HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT: ACHIEVEMENTS, BENEFITS AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FROM A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

The past achievements, benefits and future opportunities of human spaceflight are discussed from a European perspective. Earlier work performed on the Skylab, Salyut, Shuttle, Spacelab, and Mir orbital facilities is reviewed, together with the prospects for new research on the International Space Station (ISS). Major scientific benefits are expected from the ISS in the areas of life science research (including human physiology and medicine) physical sciences, and fundamental physics.     

太行山东麓层状云微物理特征的飞机观测研究

本文利用“太行山东麓人工增雨防雹作业技术试验”的飞机和地面雷达观测数据,重点研究分析了2018年5月21日一次典型西风槽天气系统影响下的层状云微物理特征。结果表明,?5°C层的过冷水含量低于0.05 g m?3,冰粒子数浓度量级101～102 L?1。冰粒子数浓度高值区主要以针状和柱状冰晶为主。这可能低层是Hallett-Mossop机制和其他冰晶繁生机制共同作用下所产生的冰晶碎片在冰面过饱和条件下凝华增长所形成的。冰粒子数浓度低值区的冰晶形状基本以片状或枝状为主。?5°C层的冰雪晶增长主要以凝华和聚并增长为主,凇附过程很弱。零度层附近云水含量峰值区的液态水占比达到70%以上。云水含量峰值区的粒子主要以直径10～50 μm的云滴为主,伴随着少量聚合状冰晶。零度层其他区域的过冷水含量维持在0.05 g m?3左右,冰晶形态主要以聚合状、凇附状及霰粒子为主。液水层则主要以球形液滴及半融化状态的冰粒子为主。垂直探测表明:零度层以上的冰雪晶数浓度呈现随高度递增的趋势。在发展稳定的层状云内,混合层的过冷水含量很低,冰粒子主要通过凝华和聚并过程增长,云体冰晶化程度较高。而在发展较为旺盛的层状云区里过冷水含量也较高,大量液滴的存在也表明混合层冰-液相之间的转化不充分。不同温度层的粒子谱显示,冷水含量高值区的冰粒子平均浓度比过冷水低值区高,但平均直径比过冷水低值区小。     

云南东川铜矿床流体演化与成矿机制研究

东川铜矿床是我国重要的沉积岩容矿的层状铜矿床(SSC),具有显著的多层位成矿特征和典型的铜硫化物分带。本研究以不同层位铜矿体的流体包裹体为研究对象,通过岩相学观察、显微测温和激光拉曼成分分析,发现东川群多层位铜矿体存在浅色和深色包裹体2种类型:浅色包裹体成分以H₂O为主,含丰富的石盐子晶和少量钾盐、硬石膏子晶,代表了氧化型含矿卤水,具中低温(140~300 ℃)、中高盐度(12%~44%)的特征,属于Na ⁺、K ⁺、Ca ²⁺-Cl ^-(SO₄ ^2-)型盆地卤水,主要来源于海相蒸发岩的溶解和层间建造水;深色的含有机质包裹体代表了还原型流体,来源于黑山组碳质板岩和落雪组中的藻类生物分解。东川铜矿床以落雪组的含叠层石砂质白云岩作为主要沉淀系统,黑山组碳质板岩为隔挡层,形成一个流体封闭的物理化学圈闭,氧化含矿卤水通过供给系统运移到具还原性质的沉淀系统中,与还原型富硫流体和含有机质的地层发生混合反应,形成多层位的层状铜矿体和层控脉状铜矿体。     

Performance evaluation of Turkish disaster relief management system in 1999 earthquakes using data envelopment analysis

Natural Hazards - This study estimates the relative efficiency of disaster relief organizations that participated in the relief activities following the Marmara and Düzce earthquakes that took...     

A new equation for estimating the maximum surface settlement above tunnels excavated in soft ground

Nowadays, due to urbanization and population increase, need for metro tunnels, has been considerably increased in urban areas. Common characterization of urban area tunnels is that they are excavated in very shallow depths and soft ground. In such excavations, main challenge for tunneling is low bearing capacity and easy deformation characteristic of the ground. Tunnel face instability and the potential surface settlement are the most hazardous factors that should be considered in all tunneling methods applied in urban areas. Incorrect estimation of the maximum surface settlement value can lead to irreparable damages to the buildings and other nearby structures. There are several published relationships concerned with field measurements and analytical solutions to estimate the amount of the maximum surface settlement value due to tunneling. These relationships are not precise for calculating the aimed values. Therefore, providing accurate equations for estimation of these values is certainly useful. First purpose of this study is to determine the effective parameters such as geotechnical factors (cohesion, internal friction angle, density, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio), and engineering factors (tunnel depth, tunnel diameter and face support pressure) on the maximum surface settlement value. In this study, three metro project constructions namely Istanbul, Tehran, Mashhad in the Middle East were chosen. FLAC3D (Itasca Consulting Group 2002) was used for detailed numerical analysis. The second aim is to present better equations in estimating the maximum surface settlement-based actual data set from several tunnel projects and numerical modeling. The results from the new estimation equation are compared with results of empirical and field observations. The maximum surface settlement values obtained from the new equation have good agreement with the actual results for three different metro case studies.     

Kyoto flexibility mechanisms in EU accession countries: will they make a difference?

What potential effect do flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol have on energy efficiency, fuel switching and the development of renewable energy sources for the eight post-communist EU Member States that accessed in 2004? These countries are chief candidates for hosting Joint Implementation (JI) projects and for participating in international emission trading, which may assist the implementation and financing of projects in these target areas. The potentials and barriers to Joint Implementation are reviewed, as well as the conditions under which international emission trading can influence the energy use of the selling country. Different strategies adopted by the host countries towards the application of these instruments, and their impact on sustainable energy development, are examined. The article concludes that the Kyoto flexibility mechanisms may play a positive, but rather limited, role in the sustainable energy development of the region, but the barriers to Joint Implementation may shift the emphasis towards transactions under the framework of international emission trading. If innovative mechanisms are tied to sustainable development goals, this may mobilize the energyefficiency potentials of these countries. An attractive opportunity exists to achieve energy efficiency and emission reductions, utilizing the revenues from allowance sales through ‘green investment’ schemes.     

Impact cratering in sandstone: The MEMIN pilot study on the effect of pore water

Abstract– Planetary surfaces are subjected to meteorite bombardment and crater formation. Rocks forming these surfaces are often porous and contain fluids. To understand the role of both parameters on impact cratering, we conducted laboratory experiments with dry and wet sandstone blocks impacted by centimeter‐sized steel spheres. We utilized a 40 m two‐stage light‐gas gun to achieve impact velocities of up to 5.4 km s^?1. Cratering efficiency, ejection velocities, and spall volume are enhanced if the pore space of the sandstone is filled with water. In addition, the crater morphologies differ substantially from wet to dry targets, i.e., craters in wet targets are larger, but shallower. We report on the effects of pore water on the excavation flow field and the degree of target damage. We suggest that vaporization of water upon pressure release significantly contributes to the impact process.     

Evaluation of the Glugla method for estimating evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge

Abstract

Estimates of groundwater recharge are often needed for a variety of groundwater resource evaluation purposes. A method for estimating long-term groundwater recharge and actual evapotranspiration not known in the English literature is presented. The method uses long-term average annual precipitation, runoff, potential evaporation, and crop-yield information, and uses empirical parameter curves that depend on soil and crop types to determine long-term average annual groundwater recharge (GWR). The method is tested using historic lysimeter records from 10 lysimeters at Coshocton, Ohio, USA. Considering the coarse information required, the method provides good estimates of groundwater recharge and actual evapotranspiration, and is sensitive to a range of cropping and land-use conditions. Problems with practical application of the technique are mentioned, including the need for further testing using given parameter curves, and for incorporating parameters that describe current farming practices and other land uses. The method can be used for urban conditions, and can be incorporated into a GIS framework for rapid, large-area, spatially-distributed estimations of GWR. An example application of the method is given.     

Analysis of ambient noise in Yalova, Turkey: discrimination between artificial and natural excitations

Ambient noise measurements acquired in Yalova, which was highly damaged during the 1999 Izmit earthquake, are analyzed to explore the site characteristics. The region of Yalova is governed by complex geological and geomorphological structures consisting of river beds extending from the mountains to the sea, ridges between them, plains in front of them with different size, and the sea coast. As a result of these shallow geological features, the H/V curves exhibit complex patterns. Clear peaks in the H/V curves, which can be interpreted as reliable site resonance frequency, are observed only at about half of the measurement sites. At the remaining sites industrial peaks, broad peaks, or flat responses dominate the spectral ratio graphs. We observed that man-made noises generated by marble cutting machines in Hersek delta mask the site resonance frequencies or can be misinterpreted as a resonance frequency. In total, we identified three anthropogenic noise sources at fundamental frequencies of 1.3, 1.5, and 1.7 Hz along with their two- and threefold harmonics. The parts of H/V curves showing unusual low scattering can be a clue to identify anthropogenic effects. In the assessment of H/V curves, the site location and the similarity of the near surface geology were taken into account. The Laledere plain with thick and soft sediment sequence surprisingly displays flat responses due to a possible low impedance contrast. The Ciftlikkoy and Hacimehmet plains exhibit clear resonance peaks at nearly 1 Hz possessing the largest amplitudes. These sites experienced the highest damage in Yalova during the Izmit earthquake. In contrast, the Cinarcik region which was also exposed to high damage, do not show any obvious amplifications on the H/V curves. Generally, the H/V curves for valley and ridge sites in Yalova reveals a resonance peak at approximately 1 Hz and almost flat curves, respectively. However, several sites on the ridges and valleys portray different patterns.