Evaluating the performance of a deterministic daily rainfall–runoff model in a low-flow context

The characterization of a stream's low-flow regime is required for ecological purposes, water quality studies and various other water projects. If observed stream flow records are insufficient, low-flow characteristics may need to be estimated from simulated daily stream flow time-series. The model employed should conceptualize low-flow generation mechanisms and surface–subsurface interactions adequately. The ability of the model to simulate low-flow regimes may be assessed by means of various low-flow analysis techniques. This paper illustrates the approach using the example of the physically based, semi-distributed VTI daily rainfall–runoff model. The model has been applied to five perennial headwater catchments in South Africa, which are located in different parts of the country, represent different physiographical environments and are characterized by different baseflow responses. The model simulations are evaluated in terms of both conventional goodness-of-fit criteria and several low-flow measures such as recession characteristics, baseflow volumes, flow duration curves and continuous low-flow events below specified threshold discharges. For all the catchments considered the model has been found to perform successfully in terms of conventional fit statistics and flow duration curves. However, its ability to reproduce recession characteristics and continuous low-flow spells appears to be less satisfactory. This suggests that daily model simulations should be evaluated by low-flow criteria, which are frequently ignored in water resource assessment practices. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pore pressure assessment from well data and overpressure mechanism: Case study in Eastern Tunisia basins

Abstract

Independent and complementary methods were used for pore pressure assessment in the eastern Tunisian basins. Drilling data and surveys allow settling the pore pressure profile in these basins. The main used parameters are mud weights, formation pressure surveys, drilling parameters, well logs, fluids exchange with formation and borehole issues. In the eastern Tunisia platform, the pore pressure profiles show changes in overpressure magnitude in all the three dimensions of the basin (location and depth/stratigraphy). We highlighted two overpressure intervals form bottom to top: The late Cretaceous in the North-eastern part, and the Tertiary overpressure interval hosted in the Palaeocene to Miocene series. The structural analysis of overpressure location shows that the Tertiary interval is likely to have originated in a disequilibrium compaction in Cenozoic grabens. Pore pressure cross sections and maps confirm the link between active normal faults that segmented the basin to grabens and highs and pore pressure anomalous area. In the Senonian interval, we noted mature source-rocks that can explain the overpressure in the late Cretaceous interval. In addition, the recent to active compressive tectonics may have contributed to both pore pressure anomaly generations. The fluid overpressures characterization in the eastern Tunisian sedimentary basins helps in hydrocarbons exploration. Indeed, the overpressure interval in the reservoir levels stimulates and improves the production in the oilfields and contributes to hydrocarbon trapping. Moreover, the adequate prediction of pore pressure profile contributes to reduce drilling cost and enhance the drilling operations safety.     

Shaking table test of the effects of multi‐unit particle dampers attached to an MDOF system under earthquake excitation

This paper presents the results of an experimental and analytical/computational study of the performance of multi‐unit particle dampers with an MDOF system. A series of shaking table tests of a three‐storey steel frame with the particle damper system were carried out to evaluate the performance of the system and to verify the analysis method. An analytical solution based on the discrete element method is also presented. A comparison between the experimental and computational results shows that reasonably accurate estimates of the response of a primary system under earthquake excitations can be obtained. These results also indicate that the excitation characterization influences the performance of the particle damper system, for example, particle dampers have good performance in reducing the seismic response of structures and particle movements of plug flow pattern can yield good vibration attenuation effects. It is shown that by using properly designed multi‐unit particle dampers, a lightly damped primary system can achieve a reasonable reduction in its response, with a small weight penalty. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intra-City Variation in Urban Morphology and Turbulence Structure in Helsinki, Finland

Most atmospheric boundary-layer theories are developed over vegetative surfaces and their applicability at urban sites is questionable. Here, we study the intra-city variation of turbulence characteristics and the applicability of boundary-layer theory using building-morphology data across Helsinki, and eddy-covariance data from three sites: two in central Helsinki (400 m apart) and one 4 km away from the city centre. The multi-site measurements enable the analysis of the horizontal scales at which quantities that characterize turbulent transport vary: (i) Roughness characteristics vary at a 10-m scale, and morphometric estimation of surface-roughness characteristics is shown to perform better than the often used rule-of-thumb estimates (average departures from the logarithmic wind profile are 14 and 44 %, respectively). (ii) The drag coefficient varies at a 100-m scale, and we provide an updated parametrization of the drag coefficient as a function of z/z _H (the ratio of the measurement height to the mean building height). (iii) The transport efficiency of heat, water vapour and CO₂ is shown to be weaker the more heterogeneous the site is, in terms of sources and sinks, and strong scalar dissimilarity is observed at all sites. (iv) Atmospheric stability varies markedly even within 4 km across the city: the median difference in nocturnal sensible heat fluxes between the three sites was over 50W m^?2. Furthermore, (v) normalized power spectra and cospectra do not vary between sites, and they follow roughly the canonical theory as developed over vegetated terrain.     

Recharge processes during snowmelt: An isotopic and hydrometric investigation

Results from hydrometric and isotopic investigations of unsaturated flow during snowmelt are presented for a hillslope underlain by well-sorted sands. Passage of melt and rainwater through the vadose zone was detected from temporal changes in soil water ²H concentrations obtained from sequential soil cores. Bypassing flow was indicated during the initial snowmelt phase, but was confined to the near-surface zone. Recharge below this zone was via translatory flow, as meltwater inputs displaced premelt soil water. Estimates of premelt water fluxes indicate that up to 19 per cent of the premelt soil water may have been immobile. Average water particle velocities during snowmelt ranged from 6.2 × 10^?7 to 1.1 × 10^?6 ms^?1, suggesting that direct groundwater recharge by meltwater during snowmelt was confined to areas where the premelt water table was within 1 m of the ground surface. Soil water ²H signatures showed a rapid response to isotopically-heavy rain-on-snow inputs late in the melt. In addition, spatial variations in soil moisture content at a given depth induced a pronounced lateral component to the predominantly vertical transport of water. Both factors may complicate isotopic profiles in the vadose zone, and should be considered when employing environmental isotopes to infer recharge processes during snowmelt.     

Temperature and precipitation trend analysis of the Iraq Region under SRES scenarios during the twenty-first century

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Iraq is classified as the fifth most vulnerable country in the world to decreased water and food availability, extreme temperatures, and associated health...     

Curie point depth beneath the Barramiya–Red Sea coast area estimated from aeromagnetic spectral analysis

The geothermal structure beneath of the Barramiya?CRed Sea coast area of the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt has been determined using Curie point depth (CPD), which is temperature-dependent. The CPD and the surface heat flow (q) maps of such area are estimated by analyzing aeromagnetic data. Such data are low-pass-filtered and analyzed to estimate the magnetic bottom using the centroid method. The heat flow map reflects the geothermic nature of the region. However, it is suggested that the shallow Curie point temperature depth pattern depends on the tectonic regime and morphology, which continues eastwards through the Red Sea. Particularly, the coastal regions are characterized by high heat flow (83.6?mW/m²) and shallow Curie depth (22.5?km), whereas the western portion of the studied area has a lower heat flow (<50?mW/m²) and deeper Curie depth (~40?km). In addition to its bordering to the Red Sea margin, such high heat flow anomaly is associated with the increased earthquake swarms activity in the Abu Dabbab area. El-Hady (1993) attributed the swarm activity to the geothermal evolution. Also, the heat flow pattern is correlatable by the numerous results of shallow borehole temperature measurements as reported by Morgan and Swanberg (1979). A significant low heat flow extending in the northeast?Csouthwest direction, which is associated with NE?CSW large areal extent negative Bouguer gravity anomaly and NE/SW-trending belt of the deep CPD region, seems to be directly related to the surface outcrops of Precambrian older granitoids of the mountainous range of that trend.     

Extending F‐Perceptory to model fuzzy objects with composite geometries for GIS

When analyzing spatial issues, geographers are often confronted with many problems with regard to the imprecision of the available information. It is necessary to develop representation and design methods which are suited to imprecise spatiotemporal data. This led to the recent proposal of the F‐Perceptory approach. F‐Perceptory models fuzzy primitive geometries that are appropriate in representing homogeneous regions. However, the real world often contains cases that are much more complex, describing geographic features with composite structures such as a geometry aggregation or combination. From a conceptual point of view, these cases have not yet been managed with F‐Perceptory. This article proposes modeling fuzzy geographic objects with composite geometries, by extending the pictographic language of F‐Perceptory and its mapping to the Unified Modeling Language (UML) necessary to manage them in object/relational databases. Until now, the most commonly used object modeling tools have not considered imprecise data. The extended F‐Perceptory is implemented under a UML‐based modeling tool in order to support users in fuzzy conceptual data modeling. In addition, in order to properly define the related database design, an automatic derivation process is implemented to generate the fuzzy database model.     

3-D magnetic inversion and satellite imagery for the Um Salatit gold occurrence,Central Eastern Desert,Egypt

The Um Salatit is a gold occurrence situated in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The studied area is characterized by an intensive imbrication zone of serpentinites and metavolcanic rocks. The integrated use of aeromagnetic and spectral reflectance remote sensing data has proved effective for mapping geology related to ore deposits. Spectral reflectance maps have been produced to discriminate various rocks, such as serpentinites, gabbros, and metavolcanic rocks. 3-D inversion of aeromagnetic data acquired over the Um Salatit study area produced a 3-D magnetic susceptibility model showing magnetic bodies surrounded by less magnetic host rock. The magnetic features are elongated ENE-WSW parallel to the major thrust fault and mapped the Um Salatit serpentinized rocks. Remote sensing data allow investigating surficial geological features and mapping the mineralized areas. Remote results, in conjunction with 3-D inversion of aeromagnetic data, demonstrate that gold occurrence in the study area was effectively restricted to the highly magnetic zone interpreted as host rocks.     

Source Rock Characterization and Petroleum Systems in North Ghadames Basin,Southern Tunisia

This paper presents geochemical analysis of drilled cutting samples from the OMZ‐2 oil well located in southern Tunisia. A total of 35 drill‐cutting samples were analyzed for Rock‐Eval pyrolysis, total organic carbon (TOC), bitumens extraction and liquid chromatography. Most of the Ordovician, Silurian and Triassic samples contained high TOC contents, ranging from 1.00 to 4.75% with an average value of 2.07%. The amount of hydrocarbon yield (pyrolysable hydrocarbon: S2b) expelled during pyrolysis indicates a good generative potential of the source rocks. The plot of TOC versus S2b, indicates a good to very good generative potential for organic matter in the Ordovician, Silurian and Lower Triassic. However, the Upper Triassic and the Lower Jurassic samples indicate fair to good generative potential. From the Vankrevelen diagram, the organic matter in the Ordovician, Silurian and Lower Triassic samples is mainly of type II kerogen and the organic matter from the Upper Triassic and the Lower Jurassic is dominantly type III kerogen with minor contributions from Type I. The thermal maturity of the organic matter in the analyzed samples is also evaluated based on the T_max of the S2b peak. The Ordovician and Lower Silurian formations are thermally matured. The Upper Silurian and Triassic deposits are early matured to matured. However, Jurassic formations are low in thermal maturity. The total bitumen extracts increase with depth from the interval 1800–3000 m. This enrichment indicates that the trapping in situ in the source rocks and relatively short distance vertical migration can be envisaged in the overlying reservoirs. During the vertical migration from source rocks to the reservoirs, these hydrocarbons are probably affected by natural choromatography and in lower proportion by biodegradation.