The effects of torsion and motion coupling in site response estimation

Soil amplification characteristics are investigated using data from the Chibaken‐Toho‐Oki earthquake and its aftershocks recorded at Chiba dense array in Japan. The frequency‐dependent amplification function of soil is calculated using uphole‐to‐downhole spectral ratio analysis, considering the horizontal components of shear wave. The identified spectral ratios consistently demonstrate the splitting of peaks in their resonance frequencies and low amplification values in comparison with a 1D model. The torsional behaviour and horizontal ground motion coupling are clarified as the reasons for these phenomena at the site. To prove the hypothesis, the torsional motion is directly evaluated using the data of the horizontal dense array in different depths at the site. The comparison between Fourier spectra of torsional motion and identified transfer functions reveals the peaks at the same frequencies. The wave equation including torsion and horizontal motion coupling is introduced and solved for the layered media by applying wave propagation theory. Using the developed model, the effects of torsional motion with horizontal motion coupling on soil transfer function are numerically examined. Splitting and low amplification at resonance frequencies are confirmed by the results of numerical analysis. Furthermore, the ground motion in two horizontal directions at the site is simulated using site geotechnical specification and optimizing the model parameters. The simulated and recorded motions demonstrate good agreement that is used to validate the hypothesis. In addition, the spectral density of torsional ground motions are compared with the calculated one and found to be well predicted by the model. Finally, the results are used to explain the overestimation of damping in back‐calculation of dynamic soil properties using vertical array data in small strain level. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rate of change of vorticity covariance of MHD turbulence in a rotating system

In this paper we are concerned with incompressible MHD turbulence in a rotating system and have derived an equation for the rate of change of vorticity covariance of MHD turbulent flow. The result derived shows that the defining scalars (r,t), (r,t), and (r,t) for the rate of change of vorticity covariance solely depend on the defining scalars of the tensorsW _ij, P_ik,j, F_kj,i, T_ik,j, andR _kj,ialready defined in the text.     

Sea Level Variations and Geomorphological Changes in the Coastal Belt of Pakistan

The UNEP in its regional seas program in 1989 has included Pakistan in a group of countries which are vulnerable to the impact of rising sea level. If the present trend of sea level rise (SLR) at Karachi continues, in the next 50 years the sea level rise along the Pakistan Coast will be 50 mm (5 cm). Since the rising rates of sea level at Karachi are within the global range of 1-2 mm/year, the trends may be treated as eustatic SLR. Historical air temperature and sea surface temperature (SST) data of Karachi also show an increasing pattern and an increasing trend of about 0.67°C has been registered in the air temperature over the last 35 years, whereas the mean SST in the coastal waters of Karachi has also registered an increasing trend of about 0.3°C in a decade. Sindh coastal zone is more vulnerable to sea level rise than Baluchistan coast, as uplifting of the coast by about 1-2 mm/year due to subduction of Indian Ocean plate is a characteristic of Baluchistan coast. Within the Indus deltaic creek system, the area nearby Karachi is more vulnerable to coastal erosion and accretion than the other deltaic region, mainly due to human activities together with natural phenomena such as wave action, strong tidal currents, and rise in sea level. Therefore, The present article deals mainly with the study of dynamical processes such as erosion and accretion associated with sea level variations along the Karachi coast and surrounding Indus deltaic coastline. The probable beach erosion in a decade along the sandy beaches of Karachi has been estimated. The estimates show that 1.1 mm/year rise in sea level causes a horizontal beach loss of 110 mm per year. Therefore, coast eroded with rise in sea level at Karachi and surrounding sandy beaches would be 1.1 m during a period of next 10 years. The northwestern part of Indus delta, especially the Gizri and Phitti creeks and surrounding islands, are most unstable. Historical satellite images are used to analyze the complex pattern of sediment movements, the change in shape of coastline, and associated erosion and accretion patterns in Bundal and Buddo Islands. The significant changes in land erosion and accretion areas at Bundal and Buddo Islands are evident and appear prominently in the images. A very high rate of accretion of sediments in the northwestern part of Buddo Island has been noticed. In the southwest monsoon season the wave breaking direction in both these islands is such that the movement of littoral drift is towards west. Erosion is also taking place in the northeastern and southern part of Bundal Island. The erosion in the south is probably due to strong wave activities and in the northeast is due to strong tidal currents and seawater intrusion. Accretion takes place at the northwest and western parts of Bundal Island. By using the slope of Indus delta, sea encroachment and the land area inundation with rising sea level of 1 m and 2 m have also been estimated.     

Recent Sea Level and Sea Surface Temperature Changes Along the Maldives Coast

Maldives, a South Asian small island nation in the northern part of the Indian Ocean is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of Sea Level Rise (SLR) due to its low altitude from the mean sea level. This artricle attempts to estimate the recent rates of SLR in Maldives during different seasons of the year with the help of existing tidal data recorded in the Maldives coast. Corresponding Sea Surface Temperature (SST) trends, utilizing reliable satellite climatology, have also been obtained. The relationships between the SST and mean sea level have been comprehensively investigated. Results show that recent sea level trends in the Maldives coast are very high. At Male, the capital of the Republic of Maldives, the rising rates of Mean Tidal Level (MTL) are: 8.5, 7.6, and 5.8 mm/year during the postmonsoon (October-December), Premonsoon (March-May) and southwest monsoon (June-September) seasons respectively. At Gan, a station very close to the equator, the increasing rate of MTL is maximum during the period from June to September (which is 6.2 mm/year). These rising trends in MTL along the Maldives coast are certainly alarming for this small developing island nation, which is hardly one meter above the mean sea level. Thus there is a need for careful monitoring of future sea level changes in the Maldives coast. The trends presented are based on the available time-series of MTL for the Maldives coast, which are rather short. These trends need not necessarily reflect the long-term scenario. SST in the Maldives coast has also registered significant increasing trend during the period from June to September. There are large seasonal variations in the SST trends at Gan but SST and MTL trends at Male are consistently increasing during all the seasons and the rising rates are very high. The interannual mode of variation is prominent both in SST as well as MTL. Annual profile of MTL along the Maldives coast is bimodal, having two maxima during April and July. The April Mode is by far the dominant one. The SST appears to be the main factor governing the sea level variations along the Maldives coast. The influence of SST and sea level is more near the equatorial region (i.e., at Gan). There is lag of about two months for the maximum influence of SST on the sea level. The correlation coefficient between the smoothed SST and mean tidal level at Gan with lag of two months is as high as ~ +0.8, which is highly significant. The corresponding correlation coefficients at Male with the lags of one and two months are +0.5 and +0.3, respectively. Thus, the important finding of the present work for the Maldives coast is the dominance of SST factor in sea level variation, especially near the region close to the equator.     

Application of artificial intelligence techniques in automatic hull form generation

The paper describes a methodology for automatic hull form generation of ships with some desired performances using artificial intelligence techniques. The whole implementation process is divided into three main components. First of all the half-breadth weight matrices are generated that would provide population with pre-fitness by examining the relationship of the hull form with the principal dimensions of a number of existing vessels. Secondly, breadth and draft are adjusted using Neural Network Concepts. Breadth, draft, length, displacement and speed of the ship are very related terms and relations among them create some constraints. Neural Networks solve these constraints and adjust the parameters. Finally, Genetic Algorithm is used for searching the exact solution by examining several generations. For this, the algorithms need to measure fitness for every population in every generation. Unfortunately, GA doesn't guarantee fairness of the surface of the hull form, which can't be ignored. So, for every population especially for newborn population fairing techniques would be used. However, being complex geometric shape, hull form surface can't be faired using least-square or other single equation fitting techniques. Fairness is done taking pair-wise points using B-spline functions [CAD 20(1988)].     

On numerical evaluation of theH-functions of transport problems by kernel approximation for the albedo 0<ω≤1

Das Gupta represented theH-functions of transport problems for the albedo [0, 1] in the formH(z)=R(z)–S(z) (see Das Gupta, 1977) whereR(z) is a rational function ofz andS(z) is regular on [–1, 0] ^c . In this paper we have representedS(z) through a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind with a symmetric real kernelL(y, z) as . The problem is then solved as an eigenvalue problem. The kernel is converted into a degenerate kernel through finite Taylor's expansion and the integral equation forS(z) takes the form: (which is solved by the usual procedure) where _r 's are the discrete eigenvalues andF _r 's the corresponding eigenfunctions of the real symmetric kernelL(y, z).     

OnSH type of motion due to body forces and due to stress-discontinuity in a semi-infinite viscoelastic medium

Summary In this paper, surface displacements of theSH type of motion due to time-dependent body forces and due to sudden introduction of a discontinuity in the shearing stress in a semi-infinite, homogeneous, isotropic, viscoelastic medium have been worked out by the use of Laplace and Fourier transforms. The displacements due to a point force and due to a stress discontinuity over a fixed region have been calculated numerically.     

基于变分技术的天气雷达速度退模糊算法的改进研究

为有效地识别和提取多普勒天气雷达风场信息,对Gao和Droegemeier提出的基于变分技术的多普勒雷达径向速度数据退模糊方法进行了改进。原方法中将背景风场、方位和径向速度距离梯度信息同时作为约束条件,对Nyquist数进行校正。但是该方法在迭代过程中使用了大量的数值分析和偏微分方程计算,造成径向速度场过度平滑和数据失真。针对这个问题,改进算法在得到径向速度分析场后,结合原始径向速度观测场,通过图像变化检测法,自动识别存在速度模糊的区域及计算需要校正的Nyquist数,对观测场的模糊区域进行校正。利用强对流天气和台风过程的雷达体扫数据验证了改进算法的可行性,并与原始算法及业务应用的WSR-88D算法对比。结果表明:改进算法有效地解决了原始算法中的不足,恢复真实的风场结构和分布特征,改善了退速度模糊的质量,从而得到更为合理的径向速度观测场;并且该算法退模糊效果优于WSR-88D算法,有助于为科研和业务应用服务。     

Differential cobalt-induced effects on plant growth,ultrastructural modifications,and antioxidative response among four <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brassica napus</Emphasis> (L.) cultivars

Despite the increasing environmental threat of cobalt in the modern era, less is known as its phytotoxicity behavior. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the toxicity effects of cobalt and to understand the associated physio-biochemical response in Brassica napus, an economically important plant crop species. Five-day-old seedlings of four cultivars (Zheda 619, Zheda 622, ZS 758, and ZY 50) were exposed to five different levels of cobalt under hydroponic conditions. Results showed a concentration-dependent inhibition of plant growth, accompanied by notable chlorophyll loss, protein degradation, and accumulation of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde. Further, Co contents in different plants parts were found to be higher in Zheda 622 than all other cultivars. In all cultivars, the contents of enzymatic activities (SOD, POD, GR, and GSH) were markedly increased following cobalt exposure; by contrast, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities declined with increased cobalt concentration in medium, which was also, echoed by the pattern of enzymes-related mRNA levels. Morphological observations, supported by ultrastructural analysis revealed clear differences in cobalt sensitivity among cultivars, with ZS 758 identified as less sensitive cultivar, and Zheda 622 the most sensitive one. In addition to revealing genotypic differences in cobalt sensitivity in B. napus, findings suggest the mechanisms of cobalt tolerance in this specie could, at least partially, in relation with the ability of plant to sustain the activity of superoxide dismutase and guaicol peroxidase and to maintain glutathione reduced pool through the action of glutathione reductase.     

Bearing capacity of soft soil model treated with end-bearing bottom ash columns

Granular column technique is a soil improvement method used to increase the bearing capacity of a soft soil area by replacing the soil with a group of granular column materials. The by-product utilisation is a worldwide interest for sustainable infrastructure development. Bottom ash, which is a combustion deposit derived from coal burning, is a potential by-product that could be used alternatively to sand or aggregate as a green granular column material. This research is to study the potential use of the bottom ash column-improved soft clay by conducting a series of small-scale physical modelling test. The bearing capacity behaviour and failure mode of soft clay improved with end-bearing group of bottom ash columns with and without geotextile encasement are investigated. The bearing capacity of soft clay is significantly enhanced by the inclusion of bottom ash columns; that is, 239% of bearing capacity improvement is observed with only 13% of improvement area. The bulging of the bottom ash column is transferred to buckling failure with higher bearing capacity when the bottom ash column is encased by geotextile. The outcome of this research leads to the usage of bottom ash by-product as a granular column material in sustainable soil improvement technique.