Environmental hydrogeology of the southern sector of the Samborombon Bay wetland,Argentina

The Samborombon Bay wetland is located on the west margin of the Rio de la Plata estuary, in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This paper analyses the geological, geomorphologic, soil and vegetation characteristics of the southernmost sector of this wetland and their influence on surface water and groundwater. The study area presents three hydrologic units: coastal dunes, sand sheets and coastal plain. Coastal dunes and sand sheets are recharge zones of high permeability with well-drained, non-saline soils, and a few surface water flows. Changes in the water table are related to rainfall. Groundwater in coastal dunes is Ca–Mg–HCO₃ to Na–HCO₃, and of low salinity (590 mg/l). Groundwater in sand sheets is mainly Na–HCO₃ with a salinity of about 1,020 mg/l. The coastal plain exhibits medium to low permeability sediments, with submerged saline soils poorly drained. Groundwater is Na–Cl with a mean salinity of 16,502 mg/l. A surface hydrological network develops in the coastal plain. Surface water levels near the shoreline are affected by tidal fluctuations; far from the shoreline water accumulates because of poor drainage. Both sectors have Na–Cl water, but the former is more saline. Human intervention and sea level rise may affect the wetland severely.     

Interference of Multiple Strip Footings on Sand Using Small Scale Model Tests

By using small scale model tests, the interference effect on the vertical load-deformation behavior of a number of equally spaced strip footings, placed on the surface of dry sand, was investigated. At any stage, all the footings were assumed to (i) carry exactly equal magnitude of load, and (ii) settle to the same extent. No tilt of the footing was permitted. The effect of clear spacing (s) among footings on the results was explored. A new experimental setup was proposed in which only one footing needs to be employed rather than a number of footings. The bearing capacity increases continuously with decrease in spacing among the footings. The interference effect becomes further prominent with increase in soil friction angle. In contrast to an increase in the bearing capacity, with decrease in spacing of footings, an increase in the footing settlement associated with the ultimate state of shear failure was observed. The present experimental observations were similar to those predicted by the available theory, based on the method of characteristics. As compared to the theory, the present experimental data, however, indicates much greater effect of interference especially for larger spacing among footings.     

Analysis of the 2003 Varunawat Landslide,Uttarkashi, India using Earth Observation data

Mass movements such as landslides in mountainous terrains are natural degradation processes and one of the most important landscape-building factors. Varunawat Parbat overlooking Uttarkashi town witnessed a series of landslides on 23 September 2003 and the debris slides and rock falls continued for 2 weeks. This landslide complex was triggered due to the incessant rainfall prior to the event, and its occurrence led to the blockage of the pilgrim route to Gangotri (source of the Ganges river) and evacuation of thousands of people to safer places. Though there was no loss of lives due to timely evacuation, heavy losses to the property were reported. High-resolution stereoscopic earth observation data were acquired after the incidence to study the landslide in detail with emphasis on the cause of the landslide and mode of failure. Areas along the road and below the Varunawat foothill region are mapped for landslide risk. It was found that the foothill region of the Varunawat Parbat was highly disturbed by man-made activities and houses are dangerously located below steep slopes. The potential zones for landslides along with the existing active and old landslides are mapped. These areas are critical and their treatment with priority is required in order to minimise further landslide occurrences.     

Finite Element Modeling of Swelling Soil Pressures Using Joint/Interface Elements

There could be some discontinuities in a soil media such as layers, earth structures, cracks, and fissures so that estimation of stresses and deformations in these types of soil masses are somewhat different from continuous masses. The discontinuities in a soil mass could be considered as a special link between two blocks. Transmitted swelling pressures affected by the soil properties of the backfill especially at the interface between the backfill and retaining wall. In order to estimate the transmitted swelling pressure distribution behind a retaining wall, using with interface element, a new finite element model and a code (SWELPRES) have been developed. To evaluate the effect of backfill characteristics and interface element from the transmitted lateral swelling pressures, four cases of thickness of backfills with or without interface elements are investigated.     

Monitoring Large-Scale Tests for Nuclear Waste Disposal

Two large-scale “in situ” demonstration experiments and their instrumentation are described. The first test (FEBEX Experiment) involves the hydration of a compacted bentonite barrier under the combined effect of an inner source of heat and an outer water flow from the confining saturated granite rock. In the second case, the progressive de-saturation of Opalinus clay induced by maintained ventilation of an unlined tunnel is analyzed. The paper shows the performance of different sensors (capacitive cells, psychrometers, TDR’s) and a comparison of fill behaviour with modelling results. The long term performance of some instruments could also be evaluated specially in the case of FEBEX test. Capacitive sensors provide relative humidity data during long transient periods characterised by very large variations of suction within the bentonite.     

Centrifugal test of a road embankment built after new dredger fill on thick marine clay

Abstract

The construction of a 100-km road network is planned on a land reclamation area in the Oujiang Estuary in China. The embankment had a height of 4 m and a base width of 60 m. The reclamation area is newly filled by a 3-m dredger fill on a 48-m thick layer of marine clay. Estimation of the settlement of the future road network is difficult. To guide the construction of the road network, a 1/100-scale centrifuge model test was performed with a marine clay sample from the construction site to simulate the layered settlements and evaluate the drainage effect of prefabricated vertical drains in the dredger fill in the following 10 years. The results of the centrifuge modeling test are verified by 10-month in situ monitoring, which shows agreement between the centrifuge modeling test results and the in situ results. The test results indicate that additional time is needed to reinforce the newly added dredger fill by the surcharge preloading method to uplift the elevation of the reclamation area with dredger fill.     

Constraining the origin and evolution of confined turbidite systems: southern Cretan margin,Eastern Mediterranean Sea (34°30–36°N)

Bathymetric, 9.5-kHz long-range sidescan sonar (OKEAN), seismic reflection and sediment-core data are used in the analysis of two tectonic troughs south of Crete, Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Here, up to 1.2 s two-way travel time (TWTT) of strata have accumulated since the Middle Miocene in association with extension in the South Aegean region. The study area comprises >100-km- long by >25-km-wide basins filled by sediments subdivided into two seismic units: (1) an upper Unit 1 deposited in sub-basins which follow the present-day configuration of the southern Cretan margin; (2) a basal Unit 2, more than 500 ms (TWTT) thick, accumulated in deeper half-graben/grabens distinct from the present-day depocentres. Both units overlap a locally stratified Unit 3 comprising the pre-Neogene core complex of Crete and Gavdos. In this work, the interpreted seismic units are correlated with the onshore stratigraphy, demonstrating that denudation processes occurring on Crete and Gavdos in response to major tectonic events have been responsible for high sedimentation rates along the proximal southern Cretan margin. Consequently, topographically confined sedimentary units have been deposited south of Crete in the last 12 Ma, including turbidites and other mass-flow deposits fed by evolving transverse and axial channel systems. Surface processes controlling facies distribution include the direct inflow of sediment from alluvial-fan systems and incising mountain rivers onto the Cretan slope, where significant sediment instability processes occur at present. In this setting, seismic profiles reveal eight different types of stratigraphic contacts on basin-margin highs, and basinal areas show evidence of halokinesis and/or fluid escape. The acquired data also show that significant changes to the margin’s configuration occurred in association with the post-Alpine tectonic and eustatic episodes affecting the Eastern Mediterranean.     

Action of Cnoidal Waves on Vertical Walls

Based on the 2nd order cnoidal wave theory, the characters of shallow water standing waves and their action on vertical walls are studied in this paper. The theoretical expressions of the wave surface elevation in front of and the wave pressure on the vertical wall are obtained. In order to verify the theoretical results, model tests were made in the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering at DUT. For the wave surface elevation in front of the wall and the wave forces on the wall at the moment when the wave surface at the wall surface goes down to the bottom of the wave trough, the calculated results coincide quite well with the experimental results. For the wave forces on the wall at the moment when the wave surface at the wall surface goes up to the top of the wave crest, the theoretical expressions are modified by the experimental results. For the convenience of practical use, calculations are made for the wave conditions which usually occur in enginering practice by use of the inves     

冬季中纬度海气相互作用与长江中下游汛期旱涝预测

中纬度海洋的热力状况对大气环流的维持和变化起着重要的作用,尤其在冬季。汛期的研究表明,冬季黑潮海域海表面水温(SST)与长江中下游和华北平原汛期降水有密切的关系(中国科学院大气物理研究所长期预报组,1978),夏季阿留申海域的SST异常与北太平洋上空大气环流场和后期秋季美国的气温和降水亦存在有意义的关系(Namias,1976)。赵永平(1986a;赵永平, McBean,1996)和Zhao and McBean(1989)曾用北太平洋海洋对大气加热场资料详细地分析了其时空分布特征,揭露了黑潮及邻近海域海洋异常加热对同期和后期半年至一年北半球大气环流的影响事实,并提出用海洋异常加热对同期和后期大气环流作用的反相性假说来进行解释。以上研究表明,冬季中纬度海洋异常加热与大气环流的异常和我国汛期旱涝之间存在一定的联系。 冬季黑潮和湾流海域是中纬度海洋的两个巨大热源,它们对同期和后期大气环流有重要影响。本文研究了冬季中纬度黑潮和湾流海域海洋异常加热对夏季副热带高压和中高纬度西风环流的影响,讨论了长江中下游汛期旱涝前期冬季和同期大气环流型。结果表明,冬季东亚和北美冷空气都强时,黑潮和湾流海域对大气异常多加热,夏季西太副热带高压、乌山和鄂海阻塞高压多趋减弱,中纬环流平直,形成长江中下游偏旱的环流形势；反之,西太副热带高压、乌山和鄂海阻塞高压多趋加强,中纬槽脊系统明显,形成长江中下游偏涝的环流场。本文还对可能的物理过程进行了讨论。     

On low-pass digital filters in oceanography

-Two types of filters are widely used to remove semidirunal and diurnal tidal signals and other high frequency noises in oceanography. The first type of filters uses moving average with weights in time domain, and can be easily operated. Some data will be lost at each end of the time series, especially for the low low-pass filters. The second type of filters uses the discrete Fourier transform filter (DFTF) which operates in the frequency domain, and there are no data loss at the ends for the forward transform. However, owing to the Gibbs phenomenon and the discrete sampling (Nyquist effect) , ringing appears in the inverse transformed data, which is especially serious at each end. Thus some data at the ends are also discarded. The present study tries to find out what causes the ringing and then to seek for methods to overcome the ringing. We have found that there are two kinds of ringings, one is the Gibbs phenomenon, as defined before. The other is the "Nyquist"ringing due to sampling Nyquist critical