Longitudinal vibration of non-homogeneous earth dams

Two-dimensional analytical elastic models are developed for evaluating dynamic characteristics, namely natural frequencies and modes of vibration of a wide class of earth dams in a direction parallel to the dam axis. In these models the non-homogeneity of the dam materials is taken into account by assuming a specific variation of the stiffness properties along the depth (due to the continuous increase in confining pressure). In addition, both shear and normal (axial) deformations are considered. Cases having constant elastic moduli, linear and trapezoidal variations of elastic moduli, and elastic moduli increasing as the one-half, one-third, two fifths, and a general (l/m)th powers of the depth are studied. Dynamic properties of three real earth dams in a seismically active area (Southern California) estimated from their earthquake records (input ground motion and crest response in the longitudinal direction) as well as results from full-scale dynamic tests on one of these dams (including ambient and forced vibration tests) are compared with those from the suggested models. It was found that the models in which the shear modulus and the modulus of elasticity of the dam material vary along the depth are the most appropriate representations for predicting the dynamic characteristics. The agreement between the experimental and earthquake data and the theoretical results from some of the models is reasonably good.     

Monitoring disasters with a constellation of satellites – type examples from the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’

In the case of a major disaster, information derived from satellite observation is not only highly useful, it may at times be indispensable because of the damage caused by the disaster to ground infrastructure. The International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’ (‘the Charter’) has been one of the primary sources of satellite data for the past 11 years to cover events like floods, fires, tsunamis, ocean storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and oil spills. With the growing membership of the Charter, an increasingly large number of sensors are now available, which can be planned with the required temporal frequency and spectral range to cover a disaster event. Some of the type Charter activation cases are reported in this article to demonstrate the innovative use of multi-satellite imagery for disaster response.     

Ecological quality of some Tunisian coast and lagoon locations,by using benthic community parameters and biotic indices

Three Tunisian coastal and lagoon sites, variously affected by human activities, and differing according to their degree of communication with the sea, were studied. The total organic matter content and the granulometry of the sediment were measured and the macro-invertebrates were sampled and identified. Currently due to the lack of an efficient single biotic index for quality assessment, indications from these measurements can contribute to enrich our knowledge of the southern Mediterranean areas. Several biotic indices (AMBI, BENTIX, BOPA, BOPA modified, I2EC, ITI), most of which have been used in the context of the European Water Framework Directive, and some other structural parameters were used. The results show that the Bizerte lagoon, an almost closed area characterized mainly by extreme salinity/temperature and with a strong fluctuation of nutrients, appears biologically more impoverished. The Dkhila coast, which is more open to the sea, however, appears to be less dominated by the principal species. Biotic indices showed that the most polluted areas included the region exposed to urban inputs of Bizerte, the mouth of Hamdoun wadi and the harbour areas. In these locations, benthic macrofauna is dominated by opportunistic species like Capitella capitata, Scolelepis fuliginosa, Prionospio malmgreni, Polydora sp., Cirratulus cirratus and Cirriformia tentaculata. Other stations, which are farther from the sources of disturbance such as the mouths of the principal Wadis, the south of the Bizerte ship canal and the south of the Tunis bay, appear to be in good ecological condition and hosted a variety of sensitive species, Other stations were classified differently by the biotic indices used mainly because of the lack of a real inter-calibration of the various classification methodologies used by these indices.     

Preliminary Study of Catalase Enzyme Activity and Protein Concentrations in the Mediterranean and African Mussels,Mytilus galloprovincialis and Perna perna,Cohabiting on the Same Natural Coastal Site (Figuier,Boumerdes, Algeria)

Ocean Science Journal - Biological monitoring has become one of the most widely used approaches in aquatic monitoring. As a result, the effect of the xenobiotics entrained by the organic and...     

The NAIAD experiment for WIMP searches at Boulby mine and recent results

The NAIAD experiment (NaI Advanced Detector) for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter searches at Boulby mine (UK) is described. The detector consists of an array of encapsulated and unencapsulated NaI(Tl) crystals with high light yield. Six crystals are collecting data at present. Data accumulated by four of them (10.6 kg × year exposure) have been used to set upper limits on the WIMP–nucleon spin-independent and WIMP–proton spin-dependent cross-sections. Pulse shape analysis has been applied to discriminate between nuclear recoils, as may be caused by WIMP interactions, and electron recoils due to gamma background. Various calibrations of crystals are presented.     

High oxidation state during formation of Martian nakhlites

Abstract– The oxygen fugacities recorded in the nakhlites Nakhla, Yamato‐000593 (Y‐000593), Lafayette, and NWA998 were studied by applying the Fe,Ti‐oxide oxybarometer. Oxygen fugacities obtained cluster closely around the FMQ (Fayalite–Magnetite–Quartz) buffer (NWA998 = FMQ ? 0.8; Y‐000593 = FMQ ? 0.7; Nakhla = FMQ; Lafayette = FMQ + 0.1). The corresponding equilibration temperatures are 810 °C for Nakhla and Y‐000593, 780 °C for Lafayette and 710 °C for NWA998. All nakhlites record oxygen fugacities significantly higher and with a tighter range than those determined for Martian basalts, i.e., shergottites whose oxygen fugacities vary from FMQ ? 1 to FMQ ? 4. It has been known for some time that nakhlites are different from other Martian meteorites in chemistry, mineralogy, and crystallization age. The present study adds oxygen fugacity to this list of differences. The comparatively large variation in fO₂ recorded by shergottites was interpreted by Herd et al. (2002) as reflecting variable degrees of contamination with crustal fluids that would also carry a light rare earth element (REE)‐enriched component. The high oxygen fugacities and the large light REE enrichment of nakhlites fit qualitatively in this model. In detail, however, it is found that the inferred contaminating phase in nakhlites must have been different from those in shergottites. This is supported by unique ¹⁸²W/¹⁸⁴W and ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios in nakhlites, which are distinct from other Martian meteorites. It is likely that the differences in fO₂ between nakhlites and other Martian meteorites were established very early in the history of Mars. Parental trace element rich and trace element poor regions (reservoirs) of Mars mantle ( Brandon et al. 2000 ) must have been kept isolated throughout Martian history. Our results further show significant differences in closure temperature among the different nakhlites. The observed range in equilibration temperatures together with similar fO₂ values is attributable to crystallization of nakhlites in the same cumulate pile or lava layer at different burial depths from 0.5 to 30 m below the Martian surface in agreement with Mikouchi et al. (2003) and is further confirmed by similar crystallization ages of about 1.3 Ga ago (e.g., Misawa et al. 2003 ).     

Microcracks and Overpressure- Induced Fractures

The microfractures and natural fractures studies have a great significance in the hydrocarbon accumulation exploration and can be a good supporter for wide geophysical study on the major structures. This paper is a brief review on microcracks and overpressure- induced fracture. It is to discuss different views on the mechanism of fractures in the subsurface of the earth.     

Effect of ion temperature on arbitrary amplitude Kinetic Alfvén solitons in a plasma with a q-nonextensive electron velocity distribution

Taking into account of ion temperature effect, existence conditions of arbitrary amplitude solitary Kinetic Alfvén Waves (KAWs) in a plasma with q-nonextensive electrons are investigated by the conventional Sagdeev pseudo potential method. It is found that only solitons with density hump can exist, the amplitude of which depends sensitively on the parameter q, ion temperature ( \(\sigma= \frac{T_{i}}{T_{e}}\) ) and plasma β. There is an upper limit of solitary wave amplitude which decreases with increase of q, σ and β. The amplitude of solitary KAWs is found to increase with increase in ion temperature. The results obtained in the framework of Maxwellian distribution are reproduced when q→1.     

Pan African layered diorite-tonalite-granodiorite from Sinai massif: an open system fractionation at a subduction zone

This paper reports on the occurrence of layered Pan African dioritetonalite-granodiorite (DTG) rocks. The layering is marked by alternation of melanocratic (M) layers (diorites and tonalites) and leucocratic (L) layers (tonalites and granodiorites). M-samples have cumulus biotite+hornblende+relict pyroxene+plagioclase+K-feldspars+magnetite+apatite, and have transitional calc-alkaline and metaluminous affinities. They were derived from subduction-related magma enriched in Rb, Ba, K and LREE and depleted in Sr and Nb. L-samples have cumulus plagioclase+hornblende. They are enriched in Sr and depleted in Rb, Ba, K, Nb and LREE. They have calc-alkaline and peraluminous affinites.
The formation of the rhythmic layers of DTG composition can be attributed to periodical replenishment of pulses of basic magma into a more evolved acidic magma chamber under open system conditions. Field relations, mineralogy and element concentration among the M- and L-layers indicate that at the subduction zone, the ascending magma was contaminated with lower crustal materials (marginal basin metasediments) which led to LILE-enrichment, Nb-depletion and transition from calc-alkaline to alkaline and from metaluminous to peraluminous affinities as well.