Modelling the Mont Terri HE-D experiment for the Thermal–Hydraulic–Mechanical response of a bedded argillaceous formation to heating

Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) processes in the near field of deep geological repositories can influence several safety features of the engineered and geological barriers. Among those features are: the possibility of damage in the host rock, the time for re-saturation of the bentonite, and the perturbations in the hydraulic regime in both the rock and engineered seals. Within the international cooperative code-validation project DECOVALEX-2015, eight research teams developed models to simulate an in situ heater experiment, called HE-D, in Opalinus Clay at the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland. The models were developed from the theory of poroelasticity in order to simulate the coupled THM processes that prevailed during the experiment and thereby to characterize the in situ THM properties of Opalinus Clay. The modelling results for the evolution of temperature, pore water pressure, and deformation at different points are consistent among the research teams and compare favourably with the experimental data in terms of trends and absolute values. The models were able to reproduce the main physical processes of the experiment. In particular, most teams simulated temperature and thermally induced pore water pressure well, including spatial variations caused by inherent anisotropy due to bedding.     

Grain alignment in the intergalactic magnetic field

Processes for grain alignment in the intergalactic magnetic field are considered: evidence is examined for grains being spun up to extremely high (10⁹ Hz) angular frequencies by the recoil of hydrogen recombination on grains, as an essential part of the alignment process. Grain alignment would then be inhibited in region of grain growth and would be most effective where grain growth is inhibited or reaches saturation.     

Aftershock Propagation Characteristics During the First Three Hours Following the 26 December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake

Within three hours of the mainshock rupture of the 26 December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, 45 aftershocks occurred that are distributed all along the mega-thrust fault plane and also along the West Andaman fault. Seven of these aftershocks struck sequentially and unilaterally from the mainshock in the south towards north within 2h 9m 50.76s indicating an overall rate of aftershock propagation to the tune of 167 meters/sec. Seismic moment calculated from fault parameters gives a value of 1.2 × 10³⁰ dyne cm. Three separate fault segments are identified from distribution of aftershocks with propagation rates 330, 250 and 85 meters/sec in the southern, central and northern segments. These 7 unilaterally propagating shocks along the mega-thrust are probably not aftershocks of the mainshock rather these are sequentially triggered shocks each rupturing a small segment of the fault. Location of the mainshock and several aftershocks are guided by several lithospheric hinge faults identified previously.     

An assessment of wind forcing impact on a spectral wave model for the Indian Ocean

The focus of the present study is the assessment of the impact of wind forcing on the spectral wave model MIKE 21 SW in the Indian Ocean region. Three different wind fields, namely the ECMWF analyzed winds, the ECMWF blended winds, and the NCEP blended winds have been used to drive the model. The wave model results have been compared with in-situ observations and satellite altimeter data. This study also evaluated the performance of the wind products during local phenomenon like sea breeze, since it has a significant impact on the wave prediction in the Indian coastal region. Hence we explored the possibility of studying the impact of diurnal variation of winds on coastal waves using different wind fields. An analysis of the model performance has also been made during high wind conditions with the inference that blended winds generate more realistic wave fields in the high wind conditions and are able to produce the growth and decay of waves more realistically.     

Kinetic Energy Variability in the North Indian Ocean Using a Numerical Model

The North Indian Ocean exhibits profound impact of variation in lower tropospheric winds. In the present study climatological monthly winds are used to force a nonlinear reduced gravity model of the North Indian Ocean to simulate climatological surface circulation and sea level anomaly for all 12 months of the year. The sea level anomalies agree reasonably well with satellite altimeter derived sea level anomalies. The model successfully simulates the varying eddy structure and current pattern of the North Indian Ocean. Finally, the kinetic energy variation in the North Indian Ocean with special reference to equatorial region and the boundaries is analyzed in detail.     

Relationship between earthquake swarm,rifting history,magmatism and pore pressure diffusion — an example from South Andaman Sea,India

An extraordinarily strong and persistent earthquake swarm (Andaman swarm 2005) originated in the Andaman back-arc following the aftershock sequences of the 26 December 2004 Sumatra earthquake. The swarm (n = 651, mb_max= 5.9) came mainly in two phases: January 26–31 and Feb.–Aug. 2005, in an area of size 90 × 40 km², at the centre of which lies a broad bathymetric depression and high gravity zone. The swarm demonstrates a complex faulting series, initially the strike-slip motion followed by normal faulting in repetitive sequences, whose representative fault planes orient at high angle to the regional faults. The swarm character as well as the distribution of stress-axes and their correlation to tectonic features lends speculation for formation of a nascent rift segment in NW-SE direction at the doorstep of the Sewell Seamount. The swarm has given rise to 21 episodes of rifting activities of variable time extent within 26–31 January 2005. The r-t plots corresponding to the swarm data, modelled with variable hydraulic diffusivity (D) values 4, 6, 8 and 10 m²/s, suggest for excess pressure front from ascending magmatic fluid. This eventually heralded the rifting; causing pore pressure perturbations that propagated in accordance with known diffusion parabolic equations.     

Evaluation of seismic soil-liquefaction at Guwahati city

Great earthquakes in the past (e.g. 1869 Cachar earthquake, 1897 great Assam earthquake) have caused large scale damage and ground liquefaction in the Guwahati city. Moreover, seismologists are of opinion that a great earthquake might occur in the unruptured segment of the North-East Himalaya that is near to Guwahati city. In this paper, the liquefaction hazard due to these events have been simulated. The obtained results are in general agreement with the reported damages due to the past earthquakes. The central part of the city (i.e. Dispur, GS road), that has large thickness of soft soil deposit and shallow ground water table, is highly vulnerable to liquefaction.