Soil–pile–structure interaction: experimental outcomes from shaking table tests

An effective way to study the complex seismic soil‐structure interaction phenomena is to investigate the response of physical scaled models in 1‐g or n‐g laboratory devices. The outcomes of an extensive experimental campaign carried out on scaled models by means of the shaking table of the Bristol Laboratory for Advanced Dynamics Engineering, University of Bristol, UK, are discussed in the present paper. The experimental model comprises an oscillator connected to a single or a group of piles embedded in a bi‐layer deposit. Different pile head conditions, that is free head and fixed head, several dynamic properties of the structure, including different masses at the top of the single degree of freedom system, excited by various input motions, e.g. white noise, sinedwells and natural earthquake strong motions recorded in Italy, have been tested. In the present work, the modal dynamic response of the soil–pile–structure system is assessed in terms of period elongation and system damping ratio. Furthermore, the effects of oscillator mass and pile head conditions on soil–pile response have been highlighted, when the harmonic input motions are considered. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamics of a fringe mangrove forest detected by Landsat images in the Mekong River Delta,Vietnam

Mangrove forests dominate many tropical coastlines and are one of the most bio‐diverse and productive environments on Earth. However, little is known of the large‐scale dynamics of mangrove canopies and how they colonize intertidal areas. Here we focus on a fringe mangrove forest located in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam; a fast prograding shoreline where mangroves are encroaching tidal flats. The spatial and temporal evolution of the mangrove canopy is studied using a time series of Landsat images spanning two decades as well as Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) elevation data. Our results show that fast mangrove expansion is followed by an increase in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the newly established canopy. We observe three different dynamics of the mangrove fringe: in the southwest part of the fringe, near a deltaic distributary where the fringe boundary is linear, the canopy expands uniformly on the tidal flats with a high colonization rate and high NDVI values. In the northeast part of the fringe, near another distributary, the canopy expands at a much lower rate with low NDVI values. In the fringe center, far from the river mouths, the fringe boundary is highly irregular and mangroves expansion in characterized by sparse vegetated patches displaying low NDVI values. We ascribe these different dynamics to wave action and southwest longshore transport triggered by energetic northeasterly monsoons during winter. We further link the large‐scale dynamics of the fringe to small‐scale physical disturbances (waves, erosion and deposition) that might prevent the establishment of mangrove seedlings. Based on these results, we include mangrove encroachment in an already published conceptual model of progradation of the Mekong River Delta. We conclude that high NDVI values and a constantly linear vegetation–water interface are indicative of stable mangrove canopies undergoing fast expansion, probably triggered by sediment availability at the shore. Our results can be applied more generally to mangrove forests growing in minerogenic and high tidal range environments with high sediment inputs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Digitized Database of Old Seismograms Recorder in Romania

The aim of this paper is to describe a managing system for a unique Romanian database of historical seismograms and complementary documentation (metadata) and its dissemination and analysis procedure. For this study, 5188 historical seismograms recorded between 1903 and 1957 by the Romanian seismological observatories (Bucharest-Filaret, Foc?ani, Bac?u, Vrincioaia, Câmpulung-Muscel, Ia?i) were used. In order to reconsider the historical instrumental data, the analog seismograms are converted to digital images and digital waveforms (digitization/ vectorialisation). First, we applied a careful scanning procedure of the seismograms and related material (seismic bulletins, station books, etc.). In a next step, the high resolution scanned seismograms will be processed to obtain the digital/numeric waveforms. We used a Colortrac Smartlf Cx40 scanner which provides images in TIFF or JPG format. For digitization the algorithm Teseo2 developed by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome (Italy), within the framework of the SISMOS Project, will be used.     

Sulfur Determination in Geological Samples Based on Coupled Analytical Techniques: Electric Furnace-IC and TGA-EGA

A study has been undertaken to determine sulfur in geological samples by coupled analytical techniques. Two measurement methods have been developed: one using an electric furnace coupled to an ion chromatograph (electric furnace-IC) and another using infrared (IR) and quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) for evolved gas analysis (EGA) coupled with a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). In the electric furnace-IC method, measurement was performed without any sample pre-treatment. The measurement conditions were optimised by varying sample quantity, type of catalyst (WO₃, Cu, W and V₂O₅) and sample/catalyst ratio, and the detection limit was 10 μg g⁻¹. Sulfur ores decompose at different temperatures. However, TGA-EGA allowed identification of the different forms of sulfur in the sample, even when they were found in very low concentrations, because the sulfur was continuously analysed. The developed chromatographic method allowed simultaneous analysis of several sample components, such as S, Cl and F, with a low detection limit. The method was much faster and more specific than the methods described in the literature. The results of the sulfur determination had low scatter, possibly because the samples underwent little handling during analysis: the operator only weighed and placed the sample in the furnace, the rest of the measurement process was fully automated. The results obtained by both the developed methods have been validated by using reference materials and comparison with combustion-IR spectroscopy, a standard method for determining total sulfur in a sample.     

Optimal pumping from Palmela water supply wells (Portugal) using simulated annealing

Aquifer systems are an important part of an integrated water resources management plan as foreseen in the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (2000). The sustainable development of these systems demands the use of all available techniques capable of handling the multidisciplinary features of the problems involved. The formulation and resolution of an optimization model is described for a planning and management problem based on the Palmela aquifer (Portugal), developed to supply a given number of demand centres. This problem is solved using one of the latest optimization techniques, the simulated annealing heuristic method, designed to find the optimal solutions while avoiding falling into local optimums. The solution obtained, providing the wells location and the corresponding pumped flows to supply each centre, are analysed taking into account the objective function components and the constraints. It was found that the operation cost is the biggest share of the final cost, and the choice of wells is greatly affected by this fact. Another conclusion is that the solution takes advantage of the economies of scale, that is, it points toward drilling a large capacity well even if this increases the investment cost, rather than drilling several wells, which together will increase the operation costs.     

Undocumented Students’ Narratives of Liminal Citizenship: High Aspirations,Exclusion, and “In-Between” Identities

This study illustrates how national immigration policy relegates undocumented immigrant children to spaces of liminal citizenship, which shape their aspirations for higher education. Recognizing the power of migrant narratives, and the importance of privileging youths’ voices through children's geographies, we present the narratives of undocumented high school students from several rural North Carolina communities. Despite various barriers facing undocumented students, most have high academic aspirations. Students construct new forms of citizenship, legitimating their claims to higher education access through their achievement. Their liminal status, however, contributes to the formation of conflicted, “in-between” identities.     

Shifts in isotopic signatures of animals with complex life-cycles can complicate conclusions on cross-boundary trophic links

Stable isotopes (¹³C and ¹⁵N) are widely applied in studies of trophic links. We used this method to investigate the contribution of aquatic and terrestrial prey to the diet of riparian predatory arthropods in two mountain headwater streams in Colorado, USA. Aquatic and terrestrial prey and riparian predators were collected during summer 2009. To evaluate the reliability of conclusions based on stable isotope ratios, we compared the isotopic signatures of aquatic larval and terrestrial adult stages of three abundant stream insect species and assessed variation in mixing model estimates for spider diet composition under varying assumptions for trophic fractionation. Adult isotopic signatures of some aquatic prey species were indistinguishable from those of prey species with exclusively terrestrial life histories (stoneflies: ¹³C and ¹⁵N, chironomids: ¹³C). Other prey had distinctly aquatic isotopic signatures as both larvae and adults (a mayfly and a caddisfly). There was no evidence that prey with aquatic isotopic signatures contributed to the diet of the spiders near one stream. For the other stream, mixing model analysis suggested that chironomids were included in the diets of lycosid, linyphiid and liocranid spiders. Reliable estimates of the contributions of prey sources were compromised by the sensitivity of mixing models to assumptions on trophic fractionation and the presence of “isotopically cryptic” prey. This study emphasizes the importance of supporting isotope-based studies on cross-boundary trophic links with data on isotopic shifts in prey with complex life cycles and assessment of fractionation rates specific to the study system.     

Simultaneous identification of the pollutant release history and the source location in groundwater by means of a geostatistical approach

This paper describes an innovative procedure that is able to simultaneously identify the release history and the source location of a pollutant injection in a groundwater aquifer (simultaneous release function and source location identification, SRSI). The methodology follows a geostatistical approach: it develops starting from a data set and a reliable numerical flow and transport model of the aquifer. Observations can be concentration data detected at a given time in multiple locations or a time series of concentration measurements collected at multiple locations. The methodology requires a preliminary delineation of a probably source area and results in the identification of both the sub-area where the pollutant injection has most likely originated, and in the contaminant release history. Some weak hypotheses have to be defined about the statistical structure of the unknown release function such as the probability density function and correlation structure. Three case studies are discussed concerning two-dimensional, confined aquifers with strongly non-uniform flow fields. A transfer function approach has been adopted for the numerical definition of the sensitivity matrix and the recent step input function procedure has been successfully applied.