Abyssal hills of the eastern central North Atlantic

Abyssal hills were delineated in a 185 × 185-km area by an 18.5 × 18.5-km grid of narrow-beam bathymetric and geophysical profiles in oceanic crust of Cretaceous age near 23°N latitude, 31°W longitude. The abyssal hills are similar to features located along flow lines of sea-floor spreading near the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This similarity indicates a primary origin for these abyssal hills related to axial processes at a mid-oceanic ridge involving construction (igneous) and tectonics (faulting), and secondary modification by volcanic activity.     

Multireservoir system optimization in the Han River basin using multi‐objective genetic algorithms

In this study, NSGA‐II is applied to multireservoir system optimization. Here, a four‐dimensional multireservoir system in the Han River basin was formulated. Two objective functions and three cases having different constraint conditions are used to achieve nondominated solutions. NSGA‐II effectively determines these solutions without being subject to any user‐defined penalty function, as it is applied to a multireservoir system optimization having a number of constraints (here, 246), multi‐objectives, and infeasible initial solutions. Most research by multi‐objective genetic algorithms only reveals a trade‐off in the objective function space present, and thus the decision maker must reanalyse this trade‐off relationship in order to obtain information on the decision variable. Contrastingly, this study suggests a method for identifying the best solutions among the nondominated ones by analysing the relation between objective function values and decision variables. Our conclusions demonstrated that NSGA‐II performs well in multireservoir system optimization having multi‐objectives. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of groundwater level and vegetation on creep of the Mam Tor landslip

The creeping Mam Tor landslide (North Derbyshire, UK) is sliding slowly downhill at up to 0.5 m per year. Annual measurements using conventional surveying techniques have shown that creep is exacerbated by periods of heavy rainfall, but to establish a detailed correlation between creep and groundwater levels requires spatially and temporally higher resolution monitoring. We have acquired three years of such data from wire creep meters, borehole piezometers and rainfall monitoring. These measurements showed that creep is strongly focused into the winter months and that it correlates well with groundwater levels. Summer grass and fern growth exerts a strong influence on rainfall infiltration, recycling much of the summer rainfall back to the atmosphere, and explaining the seasonal variability of creep motion.     

Three-dimensional numerical modeling of cohesive sediment transport and wind wave impact in a shallow oxbow lake

It was observed that in some closed inland lakes sediment transport was dominated by wind-induced currents, and the sediment resuspension was primarily driven by wind-induced waves. This paper presents the development and application of a three-dimensional numerical model for simulating cohesive sediment transport in water bodies where wind-induced currents and waves are important. In the model, the bottom shear stresses induced by currents and waves were calculated, and the processes of resuspension (erosion), deposition, settling, etc. were considered. This model was first verified by a simple test case consisting of the movement of a non-conservative tracer in a prismatic channel with uniform flow, and the model output agreed well with the analytical solution. Then it was applied to Deep Hollow Lake, a small oxbow lake in Mississippi. Simulated sediment concentrations were compared with available field observations, with generally good agreement. The transport and resuspension processes of cohesive sediment due to wind-induced current and wave in Deep Hollow Lake were also discussed.     

A framework for a microscale flood damage assessment and visualization for a building using BIM–GIS integration

Flood damage assessment (FDA) is a key component of risk-based method for flood management. In the current FDA approaches, generally the uniqueness of the building is disregarded in the analysis. Therefore, they are unfit for detailed applications in which case-by-case analysis of building damage is an essential requirement. This limitation is compounded by the use of incomplete and often low-quality data inputs about the building and the assumptions and approximations made regarding the geometry and materials of its components. Such shortcomings may result in incomplete and uncertain outcomes. Considering the benefits and increasing use of three-dimensional (3D) urban modeling and Building Information Model in various urban management processes, in this paper, an integrated framework for utilization of detailed 3D building models for the assessment and 3D visualization of flood damage to building according to its distinct behavior against flood is presented. A proof-of-concept demonstration of the framework in a case study underlined the feasibility of implementation of the framework, which can potentially benefit a variety of users and be used as a complementary approach to the current FDA methods for improving the resilience of the community toward floods and their adverse impacts.     

Mapping the spatial distribution of subsurface saline material in the Darling River valley

In the Australian landscape larg stores of soluble salt are present naturally. In many cases it is attributable to salts entrapped as marine sediment in earlier geological time. At the district level, the need for information on the presence of saline subsurface material is increasing, particularly for its application to salinity hazard assessment and environmental management. This is the case in irrigated areas, where changes in hydrology can result in secondary salinisation. To reduce the expense, environmental studies use a regression relationship to make use of more readily observed measurements (e.g. electromagnetic (EM) data) which are strongly correlated with the variable of interest. In this investigation a methodology is outlined for mapping the spatial distribution of average subsurface (6–12 m) salinity (EC_e — mS m^? 1) using an environmental correlation with EM34 survey data collected across the Bourke Irrigation District (BID) in the Darling River valley. The EM34 is used in the horizontal dipole mode at coil configurations of 10 (EM34-10), 20 (EM34-20), and 40 (EM34-40). A multiple-linear regression (MLR) relationship is established between average subsurface EC_e and the three EM34 signal data using a forward modeling stepwise linear modeling approach. The spatial distribution of average subsurface salinity generally reflects the known surface expression of point-source salinisation and provides information for future environmental monitoring and natural resource management. The generation of EM34 data on various contrived grids (i.e. 1, 1.5, 2. 2.5 and 3 km) indicates that in terms of accuracy, the data available on the 0.5 (RMSE = 188) and 1 km (RMSE = 283) grid are best, with the least biased predictions achieved using 1 (ME = ? 1) and 2 km (ME = 12) grids. Viewing the spatial distribution of subsurface saline material showed that the 0.5 km spacing is optimal, particularly in order to account for short-range spatial variation between various physiographic units. The Relative Improvement (RI) shows that increasing EM grids from 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 to 3 km gave RI of ? 53, ? 100%, ? 107%, ? 128% and ? 140%, respectively. We conclude that at a minimum a 1 km grid is needed for reconnaissance EM34 surveying.     

侏罗纪末至白垩纪非海相介形类生物地层学:回顾与展望

以非海相介形类为依据而建立的侏罗纪末至白垩纪的生物地层学,尤其是欧洲所谓"Purbeck-Wealden层段"(提塘阶顶部至巴列姆阶/阿普特阶底部)和全球同期沉积层的生物地层学建立已久,但这一生物地层学存有很多问题与局限性。本文对中生代晚期(聚焦于早白垩世)的非海相介形类生物地层学的基本原理、历史、目前进展、存在问题和前景进行了综述。因为介形类的繁殖、扩散与成种机制已有比较成熟的研究,所以介形类的生物地层学的应用潜力被认识已久。然而,全球不同地区中生代晚期的非海相介形类众多的研究积累已构成了一个丰富但常常混乱和矛盾的文献库。这些问题不仅存在于介形类的分类鉴定中,也见于关于古环境和系统发育的解释中。虽然地区性的盆地内的介形类生物地层学研究已产生了好结果,并可能能够用于局部地区的高精度对比。但是在进行地区间(盆地间至全球)的对比时,其实用性广遭怀疑。在过去的二十年间,许多学者采用了将今论古的古生物学研究方法,努力修订和更新中生代晚期的非海相介形类的生物地层学与古环境意义,从而促进了地区间生物地层学研究和对比的发展。古生物学家认识到,对于许多非海相介形类动物来讲,它们的分布和扩散不仅仅局限于单个的水系或较小的地理区域,而是和现生的非海相介形类一样,晚侏罗世至白垩纪的非海相介形类动物和它们的卵可被较大的动物或风长距离搬运,跨越迁移的屏障,进行扩散。鉴于以上事实,地区间的对比必须涉及两大内容:分类学的应用与古环境背景。缺乏适用于地区—全球的稳定和一致的分类学系统是进行正确对比的重要障碍。由于大量地方性分类命名、地方性特有动物的假设、与壳体特征相关的分类和生态型认识的混乱,以及对种内变异尺度的统一认识的缺乏,导致了对生物分异度的过高或过低的估量。非海相白垩纪介形类的地层记录受到诸多因素的影响:分类单元的演化与灭绝、扩散事件、当地的环境变化和地区性至全球的气候变迁。在生物地层学的应用中,我们可以通过不同手段去把握同时代的Cytheroidea,特别是Cypridoidea中具重要地层意义的Cypridea属及其亲近者(即CypridoideaMartin,1940)的分类单元的形态变异度。解释种内变异时需要格外谨慎。区分生物自生(内因)导致的变异(遗传的和形态的变异)和环境(外因)导致的变异(生态表型)是一大难题。比较保守的分类学观念(分类单元很少,但变异极大(分类单元中包含了多种生态表型))有助于不同古环境间的(生物地层)对比。另一方法是运用随着时间的古环境变化及其对介形类组合的组成的影响来进行(生物地层)对比。古生物工作者已在利用受环境控制的周期性介形类组合变化建立对比关系方面进行了大量有意义的尝试,但这些工作仍处在争议中。建立全球生物地层学方法,建立统一而持久的分类概念这一目标可以达到,但不可能在短期内实现。用现代的思想(概念)理解和研究非海相介形类的古生物学和古生物地理学及新资料将有助于修订工作的进展。尽管我们对中生代的非海相介形类的演化和分布的认识还很不全面,但目前我们已取得了可喜的进展。盆地间至大陆间的对比是否可行,早已不是问题。目前和未来的指导原则无疑是发展以介形类为基础,并与其他的年代地层学和地质年代学资料及方案相结合的从地区至全球范围的地层对比系统。因为我们正在迈向一个非海相晚中生代介形类生物地层学的重新解释和应用的新时代,我们必须承认我们还有许多东西需要学习。     

Diagonal brace with ductile knee anchor for aseismic steel frame

A new structural system for earthquake resistant steel structures is investigated in this paper. This new framing system, called the knee-brace-frame (KBF), is a braced frame with diagonal braces connected to ductile knee members. The diagonal braces provide the lateral stiffness, whereas the knee anchors yield in flexure to dissipate energy during severe seismic excitation. To assess the inelastic characteristics of the KBF, a large scale model of a KBF was tested using the pseudodynamic test procedure. The experimental results are compared with analytical results obtained from a DRAIN-2D model. It is found that, with an appropriate design of knee anchors, the KBF can be made to be ductile to dissipate energy during severe seismic excitation.     

Copper complexing capacity of seawater: A critical appraisal of the direct ASV method

The break-point in the Cu(II) titration curve obtained by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) is usually attributed to the formation of strong organo-copper complexes. This interpretation is the basis for the direct determination by ASV of the copper complexing capacity of natural waters. The present study suggests, however, that the break in the Cu(II) titration curve in seawater, as determined by ASV, could be due to the formation of a ZnCu intermetallic compound (IC) formed in the mercury during the deposition stage of the ASV procedure.