Asymmetries during the maximum phase of solar cycle 22

This paper presents the results of studies of the asymmetries (N-S and E-W) for different manifestations of solar activity events (sunspot groups, H flares and active prominences/filaments) during the maximum-phase (1989–1991) of solar cycle 22. During the period considered, the results obtained show the existence of a real N-S asymmetry, whereas the E-W asymmetry may exist only for H flares. There is no definite relationship between the asymmetries and the occurrence of events; however, around low activity sometimes we find enhanced asymmetry, and low asymmetry around high activity. Our study suggests a good agreement with similar studies made by others.     

Design of sediment detention basins: Scaled model experiments and application

Sediment detention basins are implemented on mountain rivers to trap solid material that may aggravate the flooding of downstream settlements.However,retention structures built in the past may unnecessarily retain sediment during non-hazardous flood events,resulting in high maintenance costs and sediment deficit downstream.In addition,the so-called spontaneous self-flushing of previously retained sediment during floods has occasionally been observed.Recent research suggests to design sediment detention basins for controlling sediment passage with a guiding channel across the deposition area upstream of a hybrid barrier.Such barriers consist of a check dam with a slot orifice and an upstream bar screen with a bottom clearance in order to benefit from a combined mechanical-hydraulic retention control.The present paper enhances this pioneering research with the help of new experimental data,including a wide range of sediment mixtures and large wood,as well as variable barrier heights.Improved design criteria are provided regarding the bar screen and the basin storage capacity.The functionality of the enhanced concept for sediment detention is illustrated by a case study on a physical model:the protection of the Villard-Bonnot village(France)against torrential hazards.     

A Bayesian procedure for Probabilistic Tsunami Hazard Assessment

In this paper, a Bayesian procedure is implemented for the Probability Tsunami Hazard Assessment (PTHA). The approach is general and modular incorporating all significant information relevant for the hazard assessment, such as theoretical and empirical background, analytical or numerical models, instrumental and historical data. The procedure provides the posterior probability distribution that integrates the prior probability distribution based on the physical knowledge of the process and the likelihood based on the historical data. Also, the method deals with aleatory and epistemic uncertainties incorporating in a formal way all sources of relevant uncertainty, from the tsunami generation process to the wave propagation and impact on the coasts. The modular structure of the procedure is flexible and easy to modify and/or update as long as new models and/or information are available. Finally, the procedure is applied to an hypothetical region, Neverland, to clarify the PTHA evaluation in a realistic case.     

Sediment detachment in piping-prone soils: Cohesion sources and potential weakening mechanisms

Soil piping is a widespread land degradation process that may lead to gully formation. However, the processes involved in sediment detachment from soil pipe walls have not been well studied, although their recognition is a crucial step to protect soils from piping erosion. This study aims to recognize the factors affecting cohesion and to identify the mechanisms which are likely to be responsible for the disintegration of soil. The study has been conducted in mid-altitude mountains under a temperate climate (the Bieszczady Mountains, the Carpathians, SE Poland). The research was based on the detailed field and laboratory analyses of morphology, and the physical and chemical properties of soil profiles with and without soil pipes. Moreover, experiments with flooding the undisturbed soil samples using different solutions (deionized water, ammonium oxalate, dithionate citrate, 35% hydrochloric acid and 30% hydrogen peroxide) were conducted in order to check the role of air slaking, the removal of soil organic carbon (SOC), and Fe and Al oxides on sediment detachment. The obtained results have confirmed that soil pipes develop in quite cohesive soils (silt loams), which allow the formation and maintenance of pipes with a diameter up to 30 cm. Soil cohesion, and thus susceptibility to piping, are impacted by the content of major oxides, soil particle size distribution, biological activity and porosity. The tested soils affected by piping erosion have a lower content of Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃, and free Fe (Fe_(DCB)), lower clay content, higher biological activity (more roots and animal burrows), higher porosity, and more and larger pores than the profile without soil pipes. The experiments have indicated that especially SOC along with Fe and Al oxides are an important cohesion source in the study area. This suggests that the removal of SOC, and Fe and Al oxides may weaken and disintegrate aggregates in soil pipes. Further study of soil leaching and tensile strength will broaden understanding of which chemical processes control where pipes will develop in other cohesive piping-prone soils. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Minor planet 1983TB: A dead comet?

IDS spectra of the Apollo asteroid 1983TB were obtained at McDonald Observatory on 2 December 1983 UT. These spectra were examined for cometary-type emission and none were found. The reflectance of 1983TB was found to be similar to an S-type asteroid.     

Multi-Wavelength Observations of an Unusual Impulsive Flare Associated with Cme

We present the results of a detailed analysis of multi-wavelength observations of a very impulsive solar flare 1B/M6.7, which occurred on 10 March, 2001 in NOAA AR 9368 (N27 W42). The observations show that the flare is very impulsive with a very hard spectrum in HXR that reveal that non-thermal emission was most dominant. On the other hand, this flare also produced a type II radio burst and coronal mass ejections (CME), which are not general characteristics for impulsive flares. In H we observed bright mass ejecta (BME) followed by dark mass ejecta (DME). Based on the consistency of the onset times and directions of BME and CME, we conclude that these two phenomena are closely associated. It is inferred that the energy build-up took place due to photospheric reconnection between emerging positive parasitic polarity and predominant negative polarity, which resulted as a consequence of flux cancellation. The shear increased to >80 due to further emergence of positive parasitic polarity causing strongly enhanced cancellation of flux. It appears that such enhanced magnetic flux cancellation in a strongly sheared region triggered the impulsive flare.     

Towards an Open Source Analysis Toolbox for Street Network Comparison: Indicators,Tools and Results of a Comparison of OSM and the Official Austrian Reference Graph

This article presents a novel open source toolbox for street network comparison based on the Sextante geoprocessing framework for the open source Geographic Information System Quantum GIS (QGIS). In the spirit of open science, the toolbox enables researchers worldwide to assess the quality of street networks such as OpenStreetMap (OSM) by calculating key performance indicators commonly used in street network comparison studies. Additionally, we suggest two new performance indicators for turn restriction and one‐way street comparisons specifically aimed at testing street network quality for routing. We demonstrate the use of this toolbox by comparing OSM and the official Austrian reference graph “Graph Integration Platform” (GIP) in the greater Vienna region.     

Retention of mercury in sediments of the Baltic Sea near Oulu,Finland

Several cores were compared to elucidate the grade of mercury retention in sediments of the Baltic Sea near Oulu, Finland. The known history of the mercury discharge to waste water from a chlor-alkali plant, the primary pollution source, was compared to that in the sedimentary record. One core was dated by lead-210 and varve counts. During the past thirty years, the rate of sedimentation was up to 10 mm per year corresponding to a dry matter accumulation rate of about 3 kg m^–2a^–1. Under these conditions, most of the mercury reaching the sediment was retained. Correspondingly, the mercury levels in fish were considerably lower, with a delay of some five years.The present mercury content of the upper layers is some 1/4 or 1/5 that of the late 1970's, but it is still some twentyfold compared to levels at the beginning of the century. The extent to which the present mercury level in the sediment represents the various phases of industrial emission remains unsolved due to the origin of mercury in this sea area from several other sources and due to difficulties in exact core correlations from different years.     

Shear zones in porous sand: Insights from ring-shear experiments and naturally deformed sandstones

In a high-resolution small-scale seismic experiment we investigated the shallow structure of the Wadi Araba fault (WAF), the principal fault strand of the Dead Sea Transform System between the Gulf of Aqaba/Eilat and the Dead Sea. The experiment consisted of 8 sub-parallel 1 km long seismic lines crossing the WAF. The recording station spacing was 5 m and the source point distance was 20 m. The first break tomography yields insight into the fault structure down to a depth of about 200 m. The velocity structure varies from one section to the other which were 1 to 2 km apart, but destinct velocity variations along the fault are visible between several profiles. The reflection seismic images show positive flower structures and indications for different sedimentary layers at the two sides of the main fault. Often the superficial sedimentary layers are bent upward close to the WAF. Our results indicate that this section of the fault (at shallow depths) is characterized by a transpressional regime. We detected a 100 to 300 m wide heterogeneous zone of deformed and displaced material which, however, is not characterized by low seismic velocities at a larger scale. At greater depth the geophysical images indicate a blocked cross-fault structure. The structure revealed, fault cores not wider than 10 m, are consistent with scaling from wear mechanics and with the low loading to healing ratio anticipated for the fault.