Monitoring of heat transmission from buildings into geological environment and evaluation of soil deformation consequences in foundation engineering

In engineering geology a number of factors affecting foundation conditions are taken into consideration during engineering-geological investigations. This article deals with the factor of heat sourced from a structure (brick kiln) as a restrictive factor in foundation engineering in clay soils and introduces a documentation of soil deformation observations as an impact of the heat transmission into the geological environment. It was carried out in Southern Moravia in the Czech Republic, where the dominant foundation soils are Neogeneous clays where differential settlements of a tunnel kiln structure occurred as a result of ignoring the boundary conditions of temperature changes in the soil environment. The brick kilns caused heterogeneous spatial changes in the subsoil temperatures. This consequently resulted in differential settlements due to temperature changes originating from the kilns. The differential settlements reached as much as 150 mm. The major objective of the article is to highlight the importance of the heat transmission from buildings into the geological environment as a factor which should be considered in engineering geology and its application in planning. A new procedure for reducing or elimination of ground movements sourced from underlying clayey soils depending on the heat changes was also suggested in this context.     

The last deglaciation in the Picos de Europa National Park (Cantabrian Mountains,northern Spain)

A sedimentological and geochemical study of the Lago Enol sequence (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain), together with detailed geomorphological mapping, provides a first record of glacier evolution and climate change over the last 40 ka in the Picos de Europa National Park. The Enol glacier retreated from its maximum extent prior to 40 ka BP as demonstrated by the onset of proglacial lacustrine sedimentation in two glaciated depressions: the Comella hollow to the north (before 40 ka BP) and the Lago Enol (before 38 ka BP). These results support previous evidence that the maximum extent of southern European glaciers occurred earlier than in northern Europe. Alternation of homogeneous and laminated proglacial sediments during the glacier retreat illustrate a dynamic glacial evolution during the Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (40–26 ka BP). A slight warming is detected at 26 ka ago with the change from proglacial sediments (in a lake located in contact to the glacier) to glaciolacustrine sedimentation (in a non‐contact or distal lake). Finally, the onset of organic‐rich sediments took place at 18 ka ago. This last transition occurred in two phases, similarly to the North Atlantic Last Termination, suggesting a link between North Atlantic Deep Water formation oscillations and palaeohydrological variability in the Cantabrian Mountains. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Climate change and infectious diseases: Can we meet the needs for better prediction?

The next generation of climate-driven, disease prediction models will most likely require a mechanistically based, dynamical framework that parameterizes key processes at a variety of locations. Over the next two decades, consensus climate predictions make it possible to produce forecasts for a number of important infectious diseases that are largely independent of the uncertainty of longer-term emissions scenarios. In particular, the role of climate in the modulation of seasonal disease transmission needs to be unravelled from the complex dynamics resulting from the interaction of transmission with herd immunity and intervention measures that depend upon previous burdens of infection. Progress is also needed to solve the mismatch between climate projections and disease projections at the scale of public health interventions. In the time horizon of seasons to years, early warning systems should benefit from current developments on multi-model ensemble climate prediction systems, particularly in areas where high skill levels of climate models coincide with regions where large epidemics take place. A better understanding of the role of climate extremes on infectious diseases is urgently needed.     

A stress and displacement discontinuity element method for elastic transversely anisotropic rock

The paper presents closed‐form solutions for stress and displacement influence functions for stress discontinuity (SD) and displacement discontinuity (DD) elements, for a two‐dimensional plane‐strain elastic, transversely anisotropic medium. The solutions for SD elements are based on Kelvin's problem and for DD elements on the concept of dipoles. Stress and displacement influence functions are derived for the following elements: constant SD, linear SD, constant DD, linear DD, square root DD, parabolic DD, constant DD surface, and linear DD surface elements. The formulations are incorporated into FROCK, a hybridized boundary element method code, and are validated by providing comparisons between the results from FROCK and the finite element code ABAQUS. A limited parametric analysis shows the effects of slight anisotropy on the stress field around the tip of a crack and of the orientation of the crack with respect to the axes of elastic symmetry. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GIS application for regional assessment of seismically induced slope failures in the Sierra Nevada Range,South Spain,along the Padul Fault

Complete rupture of the Padul Fault represents one of the largest plausible earthquakes in the Sierra Nevada Range, one of the most seismically active regions of Spain. We performed a regional assessment of earthquake-triggered slope instabilities in the western part of the range to determine the most likely types of failures from such an earthquake in the region and suggest where such failures have a higher likelihood of occurring. These results are broadly useful for management of regional life-lines and future development. First, a slope-instability inventory of the Sierra Nevada was produced to identify the most common instability types. Subsequently, the Newmark’s sliding rigid-block methodology, implemented in a geographic information system, was used to obtain the distribution of Newmark displacements in the area considering a M _w 6.6 earthquake on the Padul Fault. The Newmark displacements were then compared to the distribution of the inventoried slope instabilities to identify the areas where seismicity could reactivate old slope instabilities or generate new ones, and to identify the involved landslide typology. The most likely seismically induced slope instabilities in the Sierra Nevada are rock falls and rock slides. These types of instabilities could be triggered by Newmark displacements of 2 cm or less.     

Geochemistry and health aspects of F-rich mountainous streams and groundwaters from sierras Pampeanas de Cordoba,Argentina

Symptoms of dental fluorosis have been observed in rural communities located in the Sierras Pampeanas de Córdoba, a mountainous area in Central Argentina. The clinical assessment was performed in the Charbonier Department, where the fluoride (F⁻) intake was determined to be 3.90 ± 0.20 mg day⁻¹ (n = 16). In this community, mild and severe fluorosis reach an incidence of 86.7% (total teeth surface = 636 teeth) among the children population. To determine the origin and distribution of fluorine in natural waters from the Charbonier Department and nearby regions, sampling was performed in the area covering the San Marcos River basin. The obtained results show that F⁻ concentrations vary between ~1 to ~2.5 mg l⁻¹, with an outlier value of 8 mg l⁻¹. The spatial distribution of F⁻ shows that the lowest concentrations are found at the basin’s catchments. Maximum values are located in two sectors of the basin: the Charbonier depression in the eastern part and at the San Marcos village, downstream the main collector, in the western part of the basin. In these two regions, the F⁻ contents in ground- and surface waters are >2.0 mg l⁻¹ and nearly constant. Dissolved F⁻ in natural waters from the study area has its origin in the weathering of F-bearing minerals present in the region’s dominant lithology. The extent of mineral weathering is mostly determined by the residence time of water within the aquatic reservoir. Longer residence times and a major solid–water interaction lead to enhanced release of F⁻. This explains the higher F⁻ concentrations found in basin areas with lower run off. The removal of F⁻ from water appears to occur by neither fluorite precipitation, nor by adsorption. Hence, variations in F⁻ concentrations seem to be more related to regional hydrological conditions.     

Bioremediation of dry olive-mill residue removes inhibition of growth induced by this waste in tomato plants

The disposal of dry olive-mill residue, the waste product from olive oil production, is a serious environmental issue. Dry olive-mill residue, being rich in organic and inorganic nutrients, could be used as fertilizer; however, it contains phenolic compounds that can inhibit plant growth. In order to clarify whether bioremediation of this waste could be a valuable strategy for its reuse, the effect of aqueous extract of dry olive-mill residue, untreated or bioremediated by the saprobe fungi Coriolopsis rigida and Penicillium chrysogenum-10, has been analyzed in relation to some physiological parameters of tomato plants. The data show that aqueous dry olive-mill residue significantly reduces the biomass of roots and shoots. In particular, it causes a dramatic reduction in root length, area, and volume as well as in the number of root tips. At an early stage, aqueous dry olive-mill residue also reduces the content of chlorophyll a and b and the efficiency of PS II. The inhibition of growth seems to be due to the increase in phenolic compounds that induce oxidative stress. Interestingly, when plants are treated with aqueous dry olive-mill residue bioremediated by saprobe fungi a decrease in phenolic content and an alleviation of oxidative stress occur. In conclusion, the results show that bioremediation of aqueous dry olive-mill residue is a useful tool to remove most of the inhibiting effects of this waste on plant growth.     

Alpujarride attribution of the supposed ‘Almagride Complex’ (Betic Internal Zone,Almerı́a Province,Spain)Appartenance Alpujarride du prétendu « Complexe almagride » (Zones internes bétiques,province d'Almeria,Espagne)

The differentiation of units in the Sierra de Almagro has been a source of controversy. There were defined the Almagride and Ballabona–Cucharón complexes, the former considered by several authors as part of a Subbetic metamorphosed and outcropping in a tectonic window. In this study, the units of Ballabona, Almagro and Cucharón are integrated into a single one, that of Tres Pacos, because they correspond to different parts of the same stratigraphic series. This unit is tectonically over the Nevado–Filabride Complex. The existence of the Almagride and Ballabona–Cucharón complexes is discarded and their units form part of the Alpujarride Complex. To cite this article: C. Sanz de Galdeano, F.J. Garc??a Tortosa, C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 355–362.