Some investigations to quantify hysteresis associated with water retention behaviour of fine-grained soils

The soil water retention characteristics curve (SWRC) has been reported to be quite useful for estimation of unsaturated soil properties. However, the uniqueness of SWRC is questionable due to hysteresis associated with the drying- and wetting-path SWRCs and this poses great challenge in utilising the SWRC for reliable estimation of unsaturated soil properties. Although hysteresis associated with SWRCs has been extensively studied for coarse-grained soils, due to limited studies on wetting-path SWRC for fine-grained soils, the hysteresis for fine-grained soils is not well understood. The present work attempts to address this gap, by studying the drying- and wetting-path SWRCs for eight different fine-grained soils by employing Dew point Potentiameter (WP4C®), Environmental Chamber and Controlled Water Sprinkling method. The study employs the concept of ‘Suction Hysteresis’, ψ_h, for quantification of hysteresis. Further, the influence of various soil-specific properties on the variation of ψ_h-water content relationship (viz., slope of variation of suction hysteresis, S_ψh) has also been studied and demonstrated. The findings of the study are quite encouraging and it has been realised that extensive studies on soils of different characteristics would be quite useful in quantifying the variation of SWRC during drying and wetting cycles.     

Water retention characteristics of swelling clays in different compaction states

The soil–water retention (SWR) characteristics of the clays play an important role in controlling their engineering behaviour, particularly, in the unsaturated state. Although, researchers have attempted to understand the water retention characteristics of the clays in their reconstituted or remoulded state, such studies are rare for the clays in their intact state. In this context, it becomes important to understand the influence of initial state of compaction, which would create different pore and fabric structure (viz., microstructure), on the water retention characteristics of the clays. With this in view, SWR behaviour was experimentally determined for the swelling clays (dried from different compaction states, viz., intact, reconstituted and remoulded) by employing Dewpoint PotentiaMeter (WP4C®). The changes in the pore size distribution of the clays at different stages of drying cycle were also studied by employing the Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry. The study reveals that the SWR curves for the intact and reconstituted specimens of the clays converge beyond a certain stage of drying. Also, a critical analysis of changes in the pore structure of the swelling clay specimens, during drying, indicates that the progressively deforming pore structure plays an important role in controlling its water retention characteristics to a great extent.     

Landslide vulnerability mapping using frequency ratio model: a geospatial approach in Bodi-Bodimettu Ghat section, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India

This research paper assesses the vulnerability of landslide for the Bodi-Bodimettu Ghat section, Theni district, Tamil Nadu, India, using remotely sensed data and geographic information system (GIS). Landslide database was generated using IRS-1C satellite LISS III data and aerial photographs accompanied by field investigations using differential global positioning system to generate a landslide inventory map. Topographical, spatial, and field data were processed to construct the spatial thematic layers using image processing and GIS environment. Twelve landslide-inducing factors were used for landslide vulnerability analysis: elevation, slope, aspect, plan curvature, profile curvature, proximity to road, drainage and lineament, land use/land cover, geology, geomorphology, and run-off. The first five factors were derived from digital elevation model, and other thematic layers were prepared from spatial database. Frequency ratio of each factor was computed using the above thematic factors with past landslide locations. Landslide vulnerability map was produced using raster analysis. The landslide vulnerability map was classified into five zones: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. The model is validated using the relative landslide density index (R-index method). The consistency of R-index indicates good performance of the vulnerability map.     

Storm surge vulnerability along Chennai–Cuddalore coast due to a severe cyclone THANE

A very severe cyclonic storm ‘Thane’ developed over the Bay of Bengal during 25–30 December 2011, crossed the Tamilnadu coast between Pondicherry and Cuddalore (southeast coast of India) in early hours of 30 December with a wind speed 120–140 km/h. The offshore tide record reveals that the surge started to generate around 1100 hours on 29 December 2011 with a height 0.4 m and later raised to 0.68 m at the time of land fall, that is, early hours (0000 hours) of 30 December 2011. Field reconnaissance survey on surge run-up and inundation distance at 15 selected locations of cyclone affected areas reveals that the vulnerability levels are highly variable along the coast. The inundation distance extended up to 30–230 m landward from the shoreline and run-up reached to 1.6–3.2 m above chart datum depending upon the cross-shore geometry of the location. In the areas (Verranampattinam, Chinamudaliyar kuppam and Silver beach) near cyclone landfall, the run-up was up to 2.5–3.2 m and the inundation distance extended up to a maximum of 230 m. However, in the areas located about 150 km north of cyclone landfall, the run-up limited from 1.6 to 1.7 m and the inundation distance extended up to only a maximum of 169 m. The inundation distance is mainly influenced by the slope of the beach. In the areas having beach slope between 1 in 135 and 1 in 220, the inundation distance was 210–230 m. However, in the areas having beach slope 1 in 17 to 1 in 34, the inundation distance is restricted between 35 and 50 m.     

Organic and organometallic compounds in estuarine sediments from the Gulf of Mexico (1993–1994)

Sediment samples from 281 estuarine sites in the Gulf of Mexico were collected in 1993–1994 and analyzed for several classes of organic and organometallic compounds as part of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were the contaminant class found most frequently and in the highest concentrations; the sum of 24 congeners (ΣPAHs) ranged from <5 ng g^?1 to 15.500 ng g^?1 (dry wt basis). A low percentage of samples (3.9%) exceeded 2000 ng g^?1 ΣPAHs, and only six samples (2.1%) exceeded 4000 ng g^?1, a level above which adverse biological effects may be expected to occur. Less than 4% of sediments exceeded 20 ng g^?1 for the sum of 20 polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCBs) and only four samples (1.4%) exceeded 20 ng g^?1 for the sum of several organochlorine pesticides (ΣOCPs). A sample from Freeport Harbor, Texas, contained 4230 ng g^?1 ΣPAHs, 322 ng g^?1 ΣPCBs, and 49.6 ng g^?1 ΣOCPs. Tributyltin exceeded 100 ng g^?1 in only four samples, all of which were from stations in Corpus Christi Bay or Galveston Bay in Texas. The detection of a suite of organophosphate pesticides was very rare and did not exceed 15 ng g^?1. Sediments from the tidally influenced section of the Mississippi River in Louisiana contained low to moderate levels of all classes of organic compounds. The most contaminated sites were in urban estuaries (e.g., Corpus Christi, Galveston, and Pensacola (Florida bays), underscoring the need to concentrate future monitoring and assessment efforts at the regional and local level.     

Temperature depression in the lowland tropics in glacial times

Equatorial air temperatures at low elevations in the New World tropics are shown by pollen and other data to have been significantly lowered in long intervals of the last glaciation. These new data show that long recognized evidence for cooling at high elevations in the tropics were symptomatic of general tropical cooling and that they did not require appeal to altered lapse rates or other special mechanisms to be made to conform with conclusions that equatorial sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were scarcely changed in glacial times. The new data should be read in conjunction with recent findings that Caribbean (SSTs) were lowered in the order of 5 ° C, contrary to previous interpretations. Thus these accumulating data show that low latitudes as well as high were cooled in glaciations. In part the earlier failure to find evidence of low elevation cooling in the lowland tropics resulted from the data being masked by strong signals for aridity given by old lake levels in parts of Africa and elsewhere. Global circulation models used to predict future effects of greenhouse warming must also be able to simulate the significant cooling of the large tropical land masses at glacial times with reduced greenhouse gas concentrations. Plants and animals of the Amazon forest and similar ecosystems are able to survive in wide ranges of temperatures, CO₂ concentrations, and disturbance, though associations change constantly.     

Active control of building seismic response by energy dissipation

Active energy dissipation is proved to be very effective for abating seismic effects on buildings. The implementation of this concept in seismic design of buildings is studied by response simulations of a single storey building subjected to earthquake motion. Active energy dissipaters can be installed as part of the building lateral load bracing, and they regulate the strength and stiffness of the bracing during the building's response to the seismic events. The energy is dissipated when the bracing load exceeds the axial strength provided by the dissipater, and the bracing telescopes in and out. The design parameters of active energy dissipaters are described using the simulated response of a single storey building to ground pulse and harmonic ground excitation. The feasibility of the energy dissipater is demonstrated by the development and construction of a full-scale prototype device called an Active Slip Bracing Device (ASBD). The device utilizes Coulomb friction. The active characteristics are implemented by a computer controlled clamping mechanism on the friction interface. The ASBD's control of the strength and stiffness is investigated.     

Dibenzofurans a greater global pollutant than dioxins ? : Evidence from analyses of open ocean killer whale

Three specimens of killer whales (Orcinus orca), an open ocean carnivore, were analysed for extremely toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) to understand their long-range distribution patterns. Several PCDF congeners, including the highly toxic 2,3,7,8-tetra- and 2,3,4,7,8-penta-CDFs were identified in the blubber of those specimens. The PCDF isomeric pattern in killer whale is more complex than the reported patterns in humans and birds, indicating the weaker metabolic potency of killer whales for these toxic compounds. High levels of PCBs (about 400 mg kg⁻¹) have also been detected in those specimens. The 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDF congeners identified in commercial PCBs were also found in killer whale, indicating PCBs as the possible source. Isomer-specific and trace level determinations of PCDD in killer whale, revealed no detectable quantities. The detection of comparatively high levels ( > 300 ng kg⁻¹) of PCDFs and undetection of PCDDs in open ocean killer whales suggest that PCDFs are more ubiquitous than PCDDs.