Preliminary landfill siting and related analysis using simple modeling techniques

The evaluation of existing and new landfills requires considerable consideration of environmental factors for the protection of groundwater resources. The initial evaluation of sites can be time-consuming and expensive depending on the assessment approach selected. General planning methods, such as the DRASTIC procedure, coupled with the use of analytical or numerical groundwater models can provide useful site selection tools by improving the quality and quantity of analysis. This paper presents an overview of some promising methods for landfill site evaluation and suggests alternative data sources where few data are present. Examples of some of the methods are given.     

Deep resistivity structure of the Trans-European Suture Zone in Central Poland

The deep resistivity structure was estimated along a 400-km profile in central Poland crossing the Malopolska Massif (MM), the Lysogory Unit (LU), the Trans-European Suture Zone (TESZ) and ending at the East European Craton (EEC). Magnetotelluric transfer functions, corresponding to 20 sites, were supplemented by magnetovariational responses obtained at the geomagnetic observatories situated at the same tectonic units. Such a combination made it possible to extend the initial period range, which is from fractions of a second to several hours, up to months in order to reliably cover crustal and upper-mantle depths. The geoelectrical structures, revealed using 2-D inversions, do not contradict the known features of the lithosphere structure determined using seismic and gravity data along the profile.
The subsurface conductance, varying from approximately 10 Siemens at the inner part of the EEC to about 600 Siemens in the TESZ, is produced by sediments, the deep part of which contains conductive, highly mineralized water. The existence of two crustal conductive faults at the southwest and northeast of the TESZ were established mainly by the use of induction arrows. It was also revealed that rather high mantle conductivity beneath the MM, LU and TESZ at depths of about 150–200 km contrasts with the resistive upper mantle of the EEC. This can be interpreted as the decrease of asthenosphere conductance and/or as its submersion beneath the EEC. Generally, the results confirm the idea that the TESZ forms not only specific seismic boundaries but also causes peculiar conductivity anomalies in the crust and upper mantle.     

Cosmic strings in Lyra geometry

Exact cylindrically-symmetric solutions of Sen equations both with and without the source term in Lyra geometry are presented. It is found that the exterior vacuum solution, when continuously joined to the interior solution describing the uniform density cylinder of finite radius, may represent a cosmic string. The rate of light deflection that is independent of the impact parameter suggests that the solution has the gravitational lensing property, and for typical values of the linear mass density it yields predictions similar to general relativity.     

Integrating a fuzzy <Emphasis Type="Italic">k</Emphasis>-means classification and a Bayesian approach for spatial prediction of landslide hazard

A robust method for spatial prediction of landslide hazard in roaded and roadless areas of forest is described. The method is based on assigning digital terrain attributes into continuous landform classes. The continuous landform classification is achieved by applying a fuzzy k-means approach to a watershed scale area before the classification is extrapolated to a broader region. The extrapolated fuzzy landform classes and datasets of road-related and non road-related landslides are then combined in a geographic information system (GIS) for the exploration of predictive correlations and model development. In particular, a Bayesian probabilistic modeling approach is illustrated using a case study of the Clearwater National Forest (CNF) in central Idaho, which experienced significant and widespread landslide events in recent years. The computed landslide hazard potential is presented on probabilistic maps for roaded and roadless areas. The maps can be used as a decision support tool in forest planning involving the maintenance, obliteration or development of new forest roads in steep mountainous terrain.     

Mapping the porosity of international border to pedestrian traffic: a comparative data classification approach to a study of the border region in Austria,Italy, and Slovenia

National borders play an important role in everyday life. Interest in border studies has increased with recent changes in geographical locations of the border or the fluctuation of the permeability of the border between some countries, such as in the European Union. Whether the nations are trying to increase traffic flow of the border or to implement stricter border control, having appropriate information of the border is crucial for effective policymaking.

The objective of this research was to identify areas of high porosity, or high permeability, for pedestrians along the southern national border region in Carinthia, Austria using terrain, land use, and road data along with geocomputational methods. Two unsupervised classification methods, the fuzzy K-means clustering and the Self-Organizing Map, were applied to segment the border into homogeneous zones according to topographic and infrastructural attributes. The fuzzy K-means clustering method was chosen for its ability to allow for a continuous approach to classification. With this method, an object can belong, with different degrees of membership, to multiple classes, which is a more realistic reflection of the natural world than discrete clustering, where each object can only belong to one class. However, the fuzzy K-means clustering method does have disadvantages, i.e. the user must determine the number of classes and the input parameters are required to be in continuous format. The second classification method, the Self-Organizing Map, is a type of artificial neural network and was chosen for its ability to automatically determine the number of classes and handle categorical data. The Self-Organizing Map is unique because it can transform high dimensional data into low dimensional display while preserving the topology and spatial distribution of the input parameters. The results of the two classification methods suggest that the fuzzy K-means classification is more effective than the Self-Organizing Map for this situation. However, more research is needed to determine the fit of these algorithms for particular spatial data classification tasks.

The results obtained from this research provide an insight into the permeability of the border region of Carinthia, Slovenia, and Italy to pedestrian traffic and can be potentially useful for decision making processes for tourism development and road transportation management in that region. Furthermore, the approach presented in this article can be applied to other national borders to identify zones permeable to pedestrian traffic.     

Chosen aspects of sustainable development on the Polish, Czech and German borderland

The shift to market forces in Poland, East Germany and Czech Republic has fundamentally reconfigured its economic geography. In particular, spatial inequalities between neighboring Polish, Czech and German border regions have re-emerged forcefully in response to new values, expectations and preferences. In this paper the example of coal mines illustrates the potency of spatial planning. The abundance of coal mines in the Polish, Czech and German borderland at or near abandonment and their proximity to ecological corridors make them candidates for renewed uses in industry or conservation. Attention will also be given to the main environmental problems caused by wrongly conducted spatial policy on this borderland. Transforming a landscape requires continuation of guidance and financial assistance of the European Union.     

Anomalous induction in the Carpathians

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A substantial part of this paper was presented at the IAGA symposium Relations between External and Internal Magnetic Variations, XVI. IUGG General Assembly, August–September 1975, Grenoble.     

Saline groundwater seepage zones and their impact on soil and water resources in the Spicers Creek catchment,central west,New South Wales,Australia

Saline seepage zone development and hence dryland salinity is a major environmental problem which many arid to semiarid landscapes in Australia are experiencing. Due to the geological complexity of the regional aquifer system and the heterogeneous nature of the local groundwater system, each groundwater seepage zone in the Spicers Creek catchment, central west, New South Wales, Australia possesses different mechanisms which control its development. Saline seepage zones have formed adjacent to a fault zone, and two experimental sites were established through these groundwater discharge zones to understand geochemical processes which have led to the development of soil sodicity, gully erosion and the flushing of salts into the surface water systems. Seepage zone groundwaters contain a distinctive geochemical signature with elevated concentrations of Na, Cl, HCO₃, Ca, Sr, B, As and Li. The mixing of deep saline groundwaters together with ion exchange processes lead to a distinctive seepage zone groundwater chemistry being developed. Altering the landscape features within this rural groundwater system has developed water toxicity for crops, soil sodicity leading to land degradation, and waterlogging problems.