Surface soil assessment in the Ubhur area,north of Jeddah,western Saudi Arabia,using a multichannel analysis of surface waves method

Ten boreholes drilled in Ubhur area up to the depth of bedrock indicted the shallow depth of bedrock where the average depth ranges between 10 and 15 m. The standard penetration test N-values of these boreholes were measured and averaged. Based on N-values to the depth of bedrock, Ubhur area can be classified as site class C and D. Multichannel analysis of surface waves technique has been applied along seventy six profiles using 24-channel geophone array and 4.5Hz vertical geophones with 1m geophone spacing and sledgehammer and/or weight drop as seismic energy sources. Values of shear wave velocity to 30 m are calculated and then averaged (Vs30) where it ranges between 310.08 m/s and 1139.8 m/s. Therefore, Ubhur area can be classified into site class B, C and D based on site classification of the national earthquake hazards reduction program (NEHRP) recommendations. Accordingly, the greatest part of the study area falls in site class C while class B and D covered limited areas in the western and the eastern parts respectively. Depending on the shallow depth of bedrock in the study area, the Vs30 parameter is not applicable in the study area so the average values of Vs for the soil thickness, excluding the bedrock, have been calculated and mapped for site class C and D only. So Vs30 approach is not applicable for areas with shallow depth of bedrock which gives higher classification.     

A new rating system approach for risk analysis of rock slopes

In this paper, an approach is presented to analyze the stability risk of rock slopes based on a new rating system. Three factors are used to estimate the risk level of rock slopes: (1) failure probability, (2) element at risk rating, and (3) vulnerability rating. Element at risk and vulnerability ratings are both given a range from 0 to 10, and the probability of failure is varied between 0 and 1, so the risk rating ranges between 0 and 100. This risk rating can be used to determine both the quantitative and qualitative risk levels of slopes at the same time. The method is tested on the western sector of the slopes facing Songun copper plant phase III, Iran, to clarify its procedures and assess its validity. Deterministic kinematic analyses showed that the slope has a potential for circular failure. Risk assessments revealed that the risk levels of the slope in both static and pseudo-static conditions are “very low” and “high,” respectively.

     

Protostellar evolution during time-dependent anisotropic collapse

The formation and collapse of a protostar involves the simultaneous infall and outflow of material in the presence of magnetic fields, self-gravity and rotation. We use self-similar techniques to self-consistently model the anisotropic collapse and outflow by using a set of angle-separated self-similar equations. The outflow is quite strong in our model, with the velocity increasing in proportion to radius, and material formally escaping to infinity in the finite time is required for the central singularity to develop.
Analytically tractable collapse models have been limited mainly to spherically symmetric collapse, with neither magnetic field nor rotation. Other analyses usually employ extensive numerical simulations, or either perturbative or quasistatic techniques. Our model is unique as an exact solution to the non-stationary equations of self-gravitating magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which features co-existing regions of infall and outflow.
The velocity and magnetic topology of our model is quadrupolar, although dipolar solutions may also exist. We provide a qualitative model for the origin and subsequent evolution of such a state. However, a central singularity forms at late times, and we expect the late-time behaviour to be dominated by the singularity, rather than depend on the details of its initial state. Our solution may, therefore, have the character of an attractor among a much more general class of self-similarity.     

The solar lithium abundance

A detailed observational study of the solar photospheric lithium feature has been carried out with emphasis on center-limb observations, continuum location, possible effects of telluric lines, effects of blending by atomic and molecular lines, and decomposition of the solar spectrum around λ6707 Å.     

Strike-slip faulting, rotation, and along-strike elongation in the Kopeh Dagh mountains, NE Iran

The Kopeh Dagh is a linear mountain range separating the shortening in Iran from the stable, flat Turkmenistan platform. In its central part is an array of active right-lateral strike-slip faults that obliquely cut the range and produce offsets of several kilometres in the geomorphology and geological structure. They are responsible for major destructive earthquakes in the 19th and 20th centuries and represent an important seismic hazard for this now-populous region of NE Iran. These strike-slip faults all end in thrusts, revealed by the uplift and incision of Late Quaternary river terraces, and do not continue beyond the Atrak river valley, which forms the southern margin of the Kopeh Dagh. The cumulative offset on these strike-slip faults, and their associated rotation about vertical axes, can account for ∼60 km of N–S shortening. This value is similar to estimates of the Late Quaternary N–S right-lateral shear between central Iran and Afghanistan, which must be accommodated in NE Iran. The strike-slip faults also require ∼30 km of along-strike extension of the Kopeh Dagh, which is taken up by the westward component of motion between the South Caspian Basin and both Eurasia and Central Iran. It is probable that these motions occurred over the last ∼10 Ma.     

A parallel ensemble-based framework for reservoir history matching and uncertainty characterization

We present a parallel framework for history matching and uncertainty characterization based on the Kalman filter update equation for the application of reservoir simulation. The main advantages of ensemble-based data assimilation methods are that they can handle large-scale numerical models with a high degree of nonlinearity and large amount of data, making them perfectly suited for coupling with a reservoir simulator. However, the sequential implementation is computationally expensive as the methods require relatively high number of reservoir simulation runs. Therefore, the main focus of this work is to develop a parallel data assimilation framework with minimum changes into the reservoir simulator source code. In this framework, multiple concurrent realizations are computed on several partitions of a parallel machine. These realizations are further subdivided among different processors, and communication is performed at data assimilation times. Although this parallel framework is general and can be used for different ensemble techniques, we discuss the methodology and compare results of two algorithms, the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and the ensemble smoother (ES). Computational results show that the absolute runtime is greatly reduced using a parallel implementation versus a serial one. In particular, a parallel efficiency of about 35 % is obtained for the EnKF, and an efficiency of more than 50 % is obtained for the ES.     

A simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation algorithm for coupled well placement and control optimization under geologic uncertainty

Development of subsurface energy and environmental resources can be improved by tuning important decision variables such as well locations and operating rates to optimize a desired performance metric. Optimal well locations in a discretized reservoir model are typically identified by solving an integer programming problem while identification of optimal well settings (controls) is formulated as a continuous optimization problem. In general, however, the decision variables in field development optimization can include many design parameters such as the number, type, location, short-term and long-term operational settings (controls), and drilling schedule of the wells. In addition to the large number of decision variables, field optimization problems are further complicated by the existing technical and physical constraints as well as the uncertainty in describing heterogeneous properties of geologic formations. In this paper, we consider simultaneous optimization of well locations and dynamic rate allocations under geologic uncertainty using a variant of the simultaneous perturbation and stochastic approximation (SPSA). In addition, by taking advantage of the robustness of SPSA against errors in calculating the cost function, we develop an efficient field development optimization under geologic uncertainty, where an ensemble of models are used to describe important flow and transport reservoir properties (e.g., permeability and porosity). We use several numerical experiments, including a channel layer of the SPE10 model and the three-dimensional PUNQ-S3 reservoir, to illustrate the performance improvement that can be achieved by solving a combined well placement and control optimization using the SPSA algorithm under known and uncertain reservoir model assumptions.     

An assessment of metal contamination in coastal sediments of the Caspian Sea

An assessment of marine pollution due to metals was made in the Caspian Sea based on coastal sediment collected in Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. Despite the high carbonate content, the distribution of most metals was largely controlled by terrigenous inputs. Several metals (As, Cr, Ni) exhibited concentrations that exceed sediment quality guidelines. Such metals have a high natural background but anthropogenic activities, notably mining, may further enhance concentrations. This would explain hot spots for Cu and Zn in Azerbaijan and Iran, and Cr at the mouth of the Ural River in Kazakhstan. Contamination by Hg was observed to the south of Baku Bay, Azerbaijan. Some anomalously high concentrations of Ba in the central Caspian are probably from offshore drilling operations, but the elevated U concentrations (up to 11.1 microg g(-1)) may be natural in origin. Several metals (Ag, Cd, Pb) have relatively low levels that pose no environmental concerns.     

Temporal variations of gravity in the Aswan region of Egypt

The Kalabsha region at the northwest side of Lake Aswan has been a subject of seismological and geodetic investigations since 1981, after the 5.5 M earthquake on 14 November. The subsequent seismic activity was related to the effect of water-level oscillations in the Lake. Geodetic measurements provided indications of regional stress and of the local character of vertical movements. As crustal dynamics represents a potential hazard with respect to the size of the lake, other techniques have been applied to the monitoring system. Repeated gravity test measurements were already made in the late 1980s and in 1994, but only in 1997 was a new epoch of long-term investigation initiated. The measured data showed sufficient accuracy of approx. 5 μGal. Already the first difference of the two campaigns of the years 1997 and 2000 showed a few important features. First of all, the temporal non-tidal changes of gravity exceed the level of confidence significantly. The changes were compared with older available geodetic data, and it was concluded, that the gravity changes were not related directly to the vertical movements of the surface. On the contrary, a water loading effect may be expected on the eastern side of the network, especially in the Kalabsha local net. The development of the stress field is considered to be the main source of observed gravity changes. In both the Kalabsha and Seiyal nets the changes differ according to the relative positions of the particular measuring points with respect to the faults.     

Perceived and actual risks of drought: household and expert views from the lower Teesta River Basin of northern Bangladesh

Natural Hazards - Disaster risk perception and risk appraisal are essential in formulating an appropriate disaster risk reduction policy. This study examines the actual vs perceived drought risks...