Analytical Approach to the Motion of a Lunar Artificial Satellite

The canonical equations of motion of an artificial lunar satellite are formulated including the effects of the asphericity of the Moon comprising the harmonics J ₂, J ₂₂, J ₃, J ₃₁, J ₄ andJ ₅, the oblateness of the Earth up to the second zonal harmonic, as well as the disturbing function due to the attractions of the Earth and of the Sun (terms are retained up to order 10^-6 for the higher orbits and 10^-8 for the lower orbits). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Comparative assessment of two distributed watershed models with application to a small watershed

Distributed watershed models are beneficial tools for the assessment of management practices on runoff and water‐induced erosion. This paper evaluates, by application to an experimental watershed, two promising distributed watershed‐scale sediment models in detail: the Kinematic Runoff and Erosion (KINEROS‐2) model and the Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA) model. The physics behind each model are to some extent similar, though they have different watershed conceptualizations. KINEROS‐2 was calibrated using three rainfall events and validated over four separate rainfall events. Parameters estimated by this calibration process were adapted to GSSHA. With these parameters, GSSHA generated larger and retarded flow hydrographs. A 30% reduction in both plane and channel roughness in GSSHA along with the assumption of Green‐Ampt conductivity K_G‐A = K_s, where K_s is the saturated conductivity, resulted in almost identical hydrographs. Sediment parameters not common in both models were calibrated independently of KINEROS‐2. A comparative discussion of simulation results is presented. Even though GSSHA's flow component slightly overperformed KINEROS‐2, the latter outperformed GSSHA in simulations for sediment transport. In spite of the fact that KINEROS‐2 is not geared toward continuous‐time simulations, simulations performed with both models over a 1 month period generated comparable results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rainfall‐runoff modelling using artificial neural networks technique: a Blue Nile catchment case study

A rainfall‐runoff model based on an artificial neural network (ANN) is presented for the Blue Nile catchment. The best geometry of the ANN rainfall‐runoff model in terms of number of hidden layers and nodes is identified through a sensitivity analysis. The Blue Nile catchment (about 300 000 km²) in the Nile basin is selected here as a case study. The catchment is classified into seven subcatchments, and the mean areal precipitation over those subcatchments is computed as a main input to the ANN model. The available daily data (1992–99) are divided into two sets for model calibration (1992–96) and for validation (1997–99). The results of the ANN model are compared with one of physical distributed rainfall‐runoff models that apply hydraulic and hydrologic fundamental equations in a grid base. The results over the case study area and the comparative analysis with the physically based distributed model show that the ANN technique has great potential in simulating the rainfall‐runoff process adequately. Because the available record used in the calibration of the ANN model is too short, the ANN model is biased compared with the distributed model, especially for high flows. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetodynamic stability of a fluid cylinder under the lundquist force-free magnetic field

The magnetodynamic (in)stability of a conducting fluid cylinder subject to the capillarity and electromagnetic forces has been developed. The cylinder is pervaded by a uniform magnetic field but embedded in the Lundquist force-free varying field that allows for flowing a current surrounding the fluid. A general eigenvalue relation is derived based on a study of the equilibrium and perturbed states. The stability criterion is discussed analytically in general terms. The surface tension is destabilizing for small axisymmetric mode and stable for all others. The principle of the exchange of stability is allowed for the present problem due to the non-uniform behaviour of the force-free field. Each of the axial and transverse force-free fields separately exerts a stabilizing influence in the most dangerous mode but the combined contribution of them is strongly destabilizing. Whether the model is acted upon the electromagnetic force (with the Lundquist field) the stability restrictions or/and the capillarity force are identified.Several reported works can be recovered as limiting cases with appropriate simplifications.     

Open cluster membership probability based on K-means clustering algorithm

In the field of galaxies images, the relative coordinate positions of each star with respect to all the other stars are adapted. Therefore the membership of star cluster will be adapted by two basic criterions, one for geometric membership and other for physical (photometric) membership. So in this paper, we presented a new method for the determination of open cluster membership based on K-means clustering algorithm. This algorithm allows us to efficiently discriminate the cluster membership from the field stars. To validate the method we applied it on NGC 188 and NGC 2266, membership stars in these clusters have been obtained. The color-magnitude diagram of the membership stars is significantly clearer and shows a well-defined main sequence and a red giant branch in NGC 188, which allows us to better constrain the cluster members and estimate their physical parameters. The membership probabilities have been calculated and compared to those obtained by the other methods. The results show that the K-means clustering algorithm can effectively select probable member stars in space without any assumption about the spatial distribution of stars in cluster or field. The similarity of our results is in a good agreement with results derived by previous works.     

GIS-based multi-criteria land suitability analysis for sustainable agriculture in the northeast area of Tadla plain (Morocco)

Assessment of soil suitability for sustainable intensive agriculture is an appropriate tool to select the land suitable for agricultural production with the least economic and environmental costs. This study was conducted to evaluate the agricultural soil quality in the northeast area of Tadla plain (Morocco) using geographic information system (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Six soil quality indicators, i.e., pH, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, texture, salinity and slope were considered and performed in 60 subsurface soil samples. AHP method was utilized to identify the weight of each indicator from the pairwise comparison matrix. The weighted sum overlay analysis was then used to generate the soil quality map in a GIS environment, by overlaying both indicator weights and sub-indicator weights. The studied area was classified into four soil quality categories, i.e., poor, medium, good, and excellent, the percentage of each category is 1.12, 20.98, 61.07 and 16.83%, respectively. The results indicated that 1.12% of the study area has poor suitability for sustainable intensive agriculture due to their unsuitable texture and low salinity, while about 77% of cultivated soils are adapted to agricultural production. The above results could be useful for the management of agricultural activity.     

An example of post-collisional appinitic magmatism with an arc-like signature: the Wadi Nasb mafic intrusion,north Arabian–Nubian Shield,south Sinai,Egypt

We present new data for the Neoproterozoic mafic intrusion exposed in Wadi Nasb, south Sinai, Egypt (northernmost Arabian–Nubian Shield; ANS). The Nasb mafic intrusion (NMI) intrudes metasediments, Rutig volcanics, and diorite/granodiorite, and is intruded in turn by younger monzogranite and quartz-monzonite. Available geochronological data for the country rocks of the NMI provide a tight constraint on its age, between 619 and 610 Ma, during the hiatus between the lower and upper Rutig volcanics. The NMI is neither deformed nor metamorphosed, indicating post-collisional emplacement, and uralitization by late-magmatic and sub-solidus alteration is restricted to the margins of the intrusion. A quantitative fractionation model indicates a fractionating assemblage of 61% primary amphibole, 10% clinopyroxene, 28% plagioclase, 1% biotite, 0.4% apatite, and 0.15% Fe-Ti oxide. Contrary to the recent studies, we find that the nearby diorite of Gebel Sheikh El-Arab is not co-genetic with the appinitic gabbro of the NMI. Although there are volcanic xenoliths in the NMI, we find no chemical evidence requiring contamination by continental crust. A subduction-related signature in a post-orogenic intrusion requires the inheritance of geochemical tendencies from a previous subduction phase. Given that the fine-grained gabbro of the NMI is consistent with a near-primary mantle melt, we attribute this inheritance to persistence and later melting of the slab-modified mantle domains, as opposed to partial melting and assimilation of the juvenile continental crust. The fine-grained gabbro composition indicates derivation at temperature and pressure conditions similar to the sources of mid-ocean ridge basalts: mantle potential temperature near 1350°C and extent of melting about 7%. Such temperatures, neither so high as to require a plume nor so low as to be consistent with small degrees of melting of a volatile-rich source, are most consistent with a lithospheric delamination scenario, allowing the upwelling of fertile, subduction-modified asthenosphere to depths ≤50 km.     

Advanced Mathematical Models to Predict the Compaction Properties of Coarse-Grained Soils from Various Physical Properties

An essential task in the process of construction is the determination of compaction properties of soils. Many years of laboratory test experience strengthen our belief in the existence of predictive equations that govern the compaction characteristics of soils. An advanced mathematical model developed in this research in order to uncertain the governing equations. An advanced mathematical model developed in this research in order to uncertain the governing equations. Through a comparative study among a Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) model, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) model, the best predicting model was determined. For this purpose, Six hundred and six (606) samples collected and split into a dataset used for training the models and another used for validation of the derived model. 8 neural networks with a varying number of hidden layers and a varying number of nodes in hidden layers were employed. In ELM 1 hidden layer with varying number of units were employed. It was found that the equations derived from the ELM models described the relationship with superiority over multiple regression, ANN and SVM models for Maximum Dry Density and MLR models described the relationship with superiority over ANN, ELM and SVM models for Optimum Moisture Content.     

Contribution of cross time-frequency analysis in assessment of possible relationships between large-scale climatic fluctuations and rainfall of northern central Algeria

This paper is proposed for the investigation of possible relationships between the large-scale atmospheric circulation phenomena such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Southern Oscillation (SOI), Mediterranean Oscillation (MO), Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) and rainfall of Sebaou river watershed (Northern central Algeria), covering a period of 39 years at monthly scale. Several time and scale-based methods were used: correlation and spectral analysis (CSA), continuous wavelet transform (CWT), multiresolution wavelet analysis (MRWA), cross wavelet analysis (XWT), wavelet coherence transform (WCT) and cross multiresolution wavelet analysis (CMRWA). The rainfall analysis by CSA and CWT has been clearly demonstrating the dominance of 1 year and 1–3-year modes, which they explain 30 to 51% and 25 to 28% of the variance respectively. However, the indices have shown that inter-annual fluctuations up to long-term explain between 60 and 90%. CWT and MRWA indicated significant fluctuations materialising a dry period more marked between the 1980s and 1990s with strong trend towards drier conditions starting from the 1980s, explained by the decadal components D7 and the approximation A7. In addition to the annual component, the XWT spectrums reveal strong coefficients for the SOI between 1992–2005 and 1986–2000 for the modes of 5–10 years and higher than 10 years respectively and less intense for NAO. The WCT between NAO and rainfall indicated the most significant relationship for 1 year, 1–3 years and 3–5 years approximately from the early 1980s corresponding to the dry period. However, the SOI affects rainfall only locally and with significant values more or less localised in the time-frequency space between MO, WeMO and rainfall, but this influence could be significant for low-frequency events. CWMRA shows that the components of 5–10 years and higher than 10 years are the most effective to represent climate index-rainfall significant relationships, where change in Daubechies wavelet properties can improve the correlation across the scales. Furthermore, has indicated that the short-term processes dominate the relationship index-rainfall, which masks the long-term phenomena whose influence can sometimes be very distant. As such, the rainfall variability of the study area has shown fairly significant links, at least locally with large-scale atmospheric circulation phenomena.     

Automatic interpretation of pumping tests data using metaheuristics

Pumping tests data interpretation is of major importance in groundwater engineering. It is traditionally performed in a subjective manner by means of standard type curves. In this paper, an automatic interpretation of time-drawdown data has been proposed based on two algorithms, the real-coded genetic algorithm and differential evolution. The proposed approaches combine metaheuristic algorithms with an appropriate analytical drawdown solution depending upon the nature of the considered aquifer system, leaky or naturally fractured rock aquifers. The standard error of estimate (SEE) was used as a performance criterion to evaluate the discrepancies between predicted and observed drawdown data in different pumping time periods. Both of the proposed metaheuristic algorithms provide accurate aquifer parameters. For all analyzed pumping tests data, the differential evolution yielded the most accurate results with an improvement in SEE values ranged from 0.2 to 50% compared to previously published results, and exhibits speed and robustness. Furthermore, a new full range numerical evaluation of the Hantush well function based on a tanh-sinh quadrature scheme has been proposed. Our results indicate that our method is accurate, since the maximum relative error was found to be equal to 0.00036%, and practical, since it is free from special functions and could be easily incorporated within an optimization technique to analyze transient time-drawdown data.