Deformation and fracturing behaviour of discontinuous rock mass and damage mechanics theory

The mechanical behaviour of a rock mass is strongly affected by discontinuities such as faults and joints. In this paper, a damage mechanics theory is proposed which deals with some sets of discontinuities distributed in a rock mass, for example, joint systems. In this theory, the distributed discontinuities are characterized by a second-order symmetric tensor, called the damage tensor. By introducing the damage concept, the deformation and fracturing behaviour of the rock mass can be reated in a framework of continuum mechanics. A numerical procedure is developed in order to implement the damage mechanics model by using the finite element method. The theory and numerical analysis are applied to several laboratory tests and a practical underground opening problem. Numerical results are compared with measured data.     

An analysis method for elastic waves propagation in material involving cracks

In this paper, a new model to treat the problem of elastic wave travelling in rock mass that embeds cracks is proposed, in which, instead of modelling the crack directly the mechanical effects of discontinuities are translated into the equivalent nodal forces on a numerical procedure. Thus the response is physically obtained as the superposition of the incident wave field and the scattering wave field produced by the radiation of the reflected waves from the crack surfaces. Finally, a numerical example is carried out and it shows that the results by the proposed method have a very good agreement with those of the exact ones.     

A warning model based on temporal changes of coda Q for volcanic activity at Nevado Del Ruiz Volcano, Colombia

The coda Q has been calculated for Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, Colombia (NRV) from 1985 to 1999 by using a single scattering model. During this period, the inverse of Q (Q^-1 proportional to attenuation) exhibited a long-term decrease with time, as well as shorter-term variations related to the volcanic activity. Q^-1 increased prior to volcanic crises and decreased afterward. Based on these observations, a seismic warning criterion has been developed. The parameters (frequency band, size of moving average window, and threshold levels) necessary to evidence clear and significant short-term changes in Q^-1 have been investigated and appropriated values are proposed. We suggest a phenomenological model with three stages for the short-term temporal changes in Q^-1 at NRV. Firstly, Q^-1 increases before a volcanic crises because of accumulation of gas and/or liquid, which decreases the aspect ratio of fluid pockets and increases the fractional volume of fluid in the rocks and the pore aspect ratio. Secondly, Q^-1 starts to decrease during the crises by the discharging of fluids such as gas, water, etc. from the volcano. Finally, Q^-1 becomes more stable after the crisis at a lower value because of the degassing and/or increasing of rigidity of the medium because of the long-term crystallization and cooling processes. Q^-1 seems to be a promising monitoring tool at NRV. It is possible that the observed temporal changes of Q^-1, combined with other parameters, may help to predict with greater accuracy a volcanic crisis at NRV.     

Layer-parallel faults, duplexes, imbricate thrusts and vein structures of the Miura Group: Keys to understanding the Izu fore-arc sediment accretion to the Honshu fore arc

Abstract The Miura Group (Miocene-Pliocene) of south-central Japan shows a number of unique lithological and structural features. The group is composed of volcanic arc-derived marine sediments, and those in the south of the Mineoka Tectonic Belt particularly show various kinds of complex structures such as layer-parallel faults, thrust duplexes, imbricate thrusts and vein structures, yet the degree of compaction of the sediments is still remarkably low. These structures involve deformations at a very early stage and at shallow depths. They arose shortly after sedimentation within the Izu fore arc, and continued during accretion to the Honshu fore arc. The deformational stages are classified here into three stages, the first comprises bedding-parallel faulting associated with gravitational sliding and sediment injection. The first vein structures formed during this stage in the Izu fore arc area. These structures are cut by features developed during the second and third stages: especially thrusting, including duplex and imbricate thrusts. This horizontal shortening occurred during the accretionary prism formation on the subduction plate boundary. The second vein structures formed during this stage in the accretionary prism formation. The origin of the vein structures was discussed both by field observation and laboratory experiments. The latter suggests earthquake origin and the formative process is explained in relation to the field evidence.     

Three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure in the upper crust beneath Kuju Volcano, central Kyushu, Japan

 Kuju Volcano lies near Aso Caldera at the center of Kyushu Island, western Japan. After a few hundred years of dormancy, a phreatic explosion accompanied by a small ash eruption occurred on 11 October 1995. This study was undertaken to determine the subsurface seismic velocity structure associated with the active magmatic regime in the Kuju volcanic region. The three-dimensional, upper crustal, P-wave velocity structure beneath Kuju Volcano was determined using methods for the simultaneous inversion of P-wave arrival times from local earthquakes in and around the Kuju volcanic region for velocities and hypocentral parameters. Results reveal two shallower low-velocity anomalies located in the northern and southern parts of Kuju Volcano, consistent with the presence of significant negative Bouguer gravity anomalies. In addition, a high-velocity anomaly is located approximately 5 km northwest of Mt. Kuju, one of the domes in Kuju Volcano. Beneath this high-velocity anomaly, a low-velocity anomaly is present. This velocity structure suggests a magmatic regime that has a lid consisting of cooled solid material overlying a chamber of partially molten material. Received: 23 September 1997 / Accepted: 20 June 1998     

Distribution of planktonic copepods in the Kuroshio area of the East Chine Sea to the southwest of Kyushu in Japan

The materials were obtained from the survey conducted in the Kuroshio area of the East China Sea to the Southwest of Kyushu in Japan (29°30'-32°00', 128°00'-130°'00'E) on board the R. V. Yoko Maru of Seikai Regional Fisheries Lab, Fisheries Agency, Japan in June 15~28, 1988 during China-Japan Joint Research on the Kuroshio. Zoo-plankton was collected by means of the North Pacific Net with model TSK flowmeter through vertical haul from 50 -Om. Temperature and salinity were measured with CTD. 134 species (including 4 spp. ) of planktonic copepods were preliminarily identified in the survey area. Most of them belonged to the tropical and subtropical species and a few of them were the warm-temperate species and eurytopic species. The main dominant species vteieOncaea venusta, Oithona plumifera, Clausocalanus furcatus, C. Arcuicornis, Paracaianus dculeatus, Oithona similis, Temara turbinata, Oncaea media, Undinula danvinii, Acartia negligent, Corycaeus speciosus, Scolecithrix danae, etc. The total number     

Measurements of the Turbulent Energy Dissipation Rate around the Shelf Break in the East China Sea

Using the micro-structure profiler, TurboMAP, large values for the turbulent energy dissipation rate ε were found just above the bottom of the shelf and around the thermocline near the continental shelf break in the East China Sea. The values found above the bottom are produced by the bottom stress due to tidal currents, resulting in a distinct bottom mixed layer where the vertical eddy diffusivity Kz is also large. Distinct maxima in the values of ε detected around the thermocline are located at the depth of the fine-scale shear maxima detected with the moored ADCP. The vertical profiles of ε were compared with those of the current velocity, and it was found that the maxima in ε appear to correspond to those of the shear with fine scale. The magnitude of the observed ε coincided approximately with the ε calculated from the fine-scale shear and the buoyancy frequency according to the parameterization proposed by Gregg (1989), if the large-scale mean shear caused by the Kuroshio is subtracted. However, it is not clear whether the parameterization for the internal wave fields in the open ocean is applicable to the estimation of ε in the shelf break. Whereas the most predominant value of ε was found just above the bottom and around the thermocline, the maxima of ε could be found in the internal area. They could have been caused by the propagation of the vertically high wave number internal tides along the characteristic ray.     

Consequences of implementing a reservoir operation algorithm in a global hydrological model under multiple meteorological forcing

We investigated dam behaviours during high-flow events and their robustness against perturbations in meteorological conditions using the H08 global hydrological model. Differences in these behaviours were examined by comparing simulation runs, with and without dams and using multiple meteorological datasets, at a case-study site, Fort Peck Dam on the Missouri River, USA. The results demonstrated that dam-regulated river flow reduced temporal variability over large time periods and also dampened inter-forcing discrepancies in river discharge (smoothing effects). However, during wet years, differences in peak flow were accentuated downstream of the dam, resulting in divergence in simulated peak flow across the meteorological forcing (pulsing effect). The pulsing effect was detected at other major dams in global simulations. Depending upon the meteorological forcing, the dams act as a selective filter against high-flow events. Synergy between a generic dam scheme and differences in meteorological forcing data might introduce additional uncertainties in global hydrological simulations.     

琵琶湖中浊度的季节变化

Seasonal variation of the turbidity (suspended substance) has been investigated in Lake Biwa. During the last five years, vertical and horizontal distributions of water temperature, turbidity, electric conductivity and chlorophyll-a have been obtained both in the south basin and the southern part of the north basin of Lake Biwa. The benthic nepheloid layer (BNL) developed in the seasons of thermal stratification, and is not detectable in the non-stratification period (winter). The BNL is mainly maintained by the organic matter such as phytoplankton under decomposition. However, the turbidity in the nepheloid layer was much affected by the turbid water from rivers after heavy rainfall. In this case, the major component of the suspended substance (SS) in the nepheloid layer was inorganic soil. The particulate P concentration, which is originated from phytoplankton, also increased after a rain fall. This suggests that phytoplankton in the surface layer sinks with clay and silt coming through rivers. From summer to the end of the stratification period, another kind of turbidity appeared in the bottom layer. This is caused by the chemical reaction of manganese under the anoxic condition. The resuspension of bottom sediment by strong currents also occurred, but it is not a major process for maintaining the BNL.     

High‐resolution national land use scenarios under a shrinking population in Japan

In sharp contrast with the global trend in population growth, certain developed countries are expected to experience rapid national population declines. Considering future land use scenarios that include depopulation is necessary to evaluate changes in ecosystem services that affect human well‐being and to facilitate comprehensive strategies for balancing rural and urban development. In this study, we applied a population‐projection‐assimilated predictive land use modeling (PPAP‐LM) approach, in which a spatially explicit population projection was incorporated as a predictor in a land use model. To analyze the effects of future population distributions on land use, we developed models for five land use types and generated projections for two scenarios (centralization and decentralization) under a shrinking population in Japan during 2015–2050. Our results suggested that population centralization promotes the compaction of built‐up areas and the expansion of forest and wastelands, while population decentralization contributes to the maintenance of a mixture of forest and cultivated land.