primarily as a method of interrogating the terrace record concerning the degree of reworking and new sediment input required to produce the reconstructed terrace sequences. In order to apply a budget approach a number of assumptions have to be made and these are justified in the paper. The results suggest that the Exe system can most parsimoniously be explained principally by the reworking of a Middle Pleistocene floodplain system with relatively little input of new resistant clasts required and a cascade-type model in geomorphological terms. Whilst this maybe partially a result of the specific geology of the catchment, it is likely to be representative of many Pleistocene terrace systems in NW Europe due to their litho-tectonic similarities. This cascade-type model of terrace formation has archaeological implications and sets the context for the Palaeolithic terrace record in the UK. Future work will involve the testing of this and similar budget models using a combination of landscape modelling and chronometric dating.     

Estimating the crush zone size under a cutting tool in coal

Summary As part of an effort to understand the mechanics of fine fragment formation in coal, which is important in studies of respirable dust due to mining, fracture toughness measurements and the strain energy density (SED) theory were applied to calculate the crush zone size under a cutting tool in coal. This zone is the major source of fine fragments in the 1 to 10 µm size range. The model used in these calculations is a boundary element program containing a failure criterion based on the SED theory. The boundary element program calculates linear elastic stresses at numerous points in the coal material ahead of a cutting bit. These stresses are then input to a subroutine called critical flaw length and orientation (CFLO) which uses the SED theory to determine the CFLO for a small crack at the boundary element stress computation point. The extent of crushing is based on earlier postulates about the role of inherent flaws in a fragmentation process. To form 1 to 10 µm fragments requires firstly a local stress strong enough to activate flaws with a characteristic length less than 1 to 10 µm and secondly, a flaw density sufficient to provide an average spacing between flaws also on the order of 1 to 10 µm. The locus of active 10 µm flaws represents the maximum possible extent of fine fragmentation in the 10 µm or less size range assuming that a sufficient inherent flaw density exists. The approach offers a first order approximation to the extent of crushing under a tool tip. The size and shape of the crush zone volume is affected by the attack angle and geometry of the tool.     

Relation Between Level Set and Truncated Pluri-Gaussian Methodologies for Facies Representation

Truncated Gaussian/pluri-Gaussian representations and level set representations are two methodologies for implicit representation that can be applied to large-scale subsurface structures. Identification of facies in a petroleum reservoir from dynamic well data is a common field of application for these representation methodologies. No comparison of the methodologies has appeared in the literature to date. The paper seeks to improve on this situation by comparing selected level set and truncated Gaussian/pluri-Gaussian representations in detail. Strong similarities are found, in the sense that every truncated Gaussian/pluri-Gaussian representation considered has a level set counterpart. Furthermore, the transition from a truncated Gaussian/pluri-Gaussian representation to the corresponding level set representation is easily accessible. In addition to the comparison aspect, this paper also introduces a novel level set representation—the hierarchical level set representation—that removes a difficulty present in existing level set representations in a shape estimation setting. It is shown that the hierarchical level set representation corresponds to a well-known truncated pluri-Gaussian representation.     

Evidence of recent warming in the north of Morocco from disturbed geothermal gradients

Thermal profiles in Morocco present a negative gradient in the first 60 to 150 m depth. The importance of this subsurface disturbance seems to represent a change of soil surface temperature rather than a lithological contrast or a circulation of fluid. This world-wide phenomenon is expressed in Morocco by a warming of approximately 1.5 to 3 °C over last 100 to 300 years. Particularly intensive deforestation in northeastern Morocco adds to climatic variations to give a more marked surface temperature anomaly.     

A feasible methodology for landslide susceptibility assessment in developing countries: A case-study of NW Nicaragua after Hurricane Mitch

In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch triggered a large number of landslides (mainly debris flows) in Honduras and Nicaragua, resulting in a high death toll and in considerable damage to property. In recent years, a number of risk assessment methodologies have been devised to mitigate natural disasters. However, due to scarcity of funds and lack of specialised personnel few of these methodologies are accessible to developing countries. To explore the potential application of relatively simple and affordable landslide susceptibility methodologies in such countries, we focused on a region in NW Nicaragua which was among the most severely hit during the Mitch event. Our study included (1) detailed field work to produce a high-resolution inventory landslide map at 1 : 10,000 scale, and (2) a selection of the relevant instability factors from a Terrain Units Map which had previously been generated in a project for rural development. Based on the combination of these two datasets and using GIS tools we developed a comparative analysis of failure-zones and terrain factors in an attempt to classify the land into zones according to the propensity to landslides triggered by heavy rainfalls. The resulting susceptibility map was validated by using a training and a test zone, providing results comparable to those reached in studies based in more sophisticated methodologies. Thus, we provide an example of a methodology which is simple enough to be fully comprehended by non-specialised technicians and which could be of help in landslide risk mitigation through implementation of non-structural measures, such as land planning or emergency measures.     

自适应滤波器

自适应滤波器是一个空间域的数字滤波器。它对不应作滤波处理的点不作滤波,使滤波过程对区域成分的畸变降到最小。它采用一元三点内插法作插值,使滤波公司简单,计算速度快而又能保证精度。判别局部成分的标志及滤波计算都只用局部成分前二个点及后三个点,因而边缘损失小。     

基于标准化降水指数的内蒙古地区干旱时空变化特征

利用内蒙古及周边地区70个气象站1951~2014年降水数据,采用标准化降水指数等方法,对内蒙古近64年气候干旱时空变化进行分析。结果表明:研究区近64年来除西部年际、春、秋、冬季,中部春、秋季及东部春、冬季气候趋于湿润外,其他均趋于干旱。中、东部年际、植(作)物生长期SPI在2001年和1990年左右发生突变,东部突变后趋于干旱并在2006年左右又发生明显转折后趋于湿润。西部在1960s干旱严重,中、东部在1990s至2000s干旱严重。西部年际SPI由西北向东南、东部由南向北干旱趋势速率呈阶梯状下降,中部干旱趋势速率较西、东部快;植(作)物生长期SPI空间变化与年际一致,但西、中部干旱趋势明显的区域有所扩大。     

An algorithm for the simulation of curvilinear plane-strain and axisymmetric hydraulic fractures with lag using the universal meshes

We present an algorithm to simulate curvilinear hydraulic fractures in plane strain and axisymmetry. We restrict our attention to sharp fractures propagating in an isotropic, linear elastic medium and driven by the injection of a laminar, Newtonian fluid governed by lubrication theory, and we require the existence of a finite lag region between the fluid front and the crack tip. The key novelty of our approach is in how we discretize the evolving crack and fluid domains: we utilize universal meshes (UMs), a technique to create conforming triangulations of a problem domain by only perturbing nodes of a universal background mesh in the vicinity of the boundary. In this way, we construct meshes, which conform to the crack and to the fluid front. This allows us to build standard piecewise linear finite element spaces and to monolithically solve the quasistatic hydraulic fracture problem for the displacement field in the rock and the pressure in the fluid. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithms through three examples: a convergence study in plane strain, a comparison with experiments in axisymmetry, and a novel case of a fracture in a narrow pay zone.     

Disaster resilience in a flood-impacted rural Australian town

This paper reports exploratory research conducted in a flood-impacted rural Australian town to identify the factors which residents perceived as supporting community resilience to disaster. There is a gap in this research area centred in the Australian disaster context. Since Australia is predicted to be highly impacted by the effects of climate change in the form of an increased incidence of flooding, an urgent need exists to examine the factors that confer resilience to disaster-impacted localities to inform suitable disaster mitigation and adaptation policies for the future. Because of the complexity of community resilience and its interrelationship with individual resilience, a multi-method approach was used: a demographic study to assess community stability and functioning before and after the flood disaster, focus group interviews to obtain from community members their views on what supported them and their community resilience and a survey to generalise the interview findings. Our operating hypothesis was that individuals remaining in the town post-flood were likely to be resilient to the flood disaster. The demographic study results pointed to a resilient community after the floods as they reflected stability in population numbers and socio-economic indicators. The interviews and survey showed that individual resilience was promoted by social connectedness and a sense of place, a factor that was also negatively linked to the desire to relocate from the community. The use of structural equation modelling of our results provided verification of prior research findings about the role of sense of place in supporting individuals’ resilience. Results are discussed in the context of future climate change adaptation policy.     

Modeling approaches and strategies for data-scarce aquifers: example of the Dar es Salaam aquifer in Tanzania

Management of groundwater resources can be improved by using groundwater models to perform risk analyses and to improve development strategies, but a lack of extensive basic data often limits the implementation of sophisticated models. Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is an example of a city where increasing groundwater use in a Pleistocene aquifer is causing groundwater-related problems such as saline intrusion along the coastline, lowering of water-table levels, and contamination of pumping wells. The lack of a water-level monitoring network introduces a problem for basic data collection and model calibration and validation. As a replacement, local water-supply wells were used for measuring groundwater depth, and well-top heights were estimated from a regional digital elevation model to recalculate water depths to hydraulic heads. These were used to draw a regional piezometric map. Hydraulic parameters were estimated from short-time pumping tests in the local wells, but variation in hydraulic conductivity was attributed to uncertainty in well characteristics (information often unavailable) and not to aquifer heterogeneity. A MODFLOW model was calibrated with a homogeneous hydraulic conductivity field and a sensitivity analysis between the conductivity and aquifer recharge showed that average annual recharge will likely be in the range 80–100 mm/year.     

Quasistatic propagation of a normal fault: A fracture mechanics model

We have carried out boundary element calculations to simulate quasistatic propagation of a normal fault in the earth's crust under a horizontal tensile loading. Byerlee's frictional law is employed to describe the mechanical behavior of the fault surface. We hypothesize that in order for a normal fault to grow quasistatically, the mixed-mode effective shear stress intensity factor must exceed a threshold value (fracture toughness), a crustal material property. We suggest that the fault grows in a direction of local maximum shear stress. The direction of fault propagation thus depends on the ratio of tensile and shear stress intensity factors. A listric normal fault is likely to form in crustal material with a small shear fracture toughness. A listric normal fault is also more likely to form in crustal material with a high degree of plasticity.The propagation trajectory of an incrementally growing normal fault is examined. As the normal fault extends to a greater depth, the shear stress intensity factor drops, owing to an increase in fault surface friction. The equilibrium depth to which a normal fault will grow is controlled by the far field loading and the fracture mechanical property of the crustal material. The decrease of shear stress intensity with fault length also stabilizes the fault growth.     

Assessing building vulnerability to tsunami using the PTVA-3 model: A case study of Chabahar Bay,Iran

Chabahar Bay, in southeastern Iran, lies at the north of the Gulf of Oman and close to the Makran Subduction Zone, which makes it a region that is susceptible to tsunamis. This bay has an increasingly important role in Iran’s international trade, and therefore the assessment of the regional vulnerability to the effects of a tsunami is vital. Based on both the details of historical events and the results of numerical modeling of the propagation pattern of a tsunami in this region, this study assessed the vulnerability of buildings within the Chabahar Bay region to a tsunami event. The Papathoma Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment (PTVA) model was used to calculate a relative vulnerability index (RVI) for the affected buildings based on their physical and structural characteristics. The results showed that in a postulated worst-case-scenario tsunami event in the Chabahar Bay area, approximately 60 % of the residential buildings would be affected, a level of damage that is categorized as “Average” in the RVI classification. Overall, the economic losses related to the damage of residential buildings due to a tsunami in the Chabahar Bay area are anticipated to be the equivalent of US$ 16.5 million.     

Stochastic Structural Modeling

A consistent stochastic model for faults and horizons is described. The faults are represented as a parametric invertible deformation operator. The faults may truncate each other. The horizons are modeled as correlated Gaussian fields and are represented in a grid. Petrophysical variables may be modeled in a reservoir before faulting in order to describe the juxtaposition effect of the faulting. It is possible to condition the realization on petrophysics, horizons, and fault plane observations in wells in addition to seismic data. The transmissibility in the fault plane may also be included in the model. Four different methods to integrate the fault and horizon models in a common model is described. The method is illustrated on an example from a real petroleum field with 18 interpreted faults that are handled stochastically.     

Contrasting patterns of precipitation seasonality during the Holocene in the south‐ and north‐central Mediterranean

Pollen‐based quantitative estimates of seasonal precipitation from Lake Pergusa and lake‐level data from Lake Preola in Sicily (southern Italy) allow three successive periods to be distinguished within the Holocene: an early Holocene period before ca. 9800 cal a BP with rather dry climate conditions in winter and summer, a mid‐Holocene period between ca. 9800 and 4500 cal a BP with maximum winter and summer wetness, and a late Holocene period after 4500 cal a BP with declining winter and summer wetness. This evolution observed in the south‐central Mediterranean shows strong similarities to that recognized in the eastern Mediterranean. But, it contrasts with that reconstructed in north‐central Italy, where the mid‐Holocene appears to be characterized by a winter (summer) precipitation maximum (minimum), while the late Holocene coincided with a decrease (increase) in winter (summer) precipitation. Maximum precipitation at ca. 10 000–4500 cal a BP may have resulted from (i) increased local convection in response to a Holocene insolation maximum at 10 000 cal a BP and then (ii) the gradual weakening of the Hadley cell activity, which allowed the winter rainy westerlies to reach the Mediterranean area more frequently. After 4500 cal a BP, changes in precipitation seasonality may reflect non‐linear responses to orbitally driven insolation decrease in addition to seasonal and inter‐hemispheric changes of insolation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.