Three dimensional elasto‐plastic interface for embedded beam elements with interaction surface for the analysis of lateral loading of piles

This paper presents a numerical formulation for a three dimensional elasto‐plastic interface, which can be coupled with an embedded beam element in order to model its non‐linear interaction with the surrounding solid medium. The formulation is herein implemented for lateral loading of piles but is able to represent soil‐pile interaction phenomena in a general manner for different types of loading conditions or ground movements. The interface is formulated in order to capture localized material plasticity in the soil surrounding the pile within the range of small to moderate lateral displacements. The interface is formulated following two different approaches: (i) in terms of beam degrees of freedoms; and (ii) considering the displacement field of the solid domain. Each of these alternatives has its own advantages and shortcomings, which are discussed in this paper. The paper presents a comparison of the results obtained by means of the present formulation and by other well‐established analysis methods and test results published in the literature. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of Miocene saucer‐shaped sills (offshore Senegal) via integrated interpretation of seismic,magnetic and gravity data

The Atlantic margin offshore Senegal has been explored by seismic reflection and GRAV‐MAG surveys. High‐amplitude, laterally transgressive seismic reflectors are found to coincide with gravimetric and magnetic highs. Once seismic data are integrated with potential fields modelling, these reflectors can be safely interpreted as saucer‐shaped igneous sills, up to some hundreds of metres thick, some km wide. The occurrence of hydrothermal vent complexes and forced folds in the stratigraphic sequence above the sills constrain the intrusion age to the Miocene. Field observations and in‐situ magnetic susceptibility measurements of Oligocene–Miocene and Quaternary igneous rocks emplaced in coastal Senegal support this interpretation.     

A new method for laboratory estimation of the transverse dispersion coefficient

We introduce a method for identifying the transverse dispersion coefficient in laboratory experiments based on the analytical solution of a pulse injection of a nonreactive solute in a soil column (cylindrical geometry) packed with a homogeneous porous medium. This method takes into account the effect of boundary conditions such as no flux on the column perimeter, and it does not need a priori knowledge of the longitudinal dispersion coefficient. Numerical applications of the method show that it is stable and robust and that the results are reasonably in accordance with those found using the classical maximum likelihood method.     

Late Quaternary glaciation history of Isla de los Estados,southeasternmost South America

Isla de los Estados is a mountainous island southeast of Tierra del Fuego, in southernmost South America. Its central and eastern parts have an alpine topography, transected by U-shaped valleys, small, partly over-deepened fjords, and a multitude of abandoned cirques, all associated with extensive former local glaciations. Traces of glacial erosion generally reach 400–450 m a.s.l., and above that trimline a distinct sharp-edged nunatak derived landscape is present. The westernmost part of the island has a lower, more subdued topography, reflecting its “softer” geology but possibly also over-running and erosion by mainland-derived ice streams. The present study concentrated on glacigenic sediment sequences exposed along coastal erosional cliffs. A combination of OSL and ¹⁴C datings show that these sediments mostly date from the latest (Wisconsinan/Weichselian) glacial cycle, i.e. from the last ca. 100 ka with the oldest (glaciolacustrine) deposits possibly as old as 90–80 ka. The upper parts of overlying tills, with associated lateral and terminal moraines from glaciers that expanded onto an eustatically exposed dry shelf north of the island, date from the last global glacial maximum (LGM). Radiocarbon ages of peat and lake sediments indicate that deglaciation began 17–16 cal ka BP.     

Comparing predictive capability of statistical and deterministic methods for landslide susceptibility mapping: a case study in the northern Apennines (Reggio Emilia Province, Italy)

Statistical and deterministic methods are widely used in geographic information system based landslide susceptibility mapping. This paper compares the predictive capability of three different models, namely the Weight of Evidence, the Fuzzy Logic and SHALSTAB, for producing shallow earth slide susceptibility maps, to be included as informative layers in land use planning at a local level. The test site is an area of about 450 km² in the northern Apennines of Italy where, in April 2004, rainfall combined with snowmelt triggered hundreds of shallow earth slides that damaged roads and other infrastructure. An inventory of the landslides triggered by the event was obtained from interpretation of aerial photos dating back to May 2004. The pre-existence of mapped landslides was then checked using earlier aerial photo coverage. All the predictive models were run on the same set of geo-environmental causal factors: soil type, soil thickness, land cover, possibility of deep drainage through the bedrock, slope angle, and upslope contributing area. Model performance was assessed using a threshold-independent approach (the ROC plot). Results show that global accuracy is as high as 0.77 for both statistical models, while it is only 0.56 for SHALSTAB. Besides the limited quality of input data over large areas, the relatively poorer performance of the deterministic model maybe also due to the simplified assumptions behind the hydrological component (steady-state slope parallel flow), which can be considered unsuitable for describing the hydrologic behavior of clay slopes, that are widespread in the study area.     

黑龙江省老柞山金矿床毒砂热电性研究

毒砂是老柞山金矿主要载金矿物。早期与晚期成矿作用形成的毒砂 ,其热电性具明显差异 :早期毒砂热电系数为正值 ,平均 2 5 0 .3μV /℃ ,P型导电 ;晚期毒砂热电系数为负值 ,平均- 2 16 .9μV /℃ ,为N型导电。通过对不同成矿期以及同一样品中不同导型毒砂的热电性特征与成分关系的研究得出 :毒砂的热电性特征由As、S相对含量决定 ,若为富As型毒砂 ,则为P型导电 ,若为富S型毒砂 ,则为N型导电。