Development of a seismic damage and loss scenario for contemporary and historical buildings in Thessaloniki, Greece

The methodologies used in Greece for estimating direct losses in both reinforced concrete (R/C) and masonry buildings (also including monuments) are summarised, the critical issue of data collection is addressed, and practical solutions that have been tried are discussed. The development of a seismic risk scenario for contemporary and historical buildings in Thessaloniki is then presented and some key results are given, including the expected geographical distribution of building damage (due to the scenario earthquake) in the municipality of Thessaloniki; damage is described both in structural and in economic terms.     

The role of magnetohydrodynamics in heliospheric space plasma physics research

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is a fairly recent extension of the field of fluid mechanics. While much remains to be done, it has successfully been applied to the contemporary field of heliospheric space plasma research to evaluate the macroscopic picture of some vital topics via the use of conducting fluid equations and numerical modeling and simulations. Some representative examples from solar and interplanetary physics are described to demonstrate that the continuum approach to global problems (while keeping in mind the assumptions and limitations therein) can be very successful in providing insight and large scale interpretations of otherwise intractable problems in space physics.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 80th birthday, 30 May 1988.     

Crack propagation in sandstone: Combined experimental and numerical approach

Summary A combined experimental and numerical approach is adopted to investigate crack propagation in sandstone. Experiments on two types of sandstones show a simular behaviour as found in tests on concrete specimens. The heterogeneity of the material in combination with the stress situation, as a result of the applied load, governs the direction of crack propagation. Cracks that develop are not continuous, but overlaps exist mainly around the grain particles in the material. A simple lattice model, in which the material is schematized as a network of small beams, is adopted to simulate the experiments. Using the simulations carried out with the lattice model, the control parameter for stable displacement controlled four-point-shear tests was determined. The crack patterns obtained with the model are in good agreement with the experimental observations. However further study is needed to predict the load-displacement response correctly.     

Mineralogy and PT formation conditions of lead-zinc ore at the Dzhimidon deposit, north Ossetia

The mineralogy and PT formation conditions of the Dzhimidon Pb-Zn deposit in the Sadon ore district are considered. The deposit is localized in metamorphic rocks of the Buron Formation, which pertain to the pre-Jurassic basement (lower structural stage) and are cut through by Upper Paleozoic granitoids, and in the Lower Jurassic terrigenous sequence (upper structural stage). Orebodies as quartz-sulfide veins are mainly hosted in the metamorphic rocks. Galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and arsenopyrite are the most abundant sulfides, while quartz, carbonates, chlorite, sericite, and feldspar are gangue minerals. The bismuth mineralization identified at this deposit for the first time is represented by diverse phases of the Ag-Pb-Bi-S system. Five stages of the ore deposit formation are recognized: a premineral stage (quartz-feldspar), three ore-bearing stages (pyrite-arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite, and arsenopyrite-sphalerite-galena), and a postmineral stage (quartz-calcite); each stage comprises one or several mineral assemblages. The study of fluid inclusions in quartz, calcite, and sphalerite of the premineral, ore-forming, and postmineral stages has shown that the ore was deposited mainly from Na chloride solution with a salinity varying from >22 to <1.0 wt % NaCl equiv at a temperature from 460 to ～120°C and 430–290 bars pressure. The third stage was characterized by an abrupt increase in temperature and by the appearance of Mg(Fe,Ca) chloride solutions equally with Na chloride fluids, presumably owing to the emplacement of granite porphyry.     

New data on the lithology of coastal facies of the Turtas formation (Upper Oligocene,Southwestern Siberia)

Peculiarities of the material composition and microstructure of coastal facies of Turtas Lake–Sea were studied in its marginal southwestern part for the first time. Interpretation of the lithological data showed that the deposits considered were formed under the conditions of a slightly saline basin and nearby full-flow river network. Based on the lithological, geochemical, and micropaleontological studies of clay–siliceous rocks of the Lower Turtas Formation (the boundary zone between the Tyumen and Sverdlovsk regions), additional support for the freshwater lake regime of the Late Oligocene Turtas basin is given.     

Drop size dependent sulfate distribution in a growing cloud

A simple entraining air parcel model including cloud microphysical and chemical processes is used to calculate the distribution of sulfate over the drop sizes under continental background conditions. Under these conditions the aerosol sulfate is predicted to contribute the largest amount of aqueous sulfate in cloud drops. The sulfate produced by oxidation is found to contribute significantly in drops larger than 10 m radius.     

A fuzzy-Markov-chain-based analysis method for reservoir operation

In this study, a fuzzy-Markov-chain-based stochastic dynamic programming (FM-SDP) method is developed for tackling uncertainties expressed as fuzzy sets and distributions with fuzzy probability (DFPs) in reservoir operation. The concept of DFPs used in Markov chain is presented as an extended form for expressing uncertainties including both stochastic and fuzzy characteristics. A fuzzy dominance index analysis approach is proposed for solving multiple fuzzy sets and DPFs in the proposed FM-SDP model. Solutions under a set of α-cut levels and fuzzy dominance indices can be generated by solving a series of deterministic submodels. The developed method is applied to a case study of a reservoir operation system. Solutions from FM-SDP provide a range of desired water-release policies under various system conditions for reservoir operation decision makers, reflecting dynamic and dual uncertain features of water availability simultaneously. The results indicate that the FM-SDP method could be applicable to practical problems for decision makers to obtain insight regarding the tradeoffs between economic and system reliability criteria. Willingness to obtain a lower benefit may guarantee meeting system-constraint demands; conversely, a desire to acquire a higher benefit could run into a higher risk of violating system constraints.     

Elements of Water Balance and Hydrochemical Characteristic of Oligotrophic Bogs in the Southern Taiga Subzone of Western Siberia

The results of geochemical studies of water composition in an oligotrophic bog are analyzed. The specific features of the formation of the bog water composition in various phytocenoses are shown. The amounts of elements carried out with the runoff from the oligotrophic bog are assessed.     

Wind-driven upwelling and surface chlorophyll blooms in Greater Cook Strait

We present the results of a combined observational and numerical study to investigate cool plumes of nutrient-rich upwelled water that emanate near the Kahurangi Shoals and extend into Greater Cook Strait. Surface temperature and chlorophyll are mapped using satellite observations to produce surface climatologies, to validate a numerical simulation and to show the utility of using spatial temperature differences as a measure of upwelling. We find upwelling near the Kahurangi Shoals is strongly wind-driven in the weather band. Upwelling occurs at all times of the year, but its surface signature is only visible in summer months. The upwelled nutrient-rich water supports increased primary production compared to surrounding waters, particularly in summer when the water column is more stratified and surrounding surface waters are presumably nutrient depleted.