Transient analysis of excavations in soil

A finite element approach is used to assess the transient stability of excavation in elasto-plastic soils. Stability is shown to be a function of the rate of excavation, the soil permeability and the drainage path lengths. Sequential excavation has been modelled rigorously in the finite element analysis, together with the transient effects through a fully coupled Biot formulation. Results are presented which demonstrate the effects of the rate of excavation and permeability on stability. Both drained and undrained behaviour of the problem are retrieved as special cases of the transient analysis, and comparisons made with classical solutions where available.     

Radiative and collisional processes in CNA 2Π i

In the last four years we have carried out a number of studies on the radiative and collisional processes in theA ² _i state of CN. Many of these of interest to those studying planetary atmospheres, comets and solar spectra are summarized in this paper. Data for CNA ² _i fluorescence lifetimes and quenching rates, and collisional energy transfer between CNA ² _i andX ²₊ are reported. Detailed comparisons and a discussion of the results may be found in several already published papers.     

Spatial length scale analysis of data from observations and a model of the Iceland-Faeroes front

Hydrographic data from the Iceland-Faeroes Ridge region, covering an area of 59°–69° north and 0°–20° west, have been subjected to a spatial data analysis. The analysis consists of the two-dimensional spectral method (2D-FFT) and the empirical eigenfunction method (EOF). Results from the two methods show good agreement indicating that the significant length scales for horizontal variability present in the data have wavelengths of approximately 339 km, 72 km and 37 km. These wavelengths relevant to the Iceland-Faeroes front are interpreted as the sizes respectively of the warm water intrusion from the south of the front with a diameter of half the wavelength (i.e.,?169 km), and the meander-like and eddy-like features. Predictions of the same frontal system have also been made using a realistic numerical model to provide hydrographic outputs similar to the observations. The hydrographic outputs from the model have been subjected to the same 2D-FFT method to establish the spatial length scale present in the model predictions. A comparison of results from a spectral data analysis between the field measurements and the model predictions shows that the model can predict the sizes of the meander-like and the eddy-like features quite accurately. However, predictions of frontal orientation, frontal slopes and size of the warm water intrusion still require further study. The work presented also demonstrates the importance of spatial statistics in oceanographic research, particularly in ocean predictability studies.     

Core Density Profile Survival in Dissipationless Mergers

We use N-body experiments to study the survival of power-law density cusps in mergers of spherical galaxy models. Steep cusps (e.g. ρ∝r ^-2) are preserved during mergers of equal-mass models; this may be viewed as a general consequence of the incomplete violent relaxation observed in such mergers. Progenitor profile has a strong effect on remnant shape; steep cusps produce oblate remnants. If bright ellipticals form by hierarchical mergers of faint ones, the lack of steep cusps in these galaxies is somewhat surprising. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Urban Perennials: How Diversification has Created a Sustainable Community Garden Movement in The United States

Our research seeks to understand how the contemporary community garden movement in the United States differs from its predecessors and whether its new foundation increases the political and financial sustainability of today's gardens. To this end, this article reviews historical and contemporary literature, and surveys participants in three distinctive community gardens, to answer several related research questions. First, what is the current state of the US community garden movement, and how have its historical roots shaped its response to current policy concerns? Second, which populations comprise today's community gardeners, and what motivates them to participate? After considering the findings from our three study gardens, and from a review of secondary and “gray” literature, we conclude by positing that a greater diversity of gardeners and gardening motivations, accompanied by changing leading views on urban land uses, will lead to such urban gardens remaining a more lasting feature of city neighborhood landscapes.     

Hydrochemical evidence for mixing of river water and groundwater during high-flow conditions, lower Suwannee River basin, Florida, USA

 Karstic aquifers are highly susceptible to rapid infiltration of river water, particularly during periods of high flow. Following a period of sustained rainfall in the Suwannee River basin, Florida, USA, the stage of the Suwannee River rose from 3.0 to 5.88 m above mean sea level in April 1996 and discharge peaked at 360 m³/s. During these high-flow conditions, water from the Suwannee River migrated directly into the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer, the main source of water supply for the area. Changes in the chemical composition of groundwater were quantified using naturally occurring geochemical tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Mixing of river water with groundwater was indicated by a decrease in the concentrations of calcium, silica, and ²²²Rn; and by an increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), tannic acid, and chloride, compared to low-flow conditions in water from a nearby monitoring well, Wingate Sink, and Little River Springs. The proportion (fraction) of river water in groundwater ranged from 0.13 to 0.65 at Wingate Sink and from 0.5 to 0.99 at well W-17258, based on binary mixing models using various tracers. The effectiveness of a natural tracer in quantifying mixing of river water and groundwater was related to differences in tracer concentration of the two end members and how conservatively the tracer reacted in the mixed water. Solutes with similar concentrations in the two end-member waters (Na, Mg, K, Cl, SO₄, SiO₂) were not as effective tracers for quantifying mixing of river water and groundwater as those with larger differences in end-member concentrations (Ca, tannic acid, DOC, ²²²Rn, HCO₃). Received, March 1999 / Revised, July 1999 / Accepted, July 1999     

Stability of earth slopes. Part I: two‐dimensional analysis in closed‐form

A closed‐form solution (CFS) satisfying both equilibrium of moments and forces for the stability analysis of earth slopes in 2D is proposed. The sliding surface is assumed circular and treated as a rigid body, allowing the internal state of stress to be ignored. The proposed solution can be applied to both homogenous and non‐homogenous slopes of either simple or complex geometry, and can also deal with any kind of additional loading. The method is based on the fact that, all possible forces acting on the slope can be projected onto the failure surface where they are broken into driving and resisting ones. Comparison of the safety factors obtained by the proposed CFS and those obtained by traditional limit equilibrium methods, as applied to several test examples, indicates that the proposed method is more conservative, whereas moreover, it gives a more realistic point of view for the formation of tension crack in slopes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐linear response of current‐meter compasses: Research note

Abstract

A non‐linear response in current‐meter compasses is examined in terms of its effect on the measured residual current. It is shown that, even for a compass response within typical manufacturers’ specifications, the induced errors are important for regions where the residual speed is less than about 10% of the peak tidal current. In an M₂ current, the non‐linearity also induces an M₄ signal, but this is not sufficiently large to be easily detected by tidal analyses.     

Synergies and tradeoffs in how managers,scientists, and fishers value coral reef ecosystem services

Managing ecosystems in a changing environment faces the challenge of balancing diverse competing perspectives on which ecosystem services – nature's benefits – to prioritize. Consequently, we measured and compared how different stakeholders (managers, scientists and fishers) prioritize specific coral reef ecosystem services. Managers’ priorities were more aligned with scientists’ priorities but all stakeholder groups agreed that fishery, education, and habitat were high priorities. However, stakeholder groups differed in the extent to which they prioritized certain services. Fishers tended to assigned greater estimates to fishery and education, managers to culture, and scientists to coastal protection. Furthermore, using network analysis to map the interactions between stakeholders’ priorities, we found distinct synergies and trade-offs in how ecosystem services were prioritized, representing areas of agreement and conflict. In the fishers’ network, trade-offs emerged between two services, both of a higher priority, such as fishery and habitat. Conversely, in the scientists’ network, trade-offs emerged between services of a higher and lower priority, such as habitat and culture. The trade-offs and synergies that emerged in the managers’ network overlap with both fishers’ and scientists’ suggesting a potential brokering role that managers can play in balancing both priorities and conflicts. We suggest that measuring ecosystem service priorities can highlight key areas of agreement and conflict, both within and across stakeholder groups, to be addressed when communicating and prioritizing decisions.