Local enhancements in the horizontal distribution of the electron density at heights of the topside ionosphere near the dayside polar cap boundary

The structure of the electron density horizontal distribution at heights of the topside ionosphere in the Northern Hemisphere under quiet magnetic conditions in the polar peak region has been analyzed based on the measurements conducted on board the STSAT-1, DMSP F13, and DMSP F15 satellites during the period of moderate solar activity. The sector near 1000 MLT (magnetic local time) for the spring equinox season has been studied most thoroughly. It has been obtained that the polar peak consists of localized irregularities in the electron density of a specific form, inside which the electron density exceeds its background values by several tens of percent. The characteristic dimensions of the irregularities vary from a few degrees to several tens of degrees in the meridional and zonal directions, respectively. The irregularities are centered along the dayside boundary of the polar cap and coincide with the region of “soft” electron precipitation (with the average energy lower than 500 eV and with the flux density above 10⁷ electrons cm^?2 s^?1 sr^?1).     

Variations in sediment thickness and type along the northern Philippine Sea Plate at the Nankai Trough

Abstract   We documented regional and local variations in basement relief, sediment thickness, and sediment type in the Shikoku Basin, northern Philippine Sea Plate, which is subducting at the Nankai Trough. Seismic reflection data, tied with ocean drilling program drill cores, reveal that variations in the incoming sediment sequences are correlated with basement topography. We mapped the three-dimensional seismic facies distribution and measured representative seismic sequences and units. Trench-parallel seismic profiles show three regional provinces in the Shikoku Basin that are distinguished by the magnitude of basement relief and sediment thickness: Western (<200–400 m basement relief, >600 m sediment thickness), Central (>1500 m relief, ∼2000 m sediments), and Eastern (<600 m relief, ∼1200 m sediments) provinces. The total thickness of sediment in basement lows is as much as six times greater than that over basement highs. Turbidite sedimentation in the Shikoku Basin reflects basement control on deposition, leading to the local presence or absence of turbidite units deposited during the middle Oligocene to the middle Miocene. During the first phase of sedimentation, most basement lows were filled with turbidites, resulting in smooth seafloor morphology that does not reflect basement relief. A second phase of turbidite deposition in the Eastern Province was accompanied by significant amounts of hemipelagic sediments interbedded with turbidite layers compared to the other provinces because of its close proximity to the Izu–Bonin Island Arc. Both regional and local variations in basement topography and sediment thickness/type have caused lateral heterogeneities on the underthrusting plate that will, in turn, influence lateral fluid flow along the Nankai accretionary prism.     

Ambiguous Hydraulic Heads and 14C Activities in Transient Regional Flow

A regional flow and transport model is used to explore the implications of significant variability in Pleistocene and Holocene climates on hydraulic heads and ¹⁴C activity. Simulations involve a 39 km slice of the Death Valley Flow System through Yucca Mountain toward the Amargosa Desert. The long-time scale over which infiltration has changed (tens-of-thousands of years) is matched by the large physical extent of the flow system (many tens-of-kilometers). Estimated paleo-infiltration rates were estimated using a juniper pollen percentage that extends from the last interglacial (LIG) period (approximately 120 kyrbp) to present. Flow and ¹⁴C transport simulations show that groundwater flow changes markedly as a function of paleoclimate. At the last glacial maximum (LGM, 21 kyrbp), the recharge to the flow system was about an order-of-magnitude higher than present, and water table was more than 100 m higher. With large basin time constants, flow is complicated because hydraulic heads at a given location reflect conditions of the past, but at another location the flow may reflect present conditions. This complexity is also manifested by processes that depend on flow, for example ¹⁴C transport. Without a model that accounts for the historical transients in recharge for at least the last 20,000 years, there is no simple way to deconvolve the ¹⁴C dates to explain patterns of flow.     

An englacial image and water pathways of the Fourcade glacier on King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula, inferred from ground-penetrating radar

The distribution of small fractures and water content of the Fourcade glacier on King George Island, Antarctica, was investigated in November 2006 and December 2007 by two ground-based (470-and 490-m-long profiles) and one helicopter-borne (470-m-long profile) ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys using 50-, 100-, and 500-MHz antennas. Radar images in the pre-migrated GPR sections are characterized by a smooth ice surface and irregular bed topography, numerous diffraction hyperbolas in the ice and at the g...     

Wavenumber of the guided wave supported by a thin resistive layer in marine controlled‐source electromagnetics

This paper discusses the asymptotic behaviour of the electromagnetic fields received on the sea‐bed (target response), as well as the fields distributed inside a thin resistive target, generated by a horizontal electric dipole above the sea‐bed in marine controlled‐source electromagnetics for hydrocarbon exploration. It is found that the guided wave supported by a thin resistive target can be expressed as a single‐mode exponential function. A simple closed‐form expression is derived to relate the single‐mode wavenumber of the guided wave to the model parameters: the resistivity and thickness of the target layer, the sea‐bed resistivity and the frequency. When the air‐wave is removed, the guided wave is dominant among the fields received on the sea‐bed at far offset. Hence the wavenumber of the guided wave can be calculated from the fields measured on the sea‐bed. The closed‐form expression can then be used to invert the target property from the calculated wavenumber and hence, can be considered as a hydrocarbon indicator.     

A subagging regression method for estimating the qualitative and quantitative state of groundwater

A subsample aggregating (subagging) regression (SBR) method for the analysis of groundwater data pertaining to trend-estimation-associated uncertainty is proposed. The SBR method is validated against synthetic data competitively with other conventional robust and non-robust methods. From the results, it is verified that the estimation accuracies of the SBR method are consistent and superior to those of other methods, and the uncertainties are reasonably estimated; the others have no uncertainty analysis option. To validate further, actual groundwater data are employed and analyzed comparatively with Gaussian process regression (GPR). For all cases, the trend and the associated uncertainties are reasonably estimated by both SBR and GPR regardless of Gaussian or non-Gaussian skewed data. However, it is expected that GPR has a limitation in applications to severely corrupted data by outliers owing to its non-robustness. From the implementations, it is determined that the SBR method has the potential to be further developed as an effective tool of anomaly detection or outlier identification in groundwater state data such as the groundwater level and contaminant concentration.     

Spatial assessment of groundwater quality in the Jangseong region,South Korea

A total of 129 groundwater samples were collected in the Jangseong region of South Korea to characterize and evaluate groundwater quality and its suitability for irrigation and domestic uses. Samples were chemically analyzed for major ions, pH, electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids following standard methods. The AquaChem 2014.2 model linked with PHREEQC was used for the statistical analysis and characterization of the hydrochemistry of the groundwater. The analysis showed that in all samples Ca–HCO₃ was the leading water type and that the abundance of major cations was in the order Ca > Na > Mg > K, and of anions in the order HCO₃ > Cl > SO₄ > F. According to the correlation analysis, Ca showed strong interdependence with HCO₃, suggesting that these parameters may have originated from common sources. Saturation index calculations indicated that all samples were undersaturated with respect to aragonite, calcite, dolomite, fluorite, gypsum, halite, and siderite, and oversaturated with respect to goethite and hematite. The irrigation suitability analysis revealed that groundwater in the Jangseong area can be used for irrigation without any restrictions based on EC, sodium adsorption ratio, percent sodium, residual sodium carbonate, Kelley ratio, permeability index, and the US Salinity Laboratory diagram analysis. The drinking water suitability analysis made for major parameters by comparison with the WHO guidelines indicates that the groundwater in the area is suitable for drinking except in some samples with high nitrate–N concentrations. The elevated nitrate concentrations in the groundwater are likely an indicator of agricultural pollution.     

The 102 Landslide: human–slope interaction in SE Tibet over a 20-year period

The evolution of large-scale landslides should be studied because, over long periods of time, primary remediation measures may suffer reduced efficiency or have to be adjusted many times. The 102 Landslide in southeast Tibet, which originally formed in 1991 with a volume of 5.1 million m³ and still exhibits post-failure activity, provides a distinctive case study. The landslide evolved from earthquake destruction and unloading, rainfall-triggered sliding, and debris flow to sands sliding slopes. The NE ringed scarp receded by 38.96 m during a five-year period (2003–2008). The total recession was 160 m with a total area of 2500 m² during a 17-year period (1991–2008). Although several types of remediation measures were applied and were temporarily effective, the normal function of the Sichuan–Tibet Highway was affected by landslide reactivation from time to time. Actual effects of the engineering measures such as retaining walls, prestressed anchor cables, and drainage ditches confirm that hasty governance of this type of large-scale landslide is generally unfeasible over long time periods. Finally, an approach involving a tunnel running backward from the front face has been adopted as a permanent solution to large-scale moraine slope failures: This engineering practice has been in progress since April 2012. This paper describes the evolution of the 102 Landslide, the engineering interventions to mitigate the effects of the landslide on the Sichuan–Tibet Highway, and the choice of tunneling as a final mitigation measure. The present study concludes that approaches that allow escape from developing geo-hazards should always be the initial choice.     

Evaluation of the applicability of pier local scour formulae using laboratory and field data

The reliable estimation of the local scour depth at a bridge pier is essential for proper design and maintenance of bridge piers. Most local scour formulae have been developed based on the results of laboratory experiments. The formulae based on laboratory data do not often produce reasonable predictions for field piers because laboratory investigations are apt to oversimplify or ignore many of the complexities of the flow fields around the bridge piers. Validation of the formulae is necessary in order to ascertain which of the formulae are able to provide reasonable estimates of the local scour depth. In this study, six commonly cited formulae based on laboratory data or field data were selected for validation using 180 laboratory data sets gathered from the literature and 446 field data sets collected from four countries. The six formulae validated in this paper are the Colorado State University (CSU), Neill, Froehlich, Breuser, Laursen, and simplified Chinese formulae. Comparisons between the predicted and measured depths were performed using scour from the laboratory and field data. An artificial neural network technique was also applied in order to compare the tendencies between the field and laboratory data sets.     

Characterization of alluvium soil using geophysical and sounding methods

The alluvial deposits are highly heterogeneous and thus special techniques for investigating the subsurface have been required to obtain high quality data. The objective of this study is to apply two geophysical methods to alluvial deposits: a seismic survey method and the electrical resistivity method. The one-dimensional sounding method known as the standard penetration test is also applied to investigate subsurface properties and to compare these results with those measured by the geophysical methods. In seismic survey method, the seismic impulse source system shotgun is used to strongly propagate the elastic wave through the soil. The nonpolarizable electrode is selected to obtain the most reliable result by reducing the contact resistance. The application test is performed at Nakdong River in the southern part of Korean Peninsula where the area consists of alluvial deposits. The four profiles are selected for conducting the geophysical methods and the ranges of profiles are 115 ～ 205 m with interval distance of 5 m. The six one-dimensional soundings are performed in the intersection of geophysical profiles. Even though the measured results based on the geophysical method and one-dimensional sounding show slight difference, every result is applied to estimate subsurface characterization as the complementary data.