The pole of the Mohr diagram

The pole of a Mohr diagram, for the two-dimensional case, is a unique point on the Mohr circle which permits any point on the Mohr circle to be related to the direction in the physical plane associated with that point. A Mohr diagram can be constructed for any second rank tensor. To illustrate the simplicity of this geometrical construction two examples of the use of the pole are presented, one for the strain tensor and the other for the stress tensor.     

The water balance of a small lake using stable isotopes and tritium

A small maar lake, known as the Blue Lake, set in a karstic region of southeastern Australia, provides the municipal water supply for a population of 20,000. The lake has a volume of 3.6·10⁷m³, of which 10–15% is pumped from it each year. The lake is recharged almost entirely from groundwater and the main objective of this study was to estimate the total groundwater inflow and outflow rates. Estimation of groundwater throughflow in a lake is difficult to assess using classical hydrological techniques and an alternative method involving measurement of the concentrations of the environmental isotopes ³H, ¹⁸O, ²H and ¹⁴C in the lake water and in the recharging groundwater was used to establish the lake-water balance. The water-balance calculations indicated a total groundwater inflow to Blue Lake of between 5.0·10⁶ and 6.5·10⁶m³yr.⁻¹, corresponding to a residence time of water in the lake of 6 yr. It was not possible to derive the relative proportions of inflow to the lake from the two possible source aquifers, using these isotopes, because their concentrations did not show a sufficiently large contrast to distinguish the two water sources.     

Efficient modal analysis for structures with soil-structure interaction

An efficient methodology is presented which uses modal analysis implemented in the frequency domain to obtain the structural response of a system with soil-structure interaction. The interaction effects are represented using a free-field ground motion modification factor, derived for each mode of vibration and used in the determination of structural response. Applying this algorithm, the advantages of the modal superposition method are fully exploited, and the interaction problem can be solved easily and effectively within the framework of the conventional frequency domain analysis for a fixed-base structure. In addition, this method produces accurate approximation with less computational effort due to consideration of only the first few vibration modes of the structure.     

Progress in defining the solar wind sputter rate on protoplanets and interplanetary matter

Solar wind sputtering of exposed surfaces in heliocentric orbits is considered for bodies ranging in size from planets down to micrometeoroids. Erosion rates derived from APOLLO sample lunar regolith studies are presented together with the results of computer modelling of surface topographical alteration in order to characterize the sputter erosion process on Solar System bodies bombarded by the solar wind. The consensus of recent measurements leads to a rate of between 0.025 to 0.045 Å yr^?1 near the lunar equator.     

Am improved source mechanism for the 1935 Timiskaming,Quebec earthquake from regional waveforms

The Timiskaming earthquake, which occurred near the Quebec-Ontario border at the northwest end of the Western Quebec seismic zone in 1935, is one of the five largest instrumentally recorded southeastern Canadian earthquakes. Previous studies of this earthquake concentrated on modeling teismograms recorded at regional distances, a better constrained focal mechanism is obtained. The waveforms indicate thrust faulting on a moderately dipping northwest striking plane at a depth of 10 km. TheM _w of 6.1 determined in this study is in good agreement with previous magnitude estimates (m _b 6.1,M _s 6.0, andm _bLg 6.2–6.3). The focal mechanism is similar to those of many recent small to moderate earthquakes in the region, and the inferred (from theP axis) acting stress of northeast compression is consistent with the overall eastern North American stress field. The Lake Timiskaming Rift Valley in which the earthquake occurred, comprises several northwest striking faults consistent with the strike of the 1935 event. Thus, the 1935 earthquake appears to be a result of faulting on the reactivated Timiskaming graben.     

Hydro-ecology of groundwater-dependent ecosystems: applying basic science to groundwater management

Abstract

Effective policies to protect groundwater-dependent ecosystems require robust methods to determine the environmental flows and levels required to support species and processes. Frameworks to support groundwater management must incorporate the relationships between hydrology and species and ecological processes. These hydro-ecological relationships can be used to develop quantitative, measurable thresholds that are sensitive to changes in groundwater quantity. Here we provide a case study from a group of fens in central Oregon, USA, that are used for cattle watering, but also support numerous sensitive species. We developed quantitative relationships between the position of the water table and wetland indicator plant species and the process of peat development, to propose groundwater withdrawal thresholds. A maximum depth to water table of –0.9 to –34.8 cm for fen plants and –16.6 to –32.2 cm for peat accretion can be tolerated in these wetlands. Defining hydro-ecological relationships as thresholds can support management decisions.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Aldous, A.R. and Bach, L.B., 2014. Hydro-ecology of groundwater-dependent ecosystems: applying basic science to groundwater management. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 530–544.     

Structural control considering soil–structure interaction effects

A discussion of the effects of Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) on the formulation of active structural control algorithms is presented. Two approaches for incorporating SSI effects in linear optimal control theory are developed: one which performs the control analysis on a structure with a fixed base and then considers the effects of SSI on the controlled structural response; and another which performs the control analysis using a structural equation of motion reformulated to include SSI effects. The two control formulations are studied and compared using a single-degree-of-freedom structure supported through a rigid foundation resting on a linear, elastic half-space. Results show that control effectiveness is affected by the approach used in formulating the equations of motion of the interacting system.     

Vibration control of cable-stayed bridges—part 1: modeling issues

The objective of the research presented here is to increase the understanding of how the complexities associated with modeling cable-stayed bridges, such as non-linear behaviour and the participation of highly coupled, high-order vibration modes in the overall dynamic response, affect the overall effectiveness of active control schemes. The 316-degree-of-freedom analytical model studied here is based on the Jindo Bridge located in South Korea. Computational considerations associated with control analyses require the size of the model to be significantly reduced, without loss of the important vibration characteristics and complexities. Three separate reduced-order modelling techniques for creating effective control models are studied here: the IRS method, the internal balancing method, and a modal reduction method. These methods are studied and compared on their ability to capture the complex dynamic response of cable-stayed bridges subjected to multiple-support excitation and their ability to create viable and computationally sound state-space models for control analyses. Results show that the modal reduction technique, because of the ability to select only those modes causing the largest force and displacement response, is most effective for control applications. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Clast exposure on boulder-covered desert slopes

Variation in the degree of clast exposure on stony desert slopes is examined in an area of northeast Jordan. Geological influences on the characteristics of stone mantles are modified by relative slope position. Observations that the nature of the surface stone cover changes downslope because of the transport and accumulation of the underlying substrate are confirmed by quantitative analysis. An elliptic function is described as a means of estimating relative clast exposure from simple field measurements of clast dimensions. There are no significant differences in mean clast exposure between the four main basalt lithologies of the study area, but a distinctive pattern of clast exposure catenas can be identified. Convex slopes maintain relatively high levels of clast exposure from crest to toe. About two-thirds of the variation in clast exposure is accounted for by lithology and four slope variables: relative relief, slope length, gradient and curvature. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.