Predicting ground-motion variations at the Turkey-flat test site,California

Results of a single group participating in an international experiment are analyzed. The experiment served to verify computational predictions of the ground-motion variations due to near-surface geological effects at a site established for that purpose by the California Department of Conservation. Based on an acceleration record at a rock location, and geotechnical model of medium, records at the other locations of a nearby sedimentary deposit were predicted. A 2-D finite-difference sensitivity analysis suggested that the lateral wave-propagation effects are negligibly small, and locally 1-D computations are sufficient for the present site. Those computations are compared with observations not available to the authors during the blind prediction. Peak accelerations, peak velocities and RMS accelerations were predicted with errors less than 159%, 114% and 62%, respectively. Maxima of the response spectra were fitted within a factor of 2. The predicted and observed Husid's plots (i.e., the normalized cumulative plots of the acceleration squared) have the correlation coefficients 0.98. The detected misfits do not show any simple relation to the instrument location, component, frequency, or time.     

A univariate model for long-term streamflow forecasting

This paper, the first in a series of two, employs the principle of maximum entropy (POME) via maximum entropy spectral analysis (MESA) to develop a univariate model for long-term streamflow forecasting. Three cases of streamflow forecasting are investigated: forward forecasting, backward forecasting (or reconstruction) and intermittent forecasting (or filling in missing records). Application of the model is discussed in the second paper.     

Harmonic wave propagation through viscoelastic heterogeneous media exhibiting mild stochasticity - I. Fundamental solutions

This work examines the propagation of time harmonic, horizontally polarized shear waves through a naturally occurring heterogeneous medium that exhibits viscous behaviour as well as random fluctuations of its elastic modulus about a mean value. As a first step, the governing equation, which is a heterogeneous Helmholtz equation, is solved using algebraic transformations and the relevant Green's function is obtained for two sets of boundary conditions, one corresponding to a finite depth layer and the other to an infinite layer. Viscous material behaviour is introduced by considering the depth-dependent elastic modulus to be a complex quantity. Subsequently, material stochasticity in the medium is handled through the perturbation approach by assuming that the elastic modulus has a small random fluctuation about its mean value. The final results are closed-form expressions for the mean value and covariance matrix of both the wave speed profile in the medium and the corresponding Green's function. In Part II, (Soil Dynam. Earth. Engng, 1996,15, 129-39), two examples concerning seismic wave propagation in soft topsoil and in sandstone serve to illustrate the methodology and comparisons are made with Monte Carlo simulations.     

Distribution and source apportionments of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mariculture sediments from the Pearl River Delta, South China

Surface and core sediments collected from six mariculture farms in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed to evaluate contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The ∑PCBs (37 congeners) concentrations ranged from 5.10 to 11.0 ng g(-1) (mean 7.96 ng g(-1)) in surface and 3.19 to 22.1 ng g(-1) (mean 7.75 ng g(-1)) in core sediments, respectively. The concentrations were significantly higher than that measured in the sediments of their corresponding reference sites, whereby the average enrichment percentages were 62.0% and 42.7% in surface and core sediments, respectively. Significant correlations (R2=0.77, p<0.05) of PCB homologue group proportions between fish feeds and surface mariculture sediments suggested that fish feed input was probably the main source for the enrichment of PCBs. Due to the fact that PCBs could be transferred along food chains, PCB contamination in fish feeds and mariculture sediments should not be overlooked.     

Description and hydraulic interpretation of grain size cumulative curves from the Platte River system

Log-probability plots of grain-size distribution from the Platte, North Platte, and South Platte rivers are composed of four or five straight line segments. The line segments are grouped, dividing each curve into three regions. These regions are interpreted as subpopulations moved by different transport mechanisms. Consideration of the criterion for suspension and calculation of shear velocities associated with dominant discharges support this interpretation. The grain size cumulative curves are similar to each other but distinct from curves of fluvial systems transporting only fine-grained material, the difference being the presence of a subpopulation of grains moved in traction transport. One of two possible relationships seems to exist between the grain-size distributions and flow conditions within the Platte River system. Estimated shear velocities derived by varying flow conditions within reasonable limits predict a range of grain sizes within which the break between the intermittent suspension and traction loads should occur. This break appears to be associated with intermediate shear velocities if truncated normal distributions are assumed; but if overlapping distributions are assumed, the ‘break'is associated with estimated maximum shear velocities.     

Evolution of the H2O Maser Emission in the Star-Forming Region S252A

Results of observations of the star-forming region S252A in the 1.35-cm H²O and 18-cm OH lines obtained using the 22-m Pushchino (Russia) and Nancay (France) radio telescopes are presented. A catalog of H²O maser spectra for 1995-2019 is presented. The variability of the integrated flux has two components: a cyclic component with a time interval between cycles ~30-35 yrs and a short-period component with a mean period of about 2.6 yrs. This may reflect non-stationary formation of a protostar. It is shown that the medium where the H²O maser emission and thermal OH emission are generated is strongly fragmented, and contains small-scale turbulent motions comparable to the thermal motions of the matter. The observed drift and jumps in the radial velocity of the H²O emission features could be a consequence of complex, non-uniform structure of the maser condensations.

     

A new type of open fracturing in the rocks

The finest open fractures (ultramicrofractures) were found from the study of surface density of open fractures in the rocks from the super-deep Uralian borehole SG-4. The high-resolution method of the registration of open fractures in the rocks is described. The typical structures of systems formed by open fractures are shown and their genesis is proposed.     

Denitrification rates measured along a salinity gradient in the eutrophic Neuse River estuary, North Carolina, USA

Denitrification rates along a salinity gradient in the eutrophic Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, were quantified using membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) within short-term batch incubations. Denitrification rates within the system were highly variable, ranging from 0 to 275 μmol N m⁻² h⁻¹. Intrasite variability increased with salinity, but no significant differences were observed across the salinity gradient. Denitrification rates were positively correlated with sediment oxygen demand at the upstream sampling site where sediment organic carbon levels were lowest. This relationship was not observed in the more saline sampling sites. Denitrification rates were highest during winter. On an annual basis, denitrification accounted for 26% of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen and 12% of the total nitrogen supplied to the system.     

Hydraulic properties of concentrated flow of a bank gully in the dry‐hot valley region of southwest China

To quantify spatiotemporal variation in hydraulic properties of bank gully concentrated flow, a series of scour experiments were run under water discharge rates ranging from 30 to 120 l min^?1. Concentrated flows were found to be turbulent and supercritical in the upstream catchment area and downstream gully beds. As discharge increased, values of the soil erosion rate, Reynolds number (Re), shear stress, stream power, and flow energy consumption (ΔE) increased while values of the Froude number (Fr) and the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor (resistance f ) did not. With the exception of gully headcut collapse under discharge rates of 60, 90, and 120 l min^?1, a declining power function trend (P < 0.05) in the soil erosion rate developed in the upstream catchment area, headcuts, and downstream gully beds. However, increasing trends were observed in temporal variations of hydraulic properties for downstream gully beds and the upstream catchment area. Despite significant differences in temporal variation between the soil erosion rate and hydraulic property values, relative steady state conditions of the soil erosion rate and ΔE were attained following an initial period of adjustment in the upstream catchment area, headcuts, and downstream gully beds under different discharge rates. A logarithmic growth of flow energy consumption per unit soil loss (ΔE_u) was observed in bank gullies and the upstream catchment area as the experiment progressed, further illustrating the actual reason behind the discrepancy in temporal variation between soil erosion rates and ΔE. Results demonstrate that ΔE can be used to estimate headcut erosion soil loss, but further quantitative studies are required to quantify coupling effects between hydraulic properties and vertical variation in soil mechanical properties on temporal variation for bank gully soil erosion rates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.