Southern Quebec (Canada) summer-season heat spells over the 1941–2000 period: an assessment of observed changes

Summary Summer-season (May–September) daily maximum temperature (T _max) and daily minimum temperature (T _min) observations and three types of heat spells obtained from these temperature observations at seven weather stations located in southern Quebec (Canada) for the 60-year period from 1941 to 2000 are studied to assess temporal changes in their characteristics (i.e. frequency of occurrence, seasonal hot days and extremal durations of heat spells). Type-A and Type-B heat spells are obtained respectively from T _max and T _min observations and Type-C heat spells from simultaneous joint observations of T _max and T _min using suitable thresholds and spells of duration ≥1-day and ≥3-day. The results of this investigation show that the majority of the selected percentiles (i.e. 5P, 10P, 25P, 50P, 75P, 80P, 90P, 92P, 95P, and 98P) of T _max observations show a negative time-trend with statistically significant decreases (at 10% level) in some of the higher percentiles and in the maximal values at four out of seven stations. Almost all of the selected percentiles (same as for the T _max) and the maximal and minimal values of T _min observations show a positive trend, with statistically significant increases for all seven stations. Examination of frequencies of occurrence of heat spells, seasonal hot days and annual extremes of heat spell durations indicate that many of these characteristics of heat spells have undergone statistically significant changes over time at some of the stations for Type-A and Type-B heat spells as compared to Type-C heat spells. The Type-C heat spells are generally small in number and are found to be relatively temporally stable. More severe Type-C heat spells, i.e. the ones having T _max and T _min values simultaneously above very high thresholds and with duration ≥3-day have been rarely observed in southern Quebec.     

Silica fume stabilization of an expansive clay subgrade and the effect of silica fume-stabilised soil cushion on its CBR

ABSTRACT

Expansive soil subgrades, which are subjected to dual swell-shrink problem consequent upon absorption and evaporation of water, need to be improved by chemical stabilization or compacted cushion or geosynthetic reinforcement in order that pavements constructed over them are even, stable and safe. This paper presents extensive experimental data on plasticity, free swell index (FSI) and compaction characteristics of a highly swelling expansive clay stabilized with varying silica fume contents. In another series of tests on a laterite soil to be used as a cushion over the expansive clay subgrade, plasticity properties, compaction characteristics and strength characteristics were determined at varied silica fume contents. Further, CBR of the expansive clay subgrade was determined in the laboratory stabilizing it with varied silica fume contents and providing a cushion of 50 mm thickness of silica fume-stabilized lateritic soil. Liquid limit (LL), plasticity index (PI) and free swell index (FSI) of the expansive clay decreased with increasing silica fume contents. The compaction and strength characteristics of both the soils improved with silica fume stabilization. The CBR of the expansive clay provided with silica fume-stabilized cushion improved significantly.     

Spectral analysis of oscillations with a time-variable frequency

Summary The paper presents a method of evaluating oscillations with a time-variable frequency using a computer. The given function is first interpolated at points which are not distributed equidistantly in time, but the digitizing step varies with time according to a known optional regularity. The spectrum of the obtained function is computed for various of these interpolations and tests are run to determine when the interpolation best compensates the time variation of the frequency. The initial and terminal frequency in the given sample is then determined. The usability of this method with respect to various types of oscillations with a variable frequency and its accuracy in comparison to sonagrams are discussed.     

The PT phase relations of a primary oceanite from the Reykjanes peninsula,Iceland

The field relationships and petrographic features of the oceanites of the Reykjanes peninsula suggest that they might have originated as primary magmas. The principal phase relationships of primary liquids formed by the partial melting of lherzolites are defined. The phase relations obtained for oceanite RE78 between 0 and 30 kbar at dry conditions suggest that the oceanite originated as a primary magma at 25 kbar and 1580°C, and erupted at a temperature near 1300°C.     

一次弓状降雹回波区流场的反演

通过对一次典型弓状降雹回波区的流场进行反及特点分析,发现用矩不变量法反演出的回波区流场结构,与藤田关于弓状回波的概念模式非常吻合,利用该方法估测出的流场,散度场、涡度场所表现出的信息,与降雹实况是一致的,该研究可为中小尺度强天气的监测,提供高时空分辨率的流场资料。     

Non-Darcian groundwater flow in leaky aquifers

Abstract

A simplified method has been developed for solving leaky aquifer non-Darcian flow hydraulics. The principle of volumetric approach is combined with the confined-aquifer, time-dependent drawdown equation in an observation well. The groundwater flow in the leaky aquifer is assumed to obey a non-Darcian flow law of exponential type. The results are obtained in the form of type-curve expressions from which the necessary bundles of curves are drawn for a set of selective non-Darcian flow aquifer parameters. Although application of the methodology appears as rather limited but it provides a scientific contribution and extension of leaky aquifer theory towards nonlinear flow conditions. The methodology developed herein is applied to some actual field data from the eastern sedimentary basin in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.     

The Spectrum and Dips of RE 0751+14: A Joint Evaluation of ROSAT and ASCA Archival Data

Using archival ASCA and ROSAT observations of RE 0751+14, X- ray energy spectra, pulse profiles and the results of pulse timing analysis are presented. The energy spectra are well-fitted by a blackbody model at low energy and a Raymond-Smith model at high energy, together with a partial covering absorber. A fluorescence emission line at 6.4 keV with an equivalent width ∼ 220 eV was resolved for the first time. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Quality control and homogeneity of Turkish precipitation data

Outlier trimming and homogeneity checking/correction were performed on the monthly precipitation time series of various lengths from 267 stations in Turkey. Outlier values are usually found during dry summer months, and are concentrated mostly over the southern parts of the country, where the dry period is most pronounced, implying natural extremes rather than wrong measurements. Homogeneity analysis was done using the Standard Normal Homogeneity Test, on an individual monthly basis, which led to many non‐testable series due to lack of reference stations, especially during summer months. Yet, remaining testable months were usually helpful for the assessment of homogenity, revealing a well distributed set of stations that proved to be homogeneous. There were still a number of stations which either could not be tested efficiently, or were classified as inhomogeneous. Lack of metadata is argued to be largely responsible for inefficient homogeneity testing. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.