Wave modelling - The state of the art

This paper is the product of the wave modelling community and it tries to make a picture of the present situation in this branch of science, exploring the previous and the most recent results and looking ahead towards the solution of the problems we presently face. Both theory and applications are considered.The many faces of the subject imply separate discussions. This is reflected into the single sections, seven of them, each dealing with a specific topic, the whole providing a broad and solid overview of the present state of the art. After an introduction framing the problem and the approach we followed, we deal in sequence with the following subjects: (Section) 2, generation by wind; 3, nonlinear interactions in deep water; 4, white-capping dissipation; 5, nonlinear interactions in shallow water; 6, dissipation at the sea bottom; 7, wave propagation; 8, numerics. The two final sections, 9 and 10, summarize the present situation from a general point of view and try to look at the future developments.     

Preparation of a Synthetic Titanite Glass Calibration Material for In Situ Microanalysis by Direct Fusion in Graphite Electrodes: A Preliminary Characterisation by EPMA and LA-ICP-MS

This paper describes a technique for the preparation of a titanite (CaTiSiO₅) glass calibration material for use in in situ microanalysis of major, minor, and trace elements in geological materials. The starting composition was a titanite matrix doped with minor and trace elements at ∼ 200 μg g^-1. The elements Sc, Y, REEs, Th and U were added in the form of nitrates in solution, and the elements V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zr, Nb, Hf and W were added as solid oxides. The synthetic titanite glass was produced by direct fusion by resistance heating in graphite electrodes at 1600-1700 °C, and quenched in air. Backscattered electron images indicate good homogeneity, with no signs of separate phases or vesicles, and analysis of the major elements Ca, Ti and Si by electron microprobe showed relative standard deviations between 0.5 and 0.7%, based on six independent measurements. Deviations from nominal concentrations for Ca, Si and Ti were measured to -1.2, -3.3 and -0.8%, respectively. The homogeneity of the trace elements in the glass was assessed by LA-ICP-MS analyses, using NIST SRM 610, 612 and 616 as external calibrators, and Ca as the internal standard element. Determinations were made both with a quadrupole mass spectrometer and a sector field instrument, and both raster and spot modes of analysis were used. For the majority of doped elements, precision was better than 10%, and relative deviations from nominal values were, with few exceptions, between 5 and 10%.     

Cliff-top storm deposits on Banneg Island, Brittany, France: Effects of giant waves in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean

This study is based on the morphosedimentary analysis of the cliff-top storm deposits accumulated on the coast of Banneg Island located in the archipelago of Molène (Brittany, France). These CTSDs comprise large, tabular clasts quarried from the upper part of the cliff and the backing scoured platform by giant oceanic storm waves impacting directly the western coast of the island. An analysis of the distribution and the geomorphology of these accumulations were carried out using the DGPS topographic surveys. Most of the clasts are organised into imbricate boulder clusters or ridges deposited between 7.5 and 14.5 masl. 52 accumulations were inventoried from the north to the south of the island, representing a global volume of 1000 m³. The median size of the clasts calculated is equivalent to 0.8 × 0.6 × 0.4 m and a weight of 0.6 t. The largest one measuring 5.3 × 3.9 × 0.5 m (≈ 32 t) is located in the centre of the island (ridge #28). It has been deposited 14 m inland from the edge of the cliff at the elevation of 9 m. Sediment analysis shows that clast sizes become smaller with increasing distance from the shoreline, but there is no relationship between the sorting and the distance inland. A study of the hydrodynamic conditions inducing clast transport was undertaken by an analysis of the wave data from the 1989 to the 1990 winter storms. Models of wave runup indicate that their highest water levels may have reached up to 19 masl, 5 to 10 m higher than the top of the cliff. Submersion by giant storm waves has been more important and frequent in the centre and the south of the island. Wave data over the 1979 to the 2007 period shows that no events as powerful as those of the 1989 to the 1990 winter were recorded during the last 30 years. Yet, it appears that the 1979–1990 decade was characterized by important morphogeneous events while the following period (1990–2007) has experienced a sharp decrease in storm events. These variations could be attributed to the inversion from a negative towards a positive phase in the North Atlantic Oscillation index.     

Preparation of Synthetic Calibration Materials for Use in the Microanalysis of Oxide Minerals by Direct Fusion in High-Purity Graphite Electrodes: Preliminary Results for Quartz and Rutile

This paper describes a technique for the preparation of synthetic calibration materials for use in laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and other microtechniques for mineral analysis. The method is based on direct fusion in high-purity graphite electrodes, and the requisite temperatures for melting are obtained by resistance heating using a welding rectifier as the power source. The technique has been tested on quartz (SiO₂) and rutile (TiO₂) for a relatively large range of elements, including all the rare earth elements. Different starting materials for preparation of calibration materials were studied, and it is shown that many natural materials form separate phases during fusion, resulting in unusable calibration materials for microanalysis. However, calibration materials prepared fully synthetically from oxides and/or element nitrates in solution were found to be of good homogeneity, and this preparation technique was used throughout in this work. The quality of the calibration materials for quartz and rutile was assessed by LA-ICP-MS, using Si and Ti as internal standard elements respectively. The NIST SRM 612 and 614 glass standards were used to assess the accuracy of the calibration materials for quartz. Calibration curves based on two independently prepared sets of calibration materials and the two NIST glasses are shown for a number of elements, demonstrating excellent agreement between the NIST glasses and the synthetically prepared quartz glasses. Vesicles are shown to form in the SiO₂ glasses, but this does not influence their value as calibration materials, provided that a reference element is used as an internal standard. The advantages of fusion in high-purity graphite electrodes are emphasised, particularly the very high sublimation point of graphite, its very high state of purity, the very short melting and quench time, the speed and simplicity of the method, and the low risk of introducing impurities. Extension of the method to other minerals and applications is discussed.     

Preliminary Investigation into the Use of a High Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer with Laser Ablation for Bulk Analysis of Geological Materials Fused with Li2B4O7

The paper presents preliminary results of the use of a high resolution double-focussing, magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS) with ultraviolet laser ablation (LA) for the bulk analysis of geological materials fused with Li₂B₄O₇. Detection limits are based on data from precision measurements of a fused SiO₂ sample of high purity, and sensitivity data (cps/μg g^-1) obtained on the Reference Material (RM) Syenite SY-2. For many trace elements, the detection limits are better than 0.05 μg g^-1 using a sample to flux weight ratio of 1:7.
Calibration curves, which are based entirely on RMs, are established for Hf, Ta, Tb, Tm and Lu. They indicate that, even at this early stage in the development of the technique, data accurate to ˜ 25% can be collected. It is concluded that the method may prove to be a valuable supplement to XRF for low level element concentration measurements; it is also very practical, as the same sample discs can be used for both XRF and LA-ICP-MS analyses.     

Deformation band populations in fault damage zone—impact on fluid flow

Fault damage zones in highly porous reservoirs are dominated by deformation bands that generally have permeability-reducing properties. Due to an absence of sufficiently detailed measurements and the irregular distribution of deformation bands, a statistical approach is applied to study their influence on flow. A stochastic model of their distribution is constructed, and band density, distribution, orientation, and flow properties are chosen based on available field observations. The sensitivity of these different parameters on the upscaled flow is analyzed. The influence of a heterogeneous permeability distribution was also studied by assuming the presence of high permeability holes within bands. The fragmentation and position of these holes affect significantly the block-effective permeability. Results of local upscaling with a diagonal and full upscaled permeability tensor are compared, and qualitatively similar results for the flow characteristics are obtained. Further, the procedure of iterative local–global upscaling is applied to the problem.     

Althausite,a new mineral from Modum,Norway

Althausite occurs as cleavable masses in serpentine-magnesite deposits at Modum, Norway. The proposed formula in Mg₂PO₄ (OH_0.37F_0.25O_0.10)_0.81 with partly vacant halide sites. It is orthorhombic, space group Pna2₁, $\text{a}\text{= 8.258,}\text{b}\text{= 14.383,}\text{c}\text{= 6.054}\text{A}\text{?}\text{, Z}\text{= 8.}\text{D(meas)}\text{=2.97, ?(}\text{calc}\text{) = 2.91}\text{g/cm}{}^3\text{(}\text{X-ray}\text{), ?(}\text{calc}\text{) = 3.06}\text{g/cm}{}^3\text{(}\text{Gladstone-Dale}\text{),}\text{H}\text{= 3}\text{1}\text{2}\text{?4.}$ The strongest X-ray powder lines (41 given, FeKα radiation) with intensities and indices are 3.593 (100)(040), 3.316 (90)(211), 3.024 (80)(002), 2.786 (60)(112), 2641 (60)(122).The mineral is light grey with vitreous lustre, running brown on alteration to apatite. Non-fluorescent. Perfect cleavage {001}, distinct cleavage {101}. It is biaxial positive, α=1.588, β=1.592, γ=1.598, 2V_γ(calc)=78.5°, negative elongation, X=b, Y=c, Z=a. IR, DTA and TGA data are given.