Theory of Basin Scale Dynamics of a Stratified Rotating Fluid

The dynamics of a stratified fluid contained in a rotating rectangular box is described in terms of the evolution of the lowest moments of its density and momentum fields. The first moment of the density field also gives the position of the fluids centre-of-mass. The resulting low-order model allows for fast assessment both of adopted parameterisations, as well as of particular values of parameters. In the ideal fluid limit (neglect of viscous and diffusive effects), in the absence of wind, the equations have a Hamiltonian structure that is integrable (non-integrable) in the absence (presence) of differential heating. In a non-rotating convective regime, dynamically rich behaviour and strong dependence on the single (lumped) parameter are established. For small values of this parameter, in a self-similar regime, further reduction to an explicit map is discussed in an Appendix. Introducing rotation in a nearly geostrophic regime leads through a Hopf bifurcation to a limit cycle, and under the influence of wind and salt to multiple equilibria and chaos, respectively.     

Cyclic inelastic behavior and analytical modelling of pile–leg interaction in jacket type offshore platforms

Structures in locations susceptible to severe seismic disturbances should be designed properly in order to resist lateral forces induced by earthquake motions. Steel offshore platforms are some of those structures which are built to withstand environmental and accidental loads during oil exploitation operation. Particular attention is being paid to earthquake loads in seismic active areas because it directly influences the capacity of the offshore installations.

In this paper, a small-scaled planar platform has been modelled analytically using nonlinear finite element program, based on an experimental test, conducted simultaneously in order to assess the local and global behavior of pile–leg interaction in Jacket Type Offshore Platforms (JTOPs). A combination of nonlinear beam column elements and fatigue affected elements are used to capture the inelastic cyclic behavior of planar frame as accurately as possible. Results of analytical tests are to be compared with experiments and it is concluded that an analytical approach can be best used for modelling JTOPs with reasonable accuracy regardless of the type and scale of the structure. Moreover, a special study on joints has been carried out and the best model has been selected to simulate brittle behavior of joints resulting from heat affected zone.     

Flood‐based analysis of high‐magnitude sediment transport using a non‐parametric method

Upland erosion and the resulting reservoir siltation is a serious issue in the Isábena catchment (445 km² Central Spanish Pyrenees). During a three‐month period, water and sediment fluxes have been monitored at the catchment outlet (Capella), two adjacent subcatchments (Villacarli, 41 km²; Cabecera, 145 km²) and the elementary badland catchment Torrelaribera (8 ha). This paper presents the results of the monitoring, a method for the calculation of a sedigraph from intermittent measurements and the derived sediment yields at the monitored locations. The observed suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) demonstrate the role of badlands as sediment sources: SSCs of up to 280 g l^?1 were encountered for Villacarli, which includes large badland areas. SSCs at the Cabecera catchment, with great areas of woodland, barely exceeded 30 g l^?1. SSCs directly at the sediment source (Torrelaribera) were comparable to those at Villacarli, suggesting a close connection within this subcatchment. At Capella, SSCs of up to 99 g l^?1 were observed. For all sites, SSC displayed only a loose correlation with discharge, inhibiting the application of a simple sediment rating curve. Instead, ancillary variables acting as driving forces or proxies for the processes (rainfall energy, cumulative discharge, rising/falling limb data) were included in a quantile regression forest model to explain the variability in SSC. The variables with most predictive power vary between the sites, suggesting the predominance of different processes. The subsequent flood‐based calculation of sediment yields attests high specific sediment yields for Torrelaribera and Villacarli (6277 and 1971 t km^?2) and medium to high yields for Cabecera and Capella (139 and 410 t km^?2) during the observation period. In all catchments, most of the sediment was exported during intense storms of late summer. Later flood events yield successively less sediment. Relating upland sediment production to yield at the outlet suggests considerable effects of sediment storage within the river channel. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The oxygen isotope composition, petrology and geochemistry of mare basalts: Evidence for large-scale compositional variation in the lunar mantle

To investigate the formation and early evolution of the lunar mantle and crust we have analysed the oxygen isotopic composition, titanium content and modal mineralogy of a suite of lunar basalts. Our sample set included eight low-Ti basalts from the Apollo 12 and 15 collections, and 12 high-Ti basalts from Apollo 11 and 17 collections. In addition, we have determined the oxygen isotopic composition of an Apollo 15 KREEP (K - potassium, REE - Rare Earth Element, and P - phosphorus) basalt (sample 15386) and an Apollo 14 feldspathic mare basalt (sample 14053). Our data display a continuum in bulk-rock δ¹⁸O values, from relatively low values in the most Ti-rich samples to higher values in the Ti-poor samples, with the Apollo 11 sample suite partially bridging the gap. Calculation of bulk-rock δ¹⁸O values, using a combination of previously published oxygen isotope data on mineral separates from lunar basalts, and modal mineralogy (determined in this study), match with the measured bulk-rock δ¹⁸O values. This demonstrates that differences in mineral modal assemblage produce differences in mare basalt δ¹⁸O bulk-rock values. Differences between the low- and high-Ti mare basalts appear to be largely a reflection of mantle-source heterogeneities, and in particular, the highly variable distribution of ilmenite within the lunar mantle. Bulk δ¹⁸O variation in mare basalts is also controlled by fractional crystallisation of a few key mineral phases. Thus, ilmenite fractionation is important in the case of high-Ti Apollo 17 samples, whereas olivine plays a more dominant role for the low-Ti Apollo 12 samples.Consistent with the results of previous studies, our data reveal no detectable difference between the Δ¹⁷O of the Earth and Moon. The fact that oxygen three-isotope studies have been unable to detect a measurable difference at such high precisions reinforces doubts about the giant impact hypothesis as presently formulated.     

Meteoric Be in soil profiles - A global meta-analysis

In order to assess current understanding of meteoric ¹⁰Be dynamics and distribution in terrestrial soils, we assembled a database of all published meteoric ¹⁰Be soil depth profiles, including 104 profiles from 27 studies in globally diverse locations, collectively containing 679 individual measurements. This allows for the systematic comparison of meteoric ¹⁰Be concentration to other soil characteristics and the comparison of profile depth distributions between geologic settings. Percent clay, ⁹Be, and dithionite-citrate extracted Al positively correlate to meteoric ¹⁰Be in more than half of the soils where they were measured, but the lack of significant correlation in other soils suggests that no one soil factor controls meteoric ¹⁰Be distribution with depth. Dithionite-citrate extracted Fe and cation exchange capacity are only weakly correlated to meteoric ¹⁰Be. Percent organic carbon and pH are not significantly related to meteoric ¹⁰Be concentration when all data are complied.The compilation shows that meteoric ¹⁰Be concentration is seldom uniform with depth in a soil profile. In young or rapidly eroding soils, maximum meteoric ¹⁰Be concentrations are typically found in the uppermost 20 cm. In older, more slowly eroding soils, the highest meteoric ¹⁰Be concentrations are found at depth, usually between 50 and 200 cm. We find that the highest measured meteoric ¹⁰Be concentration in a soil profile is an important metric, as both the value and the depth of the maximum meteoric ¹⁰Be concentration correlate with the total measured meteoric ¹⁰Be inventory of the soil profile.In order to refine the use of meteoric ¹⁰Be as an estimator of soil erosion rate, we compare near-surface meteoric ¹⁰Be concentrations to total meteoric ¹⁰Be soil inventories. These trends are used to calibrate models of meteoric ¹⁰Be loss by soil erosion. Erosion rates calculated using this method vary based on the assumed depth and timing of erosional events and on the reference data selected.     

Spectrophotometric investigation of five galaxies with A UV excess

The results of a spectroscopic investigation of galaxies Nos. 22, 35, 133, 317, and 321 from the lists of [M. A. Kazarian, Astrofizika,15, 5 (1979); M. A. Kazarian and é. S. Kazarian, Astrofizika,16, 17 (1980)] are given. The equivalent widths of lines, the relative intensities of emission lines, and their half-widths are determined. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 619–626, October-December, 1997.     

High-resolution bispectrum speckle interferometry and two-dimensional radiative transfer modeling of the Red Rectangle

We present the first diffraction-limited K-band image of the Red Rectangle with 76 mas resolution, an H-band image with 75 mas resolution, and an RG 715 filter image ( 800 nm wavelength) with 78 mas resolution (corresponding to 25 AU for a distance of 330 pc). The H and K images were reconstructed from 6 m telescope speckle data and the RG 715 image from 2.2 m telescope data using the speckle masking bispectrum method. At all wavelengths the images show a compact, highly symmetric bipolar nebula, suggesting a toroidal density distribution of the circumstellar material. No direct light from the central binary can be seen as it is obscured by a dust disk or circumbinary torus. Our first high-resolution H−K color image of the nebula shows a broad red plateau of H−K≈ 2^m in the bright inner regions.The optical and near-infrared images and the available photometric continuum observations in a wide range of ultraviolet to centimeter wavelengths enabled us to model the Red Rectangle in detail using a two-dimensional radiative transfer code. Our model matches both the high-resolution images and the spectral energy distribution of this object very well, making the following picture much more certain. The central close binary system with a total luminosity of 3000 L is embedded in a very dense, compact circumbinary torus which has an average number density n_H ≈5×10¹² cm⁻³, an outer radius of the dense inner region of R≈30 AU (91 mas), and a ρ∝r⁻² density distribution. The full opening angle of the bipolar outflow cavities in our model is 70°. By comparing the observed and theoretical images, we derived an inclination angle of the torus to the line of sight of 7°±1°.The radiative transfer calculations show that the dust properties in the Red Rectangle are spatially inhomogeneous. The modeling confirms that the idea of large grains in the long-lived disk around the Red Rectangle (Jura et al., 1997 [ApJ, 474, 741]) is quantitatively consistent with the observations. In our models, unusually large, approximately millimeter-sized grains dominate the emission of the compact, massive torus. Models with smaller average grain sizes can possibly be found in future studies, for instance, if it turns out that the radio spectrum is not mainly caused by continuum dust emission. Therefore, the large grains suggested by our models require further confirmation by both new observations and radiative transfer calculations. Assuming a dust-to-gas ratio ρ_d/ρ_g of 0.005, the dense torus mass is 0.25 M. The model gives a lower limit of 0.0018 M, for the mass of the large particles, which produce a gray extinction of A≈ 28^m, towards the center. A much smaller mass of submicron-sized dust grains is presumably located in the polar outflow cavities, their conical surface layers, and in the outer low-density parts of the torus (where ρ∝r⁻⁴, in the region of 30 AUr 2000 AU corresponding to 0.^′′09–6^′′).