Clastic sedimentary features of beachrocks and their palaeo-environmental significance:comparison of past and modern coastal regimes

Clastic sedimentary features of beachrocks and unconsolidated deposits of parent beaches were investigated along the northern Aegean coastline（Greece） to assess their suitability in palaeo-environmental reconstruction.Twelve paired datasets were collected in the Thermaikos,Toroneos,Siggitikos and lerissos gulfs of the Chalkidiki Peninsula,the adjoining Kavala Gulf and Thassos Island,comprising beachrock cores and companion beach subsurface sediments.Particle size analyses based on univariate and bivariate statistics suggest that,during the time period of beachrock formation,depositional conditions differed distinctly from those of the modern parent beaches.The results imply difference of maturity level of beach evolution from the time of cementation（coarser materials-early stage of beach formation） to modern situation（finer materials-reworked and ’mature’ beach sediments）.Furthermore,the findings indicate increasing coastal protection due to beachrock exposure in the modern swash zone.In conclusion,it is suggested that textural analysis of beachrocks in comparison with unconsolidated sediments of the parent beach might provide information regarding differences of coastal depositional regimes and future research could focus on specific-layer analysis and comparison.     

Application of the Multiple Benchmark System (MBS) to selected case study projects

Abstract

Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) have been established under the Kyoto Protocol as project-based instruments to mitigate greenhouse gases of the industrialized countries to the levels imposed by their Kyoto commitments. An unresolved issue associated with the implementation of these two flexibility mechanisms, concerns the choice of the appropriate baseline for calculating the emission reductions in JI or CDM projects. This article describes a computerized tool that constructs and compares different types of standardized baselines and benchmarks. The analysis focuses on the suitability of several different types of benchmarks for assessing the emission reductions of certain types of projects. The analysis is also expanded into a discussion of the extent to which benchmarks reduce the crediting of non-additional projects and limit the risk of missed additional investments. This tool has been applied to actual JI and CDM projects in the Russian Federation and Indonesia.     

Seismic risk assessment of liquid storage tanks via a nonlinear surrogate model

A performance‐based earthquake engineering approach is developed for the seismic risk assessment of fixed‐roof atmospheric steel liquid storage tanks. The proposed method is based on a surrogate single‐mass model that consists of elastic beam‐column elements and nonlinear springs. Appropriate component and system‐level damage states are defined, following the identification of commonly observed modes of failure that may occur during an earthquake. Incremental dynamic analysis and simplified cloud are offered as potential approaches to derive the distribution of response parameters given the seismic intensity. A parametric investigation that engages the aforementioned analysis methods is conducted on 3 tanks of varying geometry, considering both anchored and unanchored support conditions. Special attention is paid to the elephant's foot buckling formation, by offering extensive information on its capacity and demand representation within the seismic risk assessment process. Seismic fragility curves are initially extracted for the component‐level damage states, to compare the effect of each analysis approach on the estimated performance. The subsequent generation of system‐level fragility curves reveals the issue of nonsequential damage states, whereby significant damage may abruptly appear without precursory lighter damage states.     

Organization of Emergency Response After a Major Disaster Event in an Urban Area with the Help of an Automatic Vehicle Location and Control System

The quick response of civil authorities after a major disaster event in an urban area is essential for the reduction of damages and impacts to human lives. One of the first critical problems to be solved at the very early stages of response is the optimum management of emergency vehicles and real time knowledge of the accessibility of the road network. In this article the concept of using a number of emergency vehicles as sensors for monitoring the traffic conditions in an urban area after a major disaster event is described. The fleet management system used for this taks is working with ral time DGPS. The system makes use of existing vehicle fleets in the urban area, rapidly collecting data and covering the whole road network. It records travel times with the help of the GPS system for every road segment driven through by each vehicle sensor, thus providing a digital time database from which traffic parameters can be also computed. It can be used for real time monitoring of traffic conditions under disaster or emergency situations where all the previously available data become invalid or unreliable. ? 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Local and regional sources of fine and coarse particulate matter based on traffic and background monitoring

The aim of this study was to identify local and exogenous sources affecting particulate matter (PM) levels in five major cities of Northern Europe namely: London, Paris, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Besides local emissions, PM profile at urban and suburban areas of the European Union (EU) is also influenced by regional PM sources due to atmospheric transport, thus geographical city distribution is of a great importance. At each city, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO₂, SO₂, CO and O₃ air pollution data from two air pollution monitoring stations of the EU network were used. Different background characteristics of the selected two sampling sites at each city facilitated comparisons, providing a more exact analysis of PM sources. Four source apportionment methods: Pearson correlations among the levels of particulates and gaseous pollutants, characterisation of primal component analysis components, long-range transport analysis and extrapolation of PM size distribution ratios were applied. In general, fine (PM_2.5) and coarse (PM₁₀) particles were highly correlated, thus common sources are suggested. Combustion-originated gaseous pollutants (CO, NO₂, SO₂) were strongly associated to PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, primarily at areas severely affected by traffic. On the contrary, at background stations neighbouring important natural sources of particles or situated in suburban areas with rural background, natural emissions of aerosols were indicated. Series of daily PM_2.5/PM₁₀ ratios showed that minimum fraction values were detected during warm periods, due to higher volumes of airborne biogenic PM coarse, mainly at stations with important natural sources of particles in their vicinity. Hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model was used, in order to extract 4-day backward air mass trajectories that arrived in the five cities which are under study during days with recorded PM₁₀ exceedances. At all five cities, a significantly large fraction of those trajectories were classified in short- and medium-range clusters, thus transportation of particulates along with slow moving air masses was identified. A finding that supports the assumption of long-range transport is that, at background stations, long-range transportation effects were stronger, in comparison to traffic stations, due to less local particle emissions. Short-range trajectories associated to PM transport in Stockholm, Copenhagen and Hamburg were mainly of a continental origin. All three cities were approached by slow moving air masses originated from Poland and the Czech Republic, whereas Copenhagen and Stockholm were also influenced by short-range trajectories from Germany and France and from Jutland Peninsula and Scandinavian Peninsula, respectively. London and Paris are located to the north-west part of Europe. Trajectories of short and medium length arrived to these two megacities mainly through France, Germany, UK and North Atlantic.     

From free good to commodity: Universalizing the provision of water in Paris (1830–1930)

This article focuses on the water distribution network in Paris, from the 1830s, when most Parisians got their water from public fountains and private wells, to the 1930s, by which time almost all of the capital’s inhabitants had been connected to the same network and enjoyed a standard service. It contributes, by a detailed analysis of the entire chain of mediators and mediation, to specify how the modern infrastructure ideal actually took form. In that aim, we analyze the manner in which each actor (public as well as private), in accordance with his/her constraints and resources, which depend on his/her position in the social space, was able to conceive of his/her environment, define objectives, confront problems, make choices and deploy a whole range of frequently innovative practices. In order to understand the underlying factors, our task consists in identifying the actors, modi operandi, progress and phases involved in universalizing water services. Spatially analyzing the extension of the water network, this article demonstrates that the process of universalization, far from being the inexorable and linear outcome of the action of a small number of “major historical forces”, was the upshot of the actions of a whole range of actors acting in specific different geographical, social, economic and technical contexts. The achievement of the “modern infrastructural ideal” as a macro-social phenomenon was ultimately down to a long accumulation process of a multitude of actions, interactions, conflicts and learning processes.     

Hydrochemical constraints between the karst Tabular Middle Atlas Causses and the Saïs basin (Morocco): implications of groundwater circulation

The karst Tabular Middle Atlas Causses reservoir is the main drinking-water supply of Fez-Meknes region (Saïs Basin) in Morocco. Recent analyses showed a decline in associated groundwater chemical quality and increased turbidity. To understand this hydrosystem, four surveys were undertaken during fall and spring, 2009–2011. Hydrogeochemical studies coupled with isotopic analyses (δ¹⁸O, δD and ²²²Rn) showed that the aquifers between the causses (mountains) and the Saïs Basin are of Liassic origin and at the southern extremities are of Triassic origin. Five recharge zones of different altitudes have been defined, including two main mixing zones in the south. Deuterium excess results suggest local recharge, while a plot of δ¹⁸O versus δD characterizes a confined aquifer in the eastern sector. ²²²Rn results reveal areas of rapid exchanges with an upwelling time of less than 2 weeks. A schematic conceptual model is presented to explain the groundwater circulation system and the behavior of this karst system.     

The role of porous matrix in water flow regulation within a karst unsaturated zone: an integrated hydrogeophysical approach

Some portions of the porous rock matrix in the karst unsaturated zone (UZ) can contain large volumes of water and play a major role in water flow regulation. The essential results are presented of a local-scale study conducted in 2011 and 2012 above the Low Noise Underground Laboratory (LSBB – Laboratoire Souterrain à Bas Bruit) at Rustrel, southeastern France. Previous research revealed the geological structure and water-related features of the study site and illustrated the feasibility of specific hydrogeophysical measurements. In this study, the focus is on hydrodynamics at the seasonal and event timescales. Magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) measured a high water content (more than 10 %) in a large volume of rock. This large volume of water cannot be stored in fractures and conduits within the UZ. MRS was also used to measure the seasonal variation of water stored in the karst UZ. A process-based model was developed to simulate the effect of vegetation on groundwater recharge dynamics. In addition, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) monitoring was used to assess preferential water pathways during a rain event. This study demonstrates the major influence of water flow within the porous rock matrix on the UZ hydrogeological functioning at both the local (LSBB) and regional (Fontaine de Vaucluse) scales. By taking into account the role of the porous matrix in water flow regulation, these findings may significantly improve karst groundwater hydrodynamic modelling, exploitation, and sustainable management.