The 9th of July 1998 Faial Island (Azores,North Atlantic) seismic sequence

The Faial earthquake (M _L 5.8) that occurred on the 9th of July, 1998, in the Azores region (north Atlantic), caused nine casualties and severe destruction affecting more than 5,000 people. The main shock was located at sea, 10 km NE of the Faial Island, and triggered a seismic sequence that lasted for several weeks and was characterized by an unusual high p-value of 1.40 for the modified Omori law. We present here the results of a joint inversion of hypocenters and 1D velocity model performed on the data collected by the permanent network complemented with a temporary network installed shortly after the occurrence of the main event. The 1D velocity model shows a heterogeneous upper crust, testified by the observed differences in site effects at the stations, while the middle crust from ∼2.5 to 8 km in depth is quite homogeneous. The Moho is located at a depth of about 12–13 km and the Vp/Vs ratio is found to be around 1.78. The events at depth are mainly concentrated in the middle-lower crust (8–12 km), while their spatial distribution shows a main cluster, visible after relocation, SSE trending. This direction of elongation is consistent with one of the fault planes (N151°E) of the centroid moment tensor (CMT) solution for the main shock. The same plane is the preferred main shock fault plane inferred after a Coulomb failure function analysis on the aftershock distribution. The main event relocation points to a focal depth shallower than 5 km. The aftershocks pattern shows that several fault systems were reactivated by the stress perturbation induced by the main shock. Besides the two main tectonic directions, trending WNW–ESE and NNW–SSE, observed in the tectonics of Faial, Pico, and S. Jorge, there is also evidence of a new tectonic direction trending WSW–ENE.     

Assessment of failure susceptibility of soil slopes using fuzzy logic

Generally, the process of land occupation in urban areas involves spaces that are not suitable for construction. In most cases these areas are subject to landslides. Therefore it is mister the development of models to evaluate the susceptibility of occurrence of landslides in these areas. For this, Fuzzy Logic is used herein for modeling such areas where landslides are susceptible to occur and, therefore, a direct evaluation is important. The possibility of capturing the judgment and the modeling of linguistic variables are the main advantages of using Fuzzy Logic. These models are capable to capture the factors directly affecting the slope stability and also the inter-relationship amongst them. These factors were chosen by experts to whom a questionnaire was sent. Fuzzy Logic was then used to transform the linguistic variables into fuzzy number, allowing thus, the calculation of failure potential index (FPI). Herein the MAX-MIN Mamdani strategy for the inference of the rule base was used. This methodology has been applied to identify the susceptibility of landslides in a chaotic occupied urban area of Itaperuna City in northeastern of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where some occurrences have been reported.     

The effect of temperature‐humidity similarity on Bowen ratios,dimensionless standard deviations,and mass transfer coefficients over a lake

Similarity between heat and water vapor turbulent transport in the Atmospheric Surface Layer has been the basis of many engineering models to calculate surface fluxes, including the widely applied Bowen ratio equation, for a long time. Modernly, it is best understood within the context of Monin‐Obkhov Similarity Theory (MOST). In this work we study similarity between temperature and humidity, the Bowen ratio, and turbulent mass and heat transfer coefficients over a tropical lake in Brazil (Furnas Lake). The analysis was partly based on the concept of ‘Surface flux numbers’ recently proposed to diagnose scalar similarity, and considered wind directions and flux footprints. A period of 50 days of 30‐min. micrometeorological runs was used. Several cases of dissimilar temperature‐humidity behavior were found in the data. Both footprint extent and an aggregate temperature‐humidity Surface flux number turned out to be insufficient to diagnose these situations, but separate flux numbers for each scalar were able to diagnose their individual conformity to MOST. Overall, temperature displayed consistently larger relative variances and fluxes in comparison with humidity. The results highlight the need of careful analysis when measurements are made at sites close to land, when flux footprints may extend over there, indicating the possibility of advection effects. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance-based design optimization of embankments resting on soft soil improved with T-shaped and conventional DCM columns

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents a parametric study of the optimization design for T-shaped deep cement mixing (TDM) and conventional deep cement mixing (DCM) columns improved soft soil for...     

Distribution of heavy metals and pollution pathways in a shallow marine shelf: assessment for a future management

The spatial distribution and geoaccumulation indices of four heavy metals were investigated in very shallow marine sediments of southwestern Spain. Surface sediments were collected from 43 sites with water depth ranging from 3 to 20 m. High to very high pollution levels (I _geo > 4 for zinc, lead and copper) were detected near the end of the Huelva bank, whereas chromium shows a more hazardous distribution in the southwestern Spanish littoral. Low to moderate heavy metal contents (mainly zinc and lead) were also observed in other two areas at different water depths (Isla Cristina-Piedras River: 10–18 m water depth; Mazagón–Matalascañas: <10 m water depth), whereas unpolluted to moderately polluted sediments were detected in the very shallow zones (<8 m water depth) located between the mouths of the Guadiana and the Piedras Rivers. A regional scenario indicates a strong pollution of the adjacent marine areas by polluted inputs derived from the Tinto–Odiel rivers, with a partial transport of heavy metals by W–E littoral currents even 40 km eastward. The Guadiana River is an additional source of zinc–lead contamination near the Spanish–Portuguese border, mainly at water depths up to 10 m. All these rivers are affected by acid mine drainage processes, derived from millennial mining activities. This pollution affects the sediment quality even 40 km eastward.     

What causes the spread of model projections of ocean dynamic sea-level change in response to greenhouse gas forcing?

Sea levels of different atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) respond to climate change forcing in different ways, representing a crucial uncertainty in climate change research. We isolate the role of the ocean dynamics in setting the spatial pattern of dynamic sea-level (ζ) change by forcing several AOGCMs with prescribed identical heat, momentum (wind) and freshwater flux perturbations. This method produces a ζ projection spread comparable in magnitude to the spread that results from greenhouse gas forcing, indicating that the differences in ocean model formulation are the cause, rather than diversity in surface flux change. The heat flux change drives most of the global pattern of ζ change, while the momentum and water flux changes cause locally confined features. North Atlantic heat uptake causes large temperature and salinity driven density changes, altering local ocean transport and ζ. The spread between AOGCMs here is caused largely by differences in their regional transport adjustment, which redistributes heat that was already in the ocean prior to perturbation. The geographic details of the ζ change in the North Atlantic are diverse across models, but the underlying dynamic change is similar. In contrast, the heat absorbed by the Southern Ocean does not strongly alter the vertically coherent circulation. The Arctic ζ change is dissimilar across models, owing to differences in passive heat uptake and circulation change. Only the Arctic is strongly affected by nonlinear interactions between the three air-sea flux changes, and these are model specific.

     

Definition of areas of probable risk to human health posed by As and Pb in soils and ground-level dusts of the surrounding area of an abandoned As-sulfide mine in the north of Portugal: part 1

The aim of this study is to assess the potential health risk posed by As and Pb in the soils of the Pintor mine area. The site was never remediated but a residential area is being constructed in the mine land, next to the smelters, a fact that raised some concern about the probable risk posed by potentially harmful elements in the soil to the health of the residents. 132 samples were collected and analyzed by ICP-MS to determine total metal concentrations. The soluble fraction of As in the soil was obtained using 1 M NH₄ Acetate, pH 4.5. To assess the probable risk, total concentrations are compared with the soil guideline value established for the UK. Exposure through soil ingestion is probable in and around the residential area that has higher As and Pb concentrations, and therefore is classified as area with a potential health risk.     

Geochemical tracers of northern Portuguese estuarine sediments on the shelf

The northern Portuguese coastal zone is drained by large Iberian rivers, along which there is intensive industrial, agricultural and urban activity. Offshore of the two main river basins of the Douro and Minho, two fine-grained sedimentary formations can be characterised. A geochemical study of this sediment cover has been performed focussing in particular on the fine deposits and the adjacent estuaries. The chemical composition of superficial sediments collected from the northern Portuguese shelf and from the river basins of the Minho and Douro rivers was determined for major, minor and trace elements; the rare earth elements (REE) composition was also determined in selected samples. Statistical analyses of these data for the shelf sediments allow us to identify elements with similar behaviours and the different sediment types along the shelf, and to evaluate of their origins. Downcore profiles of the chemical composition of the fine sediments reveal no evidence for changes induced by recent human activities. To assess the influence of the rivers on the fine sedimentary formations, the elemental distribution patterns of selected sediments have been compared with the estuarine sediments. Lithogenic elements composition normalised to Al and the shale normalised REE distributions showed there are similarities between the Douro River sediments and the sediment composition of the Douro and Galicia mud patches. However, the Galicia mud field showed no relationship in its chemical composition to sediments derived from the Minho River. Nor was any evidence for heavy metal contamination originating from the Douro estuary detected in anthropogenic element/Al ratios in the shelf sediments. This may be because of processes associated with resuspension, complexation and bioturbation that occur during sediment transport and deposition. Nevertheless, the Douro River seems to be the main continental source of fine sediments being deposited on the northern Portuguese shelf.     

Recent sedimentation and sedimentary budgets on the western Iberian shelf

Thus study is based on 31 box-core samples collected mainly from the mud-patches of the Galician and North-Portuguese shelf. Each of these cores, some decimetres in length, have been described, radiographied and sampled each centimetre for grain-size analysis and measurement of the particulate organic carbon (C_org) content. ²¹⁰Pb excess profiles have been measured using gamma spectrometry, which, combined with the analysis of the vertical variations of the sedimentary facies, have allowed estimates of sedimentation rates. These rates were found to vary between 0.05 and 0.40 cm yr⁻¹. Considering the latitudinal variation of sedimentation rates around the 100m contour, we note that the maximum rates occurred off the Douro estuary in the southern sector and also near the Galician rias to the north. The organic content (C_org) of sediments varied between 0.4 and 2%. Latitudinally C_org showed a decrease from the South to the North. These results coupled with the sedimentary map (see Dias, Gonzalez, Garcia & Diaz del Rio, 2001) have permitted us to establish the detrital mass budget and an inventory of C_org burial.     

Establishing the wave climate influence on the morphodynamics of a coastal lagoon inlet

The morphologic changes in estuaries and coastal lagoons are very complex and constitute a challenging task in coastal research. The bathymetric changes result from the combined action of tides, waves, rivers discharge and wind stress in the area of interest. Additionally, an accurate knowledge of the sediment transport is essential to achieve a good morphological characterization. This work establishes the influence of the wave climate on the morphodynamics of the Ria de Aveiro lagoon inlet by analysing the numerical results of the morphodynamic modelling system MORSYS2D. The numerical simulations considered a realistic coupled forcing of tidal currents and waves. The computed sediment fluxes and bathymetric changes are analysed and compared with the erosion and accretion trends obtained from the numerical simulations forced only by tidal currents, in order to establish the wave climate influence. The final bathymetry and the corresponding changes are compared with bathymetric data collected through surveys. It is concluded that: (a) the morphodynamics of the study area is dominated by the wave regime in the lagoon inlet and nearshore areas, while in the inner areas is tidally dominated; and (b) the inclusion of the wave regime forcing constitutes an improvement in order to accurately reproduce the local morphodynamics.