Seismic response of intake towers including dam–tower interaction

The seismic response of the intake–outlet towers has been widely analyzed in recent years. The usual models consider the hydrodynamic effects produced by the surrounding water and the interior water, characterizing the dynamic response of the tower–water–foundation–soil system. As a result of these works, simplified added mass models have been developed. However, in all previous models, the surrounding water is assumed to be of uniform depth and to have infinite extension. Consequently, the considered added mass is associated with only the pressures created by the displacements of the tower itself. For a real system, the intake tower is usually located in proximity to the dam and the dam pressures may influence the equivalent added mass. The objective of this paper is to investigate how the response of the tower is affected by the presence of the dam. A coupled three‐dimensional boundary element‐finite element model in the frequency domain is employed to analyze the tower–dam–reservoir interaction problem. In all cases, the system response is assumed to be linear, and the effect of the internal fluid and the soil–structure interaction effects are not considered. The results suggest that unexpected resonance amplifications can occur due to changes in the added mass for the tower as a result of the tower–dam–reservoir interaction. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thrust Ramp Geometry and Spurious Rotations of Paleomagnetic Vectors

Interaction of deformation axes during pure translation of a hanging-wall over a footwall composed by frontal and oblique ramps is carefully evaluated together with the evolution of associated paleomagnetic vectors. Four different cases are distinguished on the basis of the deflection on the paleomagnetic vectors when the bedding correction is applied during the restoration process. Two cases (frontal and oblique ramp without mutual interaction) do not produce any deflection. But two cases in the transition zone between both ramps will undergo non-coaxial axis of tilting during progressive deformation. One of them will produce spurious rotation if the bedding correction is applied. These errors will affect the oroclinal bending diagram as well as the fold test producing an apparent oroclinality and an apparent syn-folding magnetization respectively. A well-known geometry and kinematics of the thrust system is needed to properly restore the beds (and vectors) and to avoid the spurious rotations and its collateral effects in paleomagnetic investigations. A paleomagnetic study in the Pyrenean External Sierras is shown as an example. Primary Eocene vectors underwent a clockwise rotation (40° about) during the emplacement of the South Pyrenean sole thrust, however the Rasal-Gabardiella system of oblique ramps display spurious rotations ranging from –8° up to 13° if the inappropriate bedding correction is performed.     

Density and refractive index of binary CH4, N2 and CO2 ice mixtures

In this work we present the results of a series of laboratory experiments performed to obtain the density and the real part of the refractive index of binary mixtures of ices of astrophysical interest. Densities of CO₂:CH₄ mixtures obey the expected weighted mean and the other binary mixtures have densities up to 20% lower than expected. Refractive index for all the binary mixtures deviates up to 5% from the theoretical, obtaining higher values than expected for CO₂:CH₄ and lower values than predicted for CO₂:N₂ and CH₄:N₂.