Equivalent continuum strain calculations based on 3D particle kinematic measurements of sand

Constitutive modeling of granular materials has been a subject of extensive research for many years. While the calculation of the Cauchy stress tensor using the discrete element method has been well established in the literature, the formulation and interpretation of the strain tensor are not as well documented. According to Bagi, 1 researchers mostly adopt well‐known continuum or discrete microstructural approaches to calculate strains within granular materials. However, neither of the 2 approaches can fully capture the behavior of granular materials. They are considered complementary to each other where each has its own strengths and limitations in solving granular‐mechanics problems. Zhang and Regueiro 2 proposed an equivalent continuum approach to calculating finite strain measures at the local level in granular materials subjected to large deformations. They used three‐dimensional discrete element method results to compare the proposed strains measures. This paper presents an experimental application of the Zhang and Regueiro 2 approach using three‐dimensional synchrotron microcomputed tomography images of a sheared Ottawa sand specimen. Invariant Eulerian finite strain measures were calculated for representative element volumes within the specimen. The spatial maps of Eulerian octahedral shear and volumetric strain were used to identify zones of intense shearing within the specimen and compared well with maps of incremental particle translation and rotation for the same specimen. The local Eulerian volumetric strain was compared to the global volumetric strains, which also can be considered as an averaging of all local Eulerian volumetric strains.     

Hydrochemistry, mineralogy and chemical fractionation of mine and processing wastes associated with porphyry copper mines: A case study from the Sarcheshmeh mine, SE Iran

The Sarcheshmeh is one of the largest Oligo-Miocene porphyry Cu deposits in the world. Comparative hydrochemical, mineralogical and chemical fractionation associated with mining efflorescence salts and processing wastes of this mine are discussed. Hydrochemical results showed that rock waste dumps, reject wastes and old impoundments of tailings are the main sources of acid mine drainage waters (AMD) that contain potentially toxic metals such as Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn as well as Al. Episodic fluxes of highly contaminated acidic waters were produced in a tailings dam over a short period of time. Secondary soluble minerals provide important controls on the quality of AMD produced, especially in old, dry tailings impoundments. Secondary sulfate minerals such as gypsum, magnesiocopiapite, hydronium jarosite, kornelite and coquimbite were found in rock waste drainages and in old weathered reject wastes. Highly soluble secondary minerals such as gypsum, eriochalcite, and bonattite are also observed in an evaporative layer on old tailings impoundments. Chemical fractionation patterns of potentially toxic elements showed that the geochemical behavior of metals is primarily controlled by the mineralogical composition of waste samples. Elements such as Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni and Zn are readily released into the water soluble fraction from efflorescence salts associated with rock waste drainages, as well as from the evaporative layer of old tailings. Potentially toxic elements, such as As, Mo and Pb, are principally adsorbed or co-precipitated with amorphous and crystalline Fe oxides, but they may also be associated with oxidizing, primary sulfides and residual fractions. Following the development of the dammed tailings pond, the secondary minerals were dissolved, producing acidic waters contaminated by Al (154 mg L⁻¹), Cu (150 mg L⁻¹), Cd (0.31 m gL⁻¹), Co (2.13 mg L⁻¹), Mn (73.7 mg L⁻¹), Ni (1.74 mg L⁻¹), Zn (20.3 mg L⁻¹) and Cl (1690 mg L⁻¹). Therefore, the potential use of recycled water from the Sarcheshmenh dammed tailings pond is diminished by the presence of corrosive ions like Cl⁻ in highly acidic fluids that promote corrosion of pipes and pumps in the water recycling system.     

Statistical significance of modal parameters of bridge systems identified from strong motion data

Modal parameters of structural systems have commonly been determined using system identification (SI) methods for damage detection and health monitoring. For determining the deterioration of the integrity of structural systems correctly, modal parameters of a healthy structure have to be obtained with adequate certainty so that these parameters can be used as reliable references for the healthy system to compare with those of the damaged system. In this study, the statistical significance of modal parameters identified using strong motion time histories recorded on two bridge structures is assessed. The confidence intervals of identified modal frequencies and damping ratios are obtained using Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analyses in conjunction with eigenrealization algorithm. The dependence of the statistical bounds on model parameters is examined. The effect of using different number of sensors on the statistical significance is evaluated using simulated time history data from a validated finite element model of a bridge. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial downscaling of climate variables using three statistical methods in Central Iran

Spatial downscaling methods are widely used for the production of bioclimatic variables(e.g. temperature and precipitation) in studies related to species ecological niche and drainage basin management and planning. This study applied three different statistical methods, i.e. the moving window regression(MWR), nonparametric multiplicative regression(NPMR), and generalized linear model(GLM), to downscale the annual mean temperature(Bio1) and annual precipitation(Bio12) in central Iran from coarse scale(1 km × 1 km) to fine scale(250 m ×250 m). Elevation, aspect, distance from sea and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) were used as covariates to create downscaled bioclimatic variables. Model assessment was performed by comparing model outcomes with observational data from weather stations. Coefficients of determination(R2), bias, and root-mean-square error(RMSE) were used to evaluate models and covariates. The elevation could effectively justify the changes in bioclimatic factors related to temperature and precipitation. Allthree models could downscale the mean annual temperature data with similar R2, RMSE, and bias values. The MWR had the best performance and highest accuracy in downscaling annual precipitation(R2=0.70; RMSE=123.44). In general, the two nonparametric models, i.e. MWR and NPMR, can be reliably used for the downscaling of bioclimatic variables which have wide applications in species distribution modeling.     

Preliminary study on PAH degradation by bacteria from contaminated sediments in Xiamen Western Sea,Fujian, China

In order to estimate the biodegradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, bacterial strains were isolated from marine sediments in three heavily contaminated sites (Yuandang Lake, Dongdu Port and Aquacultural zones in Maluan Bay) in Xiamen Western Sea. The results show three bacterial strains, which used pyrene as the sole carbon source, were identified as strains of Aureobacterium sp.,Arthrobacter sp., Rhodococcus sp. The PAH-degrading bacteria isolated had a strong ability to degrade phenanhrene, fluoranthene and pyrene at different degradation rates. The highest degradation rate was observed when three PAH compounds were mixed with an individual strain in the medium. The three PAHs were degraded after one week with a degradation rate of 89.94 % for phenanthrene and 93.4 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene.In addition, after 25 days of incubation, the degradation rate was 99.98 % for phenanthrene and 99.97 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene. Optical density was measured to estimate bacterial growth during the degradation of PAHs. Highest levels of bacterial growth were observed with a three PAH mixture in the culture, suggesting that the concentration of PAHs influenced bacterial growth and the highest levels of degradation for most series were detected after one week of incubation.     

Integrating seismic attributes in the accurate modeling of geological structures and determining the storage of the gas reservoir in Gorgan Plain (North of Iran)

Three dimensional seismic operation of Gorgan Plain was studied around a well, which is situated in North of Iran following the hitting of a thin overpressure gas layer (thickness of 9.6 m), with the purpose of the accurate modeling of geological structures and determining the approximate gas storages. The geological structures of the reservoir were modeled using the seismic attributes (coherence, instantaneous amplitude and spectral decomposition (FFT)). The obtained results clearly demonstrated the shape and volume of the existing structural traps in the studied area. In order to estimate the thickness of gas layer in the 3D seismic volume and determining the gas storage, the thickness changes based on the seismic amplitudes were used because its thickness was less than the critical resolution thickness for this layer. However, due to its low thickness, the lack of indicator peak in seismic sections and strong faults of area, it was difficult to pursue this layer in the seismic volume and map its exact amplitude. Considering this issue, a new method with integrating of seismic attributes was recommended. First, the instantaneous amplitude attribute of the thin reservoir layer reflector in computed synthetic seismogram were fabricated and then the frequency regarding the highest amount (dominant frequency) was chosen by Fourier Transform. Finally, spectral decomposition (FFT) with the resulting frequency was gained over the cross-section of the layer's instantaneous amplitude attribute in the 3D seismic volume choosing a proper time window. In such a situation, an increase of its thickness was seen as its amplitude increase and the minimum gas storage of this reservoir was calculated using the area of the restricted part of high thickness (over 9.6 m).     

Recent developments of the Middle East catalog

This article summarizes a recent study in the framework of the Global Earth model (GEM) and the Earthquake Model of the Middle East (EMME) project to establish the new catalog of seismicity for the Middle East, using all historical (pre-1900), early and modern instrumental events up to 2006. According to different seismicity, which depends on geophysical, geological, tectonic, and seismicity data, this region is subdivided to nine subregions, consisting of Alborz–Azerbaijan, Afghanistan–Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Caucasus, Central Iran, Kopeh–Dagh, Makran, Zagros, and Turkey (Eastern Anatolia; after 30° E). After omitting the duplicate events, aftershocks, and foreshocks by using the Gruenthal method, and uniform all magnitude to Mw scale, 28,244 main events remain for the new catalog of Middle East from 1250 B.C. through 2006. The magnitude of completeness (Mc) was determined as 4.9 for five out of nine subregions, where the least values of Mc were found to be 4.2. The threshold of Mc is around 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, and 4.0, for the time after 1950, 1963, 1975, and 2000, respectively. The average of teleseismic depths in all regions is less than 15 km. Totally, majority of depth for Kopeh–Dagh and Central Iran, Zagros, and Alborz–Azerbaijan, approximately, is 15, 13, and 11 km and for Afghanistan–Pakistan, Caucasus, Makran, Turkey (after 30° E), and Saudi Arabia is about 9 km.     

An investigation of trends in precipitation volume for the last three decades in different regions of Fars province, Iran

Under condition of climate changes as global warming, monitoring and detecting trend of precipitation volume is essential and will be useful for agricultural sections. Considering the fact that there were not enough research related to precipitation volume, this study aimed to determine trends in precipitation volume, monthly and annually in different regions of Fars province for the last three decades (33?years period; 1978–2010). Fars province is located in arid and semi-arid regions of Iran, and it plays an important role in agricultural production. Inverse distance weighting interpolation method was used to provide precipitation data for all regions. To analyze the trends of precipitation volume, Mann–Kendall test, Sen’s slope estimator, and 10-year moving average low-pass filter (within time series) were used. The negative trends were identified by the Sen’s slope estimator as well as Mann–Kendall test. However, all the trends were insignificant at the surveyed confidence level (95%). With regards to the application of 10-year moving average low-pass filter, a considerable decreasing trend was observed after around year 1994. Since one of the most important restrictions in agricultural development of the Fars province is lack of sufficient water resources, any changes onward to lack of sufficient precipitation impose impressive pressure and stress on valuable resources and subsequently agricultural production.