Wave-tide interaction modulates nearshore wave height

Ocean Dynamics - The combined hazard of large waves occurring at an extreme high water could increase the risk of coastal flooding. Wave-tide interaction processes are known to modulate the wave...     

Problematic Soft Soil Improvement with Both Polypropylene Fiber and Polyvinyl Acetate Resin

Several methods are used to improve mechanical properties of loose soils including rewetting, soil replacement, compaction control, chemical additives, moisture control, thermal methods, and more recently, discrete fibers. All the methods are applied to soft soil to increase load bearing capacity and to improve other properties such as prevention of erosion and dust generation. In the present study, a new method of soil improvement using both discrete polypropylene (PP) fibers and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) is introduced. The method is applied to improve load bearing capacity of a problematic sandy soil in both dry and saturated states. Based on the results from CBR tests on various specimens, it has been revealed that the combination of PP fiber and PVAc resin with weight percentages of 0.1 and 0.6 %, respectively, had the optimum effect in increasing the CBR value in both saturated and dry soil specimens. It should be mentioned that this method has caused a great increase in the CBR value in the saturated soil.     

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making in Land Evaluation of Agricultural Land Use

The present study was carried out to evaluate agricultural capability of a watershed located in Khuzestan; a province in southern Iran. It is aimed to examine the applicability of Multi Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods in site selection process. Accordingly, the ecological resources of the watershed were initially identified. To specify the criteria required for agricultural land evaluation, Delphi method was applied. After selecting the criteria, they were weighted using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Method. Weighted Overlay (WO) Method was also used to overlay the map layers in the GIS environment. Afterwards, sensitivity analysis was performed using Weights Sensitivity Analysis (WSA) method to show the impressibility rate of the results against a certain changes in the inputs. The results revealed that out of 6591.2 ha of the total watershed area, 50.8 % has unsuitable potentiality while 27.32 % has a poor suitability for irrigated agriculture. It was also determined that only 6.96 % of the whole study area has a suitable potential for this purpose. Besides, the findings indicated that 23.38 % of the total watershed area is unsuitable for rain-fed farming. the results also showed that 31.78 % and 19.12 % of the entire study area has moderate and high potentials for rain-fed agriculture, respectively. In a general overview, this study could present how MCDM is effective in handling land capability studies.     

An alternative approach for quasi‐static large deformation analysis of saturated porous media using meshfree method

An alternative coupled large deformation formulation combined with a meshfree approach is proposed for flow–deformation analysis of saturated porous media. The formulation proposed is based on the Updated Lagrangian (UL) approach, except that the spatial derivatives are defined with respect to the configuration of the medium at the last time step rather than the configuration at the last iteration. In this way, the Cauchy stresses are calculated directly, rendering the second Piola–Kirchhoff stress tensor not necessary for the numerical solution of the equilibrium equations. Moreover, in contrast with the UL approach, the nodal shape function derivatives are calculated once in each time step and stored for use in subsequent iterations, which reduces the computational cost of the algorithm. Stress objectivity is satisfied using the Jaumann stress rate, and the spatial discretisation of the governing equations is achieved using the standard Galerkin method. The equations of equilibrium are satisfied directly, and the nonlinear parts of the system matrix are derived independent of the stresses of the medium resulting in a stable numerical algorithm. Temporal discretisation is effected based on a three‐point approximation technique that avoids spurious ripple effects and has second‐order accuracy. The radial point interpolation method is used to construct the shape functions. The application of the formulation and the significance of large deformation effects on the numerical results are demonstrated through several numerical examples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The static gravity field model DGM-1S from GRACE and GOCE data: computation, validation and an analysis of GOCE mission’s added value

We present a global static model of the Earth’s gravity field entitled DGM-1S based on GRACE and GOCE data. The collection of used data sets includes nearly 7 years of GRACE KBR data and 10 months of GOCE gravity gradient data. The KBR data are transformed with a 3-point differentiation into quantities that are approximately inter-satellite accelerations. Gravity gradients are processed in the instrumental frame. Noise is handled with a frequency-dependent data weighting. DGM-1S is complete to spherical harmonic degree 250 with a Kaula regularization being applied above degree 179. Its performance is compared with a number of other satellite-only GRACE/GOCE models by confronting them with (i) an independent model of the oceanic mean dynamic topography, and (ii) independent KBR and gravity gradient data. The tests reveal a competitive quality for DGM-1S. Importantly, we study added value of GOCE data by comparing the performance of satellite-only GRACE/GOCE models with models produced without GOCE data: either ITG-Grace2010s or EGM2008 depending on which of the two performs better in a given region. The test executed based on independent gravity gradients quantifies this added value as 25–38 % in the continental areas poorly covered with terrestrial gravimetry data (Equatorial Africa, Himalayas, and South America), 7–17 % in those with a good coverage with these data (Australia, North America, and North Eurasia), and 14 % in the oceans. This added value is shown to be almost entirely related to coefficients below degree 200. It is shown that this gain must be entirely attributed to gravity gradients acquired by the mission. The test executed based on an independent model of the mean dynamic topography suggests that problems still seem to exist in satellite-only GRACE/GOCE models over the Pacific ocean, where noticeable deviations between these models and EGM2008 are detected, too.     

Seismicity Characterization of Iran: A Multivariate Statistical Approach

This paper presents the results of two multivariate analysis techniques—principal component and cluster analysis—as they are applied to the seismicity characterization of Iran. The seismic data used in this study covers a period of 50 years, from the beginning of 1957 to the end of 2006. The values of eight seismic variables were calculated on a grid of equally spaced points at one geographic degree spacing in both latitude and longitude. The data matrix was analyzed using principal component and cluster analysis. Principal component analysis identified two significant components, introduced in this study as the Seismic Frequency Index (SFI) and the Seismic Severity Index (SSI), responsible for the data structure. The SFI and SSI explain 34.34 % and 32.33 % of the total variance of the data set, respectively, and allowed grouping of the selected variables according to their common features. The standardized data matrix was analyzed using Ward’s clustering method. The resulting seismicity pattern recognition maps of the region at three levels of similarity are presented. From these maps, differentiated seismic zones are outlined in detail and compared quantitatively. Comparison between the seismic zoning maps obtained in this analysis and the general tectonic map of the region indicates that the seismic zones are consistent with the tectonic zones of the region. This study presents the necessity and usefulness of multivariate analysis in evaluating and interpreting seismic data catalogues with the goal of obtaining more objective information about the seismicity pattern of regions.     

Apportioning deformation among depth intervals in an aquifer system using InSAR and head data

Land surface subsidence due to excessive groundwater pumping is an increasing concern in California, USA. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a remote sensing technique for measuring centimeter-to-millimeter surface deformation at 10–100 m spatial resolution. Here, a data-driven approach that attributes deformation to individual depth intervals within an aquifer system by integrating head data acquired from each of three screened intervals in a monitoring well with InSAR surface deformation measurements was developed. The study area was the Colusa Basin in northern Central Valley. To reconstruct the surface deformation history over the study area, 13 ALOS-PALSAR scenes acquired between 2006 and 2010 were processed. Up to ~3-cm year^?1 long-term subsidence and up to ~6 cm seasonal subsidence were observed using the InSAR technique. The technique developed in this paper integrates the InSAR-observed seasonal deformation rate and the co-located head measurements in multiple depth intervals to estimate the elastic skeletal storage coefficient, the time delay between the head change and the observed deformation, and subsequently the deformation of each depth interval. This technique can be implemented when hydraulic head measurements within each depth interval are not correlated with each other. Using this approach, the depth interval that contributed the most to the total subsidence, as well as storage parameters for all intervals, are estimated. The technique can be used for identification of the depth interval within the aquifer system responsible for deformation.

     

Boundary Identification and Surface Updates Using MWD

Mathematical Geosciences - In the banded iron formation-hosted iron ore deposits in the Hamersley Range of Western Australia, the stratigraphic boundaries are generally modelled using data from...     

The fossil phase in the life of a galaxy group

We investigate the origin and evolution of fossil groups in a concordance ΛCDM cosmological simulation. We consider haloes with masses between  1 × 10¹³  and  5 × 10¹³  h ⁻¹ M_⊙  , and study the physical mechanisms that lead to the formation of the large gap in magnitude between the brightest and the second most bright group member, which is typical for these fossil systems. Fossil groups are found to have high dark matter concentrations, which we can relate to their early formation time. The large magnitude gaps arise after the groups have built up half of their final mass, due to merging of massive group members. We show that the existence of fossil systems is primarily driven by the relatively early infall of massive satellites, and that we do not find a strong environmental dependence for these systems. In addition, we find tentative evidence for fossil group satellites falling in on orbits with typically lower angular momentum, which might lead to a more efficient merger on to the host. We find a population of groups at higher redshifts that go through a 'fossil phase': a stage where they show a large magnitude gap, which is terminated by renewed infall from their environment.     

Contribution of tuned liquid column gas dampers to the performance of offshore wind turbines under wind,wave, and seismic excitations

The main intention of the present study is to reduce wind, wave, and seismic induced vibrations of jackettype offshore wind turbines (JOWTs) through a newly developed vibration absorber, called tuned liquid column gas damper (TLCGD). Using a Simulink-based model, an analytical model is developed to simulate global behavior of JOWTs under different dynamic excitations. The study is followed by a parametric study to explore efficiency of the TLCGD in terms of nacelle acceleration reduction under wind, wave, and earthquake loads. Study results indicate that optimum frequency of the TLCGD is rather insensitive to excitation type. In addition, while the gain in vibration control from TLCGDs with higher mass ratios is generally more pronounced, heavy TLCGDs are more sensitive to their tuned frequency such that ill-regulated TLCGD with high mass ratio can lead to destructive results. It is revealed that a well regulated TLCGD has noticeable contribution to the dynamic response of the JOWT under any excitation.