Cyclic triaxial tests on frozen sand

Strain-controlled cyclic triaxial tests were performed on a one-size silica (Ottawa) sand artificially frozen into 71.1-mm-diameter cylindrical samples. Ice-saturated samples with three different sand contents were tested under the following conditions: axial strains ranging from 3 × 10⁻³ to 3 X 10⁻²%, confining pressures from zero to 1.378 MPa, frequencies of 0.05–5.0 cps and temperatures from −1 to −10 °C.

Test equipment included (1) an MTS electrohydraulic closed-loop testing system which applies the load to the sample, (2) a triaxial cell completely immersed in a low-temperature coolant for temperature control, (3) a refrigeration unit for control of the coolant temperature and constant coolant circulation and (4) measuring devices including an LVDT and load cell, together with recording devices such as a digital multimeter, an oscilloscope, a strip-chart recorder and a minicomputer.

Test results indicate that the dynamic Young's modulus increases with increasing frequency, confining pressure and sand content, but decreases with increasing strain and temperature. The damping ratio decreases with increasing frequency, sand content and lower temperatures. The influence of confining pressures and axial strain on the damping ratio are less explicit for the ranges considered. The experimental results are compared with data from other sources.     

Alteration in CM carbonaceous chondrites inferred from modal and chemical variations in matrix

The modal abundance of matrix in CM chondrites appears to vary from 57–85 vol%. The concentrations of volatile elements that should occur in matrix remain approximately constant despite differences in the proportions of matrix, suggesting that the differing matrix contents may not be real primary variations but are optical effects due to aqueous alteration processes that make other petrologic components unrecognizable. Apparent matrix content can be used as a qualitative measure of the degree of alteration experienced by each CM chondrite. Fe/Si ratios in matrices decrease progressively with increasing alteration due to the formation of new phyllosilicate phases with higher Mg/Fe ratios and optically recognizable opaque minerals that are not counted as matrix. The aqueous alteration process in CM chondrites appears to have been largely isochemical if the bulk meteorites are considered as the reacting systems, although depletion patterns and isotopic anomalies indicate open-system behavior for a few highly mobile components.     

Laboratory experiments on the effects of crude oil on the Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata

Sub-lethal detrimental effects of Iranian crude oil were studied on the hermatypic coral Stylophora pistillata in a long term laboratory experiment. The experimental system consisted of four 1500 l. capacity tanks, two of which were periodically polluted. A significant decrease in the number of female gonads per polyp were recorded in 75% of the colonies in the polluted tanks. It is concluded that chronic-oil pollution damages the reproductive system of scleractinian corals.     

Effects of bottom sediments on the survival of Enterobacter aerogenes in seawater

The survival of the coliform bacterium Enterobacter aerogenes in seawater was greatly affected by the underlying bottom sediments. The presence of sediments which contained higher concentrations of organic nutrients than the overlaying seawater prolonged the survival and even enabled growth of the bacterial cells. Results obtained from chemical analysis indicated that sediments of fine-grained, silt-clay type contained highest amounts of organic nutrients as compared with sediments with larger particle sizes such as silt and sand grains. Thus, nutrient contents of the sediments were found to be inversely proportional to sediment particle size. The degree of prolonged survival of E. aerogenes was also found to be inversely proportional to the size of the sediment particles presented. Release of the bound nutrients which became available to cells of E. aerogenes from sediments by action of waves and human activities can explain, at least in part, why high counts of coliform bacteria are obtained in coastal and beach waters.     

Exploitation of the Gauribidanur array for seismic monitoring

The medium-aperture array at Gauribidanur is in continous operation since 1966. With the recent addition of a 12-bit 16-K computer its potential for the monitoring of underground explosions has improved considerably. The salient aspects of the monitoring system, the present and projected procedures for generation and dissemination of detection data and the long-term storage of data relevant to discrimination research are discussed. An attempt is also made to assess its detection efficiency in the light of the major features of site noise.     

Correlation of water quality parameters and products of exotech radiometer bands

In the analysis of water quality by remote sensing, it is widely reported, that, several parameters of water quality are correlated with the reflectances and the ratios of reflectances of the water body in different spectral bands. In this paper, it is shown empirically, that, the pairwise product of the reflectances in different bands is better correlated than the bands and their ratios. A possible explanation for this pnenomenon is also suggested.     

The grass-roots modernization in a Japanese Village

The critical role played by national or central direction in Japan's modernization is well recognized, but the role of rural Japan in the nation's modernizing process has not been adequately understood. Ways of life in rural Japan, or buraku, are usually viewed negatively, and considered stumbling blocks in the process of modernization. However, acloser analysis of Ryumon, an ordinary Japanese village in W Japan which successfully transformed its agricultural system to become a citrus specialty area, has revealed that the villages achieved a new way of life through many years of grass-roots effort in the context of buraku society. Clearly, buraku society must be examined more thoroughly before our understanding of Japan's process of modernization becomes complete.     

A study of the serpentinisation in the Vempalle dolomitic limestones near Pulivendala,Cuddapah District

The calcite-dolomite ratio of the Vempalle dolomitic limestones, serpentinised dolomitic limestones, and serpentines from the mineralised zone of the asbestos is determined by infrared spectroscopy. The ratio varies between 2 and 5·4 in the dolomitic limestones, between 1 and 1·5 in the serpentinised dolomitic limestones and it is taken as zero in the serpentines as both calcite and dolomite bands are absent in their infrared absorption spectra. The release of calcite during the serpentinisation is identified, which confirms the formation of serpentine.     

Air-sea interaction studies at the station occupied by R/V Sirius

The transfer formulas are used to compute hourly values of sensible and latent heat exchanges for the period July 29 to July 31, 1974. Also, values of eddy shearing stress at the sea surface, Bowen's ratio and dissipation of kinetic energy are computed. The data used cover part of the GATE period for station 20 occupied by the Brazilian Naval Ship R/V Sirius in the Equatorial Atlantic (0730 N 4000 W). The variations in the computed values are studied in relation to rainfall and the synoptic situation.