On the theory of the type III burst exciter

In situ satellite observations of type III burst exciters at 1 AU show that the beam does not evolve into a plateau in velocity space, contrary to the prediction quasilinear theory. The observations can be explained by a theory that includes mode coupling effects due to excitation of the parametric oscillating two-stream instability and its saturation by anomalous resistivity. The time evolution of the beam velocity distribution is included in the analysis.NAS/NRC Postdoctoral Resident Research Associate.     

Evaluation of low-rank coals as raw material for Fe and Ca organomineral fertilizer using a new EDXRF method

A rapid and reliable method for analyzing Fe and Ca in low-rank Greek coals was developed. The presence of Fe and Ca is of importance regarding the potential use of these coals as raw material for organomineral fertilizers. Samples were collected from the main Greek lignite deposits and standards were prepared using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), which were also employed in the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) method. The new method offers the advantages of being timesaving, non-destructive and can be easily incorporated in a fertilizer production line. Analysis of low-rank Greek coals demonstrated a significant Fe and Ca content ranging from 0.15 to 1.97 wt.% for Fe and from 0.04 to 2.51 wt.% for Ca. When both EDXRF and AAS techniques were applied, the Fe and Ca concentration values differed less than 5%, demonstrating that both techniques are reliable for low-rank coals in the above concentration range. These EDXRF results may be used as a preliminary test regarding the application of Greek coals in organomineral fertilizer production, given that in these coals iron and calcium are the most abundant metals.     

Modeling level selection for seismic analysis of concrete‐filled steel tube/moment‐resisting frames by using fragility curves

The seismic behavior of plane moment‐resisting frames (MRFs) consisting of I steel beams and concrete‐filled steel tube (CFT) columns is investigated in this study. More specifically, the effect of modeling details of each individual component of CFT‐MRFs, such as the composite CFT columns, the beam‐column connections, the panel zones, and the steel I beams on their seismic behavior, is studied through comparisons against available experimental results. Then, fragility curves are constructed for three typical CFT‐MRFs, designed according to European codes, for various levels of modeling sophistication through nonlinear time‐history analyses. On the basis of these fragility curves, one can select the appropriate modeling level of sophistication that can lead to the desired seismic behavior for a given seismic intensity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysing the topology of seismicity in the Hellenic arc using complex networks

Based on the theory of complex networks, we quantify for the first time correlations between seismic events occurring in the Hellenic arc and Trench system, which is the most seismogenic structure in the European–Mediterranean region. We examine how relatively strong events with their aftershock sequences trigger phase transitions of the underlying network topology of seismic activity from random to scale-free structures. In particular, we show that the network is characterized by a highly clustered spatial structure giving rise to heterogeneous networks exhibiting enhanced small-world attributes.     

Seismic response analysis of adjacent liquid‐storage tanks

A refined substructure technique in the frequency domain is developed, which permits consideration of the interaction effects among adjacent containers through the supporting deformable soil medium. The tank‐liquid systems are represented by means of mechanical models, whereas discrete springs and dashpots stand for the soil beneath the foundations. The proposed model is employed to assess the responses of adjacent circular, cylindrical tanks for harmonic and seismic excitations over wide range of tank proportions and soil conditions. The influence of the number, spatial arrangement of the containers and their distance on the overall system's behavior is addressed. The results indicate that the cross‐interaction effects can substantially alter the impulsive components of response of each individual element in a tank farm. The degree of this impact is primarily controlled by the tank proportions and the proximity of the predominant natural frequencies of the shell‐liquid‐soil systems and the input seismic motion. The group effects should be not a priori disregarded, unless the tanks are founded on shallow soil deposit overlying very stiff material or bedrock. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identifying key environmental variables structuring benthic fauna for establishing a biotic typology for Greek running waters

A central aspect of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC addressed to Member Countries is to proceed to type-specific ecological assessment and classification by establishing typology systems. Sixty-four permanent stream sites distributed throughout mainland Greece and islands were assessed with macroinvertebrate indicators to evaluate their ecological quality. Local and catchment scale parameters were determined and recorded to obtain an integrated assessment of the main factors affecting stream integrity and macroinvertebrate communities. Twenty-three sites were classified as reference or good status in terms of biological, chemical and hydromorphological quality with the use of various metrics. Multivariate statistical techniques were performed (MDS, BIOENV, correlation analysis and PCA) to investigate the main environmental factors structuring benthic macroinvertebrate communities and to select candidate environmental variables for establishing a biotic typology for Hellenic rivers. The results revealed relatively distinct macroinvertebrate communities within defined abiotic zones of the country. Assemblages of macroinvertebrate fauna were most strongly associated to differences in geographical position, altitude, slope, catchment area, current velocity, conductivity and water temperature. In view of the lack of sufficient data at the country level on the three last variables and after considering cause-effect relationships between large scale variables and the latter, it has been demonstrated that a number of catchment scale variables could be used as robust surrogates.     

Hazard zonation mapping of earthquake-induced secondary effects using spatial multi-criteria analysis

Natural Hazards - The present study aims to suggest an approach that allows the simultaneous hazard zonation mapping of earthquake-induced secondary effects. The modeling process of the applied...     

Assessing soil water content spatio-temporal variability at the hillslope scale in a headwater catchment using a multi variable interpolation model based on EMI surveys (Draix,South Alps,France)

To improve flood prediction in headwater catchments, hydrologists need to know initial soil moisture conditions that precede rain events. In torrential hydrology, soil moisture mapping provides a valuable tool for investigating surface runoff generation processes. In these mountainous environments, soil moisture prediction is challenging because of highly heterogeneous land cover and soil properties. This survey propose a methodology to study spatial soil moisture variations in the mountainous and torrential environment of the Draix Bléone experimental site—Laval 0.86 km². This approach associates water content measurements at the plot scale with spatialized soil bulk electrical conductivity (EC_a) measurements combined in a multivariate statistical analysis based on topographical parameters. Between the summer of 2015 and winter of 2016, four geophysical surveys were conducted under various moisture conditions and along the same pathway, using the Slingram electromagnetic induction (EMI) technique (EM31 device) in horizontal dipole to identify changes in soil properties to a depth of 3 m. These results were analyzed to determine water dynamics in this mountainous catchment. Temporal variations of EC_a vary among land cover types (forest, grassland, and black marl). A significant relationship was observed between EC_a and soil water content (SWC) measured with capacitive sensors in forest and grassland. A multiple linear regression produced using the spatial interpolation code LISDQS shows a significant correlation between EC_a and landform units depicted on a high-resolution DEM. EC_a variations decrease with distance to talwegs. Riparian zones appear as potential hydrological contributing areas with patterns varying according to moisture status. This study shows that multiple linear regression analysis and EMI make it possible to fill gaps between SWC plot measurements, over wide areas that are steep and that present numerous obstacles due to vegetation cover.