Elastic period of sub-standard reinforced concrete moment resisting frame buildings

The fundamental period has a primary role in seismic design and assessment as it is the main feature of the structure that allows one to determine the elastic demand and, indirectly, the required inelastic performance in static procedures. In fact, the definition of easy to manage relationships for the assessment of the elastic period has been the subject of a significant deal of both experimental and numerical/analytical studies, some of which have been acknowledged by codes and guidelines worldwide. Moreover, this kind of information is useful for territorial-scale seismic loss assessment methodologies. In the majority of cases, the assessment of the period is considered as function of the structural system classification and number of storeys or height. Reinforced concrete structures, comprising most of the building stock in Italy and in seismic prone areas in Europe and in the Mediterranean region, were built after the Second World War and are designed with obsolete seismic codes, if not for gravity loads only. Therefore, a class of buildings featuring the same height and/or number of storeys may show a significant variability of the structural system. This, along with the contribution of the stair module, may affect the elastic periods in the two main directions of a three-dimensional building. In the study presented these issues are investigated with reference to a population of existing RC structures designed acknowledging the practice at the time of supposed construction (e.g., simulated design) and with reference to the relative enforced code. The elastic period is evaluated for both main directions of the buildings of the considered sample, and regression analysis is employed to capture the dependency of the elastic dynamic properties of the structures as a function of mass and stiffness.     

Mapping land cover changes in Mexico, 1976–2000 and applications for guiding environmental management policy

Land use conversion typically implicates deforestation and fragmentation of primary land cover types, which invariably translates into impoverishment of both natural and cultural capital. Understanding where conversion is taking place crucially underpins sound environmental policy instruments to prevent these enormous social and economic costs. This paper examines 30 years of semi‐detailed (1:250 000) land cover mapping in Mexico. Pre‐existing analogue databases describing land cover patterns in the 1970s and 1990s were reviewed, corrected, reorganized and transformed into a digital format. Current land cover patterns were depicted by conducting updated reinterpretation on Landsat ETM+ imagery. Digital cartographic overlaying was performed and the results were used to construct a spatially explicit land use/land cover change (LULCC) database with an additional accuracy assessment procedure. The value of the results of this analysis is also seen in the light of their direct applications for identifying critical watershed trends, for guiding the allocation of financial funds for sound land use planning and for assessing the effectiveness of established protected areas. This effort highlights the importance of new and more effective geographical approaches to depict, understand and contribute to informed measures to mitigate ongoing negative trends in land cover and climatic changes.     

Spectral analysis of climate cycles to predict rainfall induced landslides in the western Mediterranean (Majorca,Spain)

In the present work, spectral analysis has been applied to determine the presence and statistical significance of climate cycles in long-term data series from different rainfall and gauging stations located in the Tramuntana Range, in the north-western sector of the island of Majorca. Climate signals recorded previously in the Mediterranean region have been identified: the ENSO, NAO, HALE, QBO and Sun Spot cycles as well as others related to solar activity; the most powerful signals correspond to the annual cycle, followed by the 6-month and NAO cycles. The incorporation of data derived from gauging stations contributes to better climate signal detection as local and exceptional influences are eliminated. Simulations have been performed for each rainfall/gauging station, using the most significant climate cycles obtained by means of the power spectrum. A good correlation between rainfall/flow values and simulated cycles has been obtained. The NAO and ENSO cycles are the most influential in the rainy periods, and specifically the NAO cycle, where a good correlation between episodes of high rainfall/flow and high values of ANAOI can be observed. At a second stage, landslides dated and recorded in the Tramuntana Range since 1954 (174 events) have been correlated with the simulated cycles obtaining good results, as the landslide events match rainfall peaks well. The correlation for the past decade (since 2005), when a detailed landslide inventory is available, also reveals a coincidence between landslide events and climate cycles, and specifically NAO and ENSO cycles. That is the case of the period 2008–2010, when numerous mass movements took place, and when the largest movement of the inventory was recorded. Results show a potential rainy period in the Tramuntana Range for the coming years (with maximum values around year 2021), when conditions similar to those related to the 2008–2010 event could take place again. The methodology presented in this work can contribute to the prediction of temporal, extreme hydrological events in order to design short-/medium-term mitigation strategies on a regional scale.     

Performance evaluation of active wireline heave compensation systems in marine well logging environments

The basic functionality and performance of a new Schlumberger active wireline heave compensation system on the JOIDES Resolution was evaluated during the sea trial and a 3-year period of the IODP Phase II operations. A suite of software programs was developed to enable real-time monitoring of the dynamics of logging tools, and assess the efficiency of wireline heave compensation during downhole operations. The evaluation of the system effectiveness was performed under normal logging conditions as well as during stationary tests. Logging data were analyzed for their overall quality and repeatability, and to assess the reliability of high-resolution data such as formation microscanner (FMS) electrical images. This revealed that the system reduces 65–80 % of displacement or 88–98 % variance of downhole tool motion in stationary mode under heave conditions of ±0.2–1.5 m and water depths of 300–4,500 m in open holes. Under similar water/heave conditions, the compensator system reduces tool displacement by 50–60 %, or 75–84 % variance in downhole tool motion during normal logging operations. Such compensation efficiency (CE) is comparable to previous compensation systems, but using advanced and upgradeable technologies, and provides 50–85 % heave motion and heave variance attenuation. Moreover, logging down/up at low speeds (300–600 m/h) reduces the system’s CE values by 15–20 %, and logging down at higher speeds (1,000–1,200 m/h) eliminates CE values by 55–65 %. Considering the high quality of the logging data collected, it is concluded that the new system can provide an improved level of compensation over previous systems. Also, if practically feasible, future integration of downhole cable dynamics as an input feedback into the current system could further improve its compensation efficiency during logging operations.     

Radiation hydrodynamics and Radiating Spheres in General Relativity

We comment on a method proposed to study the evolution of General Relativistic Radiating Spheres in both radiation limits, i.e. free streaming out and diffusion, extending it to handle any general radiating spherically symmetric distribution of matter. It is also shown that several dynamic models may emerge from a sole static equation of state. Previous erroneous calculations concerning this method are also commented.     

Full frequency-range transient solution for compressional waves in a fluid-saturated viscoacoustic porous medium1

An analytical transient solution is obtained for propagation of compressional waves in a homogeneous porous dissipative medium. The solution, based on a generalization of Biot's poroelastic equations, holds for the low- and high-frequency ranges, and includes viscoelastic phenomena of a very general nature, besides the Biot relaxation mechanism. The viscodynamic operator is used to model the dynamic behaviour associated with the relative motion of the fluid in the pores at all frequency ranges. Viscoelasticity is introduced through the standard linear solid which allows the modelling of a general relaxation spectrum. The solution is used to study the influence of the material properties, such as bulk moduli, porosity, viscosity, permeability and intrinsic attenuation, on the kinematic and dynamic characteristics of the two compressional waves supported by the medium. We also obtain snapshots of the static mode arising from the diffusive behaviour of the slow wave at low frequencies.     

Recurrent magma mingling in successive ignimbrites from Amealco caldera, central Mexico

The Amealco Tuff is a widespread (>2880 km²), trachyandesitic to rhyolitic pyroclastic deposit in the central Mexican Volcanic Belt that was erupted from the Amealco caldera at 4.7ǂ.1 Ma. It includes three major ignimbrites, each showing complex mingling of pumice fragments and matrix glass with andesitic to rhyolitic compositions. The different glasses are well mingled throughout each of the pyroclastic-flow deposits. Mingling of glasses may have occurred just before and during the explosive eruptions that produced the pyroclastic flows, as the distinct melts had insufficient time to homogenize. Mingling of glasses is evident in each of the three separate major ignimbrites of the Amealco Tuff; thus, the processes that caused it were repetitive. It is infered that the repetitive mingling of melts was due to repeated mafic magma inputs to an evolved magma chamber.     

Late Paleozoic K/Ar ages of blueschists from Pichilemu,Central Chile

Two crossite concentrates and one blueschist whole rock were analyzed by the K/Ar method. These samples belong to the high/intermediate pressure Western Series of the Chilean metamorphic basement and, in this area, are intruded by a small monzonite body.Ages obtained were 211 m.y. and 329 m.y. for the mineral concentrates and 211 m.y. for the whole rock. Discussion based on crystal size as a factor for retention of⁴⁰Ar during localized re-heating of the metamorphic rocks due to the monzonitic intrusion leads to the acceptance of 329 m.y. as the minimum age of crossite crystallization. This age agrees with the whole rock Rb/Sr limiting reference isochrons (273–342 m.y.) previously obtained for the metamorphic basement of Central Chile which did not include samples of the present area.This age provides the first evidence of a Paleozoic blueschist assemblage in the eastern Pacific border and would suggest the existence of a Late Paleozoic subduction zone along the western margin of South America.